(08/18/07)

On the way to the Hudson Valley Rib Festival, I spotted this gentrified BBQ joint in downtown New Paltz, so I had to stop in. It’s a somewhat yuppified room with a small bar inside and a deck outside. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich to go, with a side of onion rings.

The first thing I saw when I opened the container was the fries that accompanied the sandwich, which with the skins still on looked surprisingly good. They were dry. I thought cole slaw was included too, but they either forgot or have a misleading menu.

Onion rings were the puffy kind. Served in an aluminum pie plate with a sealed lid, they wound up soggy from the steam.

The pulled pork sandwich, served on a sub roll with lettuce, tomato and plenty of barbecue sauce, reminded me of a tuna sub gone awry. The meat was steamy, oddly spiced and not at all smoky. Dominating the sandwich, the barbecue sauce tasted like something you’d get at the supermarket. I took a few bites and called it a night.

The bottom line: Admittedly, it was a small sample. Who knows, the ribs might be great. But based on the disappointing pulled pork sandwich and sides, I’ve got no incentive to find out all that soon.