Halloween appropriate BBQ
Everyone on the tavern side of the Boneyard Bistro looked like they could beat me up, with the possible exception of the guy dressed up as Waldo for Halloween.
But given that a BBQ lunch there goes for about $30 a plate, I’m going to guess that maybe these guys weren’t living life quite as hard as their tattoos suggested. That, plus the fancy neighborhood in which you’ll find the Boneyard, I’m guessing that “Freedom” tattoo just meant freedom from high interest debt.
Anyway, I was eager to try The Boneyard after a “feh, just ok” lunch down the street last week at Mr. Cecil’s California Ribs. Well, as I said to Waldo on the way in, “at last, I’ve found you!” I discovered a truly great barbecue lunch, even if it was ten dollars more than it should have been.
It may not have been the best I’ve ever had, and I have many (many) more to try in L.A., but this place was excellent. Go there.
But for what?
Don’t ask the waiter. He suggested everything. “The brisket is good. So is the pulled pork. Oh, and you should try the ribs. Actually, you should try the other ribs, too….” and so on. One thing I learned in waiter college: have an opinion, for Pete’s sake. Alas, I was forced to land on a two meat sampler of brisket and ribs, with sides of collard greens and cole slaw.
Before I get to the barbecue, can I first highly recommend the collard greens? I could have eaten a bucket of that. The greens were hot, tender and awesome, probably because they were swimming what can only be described as brown sugar juice. I ate a spoonful of the dill-heavy cole slaw and decided, forget it … I’m just eating those greens. (Full disclosure: I basically hate dill, unless it has something to do with pickles.)
Now, as for the barbecue, both the brisket and ribs were very good, and I credit the rub.
The Boneyard Bistro barbecue rub is just how I like it. Sweet, smoky and plenty of it. You may remember when I wrote about “how much rub to rub on your ribs,” I pointed out that a lot of restaurants may be skimping on rub because the brown sugar blackens, making the food look burnt (even though it’s not). Not an issue at Boneyard. The rub was used liberally. It blackened nicely, and tasted great.
The sauce was one of the more vinegar-y sauces I’ve ever tasted. For me, it didn’t really improve the flavor of either meat, so after a few tries, I abandoned it.
Of the two, I’m going to say the ribs were slightly better than the brisket, only because the brisket was just the slightest bit crumbly. I wouldn’t say it was too dried out, but for sure, a few bites disintegrated on my fork, and that’s a no-no. Don’t get me wrong, I’d order the brisket again, without question. But it definitely wasn’t perfect.
Anyway, the bottom line is there’s no reason whatsoever to go to Mr. Cecil’s when Boneyard Bistro is just a block away
This makes me really miss bbq. Sigh…