Concord

Linkdown: 11/28/23 – The Brisket Makes Everything Better Edition

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Monk: Team applications for Memphis in May are officially open for next year’s festival which will take place in Liberty Park

This of course is after a new, upstart festival has been announced to be held at (plot twist) Tom Lee Park, where Memphis in May had traditionally been held. Forward Momentum are the organizers behind the rival festival which will be held at the same time as Memphis in May, and Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porkers is on board to compete, even going so far as to say “BBQ in Memphis belongs on the river, and with Forward Momentum, we now have the means and resources to make it happen.”

This has led to the picking of festivals between the big competition teams and so far it looks like Memphis in May is ahead early by my unofficial count with Jack’s Old South and Moe Cason are on board so far as well as The Usual Saucepects Championship BBQ, Heath Riles BBQ, and former 2x Grand Champions Willingham’s World Championship BBQ,

As for me? If I make either festival it will surely be Memphis in May at Liberty Park.

Finally, in perhaps somewhat related news, the CEO of Memphis in May is retiring at the end of January.


Native News

Congrats to Raleigh’s The Pit, which will celebrate 15 years open this weekend

Phar Mill Brewing and BBQ’s downtown Concord location is now closed to the public and they will focus on the original Harrisburg location going forward

Can’t wait to see this new Jon G’s design on a t-shirt

FoodieScore checks back in with Johnny Ray’s Smokehouse in Fallston

A free gift with purchase from Concord’s SnS Grills

Speaking of gifts, this shirt from House of Swank is a little too reductive terms of barbecue ideology, but I appreciate it nonetheless

Non-Native News

FatStack Smokers, who relocated from California to Texas and has been accused of taking customers’ money without providing actual smokers, has closed up shop

Speaking of Houston, here’s J.C. Reid’s top 30 barbecue restaurants list for the city

One more from J.C. Reid on how brisket makes a Philly cheesesteak even better

Big Dave’s BBQ makes this Eater Essentials list for Greenville, SC

A review of a new type of grill brush

Talk about a #woodpilewednesday

Linkdown: 6/7/23 – The Agent ‘Cue Edition

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Monk: Queen City Nerve goes deep on the roots of the newly opened Firehawk Brewpub in Mount Holly. While I haven’t made it out there myself (and couldn’t make the media opening due to family commitments), I do plan to make the trip very soon. After reading this article about the barbecue restaurant/fish camp/brewery, I’m even more excited.

Native News

Dana Hanson is a Meat Scientist at NC State and runs their annual barbecue camp, modeled after Texas A&M

Sweet Lew’s BBQ and The Smoke Pit are two vendors for this weekend’s Taste of Charlotte

Looks like Christopher Prieto and Prime Barbecue will be on UNC-TV soon

New Sam Jones BBQ merch just in time for Father’s Day

Non-Native News

John Tanner enjoyed Randy’s Ribs , a carry-out place on Route 5 in Maryland

Fresh off retirement from the competition circuit, Melissa Cookston weighs in on 14 barbecue myths

Congrats to Kevin Bludso on the James Beard win for his latest cookbook;

No barbecue pitmasters or chefs won this year and the Carolinas were also shut out, but here’s the full list of winners

Charlotte Barbecue News from the Final Months of 2022

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Monk: The biggest news from a mostly quiet past three months was the reopening of Bubba’s Barbecue in north Charlotte after 2+ years closure due to the pandemic. It technically opened over the summer, but that was a quiet reopening and it wasn’t publicized until October.

As noted in the article linked below, the restaurant first opened in 1963 as Jackson and Spoon’s Barbecue (later just Spoon’s Barbecue) on South Boulevard. In 1987, owner Ralph Miller purchased the restaurant and the original recipes. He later renamed the restaurant Bubba’s Barbecue and moved it to Sunset Road, where it has been serving Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue since 1994.

I’ll have a report back in a few weeks, but in the meantime it’s good to have a classic barbecue restaurant back in operation.

October

10/7 Bubba’s Barbecue quietly reopened over the summer, reports the Charlotte Observer

10/9 Jon G’s Barbecue collaborates with Lawrence Barbecue on a taco pop-up in Raleigh at Trophy Brewing

10/11 Mac’s Speed Shop’s latest location in Concord will also feature live music

10/18 Local coverage from WSOC TV on Phar Mill Brewing & BBQ‘s expansion into Concord

10/23 Courtney’s BBQ in nearby Clover opened a brewery that is open every day the restaurant is

November

11/7 The Smoke Pit wins Best Soup for its Smoked Chicken and Dumplings in the 17th Annual Soup Sampling by Cabarrus County’s Meals on Wheels

11/17 Jon G’s Barbecue collaborated with Virtuoso Bread in Waxhaw by smoking a bag of rye berries for 4 hours “in a way that the flavor would come out gentle and not too intrusive”

11/30 The NC F&B Podcast publishes its podcast visit to Jon G’s Barbecue

December

12/19 Midwood Smokehouse’s Raleigh location (opening this month) will have some different items than their current stores, including what looks to be a crunchwrap-type item

12/28 Mac’s Speed Shop has new menu items until the end of February, including this beef rib

Linkdown: 11/2/22 – The Call Back Later, Anthony Bourdain Edition

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Monk: Two decades ago, Anthony Bourdain and his production team reached out to Ed Mitchell at The Pit in Raleigh to talk about getting on season 2 of his show “A Cook’s Tour.” The only issue was that it was in the middle of a lunch rush. So, Ed Mitchell being a man of the people, he told him to call back because he was busy.

Forbes contributor Leslie Kelly recently caught up with Ed Mitchell and his son Ryan in light of his recent induction into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame earlier this year. In addition to his True Made brand of barbecue sauces, he’s got a book coming in 2023 along with (hopefully) his much-delayed brick and mortar barbecue restaurant in Raleigh, The Preserve BBQ.

Native News

Shepard Barbecue will be on this Friday’s episode of Diner, Drive-In’s, and Dives airing at 9pm on Food Network

More on Phar Mill Brewing & BBQ’s expansion into Concord

Philly Bite Magazine (huh?) weighs in on NC barbecue with a half decent list

Non-Native News

John Tanner’s been making the rounds again, this time in the heartland of the country.

First up, he meets up with BBQ Tourist (and friend of the blog) Ryan Cooper at Porky Butts in Omaha, Nebraska for a platter of some Kansas City barbecue

…he hits up the Boxer Q food truck in Topeka, Kansas for a pork sandwich after a 10k walk

…he visits Chef J BBQ in Kansas City, Missouri for some wonderful by recommendation of Ryan

…back in Maryland, he enjoys Chicago-style rib tips and ribs at Uncle D’s Grill

…finally, he tries out Due South BBQ in Christianburg, Virginia for a pork sammie and the ever-rare side of hushpuppies (in Virginia, at least)