The thing is I don't know if you know this, but I'm kind of obsessed with chicken fried steak. I'd never had it until we moved to Texas when I was nine; maybe I ate it before then, but I was never really aware of it till then. It's breaded steak, guys. Breaded, fried steak. The only thing I love almost as much as this are fried pork chops, because it's breaded, fried pork. I think you're beginning to see a trend here. Right I was first exposed to this wonder at a place called Underwood's Cafeteria, in Waco; it was really good, they had really great chicken fried steak but I think there was a death in the family, or something, and they sold the location and moved to Brownsville, which basically ruined my life. I've been searching for a replacement ever since; my boyfriend actually makes a pretty mean chicken fried steak which is one of the main reasons I'm still dating him (following, of course, his understanding of my emotional neediness, his willingness to drive me places, and the fact that the longer you're in a relationship, the less you have to shave your legs). Last Thursday, that search took me to Hickory Hollow. Here's what you need to know: for $15, you get a chicken fried steak large enough to feed two people, two sides, and an industrial sized cup of gravy. That cup of gravy could have kept an Ethiopian family fed for a year. +8 Any defects in the chicken fried steak itself could have been covered up with salt, which I like to indiscriminately add to my food anyway.
Fried okra. They have it. +12
They also have signed pictures on the wall of famous people who've eaten there. The Marshall Tucker Band? They've been there! Molly, from famous Houston band Molly and the Whips? Ate there. (I'm taking this Beverage Marketing class right now and there's a girl named Molly in the class; every week while calling roll she asks if we've heard of Miss Molly and the Whips and the thing is, none of us have. From my research they appear to have been popular in the Houston scene in the early 90's; thing is, when they split up, I was six. And living in Georgia. I've never heard of these people before, and neither have my classmates. ANY of them. As you know, since Monday I've accepted becoming a hipster and have to ask: does starting an interest in old Houston area bands make me more underground and cultured, or just boring? Email thoughts and council to arbitrarycriticism@live.com please and thank you) It just makes me feel good, because eating at Hickory Hollow makes me AT LEAST as cool as all these famous people who's faces are plastered across the walls, and I'm into that. Before I was a hipster I was just a straight up bougie, you know, hanging out in hotel bars, drinking Andre champagne, pretending like I don't love Taco Bell, working on my singing career. (Grandma - bougie defined). I love the idea of doing things famous people have already done, and if that means eating chicken fried steak at Hickory Hollow, I'm ALL FOR IT. +31
Here's what I don't like. In an effort to be rustic and charming, on their sign, they write the "k" in "hickory" backwards. They even do it on their website. I'm against this, folks. All I'm saying is, enjoying Texas comfort food does not mean you're illiterate and can't write letters correctly! I'd just like to clear up some misconceptions for my out of state readers. 1. That was the first time I've used "folks" in a sentence in, like, a while. 2. I've never said ya'll except to make fun of somebody. 3. I hate Dr. Pepper. 4. I don't even own a horse, and even if I did, I'd still drive my '96 Dodge Caravan (read: not a truck) to school every day instead of taking livestock down the busy roads of I-45 and 610. 5. It's OK if you mess with me, I don't carry a gun, I'd probably try some pretty non-confrontational strategies before engaging in violence. It is, however, true that everything is bigger in Texas. You can believe that part. I'm just saying, we should be trying to improve the image of Texas, not allow everyone to think we're a bunch of hicks. -2
OK well I'd love to talk longer but I have to go try new restaurants for you guys it's a rough life I live.
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