BBQgeek

Kevin Gillespie's new BBQ restaurant

Kevin Gillespie of the Woodfire Grill and Top Chef has made it no secret that he finds swine divine.  Kevin hinted in an interview a couple months ago that he was considering opening a type of BBQ restaurant that didn't exist in Atlanta.  Seeing that Atlanta has more than enough BBQ options to go around, his comment left me wondering what he meant.  I guessed he was either going to do an upscale BBQ restaurant similar to The Pit in Raleigh, NC or that he was going to go hardcore traditional.  Based on this recent article in Food and Wine, it looks like he chose hardcore traditional.  Kevin plans to roast a couple pigs a day and rotate sides.  There is no menu and when the meat runs out the day is done.  The restaurant is scheduled to open in November.

2010 Pork U Schedule Released

Atlanta BBQ pitmaster and owner of Sam's BBQ1, Sam Huff, has released the schedule for the 2010 Pork U barbecue school.  According to Sam's website at www.bbq1.net, "Pork Uis a barbecue cooking class that is designed and intended to transform the average or beginner backyard cook into an outstanding amateur chef."  I've assisted Sam with several of these classes, and I can heartily endorse the class as a great investment for those interested in improving their BBQ skills.  Sam has posted the schedule for this year's Pork U here.  It looks like a total of 9 classes with 15 seats available for each have been posted. $250 will buy you a day at Sam's Wit's End farm in Marietta where you will be exposed to more BBQ knowledge than you can possibly handle, 3 meals, access to well over a dozen cookers, a recipe book, and a really entertaining day (and you can pet a llama, if you like).  One new thing for Pork U this year is the ability to book your class online.  Sam has invested in a total website overhaul that includes the ability to book and pay for your Pork U session via Paypal.

Top Chef Loves Community Q!!!

Pictured left to right - Mike Fincham, Eli Kirshtein, Jim Laber, Jennifer Carroll, Kevin Gillespie, Bryan Voltaggio, Michael Isabella.

Despite the cold weather, five of the contestants in Top Chef 6 gathered in a parking lot in downtown ATL to engage in a little tailgate festivity before the Falcons v. Eagles game at the Georgia Dome.  According to Eli, this mini-reunion had been planned since last June.  Tailgates are all about food and friends.  It's obvious that the Top Chef alum really enjoy each other's company, and Eli and company chose  Community Q  to provide a BBQ spread for the pre-game.  Jim Laber and I showed up (without David Roberts who had cooked every last morsel of this delicious food but had to stay behind to run Community Q) with a full spread of pulled pork, brisket, chicken, ribs, cole slaw, mac-and-cheese, brunswick stew, and beans.  Eli and his way-too-awesome parents provided the Pabst Blue Ribbon and some great stories.  I'm very happy to say that everyone loved the BBQ and had a great time.  It was a great day for Community Q.    As far as Top Chef gossip goes, I was very jealous to learn that the Top Chef crew had done a culinary tour de force of Atlanta restaurants the night before, including Pricci, Eno (Eli), Pura Vida (Hector), and Woodfire Grill (Kevin), and Holeman & Finch.  Past that, I've got no gossip for you.  We hung out, drank PBR, and ate delicious BBQ.  Good times and good people.

 

  

Community Q is open!

On November 16, 2009, Community Q threw open its doors to embrace friends and family to celebrate their entrance into the Decatur, GA restaurant scene.  A partnership between David Roberts, Jim Laber, and Stuart Baesel, Community Q strives to deliver the highest quality BBQ in a comfortable, homey setting.  Working with a lean staff, Community Q offered up the full monty for all their guests that evening.  The guest list for the evening was star studded.  Stephen Herman (Haven), Matt Swickerath (Valenza), Kevin Gillespie (Woodfire Grill), Eli Kirshtein (Eno), Ryan Smith (Restaurant Eugene), Nick Rutherford (The Porter), Gary Mennie (Livingston), Todd Immel (Star Provisions), Brian Horn (JCT),  Jason Panolini (Holeman and Finch), Lynn Sawicki (Sawicki's Meat and Seafood), Clay and Lucy from Ashland Farm,  Cooper Miller (Livingston), Lance Gumere (The Shed at Glenwood) all enjoyed platters loaded down with barbecued short rib, pork rib, pulled pork, chicken, sausage, collard greens, mac and cheese, baked beans, cole slaw, and brunswick stew.  The dining room was packed all night, and the evening was a complete success.  Community Q will be open to the public beginning at 11 am on Friday morning, November 20th.  Please stop by and become a member of the Community.  PS..yes, that is a beer you see in the picture above, however Community Q does not serve alcohol.  This was a BYOB event.  Feel free to enjoy sweet tea, soda, or water on your next visit to Community Q.

Community Q Sneak Peak

David Roberts (in the blue apron) hangs out with the Cains and various friends at the soft opening of Community Q.

I was lucky enough to get to bring my family to the very first service at Community Q in Decatur, GA.  An intimate crowd was treated to delicous sampler plates of barbecued pork, beef, and chicken as well as cole slaw, potato salad, french fries, and the world's greatest mac-and-cheese.   I've been eating David Robert's BBQ for years now, and I can tell you that my meal todaywas fantastic - smokey, juicy, and just plain delicious.  After a couple more friends and family style events, Community Q intends to open this Tuesday or Wednesday, November 17 or 18th.    Feel free to check back here for an official announcement.  Please enjoy a few photographs and plan to put Community Q on your list of things to do.

   
 

Barker's Red Hots - Marietta, GA

 In researching this article, I broke the first rule of food photography.  I ate the food before I took the requisite sexy food shot.  It was just one bite, and I felt terrible about it.  But can you blame me?  Look at those dogs!  Charred on the outside and smothered in chili or original hot relish.  Barker's Red Hots in Marietta, GA is, without a doubt, the best hot dog in all of Atlanta - bar none.  Barker's secret is that the owner, Glenn, grills off his dogs over ripping hot Royal Oak charcoal - blistering, and charring the outside while coaxing it into something otherworldly.  But the hot dog isn't the only thing that's incredible at Barker's.  Pretty much everything on the menu is cooked to perfection and complements each other really well.  Onion rings, fries, loganberry juice.  Barker's offers a slice of the Northeast boardwalk via Buffalo, NY right here in the heart of suburban Atlanta.  We may not have any great NY style deli's in this town, but at least we've got Barker's and that's good enough for me.  Continue reading Barker's Red Hots here.......

Fox Bros. Wing Sauce Review

So, I thought I'd try a different approach in reviewing the Fox Bros. Wing Sauce that  I discovered the other day in Whole Foods.  A shootout seemed like a novel way to approach the review and spice things up on the old blog.  Turns out it was a bad idea.  I put Fox Bros up against the classic Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing recipe.  Of all the things the great state of New York has given the world, I'm pretty sure the Buffalo Wing is the greatest.  I love, love, love a good Buffalo Wing.  So, this really wasn't a fair fight and I should probably write the Fox Bros. and apologize for being such a clod.  The Fox Bros. Wing Sauce is a darn good go-to for a nice pile of smoked wings.  The wing sauce is noticeable different than their BBQ sauce.  It is less sweet and a little more complex in flavor.  Comparing the two labels, it looks like the Wing Sauce has more ingredients.  Anchovy is a common ingredient in both sauces and I find that interesting.  So, I like the Fox Bros. sauces - both of them - but if I was going to sauce up some wings with something other than Buffalo sauce, I think I'd use their BBQ sauce first.

Spotted on the shelves at Whole Foods....

It appears the Fox Bros. are expanding their sauce line to include a wing sauce.  I'm not sure how long this has been out, but I could not find reference to it on the Fox Bros. website.  I wasn't in the mood for wings this week, but I will pick up a bottle next weekend and report back on the results. 

Fox Bros BBQ Sauce review

I've been hearing little things now and then about the Fox Bros. expanding their business.  One rumor said they were working on a sauce and rub for retail sale.  Another rumor suggested that the Fox Bros. were looking to open a second location.  Well, it appears the sauce is a reality.  I first heard of the appearance of the sauce in ATL Whole Foods on Blissful Glutton's blog.  At my first opportunity, I picked up a bottle.  After opening the bottle, I poured a quarter cup into a ramekin and started tasting and playing with the sauce.  It was immediately familiar in a good way.

Much has been said about GA lacking a strong BBQ identity compared to NC or Kansas City.  I agree that ATL's BBQ reflects our status as a city of transplants.  But after tasting the Fox Bros. sauce for a night, I began to think that we might be developing a sauce identity.  Probably the best known and most widely distributed local sauce is Larry Williamson's of Williamson Bros.fame.  Larry's sauce is on shelves in every major grocery store chain in ATL.  As well, it's sitting in the kitchen trailers of many, many of the competition BBQ teams running around the Southeast.  You'd be surprised how many folks use Williamson Bros. as a sauce base.

So, when I tell you that the Fox Bros. sauce reminds me of Williamson Bros., it is meant as flattery.  I've done a side by side comparison.  The Fox Bros. sauce seems to have more black pepper for a backburn.  Williamson Bros. seems to use a larger grind of spice, while Fox Bros. is very finely ground.  In terms of texture and mouth feel, Fox Bros. seems to be a little looser, but that's splitting hairs.  Compared to the popular stuff (Kraft), both sauces are thin.  In the end, Fox Bros seems to have a little more heat, while Williamson Bros. seems to be a little more fruity and sweet (probably the guava).  The one oddball ingredient on the Fox Bros. label is anchovy.  Interesting.  For their first step into the retail product world, I think the Fox Bros. did a great job.  This is a very good sauce that should be successful for them.  I have no problem recommending that you drop $4.69 at Whole Foods to try it for yourself.

The Bucky Goldstein - Muss and Turner's - Vinings, GA

  I happened to be in Vinings on the Saturday before the Great ATL flood of 2009, when the idea to visit Muss and Turner's popped into my head.  M&T has a great reputation around town.  As I pulled up to the restaurant, sitting out front pouring out hickory smoke in the downpour was a Big Green Egg.  I paused under the shelter outside their front door to look at the Egg and I noticed the specials board.  My eye was immediately caught by The Bucky Goldstein: Big Green Egg smoked beef brisket tossed in a BBQ veal demi served on a challah bun with dijon mustard, tobacco fried onion rings, sliced pickles. $9.93.  Now I'm a big believer in the five dollar BBQ sandwich, so I've got high expectations for a sandwich priced at twice that much.  The Bucky Goldstein was almost a perfect sandwich.  The brisket was really smokey.  The house pickles were crunchy.  The BBQ veal demi glace was very, very interesting. I could not pick up the subtleties of veal demi glace, but it was a solid sauce that definitely tasted fresh and not commercial (as in bottled).  The only thing I didn't really pick up was the tobacco fried onion rings.  When I looked under the hood, the onions appeared to be sliced very thin and had lost their crunch from hanging out with that delicious moist brisket.  I'd say to go bigger on the onion rings and you've got a hell of a sandwich.  This was the best brisket sandwich I had  eaten in a very long time.  Kudos to you, M&T.