Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Barbecue Sundae: Pork, Slaw, And Corn Bread, But It's The Fried Pickle That Makes The Sundae

Town Grill's Barbecue Sundae
I love pulled pork, but I find that I like it even more outside the sandwich.

Kloby's sparked my desire to "lose the bun" with it's jarbecue -- pulled pork, cole slaw and baked beans served in a Mason jar.  Last month, we discovered Town Grill's barbecue sundae, and it's the fried pickle that takes that to the next level.

We ate Town Grill at Larriland Farm right before Halloween.  We picked pumpkins and apples, then sat at picnic table with our niece, her fiance, and paper bowls layered with corn bread, pulled pork, cole slaw and a fried pickle.

The barbecue sundae shows off Town Grill's real aspiration.  The Lisbon restaurant is in a gas station, but the kitchen wants to compete with any casual restaurant around.  Rotating specials.  House-smoked salmon and trout.  Blackberry-chipotle wings that caused the Ravens' Super Bowl win.  But barbecue is the heart of the place -- with both smokers and a pit turning out chicken, pork, beef brisket, ribs, and more.

The barbecue sundae shows off the aspiration by layering four really good items.  Meaty, rich shredded pork.  A light coleslaw that gives crunch and a bit of bite.  Corn bread on the bottom that soaked up sauce, and the fried pickle on top that shocked me.

I would never have even wanted a batter-fried pickle.  I would have expected a greasy mess.

But Town Grill -- even operating from a tent and portable frying station -- served up crunchy pickles that turned the sundae into a star.  Crisp batter on the outside that avoided the grease.  Then salty pickle on the inside.  Great flavor.  Great fun.  A terrific contrast to the rest of the "sundae" and way more fun than a bun.

Town Grill makes a perfect warm weather trip when you pick-your-own at Larriland, then stop in Lisbon for a meal on the way home.  But it's worth the drive year-round even if you can't get into the fields.  Check all the posts.  I still need to go for the smoked salmon BLT.  They do a big breakfast, and they have Thursday specials where you take-home dinner like a fried chicken, pot pies, or grilled trout.

2 comments:

LintMan said...

We first discovered fried pickles at a Carribbean-themed restaurant in Cocoa Beach, FL. But we've seen then at other places down there since then. My wife especially took a liking to them.

Then I discovered that Wings To Go offered them and ordered some from there for her. They were OK, but the ones we are used to were made from thicker pickles and cut into disks, rather than spears, which gave them a better overall texture, IMHO.

Austin Black said...

Maybe you can ask them to cut them in discs when you order, or just request for more fried pickles outright. You can’t go wrong with more fried pickles. Haha!

I found that Town Grill’s barbeque sundae is a great appetizer to set you up for the favorites: a big helping of brisket and ribs, and some smoked salmon if you’re feeling fishy. That, or if you just want something to nibble on while enjoying your drink. Works either way.