I'm not ashamed.

This is just pure food porn. Sent by a buddy traveling in Arizona. Chicken Fried Steak at the Cowboy Cafe in Wickenburg, Arizona.

This got me thinking -- send me your CFS pics (chickenfriedtexan@gmail.com) and I'll post them. Our collective culinary travels will celebrate the tastiest of all the fried meats!

Frank's Restaraunt - Shulenburg, TX

You may know Frank’s for their famous “Shulenburger” Burger but there is more to know. I sampled their CFS on the last leg of a trip and enjoyed it immensely.

It was simple, petite and magnificent. Her diminutive size belied her flavor packed punch. The creamy gravy cascaded over the crispy breading like a glorious waterfall – just enough gravy to entertain each bite. Mashed potatoes accompanied and were lumpy and starchy – the perfect compliment to a perfectly cooked steak and just salty enough breading. The only vegetable in sight was a sprig of parsley (which I declined to eat for health reasons).

So, next time you stop, order up the CFS if you’re looking for a burger alternative. Just expect to be very sleepy afterwards.

Texas Land & Cattle – Tomball, TX

A little Chicken Fried Texan math: Bacon + Jalapeno + Melty Cheddar Cheese = delight.

Our waitress told us about a new menu “soft” rollout with some tasty fried goodies. The one that caught my eye was the “fried jalapeños.” These were not your corner bar’s stuffed jalapenos. These plump heaters were lightly breaded and stuffed with cheddar cheese, bacon and onions, unlike traditional fried jalapenos filled with only cream cheese or cheddar cheese. The seeds were left inside, giving the redesigned “poppers” a nice but understated heat.

These new poppers with a cold beer and some helmet-on-helmet football violence on Sunday afternoon and I’m a happy man.

Twisted Root Burger Company - Richardson, TX

There’s more to life than CFS. Taking a brief sojourn from CFS, on a recent trip north to Dallas we had the chance to eat at Twisted Root (www.twistedrootburgerco.com), an excellent and eclectic burger joint.

The burgers were excellent, but the fried goodie basket was amazing. Aptly named the “Fried Ride,” this basket of fried vittles arrived at the table with deep fried sweet potatoes, pickles, green beans and onions. Dipped in a little ranch and zinged with a dribble of one of Twisted Root’s signature ketchups (featuring curry and chipotle, among others) and you’re in heart-clogging heaven. The crispness of the veggies , the tender fried exterior and the salty, creamy ranch made for a wonderful bite at all levels.

Just forget about that New Year’s diet idea right now and get some of this.

Mel's Diner - Gidding, TX

Chicken Fried Road Trip - Part III

The finale to our trip, after a day of imbibing some of the best barbeque joints in Texas, we decided to end our trip with a chicken fried meal.

Mel’s Diner, right on Highway 290, is an old 50s style diner, although a bit rundown (not dissimilar to our waitress who looked a bit rundown herself). I’m fine with dives but the food must be good. Places like this give dives a bad name.

The meal was $8.99 for the “small” CFS. The CFS, which was good sized, was pan fried which made it crispy and gave it a smoky favor. This was a nice change from the more heavy southern style we’d had on the trip to date.

Unfortunately, the meat was chewy, a result of the quick pan fry. The meal came with the choice of a potato product – the French fries were pretty standard, nothing great. Sad little salad accompanied – lettuce and tomato (or some kind of reddish disc) were wilted and old and was not enhanced by the “Newman’s Own” packet dressing which arrived with the salad.

I pine for these kinds of places – wary highway travelers sharing stories, the history, tens of thousands of plates passed from the well-warn kitchen. If only the food were good.

Kloesel’s Steakhouse - Malton, TX

Chicken Fried Road Trip - Part II

Properly soused with fine ale from the Shiner Bock brewery, we sought out in search of sustenance. The Kloesel’s Steakhouse is more like house than a restaurant (perhaps on purpose) with several rooms that could easily be someone’s living room, den and foyer. Big band polka music emphasized the part of Texas we were in (along with old photos on the wall of similar big bands).

The “lunch plate” was $5.99. Breading was nice and soft, southern style. Perhaps too soft. I like a little crunch to a breading. The meat could have been tenderer as though it could have been beaten a bit more to mash out some of the connective tissue. It was “meat forward” -- there was more meat than breading. The gravy was a traditional white cream gravy and was heavy and satisfying. Sides were set with the plate – mashed (really smashed) red potato “salad” with rosemary (they called them “new potatoes”) and corn which was canned but was mixed with sausage, onion and red peppers (a “meal in itself” according to Chicken Fried Father). The whole plate blended together and billowed with the bounty of yummy lunch fare.

Speed, efficiency and price. CFS in Central Texas. Count me in. Certainly the best food in Malton, Texas.

Werner's - Hattiesville, TX

Chicken Fried Road Trip - Part I

Weary from travel and with fatigue from the frequency of “fork to mouth” action from stuffing our faces with barbeque, Chicken Fried Father and I stumbled onto Werner’s on Day 1 of our road trip in search of some chicken fried joy to moderate our barbeque-filled afternoon. It turns out, Werner’s is a local chain serving home-style food. The Werner’s we visited was a ramshackle place – the outside was a bit run down and the inside matched. The restaurant looked like an old house with oblong rooms and sitting areas that mimicked (or were) an old farmhouse.

The CFS was disappointing. The steak was tough as a result of being overfried and the breading didn’t stick to it. Gravy was traditional and good but nothing to, ahem, write home about – an unfortunate turn of phrase since I’m now writing home about it. The potatoes were whipped and had good flavor. The green beans, while obviously from a can, had good flavor and a healthy does of bacon to balance the earthiness of the beans with the fatty saltiness of the bacon. Just the way you want them.

But, because it was only $4.99, we didn’t complain. Where are you going to get that value in Houston?

No matter how thirsty you are, don’t ask for a cold ale (or any ale). They don’t have it.