ALL'S FARE

SlOwse Bar

2138 Michigan Ave. at 14th S eet
Detroit
(313) 962-9828; slowsbarbq.com

urs:

Sunday, noon-10 p.m.
Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m-11 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight.

Price Range:
Soups, salads and appetizers: $1.95-$9.95
Entrees: S8.95-S24.95
Desserts: $4.95-$5.95

THE REAL THING!

BY DAVID MOSS I PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN

W

alk into Slows Bar BQ.., and walk
into an oasis of all that is smoky in
the best way possible.
This is barbecue the way it was
meant to be — dry-rubbed, slowly smoked and
falling-off-the-bone perfection.
Slows is a casual, urban hot spot whose
Southern-style comfort food has generated a dining
buzz since it opened last year. Housed in a reno-
vated circa-1880s Corktown building just down
the street from the
old Tiger Stadium,
the restaurant's
reclaimed bricks
and salvaged wood
lend a warm,
friendly atmo-
sphere.
If you begin
with beer, you'll
find 25 on tap to
choose from. The
Bell's Oberon I
started with was a
perfect complement to the variety of dinner flavors
I was about to tuck into — created by chef and co-
proprietor Brian Perrone, a Michigan native and
former chef at No. VI Chophouse in Novi. Of the
appetizers — among them the Smokehouse Fish
Platter, a Split Pea and Okra Fritter and homemade
chili or Louisiana-style gumbo — my companions
and I tried the BBQWings, offering a full pound
of tender, smoke-cured chicken that was truly
finger-licking good.
Barely hungry for more yet unable to resist, we

8 • ocroBEn 2i iir, •

JNPLATINUM

turned to the entrees. We sampled the blackened
catfish, delicately spiced and rubbed so that the fla-
vor of the tender fish came through nicely. Have no
fear, non-meat eaters: Try the grilled salmon filets,
served dry as all the meats are, and arriving with a
choice of handcrafted sauce, including apple barbe-
cue and mustard.
And then there is the smoked beef brisket — it
was divine. This smoky, tender, just slightly spicy
Texas-style brisket is not your grandma's, but
"111111111111141 she'd likely approve.
Chicken is offered as
a half chicken, rubbed
and slowly smoked or
pulled — either way,
you can't go wrong.
No fewer than
11 side-dish choices
provide something for
everyone. My favorite
was the mashed sweet
potatoes; kids will love
the rich and creamy
macaroni and cheese
(also available as a main course). Also on hand: out-
standing green beans, baked beans with a pinch of
curry and cinnamon and a thick hunk of cornbread.
Great for grownups, Slows is also a good place
to take the kids. There's no "kids menu" but plenty
of combo plates and sides to share.
For dessert, we enjoyed a dish of peach and
raspberry cobbler with a helping of vanilla ice
cream. Served warm, it was the perfect ending to
an incredible meal. 111

SLOWS in Corktown

re-creates barbecue at its best.

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Continued On page 10

Top to bottom: The bar at Slows sets the tone for a warm, welcoming environ-

ment. Mac and cheese is creamy on the inside and crispy on top; blackened

catfish arrives with a choice of sauce; a thick hunk of cornbread can be a

side or dessert. Left: Finish the meal with strawberry shortcake.