Father's Day in the Dunn household typically starts with my mother, brother and me making my dad his favorite breakfast dish: pancakes. Tall stacks of buttermilk and blueberry pancakes topped with butter and lots of maple syrup always made him a happy camper. Throw in some crispy, crunchy bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs and Father's Day is off to a wonderful start.
My dad never asks for much on Father's Day; the only thing he wants is to spend the day with his family, for all of us to go golfing and for us to cook some awesome food. He has never been a fan of the restaurant brunches or fancy sit-down dinners, and I can't imagine he's not the only dad who feels this way.
For all of you looking for something food-centric and fun to do with your dad on Sunday, June 15, then choose from one of these five activities involving food.
5. BBQ Lunch Take him to his favorite spot in town to grab BBQ, whether that be newly opened Killen's, traditional Gatlin's or classic Rudy's. Pop a squat at a bench with a pulled pork sandwich or plate of brisket, sausage and ribs. The more BBQ sauce you get on your face, the more fun you're having.
4. Ice Cream Sundaes & Root Root Root Beer Floats at Minute Maid Park The Astros aren't so hot this year, but what's new? You can still take Dad to a baseball game at Minute Maid Park this Father's Day. The Astros will play the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:10 in the afternoon, a perfect time to enjoy something sweet, cool and refreshing. After you nosh on hot dogs and munch on peanuts, go get Root Root Root Beer Floats with vanilla Blue Bell ice cream, or build the wildest ice cream sundae in a baseball cap bowl. You're never too old for an ice cream date with Dad.
3. Wings Eating Contest Okay, this one might be more so for my dad and me because we always got into a chicken wings eating contest when I was younger. Up the ante and make the wings extra spicy at your favorite wing joint (Buffalo Wild Wings, Wingstop, Pluckers) and see who can finish his plate first, or eat the most in a certain amount of time. Of course, you could just watch the game and eat wings (at a normal rate).
2. Brewery Tour The last time I went on a brewery tour with my dad, we didn't get any beer. I know, I know. But, let me explain. You see, we didn't know that you should bring your own food, find a spot to sit and, most importantly, get your beer first. After we searched for a spot to sit, the line for beer was out the door and we became terribly hungry, so we left Saint Arnold and got fries from Bernie's Burger Bus parked outside -- at least we got something tasty. So, don't do what I did and take your dad to a brewery for a tour and no beer (I'm still sorry about that, Dad). Come with food in hand and actually get beer.
1. Picnic Lunch If the weather is nice, why not take the fun outside? Visit your dad's favorite food truck, make a lunch at home, or if your dad is like my dad, pull through the drive-thru at KFC and take a bucket of chicken with biscuits, mashed potatoes and corn to the park, You can also grab some fried chicken from Haven, Frenchy's or Funky Chicken. Bring a baseball or a Frisbee and spend a few hours outside building up an appetite.
