Southern comfort food in Petaluma

Several restaurants make a tasty chicken fried steak, one writer finds.|

Chicken Fried Steaks sit well towards the top of the comfort food pyramid, alongside other venerable, yet simple classics, such as Mac n’ Cheese and Spaghetti and Meatballs. However, it was not until a reader requested my recommendation that I realized I have never thought to order chicken fried steak here in Petaluma.

Come to think of it, I do not believe I have ever bothered to even check our local menus for this Southern staple, even though I regularly order up sibling dishes, such as biscuits and gravy and chicken and waffles.

This is even more peculiar considering chicken fried steak is one of the first things I look for on the menu when on the road. Unlike Anthony Bourdain, who can remember the first time he tasted the salty sweetness of an oyster, it is the rare food I remember trying for the first time, let alone the last.

However, it is obvious to me that at some point prior to adulthood, I must have been curious enough to give chicken fried steak a shot, loved it, and have been on the hunt for great ones ever since. Admittedly, much like my reason for ordering gnocchi or bread pudding whenever the opportunity presents itself, I rarely find one that meets my expectations, but when I do, it wipes away the bad memories of its predecessors.

A somewhat confusing name to those who have not partaken previously, chicken fried steak actually contains no chicken. Instead, it gets its name from the fact that the steak is prepared and cooked in a similar fashion to deep-fried chicken. It is unclear where and how chicken fried steak originated, but one can guess that if it is battered and deep-fried, it is likely a Southern thing.

Every restaurant in Oklahoma claims to make the best Chicken Fried Steak in the state, the country, and even the world, but with Texans stampeding into diners across the state for an astonishing 800,000 servings of chicken fried steak per day, clearly Texas is the epicenter for chicken fried steak. Although synonymous with Tex-Mex, smoked brisket, and chili con carne, anyone from the Lone Star state will tell you that nothing says Tejas quite like chicken fried steak.

Chicken fried steak likely traces its origins to the Germans, who immigrated en masse to Texas in the mid-1800’s to escape the revolutionary strife that was spreading across Europe. They likely brought with them their love of Wiener schnitzel, a tenderized veal or pork cutlet, which is breaded and then fried, much like today’s chicken fried steak.

The Italians and Scots were also immigrating to Texas around that same time, although in much smaller numbers, and craved their traditional dishes of Milanesa and Collops, respectively, which both also resemble chicken fried steak.

Historically, chicken fried steak starts with one of the lesser cuts of beef, often referred to as “cube steak” or “minute steak.” This tough meat is softened up, either through manual manipulation or by the use of an electric tenderizer, transforming it into something more palatable. It is called “cube steak” due to the cube shape of the indentations left by the process of tenderization, while those that call it “minute steak” are referring to the same steak, but highlighting the fact that due to its tenderized thinness, these steaks require minimal cook time.

Traditionally, chicken fried steak was topped with a pepper cream gravy, which was made with the drippings from the skillet in which the chicken fried steak was fried. The gravy added flavor, calories, and yes, nutrients, to what might otherwise have been a less than an ideal dish for the farmers and ranchers of the Texas and Oklahoma plains.

Additionally, because the steak often had little flavor, it was often grandma’s secret gravy recipe that carried the day.

Chicken Fried Steak has been so popular for so long in the great state of Texas that there are three distinct preparations, depending on the region. In the East, chicken fried steak is dredged in egg, then flour, and fried, like fried chicken. Central Texans supplant breadcrumbs for flour, similar to how Weiner schnitzel is prepared. In the western part of the state, the egg is left out, and is often referred to as “pan-fried steak.”

Just to add a bit of confusion regarding names, in some areas the pan-fried version is called chicken fried steak and the gravy descriptions range from cream gravy to sausage gravy to country gravy.

Most regions serve chicken fried steak for lunch or dinner, topped with some variation of a pepper cream gravy, with sides of mash potatoes, vegetables, and a biscuit. However, when you travel up to the West and Midwest, chicken fried steak is more commonly found on breakfast menus, served with eggs and potatoes, which is how you will find it served here in Petaluma.

Unlike the bygone days of limited resources, modern chefs have access at higher quality ingredients and are often serving to a more discerning, demanding, and culinarily educated crowd than the chuck wagons of yesteryear. Contemporary cuisiniers are constantly one-up’ing each other, especially when it comes to Southern comfort classics, even those that are fairly simple at their core, such as grits, corned beef hash, and biscuits and gravy.

Chicken fried steak is no exception, and honestly, if a restaurant is going to charge $15 for a breakfast dish, it really should enjoy some underlying quality. Additionally, you will find that local restaurants do more than simply throw together a generic pepper cream gravy, often invigorating it with fresh herbs and spices, and their own variation of minced and seasoned meats.

This is where standouts like McNear’s Saloon & Dining House and Sax’s Joint really shine.

Available exclusively on Sundays, McNear’s hits their chicken fried steaks out of the park, helped in large part by their choice of fresh, never frozen, Ribeye steak. Add an expertly seasoned batter, fried to the perfect level of crispiness, and it is no wonder that the chicken fried steak is a favorite on their comfort Sunday menu.

The sausage and sage gravy is excellent, atop both the chicken fried steak and the biscuits and gravy, while the Irish potato cake is an appetizing alternative to home fries or hash browns. McNear’s is also on top of their game when it comes to all their other flavorfully innovative dishes, such as their House-made Chicken & Waffles, Sweet Potato Hash, Cast Iron Enchiladas, and Meat Lover Omelet, which uses locally produced Zoe’s ham.

We were also treated to some sort of south-of-the-border inspired special that included boneless short ribs. There is not enough space to even approach the lunch and dinner menu but rest assure that you could dine at McNear’s daily and always find something new and innovative to try.

It is obvious from the very first bite of the chicken fried steak at Sax’s Joint that they too use a high quality steak. With just about everything on the menu made from scratch, it was no surprise that when they ran out just prior to my order, they nonchalantly sent a runner over to their supplier, Petaluma Market, and had a piping hot chicken fried steak in front of me before I knew it. As a bonus, the gravy has huge chunks of succulent sausage and along with eggs, came with a side of deliciously seasoned home fries. The whole menu is great, but Sax’s chicken fried steak is certainly a highlight I return for.

As luck would have it, the three “to go” orders of chicken fried steak we picked up for one particular morning’s research were all surprisingly good, even though they had cooled down during the ride home, and I don’t believe any used particularly expensive steak.

Lumberjacks offers a weekday special at just $7.99, and it was much better than expected. Although dining there would never be my first choice, because I kept returning to the pleasant flavor and texture of their chicken fried steak, I will definitely give them another try when looking for a quick and affordable breakfast.

Pete’s Henny Penny tops theirs with homemade gravy and I was pleasantly surprised to see that in the decade or so since I last visited, they have spiffed the joint up quite a bit, yet still offer “kids eat free” Monday through Thursday from 3 – 8 P.M. They also have a plethora of homemade baked goods.

Last on this list was a pick-up from Mr. Mom’s. Although their dining room would benefit from a mild facelift, their food is spot on, with their chicken fried steak being our favorite of the three. Concentrating on substance over style, Mr. Mom’s puts a lot of thought into their food, including their chicken fried steak. The batter was better than most, and their “Southern Style Country Gravy” is made from scratch, starting with a bacon and ham base.

They also offered potato cakes, which is always my choice over hash browns or home fries. Although these could have been crisped a bit more, the flavor was wonderful and it was obvious that the potatoes were prepped fresh that morning. I was a little late to take advantage of the pre-8:30 A.M. special listed on the banner out front, but will surely be back to try those, as well as the weekday special of two hamburgers and fries for only $11.

As regular readers know, I refrain from disparaging a restaurant simply because I may not have liked the particular dish I ordered. So, it goes without saying that not every chicken fried steak we tried in Petaluma was spectacular, so your favorite may be missing from this list. If it is, please let me know and if I have not tried it yet, I will give it a go and report back. In that light, two restaurants deserve special mention for things other than their chicken fried steak, especially because I rarely get over to the East Side to dine.

Flamez serves great meals in a relaxed atmosphere and at a family-friendly price point. The owners are always on site, making sure guests receive a quality experience and at least one of their employees has been in the running for the Petaluma People’s Choice award for best server. Made from beef freshly ground in their kitchen, Flamez burgers are some of the best in town.

Palm’s Grill also servers up a solid value, and plenty of their breakfast items keep us coming back for more, like their but their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Morning Quesadilla, Irish and Chorizo Skillets, and Texas French Toast. Palm’s lunch and dinner menu including locally sourced meats and veggies, and even includes some vegan options.

For good and affordable pasta, seafood, and steak dishes on the East Side, Palm’s is hard to beat. It is also much appreciated that they keep their website updated, and that they are one of the few Petaluma restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner.

Understandably, the chicken fried steak on many restaurants’ menu is nothing out of the ordinary. From my research, I would guess this is because not that many people eat, or even know what chicken fried steak is. Unfortunately, this means that many who try it for the first time may never come back to it, because ordinary chicken fried steak is not all that impressive, especially compared the hype awarded to the rarely discovered excellent chicken fried steak.

Luckily, our local restaurants, by and large serve great food, so even if I was not crazy about every chicken fried steak I tried, there were plenty of other items on those menus that are well above par for what you will find at comparable restaurants elsewhere.

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