Sunday Date Night – Memphis Blues BBQ

Summer is officially here. Finally. It’s me, SPF 30, my UPF 50 hat, and whatever pair of flip flops strike my fancy that particular day to go to/from work. I’m cycling through my many sundresses and Sean is officially in shorts every day. We can open our newly screened windows and patio door all day long. It’s great.

It also means that practical activities like cleaning the house or doing a Pilates DVD become slightly more arduous. There’s a saying that I can’t remember where I first heard but it’s “horses sweat, men perspire, and ladies glow”. Despite open windows and a fan, I was definitely glowing last Sunday after both activities. But I will take glowing over goosebumps any day.

As I type this, I recall some cloud on my way home this evening and the weather forecast calling for thunderstorms. But it will still be hot, well muggy. Still better than goosebumps.

I was promised an evening out – yay date night! – and so we took the train to Commercial Drive to stroll around one of the best areas in Vancouver for all kinds of cool restaurants, funky shops, and casual vibe. It was nice out, I had a handsome date, and he was taking me for southern BBQ. What more could a girl ask for?

(When we first started dating, Sean made me a spectacular cedar planked salmon dinner and quickly learned that one of the ways to my heart was with good food – cooked at home or eaten out.)

After our sunny evening stroll along “The Drive” we circled back to Memphis Blues BBQ for my inaugural visit. This place is another reason why I don’t think I could ever be a true vegetarian or vegan. But because I genuinely enjoy most greens, my first question to Sean on the train was if they do vegetables at all. He didn’t think so but turns out they do salads, so this girl was a happy camper.

Who wouldn’t have been? You walk in to shiny wood tables and chairs, and bluesy and Memphis type memorabilia all over the wall. There’s a small statue of a pig dressed like Elvis standing hip-shot guard of the beer taps. They give you a table, you order at the counter, and they bring you fantastic things to eat. Like cornbread. I love cornbread. As I was quite hungry – I did clean the house and do a Pilates video after all – I inhaled my first piece. The fact that I only had three piece was demonstrative of great self-control. I could have eaten an entire side order of corn bread to myself. It was that tasty.

The tables are outfitted with all the appropriate condiments, and most importantly with stands sporting jumbo rolls of paper towel – of which you need a lot of. No fancy linens here. Can you imagine the laundry costs?!?

Though I’m not really a beer girl I do love a good, dark stout – and from the tap, I was poured (Drawn? Pulled?) a Russell Beer (local BC brewer) Angry Scotch Ale. Contrary to its name, it made me happy, and miss Edinburgh a “wee” bit. (Actually, a lot.)

And then the corn bread came. Did I mention how much I love cornbread? The last time I made cornbread it was fairly flat, due to the longer baking pan I used. It tasted really good, but was missing something. And that was actual corn. Now that I’ve had the Memphis Blues version, I will never use just cornmeal ever again. The actual corn makes this lovely texture difference. So good. Need that recipe.

(I have family through my cousin’s husband who live in Louisiana, and one day we will get down there for American Thanksgiving or a general visit, and I cannot wait to show them how much cornbread this little white girl can eat.)

Sean ordered a brisket and rib platter. I’m not really a fan of brisket but what I tasted was very good. Now, the ribs? They were awesome. The platter normally comes with coleslaw or potato salad, but those have mayonnaise and Sean has this strange aversion to it. But really, would there have been room on the platter??

I ordered the pulled pork salad. One word: YUM. Leafy greens, tender pulled pork, extra sauce, and more cornbread. Be still my heart…

As you might imagine, this was a lot of food. So we decided to possibly have dessert when we got home. It didn’t happen.

Our lovely friends from Scotland are coming to visit in September and this has been added to the growing list of places to bring them for dinner and a couple pints of Angry Scotch Ale.

In other happenings, I’ve recently become a tentative Twitter person (@W_CoastCityGirl) and I tweeted my photo of the Angry Scotch Ale while we were at Memphis Blues. The next day, I got a response back and a re-tweet from @MemphisBBQHQ, and through that, I made friends with @Russell_Beer. Since I’m new to the Twitter-verse, this was kinda cool for me. I’m a geek, I know.

And now, sleep.