June 5, 2008

Food & Drink

Eat & Tell

Season of the Grill

by Angela Garbes

As I learned conclusively over Memorial Day weekend, when my family and I logged several hours watching the Food Network's Memorial Day BBQ Weekend programming extravaganza featuring Bobby Flay, it's barbecue season. Especially riveting was coverage of the Memphis in May World Champion Barbecue Cooking Contest, which followed several teams on their quests (some triumphant, some heartbreaking) to be recognized for best barbecue pork in one of three categories: ribs, shoulder, and (my personal favorite) whole hog. My family being no bunch of slouches (especially when it comes to eating), we fired up the grill and ate an inordinate amount of steak.

Wallingford's Joule has, apparently, gotten the barbecue memo. They've just launched an "Urban BBQ" series—every Sunday through August, they'll be transforming their dining room into a "casual picnic environment" and grilling. I must admit I was a bit skeptical at first—it always feels gimmicky to me when a fine-dining restaurant strives for a "down-home" feel, and I don't exactly get the whole Urban BBQ concept. But, as I looked over the themed menus chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi have planned (including items like chicken-liver-mousse popsicle and bone-marrow popcorn), I got excited, remembering why Joule is one of my favorite new restaurants—the food is always thoughtful, playful, and perfectly prepared. Whatever the Urban BBQ proves itself to be, it starts off with a bang: "Let's Talk About Goat" on June 8 and "Hot Korean Grill" on June 15.

Urban BBQ series at Joule, 1913 N 45th St, www.joulerestaurant.com, Sun noon–8 pm.