Birthday BBQ and Rye: 42, Starting Off Good.

Sorry this is late. Late? Yeah, I try to post these by 2:00 PM at the latest. I know, no one cares. But I read somewhere that you get more followers if you post at a consistent time. I also read that its okay to not write every day. Well, I already skipped Monday and Tuesday so I’m going to suck it up and pound this post out if it kills me.

Work has been super busy today, as there’s lots going on. A new version of the game, Achievements, testing, write-ups, all manner of this, that, and the other. Thank god tomorrow is beer day.

Last night, though, was my birthday, and the wife took me to Bitterroot, which is what I want to talk about. Call this a review, if you like.

5/5 stars. Excellent BBQ. Excellent prices. Excellent ryes. Excellent service. Not hard to find, not too crowded on a Wednesday night, and the location is such that as terrible as parking is in Ballard, at least for this place parking was only mostly terrible.

What I REALLY want to talk about was the rye flight I had. I don’t remember what the first one was, but if I had not known it was a rye, I might have guessed it was just whiskey. It was very powerful. I would drink it again, though, as it was still better than your average rotgut.

The second one, though, was amazing. George Dickel its called, and I will be buying a bottle to share. So smooth. So sweet. None of that pressure-in-the-forehead you get from a slam of alcohol in your nose. Just so damn good.

The third one was nearly as good as the Dickel. Lock Stock and Barrel, super complicated, nuanced, but neither playful nor provocative. If Templeton is my best gal, and Dickel’s the sweet neighbor girl, then LS&B’s the sophisticated older lady down the block who’s still a knock-out.

So, in one night, I imbibed my second and third favorite ryes of all time. Templeton’s still my number one, of course. It’s as much loyalty as it is just how damn good that rye treats a body. Yum.

So, if you’re in Ballard, go to Bitterroot, get pretty much anything on the menu, order a rye flight, and tip your server well.