The Fat Man recently began his quest to makes himself the less fat man.
It’s a journey he’s partaken in the past with varying results, but for one near year-long period back in 2016, he buckled down and strictly followed a carnivore eating plan.
That resulted in 100 pounds of weight loss, cleared skin, less aches and pains and an overall increased feeling of well-being. So, with that in mind and hoping to achieve similar results, he set off on a similar path again.
Being that a) he still likes to eat and b) caloric consumption is still a necessity, no matter the eating plan, this journey requires some modification and flexibility when dining.
A la carte becomes a staple at most restaurants, as you don’t want to, say, go to a steakhouse, and order a porterhouse, plus salad, plus baked potato, when all you’re eating is the steak. No sense in wasting money and food.
What results is a lot more cooking at home, but, like any other adult, sometimes, you just don’t have the energy left in the day to prepare a meal. So, you head out, looking for a quick, tasty, and in this case, a carb-free option.
You can imagine the Fat Man’s near elation when scanning the menu at Paleonardo’s on U.S. near Morristown (officially it’s at 41761 National Road in Belmont). For ease of explanation, find Route 40 Lumberjaxe and look for the red food truck in the parking lot.
Now, back to the important stuff–food.
As detailed in last week’s story introducing you to Paleonardo’s, owner Bill Hilton has crafted a menu entirely of natural ingredients, free of added sugars, chemicals, processed ingredients, and the like. There’s no grains or gluten neither.
Being that Hilton, himself follows the paleo diet in his own life, you can image the care he takes in keeping with that theme in the food he prepares for his growing customer base.
It’s not 100 percent carnivore, but there’s no restaurant in the Ohio Valley that comes as close, so yours truly was certainly looking forward to finding place to dine out that doesn’t require him to disregard two thirds or more of the menu.
The Food
Even before going back to carnivore, the fat man has always been a meat eater. It’s the best and most fulfilling part of any meal. He also loves good BBQ, but being that most sauces are based in sugar, it eliminates much of the BBQ options.
If you prefer a wet to dry rub, you’re pretty much out of luck. So, when Hilton offered his BBQ pulled pork, featuring no added sugar, nor artificial, whilst still fitting in with the parameters of the eating plan, excitement mounted.
The sauce is made with allulose, what Hilton described as a rare sugar that comes from plants. It’s not an artificial sweetener, but it does act just like regular sugar when baking and has a similar taste.
It gave the pulled pork that BBQ flavor you’ve come to know and love, minus the guilt. The menu also has BBQ beef in a similar sauce that will be sampled the next time I return.
Now my sides were not carnivore, but still qualified as Keto, so in interest of doing a proper review, I broke protocol for one day.
Hilton served up mashed sweet potatoes that are made with organic coconut milk and ghee, plus a unique spice mix. I was certainly a fan and, if I eventually decide to ease back into keto as opposed to full carnivore, that will certainly be a regular in my food rotation.
The final item on my plate was kind of a paleo lasagna. Instead of lasagna noodles holding it together, it was plantain-based. It was a unique flavor–not quite my cup of tea, but that was also my first time trying plantain–but the meat inside was delicious and, personally, I could eat a bowl of only that. It was THAT good.
My girlfriend, who is not on the carnivore eating plan, was looking forward to trying the food for a different reason as she suffers from stomach ailments that can act up after seemingly any meal.
She opted for the meatball loaf sliders, the cheesy cauliflower risotto, and a slice of the lasagna.
The meat on the sliders was spot on and, as described in the menu, not loaded with fillers. The “bread” for the sliders was an interesting take (I sampled), one we both likes, especially given the carb count. Described as caveman bread, it had the feel and consistency of a biscuit, without all the gate. It complemented the meatball without overpowering the flavor profile. But it did provide a nice texture to go with the meat.
She’s never been a big cauliflower fan, and never tried a risotto, so she wasn’t sure whether she liked the cauliflower risotto or not. I sampled, and while not a liker of anything cauliflower, the flavor was pretty decent. Given my detest of nearly all things vegetables, that’s saying something.
While she enjoyed the food as well, the best part for her was the lack of stomach pains later. There were none to be found, so that in itself–two thumbs up.
I’ll certainly be returning to Paleonardo’s. There’s plenty keto-friendly options on the menu (all of them actually), and a few are calling my name and my taste buds.
I’d recommend this to any carnivore, paleo, keto, and low-carb eaters, and for anyone looking for a healthy, delicious meal that isn’t hard on the stomach.
