I Ate More Than a Bite at JB's Eat-A-Bite

Over the weekend The Dulcinea and I had lunch at JB's Eat-A-Bite BBQ. We were both so hungry that we were overwhelmed by the menu as everything sounded tasty. In the end, we decided to go with BBQ. She had the rib tips while I had the straight-up ribs.



Fries and coleslaw came with each. The former were done well – light and crispy. The slaw was good too. While it could have used some celery powder or seed, it wasn't sweet, which I greatly appreciated. The ribs were served lukewarm but I didn't mind too much. The meat was cooked perfectly. It came off the bone easily but didn't fall off. The sauce was excellent. If most BBQ sauces are tomato-based and sweet like catsup, this stuff was more akin to Heinz 57. I think it was mustard based. There was a hint of sweetness but it was mostly savory. The smoke flavor was also great. It tasted heartier and woodier than the other BBQ joints in town. I wonder if he uses a different kind of wood.

We, and by this I mean The Dulcinea, ordered okra and greens too.



The okra was fantastic. No deep frying here and also no mucilage. Instead you got tasty bites of that earthy goodness that somehow retained a bit of firmness. The greens were quite serviceable but I like mine with more fatback or bacon. A corn bread muffin came with the dinners as well. Again, not overly sweet, which gets high marks in my book, but it was dry.

The eponymous JB is James Brown, the friendly proprietor of the place. He was on hand and chatted us up. He also gave us free samples of the okra and the red beans & rice. He introduced the latter by noting that it was his mother's recipe and that she served it to Louis Armstrong. True or not, I can't say but I can say that it was excellent. In fact, I'd never had red beans & rice quite like it. It was more soupy – like gumbo – than the versions I've had which are thicker and more gravy-like. It had small chunks of chicken and slices of very small diameter sausage. Thyme was prominent. It left a very slight burn; a bit of tingling on the tongue really. Very, very good stuff. As I overheard JB tell another customer, the food is not spicy hot as Creole doesn't mean hot.

While we were too full for dessert, there were four kinds of cake, one of which was "Better Than Sex". It looked to be a dark chocolate cake with white frosting.

Next time The D is keen on trying the chicken livers while I want to give the Italian beef sandwich a go. Mr. Brown is apparently from Louisiana originally but lived in Chicago as well. This accounts for the presence of the Italian beef, Maxwell Street Polish, and whatnot on the menu.



Speaking of Italian beef, I noticed last week at Falbo Bros. now offers one and I just had to try it. It was actually pretty tasty. Unfortunately, they toasted the bun, melted cheese on it, and put the gravy on the side instead of dipping the sandwich in it.

New BBQ on South Side (New to me, anyway)

On my way back into Madison today I stopped for gas at the 7-Eleven at Park and Buick. With my gas pumping I noticed JB's Eat-A-Bite BBQ tucked next to the mini-mall housing the 7-Eleven. They advertise "Authentic Louisiana Home Cookin'". The menu is a real hodge-podge with BBQ, Cajun, and Chicago sitting along side generic staples like hamburgers and hot wings. The BBQ is self-evident while the Cajun aspect is represented by catfish, red beans & rice, jambalaya, shrimp etouffee, frog legs, and "Alligator Bites". I like frog legs and, while I have had alligator sausage, it was nothing special to my palate. On the Chicago side there Italian beef (a tentative joy on my part), Italian sausage, Maxwell Street Polish sausage, and a Maxwell Street pork chop. There are also Southern sides such as okra and greens.

Anyone tried this place yet? (I'm looking at you, JM and Nichole.)

While I'm on the subject of food, I'd like to mention El Patron in Fort Atkinson. It's my new lunch spot when I have to travel east for work. Their lunch menu is cheap and their lunch specials are a steal. Today I had a grilled chicken breast topped with about 5 pounds of grilled onions, rice, salad, and tortillas for $6.50. And this included chips and salsa for starters. There's nothing nouveau or fusiony here, just plain comfort food. At least that's my impression from the meals I've had. Strangely, they give you ranch dressing along with the salsa that comes with your chips and they have this weird predilection for putting a white sauce on various burritos but these can be avoided. Back on the plus side, they have red and green habanero sauce at the table. I have only been there after the lunch hour so my experience with the service is limited but has been great. The food is served quickly and the staff are friendly. I can always look forward to the gentleman asking, "More iced tea, amigo?"

Lastly, go get some pan de fiesta from El Bolillo. The stuff is heaven. Fluffy, yet with substance, it has sesame seed and a light glaze along with raisins tucked into its folds. I get mine at Super Tienda Latina along with the tamales there on Saturdays. Perfect gaming chow for trying to solve The Skinsaw Murders.