So, I knew I needed to get some chicken fried steak in Oklahoma before I left. Chicken fried steak is a thing in Oklahoma, and I was able to find it right in the conference hotel: Springs at the Artesian.



The menu listed "Chicken Fried Steak or Chicken Fried Chicken Beef cutlet or chicken breast lightly breaded and fried. Served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, bacon country gravy and honey glazed carrots. $15"

Yes, please.

The steak had a few grisly parts that I wasn't expecting, and the fried batter is REALLY fried - a little too greasy. But it's all covered in that white gravy that really gives masks the flavor of everything else. The carrots on the side were a bit undercooked, though they had a good flavor. The garlic mashed potatoes a bit cold, but again, good flavor. My side of macaroni and cheese was good.

So, I think I like chicken fried steak in general, though this cut of steak wasn't the best, and the batter didn't have a ton of flavor, just grease - more seasoning would've put it over the top. But, I guess you derive most of the flavor from that gravy.

But, it was still tasty. Carrots and potatoes had good flavor, even if not executed great. And the mac was good. Overall, heavy, greasy, over-the-top. But not bad.

Grade: C

There aren't a ton of places to eat in Sulphur, Oklahoma, but the conference hotel did have a few dining options. Bedre Cafe is a sort of old-school fashioned soda shop at The Artesian. They feature their chocolates, as well as a selection of deli sandwiches and ice cream.


I ordered the "Southern Trail," sliced roast beef sandwich with horseradish cheddar, BBQ-Hollandaise Sauce, tomato, lettuce, red onion on a butter croissant. I also got a side of chips, and a little one of their candies comes with each meal.


This sandwich was phenomenal. Maybe it was because it was light and fresh or maybe because of that bbq-hollandaise and horseradish cheddar. Regardless, this was a fabulous lunch option with the freshest of ingredients.

So tasty. And the chocolate was good, too. I had a few milk chocolates filled with caramel, as well as a dark chocolate filled with raspberry. All tasty.



Grade: A

In-N-Out Burger 
You guys, there are TOTALLY DIFFERENT fast food restaurants in the western part of the U.S. than we have here. Recently, I was sent to Oklahoma via Dallas to give a presentation for work, and the first thing that popped in my head was: I gotta find an In-N-Out Burger.

So, I dunno if In-N-Out has always been super popular, or if it's a recent thing - or maybe I've only just noticed it recently. But, I have heard people declaring this the best burger in the world, and I knew I needed to get my hands on one of these as soon as I could. Texas provided me that opportunity.

So, I flew into Dallas and had to drive up to Sulphur, Oklahoma, for the conference (2.5 hour drive), so I mapped out some of those coveted places to dine during these travels. Grapevine has an In-N-Out, and it was the first stop after I got my rental car.

One of the big things with In-N-Out is their (not so) secret menu, and I definitely wanted to try that out. I ordered a Double Double (their most popular burger) "animal style," which means the burger of your with hand-leafed lettuce, tomato, a mustard-cooked beef patty; add pickle, extra spread with grilled onions. Their "spread" is a version of Thousand Island. I also got fries "well done," which means extra crispy. And I got a "Neapolitan" shake, which is all three flavors mixed together.

Yes, this is a good burger. The sauce is good, and I loved those grilled onions. The double double may be a bit too much meat for me. Still, flavor on point. I kind of thought of this as a cross between a Five Guys burger with the McDonald's Big Mac sauce. Truly a good fast food burger - maybe the best - but it's still a fast food burger and isn't going to be as good as one on your grill. The fries aren't killer here; they're just not. Even crispy, they don't have a ton of flavor. The milkshake was tasty!

"The Braum’s Dairy isn’t your “typical” dairy. As a matter of fact it’s one of the largest dairy operations in the world and a showplace in the industry. Each day, we’re milking thousands of cows an hour, providing enough fresh raw milk for over one million glasses! We’re the only major ice cream maker in the country to milk our own cows. This milk is used in our ice cream, bottled milk and other dairy products. And because Braum’s milk comes from our private dairy herd we know what goes into it and what doesn’t. We don’t use any growth hormones to stimulate milk production and we never add antibiotics to their feed. Braum’s dairy herd enjoys a 100% vegetarian diet including alfalfa hay, cottonseed and corn, with the majority of the feed grown right on our farm."

Well, I got a Turtle Sundae, which has vanilla ice cream covered in hot caramel, hot fudge, pecans, whipped cream and a cherry. There's no way this can't be good, right? Right. I mean, ice cream. Delish.