In a recent episode of Eater’s The Meat Show:
What does it take to be a professional carnivore? This week, The Meat Show host (and meat-eater-for-hire himself) Nick Solares visits Daniel Vaughn, the barbecue editor for Texas Monthly Magazine, to discuss the perks and pitfalls of having a carnivorous career.
–Monk
– JJR’s BBQ at Bank of America Stadium has gotten the upgrade treatment as part of the latest round of renovations at the stadium
– The Southern Foodways Alliance has an oral history interview with Jiyeon Lee and Cody Taylor of Heirloom Market BBQ
– Several barbecue sammies on Esquire’s “Where to Get the Best Sandwich in Every State”, including a barbecue sandwich from Stamey’s in Greensboro
– “One of the reasons the project took longer than expected to complete was the discovery of a barbecue pit from the first brick and mortar barbecue restaurant in Lexington. Greene said the pits were hidden behind a closet in the former conference room, but when workers discovered what they were city officials knew they had to preserve that heritage, even at the cost of delaying the project.”
Lexington City Hall renovations reflect heritage, future https://t.co/WqShF4b9OQ pic.twitter.com/AQLRoE9HDv
— The Dispatch (@lexdispatch) July 22, 2016
– Grant’s latest stop is Bluegrass Barbeque in Moody, AL which was the last stop on his Memphis trip
– TMBBQ visits Lewis Barbecue in Charleston and John Lewis proclaims “I live here, and I’m staying here”
– Sports Channel 8 makes the case for ECU to the Big 12 based on barbecue
Often times, I hear the Greenville television market getting knocked when conference expansion conversations happen. And yes, it’s not that large. But considering the Big 12 is a Texas-based league, I don’t think we’re looking at this the right way. Instead of looking at ECU’s market in terms of television size, let’s view it strictly in terms of BBQ quality. Texas has the brisket, I get that and I love it. But Greenville has B’s and Skylight Inn and Parker’s and many other great choices. Whether you like slaw on your pork or not — I personally choose to go without it — ECU’s BBQ scene stacks up with anybody in the country.
– Tough decisions:
When you’re between the brisket and the pulled pork and you just can’t decide pic.twitter.com/miBu261Z9C
— First We Feast (@firstwefeast) July 26, 2016
Name: Luella’s Bar-B-Que
Date: 6/26/16
Address: 501 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
Order: Chopped Plate with Fries, Slaw and Hushpuppies, Cheerwine (link to menu)
Speedy: A day after visiting Buxton Hall, I decided to have a treat yo’ self meal at another ‘cue joint, so I texted Monk to see where he thought I should go. He mentioned that he’d wanted to try Luella’s for a while, but hadn’t gotten around to it, so I undertook the task. Walking in, Luella’s has ample seating and a nice, long bar, as well as some outdoor seating. Overall, it seemed like a great place to have a meal.
The menu advertises the chopped pork BBQ as eastern style, so that was my order, along with fries, slaw, and hushpuppies. The food came out quickly and I dug in.
The pork was, simply, divine. It had great smoke flavor, lots of bark, and was cooked and chopped perfectly. I think it could have used a little more tang, but I’m definitely splitting hairs. When compared to Buxton Hall, this pork had more bark and smoke, but was just a little behind in terms of tenderness and tang. Knowing Monk, I think he’d disagree, but I’d have to give Luella’s a very slight edge. But you can’t go wrong either way.
The sides were also good. The vinegar based slaw was enjoyable, even if it didn’t quite stack up to the Lexington style barbecue slaw. And the hush puppies were no slouch either.
Monk: Before Buxton Hall and even Etowah Smokehouse came along, Luella’s had been on my radar. So that’s great to hear that it worked out for you. I mean, 4 hogs? That’s high praise.
Speedy: Overall, I only had time for a quick meal at Luella’s, but I’ll definitely return. I hate that I didn’t get a chance to try any of the other meats, but this is definitely a place worth visiting.
(For another review of Luella’s Bar-B-Que, check out Marie, Let’s Eat!)
Ratings:
Atmosphere – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs
Elliot Moss and his wife Jenifer joined the AVL Food Fans podcast for a roughly 30 minute discussion on how they met, how Buxton Hall came to be, and some of the issues they have faced when provided substandard hogs from a vendor. Very interesting stuff.
AVL Food Fans is your new favorite show about the amazing local Asheville food scene with food writer Stu Helm and Chef Joe Scully of Corner Kitchen and Chestnut.
Link to podcast (the interview starts around the 20 minute mark)
–Monk