J&J Smokehouse BBQ takeout – June 2020
(dt)
6.91 – 7.3, 7.25, 7.2, 7, 6.9, 6.5, 6.25 (seven scores)
A full cycle (March – June) of take-out during COVID-19 times
finished on the Karneses’ lawn on a shirt-sleeve, shady
evening. Chay & Deb had selected J&J Smokehouse, with
Mark & Joyce picking up the orders.
From their website, J&J describe themselves: “… All of
our barbecue is a tasty blend of fresh herbs and spices dried and
hand rubbed band then slow smoked or several hours over a blend
of Applewood and Hickory producing bold, juicy, flavorful meats.
…”
The menu, although short, is classic
smoked bbq: pulled pork, pulled chicken, chopped brisket, jerk
chicken, hot sausage, spare rib sandwich, Reuben sandwich, and
rubbed ribs. Several sides can be selected. Platters come with
two sides and cornbread. And the accompanying side of pickles was
hot! According to the website, take-out options are encouraged
although there is limited seating at the former garage,
Our choices this evening:
Karnes:
Deb: trio platter of brisket, jerk chicken and ribs
Chay: half-slab of ribs
a gin & tonic for Deb, Dr Frank Salmon Run chardonnay for
Chay
Teator:
shared: one rib; platter of chopped brisket and pulled pork,
sides of beets and coleslaw, with an extra half-pint of baked
beans (with that spicy sausage)
a Spanish graciano from Rioja
Notarnicola:
half rack of ribs, trio platter (jerk chicken, sausage &
pastrami) with potato salad, baked beans and roasted carrots
and a Avinodos 2016 Zinfandel (worthy, Don also thought)
Monteverd:
brisket
(No Ken at last minute: we wondered if we should worry more than
Kriss was telling us; ya know how those underwear models are.
Still, Ken, for you to miss Deb’s desserts is not taken
lightly!)
We thought the food was good to very good, a good takeout choice.
Ordering online was easy, pickup on time, a good niche for the
Catskill area.
Ambiance was the backyard of Karnes’s little slice of heaven,
around two long tables just off the back porch. Service was us,
so it was good enough.
Average price per couple centered around $40, with one higher
amount balancing out the other three low-mid $30s.
And then dessert: Deb disappeared into the house and reappeared
with a stack of four pans, each with a quarter of a cheesecake:
NY style, with main ingredients of cream cheese, sour cream,
sugar, eggs and heavy cream; and baked in a “water bath” to
preserve moistness and to prevent cracking. (thanks, Deb, for the
details) A bowl of strawberries topped this final course. A
wonderful way to end another worthy DP8 adventure. Thank you, Deb
K, for your efforts and generosity. DP8 Takeouts certainly are
tinged with memories of DK desserts.
Below are the essences of some lengthier topics and then the
hodge-podge:
CV times have certainly changed DP8 routines even if we are
coping well enough. One silver lining is the extension of our
usual limits of dining selections. Two of this cycle’s four
selections had no liquor license, a requirement of DP8 Rule #1.
We normally would never select Angel’s or J&J. (We have
done this once before, though, and we brought our own liquor.
Anyone recall that time?)
Another silver lining is the ease of
scheduling. No one is out of town!
A third lining is dessert – mentioned
before.
A fourth – cost, although to be fair, we
are not counting the cost of our own alcoholic choices.
A fifth – the drive is, on average, much
shorter than usual. A normal Teator pick would take all of us to
Timbuctoo. ha. Now, we strive to get food back home in time to
enjoy while warm. And someone picking up our food makes the drive
even shorter.
And then there are all the other CV effects that our other
aspects of life: Although we would have coped well, we think, we
retirees do not miss being back at school. Not going to shopping
malls, museums, and concerts still taunt us. Reactions from the
general public about the various NYS Phases drew comment; Greene
County is Phase Three as of DP8 time seems to not affect us. The
real estate market will probably enter a frenzy, if not here
already. Comfort at going to sit-down restaurants (50% capacity
now) drew a range of feeling. Our anticipation of returning to
restaurants was noted, although the Pub is for sale, as is
Saloon;
We even spent ten minutes at politics, noting the many elements
of the past four years we seem to have never seen in our lives.
You can read between the lines.
But these last two or three weeks heighten our observations. The
ignorance or lack of empathy of our President, Tulsa, whether
George Floyd being white making a difference, wearing a mask as
ideology or common respect for others around us, the lack of
regard for equal rights, and more were slightly tapped this
evening. A change of pace for us.
And we spent a few minutes on the pluses and minuses of the level
of fine dining when it meets take out. Some of us feel fine
dining places can never replicate the sit-down experience and
that less fussy food travels better. And even in agreement, some
of us enjoy Brasserie food even if it takes fifteen minutes to
get it home. Of course, a take home from Albany or Kingston or
Chatham or Schoharie is not in the cards yet for any of us.
The hodge-podge:
the wonder of dusk’s light at 9:30 pm or
later; the solstice not on June 21; the wonder of our gardens and
the promise for future abundance; our semi-drought and lawns
turning brownish; watering; yard sales, especially the Notar’s
this weekend; Father’s Day; hair cuts and stylings; Don’s
unnoticed hair cut; Deb K’s desserts, of course; sciatica;
golfing; Deb T’s painting, now into watercolor; bicycling;
pools; grandchildren; summer plans, or what is left of them; the
Adamses soon to return to Alexandria with a new dog for the
girls, wink, wink; Lynda & Ross and an addition to summer
camp; Den back from SC, we think, and Barbara with yard sale;
Quinns seem to have stayed hidden well; and more stuff that has
evanesced into the fading crepuscule.
the photos: a does-not-do-service of dessert; and half of our
socially distanced group