 A Passion for Clark's Nancy H. Rosenberg Copyright © April 2002 All rights reserved. Published Publishing Information Published on April 2002 Published by U.S. Airways Attache Magazine CLARK'S BARBECUE--About 40 miles north of Dallas, past the suburbs and well into ranch land, gold-lettered signs mounted on white rail fences proudly announce the names of prize-winning thoroughbreds who live on the property. This is the heart of North Texas horse country, and just down the road, where State Highway 377 crosses Gene Autry Drive, there's a shack of a restaurant with an unassuming sign: Clark's Barbecue. Inside you'll find hewn slab floors and worn trestle tables. Red plastic Coca-Cola glasses filled with iced tea dot the tables, and a crowd of business executives mingles seamlessly with Stetson-clad ranchers. A soccer mom shepherding her noisy, hungry team is in back. Clark's attracts its share of celebrity diners, too, which is a remarkable feat considering its location. Mickey Mantle used to dine here regularly, and it is an all-time favorite of celebrity chef Dean Fearing. "Christie Brinkley used to drag Billy Joel in here," says co-owner James Hilliard, "but that was back when they were married," he says with a knowledgeable drawl. They come for the brisket, mostly. "We smoke our brisket over hickory for three full days. Most barbeque joints only smoke their brisket for 10-12 hours, but that's when ours is just getting started," says Hilliard. Meaty, fork-tender ribs, real Polish sausage and barbecued chicken ("basted every 15 minutes while it cooks") round out the carnivorous menu. Home-style sides include deep-fried sweet corn on the cob, a signature dish that is fried without batter until the kernels are crispy and golden brown. Other offerings include jalapeno black-eyed peas, fried okra, old-fashioned pintos and creamy potato salad. Mile-high meringue pie in coconut cream or chocolate is made fresh daily. The meringue on each pie is 6-8 inches deep; an astonishing 15 egg whites are used in each. The restaurant can seat up to 120, but the wait is often half an hour or more. "Not bad for a town of 700," says Hilliard with pride. "One day we had five corporate helicopters parked here, two out front and three in the field out back, and then the train that runs across the street stopped, too. All those guys were coming here to eat. I should'a taken a picture." |
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