Yesterday, my parents and I decided to go on a mini road trip to Vinita, Oklahoma! Why, because in this town, there is a restaurant off Old Route 66 called “Clanton’s Cafe”, and it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives! My mom, dad and I headed west on I-44 to Vinita, with a tank full of gas, and empty stomachs, just waiting to be filled with some good homestyle food!
This restaurant had the greatest atmosphere; I felt really at home here. It was like one of those diners you see in movies, where you walk in and everyone knows everyone, and even though you’re new in town, you’re not a stranger. We already knew what we were getting when we got there and decided to go all out! The following is a description of what I, alone, ate.
Appetizer: Fried zucchini and fried mushrooms
Entre: Chicken and Dressing, homemade mashed potatoes (lumps and all), and green beans!
Dessert: A huge helping of the best chocolate cream pie I’ve ever had!
YUM! I’ve said before that I love homestyle food, and this did not disappoint!
We also had a bit of a cultural experience… When you go to Clanton’s Cafe, if you’ve never been before they will give you (yes, for free) a sample of Calf Fries. However, for those of you who don’t know what Calf Fries are… Let me let you in on it… A man at the cafe (who said he’s won 7 trophies for the best Calf Fries Recipe) described them as this “Deep fried souvenirs of a radical bovine vasectomy“- In laymen’s terms: they’re cow testicles! For those of you who eat this all the time, I’m sure you think nothing of it, but for us, this was something we were, in a way, entranced by. My dad wanted to try them, for some strange reason, which means my mom and I were peer-pressured into trying them as well! My dad is the champion by fully consuming 3 bits of cow testicle… My mom and I tied in last with three chews, and then we spit it out! I truly thought I would be able to die saying “I’ve never even thought about trying any sort of animals testicles”, but now, it’s not true.
Notice how our faces change from curiosity to disgust while ingesting calf fries!
It was a really awesome mini-trip, and I left about 5 pounds heavier, but I also gained a really great memory of the day my parents and I drove 4 hours round-trip, between my classes, just to have lunch, and my dad ate cow testicles…
8 Comments
Little Fingers
September 2, 2011 at 3:58 pmYou always have such fun family trips..I am so looking forward to have a trip with my parents..
ashleypaige4
September 2, 2011 at 4:11 pmThanks for reading! I love spending time with them, and mini road trips are great family time! Where are you planning on going with your parents?
davidlatta
September 4, 2011 at 9:02 amDiners are one of the truly great things about travelling through the US. We don’t have that culture in Australia; we have cafes, usually only open fixed hours and you can only get certain things at certain times ie breakfast strictly until 11am most days. Drives me crazy when I need a bacon fix in the afternoon or at night. So, when in the States, I usually eat at diners. Staggering array of menu options, great servings, and very reasonably priced. Anything you want at any time. Particularly like the mid-century Googie-style diners of Los Angeles.
ashleypaige4
September 4, 2011 at 5:22 pmThanks for reading! I love Diners. I had no idea that there were no Diners in Australia! I think I would struggle without my bacon fix too! The next time you’re in Los Angeles you should go to a diner called “Four n Twenty”. It’s sooooo amazing! You’ll have to give me some tips on where to eat when I finally make it to Australia!
Wandering Iris
March 26, 2014 at 8:34 amWe have driven thru Vinita many times and thought about stopping at Clanton’s after seeing Triple D but so far have not. Your post has inspired us to stop next time, But NOT for the Calf Fries, thank you for taking the taste test for us. 🙂
PaigeBrown
March 26, 2014 at 8:50 amThanks for reading, Iris! It’s definitely worth the stop! If you’re feeling crazy-adventerous you can tell them you’ve never had the calf fries, they’ll give you a couple for free. (I won’t be attempting to eat them again, though, if that tells you what you’re missing) 😉 I hope you enjoy your amazing meal next time!
Wandering Iris
March 26, 2014 at 8:54 amThanks Paige, but I won’t be trying them, You have a really great blog, Love your posts.
PaigeBrown
March 26, 2014 at 9:02 amThank you so much! I really appreciate it! Let me know what you think of Clanton’s!:)