Norton's - Humble, Texas

Hearing good things about the CFS at Norton's from Chicken Fried Neighbor, I sought out to partake in some fried goodness after a month long (unhappy) hiatus.

Sadly, I was disappointed in my return to the fried treat. The CFS was as hard as an armadillo shell. The breading was crispy, which I like, but almost inpenetrable, which I don't like. It looked (and tasted) like it had been run over by a bus. The meat, likely as a result of way overfrying, was dense and tough. The gravy was honest enough to itself, creamy and white, but needing a dash more salt and pepper.

The quality and taste of the sides were mixed. The potatoes were whipped and creamy. The flavor was good, but they were a bit greasy and lost their appeal as they cooled. The green beans were very good. A wide bean, they were stewed and meaty.

Overall, Norton's gets an "avoid." I will likely go back, the draw of helmet-on-helmet violence and cheering Texans fans is too good to pass up, but will restrict myself to the wings of chickens and malted and hopped water.

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Brenda's - Flatonia, TX

Brenda's is a prototypical cafe hidden behind the mega highway. Serving good food and good cheer, it's worth seeking out a little hideaway like this. The decor on the inside was eclectically Texas: cowboy hats, rodeo pictures and clippings of local high school gridiron glory. Overall, very comfortable. The place was packed with locals talking about weekend trips to San Antonio and local sports.

The CFS was an interesting change for me. It was a central Texas snitzel-style, fitting as we were in the center of Czech Texas. It was a bit overcooked as the meat was tough and difficult to chew. The gravy was a very thin but tasty drizzle but not thick enough for my taste.

The sides, however, made up for everything. The handcut french fries were hot an salty. Beautiful. The Texas toast was grilled to perfection and perfectly soft on the inside.

So, hop off I-10 and find Brenda's. Or one of the other hundreds of similar places. You'll be hapy you did.