BBQ Heaven

My inner piggy has now eaten crow. Ever since I was a child, I had a great disdain for pickles. That was, until I met the fried pickles appetizer at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach yesterday evening.

After a long morning and afternoon slaving away at school and teacher homework, I begged Mark to take me for a walk in Seal Beach just to get out of the house and away from books and the computer. We did our usual route down the pier, and then decided to stroll down Main Street back to our car.

I spied Beachwood BBQ, a new place that I've only heard raves about, and on a whim we decided to try it. The fried pickles were what hooked Mark, because he always teases me that someday I will like this food. I like Japanese tsukemono he reasons, so why don't I just finally give up and like pickles?

We were instantly ushered into the small dining area (the restaurant is 1/2 seating, 1/2 bar), and greeted by a friendly staff. First up, the pickles. I cannot say enough about how delicious they were. The best part was the choice of four homemade sauces permanently placed on the table to allow for copious dipping. Tried all of them; a success for my palate on all points.

Dinner was just as delicious. All dishes come with a choice of one or two sides from a lengthy selection. The grilled asparagus was heavenly with a perfect salt-pepper ratio, and the sweet potato fries were, in a word, delectable.

I passed on sampling from the joint's wide selection of microbrews on tap; I'm saving that for the next time I need my pickle fix. No Budweiser here. The place also features an extensive list of boutique wines at decent pricing.

As for the atmosphere, the Googie-inspired decor was inviting, yet not over-the-top kitschy. The restaurant/bar is packed into a small setting, but didn't feel cramped. There was a line out the door when we left at 6 p.m.

The only downside to this place was the restroom. For anyone who intimately knows me, you are already familiar with my toilet obsession. Actually, I'm surprised I've never blogged about this fascination before. Anytime I go to a new place, country, school, whatever, it's the bathrooms that get first inspection. A bathroom will make or break a place for me. The loo at Beachwood was clean and functional, nothing special. I guess I shouldn't ask for anything more!


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