Cowboy up

It would be easy to believe that the basic food groups in Amarillo are Steak, Mexican, and BarBQ.  It starts to get hard to keep track of which one you like.  In my continuing adventures in the alternate plane of existence I tried to branch away from the known.

The Combo

Robinson's

First however was a familiar spot.  Just as every journey begins at home, my foray began Wednesday afternoon at Robinson's.   I have come here at least once every trip to Amarillo as the flavor and portions are hard to beat and there is a certain nostalgia to eating from styrofoam on wobbly tables in what kind of looks like my Grandma's garage.  Mason jar cups would have made the set complete but alas these where styrofoam as well.  I had the combo platter which  included a rib, sausage link and super tender slice of brisket.  Add on the cole slaw, mashed potatoes and beans and we have a stick-to-your-ribs lunch to lay the foundation.

Adobong Manok

That evening we went to a place none of us had heard of before called Menche's.  This claimed to be a Filipino restaurant and my cohorts where a little apprehensive.  I had spent some years in the Philippines but also had a small butterfly of fear hoping that they would not fail to impress.  They did not.  While it had been almost 20 years, words and phrases in Tagalog re-formed in my head to describe those smells coming from the kitchen.  They had thoughtfully prepared a picture book to supplement the menu which made helping my companions decide what to order so much easier.  I went for the classic Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo).  Our waiter picked up quickly that I was much more familiar with the lingo than your typical American and it seemed we got a bit more attention than others.  The food was served more for an American palate which means the chicken had been cooked deliciously but that just the meat had been placed on a bed of steamed rice.  I asked for subow which is the oils and juices that the chicken had been cooked in and enjoyed the most nostalgiac trip in my head.

Halo - Halo

I had also ordered a Halo-Halo which is a shaved ice treat enjoyed on warm days and nights.  It is a symphony of taste with corn flakes on ice cream on shaved ice sitting in sweetened condensed milk on top of mango bits, Coconut gel (Nata de coco) and sweetened beans and corn.  I vividly recall many sticky nights stirring in my Halo-Halo looking out on the ocean or up into the stars.

Biko

With a small twist of fear I went to speak (in Tagalog) with the namesake Menche who was in the kitchen.  On a lark I asked if she had Balut which she quickly apologized for not having.  we spoke a bit more about where i was from and how long i would be in town which was too bad because over the weekend they do a Lechon Baboy (roast pig) which I'm sure would be great.  She must have thought this was great because at the end of our meal she sent over Biko which is a sticky rice cake with Caramel topping.  It was tremendous and was certified a winner by my compatriots.

Green Chili Willie's

Chicken Fried Steak with Green Chili Sauce

Thursday Lunch was at a new place called Green Chili Willie's.  They seemed to specialize in peppers specially the Hatch Green variery which of course reminded me of how close we were to the New Mexico border.  I had the Chicken fried steak topped with Green Chili sauce.  It was great.  The steak was very well cooked not being too greasy, bready or tough. 

Calf Fries are the ones on the left that don't look like sticks

The adventure continued Thursday evening with us going to a just re-opened that day steak house called the Country Barn.  The appetizer menu had an intriguing empty so I asked the waiter what calf fries were.  It took him a second before he explained that it was the south end of a north bound bull.  I've heard these called rocky mountain oysters and other such but I realized I had never tried them.  I like to pride myself in being an adventurous eater but I must admit here again to a knot of fear when ordering these.  These were cooked much like fried oysters with a thick batter and tasted a bit like oysters actually. 

Steak Dinner

I had ordered a sirloin steak which was certainly good but a bit of a let down from the beginning exotic fare.  I have to now make an exception to normal practice and talk about the bathroom.  The overall decor in the place was cowboy lodge but as soon as you open the door to the bathroom corridor, you are almost blinded by light from floor to ceiling (and on the ceiling) mirrors.  For a half a second I was concerned I wouldn't be able to get out of the fun house maze.  The real icing on the cake though was the thoughtful placement of shaved ice in the urinals into which I could playfully 'write' my name.  What a great cap to the evening of new experiences.