When asked about the birth of Black-eyed Pea in a 1999 D Magazine article, Gene Street said, “There was no place in Dallas at that time where you could get a chicken-fried steak and hard liquor. In fact, I didn’t think there was any place in Dallas where you could get a good chicken-fried steak period, and I thought somebody could prosper if they filled that need.” Anyone who characterizes a good chicken-fried steak as a “need” is our kind of guy.