7/1/2005 - Smokin' Lucille's Is The Hot Ticket For Summer BBQ
Searing meat over an open fire is the oldest cooking technique known to man. It came about purely as a quest for survival, yet this art of cooking has greatly advanced since the Dark Ages. Many aspiring chefs have spent countless afternoons in their mothers' and gradnmothers' kitchens and alongside their dads and grandfathers around outdoor fire pits, coming up with new grilling techniques and flavorings that have turned backyard fare into what is now known worldwide as barbeque. This tantalizing style of cooking with its smoky taste and aroma has been a favorite for years throughout the South, especially in Texas. With the great variety of restaurants in Las Vegas, you can count on one hand the number of barbeque eateries. Thus enters Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que at The District outdoor shopping mall at Green Valley Ranch.
The restaurant is based on the legend of Lucille Buchanan, who grew up in the South working in her grandmother's barbeque joint, learning the family secrets on how to prepare the best barbeque, spice rubs, marinades and sauces.
Craig Hofman breathed life into Lucille's story by opening the first Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que in Long Beach, Calif. He expanded it into a chain of restaurants in California, before taking it to The District last year.
This summer a few of my American friends who live in Bangkok, Thailand were in town for a visit. They were hankering for a good, old, Southern-style, stick-to-the-ribs barbeque meal. Since I had yet to try Lucille's, it seemed like the perfect place to take them. My wife and I got there at 6:30 p.m. We had a hard time finding an empty parking spot, and this was on a Thursday evening! As we got out of the car, we were greeted by one of the most appetite-inducing aromas--the sweet perfume of slow-smoking pork, which led us right up the front steps of Lucille's. If you are someone who considers barbeque foremost among the food groups, you will love what you find.
A hostess greeted us and guided us through the restaurant to our table on the scenic front porch of the building and presented us with menus. The view overlooking the Village Walk faces King's Fish House, Kennedy Tavern and Al's Garage, which are just some of the other eateries at the popular outdoor mall. It was the perfect spot to see all the hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan area.
The house was hopping and very few tables were left in this 400-seat restaurant; we were lucky we came early. Our server, Steve, was one of 32 staffers working the floor. He came by the table, introduced himself and took our drink orders. I was in need of a cold beer and ordered a bottle of Corona ($4), which quickly disappeared. A basket of hot, light, homemade buttermilk biscuits served with real apple butter in small ramekins was a good start.
Before my out-of-town guests arrived, I ordered Lucille's Appetizer Platter ($16.95) so that we'd all have something to nosh on while we read the phone-book-size menu. This appetizer was the most popular, served on a huge 20-inch platter with seven items for everyone to try. It had hot, spicy, lip smacking barbeque chicken wings, a mound of onion straws (crispy, long, battered and spiced shoestring fried onions), breaded, cheese-stuffed jalapenos, crunchy, fried green tomatoes, Dixie egg rolls, breaded chicken tender strips and a tri-tip quesadilla topped with tomato salsa. Three dipping sauces--ranch, honey mustard and sweet chili (which was my favorite) were served with this mega appetizer. My guests arrived just as the food appeared and they each ordered a glass of Blackstone Merlot $7.25), one of the most popular merlots. Its fan club seems to have mushroomed, due to its excellent value and smooth taste. Iced tea ($2.35) with free refills served in wide-mouth, 32-ounce Mason jars. I defy you to drink more that one!
We finally got around to ordering the main courses. My wife selected the BBQ Black Tiger Shrimp ($19.95), a bunch of small shrimp,