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12/11/2003 Archived Entry: "ELLSWORTH COUNTY IS THE KSF CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK CAPITAL OF KANSAS"

ELLSWORTH COUNTY IS THE KSF CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK CAPITAL OF KANSAS (at least for the time being)

The Kansas Sampler Foundation stresses the importance of seeking out "slow food" in Kansas....the kind that comes from the kitchens of your mom and pop restaurants that are locally owned. Only by doing this, can we maintain the customs and flavor (no pun intended) of our small towns.

Chicken-fried steak is a standby on most restaurant menus in Kansas, but they aren't always prepared the way that is best. Frequently, the cook will grab a frozen, pre-breaded steak out of a box from a supplier and throw it in the deep fat fryer. Yuck! Who wants to eat that?

So, the Explorers Club members, an arm of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, are trying to pinpoint the restaurants all across Kansas where they prepare chicken-fried steak the proper way: from scratch, with fresh beef purchased from a meat locker or local grocer, sprinkled with the chef's secret seasonings, hand-dipped in batter then grilled or pan-fried to perfection. Yummy.

So far, 24 restaurants have been identified and four of them are in Ellsworth County....Paden's and KC's in Ellsworth, the Midland Hotel and Al's Bar and Grill in Wilson. All are recipients of a special award from the Kansas Explorers Club for preparing chicken-fries in this special way. Look for the awards hanging in restaurants across Kansas. You can find the list of the restaurants receiving awards RIGHT HERE.

I don't suppose it will be long before we have an individual or a group of members of the Club roaming Kansas and finding comfort in all those from scratch mashed potatoes and gravy and a big ol' chicken-fried steak. We'll have the Bill Bunyan of steak eaters making their marks in history. Wouldn't it be great if that person were someone from Ellsworth County? They would certainly get a lot of publicity from eating a CFS in each KSF designated restaurant. Someone will do it.