We got a pair of free Nashville Sounds tickets through my wife's job, which is pretty awesome in and of itself. Due to a rain-out the night before, we fortuitously found ourselves treated to a double-header against the Albuquerque Isotopes. Sweet! I wasn't expecting to find barbecue at First Tennessee Park, but when I saw Smokehouse BBQ amongst the concessions, I knew that it would inevitably be the source of my dinner.
There had been a slight front blow through recently, so the weather was a beautiful eighty-two degrees this evening. First Tennessee Park is fairly new, and it is pretty snazzy for AAA ball. The game itself was really fun and was something that has been on my Nashville bucket list for the past year. The seats were half-full at best, which was a real shame. I know it's not MLB, but it's hard to beat a night out at the ballpark no matter who's playing.
My wife is a bit of a baseball traditionalist, so she snagged a hotdog and some Cracker Jacks for dinner. I, however, couldn't resist an order of Ribs and Fries.
I didn't anticipate anything other than pre-frozen fries, and that's exactly what I received. At least they were hot and freshly cooked. Some of the fries were dusted with a little barbecue seasoned salt, which really jazzed things up.
The ribs were hickory smoked, or so they claimed at least. While ordering, I was asked if I wanted my ribs wet or dry, and naturally I opted to eat my ribs sauceless. Surprisingly, the minimal seasoning was actually rather good. It was decently spicy, with a slight sweetness every now and then as well. The meat came off with only a moderate tug, but was fairly dry and unpleasantly chewy. Although I tasted an ever-so-slight smokiness in a few bites, it faded really quickly. I assume the ribs had been sitting in a warming tray for quite some time before they ended up on my plate, and I suppose that I should have known better.
Sub-par ribs aside, we had a great time at the ballpark. The best part of the night was a conversation that the mom sitting next to us was having with her three-year-old. They had already been in their seats for several innings before I heard, "Henry, what are you chewing on? Oh my g...you've had that piece of broccoli in your mouth since we left the house! No, forty-five minutes is long enough to chew. Swallow it now!" After about five minutes, several counts to ten, and four mouth inspections, Henry finally swallowed his food. It took every ounce of restraint I had not to fall out of my seat laughing multiple times.
Despite their valiant efforts, the Sounds lost the first game 6-0, but they rallied in round two to win 3-2. Well done, boys.
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Smokehouse BBQ
First Tennessee Park
401 Jackson St
Nashville, TN 37219
http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t556
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