Al T's calls with cracklings.

 
    

  Winnie was a halfway point when my daughter wanted to meet us for Father’s Day. Al-T’s was suggested and I immediately began planning for cracklings.

                      These Southern bites of heaven are both crispy and soft, fat with fat and a true indulgence. They’re pricy but worth it.

                      Sometimes when I know I’m going to drive through Winnie, I lament that my source will be closed when I’m nearby.

                      Since it was Father’s Day, my husband agreed to this plan: I’d buy them and kind of hide them. Then I’d dole out a few pieces in the mornings to eat with eggs. Maybe there’d be a few for a snack now and then.

                      It was to be a don’t ask/don’t tell situation, so we wouldn’t eat the whole bag at once. He agreed. No contracts necessary.

                      It’s a good plan that hasn’t failed yet.

                      Remember, if you heat them slightly, they get even more soft and tempting.

                      As for the rest of the meal, we shared an “oinker,” which was meat with a blend of crawfish, corn and sausage on top. My daughter had a shrimp poboy and son-in-law ordered fried shrimp. Boudain balls all around preceded this feast.

                      Al-T’s has a new look and new management. If you haven’t been in a while, try it out and then head to the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge for an afternoon of birding, etc.

                      When we arrived at Al-T’s, I was tickled to see a beautiful brown horse in a trailer in the parking lot. We went over to talk to the horse. But we could not get it to respond to our conversation. We were sincerely hoping this horse would give a little winnie, in Winnie.

              darraghcastillo@icloud.com