Right off the bat I’ll pre-empt the emails by saying – yes, I have heard about all the anti-masking antics and how the owner ignored city regulations and allowed customers to continue to dine in their restaurant. Does this bother me? A little, as I do believe there are a group of vulnerable people living in our society that needs us to sacrifice our freedoms to protect them.

Does it mean I won’t ever eat at Adamson Barbeque again? No. This pandemic has been a trying time for many people, especially for small businesses that are employing others who are trying to survive. How people react to stress can differ – fight, flight, or freeze. Adam Skelly, the owner of Adamson Barbecue, responded with fight. And in any fight, there are oppositions. I, for one, am staying neutral in this battle. Perhaps for the simple fact that Adamson makes damn good barbeque. At a level I’ve yet to find readily available in my neighbourhood.

I challenge you to think otherwise once you’ve had one of their pork spareribs ($20/lb; 4 large-sized ribs). Why so many restaurants use baby back ribs is beyond me. Sure, the order may look impressive with a half rack or the full thing, but I’m one for quality over quantity. I’d much rather have four AMAZING juicy ribs than ten okay ones any day.

What makes this cut particularly suited for barbeque is that there’s a layer of fat that runs throughout the meat. Think of it as the marbling you find with rib eye. And that layer of fat keeps everything juicy while it’s being cooked so the ribs develop a lovely smoke ring while being tender. And it doesn’t fall off the bone, so that you can eat it off the bone. For me, that’s all part of the enjoyment of having ribs. A greasy rib followed by some of the crispy pickles and I’m a happy camper. We’re definitely getting two pounds of this next time.

Another characteristic of an Adamson product is the absence of powerful sauces. The ribs aren’t slathered in a sticky sauce; there is a bit of a glaze and an underlying garlicky rub, but it’s not in your face. Yet somehow, it’s just enough seasoning to make it work.

Even their pulled pork ($16/lb; enough for 3 really stuffed sandwiches) isn’t drenched in sauce. Instead, the portion is wrapped in butcher’s paper, so all the delicious juices are kept inside and when opened releases the most heavenly smell into the room. The pork arrives in large chunks enhanced with a light tangy vinegar so you can easily eat forkfuls plain.

Or you can wrap them in the delicious white bread that comes with the order. I swear there must be some dairy product used in the dough - I wish I could order it by the loaf. Top with some of the thinly sliced pickled onions and it’s fantastic.

We usually have a couple forkfuls of the pulled pork fresh on delivery day, then let it steep in its juices and intensify overnight to make delicious sandwiches the following day. The leftover pork reheats nicely in the pan with some barbeque sauce thrown in to keep it moist.

I’m still not sold that I actually enjoy beef brisket ($30/lb; ~7 slices), my husband informs me that I likely just don’t like first cut portion of the meat. It’s the cut that you think of when you picture brisket – uniform rectangular slices of beef. It also happens to be the leanest portion so that it’s flavourful but seems dry, especially after having a pork rib to start. Next time, we’re going to see if we can get slices from the point cut, which happens to have more marbling.

Nonetheless, brisket does make for good leftovers – our third dinner from this meaty weekend feast. Re-heating it with sauce for about four hours in the slow cooker really breaks up the remaining beef fibers.    

While we had every intention of getting the corn bread ($20 for 8 pieces) and freezing half to enjoy later. We somehow consumed the entire batch within five days – they make for a great snack or even dessert after a quick nuke in the microwave to get them soft again. Wow is Adamson’s corn bread good.

Out of all the media-fueled frenzy, Adamson Barbeque has been temporarily shutdown from doing takeout and has pivoted to catering instead. It’s a boon for barbeque fans across the GTA, we can now get fantastic barbeque (and more) delivered to our homes on weekends. And as for all the haters: keep calm and eat barbeque.

My husband had apprehensions about eating on a patio when Toronto’s stage two plans were announced. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that we finally made our way to Parcheggio – after I promised we could ditch the reservation and leave if the table set-up seemed unsafe.

Thankfully, it never came to that; the tables were more than amply spread out and the extra safety measures immediately set us at ease. Of course, every staff member was donning a mask and they disinfected tables and chairs in between sittings. This was further augmented with a host of other tactics:

• Menus were printed for single use or you could bring it one step further and scan the QR code to display on your phone.
• Our table had an extra on the side where our server placed a tray with our drinks, water (in a bottle), and cups to serve ourselves. This table was also where we should put things we wanted taken away, so they could be removed without them reaching over our food.
• All cutlery was tightly wrapped in napkins to keep them sanitary until ready for use.
• Guests had to wear masks to enter the building to use the bathroom, a rule that was tightly enforced.

While choosing a restaurant, I sensed Parcheggio would be safe. After all, it’s owned by O&B, a chain with such a longstanding reputation that they wouldn’t risk tarnishing it with packed tables and sloppy service. The restaurant is also located in a structure detached from the rest of Bayview Village to keep the foot traffic around the patio minimal. If you’re also faced with a hesitant diner, this is the place to bring them.

Another attractive aspect to Parcheggio is their patio menu also includes items from their adjoining sister restaurant, Beauty Barbeque Smokehouse. Italian and Southern food in one? Sign me up!

We started on the Beauty side, with the Southern fried shrimp ($24 for 1lb). It’s exactly what fried shrimp should be: clean sizeable prawns that are lightly dusted in cornmeal flour and fried until they’re just cooked through. Boy are they good, and the “white sauce” accompanying it – like a less tangy ranch – was the perfect pairing.

In hindsight, we miscalculated the order size and would have been more than satisfied with half a pound… I couldn’t even count how many came on the plate. Luckily, they taste equally delicious re-heated in the toaster oven the next day.

From the Parcheggio side came the chicken parmigiana ($24). The chicken was breaded in the same light cornmeal flour and topped with a lovely tomato sauce and mozzarella. It’s one of the better chicken parmigiana I’ve had, using just enough of each ingredient to blend into a harmonious flavour. Plus, the addition of roasted cherry tomatoes is genius, a burst of freshness to lighten the dish. Even the side of spaghetti pomodoro was delicious, made from chewy fresh pasta tossed in a thick marinara and basil.

The only faux pas was how the chicken was served: the two thinner slices on the bottom, sandwiched between a warm plate and the hot thicker slice on top. It meant the first portion was juicy and absolute perfection while the other two seemingly drier after such a great start. To be fair, I had to pack the other two to go, so they likely would have dried out from re-heating anyways.

Having snuck a bite of my husband’s smoked brisket burger ($19), I had to have another taste. The combination of a perfectly seasoned smashed beef patty topped with a slice of smoked brisket is a brilliant blend. The fixings are kept simple – a thick slice of juicy beefsteak tomato, shredded lettuce, and caramelized onions that almost resembles a chunky chutney – all on a soft potato bun that disintegrated halfway through the burger. It could have easily become too salty, too saucy, or steeped in oil, but Beauty kept it balanced and smartly left off cheese.

The burger is served with either fries or tater tots – yes, you heard right, tots! Those delicious nuggets of miniaturized hash browns. We ended up getting both as they noticed the side was wrong while bringing it out and was already firing up the right side, which arrived minutes later.

By this point, I was in a delirious carb heaven. While the shoestring fries were a bit salty, they were nonetheless cooked well … crispy with a bit of creaminess in the centre. The tots were crunchy, hot, and fresh. As delicious as they were, I must admit it’d be too heavy with the burger, so the substituted fries were likely the better choice. Instead, the tots came home with us and was a great addition to breakfast.

A common thread to the meal, aside from all the dishes being scrumptious, is that the portions are BIG (almost every table was asking for a takeout container). Thankfully, Parcheggio also invests in biodegradable paper containers carried out in a paper bag. A big nod of appreciation from me, on behalf of our environment!

It was a great dinner (and breakfast and lunch to follow). Such a success, that my husband’s already asking when we can return. Apprehensions I’ll be damned.