XL Food & Drink: On the Side

Elgin's City Cafe

Desserts beg to be devoured

ELGIN — It was so tempting.

Two multilayer cakes, one German chocolate, the other carrot, were absolutely calling my name as I stood near the exit to pay my bill for dinner at the cafe.

Robert Godwin
FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN

(enlarge photo)

Tall peaks of meringue over a puckeringly tart filling make this pie worth the drive.

Robert Godwin
FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN

(enlarge photo)

It wouldn't be a small-town Texas cafe without chicken-fried steak.

Robert Godwin
FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN

(enlarge photo)

City Cafe offers down-home fare such as grilled pork chops.

City Cafe

• 19 N. Main St., Elgin
• (512) 281-3663
• Rating: Forks up
• Price: Cheap.

Could I resist?

After all, I had just helped devour two slices of pie, a lovely chocolate icebox ($2.75) and the best lemon meringue ($2.95) that I've eaten in years — with tall peaks of meringue over a puckeringly tart filling.

I couldn't.

"Wait a minute," I said, as one of the employees was about to ring up my bill. "I'll have a piece of each of those cakes to go, please."

She smiled and gave me a knowing look, which made me suspect I wasn't the first diner to be overcome with dessert desire at City Cafe, a home-style spot in a century-old building in the heart of this small town east of Austin.

Although the home-style desserts supplied a delightful finish, the preceding down-home fare was appealing.

The spicy wings ($4.95) were unlike the traditional chicken wings, which are fried and slathered in spicy sauce; these were dipped in spicy batter, fried and served with ranch dressing for dipping.

The chicken-fried steak ($7.25 for the small version) brought a batter-dipped cutlet that had a thinner crust than many places, more in the style of an old-fashioned country-fried steak. It was served with cream gravy, mashed potatoes and carrots (selected from a choice of vegetables).

The pork chop platter ($8.25 for the small) delivered two tender grilled chops, while the chicken and dumplings (the Tuesday special) was a generous, flavorful portion of the old favorite. Both were served with a choice of vegetables and delicious homemade yeast rolls and cornbread.

And, yes, the cakes ($2.75 a slice) — eaten the next day — were scrumptious.

Let's see, how soon can I find an excuse to go to Elgin again?