Gabriel's Fire
2408 NW 80th St.
Seattle, WA 98117
(206) 783-4223
www.gabrielsfire.com
Open 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

By Patricia Devine and Jim Anderson

It's been a bit of a roller coaster for the new Gabriel's Fire barbecue joint in Loyal Heights, and just like the real roller coaster at the Puyallup Fair, the lines have been "you're kidding me" long at times. But our experiences here have been explosively positive, and the food really spun the heads of some our barbecue-head associates.

Originally opened in July, the restaurant experienced a brief closure as permitting snafus were worked out. But they're open again; and the meats, sandwiches, and sides can dazzle. Tucked into a storefront on 24th Northwest with seating for a dozen or so diners, Gabriels's Fire provided our foursome moist and tender spare ribs, the fall-off the bone kind with a ideal red bark (the tell-tale sign of slow-smoked meats).

A word about bark: when heat, pork and spices meet, the result can be what's called the "Maillard Reaction," a chemical reaction between an amino acid and sugar. Some of the most laudable moments in eating involve this action (toast, biscuits, malting), and the brown crust around unbeatable smoked meat (from the on-site smoker out back) salutes this process.

The Half Sampler ($14.25) provided plenty of action for four engaged eaters, particularly when buttressed by a stunner of a pulled pork sandwich (we over-ordered, and had enough to feed four excited eaters plus a few days worth of lunch leftovers). With the diverse array of brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, and your choice of chicken or flank steak seasoned with your choice of sauces and three sides, this is the choice for the grazer.

Every single bite of the barbecued meats warranted sustained oohs and ahs, with the punchy sauce and soft, warm and yielding texture. We've had pulled pork sandwich twice ($6.50 with one side), just to make sure our enthusiastic take on sando number one was deserved. It was. This baby sings, with soft bread, tender and crusted pork, and the cheerful but slightly restrained Carolina sauce.

The sides were just what sides should be at barbecue establishments: serviceable, engaging, and second fiddle to the meats. That is, after all, we call them "sides" and not "centrals." The slaw was smooth and silky, without the watery sadness that can plague slaws. Macaroni and cheese is a simple as it gets, with nicely cooked little elbow macaronis, cheese, butter, salt and pepper. With all the hippy-influenced overly busy mac and cheeses out there (with broccoli, nuts, carrots, goat cheese), this ode to simplicity is a welcome complement to the more action-oriented meats.

Barbecued beans taste fresh and not too gummy, with a ruby-red-and-bronze color. We confess that we measure all macaroni salads against the vaunted measuring stick of Hawaiian Macaroni salad. This is our own burden, as it renders almost all other macaroni salads into also-rans. And consistent with this, the mac salad at Gabriel's is, well, not Hawaiian. But it's not supposed to be.

Like any newcomer, Gabriel's has few rough spots to work out. But the good vibes and hard-working and friendly crew (plus beer) make any visit a warm and welcoming event. On our first trip, a dinner rush that appeared to overwhelm the counter person and the lone chef in the kitchen. So we changed our in-house order to "to-go" and went home to await completion. Barely home we received the call and dashed back where everything was bagged, ready, hot, and delicious.

Barbecue is measured by the quality of low temp smoking and this place does it perfectly. The array of sides allows for individualized tastes, and the customer can rest assured that whatever sauce is put into play (from the list of several, including sweet, hot and smoky), the meat below will be serve as a worthy and well-barked foundation.

Tidbits: Portage Bay Cafe from the U District will be opening its third location on Market Street near the Locks, in the former Graces Kitchen spot. We're glad that space didn't go to waste. And Ristorante Picolinos on 32nd & 65th across from Rain City Video will be opening in early October. This pizzeria with espresso and wine will be participating in the Ballard Art Walk. Know anything we should know? Tell the Tell the Ballard Food Police at ballardfoodpolice@gmail.com.