Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Down and Dirty

Though I do like my fancy, upscale LA restaurants and am tickled pink by an artful drizzle of sauce around a delicately placed meal, sometimes it's good to get down and dirty with your food. I'm talking sauce smeared all over your fingers and mouth, devil-may-care face in the trough kind of eating. I'm talking about BBQ.

 Phillip's BBQ is another place recommended by Quinn, on the corner of Crenshaw Blvd and Adams Ave. A small place with nowhere to sit but a small bench while you wait, Phillip's is not messing around. The line is out the door, with a slew of everyday people waiting for their food. Entrees come with two sides, and party platters are available for catering.

On Quinn's insistence, I ordered the BBQ baby back ribs, with potato salad and baked beans. He opted for the BBQ chicken, with baked beans and cole slaw. At the last minute, I caught sight of the plumpest piece of red velvet cake I have ever beheld. You could see the spongy, moist bounce of the cake, with a thick coat of cream cheese frosting. The man taking our order saw my glance and pulled a slice over for me. "This piece was made for you, darlin'." he said. He was, of course, spot on.


We took our BBQ booty back to Quinn's place to devour the slathered meat. A smokey cinnamon flavor permeated the sauce, and though I have had more tender baby back ribs before, this one was a close second. Simple, homey baked beans and creamy potato salad made for an indulgent, Southern-style meal. Along with the entree and sides came two slices of white bread, in case a sandwich is more your style.


I don't like to kiss and tell, but that red velvet cake and I had some moments together. Sinfully sweet, it was everything I hoped it would be. It was gone in minutes, a brief love affair that lingers even in its absence. The cake was from Ruby's Bakery in Eagle Rock, apparently partnered with Phillip's. That adventure will have to wait for another day.

If you want some real BBQ, check out Phillip's; definitely worth the wait.

Phillip's BBQ
2619 Crenshaw Boulevard, 
Los Angeles, CA 90016

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