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Holy Smokes! The New Golden Age of Barbecue

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In the latest edition of Parade Magazine Southern Foodways Alliance Director John T. Edge weighs on the current resurgence of barbecue cooked low and slow (aka the right way).

Welcome to the glory days of American barbecue. And not just in Texas. In Tennessee, in the Carolinas, out in California, and beyond, pitmasters like [Aaron] Franklin carry forward a style of cookery that predates our republic.

The feature also lists seventeen new “restaurant critics’ favorites barbecue joints” (although it curiously includes Bobbee-O’s in Charlotte), documents a day in the life of Aaron Franklin and Franklin’s Barbecue with some great photos, and answers some question/accusations about the cover’s similarity to TMBBQ’s top 50 issue.

And while the Parade article covers some of the history of barbecue, this Smithsonian Magazine blog on the evolution of barbecue is also worth reading.

-Monk

Holy Smokes! The New Golden Age of Barbecue

CHARLOTTE EATS: Harrill’s Bar-B-Q

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I was directed to this site by a tweet from Charlotte Burger Blog (who was put onto it by @MatthewGreen73), so naturally I did a search for barbecue restaurants of Charlotte past. Harrill’s Bar-B-Q was located off Kings Drive until a little over 30 years ago in a building that is now Philadelphia Deli. Based on the description below, I would be a very frequent customer of this place were it still around today.

 Its speciality was Western-style barbecue cooked over a charcoal pit. They also had a full menu of sandwiches, burgers, steaks, and chicken. Harrill’s would run into the late-60’s. For the last 30 years, the Philadelphia Deli has occupied the original Harrill’s building.



(photos linked from Charlotte Eats blog)

-Monk

CHARLOTTE EATS: Harrill’s Bar-B-Q

Asheville’s 12 Bones ownership changing hands

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As of today, actually. Speedy and I will be visiting one of their locations in late September and will report back.

Update: More info here

Future plans include the installation of an outside patio at the Riverside store, equipped with heaters. Even when the cold months hit, it’s hard to handle the crowds, and the extra seating is needed.

-Monk

Asheville’s 12 Bones ownership changing hands

Chicago BBQ Guide

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Barbecue still holds a romantic allure. At its heart, you take meat and apply heat via the smoke of a wood-burning fire. There’s something primordial and attractive about the process. Unlike grilling a steak or frying a pork chop, smoking meat requires patience and instinct…which is why it’s easy to spot a barbecue restaurant, but hard to find one that does the job consistently well.

Filing this away for any future trips to Chicago. Interestingly, one of the three co-writers of this feature went on this ridiculously awesome barbecue road trip through the south in 2010.

-Monk

Chicago BBQ Guide