Gastrovacation

Eleven days, four hotels, one family reunion, one reunion of the 11th Armored Cavalry Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia, from Florida to Alabama to Mississippi to Louisiana to Texas and return, several restaurants.

Willie’s Duck Diner – West Monroe, La. My wife had Miss Kay’s meat loaf, Miss Kay’s macaroni and cheese and standard turnip greens. You should know my wife makes the best-ever meat loaf and macaroni & cheese. We both decided she should send her recipes to Miss Kay. I had the seafood gumbo. The seafood consisted of shrimp and sausage. It was OK. Overall, the food was good, as was the service, but we will not be going out of our way to eat there again.

Cattleman’s Steakhouse – Texarkana, Ark. I think I ate there in 1969. My father talked about the place, but his ideas were more along the line that a steak house called Cattleman’s had something to do with real cattlemen. The restaurant does not have T-bone steak. The restaurant is across the street from Texas, but it does not serve T-bone steak. My wife and I had ribeye. The steaks were on the downside of warm. We shall not again grace the establishment with our presence.

Walburg German Restaurant – Walburg, Texas. You have to want to go there, and the drive is worth it. If you don’t know anything about German communities in Central Texas, do a search. The restaurant stocks many brands of beer, German and Texan-German. Food was good; service was excellent. Priscilla and I stayed to hear six songwriters perform. Each played amplified acoustic guitar; none was too loud. Go there.

Salt Lick BBQ – Driftwood, Texas. Great place. Go there. Simple seating, some outdoors under oak trees. The restaurant is several miles west of I-35, down a winding, two-lane highway. Much scenery, many new housing additions dotting the countryside. Pork ribs were great.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Grand Hyatt Hotel -- San Antonio, Texas. The restaurant proves some chains do things right. Steak very good, service very good. The hotel is a couple of blocks from the Alamo; the restaurant has outdoor seating near the Riverwalk.

The best food was at brother Bill and sister-in-law Teresa's house -- chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans; dessert Italian cream cake (from scratch) by sister Carolyn and World's best banana pudding from my wife.

Eleven days, around 2,500 miles. The good eats were very good.