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The aromas lured us to Blackstone
Place in Pawtucket and the new home of LJ's BBQ. Driving along Hope Street in
Providence, our noses started to lead us to the irresistible smoked meat
scents coming out of Bernie and Linda Watson's kitchen. They are sweet
smells indeed, with ribs and other succulent meats smoking for hours
over apple and hickory chips. But unlike, say, coffee, whose aroma
always promises more than it delivers, the platters of meat are a
triumph of piggy goodness. The Watsons closed their original
LJ's on Douglas Avenue in Providence in late January and less than two
months later opened at the double-the-space, more-parking, snazzy new
digs. The restaurant occupies what was a
carpet store in the plaza on East Avenue just over the Pawtucket line,
home to a Russian market and the now-closed Barney's Bagels and the
vegetarian eatery Garden Grille. What fortitude it must take for those
eating outdoors there to ignore the call of the pig for a veggie burger. While the old LJ's started with
paper plates and counter service, the new spot has china, servers and a
full liquor license. They still have the baby-back ribs, pulled pork
that is not pulled at all but caramelized into perfect bites, housemade
pickles, and the best darn cornbread that doesn't fall apart when you
take a bite. LJ's is no longer dressed down as a
rib joint but has established a cozy restaurant with black and white
checkerboard tablecloths, walls bathed in warm rust tones and a spiffy
10-seat bar with a shelf reserved for fine bourbons. The evolution is a good one. Friendly, welcoming owners The Watsons' warmth is part of the
welcoming package. During my visit, I realized they were easy to pick
out because both were chatty with diners. He stopped at tables and she
greeted each guest at the door. Both are native Rhode Islanders, but
his family has Southern roots that fueled his lifelong passion for
barbecue. In an interview the day after my
visit, Bernie talked about the great cooks in his family, including his
father and uncle. They taught him the rules about cooking low and slow.
Low heat and super-slow cooking make for tender, tasty barbecue. With
the big new smoker in the kitchen, he can be cooking low and slow 24
hours a day. Many appetizer choices are tempting,
from the jalapeno cream-cheese poppers ($5.25) and popcorn shrimp
($6.99) to corn dogs ($6.99 for two) and barbecue shrimp ($9.95). But having that array would have
been enough to make a meal, and we came this day for the ribs. So to
start, my husband and I settled on a pulled-pork pizza ($10.95) and a
cup of chili ($2.95 plus 50 cents for cheese). The pizza was pure delight, with a
blend of flavors that ranged from smoky to saucy. It was loaded with
pulled pork. There was so much on it that I was certain the crust would
be droopy in the middle, and soggy for sure. But to the contrary, the
crust was crisp and tender from corner to corner. Watson's pulled pork isn't the usual
shredded pieces of pork shoulder smoked for hours. After it's been
smoked, Watson takes a cleaver to chop the meat into bite-size pieces.
Then he sautees these bites with sugar and spices to make them oh so
nice. Every piece is a little bit different, some small and crisp,
others large and tender. But each is exquisite in its own way. Put that meat on a pizza with just a
bit of cheese and tomato sauce, and the mix of flavors is amazing. Thankfully, I didn't have to share
much, as my husband was busy with his chili, so chock full of meat and
beans that he chose to eat it with a fork. It was spiced mildly, and the
drop of cheese melted in quickly, making it all about the meat. 'The Cadillac of ribs' While we were still engaged with
these introductory choices, our entree plates arrived. They looked more
like serving platters than plates, full of meat with ramekins holding
the side dishes. My husband's full rack of baby backs
($21.95) was a dozen ribs strong. Watson calls baby backs "the
Cadillac of ribs," and barbecue lovers prefer them for their
tenderness and lean meat. His are Memphis-style, which means he uses a
dry rub with nine different herbs and spices before smoking them in a
molasses-based sauce. The ribs are sweet and meaty and moist. Not being able to decide what meat I
wanted the most, I opted for the Real Deal BBQ Combo ($22.99), which
secured me more than a little of everything. There was the pulled pork I couldn't
get enough of, and a remarkable quarter of dark-meat chicken (leg and
thigh) that was as moist as I've ever seen a chicken. Then there was a pile of beef
brisket. Watson smokes it, then cuts it into thin slices and tosses it
on the grill for some nice markings. Finally, there was a half rack of
St. Louis ribs. I thought they had all the tenderness of a baby back
with the added flavor of a sparerib. Yes, they have more fat on them,
but it tastes so yummy I think I'd opt for them again. Moist, creamy cornbread The platters come with a nice big
piece of the cornbread. Linda Watson said she can't abide dry cornbread,
and she's succeeded in making one that is moist. Though it comes with
butter, you don't need it with the creamy texture. Platters also come with Watson's
housemade pickles, which are more sweet than sour, and two side choices.
The side choices include baked beans (a doctored version of Bush's),
coleslaw, macaroni or potato salad, grits or the vegetable of the day.
Premium sides cost another 99 cents and include roasted garlic mashed
potatoes, collard greens, sauteed mushrooms, yams, onions or macaroni
and cheese. I enjoyed the mashed potatoes, which
weren't overly garlicky but creamy. The coleslaw and beans weren't
anything out of the ordinary. The wide variety of sides offer some
nice vegetarian options, as do Margherita pizzas -- made with just
tomato, cheese and fresh basil on top -- and Boca burgers, made with
soy. But make no mistake, LJ's is about the meat, perfectly smoked,
barbecued meat. Even the desserts -- pecan, apple or
sweet potato pie ($5.50) -- pale next to the ribs, chicken and pulled
pork. They are not house-made, and while the fillings are rich and
tasty, the crust is neither flaky nor tender. Beer for every palate While our server was pleasant and
friendly, she lacked knowledge about the wines and beers. Instead, she
encouraged us to try something new. I opted for a glass of South African
Steen (Chenin Blanc) from Spier. My husband started with a Narragansett. Linda Watson doesn't have Budweiser
among the 27 beers offered. She wants to offer more variety and
handcrafted beers, and succeeds at listing something for every palate. A
Lionshead pale lager from Pennsylvania will no doubt please those who
like the lightness of a Bud. But those who want the power of a rich
amber can find Anchor Steam from San Francisco. Also new is the offer of free bar
bites from 5 to 6:30 p.m. every Friday. Even though LJ's has upgraded to
china and vinyl tablecloths and bar bites, a roll of paper towel still
awaits each diner on the table. "I haven't found a napkin yet
that holds up to barbecue," said Linda Watson. gciampa@projo.com
/ (401) 277-7266 LJ'S BBQ, 727 East Ave., Pawtucket,
(401) 305-5255, www.ljsbbq.com.
Casual. No reservations. Accessible and highchairs. MC and V. Open
Tuesday through Sunday 11:30 a.m. to closing (about 9 weekdays and 10
weekends) and serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. Closed Mondays and holidays. Appetizers $5.95 to $9.95; sandwiches
and burgers $4.95 to $8.95; dinner platters $11.45 to $22.99; desserts
$5.50. Thirty wines by the glass, $5 to $7, and bottle $16-$34; 27
varieties of bottled beer A dinner for two at LJ's BBQ might look
like this: Glass Spier Steen wine............$5 Bottle Narragansett beer..........$2 Pulled Pork Pizza.............$10.95 Real Deal BBQ Combo..........$22.99 Side upgrade for garlic mashed
potatoes...$0.99 Baby Back rib dinner..........$21.95 Total food and drink...........$63.88 Tip............................$12.80 Tax.............................$5.11 Total...........................$81.79 THE MENU This restaurant's menu: projo.com/food/menus/ |
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