Our trip to Texas a few weeks ago presented us with several opportunities to visit a range of restaurants, but our hosts, my brother-in-law John and his wife, Barbara, saw to it that we started off right. On our very first evening they took us to Hutchins Barbeque in Frisco, Texas, north of Dallas. (A quick aside: Dallas is ringed by cities that were once small towns but have grown up and expanded to create this enormous metropolitan area. John and Barbara shared that 20 years ago much of the area we were driving through had been open fields, now crowded with housing developments, big-box stores and strip malls.) After a long day of travel, we were eager to sample some of that famous Texas fare.

The aroma of smoked meats lies over the large parking lot surrounding the rustic-looking building housing the restaurant, wafting from a long row of smokers parked right out front;

several cords of wood (mesquite, perhaps?) were conveniently lined up nearby.   John noted we got there at a good time, before the line was too long, but it nevertheless extended well beyond the front door.   It moved fairly quickly and steadily, and we soon found our way inside, confronted by an enormous pair of longhorns   and an ever-more powerful, saliva-inducing smell of barbecue. We passed a row of large, heavy-duty ovens before confronting the menu board and the order counter.   The menu is uncomplicated and the process quite efficient. You first order your selection of meats — by the pound — which are placed on a large metal tray. Here you can choose brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey breast, chicken, St. Louis ribs and house-made sausages . . . or opt for a sandwich. (Hopefully you get here before they run out of your favorite items.) Then you move forward along a cafeteria-style line to select your sides, which are measured from a “single” serving (perhaps one cup) up to a gallon — depending on the size of your crew and your appetite. These include several types of beans; mac & cheese; fried okra; French fries, a potato casserole or baked potatoes; coleslaw; and potato salad. Texas toast is provided, gratis, and after selecting drinks (no alcohol is served here) and paying, you take your loaded tray and find a seat. The booths and tables are sturdy, no-nonsense wood, with everything appearing to wear a patina of wood smoke and age. Permanent felt-tipped markers sit on the tables along with the salt and pepper and bottles of barbecue sauce, encouraging patrons to leave their mark on the walls.   Plates are styrofoam, utensils are plastic, and a roll of paper towels provides the means to wipe juice-sticky fingers and chins. The décor and atmosphere may be (appropriately) rustic, but the food measured up to my hopes and hunger.

We sampled the brisket (tender and tasty), the ribs (meaty and well-seasoned), smoked turkey (so moist!) and the jalapeño cheddar sausage (delicious and juicy). We also tried a Hutchins specialty: a Texas Twinkie. This consists of a large jalapeño pepper stuffed with a mixture of brisket and cream cheese, all wrapped in thick-cut bacon. Oh, my, was that ever a treat!   We kept it simple with the sides: potato salad and a heap of fried okra,   both very tasty (and that fried okra can become addictive!). All in all, it added up to a fantastically satisfying and filling meal,   topped off with serve-yourself peach cobbler and banana pudding.

We wrapped up our Texas trip with a comfort food late lunch just before we headed to DFW for our flight home. After strolling around the square and doing a little window shopping in the old town center of Carrollton, we stopped in at Babe’s Chicken Dinner House. There are several Babe’s scattered around North Texas, but all offer the same very basic menu of down-home comfort food. Carrollton’s version is housed in an early 20th-century complex that includes some outdoor seating and patio areas   as well as a large indoor dining room. You don’t get a menu here, as the offerings are pretty straightforward. Each diner chooses one of five main dishes (fried chicken, chicken tenders or catfish; chicken fried steak; or hickory-smoked chicken), and then the sides are served family-style. We each chose a different entrée (excluding the hickory-smoked chicken) so we could sample a little of everything, and then we started with a simple iceberg lettuce salad. Shortly after, our meal arrived, with bowls of mashed potatoes, corn, green beans and cream gravy crowding the center of the table.   Oh, and I would be gravely remiss if I didn’t rave about the buttermilk biscuits which also accompanied the meal. They were so buttery and light and melt-in-your-mouth good! This simple food was simply delicious, with the chicken moist and tender and the catfish particularly tasty. We had to decline dessert (pudding, pies or cake), but we certainly enjoyed the meal and the friendly, homey atmosphere.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor