— TheToothfish

Like an athlete running a marathon, there’s an internal timer ticking away, and eventually, however many months or years it may be, the chefs of once-great restaurants give way to the stress of nightly services or old age or both. And for those places that occasionally jump up into excellence before hitting the ground again, it’s a matter of realizing the concept of a marathon, that occasional plates of greatness get you nowhere in the long-term, that a steady stream of tasty successes is the name of the game.

A recent trip to Birmingham’s BBQ pride, Dreamland BBQ, showed me that old age may be getting to this 50-year-old institution. The first trip had me at first bite. The ribs were juicy, well-smoked and overall excellent. But a second detour on my way to Atlanta proved less than worth it. This time, the ribs were tough, chewy and occasionally undercooked.

Of course, one trip every three months is hardly enough time to take a complete picture of where this restaurant really stands, but since I don’t live in Birmingham, snapshots will have to do. And as of now, those snapshots are looking rather blurry.