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March means many things - the return of spring, NCAA basketball, and spring break.  We were itching to get out of Houston, and wanted to explore a new part of the country, so we decided it was time for a road trip.

As Texans, we've done road trips all over the state, so we decided on a new destination:  Tennessee.  Far enough away to be different than what you'd see in Texas, but close enough so that we could complete the journey in a week.  So we did some reasearch, plotted our course, packed up and headed to the Volunteer state.

Our journey out of Texas was taken down US 59 toward Texarkana.  Since we were leaving Texas, we decided to grab Tex-Mex as our last meal in the Lone Star State, and ended up consuming some forgettable enchiladas in a forgettable small town along the route.

Before long we were in the great state of Arkansas, heading east on I-30.  My memory of Arkansas was that there is nothing interesting to see along the entire stretch of I-30.  And that's a shame, because for many driving through the state, that's all they'll see.  We passed through Little Rock and merged with I-40, and took that highway into our first destination:  Memphis.

Memphis is perhaps the prototypical southern city.  Known for the blues, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King,, Jr. Sun Records, and Beale Street, Memphis has a rich history and a strong tradition of friendly southern hospitality.

Memphis is a town that's on the short list for BBQ lovers, so we knew we'd have to try the city's specialty: Pork ribs.  But our research also revealed that Memphis is known for two other comfort foods:  Burgers and fried chicken.  So we planned to investigate each of these offerings, with the goal of learning how Memphis compared to Houston for these three Southern favorites.  Knowing that schedules can be fluid for some hole-in-the-wall restaurants, we targeted a couple of recommendations from locals in Memphis for the best places to visit to sample these dishes.

First up is fried chicken, and one place kept being mentioned: Gus's Fried Chicken.  This humble spot downtown near the Mississippi River is beloved by locals and visiting foodies alike, so we decided that dinner there was a must.

Gus's was within a mile of our downtown hotel, and on-street parking was available about a block away.  We parked in the slightly sketchy neighborhood, and walked up to this Memphis landmark.

Upon entering Gus's, we made our way past the clot of people waiting for their tables; the line was almost but not quite out the door.  The friendly counterman put our name on the list, and we ended up waiting about 30 minutes for a table. Gus's is a slightly dingy but homey chicken joint filled with everyone from families to couples to business types, and apparently they were all in the mood for fried chicken.  The juke box played a good selection of Memphis blues, making us feel at home and setting the stage for our meal.

Once we were seated, we placed our order and waited for another 20 minutes or so.  Gus's is clearly not a place for folks who are in a hurry.  Locals were split on the merits of white meat vs dark meat at Gus's, so we ordered a piece of each, along with seasoned fries and dirty rice.

After a brief wait, our chicken arrived, and it was time to dig in.  The crust was golden brown and very smooth, and was fairly thick - no one would confuse this for fast-food chicken.  Fried to a golden brown, locals assured us that this was chicken that we would remember.

Our first bite of the breast was a revelation.

The crust was indeed thick and crunchy, and nicely seasoned with just enough heat to keep this Texan's attention.  The chicken within was perfectly cooked and remarkably juicy; I can't remember ever experiencing fried chicken that was this moist.  The spicy seasoning permeated the chicken, and I happily gobbled down every bite.

Next up was the drumstick, also coated with a nice, thick crust.  Biting into it was a slight letdown after the stellar breast; it too was juicy, but almost too juicy as the natural oil of the dark meat was present in copious quantities.

Sides were excellent.  The dirty rice was moderately spicy and had a delicious, earthy flavor.  The fries were frozen but well cooked, with a crispy snap, good fluffy potato flavor, and lightly seasoned.

Gus's World Famous Fried chicken lives up to its reputation.  I've eaten some good fried chicken in Houston, but none measured up to Gus's stellar chicken breast.  So if you're craving the best friend chicken, it's time to drive Outside the Loop and head to Memphis.

Score:  Memphis 1, Houston 0

Next up:  Burgers

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken - 310 S. Front Street - Memphis, TN 38103 - 901-527-4877

Many Houstonians are making the annual drive to Austin for the zoo that is SXSW, and the question always comes up: "Where do we eat"?

We've got some favorite places, but the locals have created a Food Bloggers' Guide to Austin with information about everything you could possibly want to eat.  (Thanks to Katherine Shilcutt for pointing out this and other guides to food at SXSW.)

The guide is quite comprehensive... except for burgers.  I didn't see a burger guide.  So here's ours.

Spring break is fast approaching, and SXSW is getting ready to go in Austin.  So what's a foodie to do?  We're heading west, to fabulous Las Vegas, home of the cloned celebrity-chef restaurant and the $1.99 shrimp cocktail.  Las Vegas has always been about the money, and we are very curious to see how the town has adapted to the current recession.

We'll be hanging out Rat Pack-style on the strip (while watching our dimes), and will be reporting on our findings.  But we need your help.  What are the must see, must do restaurants and attractions?  Where are the bargains?  What should we avoid?

We know that the readers of this blog are a savvy bunch, and look forward to your suggestions and comments.

Labor Day weekend found us on a much-needed weekend jaunt to San Antonio, and we were fortunate enough to be in Luling around lunch time. So a stop at City Market was mandatory.

We'd never been during the lunch rush, and we were not the only folks with BBQ on the brain this day. The line was long (stretching throughout the restaurant, almost to the far door) but it moved quickly, and we discussed 'Q with some other hungry travelers.

After about twenty minutes, we entered the holy of holies, and approached the altar/counter. As always, the pit room is 20 degrees warmer than the rest of the restaurant, and the meaty, smoky aroma almost overwhelms you when you enter this remarkable space.

After we had received our BBQ, we searched for an open table, or even a spot at one of the big community tables. We finally located one in an out-of-the-way corner, and were able to dig into the BBQ.

As always, it was the pork ribs that stole the show. Meaty, juicy, and perfectly smoked, the rich pork flavor was superb, and the meat was so tender that it pulled from the bone effortlessly. We've eaten pork ribs all over the state, and we've never found any that compare to those here at City Market.

Brisket was excellent as well (especially the outside cut that we specified) with a beautiful 3/8" smoke ring and an infusion of smoky flavor. The only disappointment was the sausage, which was too mild and had a somewhat mushy texture.

After engorging ourselves on BBQ, we headed out of town, stopping for fuel and snacks at the big Buc-ee's store located on the main road. We realized that we envied the folks here in Luling, and are looking forward to our next trip to City Market.

A recent weekend found us in San Antonio for a convention, and over the years we've learned that as lovely as the Riverwalk may be, it's not the place for serious food. So we ventured out to Chris Madrid's, the legendary nacho and burger joint.

We arrived around 7 on a Saturday night, and parking was nowhere to be found. We circled the restaurant a couple of times, and swooped in when a space appeared.

Entering the building, we were impressed by the cross-section of humanity enjoying the cool March evening. We headed to the counter and waited in a short line while perusing the menu.

Following the advice of some regulars, we ordered a Cheddar Cheezy, macho. For those who've not been to CM's, macho is the keyword for a half-pound burger.

Chris Madrid's builds a very unique burger. The half-pound patty is not thick, but it is very wide; the size of a medium-sized pancake. It drapes across the bun on all sides, and is covered with a thick, oozy layer of cheddar cheese.

We like an oozing burger as much as anyone, but this, my friends, is too much. There's no way to really grip the burger without fondling all the cheesy, meaty goodness. We think the quarter-pound, non-macho version is the way to go, even if you're very hungry.

This is also the first burger we've found that has way too much cheese. There was over a quarter pound of cheddar, and we ended up discarding about half of it in order to get the cheese/meat ratio where it needed to be, and then folding the patty to make it (mostly) fit on the bun. This was way too much work; we'd rather have the kitchen deliver a more finished product.

Once we reengineered the burger for good handling, we ended up with an above-average cheeseburger that we really enjoyed. The thin patty was griddled well throughout, and gently seasoned with salt and pepper. Ooze remained, and it combined with the cheddar cheese to form a mass of molten goodness. The bun was beautifully griddled to a buttery crispness, and the veggies were plentiful, crisp, and fresh.

So how does this burger rate compared to the best in Houston? Pretty well, but it wouldn't crack the Top Five.

For our money, Houston is still the best burger town in Texas, and thus in the world.

Texans love to argue about BBQ. Each of us has a short list of favorite places, with the very best usually located in small towns, far away from the commercial pressures that lead to "City BBQ" which is a compromise at best.

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