BBQgeek

Dave Poe's BBQ - Marietta, GA

 
 

Barbecue brings people together.  Friends and family gather at the table to eat, laugh, and talk while enjoying pulled pork, ribs, brisket, chicken and delicious side dishes.  But for some families, barbecue is more than just a great meal.  Dave Poe of Marietta, GA embodies the idea of barbecue as a way of life.  Dave's family has been in the barbecue business for many years.  Dave got his start in barbecue with his father, catering and competing around the state with Stump and Sons BBQ.   Atlanta magazine recently recognized Dave Poe's BBQ  as some of the best barbecue in the city and the best cole slaw overall.

The  accolades in Atlanta magazine are just a friendly reminder of the quality barbecue served on a daily basis at Dave Poe's.   Over the past few years, Dave has earned glowing reviews from the Atlanta Journal Constitution and a devoted word-of-mouth following that keeps his restaurant packed for every lunch and dinner.  I recently stopped by to visit my best friend and mentor to grab a bite and some photos to share with each of you to remind you why you should make it a point to stop by and enjoy some of the fantastic food available at Dave Poe's BBQ.

continue reading Dave Poe's BBQ here....

Community Q named as a Top 10 New Dining Destination in the USA!

MSN.com published a list of the Top 10 New Dining Destinations in the US this morning.  Atlanta's own Community Q was the only restaurant in Georgia to be included on the list.  Other notable restaurants included Collichio & Sons (NYC), and Thomas Keller's Bouchon (Beverly Hills).  Congratulations to David, Stuart, and Jim on such a tremendous achievement. 

Cochon 555 - Atlanta, GA

Pork liver pate with apple jelly from 2010 winner Sean Brock of McCrady's of Charleston, SC at Cochon 555.

Cochon 555, a multi-city, national event celebrating the cultivation of heritage breed hogs, rolled into Atlanta, GA this past Sunday.  It was my second pork-themed event in less than a month.  You may have already read my write up of the Southern Foods Pig Out in the Park.  What can I say?  I'm a lucky guy.  The basic premise of Cochon 555 is to assemble five of the best regional chefs, give them each a 175 lb. heritage breed pig to cook, and let the assembled masses enjoy the fruits of their labors.  Joining these five chefs are five wineries showcasing their wines.  So, the 555 equals 5 hogs, 5 wines, and 5 chefs.  Simple enough.  Atlanta's Cochon 555 took place at the downtown W hotel.  Several hundred foodies, food critics, and bloggers turned out to indulge in everything fine about swine (did I really just make that horrible rhyme?).  I've assembled a simple photo essay with minimal commentary to describe the event for you.  Enjoy.  Continue reading Cochon 555 - Atlanta, GA here....
 

Smokin' J's BBQ - Marietta, GA

 
Marietta, GA is rapidly becoming a hotspot for BBQ restaurants owned and operated by cooks with a background in competition barbecue.  By my highly unofficial count, the Marietta area plays host to at least four restaurants operated by  competition barbecue cooks - David Poe, Sam Huff, Jeff Rittman, and Bubba Lattimer (who currently holds the #1 position in the national competition barbecue rankings.)  The latest addition to the Marietta barbecue scene is Smokin' J's, launched by Jeff Rittman roughly three weeks ago in the East Lake shopping center on Roswell road.  In the spirit of full disclosure, Jeff has been a friend of mine for years now.  We met while assisting Sam Huff at one of his legendary Pork U. barbecue cooking classes.  While I channeled my BBQ fever into a little blog, Jeff turned his love of BBQ into a successful competition cooking team and catering.  Jeff is bringing to Marietta all the tricks of the trade that he has learned over years of competing and catering around the metro Atlanta area.  All of Jeff's meats reflect lessons learned in competition.  They have solid flavor, bark, and smoke.  The interesting bit is Jeff's sides.  Pineapple express (a heavenly pineapple bread pudding/souffle) and three different kinds of cobbler seem to speak to his background in catering.  All in, Marietta has a solid new option for barbecue.  Continue reading Smokin' J's BBQ - Marietta, GA here.....

Pig Out at the Park - March 23,2010

Southern Foods will be sponsoring an event for food industry professionals at the Park Tavern in Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA, on March 23rd from 3pm to 8pm to highlight their services and products.  Pig out at the Park will feature a BBQ cookoff competition between 13 of Atlanta's top chefs.  The competition will be judged by Allan Benton of Benton's Hams, David Roberts of Community Q, and yours truly (the BBQgeek!).  Here is the lineup of competing chefs:

1    Rathbun's  - Kevin Rathbun 
2    Dogwood Restaurant  -    Shane Touhy   
3    Serpas True Food  -   Scott Serpas  
4    Two Urban Licks   -   Cameron Thompson   
5    Holeman and Finch  - Jason and Ryan
6    4th and Swift  -  Jay Swift  
7    Miltons  -   Boyd Rose  
8    Haven  -    Stephen Herman
9    Valenza  -    Matt Swickerath
10   JCT Kitchen   -    Ford Fry   
11   Speakeasy  - Wes Chapman   
12   Prestige Gourmet   - Robert Guillou
13   Parker's on ponce   - David Hartshorn

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.