Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Potatoe Patch – Houston, TX

Out running some errands at the I-45 – 1960 corridor, I came across the Potatoe Patch (apologies to the driver behind me who was caught off guard by my quick swerve into their parking lot). I thought the name was a riff on Dan Quayle’s inability to correctly spell the singular “potato” but apparently there are several people who spell it this way.



The Patch is a large version of a small town diner and has a very comfortable feel. They have an elaborate entry system, suggesting that the place gets busy (a good sign). There were several groups of office workers and several of Houston’s Finest enjoying lunch (a very good sign).

As I sat down, my waitress brought a little basket of fried vittles. It consisted mostly of okra but also a few onions and another veg (parsnip?). All together, it was a great start to the meal.


After I munched a few fried vittles, a “roll guy” came around offering fresh-baked rolls. When I first came in, I took virtually no notice of the sign proclaiming: “throwed rolls…if they ain’t worth throwin’, they ain’t worth eatin’” (all the apostrophes made me dizzy). But, I soon found out that “throwed rolls” was not a figurative expression as the “roll guy” lobbed one at me from about 30 feet. Fortunately I fielded my position well and, after bouncing it off my chest, I wrangled it in. The roll was warm and soft and I gobbled it down.

Steak: A nice thin sirloin – there was a great amount of give and it was nice and juicy and hot.

Breading: It was a bit thinner than other southern style CFS breadings and it was very light (in color and texture). This didn’t hold up well to the gravy but the thinness was a plus and it was different. For lunch, it was nice to have something light (even though CFS is by design heavy).

Gravy: Very white. It was a little bland but very thick. The flavor of both the breading and the mashed potato side (see below) was tasty enough to overcome this wanting, but more flavorful gravy is always better than less flavorful gravy.



Knife: A more substantial steak knife was provided and was helpful. The CFS was a bit tough, so I would have liked something more substantial.

Sides: The dish only came with one kind of potato side but you could have it virtually any way you wanted. I had mashed and they were very good. It was coated in the same gravy and had a great garlic and onion flavor. Beyond that, there is a list of sides and I chose the lima beans. The beans were good; cooked with ham hock, every kid who espouses a hatred of the tiny bean should try these. Those plus the okra mentioned above and I was a happy lunchgoer.

Service: Great! I haven’t been told “God bless you” outside of church so many times in one place. My waitress (and the cashier) were very quick and super friendly.

Music: none.

My receipt indicated that I should “Please come back and catch more hot rolls.” I plan to – the CFS was great and the visit was very pleasant. In fact, a menu item caught my eye: chicken fried steak potato(e). I will return.

www.potatoepatch.com

2020 FM 1960 East
Houston, Texas 77073

4 comments:

Lisa Fain (Homesick Texan) said...

Hi,

Without my permission, you're using my photos of chicken-fried steak on your site--in your header, as your avatar and at the bottom of the page. You might be new to blogging and not realize that it's impolite (as well as a copyright infringement) to use other people's photos without asking first, but nevertheless, I insist that you remove them at once. If not, I will take appropriate action with Blogspot, etc. Thanks!

Chicken Fried Texan said...

New York has certainly changed you.

Lisa Fain (Homesick Texan) said...

Hi again! Thank you for changing the photos. Perhaps my tone was a little harsh, but I'm a professional photographer and part of my income comes from my work, so naturally I get a little hot under the collar when I see my photos without attribution or permission. If you care to discuss it further, shoot me an email at homesicktex@gmail.com Otherwise, good luck with your blog--it's a cool quest and I look forward to reading it!

curiousgirl said...

wow...i mean...wow...

 
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