'Cue the Applause

The sides were worthy of sharing. The scalloped potatoes were rich and creamy, the very good baked beans were dense with chopped meats (which is why they don't appear on the vegetarian-friendly salad plate), the fresh shredded purple-and-green-cabbage slaw was tart with cider vinegar, and the salad of mixed greens appealingly topped with bright marinated slivered red and yellow peppers.

The gorgeous sunny yet breezy weather (with a cooling glimpse of the Pacific visible through the trees) didn't feel like an occasion for hot soup, but when we asked what the soup of the day was just for the hell of it, our server sweetly brought us tiny paper cups so we could taste the homey butternut squash and roasted vegetables puree she'd just prepared. The only sweet on offer, homemade oatmeal-and-raisin cookies, looked equally appealing, but unnecessary after our pig — and brisket, and chicken — out.

We lingered, picking at our food, as we idly watched the golfers slowly working their way around the idyllic course. Never before had we felt an urge to bash away at a golf ball, but with buckets going for $4 or $10 at the driving range, it seemed an attractive possibility. But we didn't need golf to bring us back to Ironwood BBQ. The combination of its hidden setting and its barbecue were completely unforgettable.