Jan 3 in Norman OK Hampton

Intention this morning was to go to the Kimbell Art center in Ft. Worth. I looked at the wrong place and found it was closed today. So we stopped by Willie Nelson’s Truck Stop on hwy 35 exit 374. He actually owns the truck stop.

He drives vehicles that take bio-diesel, trucks and Mercedes. When you walk into the music hall it slants upward and has Willie and two other cowboys painted on the slant. Two gals stopped by and laid next to Willie for a picture, I got a chuckle out of that. Bought a can of Bud with clamato and lime, need to try when we get home.

We breezed up to Dallas and looked for a turn-off for a place to eat. We are downtown on hwy 35 and I notice a steakhouse advertised on the side of a building. Hard right and off to historic downtown we went. About a half mile in we see a grouping of restaurants and park. Now the choice, Mexican really looked spicy Mexican, steakhouse looked steak house’e, The Palm Restaurant 701 Ross Ave. looked non-descript but had a couple Mercedes parked in their lot. Walked up the ramp and ask the people exiting how it was, is eyes gleamed, delicious and said look at the executive lunch.

We were seated, it is about 1:30 not many people but it is late. Looked at the menu and decided on the business executive three course lunch. They offered three breads, one with chunks of cheese and pieces of jalapeño pepper, a dark sweet bread and a sourdough,

accompanying this was a dish of sliced radishes and pickles. We ordered different items from each other except for the roasted tomato soup, entrée was an

Atlantic Salmon Filet with roasted red pepper sauce, and

Twin Tenderloin Filets caramelized onions, wild mushrooms and Bordelaise sauce; fresh green beans,

Half & Half cottage fries (more like potato chips) and fried onions;

New York Cheesecake (made in New Jersey at Mother’s) and

Key Lime Pie made here as was all the rest. Highly recommend this stop but each meal was a shade south of $20, plus drink.

History and comments, many from the waitress. First restaurant built in 1926, when Pio Bozzi and John Ganzi opened the first Palm in New York City. As natives of Parma, Italy, they wanted to name their restaurant after their hometown. When they went to register their business, however, a New York City clerk misunderstood their Italian accents and issued a license for “The Palm.” They now operate 23 throughout the world.

The walls are covered with drawings of 1980’s people. The caricature tradition began when, instead of singing for their supper, artists paid their tab by painting an original portrait on the wall. The proximity of New York’s cartoon syndicate offices led to the proliferation of colorful caricatures found at every Palm location.

We are at staying in Norman OK at the Hampton, across the street from a Dillards. There are many things to see here so tomorrow we explore. Jerr