What: Pablo’s Chicken-Fried Steak
Where: Don and Sweet Sue’s Café, 68995 Ramon Road, Cathedral City
How much: $10.95
Contact info: 760-770-2760; www.donandsweetsues.com
Why: No knife necessary.
Every so often, I get a craving for a food that is terrible for my body, but fantastic for my taste buds. (The most embarrassing of these cravings: a Moons Over My Hammy from Denny’s. Yes, I have much to be ashamed of.)
Recently, one of these cravings struck: I needed chicken-fried steak, and I needed it now. And I knew just where to head: Don and Sweet Sue’s Café, in Cathedral City. Of course, Don and Sweet Sue’s is located on that stretch of Ramon Road that’s been FUBAR for several months now thanks to a much-needed repaving project, but lane restrictions and traffic backups weren’t going to stop me.
The prize for dealing with the traffic annoyances was ample: A big-but-not-obnoxious piece of battered, tenderized steak; some savory country gravy; two perfectly done over-easy eggs; hash browns; and toast.
Yummy.
While I appreciated the presence of the bread, potatoes and eggs, I didn’t come all this way for them; no, I was here for that steak and that gravy, and it was perfect. The breading’s crispness held up just enough under that gravy, which was splendidly seasoned—and the steak was tender enough to be cut with a fork. Yes, the good folks at Don and Sweet Sue’s provided me with a steak knife, as you can see in the photo, but the knife returned to the kitchen unused.
And I returned to Ramon Road and its construction delays carefree and happy. My craving was satisfied, and the world was a happy place.