BACON, BACON CAFE

You may have heard in the media or witnessed it on the television, the ‘Bacon, Bacon’ food truck causing quit the stir. This food truck has a brick and mortar home base that serves breakfast and lunch that goes by the same name. The ‘Bacon, Bacon’ café is located right smack in the middle of San Francisco. To cross this of my bucket list took quit the travel commitment. To arrive during breakfast hours this Mad Meat Genius braved commute traffic to cross the bay bridge. The Racing Honda fouled some plugs in this frustrating excursion of travel. We arrived to find a non-metered parking spot on the same block. Parking karma has returned.

The entrance is nondescript except for the sign board out front proclaiming; ‘Makin Bacon for the Taken’. Once inside you are transformed into a magical special place. This small café is homage to the food I love. There is a sign board with a menu. You make your choices and place your order at the counter. So many bacon choices: Bacon scones, burgers, sandwiches and more bacon. The bacon bouquet is a must have item that consists of five pieces of bacon drizzled with maple syrup.

It was breakfast time so bacon, sausage, cheese egg sandwich was appropriate. I also had to order the bacon bouquet. This was accompanied by a cup of joe that a spoon could have sat up straight up in. Faster than you can say bacon, bacon the food was delivered. This sandwich was everything the doctored ordered. The bacon bouquet was devoured with bacony delight.

I was satisfied and had to show restraint to not order more bacon goodness. Some chocolate covered bacon and a bacon cookie was purchased for later consumption. I wanted to ride the red boar ride but I exceeded the weight limit after that satisfying breakfast. This experience at Bacon, Bacon has fulfilled my bucket list requirement. We will return to try some of their other offering. Next time it defiantly will not be during commute hours.

Bacon, Bacon Cafe

205A frederick st,

 san francisco

PERDITION SMOKEHOUSE

It is the grand opening of a new bbq house in Berkeley, California called Perdition Smokehouse. They have only been open a week but I have the hardly can waits to try their offerings.This is no ordinary smoke shack. This house of smoked meats will be offering 43 different beers on tap. It is located a couple of blocks away from U.C. Berkeley. Beer, bbq, and coeds may be a winning combination? Ms. Goofy is away on some mud wrestling clinic so I got to drive the Racing Honda solo. The parking karma may have slipped a little. I had to circle the block and finally settled on a spot one block away. I arrived to be one of the first customers of the day at 5:00 pm.

Perdition Smokehouse is located on a very busy downtown street. It is so new their is no signage in the window. I walk through the doors into a large cavernous dinning area. There are plenty new and enthusiastic  staff to greet you. The menu is written on a large sign board. You proceed to a roped line to the counter to place your order. You tell a knife wielding server what your pleasures are. She will slice and dice your requests and place them on the scale. This server paid very close attention to this scale. The person before me was denied that extra piece of brisket because it would of been 1 ounce over the target weight. There is another server who will dish your requested sides and finally a cash register. This is the opening week so I will not mention that this method was not very efficient, slow and scale challenged.

There is a separate area were the bar is located. The menu is huge, forty three beers to be exact. So many choices had me stumped so I just had some H20. I had my choice of a table or high tables with stools. Each table had an offering of four different house made sauces. They were the usual offerings of a Kansas City tomato based, mustard, vinegar &pepper and a spicy sauce. These sauces were decent but not outstanding. I did have a preference for the sweet/tart mustard based offering.
   My plate looked delicious The ribs and brisket had great color. The slaw was a red cabbage mixture that made my tray glow with bright color.. I would like to mention the uneven portions of this offering. I ordered a two meat combination. The scale only allowed me two ribs and two small slices of brisket. The slaw was proportionately uneven to this picture.The cowboy beans looked a little forlorn even though it was the beginning of dinner service. Now for the million dollar question; How did it taste?

The smoke was present but sublime. The ribs and brisket were cooked properly. They were tender. The ribs had a spice crust that was very flavorful that teetered on the salty side. I slathered them in the mustard sauce and enjoyed them. The brisket was decent enough but not memorable. The slaw was flat. It was exciting with color but did not deliver with vibrancy and seasoning..The cowboy beans may have been the highlight of this meal. They did not look the best but were hearty and studded with soft pieces of brisket.

Perdition Smokehouse has the potential to be a destination bbq restaurant. This place has several selling points that may shine. It is located in a busy area near campus. The beer selection is huge. The food was decent. I say decent because everything tasted fine but nothing reached out to say "Wow'.It is opening week and some tweaking in the ordering station may be prudent. I also felt the scale may need to be adjusted to justify their prices. We may return so Ms. Goofy can give her two cents worth.

Perdition Smokehouse
2050 University Ave,
 Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 900-5858

ANNA’S PLACE

The search for the ‘Killer’ pork chops brings us to Anna’a Place in El Cerrito California. This café serves an eclectic mix of Korean, American diner style food. It was recommended by several friends and it was time to give it a try. It is located in a small strip mall surrounded by senior housing with in walking distance of the Bart station. We did not take Bart because Ms. Goofy said something about blowing the carbon out of the exhaust of the Racing Honda. A quick ‘white knuckle’ jaunt down the track (freeway) and we were there.

The menu is huge with standard American breakfast and lunch fair. There are a lot of Korean and fusion style dishes too. We were there for the pork chops, so ‘Be Bim Bap’ will have to wait for another day. I did ask for hot sauce, The waitress brought us a sauce which she called a Chinese hot sauce. We were some of the first customers of the morning and our service was prompt and fast. The dishes arrived almost as fast as our speedy arrival. The dishes looked large and scrumptious.

The pork chops were juicy, tender and satisfying. Home fries & eggs that accompanied were smothered in the zesty Chinese hot sauce. The hot sauce was home made with a fresh pepper bite.  We were happy and full. Anna’s Place serves a very decent breakfast. The journey for pork chops will continue but we will return to Anna’s Place to try the ‘Be Bim Bap’ (I still am not sure what this is but is sounds fun).

Anna’s Place
11740 San Pablo Ave,
 El Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 234-6861

SMOKE N' WINGS

The competition BBQ community is small and tight knit. A lot of competitors have restaurants or run catering businesses. Mark Brown from the competitive team of 'Wine with Swine BBQ' runs and owns a small bbq restaurant in San Jose, California called 'Smoke N' Wings'. We have met Mark at numerous competitions and are excited to try his smoke palace. 'Smoke N's Wings' is housed in a familiar past 'South of the Border' fast food abode. We open the doors and are immediately greeted by Mark. The interior is small and intimate with Mark's humorous bbq rules posted on the wall. Several televisions are there for the sports crowd. I place my usual order for brisket and ribs.

Mark and I converse about the bbq scene while the meal is prepared. He tells me that all his meats are smoked with apple wood. All the side dishes and the sauce is made from scratch. He also tells me that the wings are very popular. Hey, I forgot to order wings. Mark tells me he will let me sample a few. Mark is also an accomplished Chili Cook-off competitor. We have a lot to talk about. The food arrives just in the nick of time because I may have started to drool just a little.

The brisket has a beautiful smoke ring. The ribs are falling apart tender. They both are seasoned with a non-assertive dry rub. I take a bite of the ribs and immediately taste beautiful, comforting, and tasty apple wood smoke. It is not overpowering, but a flavor that we crave. The brisket also has just the right amount of smoke and is falling apart tender. The flavor and smoke of these two meats made me swoon. This plate was all about the meat. The sauce that accompanied was  thin vinegar and seasoned tomato slurry for dipping. My choices of sides were Cole Slaw and beans. Mark's expertise is chili making was apparent. They were very tasty and hearty. The slaw was refreshing with its sweet vinegar bite. A freshly baked corn meal muffin was the topping on this cake. I almost forgot about the wings.

Mark has a special cooking process for these popular chicken snacks. They are brinned over night in a special solution. They are then baked briefly. The wings are dipped in a seasoned tempura batter and fried. Seasoning flavors are then added such as: bbq, buffalo, tamarind and Parmesan. I had the Parmesan and was very pleased. These wings were huge. They were meaty, beaty, big and bouncy. Juicy, tender and I would never guess they had a bath in the fryer.The tempura batter dusted with Parmesan was a salty crisp flavor bomb. Oh my!!!!!
  We enjoyed our meal at Smoke N' Wings. Come for the BBQ and stay for the Wings.

Smoke N' Wings
916 Meridian Ave
San Jose, California 95126
(408) 298-2326

SMOKEHOUSE 10

The ‘Racing Honda’ is speeding to the sleepy town of Martinez, California to dine at the newly opened ‘Smokehouse 10’. This should be an interesting and fun meal because Dave Tendick is the owner/pitmaster. Dave is a competition cooker, caterer, bbq instructor, and television celebrity. He was a competitor on the television show; ‘BBQ Pitmasters’. Smokehouse 10 is located in Martinez which houses the county courthouse. The downtown scene is hustling and vibrant during courthouse hours but when the sun sets the town becomes a little lonely. This provides a unique challenge for Dave.

Smokehouse 10 is located off ‘Main St’ on Pine Street. It is not really hard to find but your GPS will be helpful. The restaurant is located in a small strip of several businesses. Look for the cutout pig sign to know you have arrived. We enter Smokehouse 10 to a very small dinning area and take-out counter. Four tables and a counter make for a cozy eating environment. The walls are adorned with ‘graffiti like’ well wishes from customers. There is a chalkboard with the menu and daily specials.

We sampled Dave’s menu over several visits. It is always fun to come and talk BBQ with Dave while sampling his smoked meat treats. Thursday’s is beef rib day. You should see the size of this ‘Fred Flinstone’ size rib. It is not only huge and mammoth it is a thing of beauty. I almost shed a tear it was so pretty.  It is an art to smoke and transform a beef rib to a tender and flavorful meal. The dry rub did its seasoning job to perfection. The smoke permeated this rib but did not overpower. When I finishsed, I licked the bone clean Ms. Goofy took half of hers home. Beef ribs were a great beginning to sample this menu.

“Burnt ends, Oh how I Love thee” The key to my culinary heart can be won with good burnt ends. This is the cubed, smoked and seasoned point end of the brisket. Done correctly the pitmaster can transform a fatty tough piece of meat to tender, savory, ‘Meat Candy’. These burnt ends came to the table with no sauce. A sweet tomato based sauce was offered at the table. I alternated dipping and not with each cube of meat heaven. This was rich and satisfying. Dave demonstrated his bbq expertise with this dish.

A pulled pork sandwich was a tasty treat. The pork was tender and had little pieces of meat candy bark for burst of pork flavor. The meat was piled high on a hamburger style bun. Vinegar based Cole slaw topped this mountain of pork. I have to admit that I was not a fan of the slaw. The spices that seasoned and the ratio of vinegar just seemed a little off to me.  Even though, the pulled pork shined and delivered over the slaw and I did devour the whole sandwich.

Side dishes are not just an after thought at Smokehouse 10 .One side dish is deep fried fresh corn on the cob. This sounds like a dish more suited to the midway of the county fair. Once we tried it we were hooked. Some of the kernels had darkened from its trip to the fryer. The corn was tender and had a nutty like flavor from the frying. It was not oily or greasy at all. It had been seasoned with a good amount of salt to enhance flavors. This was a winner. Beans were another delicious side dish. Small black & navy beans kissed with molasses and studded with small chunks of brisket makes a hearty and satisfy side. Ms. Goofy gave the paws up for her creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese. Dave makes all his side dishes from scratch. The quality shines in these dishes. In so many bbq restaurants side dishes are usually mediocre at best.

Our last visit we had a piece of decadent pecan pie. Rich, nutty, sweet and a crust to die for was the verdict for this fabulous pie..  I was not satisfied with just one piece and bought another to bring home. We shall return to Smokehouse 10 because, we have not even tried the pork ribs yet. This will be for another day. If you would like to try some competition style bbq, Smokehouse 10 is your destination. Dave Tendick will be there to guide you through a barbeque journey of great food. He may even share some secrets or at least an autograph.  I cannot say enough about the huge meaty beef ribs. What a treat.

Smokehouse 10 
1333-B Pine St.
Martinez, Ca. 94553
925 890-5712

SAUCED BBQ & SPIRITS

The Racing Honda’s destination was Livermore California. We had a smoky tip that ‘burnt ends’ were being served at ‘Sauced BBQ & Spirits’. Say no more. It is our duty as certified ‘Master Judge’ bbq freaks to investigate this meat candy allegation. Sauced is located in downtown Livermore. Livermore is no longer a dusty cowtown but a trendy wine producing destination. Sauced is located right smack in the middle of this smart, modern, new urban area. A large building surrounded by an outdoor patio has two wood pile stacks that offer a tease of possible barbeque greatness inside. We have arrived at Sauced BBQ & Spirits.

Upon entering Sauced we are immediately seated by the hostess. We have seating choices of the large sports bar area or equally huge dinning area. The place is pretty full for the noon hour. Sauced has a fun vibration. We learn that live bands play in the evening. There are numerous televisions for sporting events. We are seated and I immediately survey the four large squeeze bottle containers of bbq sauce housed in a beer six pack container. I have not even looked at the menu and I am sampling sauces.

Pig Candy, Tin Roof, Hot Tin Roof, and a fourth called Georgia?  All of these sauces were cloyingly sweet. The Tin Roof was tomato based with a pronounced honey flavors. The hot version was fueled by habaneros and had a bite to prove it.  Pig Candy was another sweet sauce. The name escapes me so we will call it Georgia, had a mustard tang. All of these sauces were sweet and I am glad we have the choice to use them or not.

The three -way combo allows you to sample several meats and my choices were: burnt ends, ribs, and sliced brisket. The plate was brought from the kitchen promptly. It was a beautiful plate. The sliced brisket had a fabulous smoke ring. The burnt ends made me drool with its shiny carmelization. The ribs were dark and looked inviting. If only I could eat with just my eyes. The sliced brisket was tender and the pull test offered partial proof. In spite of a spectacular smoke ring, smoke flavor was absent. The beefy flavor that I crave was also missing. The burnt ends were on the mushy side. I so wanted that beautiful bite of flavorful meat candy. The ribs had a chewy crust that encased pockets of unrendored fat. Each bite I took was full of grease from  fat. Most noticeable of all three meats was the lack of seasoning. They had to use some rub demonstrated by the nice coloring of the finished product. These rubs must have lacked salt which resulted in lackluster flavor that just did not have any pizzazz  The sides were no different on the seasoning issue. A pinch of salt could have saved  this pedestrian Apple Cole slaw. The cornbread was a sticky sweet dry disappointment.

Ms. Goofy ordered pulled pork, one of her all-time favorite barbeque items. The cooks slathered her pulled pork with a vinegar sauce. Vinegar sauce with pulled pork is a traditional sauce and done correctly can be a work of brilliance. This offering was inedible  The only thing you could taste was vinegar. Ms. Goofy claimed the Mac & cheese was gloppy and gritty. Ms. Goofy left a full plate of food which is a very rare occurrence. The server even noticed the full plate of food. She said another customer had the same complaint. The server offered to give us a plate of food to go of some un-sauced pulled pork. This un-sauced pulled pork was very good. It was a nice offering by our friendly server but a little late.

I would like to mention a feature of the bar. Whiskey on tap is offered. Where have I been? I do not think you can order it by the pitcher but they do have a great selection of local micro-beers that you can. Sauced BBQ & Spirits is a fun lively place with a great wait staff. The barbequed meats need some work, a lot of work. The kitchen turned out some great looking food but neglected to properly season these offerings. We may return because of the fun factor and whiskey on tap. There are other menu items that sound tempting like the pimento cheese sandwich or the pulled pork stuffed jalapenos. See you soon!

Sauced BBQ & Spirits

SMOKEY J’S

We return to Berkeley, California on a smoky tip from our good friend Kimberly. I do mean smoky literally,  at ‘Smokey J’s’ barbeque restaurant. Smokey J’s is located at the edge of the downtown area bordering residential neighborhoods. It is a tiny store front establishment on the corner. The windows are wide open displaying a beautiful brisket to entice you in. We found out later the windows and front door was wide open for different reasons. We arrived at the noon hour and were one of the first customers for a busy lunch. The inside is tiny with several communal benches. You place and pay for your order at the counter. We bought the usual ribs, brisket, and pulled pork sandwich. This is our usual go-to orders to try out new bbq joints.

We were waiting for our food and again noticed how the windows and doors were open. One customer was having a coughing fit. The back of my throat was a little dry and quickly found out why. The order taker/cook was heating up meats on the grill. Billows of smoke would float upwards towards the venting hood. Apparently this hood was not working properly because little wafts of smoke were entering the restaurant. The smoke would clear quickly because of the ventilation provided by the windows. We were right near a window so this was not really an issue.

Our food arrived and it looked delicious. Ms. Goofy’s pulled pork sandwich was huge. It pulled on all the right points. Tender, smoky, great vinegar sauce, slaw and all on a yummy roll made for Ms. Goofy’s eating pleasure. Let me expound on the slaw. It was very minimal in its presentation. Shredded cabbage with a slight dusting of salt, sugar and vinegar was all she wrote. It worked with her sandwich.

‘Baby Back’ is the only type of ribs offered and they were cooked perfectly. The ribs were a beautiful mahogany color from rub and smoke. Two tasty house made tomato based sauces, one mild the other spicy, were offered but not needed. The brisket passed the pull test with tender success. It had a beautiful smoke ring. The combination of smoke, tenderness and seasoning all added up for a beefy treat. I was lovin this offering of brisket. A skillet baked corn bread accompanied my meaty meal. It had delicious, not overly sweet corn flavor. The only fault in this meal was the bottom of this muffin was burnt. It did not stop me from slathering honey butter all over and devouring it.

We did get to meet the owner/chef Joshua Kemper. He claims to be born on a grill in Bryan Texas. He ended up spending his youth in Berkeley. At a young age he became an accomplished chef in the hotel trade. He dug way back into his Texas roots to create BBQ for the Bay Area with this restaurant. Joshua's goal is; "“Serving good, affordable, traditional food in a friendly communal atmosphere is what it’s all about." Amen! We really enjoyed the wild picture of him on the wall.

We already have plans to return to Smokey J’s. They have a ‘Mac & Cheese’ special on Thursdays that Ms. Goofy wants to experience. Macaroni and cheese is offered with the different meats. ‘The Fat Mac’ offers 'all the meats with twice the size'.  Smoky J’s has chicken that has been brined for 12 hours, smoked for an hour and finished on the rotisserie  that smelled wonderful. We are looking forward to our next visit. We will be sure to grab a seat near the window.

Smokey J's
3015 Shattuck Av.
Berkeley, Ca. 94705
510 647-8422

ART’S PLACE

Art & Angleo Ibieto , are two  legendary brothers creating great food in Sonoma County. They both have unique and colorful personalities. We know Angelo from being customers for many years at his butcher shop. This relationship has blossomed so we now feel like part of the family. If we call in advance Angelo will cook some of his special dishes for us. He has impressed and fed us with risotto and to die for focaccia. I have never tasted focaccia so perfect. Art is the ‘Pasta King” of Cotati, California. Art is Angelo’s older brother who creates great pasta and sauces. Art has just opened a new restaurant in Rohnert Park. Angelo has contributed his recipe and advice for his exceptional focaccia. Ms. Goofy and I jumped into the ‘Racing Honda’ and proceeded on a mission to have focaccia and lunch at Art’s Place.

Art’s Place is located in a small strip mall occupying a former ‘Sports Bar”. They just opened the doors five days ago so officially this is a “Soft Opening”.  The restaurant is clean and brightly lit. The first thing we notice is the wood fire pizza oven. We chose a booth to have a view of this pizza baking hearth. There is a bar with a television probably a remnant of the former sports bar.

The menu is a work in process. We scan the mimeographed offering of pizza, burgers, sandwiches and fresh pasta’s. When the waitress came our first uttering was foccacia. We were on a mission you know. Ms. Goofy ordered a tri-tip sandwich. Some sandwiches are served on focaccia slices, but not this one. I ordered baked chicken parmesan that was served with imported pasta and grilled vegetables. Our focaccia was served promptly.

It is hard to put into words how special it is to have Angelo serve you some fresh focaccia. Maybe it is the smile and good cheer that accompanies this olive oil brushed bread. Art’s focaccia was very good. It was not fresh but reheated in the oven. It was cut into small cubes. We enjoyed it but it just did not give us that warm fuzzy feeling when eating with Angelo.

Ms. Goofy enjoyed her tri-tip sandwich. The meat was tender with a flavorful au-jus to dip the sandwich. She really enjoyed the onion rings that accompanied. My chicken was flavorful and tender. The vegetables had a great roasted flavor. I wish that the pasta had been some of Art’s house made but it was still good.
  We shall return to Art’s Place. They are in the process of a ‘soft opening’. The menu is evolving. I won’t mention how the busboy poured water all over our table or how we were delayed leaving because the cash register froze. We noticed families ordering the wood fire baked pizza and they looked great. Next time we will be sure to order the house made pasta. I believe Art’s Place will be a success in Rohnert Park. Meanwhile, I think it is time to give Angelo a call.

Art’s Place
563 Rohnert Park Expressway
Rohnert Park California 94928
707 588 2787

SMOKE BERKELEY BBQ

‘When there’s smoke there’s fire’. Will “Smoke Berkeley BBQ” of Berkeley California light a fire under our taste buds? Pull up a chair, grab a rib and let’s go on a bbq journey. ‘Smoke BBQ’ is small restaurant located on a busy thoroughfare next to a car wash. This is the domain of ‘Le Cordon Bleu’ trained, ‘California Culinary Academy’ graduate Tina Ferugson-Riffe. Tina serves her Texas style barbeque with a gourmet mix of side dishes. She uses organic produce from the local farm Catalan. The bread is from the nearby Acme bakery. We walk into this small establishment and survey the chalkboard of listed menu items. Tina is there to help us with our order.

We were immediately enamored by Tina’s soft spoken enthusiasm for her food. We could sense the pride in our meal to come. You can order sandwiches or meats by the pound. You have a choice of sides and different sauces. I requested the hot bbq sauce. Tina gave me a sample to make sure it was not too hot. I thought this was a nice touch. Her sauce did have a kick but it was no match for this Chilehead. (I do eat chile daily) Our orders were placed and we chose a seat outside to watch the carwash.

Fresh squeezed lemonade was our beverage choice. This was made to order sweet lemonade made from Meyer lemons. It was very refreshing. It was perfect for Ms. Goofy’s pulled pork sandwich. This sandwich hit on all bbq cylinders. It was smoky, tender, great pork flavor and was dressed with a tangy vinegar base sauce all on a tasty Acme roll. This was accompanied by a gooey, oozy, cheesy scoop of macaroni comfort.

Rib Tips

Our friend Dylan ordered a plate of rib tips. Abracadabra and poof the rib tips had disappeared. The only thing I saw was his sparkly clean plate. I have a suspicion that he may have went over to the car wash to make this plate so clean.

My order was a four ounces of ribs and a four ounces of brisket. My plate was running over with some great beans and coleslaw. The brisket was fantastic. It had the right amount of smoke. It was tender and beefy. The cake like corn muffin was a treat. There was a lot of care in these side dishes. The beans tasted of molasses, garlic and had chunks of brisket. The Cole slaw was sweet, slightly crunchy, with tangy vinegar. This was becoming the perfect bbq meal until…………………

The ribs were huge. These ribs still had the tips attached. Usually the rib tips are removed and served separately. They were overcooked to the point of being slightly mushy. There was way too much smoke. The smoke was so powerful it left a bitter taste in your mouth. The delicious house made bbq sauce could not rescue these bones.

We had no room for dessert but knew of Tina’s baking abilities. She has won a Blue Ribbon at the Texas State Fair for her apple pie. We asked for a piece of chocolate pecan pie that had just come out of the oven to take home. Later that night we devoured a decant brownie like, pecan studded piece of heaven. Oh my!

We enjoyed our dinning experience at Smoke BBQ. We definitely will return. We never did try Tina’s signature dish of tea smoked salmon. The food reflected the skill and expertise that Tina used in making her dishes. Except for the ribs we liked everything. The lemonade, side dishes, bbq sauces and of course the meats were outstanding. Smoke is a destination alone for chocolate pecan pie. Maybe next time Ms. Goofy can go next door and wash the Racing Honda while our food is being prepared. Oh man, did I really just say that?

Smoke BBQ
2434 San Pablo Av.
Berkeley, California
510 548-8801