Comfort food

[Rhett N. Cochran]

I'm interested to hear where you think the best comfort foods are.

Meatloaf, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, biscuits and gravy, chicken noodle soup, chicken and noodles, and so on. Comfort food means different things to different people, but no matter its form it typically hearkens back to a simpler time in life and may even be from a specific place.

For me, the cheeseburgers at Redamak's in New Buffalo, MI would be an example. A local example might be Yat's which serves up delicious cajun jambalaya, gumbo, and etouffes on rice.

Recently, I've found that a little place called Zest on 54th Street, by the Monon Trail, has some GREAT interpretations on comfort food. The meatloaf and macaroni and cheese dinner is to die for and their sausage gravy should be its own food groupl

But what are your thoughts? Where do you like to go when life gets a little hectic?

[Rhett N. Cochran]

But when life gets too hectic and you want to be magically transported back to a simpler time, what is it that does it for you.

I, for one, love a Peanut Butter and Jelly (Strawberry jam) sandwich with approximately 12 ounces of peanut butter. And a tall glass of ICE cold milk. I always overcompensate on the PB because as a kid when things got tight, our bread may have only been tinted with the faint hint of peanut butter. Never again shall I be denied!!!!

[Douglas Karr]

Chocolate. Mocha. Chocolate Mocha. Mocha Chocolate. Dark Chocolate. Milk Chocolate. Cocoa.

[Rae Kridel]

And this, Doug, is why we love you.

[Rhett N. Cochran]

What about the extract of the bean of the cacao tree, first cultivated by the Mayan and Aztec peoples? I hear it's quite tasty.

[John Cannon]

I'm a genuine Native Texan and proud of my Lone Star state. Where do you hail from, Becky?

It's funny, even my wife is a southerner (N. Carolina). I've dated (and even married one) yankee girls, but there's just something about southern girls that brings a fella home at night. *smiles

[Andrew Ball]

No kidding! What part? I grew up in Dallas and went to UT.

[Becky Pruitt]

John - I was born and raised in central Arkansas - home of Razorbacks, fried okra, hope watermelon and the best barbeque brisket you have ever had in your life!!!!

[Nicki Laycoax]

If Country Fried Steak is the same as chicken fried steak, I would suggest trying Gray Bros Cafeteria in Mooresville on Fridays. Their food is always amazing. For dessert, get my favorite strawberry pie topped w/whipped cream. Sooooo good...

[Andrew Ball]

Unbelievable as it may be, I've only been to Grays once. Had their amazing fried chicken. And a wonderful cream pie which was like eating flavored air 'cause it was so light.

[Nicki Laycoax]

Um yeah... Gray's is pretty much amazing. And they cater!

[Andrew Ball]

Cheetos are my comfort food at home. I don't have them very often so that when I do, it's special. Someone mentioned Chicken Fried Steak. Sorry but the good stuff is at the Broken Spoke in Austin, Texas (or it was when I lived there eons ago). At one time Rock Bottom had a pretty dang decent CFS but they took it off the menu.

[Doug Theis]

Broken Spoke is still in Austin, still on Lamar Ave, still serving CFS.