A Toast To Texas

On Wednesday, dine out for our Southern neighbors in the Lone Star State. Jackson Hole restaurants are coming together and donating a portion of proceeds to Hurricane Harvey relief, a devastating hurricane that left thousands displaced and caused an estimated $190 billion in damages.

The Jackson Hole Food & Wine team partnered with esteemed Houston Chef Chris Shepherd to give back to his charity Southern Smoke. Through his nonprofit, Shepherd, his team and fellow chefs — in partnership with Legacy Community Health — will use the funds to provide emergency assistance to employees of the culinary and beverage community and their suppliers affected by the hurricane.

For a list of participating restaurants, visit Jackson Hole Food & Wine. But to celebrate this Texas-centric event, we are taking it one step further and munching on comfort food-style Texas favorites. Texas is home to many notable attractions, from the Dallas Cowboys to the Live Music Capital, but the food might take the cake. So pass us the barbecue, fried chicken and pecan pie. We are eating for a good cause!

Pinsetter at Hole Bowl

Three words: braised short ribs. Texas is known for its top-notch barbecue, and it’s no surprise that the beef is king. So there is not much better than this melt-in-your-mouth, tender, marinated goodness. Not to mention it’s served on top of crispy fries loaded with a three cheese sauce and scallions. This one might be hard to share, y’all.

The Bunnery

Okay, I need to let you in on a little secret. And these might be some fighting words if you hail from Louisiana or Georgia: Pecan pie was invited by a Texan. This nutty, fall favorite was first seen in a St. Louis cookbook in the 1870s, but it was submitted by a woman from Texas. Bring home an entire pie, or order up a heaping slice, of The Bunnery’s classic pecan pie or sweeten the deal with a chocolate pecan version.

Roadhouse Pub & Eatery

In Texas, Oct. 26 is Chicken Fried Steak Day. The celebrated dish is a statewide icon. And although the tried and true chicken fried steak aficionados might balk at its sister chicken-fried-chicken version, we say bring it on! This heaping serving of fried goodness is served with its must-have counterpart: mashed potatoes and sage gravy. Yes, please!

White Buffalo Club steak

White Buffalo Club

You can’t talk about Texas culinary icons without a mention or two of steak. And it’s no wonder Texas is known for its top-tier, quality cattle. The state is the top producer, raising nearly 12.3 million cattle each year. To celebrate this feet, head to White Buffalo Club where the sky is the limit for your cut of hearty beef. Seasoned with Himalayan sea salt and pepper and topped with butter, you don’t need much seasoning to let the flavor of these prime cuts shine. Choose from a filet, sirloin, New York strip, or ribeye, and dig in. Each cut is butchered in house. Top with a house made sauce, pair with a twice-baked potato, and enjoy.

Kate Hull

Tom Evans