100 Favorite Dishes, No. 14: Chicken-Fried Steak at Babe's
To prepare for this fall's Best of Dallas® 2014 issue, we're counting down (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes. If there's a dish you think we need to try, leave it in the comments, or email me.
I could have worn this chicken-fried steak like a helmet.
The best thing about Babe's, no matter what location you visit, isn't the chicken-fried steak or the fried chicken alone, but how they plate them both. Grab as many of your friends as you can, wait for a table and you'll soon see what I mean.
When large parties order, everything that's taken a bath in hot oil is brought out on one platter. It's a spectacle: a mountain of golden brown, still shimmering with hot oil. Mess around with the sides if you like but your priority should be placed on that CFS. Get it on to your plate and dig in while everything is hot and crunchy.
Something special happens when a restaurant specializes in a handful of menu items. Here, the CFS is encased in super-crispy crust that tightly clings to the pounded tender steak -- when you saw off a square everything stays in place. And you don't have to order your gravy on the side, it already comes that way, which is perfect for CFS dipping.
Most of the other places douse your CFS with gravy so it quickly gets soggy, and all of them deny you the pleasures of Meat Mountain delivered table-side. Babe's makes dreams come in ways that diners and other grease pits could only dream of, but the Pepto-Bismol is still on you.
No. 100: Pastrami Egg Rolls at Blind Butcher
No. 99: Chicken-fried Steak at Tom's Burgers and Grill
No. 98: Pasta with Uni Butter at Nonna
No. 97: Camarón en Agua Chile at La Palapas
No. 96: The Wings at Lakewood Landing
No. 94: Chicken Kebab at Afrah
No. 93: Trompo Tacos at Bachman Lake
No. 92: Fish and Chips at 20 Feet
No. 91: Canelés at Village Baking Co.
No. 90: Banh Mi from La Me
No. 88: The Burgers at Off-Site Kitchen
No. 87: The White Album at Spoon
No. 86: Ramen at Tei An
No. 85: Tacos at Revolver Taco
No. 84: Stuffed Chicken Wings at Sakhuu
No. 83: Korean Fried Chicken at Bonchon
No. 82: Grilled Branzino at Tei Tei Robata
No. 81: The Toddfather at Cattleack Barbecue
No. 80: The Biryanis at Chennai
No. 79: Shish Tawook at Qariah
No. 78: Arepes at Zaguan
No. 77: Goat Momo at Everest Restaurant
No. 76: Steak Tartar at Gemma
No. 75: Escabeche at Joyce and Gigi's
No. 74: Spicy Fish in Oil at Royal Sichuan
No. 73: Pupusas at La Pasadita
No. 72: The Kathi Roll at Simply Dosa
No. 71: The Chicken Wings at Teppo
No. 70: Cheesesteak at Truck Yard
No. 69: Chicken and Waffles at Jonathon's
No. 68: Birria Tacos at Los Torres Taqueria
No. 67: Bulgogi Cheesesteak at Say Kimchi
No. 66: Suadero Tacos at La Banqueta
No. 65: Brian Luscher's Post Oak Red Hot
No. 64: Banana Flower Salad at Mot Hai Ba
No. 63: Cinco Leches Cake At Mesero Miguel
No. 62: Cabrito a la Parilla at El Ranchito
No. 61: Reuben at Kuby's
No. 60: Plain Cheese Pizza Cooked Extra Crispy at Zoli's
No. 59: Enmoladas at Mesa
No. 58: Pig's Head at CBD Provisions
No. 57: Rib "Sandwich" at Baby Back Shak
No. 56: Beef Noodle Soup at Monkey King
No. 55: The Nachos at Spiral Diner
No. 54: Elotes, Everywhere
No. 53: The Popeye At Green Grocer
No. 52: The Cuban at International Bakery
No. 51: Rush Patisserie's Croissant
No. 50: Kitfo From Sheba's Ethiopian Kitchen
No. 49: Beer at Craft and Growler
No. 48: Pastor Tacos at El Rincon
No. 47: Banh Mi From Nammi
No. 46: Beef Fajitas From Mariano's
No. 45: Italian Combo from Carbone's
No. 44: The Brisket at Pecan Lodge
No. 43: Chicken-Fried Steak at Ellen's Southern Kitchen
No. 42: Carnitas Tacos at Taqueria Y Carneseria Guanajuato
No. 41: Lamb Burger at LARK
No. 40: Regina Margherita At Cane Rosso
No. 39: Barbacoa At Barbacoa Estilo Hidalgo
No. 38: The Peace 'Stachio at Hypnotic Donuts
No. 37: Nasi Lemak at Kampong
No. 36: A Rotisserie Chicken Taco at Velvet Taco
No. 35: The Burger At Boulevardier
No. 34: Surfers On Acid At Local Oak
No. 33: Bread Pudding at Sissy's
No. 32: Pelmeni at the Russian Banya
No. 31: Loukoumathes at Greek Fest
No. 30: The Charcuterie Plate at FT33
No. 29: Short Rib Grilled Cheese at East Hampton
No. 28: The Fried Bologna Sandwich at Maple and Motor
No. 27: The Pastrami Sandwich at the Whistling Pig
No. 26: Bacon-Encrusted Bone Marrow at Knife
No. 25: Meatloaf at Stock and Barrel
No. 24: The Reuben at Cock and Bull
No. 23: Causa Limena at San Salvaje
No. 22: Fish Tacos at TJ's
No. 21: The Cuban at ¡C. Señor!
No. 20: The Smoked Salmon at Zen Sushi
No. 19: The Ham Sandwich at Vagabond
No. 18: Steak and Eggs at Meddlesome Moth
No. 17: Campechano at El Come Taco
No. 16: The Chicken Scratch at Chicken Scratch
No. 15: Veal Bolognese with Pappardelle at Urbano
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