30 Eylül 2012 Pazar

The Joint (New Orleans, La)

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No place has more hype than the Joint. I've been holding off doing a review on this "Joint" for a long while because of it. Let me start by telling you what I love about the Joint.

I love the fact that it is less than a mile from my house. I love that they smoke their BBQ using Pecan Wood. I love the people that work there. I love that they serve awesome tea. I love the bright yellow colors everywhere. I love the pictures of musicians on the wall. I love that they serve their BBQ at most festivals in the city. I love that they are one of few places in New Orleans that serve brisket.



I've been eating at the joint bi/tri-annually for the last five years. I have seen a progress in their BBQ, every year it gets a little bit better. I've always thought that they were over-hyped due to the fact that they are a staple in the most over-hyped neighborhood, The Bywater. A lot of the overhype is also due to their feature on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. They've always been "pretty OK" and by New Orleanian standards that means "pretty awesome." I obviously choose to not give BBQ places the "New Orleans handicap." So one night I decide to head down there to do an official review and order myself an "everything type of plate". Let me say it was damn good. Out of the 20 plus times or so that I've been there, I wasn't expecting them to bring it like that on this particular night of all nights.





The night reminded me of 1999's St. Louis Cardinals' Jose Jimenez. Jimenez was a mediocre pitcher who threw a no-hitter on a special night and continued his career as a mediocre pitcher. The Joint can also be compared to Pittsburgh Pirates Bill Mazeroski. Mazeroski was a great defensive player but mediocre at the plate. In the 1960 World Series, Mazeroski won the title for Pittsburgh in Game 7 with a game-winning home run off New York Yankees pitcher Ralph Terry in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Yankees had rallied with two runs to tie the game, 9-9, in the top of the inning, setting up Mazeroski's heroics. Game 7 bottom of the ninth was my "night to review", Bill Mazeroski was the Joint, the loser "NY Yankees" (who will always be losers in my book) will be this blog post.

So now I have a moral dilemma...do I pull a Pat Sajak and rig the Wheel of Fortune with a foot pedal? Or should I let the wheel spin and land on what it deserved at that moment?



The Joint will be receiving (begrudgingly) a 4 out of 5 stars.



The Joint on Urbanspoon

P.S. True Story. One day (4 months ago)I decided on a whim that I'd like to work at a BBQ place for a few hours a week, maybe one day a week, just for fun. I gave The Joint my BBQ resume explaining how I know shit. Never got a call back and I knew they were looking for people. I guess I was "over qualified". Oh well, perfection is not for everyone.

Goode Company (Houston, Tx)

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I was drunk yall. However, in my drunken state I found it to be Goode, just not Greate.


I recall the brisket being a little dry with very little flavor and the jambalaya being a Texas-sized joke. However there were some highlights. Thumbs up on the Jalapeno Cheese Bread and green beans.







The best part was...Drum roll...without a doubt...The Pecan Pie. Oh yes, I might of been drunk but I remember being all up in that.





Here is a blogpost recipe from http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/11/pecan-pie.html that is supposedly the closest recipe found that imitates The Goode Co. Pecan Pie.


Pecan Pie

for the crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
10 tablespoons cold butter
1 tbl sugar
1/4 cup ice water
for the filling:
4 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup (like Karo)
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
4 tbl unsalted butter, melted
1 tbl lemon juice or bourbon
1 teaspoon mild vinegar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup whole pecans

equipment: a 9 inch pie pan, preferably deep dish ceramic

1. Prepare the crust: Place the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and rub with your finger tips until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in the cold water until the mixture comes together, form the dough into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge to chill for at least half an hour.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12 inch circle. Transfer to your pie pan and trim the edges. Place in the freezer to chill until ready to use.
3. Make pie: Set an oven rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a bowl, beat the eggs with brown sugar until combined and thick. Add the dark corn syrup, melted butter, lemon juice and vinegar. Add the chopped pecans to combine. Get the pie crust out and scrape in the filling. Put the whole pecans in the bowl that had held the filling, and toss them around to coat with the remains of the corn syrup (they won’t be completely covered, but it’s a nice gesture). Arrange the pecan halves over the filling. Bake the pie for about 50 minutes, until the filling is set and only jiggles slightly in the middle. You will probably have to cover the pie with foil in the last 15 minutes of cooking to prevent the top from burning, keep an eye on it. Uncover and cool to room temperature.

Recipe Notes:
1. In my opinion, there's no real substitute for dark Karo, however, if you live somewhere where it is unavailable, golden syrup(like Lyle's) or treacle are good alternatives. I'd also like to point out that while it is corn syrup, it is made by a different process than high fructose cornsyrup.
2. I skip blind baking the crust and simply bake the pie in the lower third of the oven, and I find no harm is done. If you are using a metal pie pan you should keep an eye that the bottom doesn't burn.
3. If buying the pecans by weight, you'll need about 8 oz pecans total.
4. If you are the kind of person who really likes the custardy layer underneath the pecans (I know who you are), then you can omit the chopped pecans or reduce them to a half cup. If you are the kind of person who likes your pie to be full of pecans, leave it as written, and if you think pecan pie should really be more like a pecan tart or a pecan bar you can even increase the chopped pecans to 1 1/2 cups. Personally, I think it’s just right as written.



But if you want the real thing and you're not driving distance to Houston, you might want to order it from their website. Here's the link.

As far as the BBQ goes....ehhhhhhh. Had better. If you live around the corner from this place, it's not a bad stop. If you are on a BBQ roadtrip, you might as well keep on driving to Luling.

Goode Co. will be recieving a score of 3.5 out of 5 stars.


UPDATE: 9/23/2011

I was just in Houston and Burns BBQ was closed. I figured I'd take my friends out to what I thought was the 2nd best BBQ in Houston. DISGUSTING! their BBQ Sauce tasted like Marinara. Everything was Super Underwhelming. I love BBQ. I also love many other styles of food to a little lesser of an extant. I vow that I will never go back. Their score has officially dropped from a 3.5 out of 5 to a new score of...

2 out of 5 stars


Goode Company Barbeque on Urbanspoon

Thelma's BBQ (Houston, Tx)

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Really?

This place came under the recommendation of a BBQ Documentary I watched called "Barbecue: A Texas Love Story". I took this recommendation in good faith because it was a great documentary. I'm going to have to rethink my product review on that documentary now. Thelma's BBQ was also voted in Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ in Texas. I'm also going to have to rethink my feelings on Texas Monthly magazine. Thelma's BBQ is also a BBQ staple in Houston. Again, I will be questioning the character of Houston and their BBQ from this day forward.

Thelma's was horrible. The sauce was a diabetic nightmare which tasted like Sweet and Sour Sauce from a Chinese restaurant. They just dump the sauce right on it. Imagine a red soup and you have to fish bbq out of. That my friends was my experience at Thelma's BBQ. There was more sauce than meat (and there was plenty of meat mind you).I'm a no sauce/no bullshit kind of guy when it comes to bbq. I like to taste the meat, texture, and enjoy the moistness of a good rib/brisket. I read a sign that said "Sauce on Side - $2". Yea...F* That.

Atmosphere was horrible. Granted it's in the middle of the hood, but I don't like watching talk shows and listening to AC window units in the background while I try to enjoy my food.

My advice. Skip the BBQ at Thelmas and go down the block to Frenchies which is closer to U of H...it's like a home cooked menu from Popeye's.




Also, I stepped in horse shit on the way out. That's never helped anyone.

Thelma's will be receiving a 2 out of 5 stars.

Thelma's Bar B Que on Urbanspoon

12 Mile Limit - Shortall's BBQ (New Orleans, La)

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This place is a bit confusing. No, it's not a haunted house. It's not a BBQ establishment. What it is is a really awesome bar located in Mid-City. They have really great cocktails, beer, cupcakes, and some BBQ...!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Once upon a night I decided to fight through my daily dose of crackheads to get over to Mid-MID-City and try some BBQ over there. I was told that the Pitmaster hails from Texas and smokes on a webber grill...I've never seen or heard of that, so I reserved the right to make a judgment on that information. It was nice to see fellow Texans pop into the joint such as Rex Gregory and Mike Girardo. But native Texan's within proximity of BBQ will not help out a score on this blog. Shortall's is the last name of the Pitmaster. That is how BBQ (or any product) should be. Putting your name on your product. A lot of people put out shitty products knowingly and hide behind the product under another name cowardly. Who want's to put their name on something shitty? Taking pride in one's work is a lost art in America. So I respect that. When I open my BBQ business it will bore the Westfall Logo. Shortall is a man without an ounce of Bullshit in his body...a True Texan.


Sides
Mac and Cheese - Honestly, I've made kraft in a microwave that tasted better.
Cole Slaw - Perfection (and I'm not a fan of coleslaw)
Potato Salad - Pretty Good (but not house, so you can't hold that against him)


and now the Brisket...
The brisket was a little dry with a microwaved texture and fell apart in little tiny pieces. But, the bartender told me he microwaved it.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
Look, Cattle is King. Pork is for the children in Carolina. But I've made exceptions to that rule. Some "people" (The "Yankee" Southerners in The Carolinas) put coleslaw on their pulled pork sandwiches. I've had that a few times and was unimpressed. Call me a Muggle but I've always thought that was pretty stupid. But, I decided to push my pride to the side and eat the pork sandwich with the coleslaw on it anyway. Low and behold, it was one of the better pulled pork sandwiches I've had in my day.

Look yall, I've had god awful BBQ in New Orleans and this doesn't deserve to be ranked among them. However, I don't think this ranks among the top tier in Central Texas. New Orleans is lucky to have a place like this.

12 Mile Limit/Shortall's BBQ will be receiving a 3.5 out of 5 stars.


Twelve Mile Limit on Urbanspoon

Leatha's (Hattiesburg, Ms)

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o·ver·hype
tr.v. o·ver·hyped, o·ver·hyp·ing, o·ver·hypes Slang
To promote or publicize to excess: People grossly overhyped Leatha's BBQ.

I gave this place a second chance due to it's hype. Both times I have been let down. I don't get it, I just don't get it.

The food is fall off the bone greasy and flavorless with a sauce so sweet that the only thing you'll be getting early for Christmas is diabetes. Don't let the pictures of celebrities on the wall fool you.


If you're in Hattiesburg and want BBQ...make it to Tango's at The Shell Station...




I don't care who likes Leatha's BBQ, that place is no good. I'll stand by that till the day I die.








Leatha's BBQ will be receiving a 1.5 out of 5 stars.



Leatha's Bar-B-Que Inn on Urbanspoon


29 Eylül 2012 Cumartesi

Seatac Disc Golf Course – Seatac, WA

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I had to drop Coach off for an earlier flight, so I had some time to kill while waiting for my own flight that afternoon. I had asked WCL for a recommendation where to play some disc golf near the airport. She’s got some friends who play and I knew they’d know where to send me.

They got me directions to Seatac Disc Golf Course – extremely close to the airport. In fact, it’s directly under the flight path for the main runway at the SeaTac Airport. So every 30-60 seconds, you have a huge eclipse and roar of engines a hundred feet over your head. Very amusing, and probably distracting to people who care about such things. I’m used to it, having played a few rounds at Fort Snelling Disc Golf Course in Minneapolis.
I took a photo of the course map at hole 1, just in case. I had heard it can be tricky to follow the flow of the course. It actually wasn't that bad once you're out there. there are well defined walking paths and some of the tee signs tell you where to walk for the next hole.
The course is fairly wooded with a lot of tunnel/finesse shots. It doesn’t play to my strengths, but I really enjoyed playing here. Well maintained fairways with defined flight paths and, if you know where your shots are likely to go, a very manageable course. The difficulty is increased by some longer holes, which I really enjoyed, and the rough isn’t so rough you’ll lose a disc – you just don’t want to be in it because there are some holly plants and sticker bushes that will shred your legs.

It seemed pretty right-hander friendly, but still pretty balanced overall. Not a lot of elevation changes, but they did make use of what they were provided with a couple of well-placed baskets and some fun tee areas. In fact, there is a wall (maybe hole 14-ish?) that has a graffiti-style mural on it along side the tee. I saw a few people playing, but not a ton. It probably helped that it was a Tuesday morning and normal people are at work.Be forewarned, the parking lot has six parking places – literally. So you’ll have to park up the road at the community center and walk down to the tee. It’s worth the walk though. It's a solid course without a lot of frills. I’m glad I got to play here and I’ll make sure I bring my discs again to Seattle so I can hit it up again and get good and sweaty before hopping on a four hour flight back home. Hahahaha. Sorry, old man next to me on the plane!
www.pdga.com/course_directory/course/seatac-dgc

2012 Minnesota State Fair – St. Paul, MN

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My sister PalmMapper and brother-in-law UncleDumDum were in town celebrating their 10 year anniversary. The trip was a surprise for my brother-in-law, who has never been to a State Fair before. He’s always wanted to check it out and who better to go with than someone who can also eat their weight in fried food! ME!!! PalmMapper had printed out a couple of new fair items (which coincided nicely with my own list that I always write up) and we headed out to the fair.


We got there early to ensure we could see D.Rough on TV at the KARE-11 building. In fact, we got there too early, so we started eating without her. There’s no better time for breakfast than… uh… breakfast time. We headed into the food building and started the day right.
Ham, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Stromboli from American Stromboli. It’s hardboiled eggs chopped up with ham and shredded cheese baked in a pizza dough - delicious and comes with a side of salsa. While you’re waiting in line, you get to look through the window and watch them make cinnamon rolls… which of course means we had to get a cinnamon roll, as well. Really good dough perfectly baked and with TONS of cinnamon. And of course we got it iced with sugary frosting – which melts immediately on the hot roll. Perfect way to start the morning.
We headed into the other wing of the food building to find Rajin’ Cajun. The entire building was empty and we didn’t think it was open. Thankfully, there were workers behind the counter who were willing to make our breakfast sliders (right before the power went out in the entire building). The breakfast sliders were a trio of small buns filled with steak, Cajun sausage, and ham (each slider has its own meat). They also had scrambled eggs and cheese on them, and each was complimented with an incredible homemade garlic mayo. We actually ate this in order of our favorites, accidentally: ham first, just ok; sausage second, pretty good; steak last, really beefy and tender. I had heard the steak might not be the best, but we must have gotten a good piece because we were thrilled with it. AND it’s really cheap for three sandwiches.
We headed back to the KARE-11 building and watched the Minnesota RollerGirls get interviewed by Eric Perkins. He’s a hilarious guy that just got a promotion to Sports Director – which he’ll be fantastic at. Congrats, Perk! Now it was time to find the 1919 root beer booth – I’ll never get enough of this stuff. It’s my favorite root beer.
We walked around a bit and found the animal barn. I claim I like to go here to watch animal surgery – which they have set up in a sterile booth with cameras and then bleachers outside it to watch the action. But the real reason I like it there is I get to pet the cute dogs. Sure it isn’t cool and it isn’t tough-guy, but I don’t care. The dogs are awesome. This year, the Great Pyrenees stole the show. Beautiful dogs.
After a quick swing through the fine arts building, we eventually found our way to the International Bazaar. One of the new items they had this year at the Midtown Global Market booth was Camel Burgers. UncleDumDum wanted to try one, since he had already ridden a camel at the Minnesota Zoo a few days earlier (I’ll see if I can score a photo). He grabbed one and had it cut in half so we could split it. The sandwich could use some sauce or something, since the meat itself is a little bit dry. It’s got a decent flavor, so it isn’t bad, and I will say it’s way better than the camel on a stick I had last year at the fair.
We headed to the Holy Land Deli (one of our favorite places in the Twin Cities anyway). D.Rough got a gyro on a stick, which ended up looking like a gyro steak on a stick. I’ve never had gyro meat cut this thick and I was worried it wouldn’t be crispy like I like it. But it honestly was a good piece of gyro meat (did I mention it is on a stick?), especially paired with the tzatziki sauce dip that comes with it.
We had to get the lamb fries, since they were the talk of the fair. Lamb testicles! The sign says they’re grilled, but they aren’t. They’re clearly fried. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with these things, but we absolutely went for it. The balls themselves don’t taste like much, to be honest. They just taste like “fried”. Not fried meat. Not fried anything. Just fried. The Holy Land dip that comes with them gives them some flavor, but it just didn’t taste like much. So for $5, you get some bragging rights, but not much else. Meh.
Next on the docket, poutine from Duke’s Poutine. As you know I’m participating in a Twin Cities Poutine Crawl trying out all the poutine in the Twin Cities. This was basically a requirement at the fair. The fries were pretty good. I like when there are bits of potato skin on the fries for texture and flavor. The gravy was a little lack luster and bland (still salty, but not much meat or even gravy flavor). But the real winner was the curds. We all ended up fighting over them. Very tangy and held their shape in the heat of the gravy and fries, but had the squeak that lets you know they’re serious. This was a pretty solid dish of poutine, especially for a fair truck.
Right across the street from the Poutine truck was the Icee truck. I had to get one – blue and red mixed. Nothing fancy, especially considering we walked by an Icee truck earlier that had like 10 different flavors. But I would have gotten these two flavors anyway – I’m old school - so what was the point? Delicious. And now, Coach is jealous.
We needed to rest our feet from walking, so we popped into the air-conditioned coliseum to watch the bull judging. Sure it isn’t action packed, but it’s just the thing you need after a morning of walking and eating.
We had to get Scotch Eggs – a hardboiled egg encased in deep fried sausage. I really like these monstrosities and get them whenever I see them. This year, the one we got was a bit dried out, even though I drenched the thing in maple syrup (they have other more normal sauces to put on them, but I like syrup). Just ok, this year.
PalmMapper was finally worn down by the cheese curds signs. You can only walk by cheese curd booths so many times without stopping to buy some and she had reached her limit. I’m not even sure which booth she got these at. They were delicious, as always. They could have been fried a bit longer in my opinion, but a deep fried cheese curd is a good thing, no matter how you look at it.
Deep Fried Pickles from The Perfect Pickle were next. I love these things. We get the sampler pack – regular, Cajun, and cream cheese-stuffed. These things are always delicious – today was no different. And they have Dew at their booth, which is a bonus for me.
We headed into Heritage Village so Rita could try this new beer from Schell’s Brewery – it’s a Shocked Radler, which means it’s beer with Grapefruit in it. UncleDumDum was unsure about trying it, but he tried it and liked it. …And then we spend much of the remainder of their trip going to Twin Cities liquor stores trying to find it (it isn’t in bottles until next year). Good stuff, according to everyone who tried it. I was still drinking my dew. But we did get photos of D.Rough and Rita hanging with the raccoons and hyenas.
I was feeling desserty – which doesn’t happen often. I needed a cannoli from Ole’s Cannoli (pronounced like Oleee, not Olé like in a bullfight – though it still cracks me up when I hear it pronounced that way). I’m man enough to get sprinkles on my dessert – and I’m glad I did. The fried shell of this cannoli was a little thicker than most I’ve had, so it was difficult to break into pieces, but the flavor of it was just right, so I’m not complaining. Also, the mascarpone cheese filling was spot on to the hundreds I’ve had in Italy and Sicily, so kudos to Ole for nailing it!
It was time for beer flights back at the Ag building. The ag building (pronounced “AYG building” in Minnesota)(I got told I wasn’t allowed to make fun of Minnesota accents while AT the MN State Fair – it’s apparently an unwritten law, enforceable by punching) had a huge exhibit on hops since home brewing is so popular now. This also created an absolute madhouse for trying to get tickets and get in line for the beer flights. They had four different sets/flights of beers from Minnesota: Dark, Light, Belgian, and something else I can’t remember. You can’t mix and match, so I went with the Belgians. All were delicious, however, you have no idea what you’re drinking. The cups aren’t labeled at all, so it’s almost pointless, unless you’re only hoping for four small cups of beer for $8. Next year will be better… right guys? Better system? Just a hint…
Teriyaki Ostrich on a stick at Chinatown in the food building. Looked like a meat lollipop, actually. And surprisingly, this was pretty delicious. The meat itself was much better than other ostrich I’ve had (sounds weird to say, but yes, I’ve had other ostrich), but it was better without the teriyaki dipping sauce. We almost went back for more of the ostrich.
D.Rough swears by the cheese curds at the Mouth Trap in the food building. So we scored some. They were better than the curds we had earlier, if only because they were fried a bit longer to get crispy. Delicious.

UncleDumDum had never had lefse before (it’s a potato pancake – a Swedish thing), so he popped in to Lynn’s Potato Lefse and got one filled with lingonberries. I like these things but only enough to eat some if someone offers. I don’t think I’d order one for myself. It’s a little bit dry and could always use more filling in my opinion. But if you’re Swedish, I’ve heard these are the holy grail of lefse. I could take it or leave it.
You’ll notice, up to this point, I haven’t done anything with bacon. I’m not an addict. I can stop anytime I want. I don’t need bacon all the time. That being said, I DOOOO love the bacon on a stick at Big Fat Bacon. So we grabbed one. The bacon is super thick and deep fried. You can also put this delicious chipotle orange glaze on it, which I highly recommend. I really like these, even though they’re nothing fancy. They’re just fantastic.
D.Rough and I tried the sweet corn ice cream last year at Blue Moon. It’s really good, and really weird. But we liked it enough to try it again, since we were near it. This year, we got cayenne peanuts on it, instead of the honey bacon glaze. I like this much better. The ice cream actually has pieces of sweet corn in it, as well as some corn nuts – which is a brilliant touch, I might add. The dish is about the perfect size to split with someone. UncleDumDum wasn’t a big fan, but the rest of us ate it ALLLLLLL.
We passed by Luigi’s and I mentioned they have the best Hot Dago on a Stick ever. UncleDumDum had never had one, so I said it might be worth it (although he should also have a real hot dago sandwich from a restaurant). It was. These things are sooo good here. Garlic breadstick, meatball, garlic breadstick, meatball, garlic breadstick, meatball, garlic breadstick – then cover it all with mozzarella cheese and bake it. Then serve it with marinara sauce. Man, these things are awesome.
Back for more 1919!!! This time, a large.
And another repeat from last year – the Yankee Apple Pie Chocolate Sandwich. The whole things sounds horrific, but it honestly is one of my favorite things to get here. It’s apple pie filling and some chocolate sauce cooked between two slices of bread until toasted. Then cover the thing with powdered sugar (which apparently gets all over your black shirt while eating, especially if it’s windy). I’m glad we got this on the way out of the fair, or I might have gotten two. They’re fantastic.
I think I can safely say we did some damage at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair. I’m not sure if it was amazeballs enough for UncleDumDum to come back and do it again, but I had a blast hanging out with my awesome family. We like to eat, and I’m sure we eased into the five-digit calorie zone for the day. Thankfully, I only let myself do that once a year. Then I start training for next year!!!!!!

Top 5 things at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair
1. Hanging with my sister and brother-in-law
2. Yankee Apple Pie Chocolate Sandwich
3. Hot Dago on a Stick
4. 1919 Root Beer
5. Poutine (especially the cheese curds)

Bottom 5 things
1. Beer flight debacle
2. Lamb Fries – still, I now have bragging rights
3. Camel Burger
4. Scotch Egg
5. Severe lack of cute puppies in the animal barn