Well, dear readers, why is it that everyone and their Aunt June is a barbecue expert? I marvel at people on Yelp who proffer their opinions as fact because they’ve read something on Wikipedia or some site. I’m not talking about knowledgeable food people, I’m talking about youngsters on Yelp. Youngsters on Yelp – that’s the title of my next novel. And frankly I’m a little tired of everyone’s Aunt June anyway, so she really needs to stay the HELL out of it. So, I’d seen something somewhere about a little Burbank jernt called Ribs USA. I think someone posted a photograph of it and then there were comments about how good it was. Well, I’ve driven by it about 8,000 times but it’s never looked appealing enough to even check out – just a hole-in-the-wall kind of jernt. But this time off to Yelp I went. Well, some “experts” gave it five stars – best ribs ever, meat falling off the one, great sides, great pulled pork, great sauce, while there were an equal number of “experts” who gave it one star – tough meat on the ribs, sickly sweet sauce, boring pulled pork, lousy sides. One “expert” pontificated about how barbecue is supposed to be. Really? Only one way for barbecue, is that right? Because as our own JohnG knows, there are many ways for great barbecue, many styles of barbecue. Then I checked with our very own Mr. Doug Haverty, who lives just a few blocks away. He’s been there many times and rather likes it. So, I figured it was both high and low time to give the damn place a whirl.
Yesterday, I gave the damn place a whirl. When you walk in you just see a counter – you have to turn a corner before you actually see the tables and chairs and actual jernt. There were several people lunching, with huge plates of chicken and ribs and pork and sides. Once seated, we were immediately brought a bowl of peanuts in the shell. They were really good and I really had to only eat a couple, which, through sheer will power I did. My lunch companion ordered the half rack of ribs and for the two sides had mac-and-cheese and collard greens. I, of course, had to have a pulled pork sandwich and I ordered the side of three baby back ribs and the side of mac-and-cheese. So, how was it? Why am I asking you? I ate there, not you.
Well, let’s start with the pulled pork – excellent – succulent and tender and definitely pulled and pork. It took me a bite or two to get used to the sauce – it’s not quite as good as the Kansas City Barbecue, but once I’d acclimated my big gaping maw to the flavor I ended up quite liking it. In fact I slathered it all over the sandwich and the ribs. While I can’t say the meat fell off the ribs (it was tougher than that), it was hugely flavorful and with absolutely no fatty bits, which I cannot stand. Just keep the damn fatty bits away from me – I can’t stand any fatty bits in anything – not pastrami, not corned beef, not steak, not anything. The fatty bits make me want to vomit on the ground. Anyway, the ribs were pretty damn tasty especially with the big sauce all over them. How was the mac-and-cheese? Why am I asking you? I had it, you didn’t. Repetition, baby – it’s my middle name. I don’t know why my parents gave me the middle name of Repetition, but that’s another story. The mac-and-cheese immediately entered my pantheon of great mac-and-cheese. It was rather like my Aunt Lily’s mac-and-cheese, which was always my favorite. My dining partner liked the ribs very much and ate up the entire half rack – she also loved the mac-and-cheese and her corn bread. I’ll have to try the latter next time I’m there, which will be sooner than later.
The one downside, and it was a rather large downside, was finding a horrid little cockroach at the end of our table. I swatted it off with the intention of squashing it on the ground, but it was too fast for the likes of me. We reported the sighting to the waitress – apparently the exterminators were either coming later that afternoon or today – in other words, they knew about the problem.
Prior to that, I do believe I actually got a little over eight hours of sleep, which was lovely. Then it was the barbecue adventure. Then I picked up no packages and one nice envelope, then came home. I had a one-hour foot rub, which I really needed, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish, completely relaxed.
Yesterday, I watched the PBS broadcast of The Nance, the play by Douglas Carter Beane, starring Nathan Lane. I enjoyed it very much, but think the vaudeville routines go on too long and are too many. I kept waiting for more story and while it eventually came, it just wasn’t quite compelling enough early on. The show really could use about twenty minutes gone. Mr. Lane was really terrific – his timing is impeccable, and his dramatic scenes were riveting. The rest of the cast was also excellent. The set worked well, and it was very fluid, but there is always something about a Jack O’Brien production that feels machine-like. I’ve felt it about almost everything of his I’ve seen. Glad to have seen it, but I’m betting I would have liked it better live – there were too many long close-ups, which robbed us of seeing other reactions.
After that, I started watching the Blu and Ray of Operation Petticoat. I saw it when it came out and I vaguely remember it being funny, but certainly there’s not a laugh to be found in the very long set-up. I shut it off after fifteen minutes, and will probably finish it today.
Today, I intend to do as little as possible. I will eat, finish watching Operation Petticoat and then I’ll decide if I want to go to the DGA to see Gone Girl. It’s an early screening at four, so I’d be home by seven. We shall see and see we shall.
Tomorrow I will write the commentary for the next Kritzerland show, and I have to put together a new running order for a CD that was already finished – more music was found so I have to listen to it and program it in – not as easy as it sounds. The rest of the week is meetings and meals, hopefully hearing two masters, including the Sandy Bainum album, and hopefully shipping out Rio Conchos. I also have to see at least one show, and then we’re getting ready for our And the World Goes Round launch party.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do as little as possible, eat, watch motion pictures, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland pondering why Repetition is my middle name.