Last year I was invited to participate in the Downtown Halifax Business Commission’s Big Day Downtown campaign. I guess they liked what I posted because I was invited back this year. Only there was a twist. All the participating bloggers were asked to “try something new.”

Where last year I just kind of winged it with the in-laws, this year I actually had to come up with a course of action. Since I naturally narrowed it down to food experiences, I had to think long and hard about where I was going to spend the $100 prepaid credit card that comes with the opportunity. I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to food and while looking over online menus I thought my options would be limited. While getting my hair done  before heading off on my Big Day Downtown, the amazing and lovely Pam at Aspirations helped formulate a foodie plan of attack.

Raspberry Fizz

First stop: The Bicycle Thief. Sadly they were not open at the time Cokebaby and I headed down to the waterfront. We still have plans on checking this spot out though. Had they been open our plan was to try their polenta board and cocktails. Instead we went to Ristorante a Mano for appetizers. He had a Campari & soda to start. I asked the very helpful and friendly server for a unique recommendation and she came back with a Raspberry Frizz: a cocktail made with Bacardi Razz, Chambord, Raspberry sorbeto, and Prosecco float.

Appetizers

The appetizers were very tasty. Vongole Gratinate: Clams stuffed with housemade Italian salsiccia, baked, served on half shell ($9). Truth be told, the only time I’ve ever eaten clams has been in deep-fried strip form with a side of fries. These were a far cry from their fast food cousins. We also shared the Polenta con Salsa di Fichi e Formaggio Caprino: Polenta rustica with caramelized onions, fig relish & goat cheese, baked al forno ($11). Even though I’ve been to Italy a couple of times now and have had incredible food experiences, polenta was not among them. In fact, the only time it’s crossed my palate has been in the form of those pre-made rolls at The Italian Market. I know, I know. My bad. It’s clearly what Velveeta is to cheese.

Delicious as this first course was, the real adventure took place at Bistro Le Coq, the new French restaurant on Argyle Street. Having travelled to Paris and the south of France a couple of times now, I was excited to see what this place had to offer. The atmosphere is perfect. There are three sections—bar, lounge, dining room—each with a distinct decor. It’s amazing to see that they were able to completely transform the old Mosaic space.

The staff are all fluent in French and they just look charming in their black and white uniforms. You’re greeted in French and offered seating in any of the three areas to suit your mood. We headed to the dining room which is done in a modern country kitchen style. To start we each had a cocktail from their very interesting bar menu. Here, I will admit to being a lame blogger because I forgot to write the names down as I expected to find the items online after. All I can tell you is that Cokebaby’s drink tasted like the most refreshing iced tea and mine had a lovely pear liqueur.

A French feast

When we asked our server for recommendations, she listed a number of items rather than the blanket “everything” statement that is so unhelpful. That said, I really wish I could have tasted a little bit of everything. Since that wasn’t realistic, Cokebaby and I decided to share a few plates.

Duck prosciutto: house cured duck breast, berry compote, our pickles ($9). Cokebaby doesn’t even like pickles yet he was so impressed with these ones that he MADE pickles the following weekend. Apparently the new brunch menu includes eggs Benny made with the duck prosciutto and, believe you me, I will be coming back for that.

Classic steak tartare: topped with a soft poached egg, truffle oil drizzled crisps ($12). Here’s where I’m going to pause for a second because, let’s face it, steak tartare? The very idea has always grossed me out a little. I mean, sushi’s one thing but raw cow seems like tempting the gods of food borne illnesses. However, I was on an adventure. First thing’s first: I was expecting hamburger meat. What I got was high quality, lean steak that was hand ground. The egg was perfectly poached and oozed over the meat to create a subtle combination of flavours. The texture, in fact, was no different that sushi.

Salade Niçoise: with seared rare ahi tuna crusted in sesame ($10). I am a huge fan of this type of salad. There are different variations of ingredients depending on the chef but my favourite includes boiled potatoes which this one had. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was disappointing—I mean, the Ahi tuna was seared to perfection—this dish was probably my least enjoyable part of the meal. For starters, the olives weren’t Niçoise style. The dressing was a little bland and missing the zing of Dijon mustard. It really needed anchovies, too. For a salad it was lovely, just not what I expect in a Niçoise.

Pommes frites: done in duck fat, sprinkled with parmesan, truffle mayo ($7). Enough said, right? Decadent beyond words but oh so very good. If you’re just visiting for cocktails and snacks, don’t miss out on these.

The plan was to head to The Middle Spoon for dessert. Honest it was. This was the location of the Big Day Downtown launch and I was hoping to finish where it all began but…our server mentioned their soufflé: chocolate & Grand Marnier cream ($8). Neither one of us had ever eaten soufflé. How could we resist? Kudos to her for mentioning it would take 25 minutes to make and giving us enough of a heads up so we wouldn’t have to wait too long. We finished off our evening with an espresso each ($3.50) and a soufflé that was like cocoa clouds with a touch of orange. Sorry, there was no time for pictures. You’ll have to trust me when I write it was worth the wait.

One final purchase I have to mention in my “try something new” adventure downtown: the Honey Lavender Ale from Garrison Brewing Co.: Brewed with English lavender harvested from Meander River Farms and wildflowers honey from G.G. Smeltzer & Son in Shubenacadie, this strong yet accessible ale features original flavors. At the time of this post they only had a two week supply left so I recommend checking it out. This ale is probably one of the most distinct ones I’ve ever had. It’s no wonder they consistently win awards.

1. 
   GarrisonBrewing We’re nothing if not sneaky RT @AliasGrace: @garrisonbrewing The Honey Lavender is very nice. Sneaky because it’s so understated at first 11 Sep 2011 from TweetDeck

— this quote was brought to you by quoteurl

All in all, another fantastic Big Day Downtown. The new twist provided a challenge but one that I was very happy to meet. My taste buds were quite pleased.

Did you notice my absence from the web these past two weeks?

Yeah, so, I was on vacation.

At the old city wall of Avignon

Cokebaby and I spent two weeks in the south of France. It’s by far my fave vacation destination. This time, we took the Chunnel to Paris from London en route to Avignon. We then spent a week at a gite (which must be French for blissful villa) before heading into the city of Nîmes to participate in the Great Roman Games (in costume).

Because we had a car, we were able to visit many small towns and historic sites including some of the locations mentioned in Guy Gavriel Kay’s Ysabel (warning: if you read this book you’ll likely fall in love with Provence and want to travel there frequently and/or possibly move there).

As usual I’ll post trip highlights, including food reviews but this time I’ll dedicate a couple of posts to specific restaurants because they really stood out in comparison to the sandwiches and supermarket food we were preparing at the gite. In the meantime, you can check out the highlight reel from our previous trip to Provence.

Living in the suburbs has its ups and downs. One of the main downfalls is the lack of any kind of nearby food or entertainment within walking distance. So when Cokebaby noticed Monsoon Café had opened up on Parkland Drive in Clayton Park we had to check it out. It’s in the very same spot that several cafés failed before: first as Bean Sprout which had a drive-through and play area for kids, then as the Almond Café which didn’t last long enough for me to even check out.

Mulligatawny soup, sandwich, cookie & tea/coffee for $10

The decor got a facelift thankfully. There’s nothing worse than going to a new restaurant and feeling like the only thing that’s changed is the menu. Seating includes a good mix of a couch, club chairs and bar stools around matching tables. There’s sort of a modern Asian flare to the place.

The menu itself is simple and the cuisine East Indian fusion. It was lunchtime so Cokebaby and I opted for the lunch combo: a choice of three banh mi sandwiches, mulligatawny soup, a cookie, and tea/coffee for $10. If you’ve never had mulligatawny soup, give it a try but only if you like the taste of curry and pepper. It was my favourite part of the meal.

Banh mi is a Vietnamese baguette sandwich filled with thinly sliced pickled carrots, daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers, mayonnaise and either meat or tofu. Cokebaby had the satay chicken sandwich and gave it his nod of approval. I decided to go for the veggie sandwich and was a little disappointed that there was no protein. Comparatively speaking, Indochine Banh Mi on South Park Street serves up better vegetarian options. That said, I’d go back again and try something different or just order a bigger bowl of soup (it was that good). The atmosphere was laid back, the service efficient, and the food was good value for the money.

Pipa Restaurant is by no means a new establishment but in the past few months it’s quickly become one of my fave spots to eat in the city. Located on Argyle Street, Pipa offers diners an authentic Portuguese and Brazilian experience. Whether you’re having drinks around the bar with friends, tucked away in a cozy corner for dinner, or enjoying dessert in the gorgeous Atrium, there’s a little bit of something for everyone here.

Happy Hour at Pipa

One of the best kept secrets is their happy hour tapas between 4-6 every day. It’s a small tapas menu but everything on it is between $5-6. The portion size is nothing to laugh at either. You can either make a meal of 2-3 dishes or share them with friends. Included in happy hour are $5 martinis, sangria, and the must try caipirinhas. I definitely recommend the Chicken Coxinhas: A popular Brazilian snack; seasoned minced chicken enclosed by savoury dough. Also check out the Black Bean Salad: Black bean, mango & avocado salad with mixed green.

If you’re looking to splurge a little like Cokebaby and I did a couple weeks ago before catching The Beauty Queen of Leenane at the Neptune Theatre, I’d recommend their monthly fixed price menu. Tastes of Goa was the feature in February. The southwest Indian state of Goa has been a territory of Portugal for 450 yers. The cuisine is influenced by both Indian and Portuguese cultures. The three course meal had two options for every sitting so we ordered it all. It came out to $50 per person with wine pairings ($30 per person without). The wine pairing included a red, white, and port. We discovered a fantastic Chardonnay that night from the Miolo vineyard, available at Cristall & Luckett Wine Merchant in Bedford.

I quite enjoyed my selection of food. Ginger Scented Tomato Soup: A flavourful soup with cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, onion & mint. Chicken Xacuti: Unique dish of chicken cooked in a housemade paste of aromatic spices & coconut milk, served with red rice & vegetables. Date & Nut Pudding: served with custard.

The atmosphere is simply charming and the service is casual (but in a good way). One day I hope to finally try the  halibut stew I’ve been hearing so many great things about. Cokebaby already got his fill of feijoada—definitely a choice for the carnivore in your dinner party.

Besides frites and beer in Belgium, and beer and cheese in Holland, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the culinary side of the trip. Sure, there are lots of jokes about people going to Amsterdam to eat Indonesian food and, of course, “special” brownies. But what else could we expect? Well, here’s a quick overview of some of the best spots we uncovered while traveling in both regions.

Beer—OK, this was a no brainer. There are thousands of beers brewed in Belgium and they come in all types, with a special glass for every one too! ‘t Brugs Beertje offered a phenomenal selection in Bruges including a wide range of Krieks (beer’s fruity cousin). As of this trip, Kasteel is by far my fave. So, NSLC or private local liquor stores, please call me when you get some in. Cokebaby and I also did a tour of De Halve Maan (The Half Moon) Brewery which was a very different experience from Guinness or Heineken because of how small an operation it is. The steep steps during the tour are not for the faint of heart!

Enter at your own risk!

Chocolate (Bruges)—Well, maybe this was a no-brainer too. All I can say is that, yes, it does taste better in Belgium. My favourite were the chocolate covered orange slices. This from a person who doesn’t really have much of a sweet tooth. There are chocolate shops around every corner here and each one seems to have a different take on chocolate. The only thing you can do is go from shop to shop and try them all…

Frites—We know them as French fries but that’s a misnomer because the Belgians invented and perfected them. The secret? Double frying in animal fat, then serving them up piping hot with a massive dollop of mayonnaise on top. I have to admit they were too rich for my taste but Cokebaby seemed to enjoy them.

Proeflokaal De Admiraal (Amsterdam)—One of several “tasting rooms” in the city, the place is decorated in an old nautical style along with distillery kettles and tools, and old wooden casks. This was actually our first stop to eat so we sampled some regional cuisine. Whenever we saw “snack” listed on a menu in Amsterdam it was referring to bitterballen. These are sort of like puréed meatballs made of beef, beef broth, flour, butter and seasoning. They’re deep-fried and served with mustard. Here we also tried pickled herring and smoked eel, both served on toast. The herring was only lightly pickled so it had a fresher consistency closer to sashimi than the stuff you’d find in a jar. We also enjoyed our first taste of Jenever (a.k.a. Dutch gin). I quite liked the berry infused one that I tried while Cokebaby went for an aged one that was more akin to Scotch.

A traditional Dutch treat similar to miniature pancakes

Café Cobra (Amsterdam)—Situated conveniently within a stone’s throw of the Rijksmuseum, Cokebaby and I stopped here for a light lunch. He ordered poffertjes, essentially miniature buckwheat pancakes, while I had mustard soup with salmon. The rest of the trip we were on a mission to find a poffertjes pan (which we did) and some time this fall I’m going to try my hand at making the soup based on this recipe. If you have a better one you’re willing to share, please do!

Sacre Coeur (Bruges)—On most of our trips we typically find one restaurant that we return to more than once because of the recipe for a good place to eat: delicious food, excellent service, interesting ambience, and good value. Sacre Coeur has it all. And they don’t skimp on portion sizes. Of all the meals we had it was the traditional Flemish stew and Koninginnehapje (Queen’s Delight) that I’d recommend above everything else.

At Sacre Coeur Restaurant

Tujuh Maret (Amsterdam)—We couldn’t leave the city without trying at least one Indonesian place, right? This meal was by far the most expensive of all the places we went but the food and service was great. Cokebaby ordered a rijsttafel (rice table) with a wide variety of meats and vegetables in interesting sauces. I opted for one of the smaller, but still considerably pricey, dishes that was essentially a plate of appetizers. Truly a delicious experience.

Honourable mention goes to breakfast. In Amsterdam, for me that meant having a slice of ham and fried egg piled on a piece of toast with cheese melted on top (always served with a small salad). Meanwhile Cokebaby sampled a number of sweet and savoury pannenkoeken (pancakes). In Bruges, our hotel provided an amazing spread that included pate, smoked salmon, a variety of yummy cheeses, breads and homemade jams.

On a side note, if you ever do fly with Icelandair, everything at Reykjavík Airport is crazy expensive! You’re better off eating on the plane or packing a snack. I don’t mind splurging while on vacation but not on airport food.

In any case, that wraps up the posts on Amsterdam and Bruges. You can check out some more photos from the trip on Flickr.

Samples were cheap and our appetites ample

For our trip to Amsterdam & Bruges, Cokebaby and I decided to purchase a pre-paid Eurail pass for the sake of convenience. We chose a flexible pass that allowed us to travel as much as we wanted during the course of five days during our time abroad. One of the day trips we took was to a quaint little medieval town called Alkmaar for the last traditional Dutch cheese market of the season.

The traditional market is one of four left in the country. In a nation with cities named Edam and Gouda you have to consider cheese to be taken pretty seriously. The little town in fact even has a cheese museum in front of which a weekly demonstration takes place.

(Not everyone dresses like this in Holland)

The market was filled with tourists (including us) looking for photo ops of the old-fashioned cheese porters and women in traditional clothes. Here traders and carriers weighed the cheeses that are made in the local area. It’s not actually possible to buy cheese at the market itself, which is really only a demonstration of how the merchants’ market operated historically. That said, it all takes place in front of a medieval weighing house which is surrounded by a number of food and other stalls.

The Kaasmuseum from the canal

Once everything wraps up, the barriers are taken down and the cobblestone area is covered with patio tables from the surrounding restaurants (which are plentiful). There are also a good deal of boutiques and and other shops, ideal for window browsing.

Alkmaar made for the perfect day trip, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city of Amsterdam. The old part of town where we spent most of our time also offers scenic views of canals. We made our own picnic lunch by one overlooking the Kaasmuseum by which we had purchased a sample tray of cheeses along with bread from a local bakery. Then we chased it down with some yummy beer on a patio. The best part is that Alkmaar is a mere 40 minutes by train from Amsterdam.

Later this week: We head to Belgium and another medieval town, known as Bruges but really called Brugge.

So, what did I decide to do with $100 on my Big Day Downtown? If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably guessed right. I blew it all on one of my fave addictions: food and beverage.

First, big ups to the Downtown Halifax Business Commission for inviting me to “Go To Town.” The launch party at Pipa‘s new Atrium was a fabulous venue to showcase what our lovely downtown core has to offer: wonderful atmosphere, delicious food and divine mixed drinks. While I stuck to the sangria (offered in both the white and red variety), I highly recommend the caipirinhas. Need help pronouncing that? Check out the audio link on Merriam-Webster. According to Wikipedia it’s Brazil’s national cocktail. Which kind of begs the question, what’s Canada’s?

White Sangria from Pipa

One of the many delights served up on beautiful dishware

After thinking long and hard about where I wanted to spend my pre-paid credit card, I decided to see how far it would take me while hanging out with Cokebaby and the in-laws. First destination:

The Foggy Goggle: Home of the Google, I mean, Goggle Burger

The Foggy Goggle is a favorite watering hole among us for its unpretentious food and decor, comfy couches and live music on the weekends. (Inside joke: my brother-in-law is always misattributing ownership of the burger here to the internet giant.)

My tiara

I’m a fan of cider and Guinness so this concoction, a tiara ($5.43), is a dream come true. Two is even better. Or you can order the big brother version, a crown float, which comes in a pint glass.

Potato skins done different

Foggy Spuds ($9.75) are what Cokebaby described as a meeting of potato skins and corn chowder. Maybe that sounds a little weird to you but, trust me, they were pretty yummy.

We moved on from here to The Loose Cannon Scottish Public House for some pre-dinner scotches. I’m not a big connoisseur of the beverage but I do have a couple of favourites. So, I went with the Dalwhinnie 15 yr ($9.25) and wasn’t disappointed. The only picture I had from this location didn’t really pan out because it’s oppressively dark even in the day. I also have to say, while I’ve only been here a handful of times, the service has always been lacking. The menu offers standard pub fare and on the 25th day of every month they serve a haggis dinner in commemoration of Robbie Burns.

Dinner was served at Brussels Restaurant & Brasserie. I’ve posted a review here before and still love the beautiful decor, charming ambiance, and delicious mussels and beers. Plus, Cokebaby and I are vacationing in Belgium this September!

Practice makes perfect

I’m a big fan of fruit beers so I started with the Mort Subite Kriek Lambic ($11.95), then had a Fruli Strawberry ($8.25) with my Moules Escargot ($9.95) & frites ($3.95). My only complaint from this visit is that the menu often relies on waitstaff to make recommendations but ours was not all that knowledgeable in pairings. This fact proved a bit more crucial when several of the beers we wanted to order were out of stock (beer emergency!).

Best quote of the night, said at this location: My husband to his brother, “Did you just call me Cokebaby?!”

Chocolate ice cream with coffee grinds

For dessert we headed to Sugah for some hand paddled ice cream. Nuff said, really.

Overall, it was a fun way to spend a day. More importantly, the Big Day Downtown campaign has inspired me to add a Downtown Halifax tag for all my related content including, first and foremost, restaurant reviews. I’ll also be adding to the tag regularly going forward. So, keep your recommendations coming in the comments section for spots to check out in downtown Halifax.

Fun foodie times ahead this weekend in Halifax! Just a quick note to put this event on your radar. CATCH is all about local seafood and the hottest culinary trends. It takes place this weekend (June 19 & 20) at the Cunard Centre.  Cokebaby and I will be heading over with the in-laws to check out some of the yummy eats (and drinks). You can’t get much more local food on the East Coast than with the bounty of seafood we have on our shores.

[It's no secret that my fave restaurant in the city is Brooklyn Warehouse (follow them on Twitter @BrooklynHalifax). I've even said, "I’d divorce brownie husband and leave our chocolate chip kids behind if I could marry the menu." The obvious reason for my infatuation with the food is the chef. The not so obvious reason is the ingredients which are locally sourced. Chef Graeme Ruppel was kind enough to stop by the blog to talk about his philosophy.]

Chef Graeme Ruppel: Keep it local!

By Graeme Ruppel

Over the last couple of years, as I moved from a kitchen grunt, unquestionably following the chef’s commands, to becoming a chef myself, I have seen how the decisions we make every day about our food can affect things well beyond the kitchen. We are voting with our dollars here.

When I started in the restaurant industry, if was at one outpost of a chain, where nearly everythingwas brought in frozen, preprocessed, preportioned, precooked…predone. As a sixteen year old kid, with some reactionary right-wing leanings, I thought that this was just how things were done. We were serving a lot of people each day after all.

But as I moved on, went to school, and moved out to Halifax, my view started to shift. I started to realize the importance of training your staff to do the prep work, to make something that was better than what the frozen boxes could offer. And as I got my techniques sorted out, the next step was starting to appear. That of seasonal, local cuisine.

Seasonal, local cuisine is not a new idea. It is the way things have always been, we just lost sight of that when refrigeration came along. The ability to transport, and maintain foods edibility, across long distance is truly a marvel, and has greatly expanded our diet. But it does come at a cost. Probably the best examples are fruit. Where do you think those strawberries you bought in January came from? Chile? Argentina? 8700 kilometers aways, those berries were picked when not even close to ripe, transported in a temperature and gas controlled container to prevent ripening (not spoiling, ripening), and then, upon arrival, the gas mixture is changed, to encourage rapid ripening so that they are ready for the shelves.

Now then. Eat one of those berries, and then wait till August, when the sun is beating down on you and the humidex is set to ‘kill’, find a strawberry plant (if you can find wild strawberries, even better), and bite into one of those. One will taste of the perfect encapsulation of the day, the other like sugar water. Wouldn’t it be worth waiting for those strawberries to be ready, even if it means waiting a full year? Trust me, there are lots of things that you can still eat between now and then.

I would like to present, as a case study, the city of Portland, Maine. In 2006, a report to the Maine Department of Agriculture found that only 4% of Maine’s food was being grown or harvested within Maine. The report also recommended, to ensure a safe supply of food (which is something I haven’t even touched on here) to its citizens, Maine needed to produce 80% of the food consumed there by 2020. Within a few years, Portland, having taken on the challenge, became a culinary hot spot, with one of the highest restaurants per capita in United States (after a recent trip there, I can attest that they were all busy. And it wasn’t even the tourist season yet), and was named as the “Foodiest Small Town” by Bon Appétit in 2009, just 3 years after making local food a serious concern.

And there is a lot of very good food being produced here in Nova Scotia. But not nearly enough of itis consumed within our borders. Everybody needs to be aware and make informed decisions in when they’re shopping. Even when you stop by Sobey’s, take a few extra seconds and find the products that are labelled as “Grown in Nova Scotia”, make sure to visit the farmer’s market, sign up for a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) box and get some weird vegetables and teach yourself how to cook them. Get involved with what you’re eating.

Graeme started in the restaurant field when he was 16, dishwashing at a burger bar for a faceless corporation. After hopping through a few of Edmonton’s other large conglomerates, Graeme decided to actually get good at his work and enrolled at the NAIT School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. It was during this time that Graeme switched from working for the Man, to working in smaller, owner-operator settings. After completing his schooling and finishing his apprenticeship, Graeme decided to leave his beloved, open prairies for the most drastically different place he could think of: Halifax. It was here that Graeme started his devotion to local and seasonal products; after biting into his first, fresh Annapolis Valley Apple. After a few tumultuous years, Graeme finally found a couple of guys who were as dedicated to giving a damn as he was. And that’s how he came to be the head chef of the Brooklyn Warehouse. Follow chef’s musings.

For years Cokebaby and his male friends have been lamenting the lack of a place to get southern BBQ. Recently, within months of each other, two new restaurants that fit the bill opened up in the city. For the most part, I don’t post negative reviews here. If I don’t like a restaurant, you simply won’t find it among my food reviews. Unfortunately, one of the two in this comparison didn’t make the grade so please bear with me.

First up is Boneheads BBQ located in the South End on Barrington Street. It’s a tiny little spot tucked away near Point Pleasant Park. Simple decor, friendly staff, with food that’s stick to your ribs yummy. Cokebaby and I were waiting for another couple for dinner when we ordered some onion rings to start. Just as advertised they’re big, crispy, golden & hand battered ($5.49). Deep fried perfection.

When they arrived, one of the friends ordered the shredded BBQ chicken sandwich: smoked chicken pulled off the bone, served on a soft roll ($5.99).

Two of us, including me, had the Pulled Pork BBQ Plates: served with cornbread, cole slaw & two more sides of our choice ($13.99). I had the potato salad and pit beans. The entire meal was delicious but I wound up packing half of it for lunch the next day. I know, I know. Eyes bigger than belly. Honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of the cole slaw because it was kind of sweet but everyone else seemed to enjoy theirs.

Cokebaby went with the rib combo plate: half slab of pork back ribs plus your choice of one BBQ meat ($20.99). He chose pulled chicken with mac & cheese and dirty rice as his sides. Again, no complaints.

Other side offerings include: garden salad, hand cut fries, sweet potato chips and chili. At the table is a variety of delicious bottled sauces which are also sold separately. Although there’s plenty of pop and juices to choose from, we decided to go with Propellor Beer to wash it all down.

To have with leftovers the next day we took out a peach cobbler that’s served with vanilla ice cream and caramelized pecans ($3.99). It was simple but spectacular at the same time.

Overall, the pulled meats at Boneheads are far superior to Q’s. I’d argue the potato salad is as well unless you like crunchy bits of pepper in yours.

Photo credit: theogeo from Flickr

Next up: Q Smokehouse and Southern Barbecue (@Q_BBQ).

So, have you ever had a food service experience so bad that you’re kind of embarrassed for the people working behind the counter? Well, that’s how I felt coming out of the dinner experience at this establishment.

Right from the start, the setup for ordering food seems like it’s lacking proper flow. There’s a metal cordon to divert the queue. I had a feeling we were on the wrong side of it but the line had already formed and there was no signage to steer us. As a result we wound up too close to the tables so that patrons kept having to squeeze and push behind us in order to get to the cutlery and free pop refills station.

Then when we got to the front of the line we were promptly informed that they were out of chicken except for pulled chicken. It was just past seven o’clock and we were dining with Cokebaby’s sister and brother-in-law.

Since there were no other chicken options, I went with the pulled chicken sandwich ($9). Like Boneheads you get your choice of sides with your meals and I chose potato salad which tasted great but the peppers were very crunchy which kind of ruined the overall texture for me. My sister-in-law ordered a similar item, a po-boy sandwhich: Louisiana style all dressed with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise, pickles and onion served with sweet potato fries ($9). As I mentioned already, the pulled meats at Boneheads is definitely tastier.

The guys had three beef ribs which includes corn bread, one sauce & two choices of sides ($13). The sweet potato fries were tasty. I didn’t sample the baked beans or fries, so I can’t compare them to Boneheads but the others were pleased with those sides. Other side options include: mac ‘n’ cheese, coleslaw, gravy, corn bread, sweet potato fries, grilled corn on the cob, and grilled onions & red peppers.

There’s only one bottle of a vinegar style sauce at the table along with ketchup. So sauce wise, I’d say Boneheads wins over Q’s because you’re able to add as much or as little as you want at the table.

Mixed drinks at Q’s are delicious though. They don’t have a stocked bar, like Boneheads, but they do make a fantastic concoction called a Lynchburg lemonade: house made sweet lemonade with a shot of Jack Daniels ($5.50). Otherwise, Garrison is the beer of choice here and they’ve got a couple brews on tap (14 oz. for $4.50).

Here’s where the story really starts to go downhill though. There are maybe seven tables in total that are occupied by the time we sit down, with only about three couples ahead of us in line. The wait for our food was far too long. Cokebaby’s brother-in-law went back for three refills of pop before we saw any sign of our food coming up.

It was a good half hour before Cokebaby was informed that they were out of beef ribs and it would take an additional 15 minute wait or they could offer full rack pork ribs (an upgrade to a $16 meal). He went with the latter and they gave a free pint of beer for the trouble. A few minutes later, the other couple received their order.

Another 10 minutes pass. We inquire about our order. By all outward appearances it looks like they have no idea what happened to the order. Some time later the other couple has finished their meal, with still no sign of ours. So we tell the staff that we’d like it packed to go. After probably another ten minutes, there’s still no sign of our order. At this point they’ve fully refunded the price of the meal.

Over an hour and a half after we placed our order, we finally received our meal. They even threw in Cokebaby’s beef ribs for the trouble. By the time we get home the sweet potato fries were soggy and had to be reheated. The cornbread was forgotten.

I do give them credit for trying to make up for the huge mistake. If they had turned it around quickly I might not have major reservations about going back. Although the ribs turned out to be tastier than at Boneheads, everything else was similar enough that I can’t see returning any time soon.

[UPDATE: In 2011 we returned to Boneheads for dinner. Food was excellent as we originally thought and the service prompt and friendly. That said, there was only one other couple in the restaurant at the time.]