Once they were derided by critics. Even the nickname of the scant, slithery sandwiches slapped together by White Castle was intended as a gastrointestinal pejorative. But that was then.
“Sliders” are riding a resurgent wave these days. Embraced by creative chefs, celebrated on magazine covers, they fit neatly into the growing interest in tapas and small plates. Dressed with fine cuts of meat and fancy accoutrements, they can pack a wallop of flavor into a bite.
Just don’t expect the BBQ tri tip sliders at The Boathouse Bar & Restaurant in Nice to leave you wanting.
“We give hearty portions with everything,” owner Cathy Farley acknowledged.
That courtesy extends to the downsized sandwiches. The kitchen plates three of them, each glutted with sliced beef and grilled onions that spill over the edges. Treat the sliders carelessly and there is a risk of avalanche.
But the risk is well worth it. Suave tri tip revels in a hedonistic sauce that indulges both in earthly delights and the razor sharp gossip of vinegar. It cavorts between the burnished bellow of molasses and the bright acid, honed by garlic and jalapeno.
“Everyone does like that sauce,” Farley said.
It engages the bittersweet note of grilled onion. The way it plays with the meat, however, is even more remarkable.
Farley and her crew treat the tri tip slow and low then take a few extra steps along the way, introducing a little smoke and a char — all before the meat crosses medium rare. So a hint of smoke and trenchant pan sear drift up through the sauce, pulling on the deep savor of molasses before drafting back down where the vinegar sabers some of the richness and draws you to that next bite.
Yet a key to The Boathouse’s creation may be the bun. Sturdy rolls are buttered and tossed onto the grill, developing a patina that not only defies the oozing wealth of sauce, draped onions and beautiful red meat, but also takes on a character of its own.
“The toast gives it a good crunch,” Farley noted. “Every element is important.”
Indeed, a simple and not-so-little stack of bread and meat, dressed with onions and sauce, becomes so expansive you may just push away any sides ordered with nibble size sandwiches in mind.
Yes, sliders were once considered puny things, unworthy of a place in the culinary pantheon. The tri tip version served at The Boathouse will make you forget the past.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
