The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Verve

Media Credit: Brandon Iwamoto Terry B. Wilson, owner of Raymond's Rollin' & Smoking BBQ, adds ribs to a smoker in the parking lot of the Campus West Shell on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Shields Street. His restaurant is located inside the Shell station, alongside the Caribbean Food Shack.

I've never spent so much time at a gas station convenience store in my life, but it was smoke that drew me to the Campus West Shell on Shields Street near Elizabeth.

And now I'm hooked.

The eyes get it first - that glimpse of smoke billowing from the big black cylindrical machine on wheels. Then it's the nose, catching the sweet, pungent aroma of smoked meat. But it's the mouth, the taste, that does you in.

Lately the Shell store is a happenin' place. Terry B. Wilson ("the B is for barbecue"), a cook fresh from Kansas City, set up his Raymond's Rollin' & Smoking BBQ in a kitchen shared with Angela Ramdass, who hails from Trinidad and peddles her Island vittles at the Caribbean Food Shack.

Both have excellent sauces, their own special style, and keenly know their niche.

At Angela's, you'll find meat pies, street vendor "doubles," "roti" (also known as pork chop sandwiches) and fish or vegetarian entrees, along with daily specials and all-you-can-eat Spaghetti Sundays.

Don't expect ordinary spaghetti, lemonade or pork chops from Angela. She infuses everything with her island touch. The tamarind marinade is a perfect blend of sweet and tang. And if you like it hot, try the "Stupid" hot sauce or Jamaican Jerk Wings.

My favorites are doubles - only $1.95 each: fried barra bread stuffed with chickpeas and catfish on Fish Fridays. With herb-laced batter and a slight kick, the fish is tender and moist.

I also love the sautéed slightly sweet, pie-spiced pumpkin that accompanies entrées. And when the pumpkin is stirred into a warm and creamy coconut milk soup, there's nothing better. But try it all. I've yet to be disappointed.

"You don't need teeth to eat our beef" boasts the sign above Raymond's, and this is true for the tender brisket that Terry B. pulls from the smoker and chops finely for his brisket sandwich, or the popular "Famous" Raymond, which is piled high with the tasty stuff and topped with a slab of smoked beef bologna and a hotlink.

Continued...

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