Linkdown

Linkdown: The Belated April Edition

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Photo taken by Joshua Boucher jboucher@thestate.com

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Earlier this month, the James Beard Award finalists were announced. However, unlike in year’s past, the barbecue nominees were limited to just a couple of chefs in two separate categories – Best Chef: California and Best Chef: Southeast. Curiously, no Texas pitmasters received finalist nominations after Fasicka and Patrick Hicks at Smoke’N Ash BBQ in Arlington and Evan LeRoy of LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin were named semifinalists in January.

For the second year in a row, Robbie Robinson of City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia was nominated for Best Chef: Southeast. This is a major achievement and when he was named semifinalist in January it is believed that he is only the second barbecue pitmaster to be nominated for the same Chef category more than once. Surely, he is in even more limited company when it comes to finalist nominations. Additionally in Best Chef: California, Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano was the other barbecue pitmaster nominated.

Robinson has received some well deserved local press in recent weeks:


The final winners in the restaurant and chef Awards categories will be celebrated on Monday, June 16, during a gala ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Good luck to all the finalists.

Native News

This Saturday, the BBQ Fest on the Neuse in Kinston is attempting to set a Guinness World Record for most barbecue sandwiches sold in 8 hours

Ben’s Backdraft Barbecue in Waynesville is having their grand opening celebration on May 31st featuring a whole hog pig pickin’ and live music

A second Lawrence Barbecue in Cary and a steak restaurant from Christopher Prieto in Durham are two of the most anticipated restaurants opening this year in the Carolinas this spring

Non-Native News

ICYMI, Elliott’s Barbecue opened in Florence earlier this month

Carolina Bar-B-Que in New Ellenton, SC is under new ownership and not only surviving, but thriving

Heirloom Market BBQ is still an essential restaurant in Atlanta

Some fire merch from Peg Leg Porker

Also ICYMI:

So you’ve made it to the Masters; should you get the barbecue sandwich?

Linkdown: 1/30/25 – The Joy and the Sadness Edition

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Monk: Congrats to the 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalists! They were announced a little over a week ago, and from a barbecue standpoint Christopher Prieto of Prime Barbecue was the only pitmaster from North Carolina nominated. This was his first nomination.

Impressively, Robbie Robinson of City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia was nominated for a second time – perhaps the first time someone from the barbecue world has been nominated two years in an row. That’s big time.

https://twitter.com/EaterCarolinas/status/1882089244937871864

By my count, there were 8 nominations from the barbecue world. The Southeast made up 2 of those, as did Texas. The remaining nominations were from California, Mid-Atlantic, South, and in the Outstanding Restaurateur category. The full list is available here.

  • Outstanding Restaurateur – Daisy Ryan and Greg Ryan, Companion Hospitality (Bell’s, Bar Le Cote, Priedite BBQ, and others), Los Alamos, CA
  • Best Chef: California – Darryl Bell, Stateline Road Smokehouse, Napa, CA
  • Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic – Fernando Gonzalez, 2Fifty Barbeque, Riverdale, MD and Washington, DC
  • Best Chef: South – Jordan Wright, Wright’s Barbecue, Johnson, AR
  • Best Chef: Southeast – Christopher Prieto, Prime Barbecue, Knightdale, NC;
  • Best Chef: Southeast – Robbie Robinson, City Limits Barbeque, West Columbia, SC
  • Best Chef: Texas – Fasicka Hicks and Patrick Hicks, Smoke’N Ash BBQ, Arlington, TX
  • Best Chef: Texas – Evan LeRoy, LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, Austin, TX

Nominees for the 35h Annual James Beard Award will be announced on Wednesday, April 2, and winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16. Will someone from the barbecue world win Best Chef? Stay tuned and we’ll find out in a couple of months.

Native News

On the sad side of things, a trio of stories from the world of North Carolina barbecue:

Kyle Fletcher of Kyle Fletcher’s Barbecue in Lowell passed away earlier this year and leaves behind a “legacy of kindness”

Short Sugar’s in Reidsville has closed after 75 years in business

And to add to the misery, Kepley’s in the Barbecue Bros hometown of High Point will close next month after 75 years open

Linkdown: 10/30/24 – Thank Goodness for a Firewall edition

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Courtesy of WFAE

Featured: In case you missed it, Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge in Shelby experienced a fire in their pit room late last week. It reportedly took 15 minutes to put out the fire but thankfully, the fire was contained by the firewall between the pitroom and the restaurant.

While in the immediate aftermath of the fire, the restaurant announced that it would be closed “indefinitely,” I’m happy to report that they are utilizing exterior pits and will reopen for their normal hours starting Wednesday (today!).

Eventually, Red Bridges will redo their pit room once they get through the insurance process. Thank goodness for that firewall, else we would’ve potentially lost an iconic barbecue restaurant that’s been around for nearly 80 years.

Native News

According to Edmar Simoes‘ Instagram, he has left Resident Culture and joined Flour Shop, a new American restaurant in the Montford neighborhood of Charlotte that utilizes a wood burning oven and emphasizes “a traditional style of cooking with fire while using the freshest, locally sourced ingredients.”

I reached out to Edmar and he confirmed the move and mentioned that he will be working on some sort of smoke special soon. So stay tuned.

Congrats to Longleaf Swine, who took home some awards in the recent News & Observer Raleigh’s Best List: Gold for Best Barbecue and Silver for Best Ribs & Best Chicken Wings

The Pik N Pig stall at the NC State Fair in Raleigh is always a popular stop

A recap of this past weekend’s Barbecue Festival in Lexington

In the afterglow of last weekend’s Concert for the Carolinas in Charlotte, here’s a great story on Eric Church’s early days playing at the old Woodlands Barbecue & Pickin’ Parlor in Blowing Rock from The State You’re In

Non-Native News

A couple of recent reviews from the ever-prolific friend of the blog, John Tanner, starting with smoked pastrami at ZZQ

…then he tried the Fletcher’s BBQ food truck that serves the Richmond area

…his most recent review is of Redemption BBQ in Short Pump, VA, which he proclaims may have the best pork in all of Virginia but don’t sleep on the Brunswick stew

Linkdown: 9/18/24 – The Pig Pickin’ Edition

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Good news: the Annual Mallard Creek Barbecue returns for its 93rd iteration on Thursday, October 24! And after a couple years hiatus, dine-in eating returns! Mark your calendars.

Native News

File under “things you love to see”: Old Colony Smokehouse in Edenton has added whole hog barbecue to its daily menu

Speaking of whole hog, the Carolina Barbecue Festival is hosting a new fall event: the Fall Pig Pickin’ will take place on Sunday, October 6th from 12-4

Sam Jones will be at the Louisburg College’s Norris Theatre this Thursday at 7pm for an event that is free to the public

In this video on the Kevin’s BBQ Joints Instagram page, Michael Letchworth from Sam Jones BBQ walks through the whole hog process

Ronald Simmons from Master Blend Family Farms recaps this year’s Pinehurst Barbecue Festival

Congrats to The Smoke Pit for winning The CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice for Best Barbecue in Charlotte