Savoring of Flavor of the Southern United States One Last Time

With my year-long sojourn in Spain beginning on Sunday, I've been trying to consume as much of the good, greasy, American cuisine as I can. Spoon in the peanut butter? Check. Corn dogs? Check. With those American delicacies aside, there aint nothing more American than a good ol' cheeseburger or a plate of BBQ. While I typically don't eat beef or pork, the sudden realization that I'll be thousands of miles away from southern BBQ and cheeseburgers has me frantic.

A few weeks back several friends and I went to eat cheeseburgers at Bird's Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack in Tallahassee, Florida. This is perhaps the best burger I've ever had. It is not greasy, but rather juicy and full of flavor. They have crazy toppings there too, like peanut-butter, bananas, jalapeños, etc. But I like to keep my fun traditional: a slice of American cheese, ketchup, onions, tomatoes, mayo, and lettuce. Delicious.

Last week, a few other friends and I went to Tom Jenkins Bar-B-Q in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This place is smoking. I ordered the spare ribs, chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and corn bread. While the corn bread was a bit dry, the rest was amazing: the collard greens were tender and a bit sweet, the macaroni wasn't too cheesy, the pork fell off the bone, the chicken was juicy, and the baked beans were robust. You'll definitely leave smelling like a BBQ grill and weighing an extra few pounds, but those are small sacrifices.

While I certainly don't eat this type of food very often, I must admit I'll miss the opportunity to grab a quality plate of southern BBQ or a cheeseburger on a whim. What I'll miss most, though, is the dinner company. The maxim is true; the best side dishes with BBQ or a burger are friends. A new place, however, brings new friends and new food.