Fette Sau

Now I have lived in the South for a long time and experienced all different kinds of BBQ. As you know from my previous posts, I'm not afraid to travel for barbecue that I know to be good. Take Lexington Barbecue for example - I drove an hour and half outside of Charlotte for 30 minutes of eating and I wouldn't take back one second of it. Bottom line: I love good food, especially barbecue, and will travel for it. This brings me to the subject of this post: Fette Sau.

I am not saying Williamsburg is far from Manhattan - it's not. It's just a mental distance that I had to cross. Fette Sau (which means "fat pig" in German) is only one stop off of the L line at Bedford and it's worth the whole 10 minutes that it will take someone from Union Square to get there...

Tucked in the back of an alley and only illuminated by a bright pink neon sign, Fetta Sau's inconspicuous nature is only the beginning of it's charm. Once home to an old body shop, this bbq eatery automatically kept rising in my books when I walked in and noticed the wall of liquor (mostly bourbons) and cuts of meat painted on the walls. The smell of smoke and meat fill the air and I was automatically turned into a vicious carnivore ready to attack my kill - or someone else's kill rather (all of their meat is lovingly raised). Instead of being rash, John, a wonderful friend of mine, sat down at the bar to check out all the different types of bourbons that we could sip on. The bartender informed us that they only server liquors from the northern hemisphere and despite my protest they were unable to make a hot totty, mainly because they don't have access to hot water or a stove. That's right, everything cooked at Fette Sau is slowly roasted. I put my anger aside and realized that this was a great thing - no stove in a restaurant - classic.

After consulting with our bartender we mustered the strength and stood in line, mentally prepared for our order:

• 1/4 lb pork belly
• 1/2 lb pulled pork
• 4 pork ribs
• Medium baked beans
• German potato salad

Everything is weighed and priced per pound, which actually is great thing since you are able to mix and match pieces of meat and truly customize your order. Feeling confident we sat outside at our picnic table and then accessed each potential bbq sauce, because no matter how good your bbq is, sauce will always make it better. Just like Goldy Locks we had to try all three to find one that was juuuuuusssst right. The first sauce was clearly a North Carolina style sauce and definitely vinegar based, the second one was ketchup based and a little sweet, and the third one was so spicy! Instead of picking one we put the vinegar on the pulled pork and mixed the ketchup based and spicy bbq together. Perfection.

Now for the good stuff: how did it taste?! Well the pulled pork was juicy, tender and the right mix of meat and fat. Had a nice smoky flavor and would have been perfect on a sandwich. The ribs literally fell off the bone. I mean one bit and the meat was just dangling there! Pink lined the edges showing just how long those suckers had sat in a smoker. The care that went into the ribs was evident in every bite. Outstanding! Then the pork belly. Oh the pork belly. So rich, it would melt in your mouth. On either side of the meat were two large layers of fat that just soaked up the sauce, the smoke, everything. Honestly, I only had two bites, but trust me I savored every last second of them.

Unfortunately, the baked beans were a complete miss for me. The flavor was almost there, but there was too much brown sugar and too much sauce. I like my beans with a little more bacon and not as much sauce. I mean they were fine, but based on the caliber of dishes that I just described, I think you can agree, that more was to be expected. However, the German potato salad was a nice refreshing treat from all the heavy meats. With grainy mustard, sweet valdalia onions and tangy vinegar these were a hit!

While not an everyday sort of meal this was one for the record books. Delicious food, amazing atmosphere knowledge staff and reasonable prices make this a trip worth taking!

Fette Sau

354 Metropolian Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11211