Restaurants

(Photo credit: Virgilsbbq.com)

Virgil’s Real BBQ is right in the middle of NYC, on 152 West 44th St – steps from Times Square. The Times Square area has been cleaned up considerably since since its famously grittier heyday, but it’s still often a congested mess. New Yorkers rush by in car or by foot, barking on their cell phones, while out-of-towners stroll and gawk at the neon sights (annoying those rushed New Yorkers). It’s quite a scene. How fun, then, to find such a great Southern-themed barbeque joint in the midst of all this madness. Virgil’s Real BBQ is one of the best American barbeque restaurants in the city.

Tourists and New Yorkers alike have a great time at Virgil’s Real BBQ. This is not the place to diet or even try to be reasonable – it’s a fun, calorie-filled night out, with a boisterous atmosphere that welcomes kids and messiness. My favorites here are the brisket, ribs, fried catfish, and chicken fried steak, while others rave about the Carolina pulled pork and Owensboro lamb. Virgil’s signature barbeque sauce is tangy, tomato-based, and not terribly spicy. Sides include what you’d expect at a Southern-themed BBQ restaurant: collard greens, mashed potatoes, biscuits, macaroni and cheese, etc. I’ve never been incredibly impressed by the sides, but they don’t detract from the entrees. Well, except for the hush puppies. They are delicious!

(Photo credit: Virgilsbbq.com)

The atmosphere is part of the equation here (as with all the best restaurants in NYC). While plenty of people do come here for lunch during work, or right after work wearing sports coats and ties, decorum is somewhat abandoned for a casual approach to dining. It IS barbeque, after all. Coats slung over chairbacks, ties flung over shoulders, and everyone dives right in. The noise level is notable here, even for a casual BBQ joint. On the whole, I’d say that Virgil’s is as much a tourist attraction as restaurant. Please choose another restaurant if you want a quiet, sophisticated dining experience. However, loud and happy parties are handily accommodated at Virgil’s Real BBQ. It’s big; two stories, in fact. This is unusual for a restaurant in the heart of New York City, but highly useful. The longest I’ve had to wait to get seated was 15 minutes on a weekend (reservations are a good idea).

If you can make room for dessert, I recommend the peanut butter pie. Decadent, sure, but the rest of the meal hasn’t exactly been a model of moderation, has it? You can be healthy tomorrow. Virgil’s Real BBQ is worth it.

Brio Tuscan Grille in Kansas City, Missouri

Mention Kansas City, and most people think of the world’s best barbeque. And it’s true; those of us who travel to this big city in Missouri nearly always enjoy BBQ beyond compare. However, anyone on vacation in Kansas City can’t survive on barbeque for every meal. My favorite classy, high-end Italian restaurant in Kansas City is the Brio Tuscan Grille, and the next time I’m in that fun city, I’ll be sure to eat there again.

Brio Tuscan Grille is part of a large chain with restaurants in nearly every state. In fact, there are two Brio Tuscan Grilles in Missouri alone. But this is no Olive Garden (nothing against Olive Garden, these restaurants are simply more upscale!) in several ways. The service is friendly yet professional, the wine list more than sufficient, and the food…Well. The entrees at this Italian restaurant are great, delicious traditionally Italian fare, and a perfect respite from the ribs and pulled pork for which Kansas City is more renown.

I went to the Brio in Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza, on Nichols Road. Country Club Plaza is a popular, great location in Kansas City, with a lot of luxury shopping and other restaurants for meals and drinks. Brio Tuscan Grille has competitors (Figla’s Italian restaurant comes to mind), but it more than meets the challenge. Specializing in Tuscan fare – hence the name – with beautiful decor and a warm, friendly ambiance, this restaurant has been popular with Kansas City residents for a long time. A reservation is needed on weekends, particularly for large groups.

Dining area, Brio Tuscan

Now, I was with a large group when we ate here: We sat in one of the six banquet rooms and shared large plates of traditional Italian food. There were also a couple of bottles of red wine on the banquet table, and the vino perfectly complemented our meal. Everyone was extremely pleased with all aspects of the restaurant. It’s hard to please everyone in a group! Clearly, the staff at Brio Tuscan Grille know what they’re doing. It’s one of the best Italian restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri.

Photo Credit to DiAichner3

My husband and I unexpectedly found ourselves in Berkeley this weekend. As I strolled down the city’s “Gourmet Ghetto” on Shattuck, I was amazed at how many fresh food markets, vegan eateries and organic, sustainable, high-quality ingredients I saw on the restaurant menus. This included, of course, the famous Chez Panisse owned by Alice Waters, the founder of the California slow-food movement.

Places like this are what make dining in California such a treat. However, for some reason, in the midst of all this beautiful produce, I just kept craving a big ‘ole plate of fatty, greasy, who-knows-where-the-cow-came-from, plate of meat. I’m talkin’ about Texas BBQ.

Maybe it was a case of ‘wanting what I couldn’t have’ but I really wanted to be outside in the Austin summer heat, sitting under an Oak tree with a cold beer and waiting for a table at the Salt Lick BBQ.

Let me give you a sensory image of this place- whirring ceiling fans, old creaky wooden benches, screened porch that lets in the smell of smoked meat and dry summer grass, large pitchers of cold iced tea and platters and platters of BBQ.

Photo Credit to Mccun934

You can bring your own cooler of beer and order ‘family-style’. This means they bring you potato salad, crisp coleslaw, peppery beans, soft bread, tasty ribs, tender brisket, smoked chicken, juicy sausage and pitchers full of their tangy signature BBQ sauce until the whirring fans and your full belly put you into a happy coma. If you are seriously trying to gain weight, you can order pecan pie or peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream to top it all off.

The Salt Lick is a ‘must’ for any visitor to Austin. It is about a 20 minute drive out of town on a winding country road. You can smell the smoking BBQ pits from miles away (ok, maybe not THAT far, but far). Eating here is about great atmosphere as much as it is about great BBQ. It’s Texas at its best. And I’ll admit, I don’t think about where the meat comes from or whether the cabbage for the coleslaw was grown on site with all natural fertilizers.

In Berkeley, I ended up eating organically prepared and quite tasty Ethiopian food…but, all the while I was dreaming of Texas BBQ!

Photo credits to Mccun934 and DiAichner3