Linkdown: 11/4/20

Featured

A trio of John Tanner Barbecue stories on NC barbecue joints – Rick’s Smokehouse, The Barbecue Center, and Midwood Smokehouse – including where I (Monk) was able to meet up with him in Charlotte. I enjoyed a meal with John – he got the pork combo platter and I got the brisket – on the patio at the Park Road location of Midwood Smokehouse a few weeks back on a warm October weekday. John certainly has his bona fides when it comes to barbecue – he is a certified True ‘Cue Inspector for the Virginia and DC Metro area and has an impressive archive of reviews over at John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog – and is an even nicer man to boot. I enjoyed our lunch conversation that ranged from barbecue to NASCAR to John Coltrane. Be sure to check out his blog and like his Facebook page.

Native News

Blues on Franklin gives Chapel Hill a new barbecue option owned by three generation of Tar Heels

QSR Magazine interviews Sam Jones ahead of his Raleigh restaurant opening later this year and some of the challenges faced due to COVID-19

Picnic is selling to-go coolers of barbecue or fried chicken

Non-Native News

Dozier’s BBQ is worth the drive, and in Houston that usually means a lot of driving

Interview with Evan LeRoy of LeRoy & Lewis from Austin 360

In Texas, Thanksgiving means barbecue (much like every other day)

In Texas, bakeries also sell barbecue cookies

Linkdown: 10/14/20

Featured

Instead of this year’s Barbecue Festival the 4th weekend in October in Lexington, the organizers behind the festival are instead holding a food and blood drive to benefit the community. The Barbecue Center, Smiley’s Barbecue, Smokey Joe’s BBQ, and Stamey’s Barbecue (the one in Tyro) are all participating by setting up donation tents where non-perishable items or blood can be exchanged for barbecue sandwiches. “Lift Up Lexington” is a positive spin on a barbecue festival cancellation.

From the press release:

On Saturday, October 24th, when more than 125,000 people were expected to gather in Uptown Lexington for the 37th Annual Barbecue Festival, local businesses and organizations will join the festival organizers in utilizing “festival day” to uplift the community.

With an emphasis on giving back and the city’s world-famous barbecue heritage, Lift Up Lexington (#liftUPlex) will include two components: a food drive and blood drive. Event organizers will have seven drop off locations for the food drive which will benefit Pastor’s Pantry. Those who wish to contribute are asked to bring a minimum of five new, unexpired non-perishable items. Requested items include can goods, cereal, pasta & crackers. Read more here

Native News

Clyde Cooper’s Back starting today

Southern Smoke BBQ‘s collards chowder is featured in Saveur magazine

Midwood Smokehouse, Stamey’s Barbecue, and several other barbecue restaurants appear on this list of places where presidents and presidential candidates have eaten in North Carolina

B’s Barbecue makes this list of things to do in Greenville, NC

Reminder: you can order Picnic by 3pm today and pick it up in front of the future Wyatt’s Barbecue in Raleigh on Thursday

Non-Native News

TMBBQ profiles Dozier’s

Roegel’s Barbecue is diversifying its barbecue menu in beef-lovin’ Texas

The Pig Out Inn originally opened in 1996 and was sold to Katie and Bubba McCabe earlier this year during the pandemic

Friday Find: Wyatt Dickson and Ryan Butler on the NC F&B Podcast

Barbecue man Wyatt Dickson and farmer Ryan Butler join the NC F&B Podcast to learn hosts Max and Matthew a little something about barbecue and discuss their upcoming Wyatt’s Barbecue restaurant in downtown Raleigh, which will have freshly baked buns from their neighbor and abundant parking.

Description: According to Wyatt Dickson, pitmaster of Picnic and the soon-to-be-opening Wyatt’s Barbecue, almost every noteworthy barbecue restaurant in Eastern NC has great fried chicken. But what is “barbecue” exactly? Wyatt has some thoughts on the term.On today’s episode, we talk with Wyatt and his partner in crime Ryan Butler about how the pair met after leaving their white collar jobs to barbecue, what makes NC so special in terms of food and agriculture, and what to expect from Wyatt’s Barbecue in Raleigh (P.S. you can pick up Wyatt’s every Thursday in Gateway Plaza!). Tune into the episode now with the link in the comments!

Linkdown: 7/8/20

The NC Pork Council announces the “Summer of Cue”; take selfies at five barbecue restaurants now through Labor Day and you will get a special edition t-shirt. Full details at the link.

A mural of David McAtee, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd is almost complete in Louisville

Don’t forget about the classic joints (in Texas or otherwise), like Meshack’s Bar-Be-Que Shack in Garland

Todd Richards has opened Lake & Oak BBQ in the former Greater Good Barbecue location in East Lake in Atlanta

Socks Love Barbecue is the best barbecue in Atlanta according to the readers of The Atlanta Journal Constitution

Anaheim’s Heritage Barbecue gets profiled by Eater

Buxton Hall Barbecue had a small fire last week after reopening but thankfully it was not catastrophic. They reopened briefly on Friday however per their Instagram have since closed again due to a “set back in building repairs” but they will be reopening “ASAP.” Here’s hoping that’s sooner rather than later.

Picnic has been able to maintain its barbecue throughout the pandemic due to the hog farm co-owned by the oners of the restaurant

Leland Smokehouse has opened in the town of Leland outside of Wilmington; it is the second restaurant from Troy Knight, the owner behind Southport Smokehouse

Rosako Bailey of Rosako’s Soul Food & BBQ in Fort Worth is used to helping others but now needs help

Big Rojo is the Big Red-flavored beer from San Antonio-based Islla Street Brewing

Great news from Hogs For The Cause

And last but not least, big congrats to Ryan Cooper (aka BBQ Tourist) on getting the news that he is cancer free!