Saturday Shenanigans

TEA and I eat ribs and fries
Yes, TEA and I had a good night enjoying ribs and fries. (Thanks @FoFacy for the extra sauce.)

Yes, it was yummy.

Goodbye, Keith
I have made no attempt to hide that I am on Team Olbo, but I have not been watching Countdown on Current largely because my cable provider does not have a HD feed of Current and secondly because Michael Moore makes too many appearances. Well, Keith was fired yesterday. (The NY Times has more info here.) Yes, I like the humor of Rachel more at this point and Keith (along with Ed Shultz and Larry) has let his anger and rage obscure his message. I wish him luck and hopefully he will be able to find a baseball related position.

April Fools' Day and the Mets
For most fans, the annual listing of the roster is the April Fools' Joke of merit, but once, there was a great one. The Curious Case of Sidd Finch was a long form prank that was in SI. Splitsider has a good piece on it and it makes me long for the days before a certain level of snark and irony pervaded everything that way written. Sorry. Strike that. I would prefer the snark and ironic detachment to the cloyingly happy prose of most people, given the choice.

Word Choice
I caught up with some internet things this morning and I looked at a friend's LiveJournal (I know. The best platform of 1999!) and she mentioned that I had referred to her as being persnickety as of late (which is an accurate observation) and she remarked that she liked the word. I love the word persnickety. It evokes a very specific feeling of grumpiness.

per·snick·et·y/pərˈsnikətē/
Adjective:
Placing too much emphasis on trivial or minor details; fussy.
Requiring a particularly precise or careful approach.

Such a great work, but here is the best part. There is a synonym of persnickety; pernickety.

Oh, I love this and I am going to try to use it every chance I get.

Do you have a favorite word?

(I will admit that I have a love for the word sundries as well. JMFJT made fun of me for it. I mean actively mocked me. (Apparently, she is no longer blogging. That is a pity. I could have linked to the post.))

College Hockey
UConn is being considered for membership in Hockey East. This amuses me for a number of reasons but largely because is shows that Hockey East does not care about making their conference stronger in terms of both hockey and academics. So very sad, UConn.

Monday Morning Coming Down

When HJ77 left this morning at 6 am or something like that, I decided to stay up, watch the news (both WNYT (because I promised) and MSNBC) and I saw more about Amanda Knox then I wanted to, not because I do not care (not that I really do) or that it is not relevant (it is not) but that is all that people were talking about (that and #OccupyWallStreet which...well...later).

It was interesting, especially in a way that is totally disinteresting. She is, in all likelihood, headed back to Seattle. Justice has been served, no?

This weekend was a blast. HJ77 came in on Friday night, and I made a angel hair with a white sauce and meatball meal and we just relaxed and watched baseball, or at least until the rainout. My lack of sleep during the week had finally caught up with me, even while HJ77 was wired, and I had to crash, hard, like a Cessna flying to the Vineyard.

Saturday, we headed out to Oktoberfest at Wolff's Biergarten after a quick trip through the Troy Waterfront Farmer's Market. (Side note: When I want to wear a heavier jacket, even if it is a weather proof suede, I should not listen to other people (*cough*) when they say I should just go with a fleece jacket. Just sayin'.) It was very fun and it did get packed enough where my discomfort with crowds ended up getting the best of me prompting a quick exit...well, not that quick. We were there for three hours, largely hanging out with Teacher Dave. After Oktoberfest, we headed to McGeary's, which was much warmer, and had a couple of drinks, including McGeary's wonderful mulled cider.

We headed home and it was dinner time, as well as baseball time. (Surf and turf(aged and dry rubbed NY Strip steaks & Maine Lobster tails), with an extremely overcooked cauliflower risotto and fresh string beans sauteed in olive oil and Balsamic, for those following along at home.) A note on the baseball game. The name Fister will make me giggle. I am not going to apologize for it. It was a wonderful Saturday and wonderfully fun.

Sunday, because various plans fell apart, and because HJ77 was a little under the weather, we stayed it, watched sports and read, all the while I was doing a low and slow treatment on some Danish pork ribs. Now, let me lay some knowledge on you who don't do BBQ. Danish ribs are the small ones. They have lots of connective tissue and the meat is tough to get at. You have to do low and slow on them or you have now meat to eat. They also react well to being braised as part of the process, so that you can keep them moist. I made a dry rub where the flavor profile consisted of a dark chili powder as well as a Madras curry with some of the moisture for braising coming from an English Ale and some Balsamic (for both the acid as well as the sugar content). It was an experiment. I think they turned out well.

While we were noshing on the ribs, the various sporting events (The Yankees were losing, the Giants were losing, and the Patriots looked unstoppable.) required some light gambling. At the top of the ninth, I did bet HJ77 that the Yankees would come back, and they almost did. I did win my dollar back with my call that the Giants would come back against the Cardinals. You win some, you lose some...

As to what we were reading, HJ77 was reading The Leftovers while I was reading (and I am still reading) The Coming of the Third Reich. Reading this book, especially given the current situation, makes me uneasy, especially as I watch the news of the world, the national news, and think about the conversations that I have had with those who are actively intellectually incurious. There is a lot here to process, and a lot to rethink about the rise of National Socialism. At one point, I read a section to HJ77 and asked her to replace "National Socialism" with Tea Party and Germany with "The United States". She rightly pointed out that I was being unfair.

Anyway, that was my weekend...how was yours?

The Grand Unified Theory of BBQ - Mustang Smoked BBQ and Fried Chicken

After my unsuccessful attempt to try the BBQ of Adam's Rib, it was suggested that I try Mustang Smoked BBQ and Fried Chicken. It was a happy accident and I am lucky that it happened like this.

You see, Mustang Smoked BBQ and Fried Chicken was listed on Urban Spoon (which, as I have mentioned, I am using as my guide) as...well...nothing. It isn't there. Which leads me to another question/favor: If you can think of any BBQ places, please suggest them to me. I want to try it all.

Before I start, can I plead for something for a quick minute? There is a large part of me that believes that BBQ is best enjoyed outside and eating such yummy food, and for this visit some of the food was able to move me to a state of almost religious like ecstasy, so why doesn't every place offer outdoor seating? It doesn't have to be great...just a picnic table on the sidewalk, even in an urban environment would be nice.

Anyway...on to the meal.






The BBQ Joint: Mustang Smoked BBQ and Fried Chicken, 478 5th Ave, Troy, NY

In North Troy, this location is interesting. There are three large televisions, and a mixture of tables and high tops, with a "fast food like" ordering counter. When I walked in, around the lunch hour, there were four other customers, including three kids around 12 years of age. It was not inspiring.

The Food:





Pulled Pork Sandwich
Brisket Sandwich
Cole Slaw
Mac & Cheese

I am going to get the things that I did not like out of the way quickly, which is to say, things that I did not think worked.

The portions are huge for the sandwiches, and while I am often a proponent of the "more is better school" with the subsequent aphorism of "quantity has a quality all it's own", this ws a lot of food. I would love to see a slider option of the brisket, pulled pork and the fried chicken sandwich.



The Black Jack Beef Brisket sandwich was tasty, and as was mentioned, huge. It was a pulled sandwich, as opposed the the sliced, and I think that was a detriment. The sauce was good but it did not have a good feeling in the mouth. It was a little stringy and not in an expected way. It would have been very good by itself, however, in comparison to some of the other offerings, it did not fair as well. This may be a matter of perception for me as I do prefer the brisket sliced and much more...meat like, or closer to the natural state.



Likewise, the Mac & Cheese was a little generic. It was saucy, with a good flavor, and it could have used a little more seasoning. It was not quite home-style while not being industrial. It was good, and filling, and I ate all of it, but it was not a priority. Again, this may seem picayune, but I do believe that mac & cheese is a foundation BBQ side.



Let me tell you about this pulled pork sandwich...

Here is what my notes say about it: "What I have been looking for". The pork on this sandwich was tender and moist, well sauced (even a little over sauced, which was great), and the sauce was perfect. A note about the sauce...I like making my own sauce and I have very particular ideas about what it should be like. This was as close to my perfect sauce as I can imagine, tangy and spicy but working well together without any element being overpowering.

And then we came to the cole slaw...



In this unassuming plastic container, we have cole slaw gold. It was outstanding. It was cold, crisp, and made with obviously fresh ingredients. There was a spicy bite to it, I am thinking a bit of cayenne, but the man behind the counter refused to tell me. (He also asked if I was going to eat all of my meal, and when I replied in the affirmative, he gave me a "God Bless You, man.") This is what cole slaw wants to be when it grows up. It is the alpha and omega of sides. I cannot speak more effusively about this cole slaw, and I am not going to try because it would border on (from your perspective) hyperbole. Let it be known that when I put together my perfect BBQ meal, this is going to be the slaw.

Just one more nice touch...that has nothing to do with the food.



Paper towels on the table. It is a simple thing to do and more people should do it.


Cost: $18.42

Score: 8

The Grand Unified Theory of BBQ - Adam's Rib

In my quest for barbecue, I have been using UrbanSpoon as my guide.

UrbanSpoon reported that there was a BBQ joint called Adam's Rib on 1st St in Troy. I had never heard of it, but I am willing to try them all. I can be a completist about some things.

After finding the address, I came to this place...




Not what I was expecting.

After a minute of looking confused, a nice woman came out and asked what I was looking for.

"Adam's Rib"

"Come on in."

As it was only, 11:30 or so, I asked if they were open and she said that they were and asked me what I wanted.

"Well, can I see a menu?"

"We don't have food."

She then went on to explain that they have been mislabeled.

I explained my project and asked for suggestions.

She said the Dinosaur and then mentioned about another new place in Lansingburgh.

That place is the Mustang Smoked BBQ and Fried Chicken, who gets their own post.

Cost: $0

Food: Nothing to speak of.

Score: 2 (because the hostess and the patrons were awesome and supportive in my quest)

The Grand Unified Theory of BBQ - LJ's BBQ

One of the things about BBQ is that you can not tell by the location how good or bad it is going to be. One of the best BBQ places I have ever been to was in a scary neighborhood and the shop had both bouncers and scratched shatter proof plexiglass over the windows.

So, when I saw LJ's location in a strip mall, I was more than hopeful. When you have the food, the location does not matter, and the opposite is true. When the food does not work, the location does not matter.



BBQ Joint: LJ's BBQ 727 East Ave, Pawtucket, RI

When you walk in, you see this sign:





Who is Frank J. Faubert? He apparently had created a program called "S.T.O.P Training" It is an interesting sign, and I suppose that random name being there did force me to take to the internets to find out what it meant, so...effective advertising for his program.

Anyway...the food:

Pulled Pork Sliders
Brisket Sandwich
Cole Slaw
Mac & Cheese
Corn Bread*

We (HJ77 from Sugar n Spice Blog was my wingman on this tasting) took the food to go, but that did not mean that we did not deal with the waitstaff who were helpful, enthusiastic and seemed to be having a lot of fun.



Pulled Pork Sliders

So, let's start with the Pulled Pork and the Slaw:

I love pulled pork and on the first two visits for the Grand Unified Theory of BBQ, I have been disappointed. This pork was flavorful, and the sauce of the side was very good (tangy and spicy) but again is was dry. More to the point, it was drier than it needed to be. Maybe I have just been lucky to find places where the pulled pork has consistently been moist and juicy without the need to a lot of sauce. I am not saying that this was "bad" or inedible. It was not. It is more that I had an expectation that I thought was reasonable that I am being forced to reevaluate.

The cole slaw, however, I will complain about. I have a thing for cole slaw and I think that if you are going to do it, you should do it well. It should be made on site and every place should have their own version. This was, I am guessing, not made on site but coming out of a large jar from Restaurant Depot. Just look? Does that look like fresh slaw? If you are going to offer it, I plead with you to offer it done "right".



Brisket and Corn Bread*

*I am going to just say this...I had corn bread because the Mac & Cheese was a premium side and was purchased separately. It was not bad corn bread. It was...corn bread. There is a scene from season one of True Blood where Lafayette and Tara are cleaning up after Sookie's grandmother's funeral, and talking about food. Saying that food has to be made with love and that love comes through the cooking and infuses itself into the food**. Lafayette then mentions the corn bread, prompting Tara to take a bite and state, "It tastes fine to me."

That is all I have to say about corn bread. (My note on the corn bread said "Jiffy. Enough said.")

Now, the brisket...

The brisket is something to write home about. The brisket is something to slap your mother for. The brisket could help you believe that there were WMD in Iraq. The brisket was perfect. It was flavorful, smokey, rich and fatty, and the same sauce that was used with the pulled pork was so well paired to make it make it a symphony of flavors in your mouth. I would not be surprised if this end up being the best brisket I have during this experiment. It is worth the trip from any place in the Northeast.


The "premium" Mac & Cheese

I keep harping on the term "premium" here, but that is mostly snark on my part. Many times, I have expressed that mac & cheese is a foundation side for BBQ. This was good. It was not great. It was a very good homestyle mac & cheese, and it was made with love and care, and that did come through.

As we did take out, we were able to pair the meal with the beer of our choice. Because it was a hot summer day, fruit infused beer did not seem like a bad idea. It wasn't.


Sea Dog Motley Crew

We went with the sampler pack from Maine's Sea Dog Brewing. It was tasty, and the Blue Paw Wheat Ale is the most blueberry-ie beer I have ever had. It matched so well with the deliciousness that was the brisket.


The meal put together...

All in all, even though I was critical, the meal was good, and a perfect summer meal, with one exception. Sweet corn would have been a nice addition, and it is my fault entirely for forgetting this. It was also a lot of food for very little cost.

The Score: Using my ten point scale, I give LJ's a 6.75. It is worth the trip, as I have said, for the brisket alone.

The Cost (without gratuity): $20.95


**I am a firm believer that there is a link between the time and care that you take with the food and the result that you deliver to the table. I know some people who aren't.

Upcoming Posts

I am back in the 518 and have a lot to write out but...not tonight.

So...upcoming posts:

• The Grand Unified Theory of Barbecue - LJ's
• Touring the JFK Museum
• Reading the Year of Living Biblically

It was a tremendous weekend on a number of levels and thanks to HJ77 for being a spectacular hostess!

The Grand Unified Theory of BBQ - Dinosaur BBQ

I love BBQ. I mean really love it. To this end, I have created my version of the perfect BBQ meal. To that end, I am going to try all of the BBQ places in the greater Tri-City area. According to Urban Spoon, there are thirty eight of them. (That number may be not as accurate as I believed before. I think there may be a handful more of them.)

My original plan for this project was to eat at all of them over the course of a five day weekend, but...my body is far too old for that much meat and sauce in such a short period of time.

So, instead of five days, I am going to try to hit all of them over the rest of the summer.

Here is what it is going to about:

BBQ Joint: Dinosaur BBQ at 377 River Street in Troy
Date of Visit: July 7th

The Food:
Pulled Pork Slider
Brisket Slider
Cole Slaw
Mac & Cheese

My server was Holly (who was behind the bar) and she was great. She was helpful and she adjusted my order for me to save me money without asking me to do it, which was kind of awesome.

The meal was decent. My first issue was when Holly brought me my plate, she warned me that it was "Very hot". Why is this an issue? Well, there was cold slaw on the plate. Hot plate plus cold slaw does not an auspicious start make.

So, I started on the slaw, because it is supposed to be cold, crisp and refreshing. It was...decent. I mean it was tasty, but it was not the paradigm of slaw that it should have been. Maybe I was off base by expecting something transcendental from cole slaw, which is a working class summer salad that has taken on more importance as of late, and while the ingredients were obviously fresh and it was well put together, it had not quite jelled yet.

The Mac and Cheese was decent as well. Not great, nothing to write home about but...it was good. If I had a complaint about it, the black pepper flavor dominated and not in the way that I generally enjoy. There was a pleasant bite to it, but it lingered on the back of the tongue for an extra nanosecond longer than it had to be.

But...most people don't go to BBQ for the sides (most people, I know...I love the sides)...so for the meat.

The brisket was amazing, and easily the best thing that I had during the meal. It is moist and tender (which is really tough to pull off) while being flavorful. It was lightly sauced (almost perfectly so) and I am willing to go back again just for the brisket.

The pulled pork...not so much. It was tasty, but dry and the sauce was inconsistent. I know it was between shifts. I went after lunch but before dinner and maybe it did not happen the way it was supposed to. I need to try it again to ensure that this was not a one-off problem because I have a couple of friends who swear by the Dinosaur's pulled pork.

The pickles were great though.

With the meal, I had a diet soft drink (I asked for Diet Coke, but I was served a Diet Pepsi according the the receipt) and an Erie Brewing Company Railbender Ale.

The score:
Using a ten point scale, I am going to give this visit a 7.75. It was going to be a 6.75 but Holly's exceptional service bumped up the meal by a full point.

Cost (Without Gratuity): $19.02

Happy Monday!

I had another fabulous weekend.

Time with family and friends (old and new) and enjoying Troy Night Out. We ended up at Daisy Baker's to dance but...I can't, and because I am old and stupid, couldn't. It was a great, albeit odd (with social conventions being challenged), night. For some of the friends, it was a continuation of old dynamics, and with others, it was an attempt to return to normalcy, and then there was the cool factor of running into someone you did not expect to.

Saturday and Sunday were not nearly as exciting but just as fun.

There was a frantic point yesterday where I was configuring a bunch of technological devices on deadline. Yes, frantic was the best way to describe it.

And then there was a birthday party with great BBQ from Capitol Q. Had it happened on Saturday (as it was supposed to), the BBQ would have been from the Pig Pit.

Finally, if you are using Orbitz or Expedia to book flights, make sure you confirm. Or use better travel services. This is not about blame, because it was their fault, but...travel smart and sometimes that does not mean using the least expensive option.

The perfect BBQ

At some point, I will write about my plan to track down the best BBQ in the area but right now, I am looking for suggestions on what you think makes up the best BBQ meal.

My idea:
Pulled Pork
Brisket
Mac & Cheese
Cole Slaw

FAU suggested that I should try the corn bread, but that can be part of his meal. I think about some of the best BBQ that I have ever had and it was served with Wonder Bread. Yes, I a talking about Arthur Bryant's.

Other will suggest spare ribs, short ribs, or baby back ribs.

So, what meal would you want? Where would you get it from?