Some friends of ours came to town for the weekend, along with their beautiful eighteen-month-old daughter. The adult lady-folk were otherwise engaged, so we had a "Two Men and a Baby" thing going on for lunch. I couldn't think of a better pick than B & C (Bacon & Caviar). Although they have neither bacon nor caviar on the menu, the food is still incredible. We didn't want the hassle of, or the drive involved with, the farmer's market, so we headed for their Melrose location in search of some phenomenal 'que.
Wood-paneled walls and modern/rustic decor give B & C a rather inviting atmosphere. The dining area isn't the largest I've encountered, but I'm sure it serves its purpose just fine. They weren't very busy when we arrived at 11:00am, though that was precisely why we chose to go at opening time. They actually had highchairs, which made the little one happy, or at least it made her less mobile. Having the dining room mostly to ourselves was also perfect for those few high-pitched squeals from time to time.
Sadly, there are no multi-meat combos on the B & C menu, although I did my best to create one of my own. I ordered a 1/4 Rack St. Louis Style Ribs Plate, as well as a half-pound of Brisket and a half-pound of Pulled Pork. My plate came with two sides, for which I selected their Mac N Cheese and the Grit of the Day, which happened to be Buffalo Chicken Grits. It was clearly more food than I (or anyone else for that matter) needed, but this way I'd have some barbecue leftovers to take to work on Monday. Win-win. Knowing my intentions, I had the good sense to request my a la carte meats in to-go containers.
As advertised, the Buffalo Chicken Grits had a distinct buffalo sauce flavor. They were decently spicy and really, really tasty. The grits themselves were just slightly al dente, which I loved. Far from basic grits, these had pulled chicken mixed right in. It was very tender and added a great texture. The gooey, melty Mac N Cheese was equally spectacular. I'm not sure what combination of cheeses were used, but they worked great together. Their choice of spices also gave this comfort dish an excellent zestiness. Shells were clearly a better choice than elbow macaroni, mostly because they trapped big gobs of cheesy goodness inside.
The brisket wasn't exactly chopped, but it had gotten broken up slightly in order to fit inside the cylindrical styrofoam to-go container. My luck with brisket has been somewhat hit-or-miss since moving from Texas to Tennessee, so I was extremely pleased to find some glorious black bark on these slices. The bark was packed with seasoning and a smokiness that matched the red hue beneath. The fattier pieces were beyond compare and just melted in my mouth. I could have eaten this brisket all day long, which made it exceedingly difficult to leave any for leftovers.
Pulled pork is slowly growing on me, especially when I eat some as good as this. There was a great saltiness which made each bite a pleasure. I found plenty of smoke-kissed bits of meat scattered throughout and a decent smoky flavor. The pork was also amazingly tender and juicy, yet still had a substantive meaty texture. There was absolutely no reason to adulterate this meat by adding sauce. I was really glad that I had gotten extra for work lunches.
The big, meaty spare ribs were cooked perfectly. They cut easily enough with my plastic knife, but it still took a slight tug to remove meat from bone, as well it should have. Each bite of the ribs was very tender and very juicy. There was a nice smoke level here as well, but not so much as to mask the natural pork flavors. A hefty dusting of black pepper gave the pork a great spiciness and a great taste. The ribs had more of a glaze than a sauce coating. It was a mild semisweet tomato-based kind, which actually added to the other flavors rather than overpowering them.
Our tiny lunch companion loved her pulled chicken too. I think she ended up dropping a half-dozen plastic spoons on the floor in the process, but at least she had fun doing it. We had a great time giggling both with and at her, and having delicious food made things even better. Thanks, B & C!
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B & C Melrose BBQ
2617 Franklin Pike
Unit #112
Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 457-3473
http://baconandcaviar.com/
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