BBQ Blitz 10/28/2016

Greetings everyone – it’s been a while, but I’m starting up the BBQ Blitz series again. The goal is to provide a roundup of what’s good to read as far as BBQ and Food is concerned from the week. If you have a site that you enjoy reading that does not seem to get any love here, please let me know via the contact link at the top of this page, and I’ll check it out.

OK – let’s get on with it…

13 Essential Barbecue Stops (and What to Order)

A meat sampler at Bonnie Blue in Winchester, Va. -Credit Brian Nichols

We all love lists, especially when they involve destinations we enjoy. In this post, Brian Nichols shares 13 of his top BBQ restaurants including ShakeDown BBQ, Hempen Hill BBQ, Beammeup BBQ & Cafe, Lexington BBQ, The Original Ridgewood Barbecue, and Central BBQ.

Q39 founder Rob Magee’s barbecue philosophy: Hot and Fast

Q39 of Kansas City has been the destination of choice for many of my competition BBQ friends now for a few years. Michael McDearman, Chad Ward, and others make it a point to partake of what pitmaster Rob Magee serves up. As Jill Silva states in this article, Magee offers up competition inspired fare with a fine dining-level flare. It’s always fun to learn about how operations like Q39 came into being and how they maintain high levels of service and customer satisfaction.

Read the full article here to see why you might want to make Q39 a stop on your list the next time you’re in the big KC.

In ‘Appetites,’ Bourdain Pleases The Toughest Food Critic (His 9-Year-Old)

Anthony Bourdain spent decades in the restaurant business before discovering that he had a gift for writing and storytelling. His new cookbook, Appetites, features food he cooks for his 9-year-old daughter.

Requiring little in the way of introduction, the precocious and always entertaining Anthony Bourdain has released a new cook book called Appetites, where the recipes reflect the food that his 9-year old daughter and her friends enjoy. Far from the typical pizza and chicken fingers, Appetites is more of a look into what you might think the child of a trained chef might enjoy while still retaining her “kid” vibe.

I still remember reading Bourdain’s initial book, Kitchen Confidential. While this book is a lot less irreverent, it still merits a place on the shelf in my opinion.  Read the full interview on NPR.org here.

David Stidham, of A Fine Swine Barbecue Restaurant Wowing Guests by Doing Things the Hard Way

If you have anything to do with competition BBQ, you’ve likely used or at least heard of David Stidham’s “A Fine Swine” sauces. If you’ve tried them, you love them. Period. Now, you can enjoy his BBQ at his new restaurant located in New Baden, IL.  A few of my friends have tried the food at A Fine Swine and all report that it’s excellent.

Here’s a short video featuring owner, David Stidham…

If you find yourself in St. Louis, take the 30 minute drive out to New Baden, IL and give A Fine Swine a try. All reports say that you’ll be very happy you did.