Linkdown: 3/30/16

Voting ends tomorrow for Thrillist’s America’s Best BBQ Bracket (vote for Red Bridges!)

– The fast casual concept of Midwood Smokehouse, named Midwood Smokeshack, will open its first location in Matthews

– Charlotte Observer food writer Kathleen Purvis has 5 styles of brisket to try around Charlotte, including the smoked version at Sauceman’s

– Purvis also explores the black/white cornbread divide; loyal readers will know which side I fall on

– Yet another NC barbecue roadtrip list

-The Indy Week out of NC’s triangle has a feature on Picnic:

– Speaking of which, Picnic is now open on Sundays

– Fox Bros. in Atlanta is expanding with a barbecue kiosk at the up-and-coming Armour Yards

– Robert Moss takes a quick trip to Houston and focuses on the boudin sausage

– Red Clay Soul has a Georgia Mild BBQ Sauce Bracket

– The origin story of Heirloom Market’s spicy korean barbecue sandwich

 

Linkdown: 3/23/16

– North Carolina, y’all:

– Midwood Smokehouse is opening its 3rd Charlotte-area location at the Park Road Shopping Center later this year

– A new barbecue and music venue called Raleigh Roadhouse sets its grand opening April 1-2 in Raleigh on Glenwood Avenue

– John Shelton Reed’s upcoming Barbecue book is included in this rundown of upcoming books

– Grant visits Archer’s BBQ in Knoxville, a small regional chain

– Daniel Vaughn visits The Beast, a Texas-style joint in Paris, and is pleasantly surprised

– The Central Carolina BBQ Academy has begun meeting in Dunn at the old Harnett High School (for now)

In a small, smoky room of a long-closed school, Gregory Hamm is teaching heresy. His disciples, long familiar with the eastern Carolina dogma of barbecue, are being taught that there’s more to perfect pork than vinegar.

– Hugh Mangum of Mighty Quinn’s has Houston roots

– Southern chefs (and a couple barbecue men) ponder whats next for southern food

Linkdown: 3/16/16

– John Shelton Reed of True Cue in the New York Times on North Carolina and the Politics of Barbecue

– Thrillist releases the 2016 Best BBQ in America and it includes 4 from NC:  Lexington Barbecue, Allen & Son in Chapel Hill, Red Bridges in Shelby, and Skylight Inn in Ayden; there’s also a bracket contest you can vote in

– Local coverage of Allen & Son making the list

– Thrillist Charlotte’s list of best barbecue restaurants in the city include a closed restaurant (Bobbee O’s), a national chain (Jim N Nick’s), and a few other questionable choices

– Grant visits Carl’s Drive-Inn near Knoxville, which despite some old signage doesn’t actually sell its own pit-cooked barbecue anymore

– Queen City Q’s Whiskey & BBQ event is tonight

– Meanwhile, Midwood Smokehouse’s Wine & Swine Dinner (also tonight) is sold out:

– Speaking of wine and barbecue, the future of barbecue in Charleston after this past weekend’s Charleston Wine + Food Festival

The Charleston Wine + Food events, I think, offered a sort of preview of the future of barbecue in one of the South’s great culinary cities. At least a half dozen new barbecue joints have opened in the city in the past year, and several more are still in the works. Their fare is as diverse and ambitious as the dishes served up at the festival, and in an upcoming installment we’ll take a survey of this evolving Charleston barbecue restaurant scene.

Best of Charlotte Barbecue: Ribs

We initially started this blog in order to find the best barbecue restaurant in Charlotte. While we feel pretty comfortable with our current rankings on the big board having visited 40+ restaurants, what more logical next step than to explore the best meats and dishes in the greater Charlotte area? This is the third post in our series. Click here to find the other posts.

Between the two of us in Charlotte, Speedy is much more the rib guy. Not that Monk doesn’t enjoy a quality rack; it’s just not his preferred meat. Plus, its debatable whether or not ribs are really truly considered barbecue in NC. And while Mac’s Speed Shop does offer a beef rib, this list is strictly a pork ribs list.

  1. Queen City Q
  2. Midwood Smokehouse (Original location; Ballantyne location)
  3. Sauceman’s

What do you think? Have we missed the mark? Leave your comments below.