The Weekly Eater Nadine Kam

NADINE KAM / NKAM@STARBULLETIN.COM On the plate, clockwise from left, are candied yams, fried catfish, fried okra and Molly's baby-back ribs. In the background are a cup of macaroni and cheese on a beef brisket plate.

If you must have
sauce on ribs,
check these offerings

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As far as ribs go, dry rubs are the best way to enhance flavor, and I'm waiting for restaurateurs to arrive at this epiphany. I have the feeling that some have, but no one wants to be first in introductions because they know education is a tough business. Being No. 1 in innovation just makes people go "Huh?" It's only when players Nos. 2 and 3 get in the game that those with radar go "Aha!" and it's restaurants Nos. 4 and 5 that draw the mass oohs and aahs before the rest are simply deemed copycats.

It's tough to get people off the sauce. We're weaned on the stuff, from beef drenched in teriyaki glaze to hamburger steak drenched in brown gravy and spaghetti painted red with tomato sauce. (OK, pasta does need help.)

Until there's a rib revolution, my dry rub ribs remain the best in town -- patted down with my blend of 18 to 20 seasonings for flavor that's peppery (fresh ground black and cayenne), sweet (brown and white sugar) and herbal (dried oregano and fresh thyme), with a touch of salt (alae and celery). No doubt you have a favorite sauce that goes into making your ribs the best in town. They may even be on the menu on Labor Day, one of the biggest grilling dates of the year. But you gotta feel for all the apartment and condo dwellers whose leases and associations ban them from barbecues, leaving them to fend for themselves, whether by befriending those with back yards and grills or settling for second best at the rib joints in their neighborhoods.

Of all the saucy options, my favorite is still Deb's Ribs & Old School Soul Food at 130 Kailua Road. She does layer the sauce on pretty thick, but it's a rather innocuous one, warm and mellow with a sweet tomato base and touch of fire, all over baby backs that are slow cooked with a flame-grill finish. The price is $8.50 for a half-rack, $10.99 to $14.99 as a meal and $16.50 for a full slab.

I also think Dixie Grill has the right idea in giving customers options. With six sauces offered, you're bound to find one you like. The ribs themselves are smoked before being bathed in the Memphis sauce, dark with molasses and Worcestershire, with the zing of vinegar and black pepper, then grilled. The Memphis is a good base to start with, and employees of the restaurant say it's also popular at the table. Its closest competitor is the sweet, tangy Hawaiian sauce. Right now, I'm favoring the mustard- and tomato-based Savannah, brightened with lemon, which plays off the sweetness of the Memphis sauce. But I might change my mind and pick the Kansas City or one of the Carolina sauces next time.

The best deal at Dixie Grill, at 404 Ward Ave. and 99-016 Kamehameha Highway in Aiea, is a $9.95 one-third rack that comes with baked beans and fries. Hungrier souls can go for the $12.95 half-rack or $18.95 full rack with beans and a choice of side dish.

THIS BRINGS ME to Wahiawa's pride, Molly's Smokehouse, with its Texas-style barbecue. The smoker starts up early in the morning to prepare for rib runs that begin at 11 a.m.

My main beef here is that the combination of smoking and saucing creates a sameness to the sampling. For instance, you can pick from a number of combo platters involving various pairings of brisket, sausage, chicken and spareribs for $10 to $12.50. You can substitute baby back ribs for spare ribs for $2.50, but don't do it. Any flavor and textural differences between the two cuts of ribs are eliminated in the smoking process and sealed with the sauce, a tangy tomato sauce that's a bit lighter than ketchup.

All that red is balanced by a sea of green, the green of men and women in fatigues who frequent the place.

Although I was primarily seeking ribs, I liked the beef brisket ($8.25 or $9.75 with two sides) best. It was fall-apart tender where the pork tended to be chewy, and while pork is generally more flavorful than beef, the smoker proved to be a great equalizer in that department.

The catfish here is mild-flavored and so plump it borders on being fluffy. And Molly's is generous with the side orders ($1.75 single, $3.50 pint, $6.75 quart). A single order is no mere handful, but a Texas-size cup. Betcha can't finish all those yams or fried okra.

In the end, the ribs were not an attraction for me, but there's still plenty -- from brisket to catfish to side dishes -- to bring people back. Desserts are also tempting, and you'll find whole pecan and sweet potato pies ($10) to take home, or if you're trying to be good, just settle for a piece at $3.

And I'll tell you what those evil employees did. After we had settled on dessert, they brought over a complimentary slice of sour cream pound cake ($3.25) fresh out of the oven.

"Try it," they gushed. "It's irresistible."

Now I'm hooked.

MOLLY'S SMOKEHOUSE 23 S. Kamehameha Highway / 621-4858 Food Service Ambience Value Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Cost: About $20 to $25 for two

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See some past restaurant reviews in the Columnists section.

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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:

	excellent;
	very good, exceeds expectations;
	average;
	below average.

To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to nkam@starbulletin.com

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