a dinner trip for bbq

although i can be satisfied with pretty much any food sitting in front of me, i hold a special place in my heart for good bbq. as any good red blooded american would. for being a midwestern girl in the middle of nothing, we actually have some pretty damn good barbecue places around here and it's just one of those foods that hits your head like a ton of bricks and you just. have. to. have. IT. the roomie and i hit up a local favorite a few days ago, Eli's and it's just one of those places that never disappoints. ridiculously good ribs, the best barbecue sauce and macaroni and cheese that has the consistency of something you could spackle your house with. like, you can flip the bowl over and those shells aint moving. oh, and they have jalapeño cornbread. so there's that. 

it's starting to get pretty chilly already but that is beyond ok with me. i'm ready to put all of those thrifted blankets i buy all year long into action and leave my windows open through the night to get that cool breeze coming in and did i mention my flannel pajama sets? yes, that is real. so, while most of the seating for eli's is outside and i can't really imagine going there when there's snow on the ground, it's pretty perfect for september.  a friend brought along a bottle of beer to share and the three of us (plus bronson) just hung out on the patio and chatted and fed bronson pig shoulders and got barbecue under our fingernails and it was glorious. some precious staff member there actually gave me a bag of pig shoulders to take home with bronson and let's just say he's never been happier. 

locals, hit up Eli's!!