Restaurant Reviews

Many, many years ago, a chef friend of mine told me that he would never want me to eat in his restaurant as I'm very picky about food. When I told another friend that I was going to become a Certified Barbeque Judge, he asked me why and I said that I would judge the food anyway, so I might as well be official. He agreed with that logic.

When I cook, I am very critical of my work. Dishes that I thought tasted like shit, people rave about. It takes a lot to impress me in a food dish. When I eat out, I am very analytical about the food. If a restaurant, bakery, deli, etc. is said to have the "best" or "great" food, it better live up to it. If you're charging a lot of money, the food and the service better be incredible. The restaurant workers - they're professionals. They should deliver on the promise. If you're a home cook and feed me, your food is the best I've ever tasted. I will never criticize an amateur chef.

A while back, I did a review of Dinosaur BBQ up in Harlem. If you remember, I wasn't too thrilled with it. Of all the real BBQ restaurants in NYC, which there aren't many, it's my least favorite. I got a lot of shit about my review from Dinosaur's fans. But, now I am vindicated. Some NY newspapers have reviewed Dinosaur and they agree with me. Dinosaur needs a lot of work.

Here's the links....
THE NY POST - Barbecue not quite DINO-MIGHT
and
THE VILLAGE VOICE - Hatchet Job
Searching in vain for signs of hardwood in Manhattanville
and
THE NEW YORK PRESS - Ribs So Good You'll Slap Yo' Pappy? -
The mixed blessing of authentic BBQ
and
THE NY TIMES - Syracuse Barbecue Rides Into Harlem

The Times article requires a subscription, so here's an excerpt... "But there will be no pappy slapping in Harlem, at least when it comes to the food at Dinosaur. Rather than a heady combination of smoke, fat and spice, the defining flavor profile is sweet. The cornbread, so dry it crumbles if you look at it wrong, is topped with a honey glaze. The baked beans ooze sugar. Even a bowl of chili ($6.95), topped with bland Cheddar cheese and onions and served with tortilla chips as a dip, is more sweet than spicy.

And then there's the sauce, which wets all the meat and is available in a bottle on the table. It tastes sweeter than Heinz ketchup. We know because we did a side-by-side comparison. A zippier version, Wango Tango habanero sauce, is certainly hot, but heat is its only characteristic.

The meat comes from big, black computerized smoking pits in a back room, vented to high heaven and fueled with a mix of apple and hickory woods. But the mix of technology and wood isn't working. The Texas brisket ($13.50) tasted so much like deli-sliced roast beef that the Texan in our group almost wept. On two visits, the pork ribs ($13.95, $17.95 or $20.95) were nearly void of pork flavor and so overcooked that the meat came clean off the bone in one chunk. A third visit last week brought a better version, greatly cheering two Syracuse University alums who lived on them in college."

Why am I spending so much time on Dinosaur BBQ? To date, I have received over 357 emails about my review of Dinosaur. Normally, that would be great; I love arguing over food and politics. I didn't know that this blog had that type of reach. But the vast majority of this email crap has been filled with personal attacks and threats. C'mon folks, it's only a shitty little restaurant and it seems, I'm not the only one with that opinion. Move on.

Links

I added three new links to the list today.

The first is The Lost Nation BBQ Team. I met these guys in NJ at Guitarbeque. Great guys and great food. Check out their excellent new website.

The second is I Smell Smoke. I met this team in Conneticut at the Podunk Bluegrass Festival. Another great team with excellent BBQ.

Both of these teams inspire me. Hopefully they will do the same to you.

The third link is to a BBQ Cruise that is being run by BigMista of the BBQ-Brethren. If you're looking for a great vacation at a reasonable cost, take a look at the BBQ Cruise link. Hopefully, I'll see you there.

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year! I want to thank all of you who have read this blog during the past year. Thanks for the comments and suggestions, I appreciate all of them. Even those that pissed me off! Keep them coming.

2005 has arrived and it's time for the first cook of the year. On Sunday, January 2, 2005, I cooked up 15lbs of spare ribs. Man, they were damn good. There's something almost subversive about cooking BBQ in NYC in January. It was like skipping school.

I've got to remember to take pictures of ribs when I cook them. I should take pictures of all the food I cook, but I'm always looking to eat first. After cooking ribs for 5 hours, I'm damn hungry and not thinking about pictures. After pulling an all nighter for brisket, I'm definitely not thinking about the camera. So, here's my first resolution of the new year.... "I hereby resolve to take and post pictures of my cooking."

And since this is a new year, I'm going to take some time an clear up a few points.

1. This is MY blog. It exists so that I can record my thoughts and actions. If I stray off topic occasionally, so be it. I try to keep it focused on BBQ, but BBQ is only a part of my life. Other topics will still be discussed occasionally.

2. If you disagree with any of the opinions expressed on this blog, feel free to contact me. My email is bbqwhitetrash@optonline.net. Keep it civil. There's no point in personal insults just because I didn't like your favorite BBQ joint.

3. I don't make a penny off any of the links on this blog. The links on the right side of the page are links to websites that I like and visit often. The links I post within the body of the blog are there just for fun. I am not responsible for the content of any link.

4. I don't make any money from the reviews or recommendations I put here. Everything on this blog is just my opinion. If I recommend something it's because I like it.

Well, I'm off my soap box now. My next posting I'll discuss some of my findings on the quest for the golden chicken.