Pat’s Pick
On The Road
Photograph by Eileen Schwartz
SAY “AMEN!” Our quest for the quintessential roadside cafe ended happily on a rural stretch of Texas Highway 21, four miles west of the hamlet of Lincoln. So many times before, we had been led astray in similar surroundings by a sign with the words “country kitchen,” “home cooking,” or some such, only to have our faith in road food shaken. This time though, the simple words “Cafe Ahead” turned out to be more than prophetic—they led us to the promised land. From the moment we stepped into the Elm Creek Cafe, the friendly waitresses and Lone Star memorabilia made us feel like we had come to dinner at a cousin’s home in the country. While our fellow diners displayed quiet reverence over chicken-fried steaks and T-bones, we began with a basket of lightly battered onion rings, then proceeded to an excellent entrée of grilled quail. There must have been some divine intervention during our visit because just before our arrival, we had been having visions of fresh dewberry pie—and every bite of Elm Creek’s homemade version was heavenly.
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