Dinner in San Antonio

I'm amazed that all Texans aren't 300 pounds.

First, it's been a gruelling several days, trying to get T's website back up. We're not even close to being done, but at least we have a functional forum and store, functional being the key word. Her web site blew up, but I'll let her tell you about it on her blog.

But anyway, I flew back to Texas last night to go to work this morning. (Was that only yesterday?) I trained at two stores in Houston today, and then drove to San Antonio to train tomorrow morning. I'll be in Austin in the afternoon. The drive to San Antonio was about 225 miles, made after getting out of my last store a little after 5:00 PM. Fighting through Houston commute traffic, I had about a three hour plus drive ahead of me. When I finally checked into my hotel, it was almost nine, but I hadn't had breakfast (got up late), and just had a Subway meatball sandwich for lunch. I was hungry and tired.

I dislike eating in restaurants on the road for two reasons. I can't be online when I'm eating in a restaurant, and I can eat less expensively if I just do takeout somewhere. (Yes... I'm cheap!) My preferred locales are dive taco shops, where I can get a killer chile verde burrito, or the occasional carne asada burrito for a couple bucks. I don't know what I'm going to do when I get up to Wisconsin in a couple weeks!

So, I check in to my abode for the evening and ask the amiable young man behind the registration desk about the restaurant across the parking lot. I'm too tired to search out the nearest taqueria. He says he eats there, which is good enough for me.

Tonights special is smothered steak. Which is the old standard "chopped steak" smothered in brown gravy. Served with a generous helping of mashed potatoes slathered in cream gravy. (I could have had brown gravy here too, but I wanted to go for the visual interest.) Even the vegetables were unhealthy... okra, battered and deep fried. All accompanied by the ubiquitous Texas toast (a healthy slice of white bread, drizzled with butter and fried on the grill). I did have water to drink though, trying to at least make some attempt at health consciousness.

But then, how could I forgo the peach cobbler? With just one cup of coffee (decaf, since my dinner started well after nine, and it was now approaching ten).

They can't always eat like this. Can they?