Friday Find

Friday Find: Where There’s (Southern Smoke), There’s Help for Restaurant Workers

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Monk: In 2017, Hurricane Harvey interrupted what had been an annual barbecue festival thrown by Chris Shepard and friends to raise money for MS. Out of that natural disaster, The Southern Smoke Foundation shifted its purpose to become a relief organization dedicated to providing a safety net for food and beverage workers in addition to establish a full time Emergency Relief Fund.

According to its website, to date the Southern Smoke Foundation has granted $528,600 to 367 F+B workers affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton with more than 3,000 applications in process.

In the below podcast from Southern Foodways Alliance’s Gravy Podcast, Evan Stern tells the story of the foundation and its Houston-based chef and founder Chris Shepard.

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Men in Blazers visits Bar-B-Q King in Charlotte

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Monk: Rog from Men in Blazers visited the Queen City earlier this year to explore its burgeoning soccer culture, but shortly after landing he stopped at the “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”-approved Bar-B-Q King for some pork, barbecue fried chicken, and homemade onion rings and hush puppies.

He met with owner Gus Karapanoa, whose uncle originally started the restaurant, and longtime server Davidto talk about the “Triple D” effect and how they still do things the same way they did when the restaurant started in 1959.

In the video below, the Bar-B-Q King content starts at 3:04.

How a Texas BBQ Joint Fused Tex-Mex and Craft Barbecue

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Monk: Panther City BBQ in Fort Worth, Texas opened in 2014 and is a shining example of bringing Tex-Mex flavors into craft barbecue. Jalapeno sausages and brisket elote cups rub elbows with the brisket and pork spare ribs that you would expect from a craft Texas barbecue restaurant (albeit with some additional flavors).

In this recent video from Eater’s Smoke Point, they follow owners and pitmasters Chris Magallanes and Ernest Morales through a day of prep. Both at the original Panther City location as well as a second restaurant they opened, Fort Worth Barbecue Company, in the former location of Bailey’s Barbecue which had occupied a small building since 1931. While they did change the name, they kept the feel of the building, which is old school, no frills barbecue. Take a look.

A Day in the Life of Barbs B Q, One of Texas’ Best BBQ Restaurants

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Monk: Chuck Charnicart is a veteran of current Texas Monthly #1 Goldee’s Barbecue who struck out on her own in 2023 to start Barbs B Q in Lockhart. Within a year, Barbs had been named a James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, named a best new restaurant by Food & Wine, and named one of Eater’s Best New Restaurants.

In the below video from the Smoke Point video series from Eater, they shadow Chuck as she goes through a typical day opening Barbs. Just another day in the life of one of the best new barbecue restaurants in Texas.

Description: 25-year-old Chuck Charnichart’s restaurant Barbs B Q in Lockhart, Texas, earned a James Beard nomination and Eater Best New Restaurant award within a year of opening in 2023. At the Barbs counter, customers can have their pick of pork ribs, turkey, fajita sausage, pork stew — and even choco pudding for dessert — as well as its famous brisket, coated in Mexican spices and smoked for over 12 hours.