The Park’s Finest BBQ
Pros: Unique blend of Filipino home cooking and American BBQ, friendly staff, daily specials, several gluten-free selections
Cons: Small menu/limited choices, cornbread biblingka is addictive
Guy Fieri might just be my more gregarious twin from another Mother. We are both huge Foodies, could talk cooking and noshing and snacks ad nauseum and still keep on ticking. So it is, that with a new head’s up via Triple D, or any of the Peroxided Bambino’s ways of getting The Word out, I am so on it, or as often as vacation dollars will allow.
Case in point, following a recent Panama Canal cruise ending up in San Diego, we repaid a visit to Hodad’s, an outstanding pagan to Cheeseburgerly Excess, and one where I actually outfoxed Guy and indulged 6 full months before either his clue-in or production schedule allowed.
Now it was time to head northward, the city of Angels and Dodgers, Kings and plenty of perfectly coiffed Queens beckoning with a new bucket list dive, The Park’s Finest BBQ. Building upon memories of Filipino comfort foods and all American BBQ, the resulting mélange yields a small but flavorsome menu, plus some budget-stretching Daily Specials.
Monday, for example, offers up a filling special of fried rice with tidbits of Tri tip, hot links, coconut beef and spare ribs, a good way to sample the outdoor Smoker’s true capabilities for less than five bucks.
My choice? Mama Leah’s Coconut Beef, with toothsome and tender bites of lean beef bathed in a slightly sweet and spicy coconut milk, (Thai style), curry. This is a generous portion, and equally fine the next day, reheated with some of the steamed white rice.
The ribs are mostly lean but not dry, and fall off the bone tender; just lightly smoked. The star of this meal turned out to be Ann’s winning Cornbread Biblingka, subbing sweet rice flour for the more typical wheat, (gluten), variety, coconut milk for the cow kind; with 4 tasty pieces per order, see if you are willing to share!