– Lolis Eric Elie thinks the nation is currently in the “cover-band” stage of barbecue; read this article to see what exactly he means

Barbecue’s migration to the national stage is almost complete. This summer, in Parade magazine, John T. Edge declared this the “new golden age of barbecue,” saying, “Americans adopted barbecue as our national folk food.”

That is exactly what barbecue didn’t need.

– Several Pittsburgh-area barbecue restaurants have been influenced by the Carolinas

– North Mecklenburg Republican Women will host its 5th annual Pig Pickin’ and Politickin’ event on Sept. 10

– This Slate writer believes that if “you put enough barbecue sauce on anything, it’ll taste good,” which is just wrong on so many levels

– A University of Alabama professor recently received an $18,000 grant from the Southern Foodways Alliance to study how barbecue has become such a cultural phenomenon in Alabama

– Clyde Cooper’s will be rebuilding – ahem, “reincarnating” – its current interior when it relocates to a new Raleigh location just around the corner in December (via) 

– The event schedule for the Q-City Charlotte BBQ Championship has been released and includes concerts, contests, and a brewfest

– Because it is the best (non-alcoholic) drink to have with barbecue, I present to you “The History of Cheerwine”