Dining Guide

Mary Kay’s Country Diner

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in deep East Texas, order the chicken-fried steak (and mashed potatoes with buttery cream gravy, green beans seasoned with bacon, and a corn muffin to boot). We were full of the good spirits that come naturally from Southern comforts, and yet we were the surprised recipients of some good old-fashioned proselytizing on the side, from the Bible verses on the walls to the witnessing from the waitress, which made us wonder if we reeked of hedonism. Just to make sure all this positive energy took, we added some steaming black (did we detect chicory?) coffee and some fresh apple cobbler.