NIMISHILLEN TWP. New to this food and restaurant review game, my initial goal was simple but daunting:
Find eateries and food joints and dining destinations undiscovered by venerable, recently retired restaurant aficionado Dan Kane. All hail to the foodie king. Dan has left the entertainment and lifestyle ranks of The Canton Repository after a 39-year career. (Don't miss a retrospective of Dan's career in Thursday's Ticket.)
It wasn't an easy task to assume the restaurant-and-food review mantle in the wake of Dan's roughly five-year hunt for standout eats and culinary treasures.
Maybe it's beginner's luck, but I managed to hit the pulled pork-and-barbecue jackpot: Poagie's BBQ food truck, which is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.Wednesdays at its 4055 Beck Ave. site, weather permitting.
Pulled pork serves as the carnivorous foundation of nearly everything on a varied menu, including nachos, burritos and a parfait. Also featured are a Reuben sandwich, baby back ribs, brisket chili and frankfurters.
Knowing where to start is an overwhelming and wonderful predicament.
The obvious first choice was the food trailer-and-catering business' namesake. The Poagie ($8) is a heap of Applewood smoked pulled pork squeezed into a sizeable, sturdy, but soft, hoagie bun and topped with an abundance of homemade creamy coleslaw.
Be warned: Eating a Poagie in a car is decidedly messy. Stock up on napkins, and the risk-reward payoff is definitely worth it. Tender meat and crunchy slaw play off each other and perform a melody of rich flavor and texture while retaining a smoky profile.
On to the pulled pork mac and cheese ($10).
My teen daughter, who is a mac and cheese connoisseur of sorts, was immediate in her enthusiastic approval, savoring the combination of pork and nuggets of bark with macaroni and white queso that was sufficiently and not overly cheesy. Barbecue sauce provided an element of zing. And jalapenos were sprinkled about, infusing the dish with an occasional spicy jolt while the cornbread crumble was a crowning and delectable touch.
As rapturously scrumptious as the aforementioned were, during our recent visit, there was a clear star among the handful of items we sampled: The brisket sandwich instantly earned a gold bust in my personal sandwich hall of fame.
My exact words to Val, the polite and helpful employee taking orders, were: "The brisket sandwich was life-changing."
Wow. Wow. Wow. One aggressive bite into the monstrosity and I was a brisket believer. The sandwich ($10) hits on multiple notes: A perfectly grilled brioche bun was nicely browned on top, golden yellow inside and charred on the edges.
Bulging out were layers of brisket, robustly flavored meat that obviously was nursed and cooked low and slow for hours. Complimenting it was a phenomenal burst of barbecue sauce enhanced with a special ingredient I couldn't quite identify but absolutely loved.
From one bite to the next, I discovered ample surprises, including golden, crunchy fried onion crisps, Applewood smoked bacon and pepper jack cheese, giving the beast of a sandwich a slight kick and touch of meltiness.
A Cuban melt ($10), packed with salami, ham, pulled pork, smoked swiss cheese, pickles and smoky mustard aioli, didn't reach quite the outrageously tasty level of the brisket sandwich, but my wife raved with satisfaction.
We had to surrender and stay within the food budget — there was simply too much to try, too much to be tempted by and calorically seduced, but I undoubtedly will be lured back in the not-so-distant future.
My daughter and I made room in what we call the dessert compartments of our stomachs for a homebaked oatmeal cream pie ($3) that, with all due respect to Little Debbie, is next level.
The cream is sweet but not excessively so, and the cookies counter-balance the filling with a snap, while accents of Jamaican molasses, clove and cinnamon perform cartwheels on your tongue.
Perhaps the most telling testament of Poagie's belly-satisfying powers is that when the sandwiches and pulled pork mac and cheese were reheated the next day, flavors still abounded with the newness of discovery.
To try Poagie's yourself, hours and locations can be found on the food truck's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Poagies-BBQ-870179840026698/
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com
On Twitter @ebalintREP
The Link LonkMarch 17, 2021 at 04:30PM
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Poagie's BBQ food truck is pulled pork-and-brisket bonanza - Canton Repository
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