Food & Fun• • • • • in Huntsville

This is our third edition of Food and Fun, and I think that means we can call it a series. To this point, we have traveled both north and south. It felt right to head west this time, through the Sam Houston National Forest, on to the campus of Sam Houston State University, making a stop at the Sam Houston Monument and ending at the Sam Houston gravesite.

If you haven’t noticed a theme by now, we are digging into Texas history this edition, touring the life of Sam Houston, all presented in Huntsville.

By the time you pick up our magazine, the weather may have cooled off into the breezy low 90s, but we made this trip in the heat of August. Something indoors felt like the correct call.

If you attended school within the state’s borders, there’s little doubt a healthy dose of Texas history was provided. Many of us do not need a reminder of who Sam Houston was, but for those who have forgotten, a refresher course and plenty of detail is available throughout Huntsville.

We drove directly to the SHSU campus, where there is a 15-acre village that brings the story of Sam Houston to life. Its official name is the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library.

In return for a $5 entrance fee, we received three and a half hours of entertainment. On the grounds, there are facilities housing artifacts, different homes where Houston lived, cabins staged with periodical pieces, gift shops, a forge and pottery shed.

Many know that Houston was the first and third president of Texas, but how many know he enjoyed whittling? He made a fashion statement with a leopard skin vest before the look was stolen by middle-aged women and pimps.

There are two main facilities from which to start. We happened to begin our tour at the education center, but that was mostly because we missed our turn on Sam Houston Avenue.

The weekend we were there, the education center was hosting an exhibit chronicling Houston’s life. Also included were artifacts and products made with Houston’s likeness or name attached. I did not get pictures of everything, but items like a barbecue sauce, whiskey, comic books and the dollar bill were too good to pass up.

After leaving the educational center, we took a path outside that leads to many structures where Houston lived and worked.

The first of these was the Steamboat House, where Houston died, and his funeral was held. It was here that members of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas came to visit for a final time to sing him tribal songs. Originally, it was located northeast of Huntsville’s town square. The house received its name because of its resemblance to a riverboat.

Another was the Woodland Home, which was Houston’s main residence. The dogtrot house was surprisingly cool with a breeze blowing through the middle on a hot day. Houston’s law office is still standing next to it. Curators have decorated the home with pieces befitting of the time, with a few original items.

Other sites along the trail are multiple historical cabins, a forge and pottery shed. The pottery shed provides some of the pieces within the cabins. Handcrafted benches on the trail are made from reclaimed wood. There is also a gift shop, one of the few we’ve seen that is reasonably priced. You can find items related to Texas history, Sam Houston, along with arrowheads and rocks.

Our last point of interest was the memorial museum, where exhibits were arranged neatly, making the history easy to consume. There had been a recent water leak, and not all wings were accessible.

Back on the road, we made our way to the Sam Houston Monument. There is a good chance you’ve seen this before traveling down Interstate 45. I have many times, but my wife had never seen it in person. I can now say, to truly appreciate how large it is, you have to get out of the vehicle and see for yourself. My wife said she had no clue and was very surprised.

A sign near the visitor center says it is 77 feet, the world’s tallest dedicated to an American hero. Fun facts provided on a sign say the monument is 60 tons, his cane is 32 feet, and hands are seven and a half feet.

The final stop on our tour of Sam was his final resting place. Houston is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, in existence as early as 1846. Huntsville’s founder, Pleasant Gray, originally deeded the land to be used. The cemetery is filled with headstones from the 1800s and is a beautiful area. However, the heat had reached a boiling point, and we were hungry.

To the center of town, we chose historic Texan Cafe for the first time. It is the oldest cafe in Texas. The neon sign out front matches the historical theme. It has an open kitchen, full bar and big windows facing the town square.

An alcoholic drink called The Outlaw was close to a margarita and labeled as “perfect” by its drinker. She also ordered a grilled shrimp salad, which was graded a 10, with excellent flavor and a good swimmers-to-garden ratio.

I had a difficult decision between the jalapeno barbecued salmon, mushroom smothered pork chops or chicken fried steak. Our waiter’s favorite was the chicken fried steak, so that was my tiebreaker. With fantastic flavor, it did not need a knife. Surprisingly, the green beans may have been the best thing on my plate. An incredible smoky flavor and the right amount of crunch made them the best I’ve ever had.

As a bonus, there is a museum attached to the restaurant with interesting pieces ranging from odd to historical figures and artists. We took in art from Picasso and a letter penned by George Washington. I’ve been told the museum was covered in a previous edition of the East Texan, so I will let it provide details.

While in town, we passed by City Hall Cafe and Pie Bar. With a name like that, we knew where dessert would be consumed. We shared two pieces of pie, coconut meringue and salted chocolate caramel pecan. Both were good, but we missed out on the mocha expresso pie that was unavailable. However, it won’t be our last trip, and there will be many more opportunities to try what Huntsville has to offer.