Size matters

Not everything that comes from Texas sucks. For starters, consider the Back Forty Texas BBQ chain, with restaurants in Roseville and Shingle Springs. Like many concerns from the Lone Star State, Back Forty got its start in a poker game, but that doesn’t mean you have to gamble on the food offered here. Everything on the menu, from whole roasted chickens to sliced beef to meaty, succulent pork ribs, is a safe bet. Back Forty recognizes that the culinary habits of Americans, even those who insist on blackening everything they eat, have changed during the past decade, and the selections on the menu, right down to side orders of cornbread and sweet honey butter, reflect these new, leaner sensibilities. There’s a spacious dining area for those who like to stretch out on their lunch and dinner breaks, and more than a half-dozen carry-out specials such as the "Posse Package": enough ribs, beef, pork and chicken to feed six people, all for only $45.95. Maybe things do come bigger from Texas.