As the Trailheads vehicles rolled into the East Palisades Trail parking lot, we immediately kept our eyes peeled. Now, we’re not normally cautious—reckless is a better descriptor for our group.
But recently, there has been a rash of car break-ins here. With national park and forestry staff reduced, cut, or eliminated, it’s no surprise that there just isn’t as much of a presence here as before.
Once we determined that there were no suspicious suspects around (Well, except when Roy caught a glimpse of himself in a window reflection and screamed, “I got one!”).
We removed all the valuables from the vehicles to take on the hike with us. Out came the wallets, phones, 75” TVs, gold bullion, Bang & Olufsen stereo systems, jewelry, family silverware, children’s keepsakes, cameras, and blasting caps. Then, we felt comfortable taking to the trail.
George was off doing some big secret Olympics thing. And Patrick was meeting his Ohio Rat Pack buddies in Palm Springs. He says it’s for golf, but we assume a caper is afoot. He’s got shifty eyes and sticky fingers.
We’ve hiked East Palisades many times. It’s a beautiful trail along the Chattahoochee with a steady rise to a large platform overlooking the river. There are several bridges with lovely views. The area is incredibly lush during the warm months. But it was still late Winter, even if it was nearly 70.
We were amazed by the number of gnawed, snapped, and uprooted trees. It looked like a hurricane had come through. And thinking back, one did. It also appeared beavers had been gobbling the smaller trees. If you read our last post, you'll remember that the dam builders also cook a mean brisket.
We wonder what the trail maintenance will become with all of the cuts to park service employees. Who will clear the trees that fall across the trails, clean the restrooms at the trailheads, and work to prevent erosion and fire hazards in these wonderful natural areas? It’s a sad situation.
As we walked the trail today, we encountered an endless array of different and exotic dogs: Australians, Rhodesians, British, and possibly Ecuadorians. It seemed that everyone had a unique kind of mutt. It was almost like being at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Our commentary resembled Fred Willard’s in Christopher Guest’s “Best In Show” mockumentary, though perhaps not as sharp and witty. It was decided that Elvis and Fio were the big winners. (They made us say that—those dogs always have to be Best in Show.)
Our stomachs were grumbling as we had the Bamboo Forest in our sights. So, we huddled. Brad’s new house has a substantial bamboo stand in the backyard, and while it’s not a forest, it is impressive. Although Trail Master fought us tooth and nail, we finally agreed to skip the forest this trip and work our way back to eat barbecue.
So, we picked up all the valuables we’d unloaded from the cars and returned.
Since Guy and Patty had just eaten at Heirloom (the closest barbecue spot and a favorite), we decided to go to D.B.A. Barbecue in Chastain. We have been there several times, and it has an excellent patio for the pups.
The young woman at the counter was super charming. She even laughed at Guy’s comments (little did she know he’s a 2-3% tipper). We ordered and set up our encampment on the patio. The kind woman brought out water bowls for the dogs and then served our food. She knows who comes first.
Guy went for the double meat plate: Brisket and ribs with slaw and grilled Texas creamed corn. He even saved some ribs to take home for Patty. Good man.
Brad had ribs and a big serving of buffalo chicken wings, though he wished he had not “Buffalo’d” them and kept them clean for barbecue sauce. For his sides, he had double-fried French fries and collards.
Steve had his usual, the Pulled Pork sandwich (Carolina style this time), with Brunswick Stew and Slaw. The toasted bun was a perfect delivery system for the smoky meat.
Roy had a pulled pork plate with double fries and slaw. Brad assured him double-frying cut the calories in half.
D.B.A. Barbecue offers a nice selection of flavorful sauces that went great with everything.
Then, our charming server brought us corn muffins for the table–a nice touch.
We then spoke ill of those not there (as is our way) and said our goodbyes. It was another good Trailheads day.
Rating: Four Ribs and Four Tacos*
D.B.A. Barbecue/ Chastain
4441 Roswell Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404)-975-3516
*About Our Barbecue Rating System
Trailheads do not claim to be food experts, epicureans, or sophisticated palates. We are hungry hikers who attack a selected barbecue venue and ravage our way through whatever smoked fare and fixings they're dishing out.
Our reviews feature what we believe are the highlights of the menu we sampled. So our intent is not to trash talk the saintly folks who tend to smoldering smokers on hot, humid summer days. They are sacrificing themselves in the noble art of smoking meats and feeding the drooling masses. Many are independent entrepreneurs who are the backbone of this humming American economy.
Now that you know our standards, you may wonder why every barbecue place gets a four-ribs rating. The answer is easy: our group has acclaimed designers, and they think the ribs graphic looks cool.
Who are we to argue? Enjoy.
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