I attended a meeting of Saturday, July 12th meeting of The Montgomery Historical Society’s General Membership the other week, and following the program, I invited my good friend, and adopted father figure, Historical Society President Billy Ray Duncan, to the Old Montgomery Steakhouse for a late lunch. My decision was against my better judgment since I had gained some weight, I was down 39 lbs., but had slipped back upwards 6-7 pounds, although there was no discernible difference in my appearance. I hadn’t been to the OMS since I wrote a column on their food in April 2024, remembering the walls, and the places dedication to John Wayne; and how in the waning months of my Father’s existence 12 years earlier, the reflection of his facial features in equality to Wayne’s elder appearance was remarkable. When Billy Ray and I sat down, around 2:20pm, it was that midland time between lunch and dinner, and we were the only sit-down customers, besides the customers who came in for something to go. The chats between BRD and myself are legend, and if I didn’t have background knowledge of a 100 year old, our relationship probably wouldn’t be as fruitful as it is.
When it came time to order, I was gonna order a cheeseburger like Billy Ray, but the Old Montgomery Steakhouse’s Chicken Sandwich enticed me, and I made a different call. So I made the commitment, which is something I’m trying to do more in my life, and ordered the chicken sandwich. Billy Ray and I talked about historical society stuff and the upcoming events later on this year. We chatted about some items classified to MHS Board Members, of which I was recently appointed the honor of being its Vice-President, only one heart-beat away from Presidency. Imagine, one day, I will be the Napoleon of Montgomery County History? lol. Of course, I kid. Sure (wink wink), but if we were 20, or 30, some 40 years younger, I would organize a sneak attack on a Montgomery County Historical Commission meeting with toilet paper and water balloons. “That’s for Conroe stealing the County Seat from Montgomery back in 1889,” would be our rally cry!!
BRD and I continued our chat with me asking of the summertime humidity in Montgomery, and the nighttime practice of sleeping at home in the days before domiciled conditioned-air. Billy Ray relayed that his family, as most at the time in the 40’s and 50’s, slept outside on porches or balconies, preferably screened in to avoid the wrath of mosquitos. He recalled that the night cooled air wouldn’t arrive until about 2am. I of course am from the first, or perhaps second US generation with home window-air conditioners. I didn’t know central air until like first grade, but having spent many months sleeping in 115 degree F heat in the desert, virtually turning my sleeping bag white sweating out my salts, I knew what Billy Ray was talking about, to the point of my pain being kicked up several notches.
When our food arrived, BRD reveled in his cheeseburger and fries. And I looked at my chicken sandwich. Admittedly, presentation is not the high-point of Old Montgomery Steakhouse dishes, but you can’t eat or taste presentation. The chicken breast on the bun reminded me slightly of a Mid-Western pork loin sandwiches, or the FC Sandwich with Pepper Jelly and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream at the R&R Crafthouse Grill in Cypress, with the thin chicken and large hangover of the meat over the bun. I thought for a second. ‘You know, I’m gonna cut this thing in half and stack it.’ And that’s exactly what I did. At OMS, the customer dresses their own sandwiches, so I went about constructing it my way. I asked for a little of their house made spicy sauce for the buns, I added some lettuce on the bottom, then some mustard, a layer of the sliced chicken, some more mustard on that, some pickles, a tad more lettuce, another layer of chicken, and another pickles, and a few bits of lettuce, and topped it with the bun.
Before I knew it, I had created something that looked very presentable. I impressed myself, which is a rare occurrence. The first bite was incredible, the chicken is breaded very well, and the condiments do their part in making it a sandwich worthy of being bit into. I loved the height of the build, and going back bite after bite, with an occasional comment to BRD and I started making mental notes on ways I could make it even better. ‘Spice up the breading,’ popped into mind. Double frying the chicken and the fries. Still, even without my thought up suggestions, I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken sandwich. The chicken was juicy, crisp, and stacking it without letting it hang out over the side of the bun was the right idea. It got me thinking about the bun for my next visit, butter.
My friend Billy Ray was enjoying his cheeseburger. And it’s a burger that you can really sink your teeth into. It’s much more than a single meat from a burger chain that you can practically see through. BRD dressed it himself, and he ate everything. He called me Sunday night, asking me if I would join him at Vernon’s Kuntry Katfish Monday afternoon, to help celebrate his son Billy’s 63rd Birthday. I accept with pleasure.
We met up at Vernon’s about 2pm before the expected afternoon showers hit. And again, I called an audible when ordering. My usual order is ala-carte, 2 pieces of fried catfish and fries, but in previous visits with BRD and his son, I noted that Billy ordered the chicken strips with two sides, and it was huge. So what the heck, I ate what I could of the chicken, and planned to make chicken salads with the rest of the strips. So it worked out well. The Chicken Strips were crisp on the outside, juicy inside. Awesome, and rightly so. I dipped mine in the white gravy mixed with hot sauce. Billy had received calls from his children, congratulating him on his B-Day. He told them about BRD’s plans. “It’s a two gravy day, Dad,” one said. “Dip the chicken in the white, and the fries in the brown.” And that is what life is all about. Why not enjoy a ‘two-gravy day,’ every once in a while.
After washing my hands in the bathroom, I saw a young girl at a table with her Mom, Aunt, and Grandma, the only kid in the restaurant. I asked her if she wanted anything special for the summer. She nodded yes, and I gave her a $50 bill, telling them to keep their thanks in reduced tones. I also gave the waitress, Allie, a $20 tip, in total more than the actual bill for lunch. I’ll be handing out more bills until Thanksgiving, then start in with my Christmas campaign.
You know, we are very fortunate to live in Montgomery County, mostly free from the terrible policies that cause havoc in certain parts of the nation. And truth be told, many of us in our little piece of The World, have two-gravy days, everyday. I know I do.
Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net
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