Finding Hidden Treasures

Published 9/11/2011

Finding Hidden Treasures

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Hello everyone, after a long hot summer we have returned from vacation and finally after September 1, we are beginning to settle down to a regular routine.

I know everyone has been excited to enjoy a few days of cool weather. After all it is Texas in September and frankly, it may be fall everywhere else but it is still summer in Texas.

Recently I looked thru the new telephone directory. Amazed that they still print one since everyone is going to Cell phones for their primary phone, I was in search of a Chinese restaurant that I had been hearing about in Bridgeport. The listing did not give directions so I placed a message on Face Book and low and behold I found the location.

One of the things I look for in a restaurant is whether or not they understand their clientele. Of course the food is the star of my research, but I want to know if they do what they do well and don’t spread themselves all over the map with a complicated menu and failure to make good food.

The location I visited was the EXXON Truck Stop 99 on Us Hwy 380 and Hwy 101 in Bridgeport.

All the local truck drivers recognize this address I am sure. Rock truck and long haul drivers of all shapes and of all colors were pulling in to fill up their trucks and their stomach.

Meeting Cindy and John Tak was a pleasure. Cindy explained that she and John had been working in Bridgeport for about 4 years. They do not pretend to be anything other than a “Fast” food place. They offer all the usual truck stop variety of quick, carry out and eat in a hurry food. Everything from a Breakfast menu which includes biscuit sandwiches and pancakes to a lunch and 24 HOUR hot menu including Deli Hamburgers, Blt’s , Fajitas , burrito’s and of course my favorite, Chinese Take Out.

The Chinese Menu is limited to the things which most locals recognize. Chicken Teriyaki, Spicy Chicken Teriyaki, Beef Teriyaki, Chicken Chow Mein, Shrimp Chow Mein, Fried Rice of 3 varieties and of course egg rolls.

Now don’t go expecting gourmet Chinese food. I am not sure you could go that far, but all the ingredients are fresh, there is no MSG and everything is cooked while you are waiting. No hot on the steam table food here. The menu is limited but what they do is excellent! I have not had Fried Rice as good as the Tak’s outside of the metroplex.

Talking to Cindy I realized that she and John are doing what they do right and meeting the clientele on their level. Knowing what people will eat and eat a lot of, is important in this day and age. It helps the little guy stay in business for the long term.

John and Cindy are Korean by origin and I love Korean food. May be one day they will add a little kimchee or Korean Spicy Steak to the menu. If they don’t it doesn’t matter I will go back again for the Shrimp Fried Rice or the Chicken Teriyaki.

So if you are in Bridgeport or have the time to drive over, take a stop at the EXXON and try the hidden treasure in their deli section I know you will enjoy anything on their menu.

Off the Beaten Track

Published 8/19/2011

Off the Beaten Track

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Vacation is over and we are back home in Alvord. Doug and I flew to Utah to visit our son JR and daughter in law Adriane. I think we tried to visit every historical monument in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area. From the Great Salt Lake to Park Cities in the mountains we thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

To give you a taste trip thru Utah is a difficult task. The foodies are not as prevalent as they are here in Texas. Granted there were restaurants on every corner but finding authentic taste was more of a challenge. I wanted to learn what food made Utah stand out. To my disappointment there weren’t that many outstanding places that were “native” to Utah.

We traveled into the mountains the first Saturday morning we were in the area to a place called the Silver Fork Lodge. This place has been in operation since 1949 and honestly had the best breakfast I have had in all the time I have been writing this column and beyond!

The setting was a log café building that was weathered with age and the original area was probably 20 feet wide by 20 feet long. The booths were cut from local wood and showed the distinct marks of having been used for 60 + years. The dining room that we sat in was almost three times the size of the original café and had a deck with about the same square footage. The temperature was around 59 degrees and everyone was sitting outside…not this Texan, I wanted a jacket and lots of hot coffee.

This spot was so picturesque and a wonderful place to start our trip, having wonderful food in a beautiful atmosphere is what vacation is all about.

We met our Adrian’s family who are native Utah folks and had a wonderful family meal with cooks that had traveled and lived all around this country. Thank you to all of you for your hospitality and wonderful meal.

On Sunday after church service we traveled into another canyon for lunch at Ruth’s Diner.

Ruth’s has been the spot to go for all the locals and tourist since 1942. We waited in line for 45 minutes to find out what the excitement was all about. Doug is not one to wait but since it was noon on Sunday we would not have had much choice anywhere we might have chosen so wait we did.

The weather here in Texas that day was 112+ I am sad to say the temp in the mountains was 78. Needless to say we sat out on the shaded patio and enjoyed the music being played by two local artist Maggie Beers and Julie Mark. They have laid back tones and folksy music that was really worth the trip. They are local musicians that teach at an arts academy. They made the wait worth the time spent.

What can I say about the food…well if you travel that far, and like to see the area, Ruth’s is a neat place to visit. The Onion Rings are excellent. The Burgers are good, but the Meatloaf burger that they claim is their signature dish leaves our Texas Pallet without much to say! If we go back I would skip that one and stay with the regular burger.

The last place I will talk about was my choice for the Best Taste in the time we spent in Utah, sadly it was not local fair but Mediterranean!

Adrian’s grandmother Ilene invited us to dinner at O’fillafil, her favorite place to eat. Now Ilene is a funny, generous lady and we were excited to get to spend time with her so off we went in search of this restaurant. Hidden in a neighborhood near the University of Utah, O’fillafil was just a “hole in the wall” but packed with folks taking out food. The owner was a friend of Ilene’s so he had pushed tables together for us and instead of sending us thru the fast food line he took our orders then proceeded to come and sit an chat with us, explaining each dish and how it was made. I enjoyed a Lamb Kebab on a bed of rice with a yogurt dip make with dill and cucumber. Doug had Lamb, Chicken and Beef Kabab. We also had appetizers of humas with a spicy salsa type sauce and a pureed eggplant dip. Hot fresh pita bread was used to dip the appetizers.

I asked if Pita bread could be made at home and how. I have a recipe that says it can be. The best answer was NO! The ovens just can’t get hot enough and if you look for good pita bread ask for Lebanese or Palenestinen style pita. Obviously, what we get at our local super store is not one of these.

We were surprised with a unique dessert. We were served the fruit of the cactus. Loaded with seeds it taste much like a cantaloupe. We were told not to chew the seeds as they were bitter just to swallow them whole. This was a fun way to end the meal and a story we can tell for years.

We visited many other restaurants and I will write of them in other columns but these were the best of the best that we found on our trip. Going native is always the best way to find out what is really popular and fun when you are traveling so I hope you get off the beaten track and leave the chain restaurants behind and find some exciting places to eat even if they are local.

I’ll Tell You What I Won’t Say

Published 7/24/2011

I’ll Tell You What I Won’t Say

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

When I began this Diary I said that I would not write negative reviews about restaurants that were mention within the column. So today I will tell you what I won’t say about a particular restaurant and then you can make up your own mind.

Friday night after a wonderful Vacation Bible School program at Silver Lakes Church in which three of our grandchildren participated, Doug, our Daughter Jennifer and Son in Law Ronnie, I and three children chose to go to Sweet Boys Restaurant in down town Bowie. We chose Sweet Boys because it has a kid friendly menu.

Well I have reviewed Sweet Boys before and mentioned that they were new, going thru growing pains and had great potential. I think they still do. Now I will tell you what ”I Won’t Say” about them.

I won’t say that they are continually striving for customer service. Why, you say, because after waiting 1 hour and 15 minutes and asking about what was taking so long the “Cook” or “Manager” I never could find out which, told our server, “Their order has ONLY been in for 33 minutes!!!! Now I won’t say that waiting for handmade, gourmet food is not worth waiting for BUT really now, we are talking “truck stop” level food at best!!! 33 minutes, what happened to our server, she took our order and never came back to the table. Two other servers ended up taking care of us. I won’t say we were the only table in the place, because we weren’t’ it was busy and that is a good thing. Friday night and every table was jammed.

Friday night was all you can eat fish night and that is always a great way to get customers in droves, add to that “Free Beer and Margareta’s” (Bowie is a dry ) you have the potential for a great draw. I won’t say that you also have the potential for a nightmare of too much business for say, your kitchen to handle!

The table next to us was a table of four who came in probably 15 to 20 minutes after us when their food, with the orders mixed up came, we realized the time. (They happened to be readers of this column and knew who we were!) One of the girls said jokingly, “Do they not know who you are? As if it would make any difference, and I do not expect it to!

When our food did arrive it came in “bits and pieces” first 2 adults, then 2 more adults then the teen’s food but the seven year old and the three year old were still without food and folks it was by then 8:45. These two little guys are usually in bed by 7:30. I was duly impressed by the children they weren’t acting up our complaining which is unusual but they did really look at the lady bring their food. Especially when after serving all the adults and bringing the seven year old a plate to “split” a meal with her Granny then taking another 10 minutes (now 9:05) to bring her a bowl of macaroni and cheese. Now at my house she makes her own pre-fab mac and cheese in less than 5 minutes and believe me she knows pre-fab from homemade. So I won’t say it was the worst dining experience but I definitely won’t say it was at the top of my list!

If we had been at Chili’s or I hop or may be even Yesterdays I think the Management staff would have been out on the floor correcting any mistakes and making sure the old premise that “The Customer is always right” was happening so that they would have return business. I won’t say that the Manager came to our table, and he/she did not apologize for the poor service. The Wait staff however did, though they were not the wait person that started the whole problem. There was no discount or coupon to try and get return business. NO there was a $75.00 check, which I will say I put a note with asking them to read this column, TACKY? May be! But I don’t charge for my opinion, and my opinion is don’t go when there is a crowd. That means if there are more than 4 cars on the street in downtown Bowie don’t try Sweet Boys!, I won’t say that I think they can’t handle a crowd, I won’t say that all you can eat anything is a bad idea, I won’t say that free alcohol is a bad idea, I will say that if there is no crowd they are a pretty good alternative to Dairy Queen or Sonic but that is as far as I will go!!!

Summer is for Catfish

Published 7/11/2011

Summer is for Catfish

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Summer fun when I was growing up included Catfish Fry’s and homemade Ice Cream and wonderful cakes and fresh fruit pies. With diet changes caused by health needs we have eliminated cakes and pies except for special occasions? Excluding Catfish from summer is one thing that Doug and I will probably never give up. We may give up white potatoes, white rice, white pasta and white bread but fried Catfish will not happen in this family.

Saturday night Doug and I drove to Wichita Falls to go to a movie and make a stop at the “Catfish Grill” at 1505 Southwest Parkway. The location is not close to the mall and if you are in a hurry to go south toward Henrietta you might miss the restaurant. It is at the last stop light heading out of town from the mall, or the first light coming into town. It is on the south side of Southwest Parkway and is in a strip mall next to a pool hall. Be sure to take time to find the restaurant because it is one of the best Catfish places in North Texas.

We happened on the “Catfish Grill” about a year ago on our way out of Wichita . We had spent the day shopping and had decided that the “pre fab” of the chain restaurants was not what we wanted for our last meal of the day. I had noticed the grill on the way into Wichita Falls and we were taking our time leaving, looking for the restaurant. IT was packed!!! That was a good sign!

The “Catfish Grill” has an extensive menu. Everything from Appetizers of chicken fried bacon (?) wet wings (?), burgers, salad bar, Chicken Fried Chicken, Steaks of all kinds and of course Fried Catfish and my personal favorite, Oysters. Fried, or fresh they have them and not even the best chain fish places offer Fried Oysters.

The owner Anthony Scott has done it right. He has good fast service and items on the menu for every taste. Though every time we have been there all I see people ordering is the Catfish. I would say that this is probably their most popular menu item.

We have been to many places claiming to have “fresh” fish and many fall short. Two that have hit the top of my list are the “Catfish Grill” in Wichita Falls and “Go Go Gumbo” in Boyd. Both have extremely fresh fish and though they are on opposite ends of the restaurant spectrum they have one thing in common……they do it right! They do it fast! Most of all they are affordable and family oriented.

Doug and I ordered the “All 3 for Dinner” it consisted of Fried Catfish, Fried Shrimp and Fried Oysters, with a choice of French fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Fried Okra, with hush puppies and cole slaw, needless to say we brought food home and enjoyed leftovers the next day. This whole meal was $15.99. For two adults that is reasonable for that much food $15 each is the most usual the price at better restaurants. So for just down to earth economics “Catfish Grill” gives you more for your dollar than the chain restaurants and with money as tight as it is, this is pure value.

When gas is $3.50+ a gallon to drive out of your way to eat it is a must that the food is Excellent, service must be Fast and the price Reasonable. “Catfish Grill” meets all of these requirements. So if you do go to Wichita Falls on business or pleasure, take the time to find the “Catfish Grill” it will be time well spent.

4th of July Weekend

Published 7/5/2011

4^th of July Weekend

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

The 4^th of July is always a favorite weekend in our family. My birthday is a couple of days after and when I was a little girl we always had Birthday Cake and Homemade Ice cream on the 4^th so I thought that was my birthday. Until I was in school I thought the fireworks show was for my birthday. What a bummer to realize it was for our Nation’s Birthday instead of mine. So we still celebrate on the 4^th even if I have to share by birthday celebration!!!

Doug and I were fortunate to be able to go to Toledo Bend Lake this 4^th. Doug’s brother Randy and his wife Sue live on the shore of this beautiful reservoir. Although the drought has taken its toll on the Hemphill & Lufkin, the pineywoods is always a beautiful place to visit. We did see evidence of the forest fire that plagued the area earlier this spring. It was sad to see the devastation that fire and drought can do to the beautiful landscape.

Doug and Randy were able to fish around the brush piles just off shore they did catch some Sunfish (crappie) and a Big Mouth Bass. The fishing was not very good but they seemed to have a great time catching up with each other and “Playing” at fishing.

Sue and I kept close to the air conditioning. We did venture out one evening to fish off the pier, and that was after the Sun had begun to drop below the horizon. The Sunsets were beautiful and we were really moved by the drama the clouds created over the lake.

On Sunday night we decided to try to find a place to go out to eat so we drove across the bridge that spans the reservoir. Again we saw a beautiful Sun set.

Randy had called the “Cypress Bend Resort Restaurant” to see if they were open and they were. This is a brand new Resort that has been built by the State of Louisiana on the East shore of Toledo Bend. It includes a Golf Course, Spa and Conference Center. I would have never expected such a beautiful Hotel in such an out of the way place. Many, Louisiana, for those of you who don’t speak Louisianan it is “Man eee”. And is probably a town of about 400. So this resort is a real boost for the area.

We were seated in the Cypress Dining Room which is one of two eating places at the resort; the second restaurant being the Cypress Café which is in the Clubhouse on the green of the golf course.

The menu is pretty limited compared to most of the places we eat out here. They offered the usual appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches steaks and what makes them different is the entrées that are fresh Louisiana seafood, Crawfish, Shrimp, Red Snapper and several other types of fish. Randy and Sue decided on a chicken dish, Doug went for the Angus Beef Burger and I had to try the Red Snapper with Crawfish sauce. Needless to say the food was excellent. The service was good and the surroundings were beautiful. I would have loved to speak with the Chief but he was not available. I would have loved to know what all was in the sauce that I enjoyed.

Sue and her daughter Debbie had been to the Spa for a day and were totally impressed. She said that it was as good as any in Dallas.

So instead of taking off to Florida Beaches, or the coast of Texas think about a trip to the beach at Toledo Bend either on the Texas side or to the resort on the Louisiana side. Taking the trip to East Texas is a trip into a historic area and if you do a little research you can find some fun interesting places that don’t cost a fortune and are a whole lot of fun. Like Doug and I you might take a drive down the historic “Camino Reale’”, there is also the Historic Nacogdoches area and Angelina National Forest for site seeing and camping.

Our weekend was wonderful and I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe weekend.

If you have any recommendations for restaurants for us to try out and comment on please let me know.

Email me at suzettemunson77@gmail.com

Father's Day and a Sad Good Bye

Published 6/20/2011

Father's Day and a Sad Good Bye

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Father’s Day was a wonderful Day. The church service at First United Methodist Church in Alvord was an enlightening message that stayed with me all day. Pastor Johnny talked about a young man that was handicapped but never lived his life with restrictions. He lived every day to the fullest and with gusto.

I wonder how many of us really live our lives to the fullest. Do we wait till we are ill or facing our mortality before we start on our “bucket Lists”? I hope not.

We took part of the family out to lunch after Sunday service. My oldest son Damon and his wife Daniella and two of their four children were able to be with us yesterday.

Thru the last few months we had taken all our children and grandchildren who live within driving distance to our favorite restaurant in Bridgeport, The Italian Café. We have enjoyed Sal and Abby Bazi’s Italian Café since their opening and it is with a heavy heart that I have to say “see you later” to a good friend.

Sal told me Sunday after our meal that he was closing permanently Sunday evening. The economy took its hold on another fine business. I give Sal and Abby kudos for maintaining the quality of their menu thru to the end. Sal also told me that he will be back in business again and that when he is he will let us know where to find him. I am looking forward to continuing our friendship and wish Sal and Abby well in whatever endeavor they pursue. They are wonderful people and produced a fantastic product.

Sal is one of those that pursues his dreams and after talking to him yesterday even though this endeavor wasn’t being successful, he knows that it can, and will be, another time and another place.

Good Luck and God Speed to good friends.

UP In Smoke

Published 6/13/2011

UP In Smoke

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Doug and I love to eat Barbeque and a short trip to Cook County to the Smoke House at Lindsay was a recent road trip. I find that if I am within a 10 mile radius of Lindsay I have to make a regular stop for mouthwatering ribs, sausage and since Doug loves smoked ham it is always included.

I recently traveled to Ardmore, Oklahoma to a seminar on cattle at the Noble Foundation and on the return trip of course I made a stop in Lindsay.

Lindsay, Texas brings back memories of college at NCTC in Gainesville where I attended college for 2 years. We would skip class to go to eat at Lindsay. Several of my friends from college grew up in Lindsay and I think of them as I go down memory lane. But I again regress from the subject.

Barbeque in Texas has a long tradition. Cattle Drives and Cowboys are what a lot of non-Texans think of, we Texans think of how many things we can cook on a smoker and how long we have to wait! That is the trick to the best Barbeque, “Waiting”, the longer it cooks the better!

As one of my cookbooks says, Low and Slow!

The Smoke House has this down to a “T”, their longevity gives you an idea of how good it is. People don’t stay in business long if it” ain’t good” !!!

I see other BBQ places that are good and think how they must have visited the Smoke Houses in Texas that have been around for most of the last half of the 20^th century. Those beginning today have to meet a standard that is very high.

One that is a winner is The Hard Eight Barbeque, they have restaurants in Stephenville, Brady, and Coppell. I have been to the Stephenville site and the Coppell site. As you know country folk have different taste than those in the large cities. Hard Eight has adjusted and is meeting the taste buds of “the Metroplex” with the “West Texas flair”. It is defiantly a challenge that Phillip Nivens and his partners have met. Kudo’s to the Hard Eight for great consistency and a “well done” product.

As we have just about visited every restaurant in our area I am asking for “Hints” and “Requests”.

If you have a favorite and it has not been reviewed here please let me know. I am looking for new opportunities to taste!!

We will be reviewing the CowBoy Kitchen in a few weeks. They are just getting started out on Hwy 59 in Bowie, they serve a different style of Barbeque so let me know what you think.

Also there is a new Mexican Bakery in Bowie on Smyth Street. They are offering Mexican bakery items and will soon have a sandwich menu.

I like to give new places a little time to work the growing pains out before I review them. If anyone has any ideas please email me at suzettemunson77@gmail.com.

I hope everyone is lighting up the smoker and getting ready for summer……don’t let the summer go “up in smoke” without tasting it!!!!

Gas Prices Are Down, So We Are On the Road Again!

Published 6/6/2011

Gas Prices Are Down, So We Are

On the Road Again!

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

We love to “drive around” on a lazy evening and try and find new places to visit. We have been to Munster, Texas many, many times to, May Fest, or October Fest but have never explored Munster restaurants. Saturday night we decided to go check out some authentic German food at the Center on Hwy 82 in downtown Munster.

Now I have had sudo Texized ethnic food of many origins. Some of it in other areas of the state, we have had klatches in West, Sauer Batten in Fredricksburg and now Ager Schnitzel in Munster.

We love to shop at Fishers Market in Munster and have sampled many of the sausages that are made fresh in their meat market so we were prepared for some of the authentic tastes but we were not expecting the food to be as authentic as it was. That was a wonderful surprise.

Doug ordered a sausage combo plate with German potato salad and sauerkraut. I decided on the Ager Schnitzel.

Now there are many kinds of Schnitzel, which consists of either a pork chop, pork loin or pork shoulder that is cut thin then breaded and pan fried crisp.

Ager Schnitzel is a pork cutlet with mushroom gravy. The pork was crisp but so tender it cut easily with a fork. I too had the potato salad which is served warm. The potato salad is basically coarsely mashed potatoes with either chopped bacon or ham in a vinegar based sauce.

This may be a heavy meal especially in the summer. I think I would have appreciated it more in the winter as it is what we like to refer to as “comfort food”.

Doug had to bring home some of his sausage which he said he wants to put barbeque sauce on for his next meal. The sausage was a simple meal and very rich in flavor it was not served with anything but a brown mustard. That is what made it authentic. We sometimes expect more complex recipes when the “real thing” is anything other than what we expect.

Sometimes we forget that our ancestors of whatever origin were simple folks. They worked hard and ate hardy. We work differently and eat much differently so whenever you try “authentic” anything remember that we have changed our tastes from our ancestors and what is authentic may not be palatable to our taste. One good example of the changes is Chinese Food. If the local “Asian” restaurant really cooked

authentic recipes we probably would turn our noses up! In large metro areas where ethnic restaurants are more prevalent we can experience those taste. They are not dependent on our recurring business so they cater to their ethnic taste and we can have the experience in small doses.

I encourage everyone to try new things. When our youngest son, JR joined the Navy, I told him only two major things. Try and see the sites of the countries you visit and try the authentic food. He ate his way thru Malaysia, Australia, the Persian Gulf and American cities of the east coast and west coast. He often sends me pictures of the food he is eating. It has become a tradition to forward the oddities that he tries on a regular basis.

I hope everyone gets on the road around our area and find those hidden treasures that you have never experienced. You never know who you will see out there on the road with you.

A Tribute to My Dad

Published 5/29/2011

A Tribute to My Dad

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Munson Pennington

A year ago this week my Dad, Damon Pennington passed away. I have spent the last couple of days thinking of ways I could honor him here in the Diary, so we spent the last few days going to his favorite restaurants or at least reminiscing about his favorite foods.

Dad was simple in his taste. He said many times “if it ain’t fried, it ain’t any good!”

He loved Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and cream gravy. He said that the best Chicken Fry locally was at Sweetie Pies Rib Eyes in Decatur. The second favorite was to have breakfast at the Whistle Stop Café also in Decatur. He loved their Biscuits, cream gravy and hard fried eggs. The third place he liked to go was to KT’s in Alvord. He would always order a scrambled egg sandwich with cheese.

I said that his tastes were simple, but his choices of places to eat were great!

Sweetie Pies Rib Eyes has been reviewed here before but to explain why I am revisiting is the reason Dad always wanted to go back. You can cut the chicken fried rib eye steak with a fork. That was Dad’s prerequisite for a good steak and has become a “rule” f or this reviewer.

The Whistle Stop was a favorite for the Cream Gravy and Biscuits, also because the folks there knew and visited with him. They always had something that would increase his appetite. In his last days I would pick up Chocolate Meringue Pie and take it to the hospital and even if he had not eaten in a couple of days he would perk up ask about the girls, and enjoy the pie.

Before Dad quit driving he would go to KT’s after the lunch rush and they would make him the scrambled egg with cheese sandwiches. He enjoyed visiting with friends and neighbors at the restaurant.

All week we thought about the things he enjoyed and talked about, the people, the food and the places we traveled with him.

We would drive over to Palo Pinto County for cedar fence posts and he would want to stop at Strawn at Mary’s for Chicken Fried Steak. A trip to Fort Worth was brunch or lunch at the Paris Coffee Shop on Hemphill Street. A trip to Oklahoma to visit family meant a visit to the Cherokee Truck Stop at Hinton, Oklahoma. Visiting Elk City, Oklahoma was a visit to the Flamingo Restaurant on Old Route 66. When his granddaughter Jennifer was singing on the country opry circuit, a trip to Stephenville, Texas, was a stop at the Hard Eight Barbecue.

So you see where I got my love for eating out and eating good food. Dad didn’t ever complain about what he was served, I probably would have in some places, he would remember where he was treated the best and many times that meant more to him than the quality of the food.

Having simple tastes is not a bad thing. Enjoying being around people who treat you like family is the key. Some of the restaurants I have visited recently have made this week much easier because they remembered my Dad and gave me little precious pictures of how much he was loved. I hope I have as many friends that remember me like they do Damon Pennington.

Thanks to you all for the memories and…..

I Love You DAD!!!

Go Go South to Go Go Gumbo

Published 5/21/2011

Go Go South to Go Go Gumbo

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Doug and I have been making plans to go to Boyd to check out what everyone was telling me was a “Cajun” restaurant.

So Saturday night about 5:30 I got my blue jeans and flip flops on and off we headed to Boyd.

If you don’t know where Boyd is, check your GPS, it is on the southern border of Wise County, on Hwy 114 between Aurora and Paradise. Does that make it perfectly clear?

Thinking that going early would miss the rush, is not knowing that Go Go Gumbo is only open from 4 – 9 PM Tuesday thru Saturday. I think that people were probably there before the opening time, waiting on the benches outside for the doors to open.

The restaurant only seats about 40 and that includes the BYOB Bar. When we arrived there were no tables’ available and 28 people ahead of us! Lucky for us they were waiting for large tables that seated 6-8 and within 15 minutes we were seated. That is quick anywhere there is a waiting time.

Go Go Gumbo according to the menu is NOT a Cajun or Creole style cooking. That is okay! What they do is EXCELLENT! And what they do well is Sea Food.

Kraig and Letty Thome are the owners and exclaim on the back of the menu that they have “no ties to Louisana”. Well, I do have ties to Louisiana and I will say that they may be from Texas (Houston) but they know how to do Shrimp, Grits, Crab and many other items that are used in Louisiana cooking in a manner that shows a love for southern, Texas, Louisiana and good home cooking. Starting business in Boyd in 2008 they came prepared having 30 years of previous restaurant experience in the Houston area.

The restaurant serves 1000+ diners a week so a few minutes wait doesn’t make any difference.

While we were waiting Doug asked for menu so that we could see what offerings were available.

The choices we made were the Lump Crab Cakes for Doug and the Shrimp and Grits for me.

The Crab Cakes had large pieces of Lump Crab meat which were delicate on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The Roumalad for the crab was creamy and light. Slaw served with the meal was crisp and not over seasoned and complemented the crab.

I needed a bib!

Everyone from Paula Deen to Justin Wilson and anyone from the south know about Shrimp and Grits! There are probably a thousand different takes on the old standard. Go Go has a fresh take that is light and flavorful. The shrimp were boiled to perfection, placed in a large bowl of grits then a shrimp broth is poured over the mixture, then it is garnished with fresh Pico de guyo, just a little twist that gives a little fresh texture to the dish.

Obviously, it was Excellent!

Having a “light repast” as the Southern Ladies would say, we decided to “partake” of the dessert menu!

HOLY MOLY!!!

The list began with: 2 DIE 4

Which was Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries , cream cheese mousse, lady fingers layered with whip cream topped with a almond cookie!

THEN: Jack Daniels Chocolate Mousse Pie

Bread Pudding with Carmel Sauce

Key Lime Pie

Crème Brule’

And last but not least :

Blue Berry Cornmeal Upside-down Cake.

Needless to say hard to choose from that list! Choose we did, Bread Pudding with Carmel sauce for Doug and the 2DIE4, for me.

We have decided to go back to try other entrees and desserts. We may need to just go for dessert on some occasions.

What struck me the most was not the location, décor or even the food. It was the fact that the people of our area are hungry for the “fine food” experience. It may be served in a casual setting, but believe me you won’t get better in any upscale restaurants in Dallas, Ft Worth, Houston or San Antonio. We have excellent choices here in North Texas,

If you have read my diary before you have explored some of these “upscale” dining places. Whether it is the Italian Café in Bridgeport, Outlaw Burger in Krum, The Spicy Mexico in Bowie, Shinola in Springtown or GO GO GUMBO in Boyd your culinary taste can be satisfied without having to fight the traffic of the metroplex.

I hope everyone takes a short drive to Boy to try this tasty treasure then may be a drive down the road to Aurora to look for Aliens!!!

Too Much Fun!

Published 5/9/2011

Too Much Fun!

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

I remember as a child going on a picnic with friends to Bridgeport Lake and one of the kids, being worn out and ready to go home to bed when ask if he had a good time said, “I had too much fun!”

Well, this last week has been like that, I have had too much fun to settle down and take care of business. Mother’s Day started early for me. Thursday night we came home from a business meeting to find a box marked 1800flowers on the front porch…I quickly tore it open to find a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers from my son JR and his wife Adrian. It started a weekend of lots of surprises and fun.

Friday night Doug called and asked if I wanted to go out to eat, and after about a second of thought I said yes! He asked if I had chosen a place to write about this week and because I had been having “so much fun” of course I had not. I was really exhausted and decided that I wanted to just visit old “stand bye’s”.

We drove to Decatur and had supper at my favorite Taco place, The South Beach Taco on the square. If you haven’t taken the advice in my previous columns and tried it you should make the trip. They are always consistent and have so much variety that you can always have something new.

On Saturday morning we were out running errands and when I don’t have to cook I choose not to, so we stopped at another favorite, the China Palace, on Hwy 287 as you are coming into Decatur. It is always a good quick meal as their specialty

is the buffet which is always hot and fresh. It is another place we go to in a pinch when we want something fast that is not fast food.

Sunday morning is always a rush and being Mother’s Day makes it more so. We decided to take my Daughter Jennifer and husband Ronnie to the Italian Café in Bridgeport as a treat after church. Jennifer is graduating from TWU on Friday and we may not have much time to celebrate this week so we wanted something special. Again, if you have not visited the Italian Café, shame on you!! They had the Grand Opening on May 5^th and are making a big splash in Bridgeport. We again were treated to a fantastic meal. The little ones had spaghetti and meat balls while the adults were more adventurous with triple pasta plate, lobster ravioli and of course Sal’s special homemade bread…I always stuff on the bread and olive oil and balsamic vinegar before my meal comes then I get to carry home my leftovers!

Jen and Ronnie surprised me with a wind chime and a card, and Emily surprised us by coming home with us for the rest of the afternoon. We relaxed until Emily and I decided we needed an ice cream cone. So on our way to take her home to Bowie we stopped at our favorite place for ice cream, Dairy Queen. Dairy Queen has been a tradition in our family for as long as I can remember. So sporting a chocolate dipped double dip cone we took Emily home along with a bag of dilly bars for the rest of the family.

We got home just as a thunderstorm was building to find another surprise, a bouquet of Red Roses on my kitchen island from my oldest son Damon and his wife Daniella. The flowers were beautiful and I truly have a wonderful family that loves to surprise me. And yes I did have “too much fun” and now have paid the price be setting down and writing this column.

I hope all you Mother’s out there have had as wonderful a weekend as I have and I truly hope you have too had “TOO MUCH FUN”!

Everyone Deserves a Second Chance and Sometimes a Third

Published 4/25/2011

Everyone Deserves a Second Chance and Sometimes a Third

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

I hope everyone had a great Easter, I guess I had too much fun because I got caught up in the “stuff of life” and forgot to write my column. I don’t know if anyone missed it but here it is better late than never!!

A few weeks ago my cousin Deb and I were in Bowie and decided to try out the new restaurant we had heard about. Sweet Boy’s in downtown Bowie.

On our first visit I was not impressed, more like depressed. The restaurant was nicely decorated, had all the amenities but was just not clicking on all switches. The service staff was not getting orders correct, the food what not really up to the standards that the décor demanded, and the last problem was that their computer was hooked into an internet service for credit and debit cards that was not working and was causing havoc…..Do I give it a second look?

I did, three evenings later my husband Doug and I decided to try Sweet Boy’s again. There were several things that had improved. The order was right. The service had improved but the computer system was still a headache for service folks and customers.

Do we give it a third try??? Why not, Sweet Boy’s was having the problems that so many businesses have early in their opening stages.

I could not try it again, just because I have set a standard of trying a restaurant a minimum of three times before I write them off as a bummer and don’t bother to go back.

So, we had tried weekday lunch, Friday evening and so for a change we decided on Saturday afternoon lunch. Best choice we have made in a while. We picked the Soup of the Day which for Saturday was Gumbo. Honestly it was the best Gumbo that I have ever eaten in a restaurant this side of the Louisiana State line and that is saying a lot. My granddaughter decided on Chicken Strips and Mac and Cheese. The chicken was real, fresh chicken breast, cut into planks and hand breaded!!! Put that in your pipe and smoke it Mc D’s. I have to say I was totally impressed. Since we had such a light lunch we decided to try desert. Coconut Cream Pie, homemade with meringue thick and sweet.

Yes, I do think folks need a second and third look, and honestly be critical, our money today is hard earned and we should spend it where it is appreciated. I have to admit that Sweet Boy’s has moved up on my list of “Do Over” places to visit. Yes we will go back and try again and I recommend that everyone go try them out.

The folks that own Sweet Boy’s are the former owners of the Jim Bowie Restaurant in Bowie. I think they have a winner and given time it will be a great place to complement Downtown Bowie.

Anyone for Italian?

Published 4/17/2011

Anyone for Italian?

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Easter Sunday is next week and I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter. Easter is a time of renewal; spring is really here when Easter comes so I am so glad that we can celebrate the renewal of spring.

Speaking of Renewal and revival, but changing the subject to the reason I am writing. Who doesn’t like change and new things? Whether it is in clothing, cars or places to eat we all like change; well, do I have a change for you!

Sunday after church service Doug and I went to a little restaurant that I had discovered on Friday while out running errands.

My Cousin Debbie and I went to Bridgeport to check out the new Brookshires Super Market and of course it was great, but like usual we needed sustenance, the first restaurant we saw was the “Italian Café” on Hwy 380 in the same shopping center with Wise Liquors. It had a sign up “under new management” well we had not been there before so we couldn’t compare it to anything else but we fell in love with the food.

Our first meal was Greek Salads. Usually you order an Italian Salad or Greek Salad and get the same thing just listed under two different menu items. Well, this Greek Salad was fantastic! Big juicy calamata olives and Feta cheese joining tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted peppers, onion and excellent olive oil to create a scrumptious salad topped with grilled chicken breast strips.

We had Fried Calamari which was in a light batter with a wonderful marinara sauce to dip it into as an appetizer and decided this was an excellent place for a “do over”.

Sunday lunch was the day that I decided this place has to become a regular “do over” for us.

We ordered and split an Italian Salad, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, calamata olives in a light vinaigrette with mozzarella on top. Excellent, no other description needed. Then, Doug loves artichokes, so he ordered the Veal Jerusalem. Veal with sautéed artichoke hearts, garlic and mushrooms in a sherry cream sauce, the veal melted in your mouth it was so tender.

I chose the Sea Food Combo which had FRESH mussels, shrimp, clams and calamari sautéed with fresh garlic, tomato and basil sauce served over linguini. Again few words needed to describe the beautiful dish, Delicious!

A gentleman seated behind us was raving about the minestrone soup and said it was the best he has ever tasted!

We brought home a takeout menu so we can drool for a few days before we MUST go back.

I asked to speak with the manager or owner whoever was there and was delighted to meet Sal and Abby Bazi. Sal is a longtime resturanture who grew up in his father’s bakery in Italy. He took over ownership of the Italian Café only three weeks ago and he has made the menu one with lots of choices but one that is easy to control. His goal is consistency. Sal comes from a heritage of upscale restaurants and is bringing his recipes from that setting to a more down home atmosphere. You don’t have to worry about which fork to use at the Italian Café, you just need to bring a big appetite.

So I hope when we go for our next “Do Over” that we have to wait in line to get in to the restaurant. Sal is planning a Grand Opening and will have lots of wonderful choices on a buffet so that anyone coming in will see what items he has available. He said he would call with the date so I will update the column as soon as I know that date. If you drive 380 to Bridgeport to work you should stop in and try out Sal’s wonderful little Italian Café. He has something different every day for specials and can also do catering. Maybe we will see you all there this spring.

In Search of Breakfast

Published 3/20/2011

In Search of Breakfast

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Saturday morning is our morning to relax and start the morning with breakfast out then taking our time to run the weekly errands. I ask Doug if he had a preference for a place to get breakfast, in his typical manner he said, “Nobody can screw up breakfast so it doesn’t matter where we go.” This conversation happened several months ago and we are still in search for the best Saturday Morning Breakfast!

There are restaurants in the area that open for the early crowd but it is obvious that it is not because they are proud of their meals. Lots of mediocrity and some just down right need to take breakfast off their menu! Harsh, I think not! I want a good meal cooked the way I like it. I think that is a reasonable assumption when you walk into any restaurant. Whether it is a steak medium rare or eggs over easy, it is your choice and if the provider can’t get it right don’t go back. Easy as that!!!! Well, it is supposed to be but like all statements there are caveats. Some places get the gravy right, some get the biscuits right, some cook the best meat, but how many can you name that get it all right. Probably your home kitchen is the best place to always “have it your way”!

Well, Saturday mornings are limited as the “Best” breakfast place I know of is not open on Saturday morning. That is the Whistle Stop Café on business 287 across from the Railroad tracks in Decatur. They have been written up in newspapers and magazines that have a much larger clientele that we do here at Alvordonline.com. They do it right, “Your Way” and it is a homey atmosphere that you enjoy and go back for as often as possible.

BUT we are talking about Saturday Morning, obviously, a distinction that makes a Hugh difference in the selection of places to search for the perfect meal. We have searched Bridgeport, Decatur, Alvord, and Bowie. Trying to find a meal that is not “prepackaged” “plastic” or “inedible “it has been an ongoing challenge. I won’t go so far as to say that every offering is perfect but I have decided that the place that has the most menu Items with the potential to be Good is the Armadillo Grill in Bowie.

I know I have reviewed them before for dinner and after having eaten a wonderful Valentines dinner there it was a place I wanted to visit a second time.

On the side of Hwy 287 at the FM 174 Exit north of Bowie they are attached to a Truck Stop.

Well, DUH! As the kids say! Truck stops are known for good food and fast service and I again was impressed with the quick service we received. Their menu offers all the favorites for breakfast. I just wanted a fluffy egg, crisp bacon and a good fluffy hot biscuit with good hot thick gravy!! Anything else is just for variety and you take your chances everywhere you try new things.

They got it right….hot when it came, stayed hot thru the meal and was cooked to “MY WAY” which is so important. Fluffy scrambled eggs for me, an over easy egg for Doug and if “ the eggs ain’t right ain’t nothing go’nna be right”. The gravy was A++ and the Biscuit was hot and fluffy.

Now these are the basics, if a place gets the basics right I can forgive some other things, but doing the basics right is the only way to have return customers.

I hope that some of the restaurateurs’ of Wise and Montague Counties read this article and take heed, I will not name the places that I think are poor quality, if you eat your own cooking you know who you are, but I will give kudos to those who take their professions seriously and give them the praise they deserve. I hope you go try the places I like. Maybe your favorite is not mentioned here. Maybe I was at your favorite on an off day. I really don’t think good restaurants have an off day. It is not an option for serious businesses. So go try my favorites and let me know if you have as good of an experience as I have had.

Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato, Oh How I Love Thee!

Published 4/4/2011

Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato, Oh How I Love Thee!

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Sweet Potato, Oh how I love the!!!! Baked, fried, stewed, roasted just about any method a Sweet Potato is an awesome vegetable.

About a year and a half ago my husband and I decided to give up pasta, white bread and white potatoes. Believe it or not the best substitute was the sweet potato. I use as sweet and savory in dozens of dishes and make a point to ask for it if it is on the menu everywhere we go to eat.

Sunday lunch we decided to go to Bridgeport to the Stevens Street Grill. It is off the beaten path and if you haven’t found it you need to go in search of it. One block off Hallsell Street in downtown Bridgeport it sets quietly on a corner of a block. The outside almost looks like the surrounding office buildings, so the best way to find it is by following your nose to the wonderful smells being emitted from the building. The atmosphere is quiet and restful, most of the time, this Sunday the place was ‘a jumpin! Packed to the brim, the service staff was moving at top pace.

Doug and I were looking at the “specials” board at the front of the restaurant and low and behold they had added a new product to their offerings. “Sissy Chips” sweet potato chips, fresh cut and deep fried!

After we decided on our entree’s we decided to stick with the traditional sweet potato baked to perfection. You know what I mean, baked till it turns so sweet

that all you need is butter!

I picked the fried catfish to compliment my potato and salad. Doug picked a chopped steak for his entrée. Needless to say, PERFECTION in aluminum foil! The magic sweet potato goes with just about anything and if you are a “TATER ADDICT” it is a good substitute.

We have been going to Bridgeport about once a month for the last 6-7 years and I was surprised when our editor, Tracy said she had not been there till this winter! I am assuming that more people for Alvord are in the same group. Take my advice and make the trip, it is only about 16 miles and well worth the trip.

The folks at Stevens Street know steaks as well as potatoes. The chicken fried steak is as big as the platter they serve it on and the grilled steaks are cooked quickly and to your preference. They also know how to do deserts if you aren’t stuffed after the meal. And they are on my list of “GOOD GRAVY” places. And frankly if they get the gravy right the rest is usually done with the same attention.

Take that quick trip over to Stevens Street and tell them you heard about them here! It won’t get you a discount but they will know that Alvord Folks are coming to check them out.

A personal favorite Sweet Potato recipe:

Creamy Sweet Potato and Chicken Stew

1 ½ pounds of chicken breasts cubed

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

5 cups chicken broth

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 teaspoon savory (poultry seasoning can be used)

½ cup heavy cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut Chicken into one 1 inch cubes. Add olive oil and chicken to large skillet over medium-high to high heat, browning well, about 4 minutes on each side. When meat is almost browned, add onions to cook just until the sweat.

Transfer chicken and onions to a slow cooker set on low. Add some of the chicken broth to the skillet the chicken cooked in and use a spatula to scrape the bottom, breaking up any glaze the chicken may have left in the pan. Pour over chicken and onions in the slow cooker, and then pour in the remaining chicken broth. Cut the sweet potatoes in ½ inch cubes and add to the cooker, along with savory (poultry seasoning may be substituted). Stir all.

Cover and let cook 6-8 hours, depending on when you are ready to serve. Stir in the heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Thicken the stew before serving by mashing a few of the cooked sweet potato cubes in the broth.

Calories: 255 Fat: 8.5 g Protein: 31 g Fiber 1.5 g Net Carbs: 9 g

That Sweetie Pie Still Looks Pretty Good

Published 3/25/2011

That Sweetie Pie Still Looks Pretty Good

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Saturday afternoon was spent with some (old) friends getting reacquainted. We were all class mates and graduated from Alvord High School in 1967, yes to some of you “young’uns” that sounds so old. We are classy”Sweeties” and proud of every year we have been out of school. We did give up on trying to remember the last time we were all together….that was causing a real brain pain if you know what I mean!

We invaded a fantastic local restaurant for our reunion and here is a big THANK YOU to the Sweetie Pies service staff and management for a wonderful meal with wonderful friends.

My classmates, Charlene Thomas Scott and her sister Bobbie Thomas Foster, Connie Bell Parker, Nellie Brown Sisk, Cheryl Elliott Clark, Lana Caswell Garcia, and I had a fantastic time catching up on our travels, children, and grandchildren.

We were seated at a large round table with enough space for everyone and we took too much time deciding what we were going to try. We would get started on a story and end up having to ask for more time from the waitress. Thank goodness she was very understanding and patient. Laughter and chatting aside, we all chose from the luncheon menu. Several chose the grilled chicken or steak salad. I went for the house salad and dressing with a rosin baked potato. Those things are my downfall. A couple of adventurous ladies chose the Chicken Fried Ribeye that is Sweetie Pies house specialty. Everything was wonderful and we definitely didn’t take home any leftovers.

As usual Sweetie Pies met the challenge of feeding a large group with style. If you have not tried them out it is a place to go for any meal, lunch or dinner, whether it is a special occasion or you are just down right hungry for good food.

Sweetie Pies wait staff entertained us with a Happy Birthday performance for the birthday girl in our midst, Charlene Scott, they asked if she wanted it sung frontwards, or backwards, she chose backwards. I will let you go to Sweetie Pies to find out how that goes.

My Daddy always said if you can’t cut a chicken fried steak with a fork it isn’t any good, friends you can cut Sweetie Pies steaks with a fork!! His second love was pan gravy, he wanted it as thick as his mashed potatoes and YEP! Sweetie Pies has the best gravy outside of my kitchen. Sweetie Pies gravy is definitely a diet buster but worth a second, third or more visits just to keep from doing without “food of the Texas Gods” Chicken Fried Steak and GRAVY!!!

Sweetie Pies is a sister to Babes fried Chicken in Roanoak, Sanger and other places in the Metro Area, so if you can’t get to Sweetie Pies in Decatur, Babes too is awesome and just as much fun to try out.

Outlaw Comes to Town

Published 3/20/2011

Outlaw Comes to Town

The Retired Cooks Diary

By Suzette Pennington Munson

Shopping is hard work. Not only driving in Spring Break traffic but the lines at restaurants and of course the lines at Wally World, better known as your local Walmart. On Friday my shopping/lunch “pardner” and I took off toward Denton.

We had made a trip earlier in the week to Wichita Falls and got so excited about some purchases we made that we were half way home when we realized we hadn’t gone to Sam’s!! So off we go on Friday. First to the mall, then to the western wear shops, thrown in a resale shop and low and behold we were hungry – well one can’t walk and shop in Sam’s with our sustenance!!!

By this time we were in Krum at Fosters Western Wear and our stomachs were grumbling when we remembered a recommendation for a new hot burger spot in downtown Krum. Krum you say? An upscale restaurant, in downtown Krum? That is the last place I would look for upscale dining was a small town. Well, to my surprise, there it is and it is called “Outlaw Burger”. The new restaurant is the brain child of Chef Richard Spear. He has captured the spirit of the old time burger place with the upscale taste of downtown Dallas.

Burgers, salads, steaks all the normal fare, but with a twist. Homemade buns, hand dipped onion rings, fried pickle spears (not those chewy slices) and an atmosphere that makes everyone comfortable.

We actually were first told about the “Outlaw Burger” by someone who is a pumper and works in the area around Krum. He had said that it was the place all the guys were hitting for lunch. Then a friend of mine who lives and works in Krum told me about having the Plain Jane Burger and Fries that reminded her of the fries her Mom used to make. So with two good references we decided it was the place to fuel up for the rest of our day shopping.

I wanted to be adventuresome so I ordered the “Sam Bass Fish Sandwich” which was a thick filet of bass deep fried on a homemade bun, onion rings that were hand dipped and hot as a fire cracker!!! My friend ordered the Outlaw House Salad which was basically a cobb style salad with ham, boiled eggs, fresh greens, tomatoes and olives. YUMM!!! Needless to say we brought home GROCERIES!!! My eyes continue to be bigger than my stomach!

I definitely will drive to Krum again and try something different on the menu may be a steak or ribs.

I talked to our server to get some of the information about “Outlaw Burger’s” future plans. Mr. Spears has plans for 6-8 more restaurants. I bluntly asked if they were considering the Decatur area and got a definite YES!

Right now they have been doing lunch and dinner, at this printing they are beginning breakfast service so if you are in the area in the mornings stop and try their breakfast offerings.

So if you are like me and don’t want to wait till they open a closer place take the drive to Krum if you are coming off 35 E go to the four way stop and “Outlaw Burger” is in the middle of the next block on the right passed the four way stop. Before you leave give them your feedback on their food and service and let them know how good they are and in the comments area on the little card tell them you will be waiting for an Outlaw to come to town.

By the way we did make it to Sam’s…….