In the 1970's, the writer Calvin Trillin called Arthur Bryant's possibly the world's best restaurant. That was enough for me to divert my cross-country drive to visit Kansas City and, in particular, a low-key brick building. What I found there was a revelation. Their spectacular barbeque was the result of a team of people with clear devotion to their craft, which they pursued with quiet pride and without a hint of glamor.
It took me 35 years, but I finally made it back. I have had Mr. Bryant's famous sauce quite a few times over the years, but it took this sandwich to drive home that it was made for pork shoulder. The pairing of their tender pork with this cumin-laced sauce is a perfect wedding of flavors. If you are lucky enough to make it here, this is the dish I suggest.
The ribs are great. The meat responds to a gentle tug to come off the bone. Eating these ribs is a rewarding experience.
The onion rings are fantastic: big, crunchy, soft on the inside.
By the way, Mr. Bryant's prices are very reasonable. They would be fair even if the dishes weren't huge.
Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course) ...
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