Urban Stomach

A 23 year old Stomach (on the right) at Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous in Memphis

My friend loved Rendezvous BBQ so much, he never ate meat again

Last night, I licked my television. Why you ask? I was watching Tony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” and he was doing a food porn piece on barbecue. A beautifully crusted, slow-smoked brisket was shown being carved, juices dripping with each cut. I wanted to hop on a plane and fly to this barbecue pit, in New York of all places, and dive naked into an orgy of smoked meats. Mmmmmmm! Ooooooh!

I love barbecue. Barbecue makes me emotional. Barbecue makes me lick televisions. We don’t have much barbecue around these parts. The best barbecue that I ever ate, in 1994 at The Rendezvous in Memphis, brought me to to a food orgasm that I wasn’t sure I could ever achieve, and have rarely achieved since. Don’t even mention “dry rubbed ribs” to me or my knees will go weak and my eyes will roll back. The worst barbecue that I ever ate, in 1980 at The Great American Beef Rib Company in L.A., was an insult to the genre. Dry, tasteless ribs made even a ten year-old Urban Stomach angry. It’s been thirty plus years since that debacle and I’m still pissed.

A pile of meat: The 3 Meat Combo of Ribs, Chicken and Pulled Pork

Housed in an orange train car in Pacifica, Gorilla Barbeque is serving my favorite barbecue in the Bay Area. If you’re a first timer, I suggest that you bring a friend, your family, or both and order a 3 Meat Combo. On a recent sunny Sunday afternoon, the Stomachs started with a pile of pulled pork, chicken and pork ribs (beef ribs are nothing but pretenders). The ribs are large, meaty, and have a great bark on them. I’m not sure what’s so satisfying about eating big hunks of meat off of a bone but if I could eat pasta off of a bone, I would. The chicken is nice and juicy and the skin gets a little crispy but not burnt. I found myself using my index finger to scrape bits of skin off of the bottom of the styrofoam container. When I’m eating barbecue, I’m not a sauce guy. I’m a firm believer that the meat should be able to stand up flavor- wise on its own. However, I was happy to drench my pulled pork, a little blander than the other meats, with Gorilla’s vinegary sauce that provides a nice kick of spice about three seconds after every bite.

Beef Brisket and Mac & Cheese at Gorilla Barbeque

What you see above is a kid’s portion of brisket. My kids couldn’t finish it between the two of them! Gorilla’s brisket is dry-rubbed and then spends fifteen hours in the smoker, resulting in smoky, tender slices of pure joy. I was picking this stuff up with my hands, dangling it in my mouth, and taking bite after pleasurable bite. Of all of the Gorilla meats that I’ve tried, the brisket tastes the most of smoke which is a big plus in my book. You can see the red smoke rings around the edges of the meat. The macaroni & cheese is one of the cheesiest versions I’ve ever encountered as Gorilla uses four kinds of cheese and then bakes the noodles under a crust of ground cheddar goldfish crackers. Let me repeat, they put cheddar goldfish crackers in a grinder and then use the finely ground bits to bake a crust on top of the macaroni and cheese. Who thinks of this stuff? Brilliant. And very, very rich. Cole slaw is on the traditional side with plenty of mayonaise to cool down the smoke from the meats and the heat from the sauce.

Smoked Brisket Cheesesteak deserves its own visit

I can’t conclude without mention of Gorilla’s cheesesteak. It’s completely untraditional both as barbecue and as a cheesesteak but it completely works. They combine a hefty portion of chopped smoked beef brisket with white american cheese, onions and peppers and sandwich it in a well griddled soft roll. I’m generally not one for food trickery but this sandwich is worth the drive to Pacifica alone. I’d suggest eating it on a separate visit as it’s a little much when combined with all of the other smoked meats and the mac & cheese. Well, maybe a lot much.

This was my fifth visit to Gorilla over the past year or so and I’m really impressed with their consistency. On weekends, there’s almost always a line but it moves fairly well. You should know that Gorilla is take-out only and they don’t take phone orders. There are a few picnic tables up on a small hill and you’ll want to dress warmly if you plan to use them. It’s Pacifica. However, cold weather aside, Gorilla Barbeque is a godsend for Bay Area barbecue lovers like me.

Gorilla Barbeque
2145 Coast Highway
Pacifica, CA 94044
650-359-RIBS (7427)
www.gorillabbq.com
Wednesday-Monday: Noon-8PM (if visiting after 5PM, call to see what they have left)
3 Meat Combo with choice of 2 sides, cornbread and beans and rice:$19.50
Kid’s Combo with choice of 1 side and cornbread: $6.25
Philly Cheesesteak Combo with choice of 1 side: $8.25

The Number 4 Combination Plate at Cordon Bleu

There are only two restaurants in San Francisco (well, three if you count Popeye’s) where I regularly order chicken as an entree. One is Zuni Cafe, where the Roast Chicken with Bread Salad is a longtime favorite. But you’re probably sick of hearing about Zuni’s chicken. The other is Cordon Bleu on California and Polk, next to the Lumiere Theater. Now, if you’re like most of my friends, you’re either thinking “Cordon Bleu? I haven’t been there in forever!” or “What’s Cordon Bleu?”. Everyone seems to have forgotten about this hole-in-the-wall or never knew about it in the first place. Include me in the crowd that forgets about it. Though I first ate here in 1985 and was a regular for a while when I was twentysomething, the only time that I’m reminded about Cordon Bleu is when my sister-in-law visits from New York. She lived in San Francisco for a year back in the mid ’90s and Cordon Bleu is on her “must eat” list every time she’s here. Maybe you have to leave town to appreciate this gem? Two recent visits are strongly imprinting Cordon Bleu back in my memory.

A counter with ten seats and two tables, one that is also used for food prep, make up this Vietnamese barbecue chicken shack in our old ‘hood (and four blocks from where I grew up). The Five Spiced Chicken Combo (Number 4) is, in my opinion, the thing to order here as it comes with 1/2 of a well-seasoned bird char-grilled right in front of your face. I’m of the mind that if I can see my food being cooked, it tastes better. Better yet, I’m pretty sure that the woman cooking my food is the same woman who was there back in ’85! The chicken skin is crispy and mostly burnt, how I like it. For the most part, the chicken remains moist though I encountered a few dry bites here and there. Not enough to bother me. Also, you get a heap of rice with a delicious, almost Bolognese-like, meat sauce unlike any I’ve ever tasted ladled on top (I like the sauce on my rice while Mrs. Stomach likes it on the side). It’s kind of a Vietnamese-Italian hybrid sauce. Finally, a scoop of “Country Salad” is balanced on the edge of the plate and its light, vinegary flavor and hefty crunch provide a refreshing contrast. Start with an order of Imperial Rolls, fresh fried. They’re not served with all of the accoutrements that you might find at The Slanted Door but, for $2.60 an order, I’m not complaining. The only other item that I’ve ever ordered here is the Shish Kebab and I don’t love it. The flavor is ok but the meat is so thin that it tends to get overcooked on the flames and, therefore, becomes tough.

If I can see the flames, it makes the food taste better.

In a city where restaurants and fads come and go, Cordon Bleu soldiers on, unconcerned with such trends but instead serving its mighty fine chicken at an impossibly high level of consistency day after day, night after night. Save a spot in your memory and drop by for a soul satisfying, cheap meal.

Cordon Bleu
1574 California St
(between Larkin St & Polk St)
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-5637
Tuesday-Saturday: 11:30 AM-10:00 PM, Sunday: 4:00PM-10:00PM
Number 4 Special (1/2 Five Spiced Chicken, Meat Sauce on Rice, Country Salad): $7.60
Imperial Roll: $2.60