Dallas Observer: Beef is surely what's for dinner

When it comes to popularity contests, cows sweep in India and Texas. Of course in India, they are adorned with garlands of flowers and believed to be sacred. In Texas, they are served medium rare with baked potato, salad and bread. But make no mistake, Texans are seriously devoted to bovines, as indicated by incidents such as the Beef Cattleman's Association suing Oprah, the cult status of Bob's Steak and Chop House and events such as the Great Steak of Texas Festival in Frisco this weekend. Great Steak celebrates the importance of the beef industry on this booming suburb, named after the rail line that brought droves of cattle through the area in the 1880s.

On Friday night, the festival offers a chuck wagon steak dinner at 7:30 p.m. Two hours later, country stars Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison will perform on the main stage. Saturday, head over to the park at 10 a.m. for a traditional bed race and a cattle drive. The festival area will include children's entertainment, pony rides, a blacksmith and musical performances. Try some vittles from the chuck wagon or sample after the big event of the day, the steak cook-off from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Professional, amateur and

corporate contestants will vie for bragging rights as their steaks are judged.

Call it a celebration of Western spirit or the cult of the cow; just tell 'em how you like it cooked. Frisco's Central Park is located at 3155 Parkwood Blvd. Friday's night gala dinner and concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $85 per person. Saturday the festival runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and admission is $3 at the gate; ages 5 and under are admitted free.