The gas grill debate rages on...

Imagine there are two types of cars out there. Let’s pick a minivan: practical, roomy, reliable. And the Range Rover: beautiful, unpractical, un-economical but, man, the thought of driving vertical ignites the senses. Same holds true for grill choices. The propane-fired box heats fast, allows man’s primal instinct to shine with few flare ups, offers great heat control but delivers, umm, an average-tasting result. But, oh man, it’s reliable, quick and can feed a family of four in 20 minutes start to finish. (Images of Tony Soprano poolside come to mind.) The other choice is primal: cooking over wood briquettes or charcoal fire! Its uneven heat and (sometimes) lighter-fluid flavors ignite our inner cavemen. Dinner planning can take hours as we make sure to have: a) a bag of charcoal; b) newspaper to light the charcoal; c) matches to light the newspaper; d) lighter fluid to keep the fire going. Oh, the joys of summer! Oh, and which neighbor’s yard shall I dump the coals and run?! So, yes, Mr. Ozersky’s rant about gas is valid for a few. For the rest of us suburbanites, turn on the tank, brush down the rack and go get ‘em. I’d rather you try and partially succeed in your ultimate grill quest then fail and deliver food that tastes like lighter fluid. Of course, all this being said, at BGR, we use gas grills modified to hold charcoal above the flames to replicate the backyard traditions of yesteryear. Yes, Mr. Ozersky, yesteryear.

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