How a Master Chef Is Roasting Whole Suckling Pigs in the Middle of NYC

Monk: Eater’s Smoke Point focuses on a wood-fire restaurant in New York City called Peasant, where the chef is roasting whole suckling pigs on a rotisserie wood-fire oven. Those suckling pigs are then portioned into a whole pig dinner that has to be ordered 24 hours in advance.

Description: At NYC’s Peasant, chef Marc Forgione took over from chef Frank DeCarlo after over 20 years, and has kept the idea of wood-fire cooking in NYC alive. The restaurant’s menu includes a whole pig dinner that must be ordered 24 hours in advance of the reservation, as well as wood-fired oysters, Piedmontese steak tartare, and many handmade pastas.

NC Weekend Checks Out Prime Barbecue and Its “Full-Blown Barbecue Campus”

Monk: NC Weekend’s been pumping out the barbecue content lately, and in a recent visit host Deborah Holt Noel took a visit to Knightdale to sit down with owner/head fire maker Christopher Prieto for a tour of the restaurant and to try a little bit of everything on the menu.

Description: See why Prime Barbecue is drawing huge crowds to its popular spot in Knightdale.

12 Bones Smokehouse is More than Their Blueberry Chipotle Ribs

Monk: Famously, President Barack Obama ate at the original 12 Bones Smokehouse in the River Arts District of Asheville. That location is now gone, but they’ve opened a huge “South Asheville” location that houses the smokehouse as well as the brew system for the 3-year old 12 Bones Brewing. Speedy and I have visited the original River Arts location as well as the Arden location but I’d be curious to check out this combo brewhouse and barbecue location to see how their barbecue tastes like these days 10 years on after an ownership change as well as sample their beers.

Description: In the western mountains of NC, Asheville’s 12 Bones Smokehouse is known for its BBQ and brews. Over the past 16 years, this neighborhood pub has prided itself on being a diverse and welcoming establishment for all to enjoy. Notably, 12 Bones has had the honor of hosting President Obama on three separate occasions. Find out why locals and tourists alike keep coming back to savor 12 Bones.

Barbecue is Truly a North Carolina Icon

Monk: Dr. Dana Hanson of NC State’s Meat Science Department breaks down east versus west barbecue in North Carolina in this video from Our State Magazine.

Description: ’Cue is our state’s signature sustenance, but with two distinct styles — eastern and Lexington — that’s typically where our agreement ends. Luckily, no matter which side of this delicious rivalry you fall on, barbecue is a food that brings people together.