RUB (208 West 23rd St.)

I ventured out of my normal stomping grounds last night & by golly, I'm glad I did. After working up a hunger from decorating 7B Xmas style, Dan & I headed up to Chelsea for some insanely good Kansas City BBQ. RUB stands for Righteous Urban Barbecue & what owner Paul Kirk does with meat is Righteous indeed.

Both Dan & I opted for the 'Burnt Ends'. They're available in limited quantities & we managed to snag the last 2 orders (we chuckled like little children as wave after wave of patrons tried to order them, only to hear that they were all out). The Burnt Ends are basically super-tender, fatty brisket with a deliciously charred outer side. Kings do not eat this well. Served on a metal platter & accompanied by 2 sides & bread, the food was simple yet effective. I got the beans & coleslaw. The beans, oh my God, the beans. Dan told me they were good, but never in my wildest dreams could I have envisioned how fucking tasty they were. Molasses, brown sugar, pulled pork & spices to make your mouth water...

We washed it all down with Shiner Bock which is apparently the State Beer of Texas & not available in NY. Some how they manage to smuggle in truckloads of the stuff & if I'm right, RUB is one of the only places in the city to get this tasty beverage.

I really enjoyed myself @ RUB & I highly recommend the place!