Monk: The Cuegrass festival, a mix of barbecue, bluegrass, and beer, is back next April in downtown Raleigh. It’s been a few years since I’ve been, but it looks like they’ve moved a few blocks away from in front of The Pit restaurant onto Fayetteville Street. Here were my thoughts from 2019:
Bark Barbecue Café and 2Fifty Texas BBQ mix Texas tradition and hospitality with touches from their Armenian and Salvadoran cultures, respectively. https://t.co/nisGMRyS5x
North Carolina’s oldest barbecue restaurant will celebrate its 85th anniversary on February 11. That’s right, 85 years! Clyde Cooper’s Barbecue has seemingly been invigorated by the “BBQ Karen” controversy from late last year and will take its newfound energy into its 86th year in existence. A big congrats to them!
Native News
Eater has released an updated restaurant list for the Triangle
A construction update of the Raleigh location of Midwood Smokehouse
Ray Nathan’s recently celebrated their 4th anniversary earlier this month
Meet Cece of Lincolnton’s Bar-B-Q King
Cece has been such a blessing to us! She helps prep every morning. I’m sure she is tired of slicing onions because we go thru A LOT. But she always does it with a smile on her face. Glad to have you here🙏 pic.twitter.com/GTdndlzPO9
Hill East Burgers in DC cold smokes their burgers with brisket trimmings for their take on smoked smash burgers
There is a reason, I suspect, that smoked burgers became a trend among Texas pitmasters only in recent years. The owners of Hill East Burgers and I dig into the subject in my latest column.https://t.co/dNojjM6kET
I covered this on the Facebook page briefly a few weeks back, but Smiley’s Lexington BBQ has officially announced its closing due to the NCDOT widening of Winston Road in Lexington. This widening was first announced in 2018 with a start date in summer 2020 but had likely been delayed due to the pandemic.
While owner Steve Yountz is not ready to retire just yet, per him “right now there is no definite plans on relocating as far as availably and affordability.” Patrons will have until February 26 to dine at the current location of Smiley’s before it closes its doors for good.
Nearby barbecue restaurant Speedy’s is also expected to close as a result of the road widening, however they are more optimistic about reopening in a new location and plan to rebuild and relocate, depending on the compensation they receive from DOT.
While the optimist in me hopes that both restaurants are able to relocate and continue business in due time, I worry that by next month we will be down two more classic NC barbecue joints.
Native News
A helpful post from Grady’s
Non-Native News
Applications for the Preserve the Pit fellowship are due March 1st
We continue to celebrate Black barbecue culture by launching year two of our Preserve the Pit fellowship and doubling our investment towards aspiring barbecue professionals. Check out details and apply: https://t.co/IYglP3WOgf#PreserveThePitpic.twitter.com/r1sGUEZvJL
Tim Carman of The Washington Post comes out with his annual barbecue list, with the wrinkle of releasing it in the winter time when some joints are closed
Carman also mourns the loss of pitmaster Corries Hardy
As we celebrate the best smokehouses in DC for 2022, I’d like to pause for a minute and acknowledge the loss last year of one of Washington’s best pitmasters: Corries Hardy. I really miss his presence at the Montgomery Farm Women’s Cooperative Market. https://t.co/6kwtRV7OMV
Rodney Scott and Eric Church getting into the honkey tonk game, and bringing whole hog to Broadway at Chief’s
In case anyone was wondering, the next country singer signing on for restaurant and bar ownership in downtown Nashville is Eric Church, and this time Carolina pitmaster Rodney Scott is getting in on the action.https://t.co/v472hUfRe2
Texans love traditions, and when it comes to barbecue, that means the Texas trinity of brisket, pork ribs and sausage. But like everything else in the barbecue business recently, that tradition is adapting and evolving. https://t.co/dpg88ZCGOi#houbbq#texaspic.twitter.com/0XZ3o7s6vj
A fun story from Charlotte Magazine on how Chapel Hill-born fashion designer Alexander Julian got paid in barbecue for designing the original Charlotte Hornets jerseys.
According to Juilian (also known for the UNC Chapel Hill argyle and being the costume designer for Robert Altman’s The Player), “I had this idea: What good is money if you can’t buy barbecue? I call it Carolina caviar. … I said, ‘I’ll give you ownership of the design for five pounds of Carolina barbecue a month.’ A (writer) asked me to sum up the whole experience. I said, ‘Well, George (Shinn) got rich, and I got fat. I traded $10 million worth of royalties for a gut.'”
Getting paid in barbecue, that’s the dream. Well played Alexander Julian, well played.
Native News
Garren of Jon G’s Barbecue featured on the Minsters of Smoke Instagram page
The Texas Monthly BBQ Fest moves to Lockhart for this year’s edition
The best barbecue event around is moving to the BBQ capital of Texas. Mark your calendars for 11/5 & 11/6 in Lockhart for our biggest BBQ Fest ever! Like Texas Monthly BBQ Fest on Facebook to stay in the know. https://t.co/zmORHSkdvx @cityoflockharttx #tmbbqfestpic.twitter.com/b6Nhx3ev17
The first rule of barbecue wood selection? Don't use pine. @BBQSnob lists other important considerations in this experts' guide: https://t.co/3iuvZpXawk
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