Thursday, July 1, 2010

B-Sides

I know I'm late to the party on this one, but I picked up some barbecue from Jimmy Carl's Lunch Box for a work potluck this week.



I loved it so much, I might make those boys a pie.

It will have whiskey in it.

Sometimes barbecue joints put all the energy into the meat and skimp on the sides. I'm cool with that (especially at places like the original Dreamland in Tuscaloosa where it's mostly just ribs and stacks of white bread). But the slaw and baked beans at Jimmy Carl's took me by surprise. Tiny bits of red cabbage -- turned hot pink in color from a wang of vinegar -- get thin wisps of orange carrot and lots of heat from pepper. The beans are a sweet eclectic mix of colors and shapes -- black beans, red beans, white beans -- with ribbons of green bell pepper and pork. It's art-like, really.

And after all, how could you not love a barbecue place named after Frank Zappa's drummer and sharing space with a legendary bluegrass club?

Here's some Frank Zappa in the spirit of it all. And while I regret to say that Jimmy Carl doesn't actually drum on this track (you can find him by clicking here), I couldn't resist this video for a food blog because A) the mere mention of Peaches, and B) just wait for it at :38....

1 comment:

Beth said...

Those beans are SOOOO good!!