return anew

So for years we had been going to this place called Rub's Backcountry Smokehouse for local BBQ and we were pretty darn happy with the products they had to serve there- but alas- as George Harrison sang "All Things Must Pass"....

here are some photos of the late Rub's

We were so happy to discover that they actually had just closed to revamp and re-brand themselves.  Apparently they had always been a Supply House for BBQ equipment and supplies and now they have a new name and a new identity and the eat-in space has basically doubled -

we ate outside because it was a nice day and being Labor Day weekend we are starting to feel the summer's end approaching us...

they have added a Carolina mustard based sauce to the three traditional ones they have had over the years (Citrus Chipotle, Smokey Sweet, and Smoked Jalapeno

the sides we picked were the truffled mac n cheese (not much truffle) and the baked beans - which were very good...

In the past I had ordered the brisket melt but now they have added a brisket "burger" which was terrific - chopped wagyu smoked brisket and cheddar and onions - an excellent and LARGE choice-

 Phil ordered the two meats entree with sliced smoked brisket and rib tips... then later we ordered TO GO with sliced brisket for both of us and pulled pork for Phil (because I already had a little meat loaf at home and Phil doesn't like meat loaf LOL (which is fine with me because I DO like it!)

so even though it isn't the same it is the same - a few more choices - an added sauce and a couple of entrees and some good dessert choices which we did not have room for- all made in cute little skillets! One thing remains the same- the great sign out front!

so it remains a thumbs UP with us....

last night Mike & Leslie came over for sushi and we carried in and did some wine tasting- no stars in the four or five wines we had- but the sushi was good and plentiful!

tomorrow night - we are back to Osteria Langhe, this time with John & Stephanie! I am in a complete and total "rut" there and I already know I will order their fabulous rabbit as my entree!

It's just too good to pass up!  Stay tuned! because next week is 100% booked with a concert of Brother Sun on Monday and a Mezcal tasting at Quiote (a Mondiale event through the Chaine) - then an Italian wine dinner at the Bristol - along with a concert at the end of the week but not before my path crosses for the third  or fourth time on the physical plane with my friend Carolyn Merrick! Yes you read that correctly - Carolyn and I have been friends since 1991 and even before Face Book managed to stay in touch for all those years - she was a newly wed and I was a single woman.  But here is the thing... two days after we met the people we were working with asked us if we had met in kindergarten because we had the ease of lifelong friends - LOL- so we became them...LOL

we have gourmet encased meats

Thursday turned out to be a dreary rainy day so what better way to cheer our guests up than a field trip to Frank n Dawg's gourmet encased meat emporium?

This place is amazing- they have so much creativity and the food is so good it should almost be criminal- but thank go it isn't....

While I am a huge fan of the Brunch Dog (Slagel farms pork loin breakfast sausage with Cobb smoked bacon, fried egg & drizzled with maple mayo) this time I chose the dawg of the month the BLT (Bacon sausage, heirloom tomatoes, romaine lettuce & a basil aioli)- it was fabulous... Phil usually does something in the duck sausage arena, and this time was no different.

you really owe it to yourself to check out their online menu - which is not complete but gives the sense of what is generally available at this well run and welcoming establishment-

here is a link: http://www.franksndawgs.com/menu

shown below the card/logo and the BLT dawg and the triple truffle fries YUM!!!!!

For dinner we went to Les Nomades (jackets required) and had a nice but unimaginative meal that paled in comparison to Goosefoot the night before and Frank n Dawg's for that day's lunch.... the service was spot on a Les Nomades and they were extremely accommodating on preparing something off the menu for Marissa (our 13 year old niece) but I took no photos for posting (the atmosphere was not conducive) -

We did have two nice wines- a 2002 Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres - and a 1990 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses, but they limit the number of bottles you can bring on their no corkage night (Thursday) so we weren't able to celebrate Steve's birthday with champagne there, as we felt for four courses we needed both a red and a white.  Of course that didn't stop us from having a bottle before we left home...

The wait staff was so very kind I feel bad for dissing the place but it is time to recognize it is 2013... and soon beyond- the jacket thing has to go!

BTW I know I have mentioned this in previous posts but Chris Nugent of goosefoot was at Les Nomades right before he left to start his own fabulous restaurant!

Then on Friday morning the Steve Friedmans (as my mother in law calls them- or S&S as we call them) went to Millennium Park to see Cloud Gate and made a mad dash through the art Institute before running to Rub's Backcountry Smokehouse (see post of July 31-  http://semifreelife.blogspot.com/2013/07/another-new-place-winner.html ) and brought us some for a carry out lunch- YUM...

then they were off to the airport and back home to Portland- where there is no dearth of good food either... the visit was lots of fun- and the week just zipped by...

a quick recap- Monday night arrival and sushi (with some wines at dinner and then more on the deck)  Tuesday they did a bike ride around the city and then we did dinner near Wrigley so they were close to the ball game they had tickets for on Tuesday night.  Wednesday the CAF River Architecture Tour for them then back to get Jack on a plane at 5- goosefoot at 8 for dinner (has its own post) Thursday the rainy day of Frank n Dawgs and Les Nomades and then Friday Millennium Park and the Art Institute....so they didn't do much sitting around LOL-

so we cooked on Friday night since it was JUST US - LOL and then Saturday we had an LCB competition team fund raiser which will get its own post - check out the meal (LOL) it may sound slightly familiar...

another new place! a winner!

So we have a winner! actually there isn't a contest but we did find a new winning BBQ place right nearby!

the food was wonderful - the service attentive and friendly - the atmosphere casual and welcoming and it is BYO!!! how can you go wrong there? Sadly I forgot to take photos of our food before we dug into our lunch choices but our empty trays show the relish with which we ate- not  a morsel of the smoked meat left on either of our "plates".....

the menu- includes homemade root beer and fresh brewed tea (sweetened as you like it)

four choices of BBQ sauce (not shown- tucked in the back of the photo-  the Carolina mustard based - which was excellent for Carolina style sauce but is not to our taste- LOL)

a hearty "napkin" perfect for BBQ eating!

a mug of frosty root beer - house made!

wall art-

"outhouse" décor (it is inside the restaurant- LOL)

ball jar lighting with burlap- casual décor that is just part of the warm welcome!

our trays were empty! sorry about not giving you a chance to SEE the food- LOL

a vintage turntable spinning Allman Brothers for lunch (yes I once had both that turntable and that album set- LOL)

here's how to reach them! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!