Eating Out for a Cause

One thing Caesar and I seem to enjoy doing more and more is eating out. Yes, we both cook every now and then, but after a long, hard day at the office, its such a treat to have someone else cook for us and to clean up after out mess. So when the opportunity arose to put our favorite after work event to good use, we jumped at the chance.

Tonight, we participated in the C.A.R.E. to Dine Program, a fundraiser for the C.A.R.E. Program which provides benefits and services to the HIV/AIDS Community in Long Beach. For the past few years, they've chosen one night in August for people to check out local restaurants, with 20% of the day's monies donated to the C.A.R.E. program, one of the largest HIV specialty providers on LA County. We partook last year at a little Mexican restaurant not too far from the apartment, but this time, we found a little BBQ joint on the list that we've always wanted to try: Johnny Rebs'. So I called our friend Clark and met him after work to "put some South in [our] mouth" as their slogan says.

The restaurant's located in the northern part of Long Beach, and if you aren't looking for it, you might just pass it. It resembles a bit shack, with slats of wood for siding and a dirt parking lot. But you step inside, and the aroma of bbq and roasting meats fills your nostrils, and your mouth begins watering. Clark was already at a table, cracking peanuts and tossing the shells on the floor. (The floor was littered with them.) We joined him, ordering mason jars of 7-Up and iced tea while browsing through the menu. Caesar and I decided on the Blues Plates Special -- a 3-course meal for two -- and Clark ordered the BBQ baby back ribs (with potato salad and macaroni and cheese). Our meal came with a starter, and we chose the onion rings. We shared with Clark who ordered a half portion of the deep fried pickles, which were fantastic.

As for the main dishes, my roasted chicken salad was huge and tasty; Caesar's pulled BBQ pork plate (also with ma and cheese) looked deceptively small (but he barely managed to finish it); and Clark's ribs, well, let's just say he didn't finish the entire plate though he tried. Everything was delicious, and that BBQ sauce was so tangy and spicy that we poured it on everything. I doubted we could eat anything more, but we still had dessert coming so we ordered the banana pudding with Nilla Wafers, and Clark tried the peach cobbler.

All I will say is that I don't think I need to eat anything for the next few days. My stomach would probably burst if I even drank a sip of water.

The sacrifices we make for charity....