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Francesca · 03-12-2013, 01:53 PM

Hey Texans!

I need some from-there opinions on the menu of a new restaurant in nearby Port Townsend that's supposedly based on the owner's Texas Grandma's home cookin'.

We ate there the other night and what we had was pretty good, but since we have no experience of Texas Home Cooking I got to wondering if we were "eating Texan", or just somebody's idea of what "Texan" should look and taste like in a tourist town where most of the trade is of the Birkenstocks-and- bicycles variety...

Here's a link to the menu- I'd much appreciate your opinions on the offerings, insofar as you can tell from just reading the descriptors: Addiemae's Southern Kitchen

Per my actual experience, two things in particular struck me as somehow wrong:
#1:
I asked for vinegar for my collard greens and the waitress brought me...wait for it...balsamic vinegar-???
and:
#2:
Though the entrance had the requisite screen door, it doesn't squeak.

On the plus side, at least there were no ferns used in the interior decor...

So please tell me :
Am I lookin' at authentic Texan food, or not?

Thanks in advance for your advice in this Very Important Matter...

Francesca

Clay L · 03-12-2013, 02:14 PM

I don't know what kind of food it is but some of it sure ain't Texas. I am a native Texan and my family moved to TX from KY back in 1868 or so.

TX chilli con carne doesn't have kidney beans in it. It has pinto beans or no beans at all. We were poor growing up so we added pinto beans to stretch it.

Some of the other items sound okay but we never french fried sweet potatoes and I didn't know what blue cheese salad dressing was until I was growed up.

Oh and beef brisket BBQ does not have Memphis BBQ sauce on it.

RustyJC · 03-12-2013, 02:37 PM

Nope, that may be someone's idea of Texan, but it ain't TEXAN. No chicken fried steaks with cream gravy, no red beans and corn bread, no mashed taters (also smothered in cream gravy, of course) to go with the chicken fry, etc.

That's as pitiful as the "Mexican food" we used to get when we lived in Ohio - it bore no semblance whatsoever to authentic Tex-Mex.

Rusty

jwomack · 03-12-2013, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francesca

Hey Texans!

just somebody's idea of what "Texan" should look and taste like in a tourist town where most of the trade is of the Birkenstocks-and- bicycles variety...

I'm 5th generation Texan - my great, great grandfather immigrated from Alabama in 1837. Some of the menu looks Cajun, some Deep South maybe, but not Texan.

Francesca · 03-12-2013, 02:43 PM

On the red-beans-and-rice subject:

It's on the menu, but it's "vegetarian" .

Isn't ham sort of required for red beans and rice???

RustyJC · 03-12-2013, 02:50 PM

Red beans ain't red beans without ham hocks or salt pork simmered in with 'em.

Red beans and rice are Louisiana (okay, some sneaked into East Texas, but some of those East Texans eat brown gravy on their chicken fried steak, so they are weird!!), but red beans and corn bread are true Texan.

Rusty

poppy bill · 03-12-2013, 04:30 PM

I agree no Chicken fried steak with cream gravy. Can't be Texan

Francesca · 03-12-2013, 04:50 PM

Not only do they not have chicken fried steak- they don't even have cream gravy!

The fried green tomatoes come with dip- shouldn't there be cream gravy for those????

RustyJC · 03-12-2013, 05:05 PM

Linked below is the menu of a typical Texas "home cookin'" restaurant - Goodson's in Tomball, TX. Note the prices - the large chicken fried steak is about the size of a 1956 Buick hubcap!!

MENU

Rusty

rgvtexan · 03-12-2013, 05:14 PM

Some of the trimmins lead to a little suspicions

maple dijon vinaigrette

caesar salad…. From Tijuana Mex.

buffalo sauce…. From NY

smoked gouda

french roll

Carolina style

Memphis BBQ sauce

Portobello Mushroom

Kinda spendy too.

Francesca · 03-12-2013, 05:19 PM

Oh, man- look at that chicken fried steak! Does Goodson's deliver within a 1500 mile radius, Rusty?

RustyJC · 03-12-2013, 05:21 PM

You could always have them ship you one via FedEx overnight. When we lived in Ohio and I came to Texas on a business trip, I've carried chicken fried steaks home to Sandy on the flight. Today, it probably wouldn't make it past security.

Rusty