Next Time You're In Donner, LA...

...think "Fried Chicken". Chester's Place might not look like much from the outside, and in keeping with consistency doesn't look like much on the inside. However, after my first visit to this roadside institution, I believe consistency has been their recipe for success. When you first step into this family run chicken shack, you get the feeling they have been open forever, which according to all the people at my table they have been. Since day one their simple menu has consisted of fried chicken, fried gizzards and onion rings. Over time they have expanded the menu to include frog's legs and also shrimp, but that is basically it. Keep it simple and do it really well. Works for me. You can order the fried chicken three different ways: Regular, Spicy or Frank's way (no batter). I went with spicy and although the chicken pieces tend to be small, I was delighted to see that when my paper plate of crispy fried goodness arrived, it was the whole chicken. Thigh, leg, breast, wing, neck, backbone. Finger licking good. In fact the motto of the restaurant printed on all of the waiters T-shirts reads "If the Colonel had this recipe, he would have been a General." Clever, and I would do this restaurant a disservice if I did not mention that the onion rings were probably some of the best I have ever had. Red onions, thinly sliced. Sweet, crisp, home run. In case you're curious, Donner is located about 20 minutes outside of Houma and although you may not find yourself there very often, it's worthy of a Sunday drive. By the way, they are only open on the weekends.