[Previous entry: "MACKENZIE IS BACK IN GAITHERSBURG MD"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Josh Svaty is preaching in the Carneiro Church"]

07/14/2003 Archived Entry: "CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK IN KANSAS"

CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK IN KANSAS

Following in the steps of Bill Bunyan, I predict that soon there will be groups of die-hard Kansas Explorers who will search all corners of the state for restaurants that meet the strict criteria of their organization for preparing chicken-fried steak. This group is dedicated to preserving rural culture and there isn’t any other Kansas food quite so basic as this.

There will be a stampede to find every restaurant in Kansas where care is taken to do it right. A notice has been sent out to Explorers to find these restaurants and they are responding. A list of restaurants that qualify has been appearing in the Kansas Explorer and will be included in Marci’s guidebook that is due out early next year.

This is an elite group of restaurants and this is Kansas food we’re talking about. It must be prepared properly as Explorers expect the standards to be maintained for this fine Kansas product. They love chicken-fried steak and so does their leader, and it absolutely won’t do for some fry cook to pull a frozen hunk of meat out of a box and fling it in the fryer. No sir, not on your life. Not with this group.

To meet explorer standards the steak must be fresh and preferably purchased locally, sprinkled with secret seasonings of the chef’s choice, hand-dipped in a coating then grilled or pan-fried to perfection. This is according to the criteria established by the Kansas Explorers Club, an organization dedicated to preserving and sustaining rural culture.

And, for all you local Ellsworth people, KC’s Cafe meets these strict criteria and it is high on the list for Explorers everywhere. They buy their meat locally from JC and Judy Scritchfield at JS Packing. Curtis applies his special seasonings then hand-dips the steak and cooks it on their grill. I have had great reports back from some of the Explorers I have taken there to eat. So, give it a try and let me know what you think.

Others that are on the Explorer list, so far, are:

Prairie Nut Hut in Altoona
Iris’s Country Kitchen in Ulysses
Bubba’s in Brewster
Pinky’s Bar in Courtland
The Paddock in Eureka
Herrman House B & B in Scandia
Otto’s Café in Pittsburg
Cassoday Café in Cassoday
Trapper’s in Simpson
Sue’s Kitchen in Hope
Hays House in Council Grove
Schirer’s in Lyons (also try his coconut cream pie as it is terrific. and...based on the quality of it, any of his pies must be wonderful. The thought of his homemade whole wheat bread slathered in butter makes me want to hop in the car and zip right down there.)

Keep all these places in mind as you are traveling the state. Maybe you can eat your way through Kansas on chicken-fried steak. If you do, I'm sure it will come to the attention of someone somewhere.