The BBQ thread

You know I’m kidding. I grew up on a lake in Kansas.

 

I was joking, too, believe me. I recognize a great crossthread when I see one.

 

The prison cafeteria tray in the picture is from a haute dry-rub place in Williamsburg called "Fette Sau."

 

I'm assuming that "Fette Sau" is Tagalog for "What a Bunch of Fucking Assholes."

 

The big city phenomenon of paying big money to get virtually no food on your plate is one that I never expect to wrap my brain around.

 

Going out for BBQ in New York City would be like visiting Austin and going to Olive Garden. No earthly reason to eat anything in the City but Italian, all forms of Asian, and the occasional splurge at a steak house. I do violate this rule by occasionally eating at a couple of old line French places that still survive in Manhattan.

 

It's (a) German (insult), along the lines of "fat sow."

Depends on the food and the room and the company, I think.

One perfect, unforgettable mouthful might mean a lot to certain folks.

On the other hand, there's no real upside to a cheap platter of terrible food.

 

I'd rather sample eight or 10 tapas plates with a handful of friends, courses coming out in batches. 13 Gypsies in Jacksonville was great.

 

Plenty of terrific barbecue here, too, above 110th street.

And don't forget Caribbean/South American as well. Hundreds of fantastic Dominican joints uptown in Washington Heights and Hamilton Heights.

Indian and Pakistani and Punjabi. And every food from everywhere out along the 7 line in Queens. Ukrainian in the East Village and Russian in Brighton Beach and German up in Yorkville.

A little something for everybody.

 

I've taken enough shit and skepticism in my life for enjoying music and movies out of the mainstream (mostly from my younger brother, who has the pop culture tastes of a 14-year-old girl) to question why people want to pay a king's ransom for a berry on a single stick sprinkled with something French-sounding. I assume they must really like it.

Definitely doesn't float my boat, though.

 

No one should ever go to Olive Garden, no matter the location.

There are a couple great hole-in-the-wall Middle Eastern joints in NYC.

 

Best meal I've ever had was a cheeseburger and a side of fried clams from the snack bar at Jones Beach two summers ago.