It is almost July 4, and with it, vacation time for many people in Boston and New England. And more than a few vacationers will be traveling far from home, to different parts of the country.
Whenever I travel to California, New York, Washington, D.C., or elsewhere, I typically use a couple of Web sites that allow me to ask those in the know about good restaurants in these areas. One of these sites, which many, many people use these days, is Chowhound. This site is basically a huge forum where you can ask people about restaurants in nearly any part of the country.
Another, lesser-known site, is also a forum. It is called LTHForum.com, and it is based in the Chicago area, but a section of the site is dedicated to restaurants in other parts of the United States. I find that people who frequent this site really know their stuff when it comes to restaurants in around the country.
The URL for Chowhound is http://www.chowhound.com/, and the site for LTHForum.com is http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewforum.php?f=15.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Photos from the BBQ Beach Party in Boston This Weekend
Below are some pictures I took at the Phantom Gourmet's BBQ Beach Party at City Hall Plaza in Boston:
Yet One More Review: Sawaddee Thai in Providence, RI
Another new review is on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site. The restaurant, which is on the East Side of Providence, RI, is called Sawaddee Thai. Located in a quiet, upscale neighborhood of beautiful homes and tree-shaded streets, Sawaddee Thai is not well-known outside of this section of Providence, but it is an excellent Thai restaurant that includes both authentic Thai dishes as well as the more familiar, Americanized entrees.
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.
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.
BBQ Beach Party Is..
..Packed as of 2:00 on Sunday. (I am there right now.) Lines are 20 to 30 deep now. Prepare to wait!
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Friday, June 22, 2007
Holy Smokes Barbecue in West Hatfield Destroyed By Fire
A West Hatfield institution burned to the ground on Thursday, according to Channel 3 News in Springfield. Holy Smokes Barbecue, which was housed in a church that was more than 100 years old, was destroyed by fire early in the morning. As of this moment, it is still not known what caused the fire.
Below is a link to the news story.
http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/8120492.html
It will probably be awhile before the owners figure out what to do about rebuilding the restaurant, but if they do decide to rebuild and need to do some fundraising, I'll post any relevant links on this site in case people want to help. Let's hope they are able to rebuild, as Holy Smokes was surely an integral part of the community of West Hatfield.
Below is a link to the news story.
http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/8120492.html
It will probably be awhile before the owners figure out what to do about rebuilding the restaurant, but if they do decide to rebuild and need to do some fundraising, I'll post any relevant links on this site in case people want to help. Let's hope they are able to rebuild, as Holy Smokes was surely an integral part of the community of West Hatfield.
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