Sweet Home Alabama
restaurantMontreal, Toronto, Vancouver
(Mar.06.07)
To please you, your man endured the ballet on Friday night and spent Saturday shoe shopping at the mall. He gamely offered his opinions on spring boots and summer sandals. (Clearly a sign of his strong character.) He even carried your coat and purse as you tried on sweaters at Banana Republic. He’s a keeper! 
But you must reward this kind of selfless behaviour with dinner at a robust restaurant. Your man needs a meal at Bofinger, the city’s only true, southern-style barbeque smokehouse. This man-friendly den is a clubby, leather-bound restaurant in N.D.G. that’s designed to treat meat lovers and budget hawks alike.
How does Bofinger make melt-in-your-mouth pork ribs, chicken, turkey and beef? In a special smoke machine that cooks the meat for 10 hours at 220 degrees over maple wood (clearly authentic.) Get a plate of maple barbeque smoked turkey for only $6.99, including two side dishes. The pulled pork barbeque sandwiches are only $5.95, while the six pork ribs are only $11.99, served with Hungarian coleslaw or potato salad.
Warning: Eating at Bofinger isn’t elegant. Leave your dainty ways at home. Expect to get barbeque sauce under your fingernails and elsewhere. But the sauces, with names like Memphis Magic and Atomic Alabama, are worth the mess.
It’s finger-licking good.
Le Restaurant Bofinger Barbeque Smokehouse
5667 Sherbrooke St. W. (near Esposito’s)
(Phone number not listed)