Into The Woods

On Tuesday, I decided to celebrate Cinqo de Mayo with dinner at a restaurant. Not really. But I did want to celebrate a change in my life. So off I went to try out Backwoods Smokehouse at Clinton and College. This is a bit of an unlucky spot (Red Sauce, Acadia). And having to compete with the bafflingly popular Cafe Diplomatico doesn't help.

I was a bit wary that the menu turned out to be "sharing" plates which can sometimes mean small portions and high prices. But the food turned out to be of a good size and the upside was the selection was more varied than your typical BBQ place. I "created" my meal out of some Texas-style brisket ($16), mac and cheese ($6) and spicy okra ($3). The 5-6 slices of brisket were soft and tender with just a touch of fattiness. The BBQ sauce was light and didn't overwhelm the meat. The pickled okra added just enough tanginess to complement the main. The mac was chewy fagottini smothered in a creamy sauce. It was filling and delicious. I was full but decided to go ahead with some Mississippi mud pie with a scoop of lavender and maple ice cream ($8). It was a crumbly dessert (per the name) but moist and rich. All in all, it was a great dinner here tonight.