Chicken Fried Steak or CFS is a commonly found dish in the Lone Star State.  In fact, many consider Texas cuisine to be barbecue, tex-mex, and chicken fried steak.  For those living under a rock, CFS is usually made from a tenderized cut of cheap Texas beef, that is battered, fried and topped with cream gravy.  CFS likely was derived from either German immigrants who made schnitzel or from Mexican immigrants who made milanesa.  CFS is a tricky dish.  You make it right and it can be a sinful treat. Do it wrong and you might as well gnaw on your car tire.  
    
    Today I decided to take the CFS challenge and made my way to Goodson’s Café in Tomball, Texas.  The sign out in front is quick to tell you that this is the home of the best chicken fried steak in Texas.  The place is big and it stays packed with locals.  That’s always a pretty good sign that you have come to the right place.  Cheesy old metal signs on the wall also help to set the atmosphere of the dimly lit café.  
    
    As far as CFS goes, the one here is good.  You get two choices, small and large.  Unless you are an NFL lineman, small will be more then enough. In fact, the wait staff wears shirts that say if it were any bigger it would be illegal.  The meat is tender. You can pull it apart with your fingers.  The breading is light, flaky and crispy.  It is seasoned lightly.  I tasted a light essence of chile powder.  The cream gravy had flavor of salt and pepper and definitely complemented the breading on the meat.  This is a good standard for Texas CFS.  
    
    Eating a giant piece of breaded, fried, steak, smothered with cream gravy, it is natural to feel sinful.  I can’t help to contemplate the bigger picture. Is the CFS an evil culprit, perhaps a symbol for all that is wrong with the American diet?  Growing up, this was often a dish that they served us in the school lunchroom.  Maybe this has led to Texas cities being labeled some of the fattest cities in America?  Sure CFS is a classic dish from 1950’s Texas, but is this the type of dish that we want to maintain as a staple of our cuisine?  In Texas, people now even eat chicken fried steak and eggs for breakfast.     
    
    Putting the moral dilemma aside, if you are looking for a decent CFS, give Goodson’s a try.  It may or may not be the best in all of Texas, but it is a good representation of a classic chicken fried steak. 
    
    If you don’t already feel guilty enough, the banana pudding at Goodson’s is worth a try. It is simple, tasty and garnished with vanilla wafers. It is another dish giving a nod to a bygone era. 

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