Andrew Evans is in his cook zone right now ... I know he dazzled with his menu at the Inn at Easton ... showed off his intimate understanding of Thai food with Thai-Ki ... but he has blown me away with his latest culinary trip into barbecue world. On the way to Ocean City for the annual Spring tradeshow, I stopped off at The BBQ Joint on Dover Street in Easton. Opened two months ago after a quick conversion of Thai-Ki, Evans is serving the Pig along with some chicken and brisket to a happy Eastern Shore crowd.
I found a seat at the bar (one of three stools) for a seat as privileged in my mind as the MiniBar-esque hot spots. Evans is a whirl of motion as I talk to him while he is pulling, chopping and slicing his low and slow cooked menu. In two hours he changed my whole perception of the world of smoke and ribs. I've always been a spare ribs guy. After my half slab of his St. Louis cut ribs, I can't go back -- but then I don't have any desire to cook ribs at home again or order them anywhere else.
I understand now why Andrew is on the circuit for the Kansas City Barbeque Society (note the third way to spell the subject matter) and will make a competitive appearance at the Pork in the Park in Salisbury April 16 - 18.
Quite honestly I'm not a decent enough writer to comment on the ribs I ate that night without using a slew of words that sound like pr hyperbole. I paid for my dinner, so I don't feel the slightest media shame. OK, he slipped me a taste of brisket that melted in my mouth and a chicken thigh that thrilled my palate ... but I owned the ribs. Still I can't define adequately the taste memory. For sure, the ribs were coated with his "personal" rub ... I figured I could add some of the sauce as I made my way through the rack -- but no way could I stop eating long enough to consider any other treatment.
As I sat there enjoying a housemade root beer and then a lemon soda (next time I'll try a PBR to take me back to Macon, Ga.), the place filled up all around me ... people were starting to line up out the door, folks were picking up carryout and Andrew had never stopped setting up plates. "This is the busiest new restaurant I've ever worked in," he told me when I called to find out his hours (11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday).
That night after closing he'll cook for the next day ... filling his smokers so the 12 hour low heat journey can begin.
Damn, it was good eating.
The BBQ Joint, 216 East Dover Street, Easton MD, 410-690-3641
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