Not many individuals having either been raised or lived extensively in the deep south believe the Northeast region of the U.S can possibly deliver a decent bbq, let alone a great one. These same people might have written off Chef Tiffani Faison's work of art housed within this establishment and they'd be sadly mistaken.
Even Chef Faison's cold dish served at the Chefs for Obama event was a hit so I was not surprised that this talented Top Chef finalist rocked out at the BCAE's First Annual What's Your Beef Event as well!
The service was phenomenal thanks to Holly our server and her colleagues who were all very attentive and super friendly!
I love that you have the option of sitting at family-style picnic tables or more private, intimate dining which I typically prefer.
The starters & sides:
The fried green tomatoes were fantastic...hearty and tangy (vinegary-marinated?) with a light crunchy coating, served with a ranch-based dipping sauce. They were even great the next day!
The hush puppies were just ok, but my favorite side dish of the evening was definitely the broccoli and cheese casserole! It was rich and seasoned perfectly.
The creamy mac n' cheese was also a hit!
The farm salad with hazelnuts, parmesan, halved grapes, roasted whole asparagus and asparagus heads was wonderful!
I loved that the thick-cut purple cabbage cole slaw which was a meal all its own!
The meat:
You're not going to get meats drenched in and hidden behind aggressive sauce at Sweet Cheeks. Tiffani really presents the meat in all it's glory, using smoke and spices (~Central/Western Texas style) to showcase the real star. Mild and spicy sauces are made available at the table, but I didn't find them necessary.
The pork belly!!!! I was blown away! They were rich and fatty as any good pork belly should be, but also enough meat for good measure. Loved!
The ribs were tender, smoky, amazing!
We chose to wash it all down with cocktails served in mason jars, of course.
The Heartless Jezebel featured Prichard’s Cranberry Rum, Sailor Jerry, Triple sec, Clear Creek Cranberry liqueur, and orange juice, garnished with Maraschino cherry and orange wedges.
The Dollywood freatured Tito’s handmade vodka, Limoncello, and Kenwood sparkling wine, garnished with raspberries and a lemon twist.
Being the Sweet Cheeks is around the corner from my home, they can expect to see a lot more of me this summer!
http://www.sweetcheeksq.com/
