EDIBLE: Nana’s BBQ in Chualar honors the barbecue-grill gods.

Like an Olympic gold-medalist wrestler taking on a junior-varsity grom, it pins the paper nacho dish with nearly three pounds of sliced jalapeño, green onion, shredded cheese, tender tri-tip, bacon bits, sour cream and slow-baked potato.

The Godfather ($12) makes an offer that’s hard to refuse, and even harder to complete.

Its picture occupies the sign above the door at newly reinvented Nana’s BBQ (679-2920) – “Home of the Godfather Baked Potato” – but even then it’s not the most striking thing happening at the old-school altar to barbecue, tucked 20 seconds off Highway 101 in Chualar.

There are other physically imposing things, like the huge oak grill smoking away out front starting at 8am. (Hours are 10am-8pm/close.) There’s the expansive spread on top of the adjustable trailer grill, which stops newbies in their tracks to gawk at the parade of big potatoes, the whole chickens flayed flat with criss-cross grill marks, the hot links and Bar M extra hots, the lacquered ribs and massive tri-tip, the thick brisket and the occasional smoky burger. There’s the “cowboy ribs” on the corner of the grill, looking heavy enough to bend the stainless steel poker used to flip the 16-ouncer.

Then comes word the new owner is the same man made quasi-famous in Eastside Salinas at a place called Quality Market Liquor & BBQ Grill (424-1045). It was there he barbecued customers’ successful hunting hauls and stocked the coolers with iguana, antelope, deer, duck, elk, alligator, llama, buffalo, shark and turtle.

The prices per pound, when I discovered Quality in 2011, ranged from $12.99 (for the ostrich) to $150 (iguana). More exotics – all farmed for harvest and USDA-approved – are scheduled to arrive as soon as next week.

That said, even with all the whoa payload, the thing that’s ultimately most impressive is more subtle, almost energetic, at first: How well the food fits the mood.

It happens in the way the Santa Lucia Highlands rise behind the smoker out front, stretching to the edge of the clouds hovering over the Salinas Valley. It happens because the parking lot borders Taqueria Hidalgo (679-2384), meaning two of the best blue-collar epicure destinations down here happen to be neighbors.

It happens in the way entering eyes take a second to adjust to the saloon setting: A bar hosts a half-dozen stools and a few draft beer taps (though they’re still waiting on the beer-and-wine license). Lacquered wood tables enjoy cattle brand markings, as do square shingles over cement walls with river stones embedded in them. Barbecue sauces sit in unmarked squirt bottles.

But more than anything, it’s the way owner-pitboss Gary Nana welcomes an unknown new customer into the kitchen – “Have they met?!” someone wonders aloud – and conducts a tour of the pile of oak firewood in the back, within view of his house, and the special indoor pit grill in the adjoining 1900s banquet space.

If someone arrives at shuttin’ time, he’ll happily stay open.

“We don’t close the doors on anybody,” he says. “And we don’t call them customers. We call them friends.”

When we go dealer’s choice on what we want, he brings out pork spare ribs worth the drive from Seaside; two types of brisket, both with a balance between smoky, crispy and tender; and a tri-tip plate with superior potato salad.

“If you got no teeth, you can eat my beef,” Nana says.

Then the Godfather himself, followed by the only thing ready to wrestle it: the signature “suicide” sandwich on a soft-but-substantial hoagie roll, piled high with chopped tri-tip, top round, chicken, brisket, hot links and pork ribs, all simmered with White Zinfandel and MasterChef barbecue sauce, topped with jalapeños and cheddar-jack cheese.

“Don’t be scared, bro, just bite into it,” says a young cook with his head shaved clean and a build like a small stadium.

“Though it might kill you,” Nana adds.

The place officially transitioned to Nana’s about a half-year back, supplanting what was Georgie’s Steakhouse. Nana and company set about replacing a water heater, sinks and a grease trap. Before Georgie’s it was Sammy’s Steakhouse, where reservations, way out here, were mandatory.

The site is ready to return to glory. Barbecue won’t return to its heyday in California – or Monterey County – any time soon.

Barbecue around these parts, thanks to meat costs and shifting diets, did in worthy spots like Curly’s BBQ (Seaside), Central Texan (Castroville) and Henry’s BBQ (New Monterey). Fortunately relatively new Bon Ton L’Roy’s Lighthouse Smokehouse and Salinas City BBQ remain superlative spots for grilled meats.

Given the health and environmental toll of meat production, that drop-off is just fine by me. Meat should be a treat, and not the majority of six courses. For his part, Nana feels a balance with vegetables is key. Hence the veggie Godfather potato loaded with cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, peas, jalapeños, chives and optional cheese.

I’ll stick with the reigning champ, topped with that stupid-good pork rib (instead of tri-tip). And the belief that, when meat is a treat worth taking on, Nana’s BBQ presents a great place to wrestle with.

~ QUICKBITES ~

• Castroville Artichoke Festival opens up at Monterey Fair & Event Center Saturday-Sunday, June 3-4. See p. 24.
• The 43rd annual Monterey chapter of the American Culinary Federation gala ($130, 601-5895) goes down Saturday, June 10, at The InterContinental on Cannery Row with honorees like Dorothy Maras, Arlene Mead and Bill Cox, benefitting MEarth.
• Ted Balestreri of Sardine Factory (and Cannery Row Company) is the first recipient of the National Restaurant Association’s Legends Award.
• Executive Chef Chad Minton helped bring California Market at Pacific’s Edge into the new reinvented era at Hyatt Carmel Highlands. Now he’s off to attend to other projects, including focusing on his TrueCooks lifestyle start-up dedicated to gear, tools, networking and events. (“The world’s first and finest lifestyle brand for chefs, by chefs,” as Minton puts it). His close collaborator and sous chef Francisco “Pancho” Castellón is on the short list to replace him. More movement: Jayson Rydell is in as food and beverage manager.
• A reinvention is well underway in Carmel-by-the-Sea, as Nico’s has become new Enzo Ristorante Italiano (624-6545). More on the blog.
• An institution honors a quarter century as Monterey Sports Center celebrates 25 years of pioneering community fitness building party goes all day with music, special classes, food and drink Thursday, June 1. (See p. 25.)
• The street next to Post No Bills (324-4667) now has a yellow parking spot that reads, "FOOD TRUCK PARKING ONLY FRI-SAT 5-10PM." For now it's Tacos Don Beto, Fridays only.
• Consumer watchdog CALPIRG and its allies delivered a letter signed by over 30 organizations calling on In-N-Out to make good on its promise to switch to beef raised without routine antibiotics. Fifteen months have passed since the pledge.
• National Egg Day is June 3. Sweet Elena’s in Sand City (393-2063) celebrates with all kinda quiches.
• Frank Deford (RIP): “You can tell all you need to about a society from how it treats animals and beaches.”