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| - Food, like fashion, has a lot to do with trends. Every couple of years some new ingredient or dish seems to capture the attention of cooks everywhere. Someone does it well, and then soon niche restaurants seem to be popping up everywhere.
A number of years ago, it was the burrito, soon the poutine became chic.
Lately it seems like everyone needs to prove they have the best Southern-style barbeque.
On a recent Saturday night, I had the opportunity to eat at Lou Dawg's; Southern Sandwiches at King and Portland in the Entertainment District. Nestled in the basement, Lou Dawg's seems to be punching above its weight. It has a fairly small front of house, and on this night, a third of that front of house seemed to be taken up by an impromptu stage while the sound and light guys were setting up. And once they did, it was loud! Not only that, it wasn't even music. The sound system was blaring an audio feed from the football game projected on the large screen on the opposite wall. Despite that, the place was buzzing. Pretty much all the tables were full and the young-ish crowd that was there seemed to be happy enough, with tables full of plates and pints.
With our large order placed at the bar, we watched a group clear out and quickly snagged the table. No sooner did he drop off our pints did our food arrive. It was super quick, and it couldn't have been more than five minutes. My guests and I ordered the gamut of the menu: pulled chicken, beef brisket, and pulled pork sandwiches with potato salad, coleslaw and a 'Loutine' (poutine with pulled pork). Everything looked great...
The pulled pork had a pleasant smoky flavour and was quite juicy and moist, but after a couple of bites it seemed to be very one note; there wasn't that nice tang you get with true southern barbeque. The pulled chicken was very dry. This is a dish most people have difficulty doing well, and I don't think Lou Dawg's is any different. It seemed like it had been sitting around for awhile... waiting for someone to order it... The beef brisket was popping with flavour. It was succulent, with just the right amount of fattiness. If you're there, I highly recommend it.
Side dishes is where Lou Dawg's really shines. Their coleslaw is creamy, sweet and crisp, with dried cranberries and raisins. And the potato salad? Truly made with love. It burst with flavours of dill and mustard seed, and the potatoes were cooked to the perfect texture.
The small poutine was quite a large portion. The fries were as they should be: crisp and fresh tasting with a hefty salting. If the cheese was curds, you couldn't tell. They had lost all of their consistency from over heating. The chicken gravy was way too salty and overpowered the mild flavour on the pulled pork.
Overall, Lou Dawg's didn't live up to the hype. I've had better Southern barbeque at places that don't specialize in it, and way better at places that do. Coupled with that, the restaurant seemed a little unsure of itself. Is it trying to be a restaurant? a sports bar? or a neighbourhood performance space? or just a hangout for friends of the staff? This indecision usually sounds the death knell of any place. So while the sides and brisket made it a place worth returning to, there wasn't much keeping me from going somewhere else.
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