North on foot again a little way and we reached Ouisie's. At number 13 the chicken fried steak is the highest placed meal I've tried. I was genuinely excited. The thought of chicken fried anything can do that to me and Robb's review had got me pretty hyped. We were slightly under dressed for the occassion but since it was mid afternoon and pretty quiet we didnt feel too bad. It looks fairly unprepossessing from the outside but the interior is all high ceilings, dark beams and linen table cloths. We spent a some time discussing which of the ladies in the girlfriend's Kentucky family would love this place the most. They'd all go crazy for it is the pretty obvious answer.
I could write 10,000 words about this meal but I'll keep it short. The bread plate was pretty incredible. The gingerbread was rich and the cheese biscuits were perfectly light with just the right amount of chew. The jalapeno cornbread stole the show though. An awesomely crisp exterior, moist insides and a perfect balance of sweet and spice. It's probably the best cornbread I've ever had.
At lunch the chicken fried steak comes with some very, very tasty spinach, mashed potatos (which must have been 80% cream and butter, pure delicious indulgence) and a jug of gravy. At dinner they add in corn pudding and another side, I forget what. You better be pretty hungry if you go for that. The steak covered the entire plate and the mashed potato had to be hidden underneath. It was pounded thin though so the amount of meat wasn't overwhelming. It really was an exceptional meal. The batter was crisp and jagged while the meat was achingly tender and just moist enough to be juicy in the mouth without making the crust soggy. A neat trick to pull. Perhaps I should have tried the CFS at Frank's Chop House first. I can't see it living up to this.
Then we had tres leches. Pretty much just as good as the steak. I'm glad we split it though, it was exceptionally rich even for tres leches.
Add to that the friendliest waitress I've known in Houston (we had a great chat about places to eat in Houston, her favourite street food and Houston food week) and this was one of the stand out eating experiences so far.
After that we wandered back down to central market to buy some ingredients so I could cook something up for a couple of friends that evening and a fix for my fig addict girlfriend (It was yuppie hell. Don't go on a sunday afternoon!) and rode the 81 bus back to Montrose. It was a fine, fine trip out.
At the end of Sunday August the 1st I had:
eaten 17 / 100 dishes (19/100 including non-available dishes)
spent $172 (including tips)
travelled 160 miles (112 by car, 13 on foot, 28 by bus, 7 by bike)
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