Woodchuck BBQ - Redwood City

BBQ. Not to be confused with grilling, it is a more leisurely approach to perfectly cooked meats. Everything is cooked at a low temperature for what seems like an eternity, the result is tender meat.

Woodchuck BBQ was started by two colleagues that were passionate about BBQ, and it shows. Why else would  they have 5 sauces to complement their meats! The sauces range anywhere from the sweet Sugar sauce to the spicy enough that they had to warn you about it in the name You Betta Not or You'll be Sorry sauce. With that range of flavors, the experience is part meal, and part chemistry experiment.

We had the ribs, both St Loius style, and the baby back. Personally, I enjoyed the baby back more. The meat was seasoned perfectly, and fall off the bone tender. The St Louis was good, but took more work to get cleanly off the bone. The BBQ chicken was moist and flavorful. The brisket and pulled pork were good too, but unlike many other places, these folks do not sauce their pulled pork. There you go - chemistry experiment!

Every meal comes with 2 sides. The potato salad was ok, the beans with burnt ends was really good, but the creamed corn really creamed the competition,. The cole slaw is unlike anything I have had before, instead of mayo, it has salt, pepper and vinegar, which works well with the meats.

Their style is described as a hybrid, drawing inspiration from Texas, North Carolina and many other famous areas on the BBQ belt. And the apple wood they use to smoke the meat imparts a distinct flavor.

Vegetarians if your carnivore friends want to go here, don't worry, they also have a veggie burger on the menu.

Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - Yes

MilkShake Werks - Redwood City

On a warm summer evening, theres almost nothing better than good ice cream (and a run, but thats a post for a different blog).

We chanced upon MilkShake Werks (including their yelp link since the website seems to have been down for a while...) when we were at lunch close by. This family owner business has been churning out ice cream since 2007. No kidding, you can see the equipment behind the counter.

They are best known for the milkshakes, made with their own slow churned ice cream. All of you know, the secret to a good milkshake, is good ingredients. They have some of the most unique flavors I have ever seen. From dairy free coconut, to chocolate stout with Guinness, to the one we picked - nectarine and blackberry.

Now, I am not sure who came up with the idea of adding blackberries to nectarine ice cream, but the result is pure genius! You get a bowl that has so many flavor nuances, that you are left scraping the bottom of the bowl for some more. It is creamy, and soft, and just the right amount of sweet. So good in fact, that most people in our group ended up getting it.

They also do ice cream cakes, and pints and more if you want to take some home.

Nectarine Blackberry Ice Cream

I don't know about you, but I am definitely going back there to try the chocolate stout ice cream, and a milkshake (not on the same visit).