Thursday 2 August 2007

Burnt Ends at Bodeans

Before he met me, one of Mr. A&N's main reference points for things American was the burnt ends at Bodean's. The burnt ends, as told by Bodean's are 'slow smoked pieces of beef brisket served in a light BBQ sauce', and they're only available Mondays and Wednesdays. Mr. A&N loves the burnt ends and since he often works in the area, makes them an occasional treat to himself.
I, on the other hand, never experienced them. Even when we would make the effort to get to Bodean's on the right night, the burnt ends would be sold out. We even made a special trip to the restaurant during our early days of courtship just so Mr. A&N could introduce me to a piece of America I had never tried; when we were told they weren't available, I proceeded to order half the menu to show him how a real American would eat (meatloaf, half rack of spare ribs, half a chicken, pulled pork, french fries, and baked beans), after which we both slipped into a meat coma that lasted the next 6 months of our relationship.

Last night, after four long years of waiting, I tried the burnt ends. They are succulent, greasy, meaty things, piled on your tray in a haphazard manner that signals to you you're not to spend time looking at and photographing your food, you're just meant to eat it dammit. Eat them I did; I was very hungry and they were very good, so I didn't dwell over the moment and just ate 'em. As tasty as the burnt ends are, I will confess to being a bit confused as to why they sell out so rapidly and have become a cult item; maybe it's just the nature of supply and demand. I will certainly try to have them again, though I'm prepared to have another 4 years of waiting until I reach that point.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never really "got" the burnt ends...I'm more of a sucker for their pulled pork! Mmm....pork....

Abby said...

Here in N.C. barbecue is only made of pork. The idea of burnt meat kind of turns my tummy! Perhaps you're right, it's a cult thing. But, ew...