Some 'Que Worth a Good Queue

How fast I break my own promises. I apologize if you were expecting another snack, but this does fall under the savory category so I'm not completely full of it. In this case, my Sunday night dinner gave me, and all other Chicago immigrants who have yet to find a decent barbecue joint on the Northside, hope of smoked satisfaction. 

I do not crave bbq often, and when I do it usually precedes a trip back to the mecca of smoked meats: Texas. I originally heard of Smoque at the beginning of the year, but over time it had made its way into the depths of my mind along with my musical talent or ability to socialize without a liquid buffer. The knowledge is actually there, I just have to work a bit harder to find it. 

Following a great Saturday of green beer and car bombs, I craved a satiating meal and new stomach lining, thus the idea of Smoque arose. Cajoling my roommates as sweetly as the pints of Guinness the day before, we hopped in the car and drove a bit further than we usually would for dinner on a Sunday evening. 

Since it was a bit late we decided to take our food home with us, but upon purchase I had the opportunity to digest Smoque's atmosphere. I was very impressed! Picnic benches, wax paper, and BYOB to top it off; the trifecta of a great barbecue joint. As I scanned the room, patrons were happily enjoying their sausage, pulled pork, and chopped brisket sandwiches. Simultaneously paired with the aromatic scents coming from our to-go sack, an ear-to-ear grin of gratification appeared on my face. I was not a big fan of the signed pictures on the wall, though. Awards are one thing, but a signed picture of Guy Fieri took something away from the rustic, home-smoked semblance. Although no offense to Mr. Fieri. His show is capital T, Treif.

Before I opened my Styrofoam container I knew that I over-ordered. I did it on purpose. I am quick to judge, and from my intial take I held Smoque in high esteem. One full slab of St. Louis Style ribs, mac and cheese, and an order of french fries. I was giddy! Albeit not a Texas staple, the ribs were very juicy and lean. When paired up against the home-made, tangy barbecue sauce, it was spicy and satisfying without being as filling as the baby-back variety.

Along with the fries and mac, my order was accompanied by a vinegar-based (not creamy) coleslaw. It wasn't anything to write home about, but it was refreshing. The mac and cheese was rich and gooey, but the entire serving lasted 3 bites. Very unfortunate. My french fries were awash with salt and grease making the brown sack they were situated in practically transparent. Specifically, the best type of fries to be enjoyed with an extra container of bbq sauce which was conveniently provided.

In general, I was pleased with my order and look forward to venturing to 3800 North Pulaski in the future. Smoque fell short of my favorite establishment, Sonny Bryan's, but it fed my growing desire to eat my way through Chicago's entire food offerings, at least twice.

One final thought. As I licked the sauce off my fingers and felt the increasing need to floss, I recalled the Simpsons episode when Homer hosts a neighborhood barbecue amid Lisa's fleeting Vegetarian hopes. As with all Simpsons episodes from the 1990s, hilarity ensues. I couldn't find a good clip of the 'BBYOBB' typo, but I thought this was an applicable substitute. This should be the new slogan for "The Unvegan"...

Hey boo-boo

This is an easy one. Gummy Bears are numero uno.

They have been my favorite snack for as long as I can remember. Colorful, flavorful, and best of all, chewy. 

My favorite part of the gummy bear, besides eating them, is how I eat them. At times, I eat the bears' heads first, or I bite off the heads of two and switch them onto an other's body, color coordination is a standard as well. There is no wrong way to eat a gummy bear. Although I believe they are best left to survive on their own, just like real bears. If they are added to a deserts like ice cream or 'dirt' their chewy instincts are tarnished. They get hard, cold and are difficult to enjoy.  

Tons of gummy bear brands exist. I can think of at least 5 right now because I am full of useless information. However, there is one brand that trumps all: The Haribo Gummy Bear. They are delicious! When I get my hands on that bag of golden greatness, there is no stopping me from popping these gratifying gummies in handful at a time. The average size package of 'Haribo Gold Bears' runs 5 ounces and will cost $1.69. 

23 bags and a large coca cola later, Rachel Ray has a season premiere of $40 a day.

In addition to being high in the taste-to-cost ratio, gummy bears are easy to take on the go. This fits my lifestyle perfectly. Being an avid snacker I get hungry quite a bit, but not always by my pantry. So 4 mini-haribo packages are more than enough to do the trick. For example, I will stuff some bears in my Tallit bag for a long day at shul. For the uninformed, a Tallit bag holds a Jewish man's prayer shawl, and in my case, tiny bags of gummy bears too. They fit quite snugly; keeping them from the tortuous air conditioning for which Congregation Shearith Israel has become famous. On more than one occasion, the Haribo has saved my stomach from long services.  I keep it clean on the Yom though.

No snack is without its difficulties on the body, and these tasty morsels have caused some small unpleasantries for me in the past. I mentioned earlier that I eat them quite quickly. What happens when you eat fast? Yup, tummy aches and hiccups. No big deal, really. 

Otherwise, after I eat a helping of bears, I just want to chest bump myself. 

Next time: something savory

Hello, again.

Salutations. 

After a 5 month hiatus, I'm back to it.

I know few have missed me and many didn't even know I even had one of these, but hey, I still have the time, and now something to share. Plus, this is an addition to your website rotation during the work-week.

Maybe you've noticed the title/web-address change. You're all ears...

I love to eat.

Pastime, present-time, future-time, and right before bedtime (in your face, mom), I eat.

Mealtimes are good times. However, it is not the best-time to eat. No way. To me, the snack is perfection. In turn, I hope to inform you/review items and concoctions on this phenomenon from our great and gluttonous western culture.

Most posts will touch on something from my very shared refrigerator or pantry. Cookies, candy, spreads, sprinkles, pickles, and condiments alike; no full meals are allowed in this arena. Although if I don't get a chance to hit the grocery store, or I have a meal I want to share, the topic will change accordingly.

Here is where you, the readers, come in. Because I really enjoy sharing food and food-based ideas, leave comments with your favorite snacks, but instead of saying: 'Peanut Butter', say 'deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich', aka the "pb&jj". Finally, I will write an opinion on said snack for all to see. Now, your restless creativity has purpose: to force feed me through the Internet. 

I am prepared to throw my stomach at the mercy of your proposals, so you can use it for items you've been thinking about buying, but to make it fun for everyone, use that imagination. 

next post topic: The Gummy Bear's migration from the wild to my stomach