Review: Grady’s Line Camp Steakhouse Tolar, TX

Well I turned 30 and I survived.  Thanks in no small part party (why is it you can proofread a post 3 times and not catch such a dumb typo?) to my wonderful family and friends and a visit to Grady Spears’ Line Camp Steakhouse in Tolar, TX.  I celebrated my 29th at Grady’s in Fort Worth, but it has since closed and Grady has moved his operation to a nice 50 acre plot in the country just west of Granbury.

Leave the city lights behind, head west on 377 and about 5 minutes outside of Granbury you turn left on Co Rd 203 .  The steakhouse is located in a large barn with some outdoor seating. They take reservations so if you are making a special drive in you will want to call ahead – 254.835.4459.  Dinner is served Wednesday – Saturday from 5:00-9:00 p.m.

The menu changes weekly, but I saw a lot of items that were featured at Grady’s including a 16 oz ribeye served with a chili relleno.  I have a feeling the sides change seasonally to complement the main dish staples, but that is just my assumption.  We started off with Matt’s Bob Armstrong dip ($8) and if you’ve had the original at Matt’s El Rancho in Austin, you will understand that this is an admirable tribute to the original recipe.

I had the Dr Pepper braised grass-fed short ribs ($26), which were served with mashed potatoes and roasted corn.  The Dr Pepper adds a unique sweetness to the ribs and, aside from needing a little more salt, the dish was delicious and the sides complemented it perfectly.

And THAT is the half size portion of the short ribs

Lori and Hastings had the Buttermilk and Texas beer battered chicken fried steak ($19).  I’m no chicken fried steak aficionado, but I have to say Grady does a good job taking a Texas staple and giving it a more interesting flavor.  My dad tried the 16 oz ribeye topped with a cheese-filled chili relleno ($37) and I think he enjoyed it.  He shared some with me and I have to say it was perfectly cooked.  And my mom had a little of this and a little of that and said she really liked it all.  We also tried the green chili cheese grits and they are outta this world good, but I am always a sucker for grits mixed with cheese.

The service was great.  Our waitress was very sweet and attentive and several other servers helped out when needed.  Grady was also there and I’m not sure how often he is around, but I know he is very approachable and friendly.

Entertainment was provided by the talented Leon Clift who has an extensive list of songs in his repertoire and he will play a lovely rendition of Silver Wings for your birthday, if you so desire.  The music is very enjoyable, but the acoustics in a large one room barn do make it a little hard to carry on a conversation.  There is a stage behind the restaurant which I assume they will utilize at some point.

As is often said about Grady’s restaurants, you need to go quickly, but I think he is finally in his element at this spot in the country.    You should go soon just to enjoy this nice spring weather.  I can’t wait to go back and try the flank steak served with enchiladas.

Here we go 30's. Let's do this!

The above picture was sent to me by my good friend Erinn.  I like the message, but I am so proud of the friendships I have made that will join me in the journey ahead.

Road Trip: AUSTIN, TX

I am in the process of relocating to Austin and I have spent the past two weekends getting settled and loving every second. I am trying to soak up this nice spring weather before it turns into a humid hot mess.

I have visited Austin numerous times over the years so I am somewhat familiar with the hot restaurant scene, but I have tried some new spots that have me very excited about my new city and also wondering what I’m going to have to do to keep from tipping the scale in the wrong direction.

As seen on The Mighty Cone's food trailer

I’m kidding.  As we all know Austin is a fresh, all natural, “no animals’ feelings were hurt in the making of this food” – kinda place.

Well the Bob Armstrong dip at Matt’s El Rancho might be the exception to that rule, but it is a must when visiting. I have been twice since I have been here and I think it might be my new-old standby Mexican restaurant. You know, the place you go when you want your favorite dish from a family-owned place. Comfort food for the Texican. In Granbury, it was La Fiesta’s Sunday buffet with cheese tacos. In Abilene, it was Los Arcos fajitas. In Fort Worth, it was La Familia’s tomatillo enchiladas. And at Matt’s El Rancho it will be the chili relleno.

So as my dad and I were making our way down 35, we stopped at Rudy’s BBQ in Waco and over some delicious BBQ I told him that I wanted my first road trip to be to Salt Lick in Driftwood. I heard about it on a Food Network special where Bobby Flay sang their praises and ever since I have wanted to check it out. Well little did I know that two of my very best friends who were also on their way to Austin for a visit had made it their plan to take me there for my birthday.

The fire pit at Salt Lick

You have got to check it out when you can. Hundred of people descend upon it every weekend and I can see why -especially this time of year. It is so relaxing and from the south side of town it is a 30 minute drive to a beautiful setting surrounded by trees. We got there late on a Saturday evening and the wait was at an hour and a half to sit inside.The weather was too nice for that and they do give you the option to get it to go and sit at one of their picnic tables, which is exactly what we did.  It was one of my favorite nights and I’m so thankful I was able to check out something in my new town with three people who mean the world to me.  It is cash only and BYOB and they have an on-site wine tasting venue.

On the drive back into Austin, Jamie gave me a little lecture about being safe and told me to get some mace.   A tip my  mother is sure to appreciate.

Let me know some of your favorite places to go in and around Austin!! I can’t wait to start exploring!

Recipe: My favorite enchiladas are green

I have been on a few whirlwind trips lately and I have lots to share, but first up is this dish that I have been working on.   My favorite enchiladas are chicken with salsa verde, which is made with tomatillos.  And if by chance you don’t know what tomatillos are, they look like green tomatoes wrapped in a brown husk.  You want to peel back the husk a bit and make sure you are buying them when they are bright green.  (sidenote: If you don’t feel like making your own enchiladas, the best place to eat them is at La Familia in Fort Worth)

There are a few ways to make the sauce for these enchiladas and if you like a fresh, bright sauce you can try this recipe.  She boils the tomatillos and, as someone who has recently tried this recipe (Thanks Hastings), I can vouch that it is quite tasty.  I have basically taken my salsa verde recipe and tripled it to use as the sauce.  I like the flavor you get from roasting the tomatillos and letting the skin char a bit.  You can’t really go wrong with either recipe.

So here’s what you need for the sauce:

1 1/4 lb of tomatillos (depending on size, about 9)

1/2 purple onion

2 cloves garlic

4-6 serranos, seeded

handful of cilantro

1 lime

canola oil, s&p, cumin

Remove the husks from the tomatillos, rinse the sticky off, and chop in half.  You just need half of the onion cut in 1 inch pieces.  Toss the tomatillos, purple onion, and 2 garlic cloves with 1 Tbsp oil, and 1 tsp each of salt, pepper, and cumin.  Lay the tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet skins up

Roast them in the oven under the broiler set to high for about 8-10 minutes until they look like this

Toss them into a blender or food processor with a handful of cilantro, the juice from half of a lime, and 4-6 serranos (or jalapenos) with the seeds removed.  This is where you will get your heat so I would suggest easy on the chilis if you don’t like things hot and start out with a few and add until you get the flavor you like.  Also, check the spices.  You will probably need to add some salt.

So there’s our sauce which you will add to a skillet on low with about 1/2 Tbsp of oil to keep it from sticking, but first get the chicken ready.

And here’s what you need for the enchiladas:

1/2 cooked chicken, shredded or diced

6 corn tortillas (good luck finding them in a package less than 30)

1 roasted poblano, diced *optional

1/4 yellow onion, diced *optional

Queso fresco for topping

I used a rotisserie chicken, but I would like to throw in that one of the other times I made this dish I boiled a chicken and it was quite delicious.  It was probably the best way to cook the chicken, but it isn’t always convenient to boil a whole chicken and wait for it to cool  Long story short, you just need  the meat from half of a cooked chicken or 2 cooked chicken breasts (if you don’t want to deal with taking it off the bone-Erinn G.).  I like white and dark meat, but if the thought of dark meat grosses you out  just use 2 chicken breasts shredded or diced.  Also, I like poblanos so I roast one up and add it and about 1/4 of fresh yellow onion to the chicken for a little extra flavor, but you can skip that step or you could add some monterrey jack cheese.

So in addition to working on getting the sauce right for this dish, I have also tried to make it a little bit healthier.  Traditionally you would take the corn tortillas and fry them in oil for about 10 seconds until they are soft and easy to roll up.  I take the tortillas, spray them each with a little Pam, stack them on a microwave-safe plate, wrap them with saran wrap, and microwave them for about 25 seconds.  It’s less messy, less greasy, but the tortillas tear a bit when removing them from the dish.  So pick a route and get your tortillas ready to roll.

Get a little assembly station going with the tortillas, the skillet with your salsa heating on low, the chicken, a place to roll, and your cooking dish.  We’re making 6 enchiladas so you just need a small casserole dish.  Pour a layer of sauce at the bottom and get to rolling.

Dip each tortilla in the sauce and then add your chicken, roll it up and throw it in the pan.  Top with the remaining salsa and monterrey jack cheese if you like.  I decided to leave it off this time.  Heat in a 350 oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Serve it up with some fresh toppings

Cilantro, Queso Fresco, and fresh purple onion

And enjoy!!

Coming up next Road Trippin’ to AUSTIN SXSW!!