Baseball Playoffs & the “BIG BLUE" – Baby Blues BBQ

My hands start shaken’ as I handed the menu back to the waitress. I realized how much food I just ordered. The food here is not only good it’s the greatest BBQ on the west coast if not the world. I have poked all around this city for the best BBQ and it was non other than my girl friends father Randy (the greatest cook and BBQ Master I know) who introduced me to Baby Blues BBQ. Its not just where to go for BBQ... It's  the Mecca for BBQ.  Randy's motto was always, "If it isn’t busy, then its probably not worth waiting for."

There is a fine art to BBQ. For those of you who think BBQ is throwing a piece of meat over a fire and serving it… your wrong. Don’t worry! It’s not your fault. For some reason when barbeque migrated from the South to the West it didn’t get translated correctly (Kinda what happen to Pizza from the East). BBQ originated in the south. Back in the day it was so hot during the summers that it made no sense to cook in the house. So they brought cooking outside, and it was then that BBQ was born.

A lot of places claim they have “The Best Bar-B-Que” in Los Angeles. Be careful! 90% of these places are false advertising.  There is a big difference between barbeque and grilling. Grilling is laying meat over an open flame or heated charcoals for a few minutes. Barbeque is a very long slow process; in some cases it can even take days. First you might marinade some meat for several hours. Then you might rub the meat down with special seasonings and slowly smoke the meat at a low temperature for several hours. Then some places might slap some barbeque sauce on it and then flash the grill with it. The result is usually the best tasting meat your mouth has ever tasted. One way to tell if a place is serving true barbeque… Ask them how long they cook their meat? That should answer their question.

Barbeque is a true religion to a lot of people and worth traveling half way around the world for.  Once a man came in and ordered some ribs, had a few bites, and then got on his cell phone. He called his friend from Toronto, told him to get on the next plane to LA (he’d pay for it), cause he need him to try some of the best barbecue he'd ever tasted. The very next day they met up and feasted. Once a woman in labor stopped by to pick up some ribs on her way to the hospital. These stories are just as serious as the barbeque itself. I Shit you not!

In fact, on the wall, they have a framed picture of “The Most Interesting Man in the World!”… Its that fuckin’ serious people!!! If a place puts a picture of that man on the wall… their not fuckin’ around.

There is one item on their menu that will in fact, blow you away. Its "the" BEEF RIB. The marbling of this meat is often compared to that of rare stones you might find in Italy. Weighing in at just over a pound it’s a mouth full to swallow. They rub their ribs with over 20 different spices and smoke them over apple and hickory for several hours. If you have a bucket list, that should definitely be at the top! I don’t’ think I could die knowing I missed out. 

The Big Blue I ordered came with 3 pieces of meat and to fixin’s (sides). I got the beef ribs, the Memphis style spare ribs, and the tiger shrimp. For my sides I went with the “4-cheese” mac and cheese and the seasoned fries. Once this behemoth arrived I was determined to finish it. It immediately put me into a Viking Warrior state of mind, its hard not to resist.

Baby Blues BBQ’s makes all of their own sauces. I don’t even know where to start with these. They have Sweet, BBQ, XXX, Hot, and Sweet Chili Pepper Vinegar. Everyone likes to do his or her own thing. I highly recommend mixing the XXX with the BBQ and you got your self the perfect sauce to smother your meat in!!!

As soon as I finish the beef rib and a few shrimp my eyes watered as I start to question my existence. Now realizing that my stomach has now become the size of my eyes. I can only take a few more bites of the spare ribs as I find myself once again defeated by this ferocious meal! As I look at the bright side I have something to take home and eat later. At this stage, I can no longer see over the hill of paper towels created from rubbing down my battle fingers.  They even have a place to wash your hands at the bar so you never miss out on the action.

I look across the way and see another mans half eaten pie. I now realize that I am delirious and, as good as a desert my sound, it would only put me closer to digesting the rest of this meal horizontally. “In a box to go!” I said. He replied, “Are you sure?” Believe it or not… I paused and actually thought I might eat more… but no… I can’t. I mentally slap myself in the face and ask for the check.

Over time I have had everything on the menu (except for the salads of course), and till this day it still takes me a good 20 minutes to figure out what I would like to order. With my hand over my heart I will continue to bring you play-by-plays of this glorious restaurant. I pledge to cover everything on this action packed menu…  Just to prove to you how “fucking good” this place really is.

May you never go hungry and forever MEAT ME!!!

You can check out Baby Blues at

http://www.babybluesbbq.com/

They have locations in Venice, Hollywood, San Francisco, and Philly.

Long Live the King of Bar-B-Que!!!

If I had a restaurant of the Month this would be it!!! So do your stomach a favor and go down there today. You owe it to yourself to eat food this good!!!

P.S. Readers I challenge you to recommend a better BBQ spot! Mention a place in the comments section and I will check it out. If your spot is better I’ll have you featured in that review. Hell, if you wanna fly me out of Los Angeles. "I'll do it!"

Meat, Love and BBQ,

Sean Rice

aka MEAT ME