South by S.A.
Southern-fried fare continues its steady march into the Alamo City with a new restaurant set to open soon.
The city’s first Sam’s Southern Eatery franchise will be located at 3825 Fredericksburg Road. It’s also the first Sam’s
butt any day.
5. Chicken fingers with honey mustard (Raising Cane’s): An unexpected talent, this chicken tender never misses a game. Skip the mystery Cane’s Sauce for good old honey mustard. My last pick, but the right pick for a fried dynasty. Recap: I scored my top pick in every round. Prime-time players in every position. While Paul’s putting together the Lithuanian wrestling team and Chuck’s too proud of figuring out Panda Express has a drivethru, I’m getting fitted for a fistful of championship rings. FivePeat? No. FriedPeat.
Chuck Blount’s Team
1. Original Chick-fil-A Sandwich (Chick-fil-A): The marriage of breaded chicken, two tart pickle chips and a buttery soft bun is fast-food royalty that has been replicated but never duplicated. The NASCAR lineup of cars that snake around the building during lunch hours are there for a reason.
2. McDonald’s french fries (McDonald’s): Iconic. Salty. Crispy. This is the signature item that separates McDonald’s from McDowell’s, and the fries that all others are judged and compared to. And bonus: They’re still edible a month later when you find them in between your couch cushions. 3. Orange chicken (Panda Express): There’s nothing authentic about it, but it hits on sweet, savory and acidic notes in perfect harmony and is served extra crispy. Pair it with white rice that sticks to every chunk, and it’s the perfect Chinese-American bite.
4. Doritos Locos Tacos (Taco Bell): This is a Frankenstein creation of two bingeworthy snacking legends that can play a utility role from lunch all the way into the latenight hours. It’s the Manu Ginobili of fast food.
5. Steak Finger Basket (Dairy Queen): We’re in Texas, and this is what I like about it. Slather these beauties in the white cream gravy, wash it down with a bite of Texas toast and a sip of sweet tea. From Texarkana to Corpus Christi Bay, it’s a unifying dish.
Recap: This food lineup is like the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s, when it had three future Hall of Famers (Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy) in the starting rotation. The major question isn’t about winning — it’s by how much.
The chefs weigh in
Stefan Bowers’ take: Green beans. You got me with the Whopper. I remember in second grade, I was supposed to go to Burger King for a tour of the kitchen. And I was super stoked. They canceled it, and I hated the world for a really long time. I hate you, Burger King, but I love your (flamebroiled) burgers. The cheese curds have a hipster aspect ... gotta give points for that. Winner: Stephen
Jeff White’s take: I’m going to change my story (after originally picking Sutter’s plate as the winner). The doughnuts, Whopper and green beans: They were fantastic.
Winner: Stephen