Blues Bar-B-Q: Authentic American Barbecue in Paris!
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| Carolina pulled pork, cornbread, Louisiana vegetable gumbo, and cole slaw! |
It all started out innocently enough. There I was hanging out on the Paris Forum trying to help a member from Texas figure out the name of the fondue restaurant where he had eaten in Paris when all of a sudden things took a spicy turn for the better when we switched from talking about fondue to one of my all time favorite foods -- barbecue! And that's about the time that kgjacobs joined the thread to add that there's a "pretty good" barbecue joint in Paris.
Now, perhaps I should back up a little and explain that after spending years in Texas and Tennessee, barbecue is near and dear to my heart. Just the mere mention of the word conjures up the enticing smell of hickory smoke wafting out of Corky's Restaurant and evenings eating pulled pork sandwiches and ribs at the Rendezvous in Memphis.
But since I usually try to eat the local food wherever I live, I didn't even know what I was missing. At least not until that fateful moment when I found out about Blues Bar-B-Q in Paris. After a fitful night dreaming of savory pork dripping with sauce, it became my number one destination for Wednesday. Noticing the frenzied look in my eyes, Philippe realized that there really wasn't any other choice for lunch.
It was a relief to turn down Rue de Sedaine after 35 minutes on the metro and be greeted by the sounds of Blues music and the smell of smoked meat. Ahh, nostalgia. The owner, Diana Darrah, turned out to be a friendly woman from Texas who kindly answered all of my questions. Here's what I learned: prior to opening in August 2010, Diana imported two smokers from the USA to make enough Memphis style ribs, Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, Texas style barbecue beef, and smoked sausage to satisfy the customers in her 24 seat restaurant.
Since it was a beautiful afternoon, we sat outside and savored every bite of our Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, Louisiana vegetable gumbo, and cornbread. While eating under the sun made our meal taste all the more authentic, the only thing that didn't completely live up to our expectations were the Texas ranch style beans, perhaps because Americans tend to prefer their personal recipe (or their mother's!)
So, will I be returning to Blues Bar-B-Q? Yes, most definitely - I still have to try the ribs! And while it's not often that I crave a real taste of home, it's comforting to know that I can find a Southern style meal right here in Paris.
P.S. The barbecue sauce is so good that you may find yourself asking for more!
Blues Bar-B-Q
1 rue Sedaine
75011 Paris
Tel: 01.48.06.79.53
Open Tuesday to Saturday 12:00-10:00 PM and Sunday 12:00-8:00 PM. Closed on Monday.
Summer closing from August 15 - September 3, 2011.
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| We love BBQ, too! Diana behind the register. |
OMG! I have chills just thinking about this. It's all completely wrong and out of place and I just can't wrap my head around it, but how amazing and exciting. It's like finding a good crepe in the US--damn near impossible. I live a block from a barbeque house here in Chicago, and they get the Carolina sauce just right--vinegar-y and so delicious. I'm a Southern boy at heart, North Carolina.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to read this entry. Good for you Mary Kay.
As a Southern boy, and one from North Carolina, you would have liked the pulled pork sandwich. The vinegar-y flavor was a bit different from the Memphis and Texas style that I'm used to but still very good. Do you put cole slaw on your BBQ sandwiches in NC? I do.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about it seeming wrong and out of place to eat BBQ in Paris, but then I realized that I ate Indian food last week and Moroccan yesterday without any problem. I'll just consider BBQ another ethnic food - my own - and enjoy it!
Cole slaw for sure! I put cole slaw on hot dogs when I can.
ReplyDeleteHere in Chicago they dress up hot dogs in a most extraordinary way--relish, onions, tomatoes, mustard, sweet peppers, a pickle wedge and special seasonings. No ketchup allowed. But cole slaw on a grilled natural hot dog--heaven.
And of course on pulled pork. Now that I'm thinking about it, my Uncle Bill used to have the most amazing cookout each summer: he'd roast a pig outside for two days over an open pit. Then he'd set up planks supported by high-back chairs under some trees, and everyone would stand around eating the pork, fresh from the pit, with their fingers, dipping it into bowls of sauce. Amazing. Being Baptists though we had no beer--just sweet tea and soft drinks, pop. Oh, and maybe lemonade.
Yeah, Chicago has some tasty hot dogs! I've never thought of topping them with coleslaw, although it sounds delicious. As a transplanted Northerner, sauerkraut is always my topping of choice.
ReplyDeleteYour Uncle Bill's pig roast sounds wonderful. It sounds like they were a lot of fun. After reading your description of dipping the pork in BBQ sauce, I think that I may need to go get some more BBQ. And then I really won't be able to sign up for the World's Biggest Fashion Show! ;-)
:)
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