Fatty 'Cue and The Disease of Kings

Fatty 'Cue looks about it's set to open. Yeah, I've heard that before too, but it looks like this time there really is a wolf coming after the sheep. No thanks to Robbie for the information or for any previews, but both Grub Street and Brooklyn Based are singing Zak's praises after a friends and family dinner on Saturday night. All I can say is with friends like these...

Seriously, I wish Robbie and Zak nothing but the best. I'm really looking forward to trying out the place and sharing in their exploration of the fusion of barbecue and Asian cuisine. I hope they don't stray too far from true barbecue. I'm not saying the food at Fatty 'Cue won't be good, but it just ain't the same as true American Barbecue and I'm a purist at heart.

As for me, I apologize for the lack of entries in my continued March Madness Marathon. I had a round of gout that sidelined me for the last week. I have an unusual case of gout, it has never taken the traditional route and attacked my big toe. My gout seeks unusual locations like my elbows, my ankles and my knees. Go figure. Some sociologists have linked gout with the pathology of genius. Hmm, "WhiteTrash BBQ - Super Genius." I kinda like the sound of that.

This last attack assaulted my left knee to the point it swelled up to the size of a basketball. I tell you, there's nothing like your doctor cringing and sucking in air when you show him your infliction to inspire confidence. Thank God it wasn't a gun shot or bleeding wound! I would have lost it too.

So as I dealt with the deliberating pains last week, I stayed out of the kitchen and away from food and March Madness was sidelined for a week. One of the oldest cures for a gout attack is to be treated with colchicine which is a form of arsenic. What you do is, take a pill every hour until your body begins to reject it. (I don't have to explain that do I?) The you suck in some Imodium and start all over the next day. Believe me, nothing was causing my appetite to stir.

One unexpected benefit of March Madness was that when my doctor asked what I had been eating that could possibly trigger this attack, I was able to tell him exactly what I had eaten for the previous week. I didn't realize that I had spent a week of eating red meat every night for dinner.

Last night however, March Madness roared back to life. I joined the New York BBQ Lover's Meetup Group for an outstanding dinner at The Waterfront Ale House on Manhattan's Second Avenue. Sam and Ralph outdid themselves and gave us an incredible feast. More on that tomorrow!