Sunday, June 24, 2007

Some Notes on the BBQ Beach Party in Boston

Just got back from the Phantom Gourmet's BBQ Beach Party at City Hall Plaza in Boston. It was a great time, with the only minor quibble being the extremely long lines for each restaurant. But it was a beautiful day, so it came as no surprise that so many people showed up for this event.

I was able to try food at three different places while I was at the BBQ Beach Party. I started out at Q, which is out of Virginia. I tried their hot dog with brisket chili on it; they call it "the world's best hot dog," and while I don't know if it was the world's best (or even the best I've had), it sure was tasty, with a fairly thick natural casing holding the juices in, and a satisfyingly chewy texture to the meat.

The second place I tried was Dave's Good Ole Boys Bar-B-Que, which is out of New York. The brisket sandwich I had there was nearly perfect, as it was lean, but not TOO lean (too lean is never a good thing when it comes to BBQ, in my opinion), and the mild but tasty barbecue sauce added just enough flavor to make this a quite satisfying dish.

I saved the best for last, though (not knowing at the time, of course), heading over to Jack's Down Home Barbecue, which is located in Pennsylvania. Their pulled pork was absolutely delectable, with incredible flavor coming out of every little thread of meat. And I liked the barbecue sauce at Jack's a little better than Dave's, as it had a more hearty flavor.

After I finished the pulled pork sandwich, I headed out, as I couldn't deal with the long lines (the sun beating down didn't help), so I missed out on a few other places, but hopefully next year, the Phantom will set it up once again so I can try all of them.