http://www.jaunted.com/ The Pop Culture Travel Guide en-us Copyright 2006 - SFO MEDIA 2008-11-23T11:24:23Z Jaunted Jaunted http://www.jaunted.com/images/jauntedw.jpg http://www.jaunted.com/tag/Barbeque http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/5/2/12722/41699
You could drive the (roughly) 400 miles from Atlanta to Memphis a couple of weekends from now, or you could save a bit of time and energy and gorge yourself on BBQ when you get there. The world famous Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest ("Superbowl of Swine," "College of Pig Knowledge") will take place on May 17, 18 and 19 in downtown, bringing together eaters and grillmasters from around the country and around the world. Single day tickets cost $7. We pulled up this sample fare for flight dates of May 16-19, as AirTrain prices jump for Sunday returns. For what it's worth, NWA is matching the deal...if you're into that.

[Photo: wcm1111]

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· Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest [Official Site]]]> djk 2007-05-02T14:50:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/1/28/23724/7863
If you're a Yankee who has read and watched a lot about southern barbecue but never actually experienced it, you could likely be scared shitless. The prospect of diving face-first into the big bad world of Q is daunting. Like ordering coffee the wrong way in Vienna, or a cheesesteak the wrong way in Philly (you get the idea), one just expects to be yelled at, spit on, or both. Fear comes with the territory when you're a newbie, especially a newbie to such a huge culinary establishment.

So imagine our surprise at Central BBQ, a low-key Memphis joint with nary a chip on its pork shoulder: the place attracts normal people, it's staffed by normal people, and you won't get stampeded if you actually have to, like, stand and study the menu for a second. We parked, entered, contemplated, ordered, and carried out without incident. And the food rocks.

We chose a turkey sandwich, no slaw, with mild sauce and a side of greens. The sandwich is classic no-frills fare: just good ol' turkey slathered with sauce (which, by the way, has quite a bit of zip even in the "mild" variety) and served up on a white hamburger bun. It was slippery, messy, and addictive. Also, by the time you read this, we'll probably still be smelling like barbecue sauce--a true mark of quality.

A look at the rest of Central's menu reveals an irresistible selection for all palates: pork ribs, chicken, pulled pork and even portabella mushroom sandwiches. The pulled pork especially is notoriously delicious.

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The Rendezvous is at the center of one of the evergreen debates of the barbeque universe: Dry vs. Wet. The Rendezvous serves Memphis-style dry rub ribs. After being rubbed with a secret combination of spices, they are slow-cooked liked other any other barbeque. There is no gloopy or runny sauce, although it is served with wet sauce as an optional condiment.

Much of this divide is a geographical issue; wet sauces differ in different parts of North Carolina, for example. The Rendezvous itself, in an alley across from the Peabody hotel, also features waiters who are  described by using words like "surly", or "indifferent", or "working there since the restaurant opened in 1948".

Naturally, that doesn't stop the Rendezvous from being Memhpis' most famous barbeque joint. If you don't crave ribs, locals in the know recommend the lamb riblets--for anyone who finds those spareribs to be a bit too much work. They do get heavy after a marathon eating session.

[Image via KDem/Flickr]  

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How long does it take to figure out that Memphis is fixated on barbeque? You won't even have time to get to the baggage claim upon arrival in the airport; there are two separate BBQ establishments in the terminal itself. Trust us, you'll smell them, even at 930am.

One is an outpost of Jim Neely's Interstate Barbeque (near gate B14), and is the one we'd recommend visiting on your way home. The other is Corky's, (near gate B36) which is to BBQ as Taco Bell is to Mexican food, and is looked down upon by locals. Corky's uses smoke flavoring, instead of actually smoking their meats. Shocking. We won't stop you, however--sometimes highly processed foods hit the stop before you fly. The question remains: Why isn't the pizza at New York's airports as good as the BBQ in Memphis?

[Image via abbyladybug/Flickr]]]> AVB 2006-07-06T13:58:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/7/6/11501/21532

They take their barbeque very seriously in Memphis, and you'll be hearing plenty about it in the next couple of days. While the Rendezvous--the BBQ joint of choice for the President when he came to town last week--is the most famous of Memphis' smoked meat options and the home of dry-rub ribs, it has plenty of company in the BBQ pantheon. Among them is Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ, conveniently located on the way to the airport, and among the best of the BBQ giants in town.

A "small" order of pork ribs gets you two sides and some white bread. Sides include classics like baked beans and cole slaw, but another option is the BBQ spaghetti. It tastes pretty much like it sounds, although the sauce is more tomato-based than what goes on the ribs and pulled pork, both of which are smoky and tender. The sauce is definitely wet without getting too sloppy, with a slightly sweet finish. Polishing off that small order was enough to give us the meat sweats, so unless you're a member of the Dallas Cowboys offensive line, it should be more than enough for a meal.

We especially liked Neely's logo: The interstate springs forth from the pigs neck, as if his aorta has been severed and his lifeblood is the interstate itself. For a barbeque restaurant, that's pretty darn profound.

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Everyone knows that the center of the barbeque universe is not on either of America's coasts. It's in the barbeque belt, running from North Carolina in the east, through Tennessee to Kansas City in the west and Texas in the south. That doesn't preclude the rest of the U.S. from staying on top of the smoked and sauced order of things, though.

BBQ Junkie covers the yes-it-does-too-exist Los Angeles barbeque scene, from restaurants to actual competitions. The most recent visit was to Tasty Q on Crenshaw, which was rated some of the best in L.A. That's believable, though in general we are a believer in Memphis-style dry rub seasoning. Luckily, Tasty Q does have a drive-thru window, allowing Angelenos to eat ribs in the austere sanctity of their cars. Yum.
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