It was a Saturday afternoon and I was heading back to Marshalltown, IA for another show at Iowa River Brewing Company. I split the night with a pop country trio and the plates on their RV showed they were from Minnesota. That was...what it was. Anyhow, the weather was nice that evening and I got to play outside on Iowa River Brewing's beautiful patio. I had a good group of folks turn out to the show and show some love for my songs. A standing ovation had never happened for me, until that night. But, back to the trip. Fortunately for me Bondurant was on the route, directly. I swung into Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company that has, again fortunately for me, partnered with the next door barbecue joint Boxcar BBQ. Craft beer and barbecue. My heart, and stomach, were full. 

​Getting sappy. Back to the food!

These beans were served up in the classic white styrofoam cup and they were steaming hot. These were of a single bean variety and came served up in a sweet sauce. If they had had a little more spice to them, these would have been near perfect baked beans. In addition to the beans, this dish had a small amount of finely diced white onion cooked in it. The geniuses behind this concoction also threw in large chunks of their pulled pork, which added a nice change in consistency from the perfectly cooked beans. Plus, you get a sampling of their delicious pulled pork as a bonus. 

Ratings (On a scale of 1-5)
Appearance: 3
Flavor: 4
Mouthfeel: 5

Total Score: 12
The best beans I've had all year. 

For what it's worth,
Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company's 1884 Coffee & Cream Ale (not pictured): 5

I made my way down to Omaha on a Friday night. I had thrown my hat in on a 4 songwriter bill at The Barley Street Tavern. It's situated on a side street, next to an alley, in the "up and coming" Benson neighborhood. The Barley Street Tavern was a diamond in the rough...except the opposite of that. An old tree stump in the middle of a wildflower field. That doesn't quite have the same ring to it, but you get the point. It was comfortable being a dive bar in an otherwise gentrified part of town. A dive bar of the first order, I'll have you know. Neon sign and all. I had a short set that went well, and it was a pleasure to share time with 3 other talented guys. I especially liked Tom Bartolomei's songs and I think you would too. 

Unsolicited artist promo over.

Let me tell you. These beans were...sold out. They must have been good. If the green beans, ribs, or cornbread were any indication, I'm sure they were delicious. Also I got creamed cucumbers instead of coleslaw, but I'm not complaining. 

Ratings (On a scale of 1-5)
Appearance: 0
Flavor: 0
Mouthfeel: 0

Total Score: 0

For what it's worth,
​Tom Bartolomei's songs: 5
(Now the unsolicited artist promo is over)