In about a three week period three great things happened: first we met Bill Clinton, then the Democrats won big time against the corrupt, anti-American Republicans, and now THIS! The return of one of our favorite restaurants.
Recently, my wife and I discovered a great Moroccan restaurant in, of all places, Bay Ridge. The food and service was so wonderful, I just had to blog about it. But restaurant reviews are something I have been meaning to do for some time because I love food and I have found that many friends have relied on my restaurant recommendations and seldom been disappointed.
About a year or so ago, our favorite NYC BBQ place, Biscuit, located on Flatbush near 7th Ave. in Brooklyn, suddenly closed its doors. I love BBQ, and I have found NYC to have few really good BBQ restaurants. Virgil's is fine, but far from cheap. Blue Smoke can boast excellent quality meat, but it is expensive and is thin on flavor. I have to say that the best BBQ I have ever had was unquestionably in North Carolina where even mediocre places blow NYC BBQ restaurants away.
But Biscuit was the exception. Delicious, praised by friends of mine from Mississippi and even from North Carolina, Biscuit in its Flatbush incarnation was dirt cheap as well. In particular their double-dipped fried chicken (once they started seasoning it enough), their pulled pork and their artery-clogging cheese grits were good enough to bring the gods from the skies...and each time we paid we always exclaimed "That's it?!"
I even introduced friends to Biscuit, and they were so impressed that one of them routinely hired them to bring steaming tables of pulled pork all the way into Manhattan once a year to cater an annual event he organized. One year he went so far to hire them to do a full on "pig picking" for his group. If you don't know what a "pig picking" is, either take a trip down to N. Carolina or call up Biscuit (see below) to find out. I am Jewish, but slow-cooked, sauce slathered pork keeps me from being Kosher. Okay, that and bacon. And...well, never mind.
Between myself and a small group of friends, I was leading a regular Biscuit fan club.
Until they closed. No more pulled pork. No more cheese grits. Gone... No other NYC BBQ has seemed worth it since, though I admit I never make it up to Harlem.
Just a couple of weeks ago, still basking in the glow (or is that gloat) of November 7th, we were looking for someplace to eat near our home while we hoped in vain our baby would take a nap. We have practically given up on 7th Ave. in Park Slope as most of our favorite restaurants and bakeries have died, replaced by upscale baby boutiques, banks and real estate brokers. So we were exploring 5th Ave, where the good restaurants have been opening up.
Then I saw it. A place that had shifted hands several times had changed once more. Last time I had noticed it, it had been called "Night and Day." Now it was called "Biscuit BBQ." Coincidence? A blatant attempt to cash in on a local favorite that had gone? Or had it come back?
Our hopes were fulfilled. Biscuit had come back. Same chef. Similar menu. It is now more upscale and no longer dirt cheap. It is priced about what you expect from 5th Ave. But they STILL are the best BBQ I have found north of Virginia on the East Coast.
DEFINITELY try the pulled pork. It isn't fancy, but it is flavorful in the way Blue Smoke's pulled pork completely fails to be. And BBQ is all about flavor! The double dipped fried chicken is the kind of fried chicken where the meat is merely the substrate for the delicious crust. And the cheese grits, if you have them fresh, are the best side dish they have.
Desserts are also fabulous. I can't even pick out a favorite. A friend of mine who loves peanut butter tried (on my suggestion) one of their peanut butter cookies...and declared it was the best he'd ever had. He ate 5 in a row before he could take a breath. Great pecan pie, and I am a HUGE fan of pecan pie. Anything on their menu with loads of chocolate is worth trying. Now they also have red velvet cake, which I don't remember their having before, though it is a Southern specialty.
A few points of dissent exist. Despite their name, I find their biscuits wanting. My wife likes them. My friend from Mississippi, who loves their pulled pork, declared their collard greens vile. My wife likes them. I'm no judge since I wouldn't like even the best collard greens.
But all in all, Biscuit BBQ is well worth a visit.
In their new location they have added a bar and have taken over space that the previous restaurant, Night and Day, used for live shows. When there are live acts, there is a cover charge. But, as a guy with a family and a young son, we probably won't be there late enough for that. But for you young and interesting folks, check out their live music program and their bar. EVERYONE who isn't really kosher or halal, go there...go and eat the pulled pork, cheese grits and pecan pie. Even as they hook you up to a heart monitor afterwards, you won't regret it.
BISCUIT BBQ: Slow-smoked Ribs, Chicken, Brisket, Pork and More! 230 Fifth Avenue (at President Street), Brooklyn, NY 11215
