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fried chicken

The hardest part about traveling and teaching classes, which I’m doing this week in Texas, is that I’m not on vacation and hence there’s almost no time to do all the things in the various cities where I am that people tell me I should do. Or I should rephrase that and say that I don’t have the time to eat all the things that people tell me I should eat.

corn and corn bread

It’s exquisite torture to be in a town famous for, say, barbecued ribs or fried oysters po’ boys and not be able to get me some.

People kill me by recommending coffee roasters, bakeries, breakfast spots, and Tex-Mex diners and I want to be taking fastidious notes to hightail it to those places, but my schedule is tighter than Nancy Grace’s bob and the few minutes of free time I have per day barely gives me enough time to shower and shave. For example, this is my typical day during this week while I’m in Texas:

7:02am: Abruptly wake up as thin sliver of sunlight comes streaming through beige hotel curtains, which is exactly pointed at my eyes.

7:55am: After debating if I can justify paying the price for hotel breakfast, I head down to beige (or mauve) dining room for $19 bowl of granola and $5.50 cup of coffee.

8:30am: Head back to beige room to pack and get ready for 10am flight.

8:57am: Distribute dollar bills to hotel employees wishing me a nice day, then get in cab. Lie to driver that I’m a mortgage broker from Nebraska to ensure no further conversation will take place. Realize that coffee is kicking in and that I need a restroom. Immediately.

9:45am: Arrive at airport. Strip down at TSA and let men in uniforms fondle my genitalia to protect my fellow passengers. Listen to bellowing businessmen talking about sales projections for the upcoming year, wonder who “Bill, in Des Moines” is and why the other hundred and fifteen people in waiting area need to know about what a “dynamite” guy he is. Fortunately they head to airport bar which will medicate them for flight and perhaps lower their voices a few decibels.

11:10am: Flight lands, find baggage claim and a cab to head to another beige (and mauve) hotel.

12:15pm: Arrive at hotel. Distribute dollars to eager bellhops for getting me and my suitcase inside their door safely.

12:18pm: Emergency bathroom trip foiled by housekeeping asking if I need ice, and front desk calling a few seconds later to make sure room is okay.

12:21pm: Urge to use bathroom rescinded. Vow to try again tomorrow.

12:30pm: Lunch—half bag of peanut M&M’s or Clif bar because I’m too cheap to pay $28 for a turkey sandwich at the hotel restaurant.

12:33pm: Since I can’t figure out how to get connected to hotel’s Wi-Fi network, crawl under covers and cry, eyeing mini-bar.

12:35-2:30pm: Grab remote control and watch back-to-back episodes of Swift Justice with Nancy Grace. Finally realize that answer to give guests at classes who ask why I moved to France.

2:30pm: Head to cooking school to prepare for class.

3:00pm: Meet and talk to everyone. Insist on two double espressos. Then another one.

3:04pm-5:50pm: Chaos.

5:51pm-6pm: Panic.

6:01pm-6:29pm: Hide in bathroom stall while you pull yourself together. Ignore pounding on door to see if I’m okay.

6:30pm-8:45pm: Teach class.

8:46pm-9pm: Gulp down two glasses of wine.

9:01pm-9:05pm: Thanks assistants profusely for preparing everything to make me look like I know what I’m doing.

9:06pm-9:32pm: Sign books, eat three desserts.

9:57pm: Back to hotel, eat salad in shower. Decide that even though half-bottle of wine in mini-bar costs the equivalent of feeding a family of four for one day, weigh the benefits, and open it. Kick myself for not taking the complimentary bottle of tequila from hotel room in Mexico.

10:15pm: On the verge of passing out, rinse socks and unmentionables, drape them over heater, get into bed.

10:17pm: Get out of bed to push towels under and around door to block out light coming in from hallway.

10:23pm: Get out of bed to use hotel hangers with clips to close beige (or mauve) curtains and block light from floodlights which illuminate the hotel façade, and my room.

10:44pm: Get out of bed because urge to use restroom at long last kicks in.

10:45pm: Realize it’s a false alarm.

10:46pm-Midnight: Watch tv thinking it’ll help me sleep.

Midnight-6:12am: Stare at hotel room ceiling wondering why I had all those espressos. Growing concern about this Nancy Grace person.

6:13am: Fall asleep.

7:01am: Wake up, pack, mentally prepare for Southwest scrum, head to airport. Check wallet to make sure I have plenty of singles to distribute upon arrival.

As you can see, there isn’t that much time to do anything but take care of my basic needs. The only brief sliver of time is just after midday. And as fascinating as Nancy Grace and her hair are, a gift is when someone says they will pick you up at the front door of your hotel, take you to lunch, then drop you back off at your front door an hour later.

Bubba's fried chicken

I was able to make a break in Dallas and when someone asked if I wanted Tex-Mex, Thai, bbq, or fried chicken, I had to pick the fried chicken because out of all the foods in the entire world, if I had to choose the one food I like more than anything else, that would be crisp fried chicken.

So how happy was I when I parted the beige hotel curtains of my room and saw my friend pull up in her car. I ran down and hopped in, and we blitzed over to Bubba’s.

fried chicken

(One a side note, what’s funny about Texas is that no matter what barbeque or fried chicken joint you go to, someone will later on tell you afterward that there is another place—one that’s much, much better, in another part of town.)

At Bubba’s, there’s not a lot of choice; it’s either dark or white meat. You pick a few sides, grab your plate, pour your own soda, iced tea, or lemonade (they had no idea what an Arnold Palmer was, so the help yourself drink bar was a good idea), then head to a table.

fried okra corn on the cob

To say I was in crispy-skinned heaven is an understatement and I was trying to be prudent after a week of stuffing my face with Mexican food in Mexico. But if faced with an entire chicken, fried, I could without question eat the entire platter. Or yes, the whole extra-crispy bucket.

Fried okra? Never had it before, but I’m in. (And I’m sure someone will tell me that in Dallas, there’s a much better place to get that.) But it’s tough to pass up corn on the cob and cole slaw. A nice round of cornbread with some butter and honey, a cold Arnold Palmer, and I’m ready for another class…in just a few hours.

Bubba’s Cooks Country
6617 Hillcrest Avenue
Dallas, Texas
(214) 373-6527

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132 comments

    • Delia

    Love the Nancy Grace comments! She makes me want to move to France! Sorry to hear you aren’t enjoying the leisurely pace of the south, but it just means you’ll have to return someday. Truth be told, Austin is the only cool city, so at least that narrows things down a bit for you. I wish I was one of those creative types who could think of something fantastically “Austin” to bring you, but I’m sure I’ll think of that fantastic item about 10 minutes after you find yourself in a beige hotel in the next city.

    Safe travels to you, David. Perhaps wearing just a speedo in the airport will limit the groping?

    • Francheska

    And here I was complaining about babysitting a 4 year old

    • Renee

    We can’t stop laughing. You are spot on about that Nancy Grace person. She scares us. And we live here. Can’t believe you left the Tequila in Mexico! We have yet to try it.

    Mmm. Fried chicken! It looks incredibly crunchy (& yum!). Fried okra is a treat! Then again, anything fried is. Enjoy your stay!

    • dancing kitchen

    I believe the speedo will increase the groping.

    • Sommer J

    Wow what an hectic schedule. I must include wine in my daily schedule. I was chuckling at you telling the driver that you were a mortgage broker to get out of conversation! I shall try that sometime, though I am sure Germans will ask me even more questions. Mostly out of disbelief as I have 3 rowdy little ones. I hope you’re able to take a real vacation after all of this.

    That fried chicken looks absolutely fabulous. I love frying up a crispy batch of chicken :) Living in Europe, there aren’t many places that sells good fried chicken. Will recommend to any friends going to Dallas!

    • naomi

    Favorite childhood meal – fried chicken, fried okra, fried green tomatoes, creamed corn. I don’t even eat meat or poultry anymore but I remember that chicken. (Maybe that’s why I don’t eat it now.) There was also a place in Atlanta, long gone, that had fried okra patties. Okra, onions, bell peppers, held together with a bit of egg – I miss those too. I hope that meal made up for hotel time. As usual, your writing is great.

    • craigkite

    Nancy Grace is the price you pay for living an otherwise Sweet Life. I can never find change channels quick enough when she turns up on my screen.

    • Mellissa Summers

    omg… you live in France and pay in euro’s and you’re complaining about a $28 turkey sandwich? That’s funny!!

    • Cheryl Stoy

    Which is exactly why I want to move to France.I stopped watching Grace a while
    back (and any other TV except football) because she and most of TV scares me. I have to mute the commercials on football games to get through those. As for the fried chicken…I with you on that and the side of Okra and yeah…let me tell you bout this other place that has killer fried chicken…

    • Polly-Vous Francais

    Re: cell phone megaphone voices in public places, on the TGV Marseille to Paris, my French seatmate had the perfect retaliation to an over-loud cell phone squawker a few seats away: he replied to everything she said into the phone.
    She: “Allo cheri, ca va?”
    He (loudly): “Oui, oui, tres bien.”
    She: “Je suis dans le train.”
    He: “Tiens, moi aussi!”
    He had all the fellow passengers laughing and she hung up in short order!

    • Camille

    Point the first: At least the sun is up at 7 am – it’s still nearly 9 around here before it gets light.

    Point the second: Washing and drying your unmentionables in the hotel room – you’re so French! :)

    Point the third: I really miss Bubba’s. And if you have any more time, Lucky’s has the best diner food, and Drip Coffee has the best coffee. Pick up a pound of the Guatemala. I have about a hundred more Dallas recs, but you’ve already been to Central Market, and I don’t want to stress you out.

    • Ann

    Ha! If I watched Nancy Grace I’d be scared into permanent insomnia too.

    • Caelyn

    can’t believe you’ve never had fried okra! it’s right up there with fried chicken.

    • Jean Marie

    I’m not sure if it’s to my credit or not, but I have no idea who Nancy Grace is. Will have to use my google machine to find out – and then avoid her at all costs! The fried chicken looks amazing and using the clips on hangers to close the drapes is downright inspired.

    • Damaris

    Fried chicken is king and it even tastes better when it’s served on those sectional paper plates. The thick paper plates helps absorb the grease.

    As for the airport security, the creepiest if all is that machine that does an x-ray of your boy and comes up with a body figure of what you would look like without any clothes. I have to go through those all the time, since I’m always “randomly selected.”

    • texas espresso

    Oh my gosh – Bubba’s is the best fried chicken ever!!! seriously crispy, moist and flavorful all at the same time. This Dallasite will not tell you there’s a better place across town (unless you happen about its sister restaurants east and north)- you found it. Am happy you are now a fried okra convert.

    Wish I could’ve made your classes. Always happy to see you buzz through town!

    • Cooking in Mexico

    Next, try stewed okra with tomatoes and onion. A Texas treat and one I first encountered at the Night Hawk Steakhouse in Austin. I won’t tell you where the best bar-b-q is, since that’s what everyone else is doing. But if you get to Elgin… or Lockhart…

    Kathleen

    • Leslie

    Re: US TV – We have lived in the UK most of the past 20 years and we find the TV in the States now is diabolically BAD! Let alone the 20 min of ads per hour. We will be moving back to the US in a couple years and will miss UK TV desperately. And yes, Nancy Grace freaks me out – big time!

    Loved your post. You are the best food blogger/writer, bar none.

    • Three-Cookies

    You didn’t mention the cost of the fried chicken meal. I guess it was immaterial compared to cost of breakfast, and total tips!

    • Julie M.

    I can almost taste it through your post. I love Bubba’s! If you’re still there and looking for a great breakfast joint, try out Dream Cafe. I’d fly to Dallas just to have their Austin Tacos!

    • Jenny

    I lived in Dallas for 25 years but never ate at Bubba’s — had to give up the fried everything southern diet I was raised on for a healthier diet of mostly veggies. But once or twice a year I go out for bbq, potato salad, fried okra and remember my younger days. Hope you have fun in Texas David — yes I remember all the office buildings in Dallas were gray and mauve…..guess they switch to beige and mauve for the hotels.

    • Meghan

    Ooh fried okra. That alone makes me miss the south. Their treatment of vegetables is on an entirely different level. But I do think I’d kill for some decent collard greens sometimes :)

    • devilangelyogi

    Hilarious!

    • tomatoejane

    “9:57pm: Back to hotel, eat salad in shower.”

    Rolling on the floor laughing my *ahem* off! Going to try this on my next business trip. Some of those showers are as big as dining rooms anyway. ;)

    • Campanula

    Wonderful!
    Maybe this post will decrease number of people emailing you how to become famous cooks and bloggers ;)

    • CopyKat Recipes

    I know, I know, another suggestion. Royers in Austin for fried chicken, I believe they marinate it in lots of buttermilk and garlic. it is just as good cold as it is hot. They also serve up some pretty tasty pies as well.

    • A Plum By Any Other Name

    I’m glad you forked over the money for the wine instead of the turkey sandwich, it probably fed you more. And if not, luckily you had Bubba’s to lean back on.

    • Jennifer H

    Welcome to Texas! It’s too bad you haven’t got much of a chance to sample more food because the food is seriously amazing, especially in Houston. One thing I hate about travelling are the food choices because they are nothing like home! (Of course we are all fat ’round here! *wink*). Glad you go to try fried okra at least. You have to try some Tex Mex though before you leave! (If you haven’t hit Houston yet, Spanish Flowers is the place to go. Best non-mix based margaritas you’ll ever have)

    • My Kitchen in the Rockies

    Sounds like you are having a marvelous time traveling and you love hotels.
    (I would recommend buying a bunch of socks and just tossing them out after wearing.)

    • Claudia

    So I don’t get it, if your at CM everyday why don’t you pick up food and eat from there? As in a pastry for breakfast, and two different meals from the cafe.

    • Misty in Utah

    Ha, I always seem to find that the decibel level of the annoying ones increases after a visit to the airport bar!

    • shelley e.

    Well… your class in Fort Worth was AMAZING..wouldn’t have missed it.. and you definitely knew what your were doing… I did, however, noticed you left out your favorite “The View” watching experience… and we are STILL laughing the hotel in which you were staying was revealed (to the entire class I might add!)… THANK YOU for coming to Texas!

    p.s. how long are you going to be in France?

    • Jenny

    while you are here and if you have time, check out texasmonthly.com/food for the best reviews of food and restaurants in Texas cities and towns.

    • Laura @ SweetSavoryPlanet

    Thank you for a good laugh. Texas is a great place, socially and foodwise. Lived there for a while and I don’t really remember a bunch of gun toten crazy conservatives that I here about now. Ignorance is bliss.

    The best fried okra I have ever had my Granny made. It is not the individually coated okra they serve in restaurants but much simpler and better flavor. I am in love with the stuff. The two weeks that it is in season here I do try to replicate her recipe.

    • Janie

    OMG! You are so funny…I Love your airport stories and hotel food..you are so right one, I couldn’t stop laughing..my kids think I’m nuts!

    • Janie

    (hhe hee..that’s “right ON”…)

    • Anna

    hahaha poor you! i do love me some good fried chicken, though. i’ll have to keep bubba’s in mind if im ever in texas. thanks for the laugh and the stories!

    • Karen

    David, now you know why I want to LEAVE Texas- bad food and bad tv! (Okay, I’ll agree to fried chicken being good, but why fry everything else?)

    Can’t recommend anything to eat in Dallas. The hotel I stay in had good food (the hotel is the one with a tower restaurant.) But my school won’t pay those prices.

    When travelling in different cultures, like the South, or New England, a local guide would be helpful. So when I’m in Paris I’ll look you up. (If I don’t get lost, which I do, so don’t worry about mm finding you.)

    • Cathy

    I had such a good time reading this; you are so funny! Nancy Grace frightens me. I’ve been trying to figure out WHY she is on TV and watches her. And that voice-ack!

    • Ranchodeluxe

    Er, who is this Nancy Grace and why is she shrieking ? I’m just jealous to not be attending David’s classes. Come to Kansas City in the Spring, David. Be happy to put you up at the ranch ( no mauve curtains ).

    • KC

    Je crois que tu devrais consulter un médecin.

    • Claudia

    I’m sure Bubba’s was properly crispy but you know… there’s really good fried chicken/barbecue just two blocks away. I didn’t need to see the photos which will soon become an obsession to want something crispy. So, I’m sorry – why did you move to France?

    • Fred Landau

    Given what you went through at the airport, you might enjoy this FLY ME IN THE NUDE parody of the Sinatra song – the video is totally G-rated, though.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn3AcCmPL00

    • hampton

    There is nothing better than Fried Okra with some Bar-B-Q,baked beans and a wilted lettuce salad or if you ever get to Okla.I hear Ike’s Chili Parlor in Tulsa is the end all. And why were you not watching Oprah,Judge Judy or the Price is Right.? And you complain $28 for a turkey sandwich which is the same price as a coke in any Paris Hotel mini-bar. Where in Paris can you get good fried chicken?

    • Sandy

    Oh gosh, want that fried chicken, NOW! Alas, gluten free fried chicken is nothing like that. Waaaaaa.

    • Hannah

    That sounds like the perfect meal to help wash away the agony of a sleepless night and chaotic day! Even though I thought the first photo was a crab. You’re playing with my sense of reality with your photos, Mr. Lebovitz ;)

    • Kate Mai

    I am very excited to be watching you make citrus desserts here in Houston tomorrow afternoon. Bubbas is great- I hope you find something equally delicious and unhealthy to eat while you are here. You know we take great pride in being The Fattest City In the World. Someone has to be it! A demain!

    • Bunny Critch

    Please come to Tucson!

    • Cecilia Roesler

    Totally agree with you on fried chicken, my all-time comfort food. I even like extra-crispy KFC!

    Also, just want you to know, you make me laugh so hard, my stomach hurts. Thanks, I needed that :)

    • Rebecca Q

    I can’t believe you were right across the street from me today! I live a five minute walk from Bubba’s. So sad that the blogger I always read from Paris was right on my doorstep and I had no idea. I hope you enjoyed it, however!

    • amy stein

    Nancy Grace = bad bob.
    Fried chicken = YUM!

    • Gwen Meyer

    Oh, God, I’ve had trips like that…without the groping…

    • Johnette LaBorde

    Hi David.. have you been to the Mayan Riveria?

    • The Good Soup

    um… this is probably very Australian of me but… who is Nancy Grace?!

    • Audrey in Oregon

    David,
    Your post was just what I needed after two worthless hours trouble-shooting remotely with HP. I spent 20 years traveling for work, and so many nights in hotels that reading your description had me laughing out loud. I also luv me some fried chicken and okra, and were those butter beans on the plate too???!!!!

    Thanks for the laughs!

    • Jill Appenzeller

    Fried chicken can change your life. When you come to SF email me – I will take you and up to four friends (number of spare seats in my car) to Ad Hoc in Yountville. Yum.

    • Linda H

    I truly hope that you were exaggerating or making up some of those experiences. With the exception of the fried chicken, it sounds awful.
    Back to Mexico!

    • Eileen

    Loved your class tonight!! I’m now in a diabetic coma, but it’s so worth it. Thank you for the goat cheese souffle. I’m in love

    • Leah

    You are too funny…loved your post!

    • Steven Dole

    Had I known you were in Dallas I could have ensured your dining happiness. Nice chicken, though.

    • sandra

    Very funny! I assume airport security must attract quite a few perverts these days.
    I had to Google Nancy Grace, I see what you mean! Being a UK ex-pat, I can assure you that the UK has many people to run from too, not all of them TV personalities….some of the politicians of the last government come to mind!

    As for the price of the hotel food, again, not as bad as the UK. On the rare occasions we have needed to use one (usually the night before a flight) we’ve resorted to bringing in snacks from a supermarket or even going to the nearest Tesco for breakfast!

    • Suzy

    Starting the new year with humour, great idea. Enjoyed your blow by blow account.

    • Nan

    The one thing I hate about traveling is hotel rooms. Love the new people, places, things to see, the new food to eat. But the fly in the ointment is hotel rooms. Thanks for the tip about clipping the curtains closed with the hanger! Brilliant!

    I’m with you about good fried chicken — my absolute favorite food too! I love trying new versions. I make a note of each new “If you like this, you should try…” and visit if I can. In this part of the country, there’s even a “Fried Chicken Trail” for hard core extra crispy lovers.

    • christina

    Fried chicken. fried okra, and cornbread,,You really need to head to the Cheaspeake Bay area for our fabulous seafood: crab, rockfish, scallops, oysters, clams, flounder………… and we have great fried chicken and okra and cornbead and HUSH PUPPIES aka fried cornbread…If you come in the summer, we have geat tomatoes too.

    • Marie (a.k.a. Gardenfreshtomatoes)

    Mmmmm, fried okra… THAT”S something I miss from my Oklahoma childhood. Not easy to find in New England, and I hate frying in the house… Glad you got to try it!

    And the Goat Cheese Souffle mentioned by the lucky class participant above? Don’t hold out on those of us who can’t make it to Texas! (Please?)

    • Jenny

    Oh, man . . . I believe you pinpointed most of the reasons why I no longer fly and hate staying in hotels. Must be somewhat of a shock to the system after your wonderful Mexico vacation. At least you were able to enjoy some authentic Southern cuisine and could make your own AP. . . that chicken looks like it would almost be worth driving from Maryland to to Big D for. . .and I agree with Christina, we’d love to have you come visit the Chesapeake Bay.

    • Debbie

    The fried chicken looks amazing but I am so sorry you have missed out on some of the tiny little home-cooked mexican food places to be found in Tx! Although Pappacitos is a chain, they have amazing fish tacos so if you run across one of them in an airport – grab a fish taco. You won’t be disappointed!

    • Barbara Takashima

    There should be a law against posting gorgeously golden fried chicken on your blog in January, the DIET month! Though I’m grateful I don’t know who Nancy Grace is, so thanks for the warning. And David, you must come to San Diego – the weather’s been in the 70’s, cloudless blue skies t-shirt weather! I’ll pick you up and drive you anywhere and the Mexican border is just 10 miles away so you can have the best of everything!

    • John

    I am sorry I missed your class in Dallas. I enjoy your blog immensely but I must have missed that posting in December. I hope you will come back next year as I will definitely attend.

    • Jill

    Oh my gosh, Bubba’s is delicious. In addition to delicious chicken, cream gravy with mashed potatoes, and fried okra, their house-made yeast rolls are also awesome. Good, quick, and easy. And it wasn’t a chain restaurant!

    • Susan

    I’m with you on this one. I’ll choose crispy fried chicken (and a side of succotash if no corn on the cob is available) over just about anything, any day. Yes I would!

    • Janet

    Brilliant and very funny!
    Unfortunately, what you wrote is so true, from the airport, to the hotel, you were bang on.
    BTW, good crispy fried chicken is one of my “desert island” foods.

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    Stephanie: Ha! That’s pretty funny; I wonder if she ever laughs? The show I was watching, she was presiding over some disagreement over an overweight cat. Glad she is tackling the “tough” issues..

    John: I post appearances on my Schedule page and also send them out in my occasional newsletter. Folks can sign up in the sidebar.

    shelley: Glad you enjoyed the Fort Worth class! : )

    • Deliciously Organic

    I love Bubba’s chicken, and fried okra is about as southern as it gets! It’s actually right across the street from my Mom’s gourmet-to-go store so I’ve been there more times than I can count.

    I can’t believe you didn’t take the bottle of tequila from the hotel room! Marla doesn’t drink, so I was happy to take it. ;)

    • Stephanie

    Seriously you should just stay in France….why suffer through all that when you have the perfect life in Paris ?

    • Shari

    Crisp fried chicken has always been my favorite food too. Thanks for admitting it. Can you believe I actually married a man who doesn’t like fried chicken or chocolate chip cookies? I can’t believe it either, but we’re still married. Mostly happily.

    • Judi Suttles

    I am so -o-o-o jealous of everyone who is getting to go to your class at CM Houston. I unfortunatly found out too late and there was a waiting list. For great Tex-Mex you have to go to Spanish Village on Almeda. Great real margaritas and cheese enchiladas. Have gone there for 25 years and never had a bad meal.Houston is a great foodie town.

    • Linda at Pink Elephants coffee,LLC

    That video ,courtesy from Fred Landau, was a funny touch.
    Like I always say, there’s no fried chicken like your own.

    • melissa

    wonderful time at the Houston class tonight…thank you so much! OH, that cake. And when my limequat tree starts producing in a year or so (hopefully!) I am going to hit you up for that recipe you mentioned!

    • Elizabeth

    Your best post ever!

    The mauve! :0 Why do they do it? Why?

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    melissa: Thanks! I had fun, too. It’s a great place and all that citrus was just too good to pass up. Appreciate your coming out in the cold to see me : )

    Elizabeth: I think it’s because mauve (and beige) are non-offensive, and perhaps find it soothing. I prefer white, but that’s also probably harder to keep clean.

    Shari: Actually I think it must be better not to like fried chicken because it’s probably not that good for you. So it’s better to keep as a clandestine indulgence for infrequent visits to places like Bubba’s.

    Deliciously Organic: I had it in my suitcase, then put it back. I know, I know..but I just wasn’t sure that the protocol was. Now I feel like a dum-dum!

    • teresa

    By the way what is it that u put on pictures on the site but no recipes??

    • Heather (Heather’s Dish)

    ah, Bubba’s…one of the things I miss most about Dallas!

    • Philip

    hmmm, I’ll betcha I coulda made some really good fried chicken in one of those Le Creuset pans that I didn’t win…got any muffin tin contests coming up? Love your tales of travel…and your Chocolate-Coconut Marshmallow recipe…my cough is almost gone…now I must deal with my new fat belly. Cheers, Philip

    • Robin Willis

    Madre mia… gots to get you in front of a camera…. that’s not a post that’s a script!

    • Alison

    You have just made this Texas girl hungry for fried chicken, fried okra and fresh-baked jalapeno bread with butter. Too bad you didn’t get to sample more of some of the country’s best cooking ;-)

    • Jessica

    Never heard of Bubba’s but then again I don’t frequent Dallas much. I live in San Antonio and I’m taking your class tonight. Can’t wait!!!!

    • Sue

    Thanks for making me laugh out loud on this cold, snowy, Chicago Monday morning!

    • Liz

    Don’t worry – Bubba’s IS the best fried chicken in Dallas! So glad you got to experience it on your trip to Texas.

    • Lynn

    You are so funny and I can relate to some of that hotel experience – mostly the light coming in that forced me to buy a sleeping mask that I travel with now.

    And Nancy Grace – that show is filmed in the building in Atlanta in which I do my volunteer work. I have to resist the urge to hiss when I am in the vicinity of her. :)

    • graceinfullmeasure

    Your itinerary account is HILARIOUS!!! And that chicken looks so yummy! As for the okra, we have lots of that here in Manila but never tried them battered and fried. I don’t know anyone who has cooked it that way in fact. Will google a recipe and try it out!

    • txfarmer

    LOL, love the post. Especially because I was at your first class (Dallas), I was the Chinese woman sitting at the first row, who learned that “she’s an adult and she can do whatever she wants with caramelised white chocolate”. ;-)

    You had nothing to be nervous about, you were informative and funny, despite of being under-fed, over-caffeinated, sleep deprived, and a little constipated. Or maybe BECAUSE OF them? Just kidding, we all loved every minute of it. Come back soon!

    BTW, Bubba’s indeed has the best fried chicken and okra….(but I think their other location is slightly better than the location you went. Haha.)

    • AlanaD

    This was too funny,but that food looks sooo good.You should come to Chicago and give a master class,pretty pretty please!!Nous apprecierions,sil vous plait!

    • foodie and the chef

    Oh- I just love okra too. I grew up in the States but here in Sydney there just isn’t proper fried chicken à la US of A…

    • arlene of va

    David, I too have used hotel hangers with clips to fasten the curtains and block out any light. But not all hotels provide those hangers so now I always pack a few clothespins or hair clips with claws in my toiletry kit to do the same job, just in case the hotel room doesn’t come with room darkening curtains.

    I also love that you LOVE fried chicken too! Crispy chicken skin is my favorite. I try to research ahead and sample the best fried chicken spots when visiting a new city. What dish takes the place of fried Chicken for you when you’re in France?

    • Bud

    Binder clips work real well for keeping the curtains fastened together. For a poor man’s Arnold Palmer mix lemonade with your tea.

    • Enzo

    Great Post David. I couldn’t stop laughing. My first trip to the States was to Texas and I loved the people and the place. I had to join a ship and because of the hurricane season I had to wait a week until I could embark. As the holiday wasn’t planned I went on exploring the area around Galveston without proper plans. It was one of my best journeys. I met ordinary people and lots of fishermen. I ate the best prawns in my life. A few years later I sailed the river Neches up to Beaumont. At some stage we had to pass under a bridge and as the ship was actually enormous, we had to choose between knocking down the bridge or dredging the river. We managed to stay exacly in the middle so no problems. A truck driver wasn’t sure we could do it so he stopped before going on the bridge. Once in Beaumont we went to the best restaurant. I think Texas is a great place. Thank you David

    • Tobias

    Great Post David…
    I totally understand how you feel, being a business traveler and foodies at the same time…

    • Shannon

    I was so bummed when your CM class up here was full! And double thanks for the tip on Bubba’s – I’ve lived in Dallas for the past 5 years and somehow hadn’t heard of it! I will definitely be taking care of that :)

    Hope you can stay longer sometime, it really is a great city, especially if you like a) drinking b) eating c)people watching or d) doing all of the above on a patio :)

    • Vicki Abbott

    David: Get thee a sleep mask before your next trip!

    • homegrown countrygirl

    I love how you tell a story!!! This was so much fun to read!!!

    • Julia

    Oooeeee this post had me in stitches! I bet every single person who travels as part of their living can identify with your descriptions. Thanks for such a great laugh!

    • Gavrielle

    [as giggling dies down] Hanger clips! Genius!

    • Jessica

    Thank you David for a wonderful class tonight here in San Antonio. I’m bummed I forgot my book for you to sign. I loved the chocolate cake with the white chocolate caramel sauce and the floating island with the almonds. I think I liked the almonds more they were addicting. Again thanks for a great class and have a safe trip back. Don’t forget to stock up on Reynolds wrap.

    • becca c.

    i grew up (and out) eating mary beth vineyard’s (bubba’s former co-owner) beer biscuits and cherry cobbler at bubba’s in snyder plaza.

    thanks for the blissful reminder.

    • Katherine @ Dexter & Dinah

    My days are similar when I stay at a hotel for a legal conference. Good to know someone else experiences the paralysis caused by difficult wifi. Thanks for this!

    • Elizabeth

    David, I agree with so much of what you say but…mauve is offensive. I’m sure it doesn’t mean to be but it is so—just horrible and blah.

    • Merisi, Vienna

    “10:23pm: … use hotel hangers with clips to close beige (or mauve) …

    That one is priceless, David! I’ll have to remember it next time I need to shut those curtains close! *smile*

    I am surprised that fried okra was new to you. Must have to do with living on the West Coast! Living on the East Coast. I miss fried okra more than anything! Even though at the big markets the one or other forlorn looking basket of green, but puny okra tempts me to buy it, I resist, well knowing that I cannot recreate at home that authentic Southern fried okra I crave.

    I wish you success with all your endeavors, the one or other great food highlight, and safe travels!

    • Erin@TheFoodMentalist

    So this is what you had after your trip in Mexico? Been following your tweets on twitter, very funny! The chicken looks divine! nice and crispy just as it should be :)

    • adrian

    oh, David, you’re so funny :-) I wish you more time to enjoy your stay!
    And fried okra? Oh, my my my, haven’t had that in ages. Maybe a good thing, to keep my arteries alive and kicking.
    Have you had the pickled okras? Get some if you haven’t. That’s another thing for your list ;-)
    All the best,
    Adrian

    • amy W

    David,
    I know all about beige! I am a Southwest flight attendant and would have loved to have you on my flight, although I would have only peered at you from afar so as not to seem groupie-like and annoy you while you try to get comfortable in the horrendous middle seat ;) I am also from Dallas and loved fried chicken in all varieties. Love the post! Hope I actually see you on one of my flights

    • Amy

    Thanks for writing this. It makes me feel more American and good about it. Living in Europe the food is good but it must be presented in a certain style. Whereas in America you just accept food for what it is…crazy good. And now I feel less guilty about eating free hotel cookies and raiding the mini bar.

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    amy: I was on a few Southwest flights so we must have missed each other. I did find it funny how obediently Americans line up for their Southwest flights; another passenger saw my ticket number in line and said, “Oh, you’re ahead of me.” No wonder Southwest doesn’t fly to Paris–that would never fly there! : )

    Vicki: I have a terrific sleep mask, a Tempurpedic, but I sometime forget to bring it to bed with me..

    • Tara

    I laughed out loud at your Nancy Grace comments. That woman scares me. I would totally use her as a reason to move from the US. I would also add Jane Velez-Mitchell to that list. :)

    • Catherine Manterola

    Being a food lover and up-and-coming foodwriter myself I love your blog! I also wish I could have caught you when you were still in San Antonio because you have to check on Chris Madrids! It’s a buger place on Blanco and a San Antonio landmark. I write about it in my blog but that still does not do it justice. Best burgers I have ever had, anywhere!

    • Risamay

    Damn. That fried chicken looks goood. Thankfully, we have good fried chicken here in California, too. I’ve been dying to try Brown Sugar Kitchen’s chicken (and waffles), right here in Oakland. If it’s good enough for Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list, it’s likely good enough for me: http://www.brownsugarkitchen.com/ Have you been?

    • Taylor

    I live in Dallas and I can’t think of a place with better fried chicken than Bubba’s!

    • Tracey Bolton

    You are absolutely hilarious…great rundown of your busy day! Good choice on the fried chicken, probably can’t find that in Paris. ;)

    • Beth Fontenot

    David, if I’d known how dang funny this post was going to be, I would have waited to read it until I put the sleeping baby in his bed! However, he is washable so the wine I spilled on his head as I giggled isn’t a huge problem ;) You are talented *and* hilarious!! I was so bummed that I missed the open spot in your Austin class, and will be waiting anxiously for your turn through here next year (assuming we still live here then!). Are you SO glad to be back home again and in your own place, with whole bottles of wine and curtains that close?

    • Sandra

    Um, yummy!!! Was Bubba’s willing to share that delicious looking fried chicken recipe?

    • Jay

    First time ever reading your post. OMG, I’m at work (health care) so I had to try to control myself for literally lauhing hysterically out loud. Thanks for making everything picture clear.
    JWL

    • Tina

    You are really amazing… you have a lot to share and I am enjoying every part of it. The best thing really to remember a place is to bet a taste of their best foods and the good thing is adopting them at home. The fried chicken looks so delicious and I am hungry already.

    • marti

    Great post, David!
    Two things: fried okra are to Southerners what (french) fried potatoes are to the rest of the country. More regional flavor. Beloved!
    Second thing: get thee to a doctor for an exam on that bathroom thing. I hope you were joking, but I do love reading your blog and I’d be sad if…

    • huw rowlands

    Sleeping mask and earplugs – essential for sleeping anywhere apart from home.

    • Carol Lander

    I am dying laughing. Not about your travel, sleep, bathroom predicaments, but because: 1. I live in Dallas and have had Bubba’s fried chicken many times and it’s delicious. 2. Yes, there always is one more better place to try. 3. My entrance into the culinary world in 2001 was as an assistant in the culinary school at our local Sur La Table. I was in charge of our traveling chefs (this was considered a perk and I loved it.) who were in town to teach a class and sell their latest cookbook. I often picked up the instructors at their hotel and got to share behind the scenes information, but sometimes the glare in their eyes was evident (Yes, it’s Thursday and your in Dallas.) Of the hundreds of chefs I worked with, most were wonderful to work with, a few became friends, and only three were not nice. I’m sure you would not have been in that category. I hope you enjoyed your trip to Texas and can come back when you can relax more.

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    Carol; Yes, the “..you know, ________ (fill in the blank) is much better!” It’s like everyone in Texas is trying to give you an inferiority complex! ; )

    Since you worked in a cooking school, the biggest challenge for me is remembering the names of all the wonderful assistants that help to make the class happen. I am terrible at names to begin with, and travel compounds it. I feel bad when they ask me to sign a book for them at the end, sometimes, because I have to ask their name. Most understand but a few gave me a “look”… Next time, I’m going to write them all down when I arrive and memorize them.

    • Bill

    You know, the fried okra at Bubba’s is pretty good, but if you want really good fried okra you have to go to Danny’s in Athens!

    • Georgia Pellegrini

    Nothing like good Southern fried chicken. The fried okra looks like a treat too!

    • lois

    If you come to N.O. I would love your to be able to get the recipe for Jims Fried Chicken which was the fare of a restaurant on Carrollton Ave when I was a teen and young adult in the 50’sd and 60’s. It was greasy but platonic. I heard the chicken was battered and rolled inCorn Flakes. You would have a lot of us old people happy to be able to enjoy it on our way out.
    Lois

    • abbie

    Hi- re travel bathroom issues: I discovered Colace when I was pregnant and I swear I will never travel without it again. Gentle and not bad for you- try it!

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    abbie: I don’t normally have, um, those kinds of issues. It’s just when traveling your system goes topsy-turvy with the time changes. Or at least mine does!

A

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