Archive for November, 2013

That BBQ Joint

Saturday, November 23rd, 2013

It’s easy to drive past That BBQ Joint, which opened on a nondescript corner of Willy Street and Cantwell Court with the name only appearing on the door. But, if my meal was any indication, it’s certainly worth looking for.

Let’s get right to it and talk about the ribs (the 1/2 slab entree is $13.95). The tender meat came off easily from the bone and had a delicate, smoky flavor. I enjoyed the ribs so much that I didn’t need to use any of the sauces, which come on the side.

The same goes for the pulled pork ($7.99), which melts in the mouth and comes in a hearty portion inside a nice, soft bun. When you don’t need to add sauce to ribs or pulled pork, you know the meat is well prepared.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t go 3-for-3 with the thinly sliced beef brisket ($8.49). My order was overcooked and the meat was a bit tough, which forced me to douse it in sauce to make it palatable.

Speaking of those sauces, you can order mo’ regular, mo’ spicy and mo’ honey mustard. The regular had perhaps too strong of a vinegar flavor, and for that reason I didn’t use much of it. I loved the (not that) spicy sauce, as it can be applied universally to the meats. The honey mustard worked surprisingly well with the meats.

The entrees come with two sides, and the choices are regular slaw or spicy slaw (I prefer the creamy kind, as these didn’t have any mayonnaise), chili (full of big chunks of meat) and collared greens (these were fine, but I’m just not a fan overall). The ribs also came with garlic toast, which didn’t look that appetizing but actually were full of garlic and butter flavor.

Beyond the ribs and pull pork, I’d recommend the hand-cut fries, which had a light fried taste and didn’t need any sauce (that seems to be a theme). I would not recommend the pulled pork spring rolls–a special of the day–which had almost no meat and was bland. The rest of the menu includes sandwiches and yes, tacos.

That BBQ Joint, open Thursdays through Sundays, has some seating, but you’d be best off ordering to go. The staff is super friendly, and they were most apologetic for some computer issues that occurred. For parking, look to the surrounding streets, such as Willy, Cantwell, Rogers or Jenifer.

New ways to enjoy Sriracha

Sunday, November 17th, 2013

Sriracha has been in the news a lot lately. As a few examples, folks in Irwindale, Calif., sought to (temporarily) shut down a manufacturer of Sriracha because of the odors emanating from the plant,  Los Angeles played host to the first Sriracha Festival (which sold out) and Subway introduced a Sriracha chicken melt and a Sriracha steak melt.

I’ve always enjoyed adding Sriracha to pho as well as mixing it with soy sauce and sesame oil as a dip for pot stickers. However, I’ve since found numerous new and creative ways to enjoy the hot sauce, which by the way, is actually not that hot; in fact, it’s less spicy than an jalapeno, which may be why it’s so universally liked.

Try it these ways:

  • With oatmeal and an egg. The Sriracha certainly helps an otherwise bland bowl of oatmeal. If you’re in a time pinch, just microwave the egg and oatmeal instead of cooking it on the stove.
  • In a lollipop with bacon. I’m not stunned to see bacon in candy, but including Sriracha jumped out at me.
  • In peanut butter cookies. As the description says, Sriracha adds that savory component usually not found in a cookie.
  • As part of a lobster grilled cheese sandwich. This is a serious upgrade to a simple sandwich. You also can use crab meat.
  • The topping to a soda float. Trader Joe’s came up with this sweet concoction.

Of course, you can find many other recipes, especially the less-crazy ones, on the web. You also can buy the Sriracha Cookbook. If you have a favorite Sriracha-enhanced dish, tell us what it is in the comments section.

Hemingway Cigar Bar & Lounge

Sunday, November 10th, 2013

Anyone visiting Hemingway Cigar Bar & Lounge in Fitchburg over the last two years could see the place was on the decline. I had visited on four separate occasions when they had no cigars and no patrons, even on Friday and Saturday nights. I once encountered a bartender who didn’t know what “neat” meant and seriously thought I had made up that term.

Fortunately, since new owners Matt and Kathy took over last month, Hemingway seems to be headed in the right direction. Matt told me that the previous owner was thinking of closing his bar, and to prevent that from happening, Matt and Kathy ended up purchasing it.

First thing’s first: they restocked one of the cigar cases. They have even taken requests on the Hemingway Facebook page. Something interesting I learned is that unlike its Madison counterparts, Hemingway allows cigarettes in addition to cigars and pipes.

I’ve always enjoyed lounging in the couches with friends while enjoying a cigar. Currently there are two spaces in the rear for that, but Matt says they hope to add more near the entrance. That will make the area more inviting vs. the current high tops that are there.

Also on the horizon are potentially a larger beer selection, more wine and live music. I’m hoping for the bar to add a few more scotches to its somewhat small selection. Happy hour runs from 4:30-7 p.m. and includes $1 off rails and Bud/Miller products.

I’m looking forward to future visits and watching Hemingway evolve.

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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