It all started when my car ran out of gas on my way back from work today. I could have sworn it was good to go for another 10 miles or so…
So while I was stranded on Dwight near San Pablo Avenue and waiting for my wonderful roommate James to drive by with a container of gas, I decided to explore the unknown that is San Pablo.
As I walked down the street, I saw a bunch of small stores, a lot of car repair shops (oh the irony), and a large sign that caught my eye. SMOKE, it said. Assuming it was one of the many smoke shops at Berkeley, I almost continued on without giving it another glance. But then I looked again, realized that it was a BBQ smoke house, and thought about my hungry stomach (it was around lunchtime). I took note and walked back to the car just as James arrived.
After filling my tank and successfully starting up the engine, I decided to buy him lunch for his kind deed. Where else to go than Smoke Berkeley? We both ordered the Smoked Brisket of Beef plate, and I got mine with hot BBQ sauce, cornbread, and potato salad.
The meat was tender and juicy, not a hint of dryness in it. The hot BBQ sauce really made the meal – sure there was a lot of sauce, but I didn’t mind one bit. Portions seemed a bit small, but I left feeling quite full and with the satisfaction of a quality meal.
Sometimes, good things come out of bad happenings. I’m not suggesting that running out of gas will lead to this scenario every time, but I’m glad it did this time around.
Running on empty at www.thefoodspotlight.com.