Fat Guy

Daisy, have you been to Town lately? I was in there and found that, in the past three years or so, the cocktail menu has gone from reasonably inventive to predictable and sweet. Maybe it just reads that way, though -- I don't know.

I agree that the best place for cocktails near the Modern is at the bar there. Most of the restaurants operated by the Union Square Hospitality Group are at the more sophisticated end of the restaurant cocktail spectrum. They're not hard-core cocktalian places, but they're a cut above most bar/lounge-type places. I think of Aureole as being more Upper East Side than Midtown, and it's only about a 15-minute walk from the Carlyle. I believe the Carlyle has remained a good cocktail destination post-Audrey Saunders. Also, the Campbell Apartment, by Grand Central, seems to attract a cocktail-savvy crowd.

Thanks Hiroyuki!

The Mike Mills beans were a big hit with our son, PJ:

Today, for my birthday, I received Gray Kunz sauce spoons in the large and small sizes. Developing . . . .

I am ashamed.

I keep saying how much I love the Southside product, but I keep forgetting to mention that the guys from Southside are awfully nice. To me, that's an added bonus. I mean, I've eaten delicious food prepared by awful people, but it's sweeter when they're not jerks. I've been seeing the Bracewells at this event for three years now, and have mostly had conversations with Bryan, who is the company's CEO and is in his early 30s. This year I also met his wife, and next year they may bring their twin boys (who will by then be almost three years old). Lovely people. Anyway, at the end of the day, I stopped by for my last taste of sausage and to say goodbye to Bryan Bracewell, and as we were chatting his father, Billy Bracewell, came over. A couple of minutes later, Bryan's grandfather (Billy's father), Ernest Bracewell, joined in the conversation. At some point I realized I was talking to three generations of Bracewells, and I actually had the wherewithal to pull out my camera:

Today I tried: - Blue Smoke, New York, NY - Three people yesterday told me, "You've got to try the Blue Smoke chicken." The first time, I thought it was a joke. But there was enough testimony that I made it my first stop today. (Actually, Blue Smoke wasn't quite ready at first, so I swung by Hill Country for another of those beef ribs, which I shared with our son, PJ.) The chicken was excellent -- the first good barbecued chicken I've ever had. Ken Callaghan told me takes Murray's chickens, brines them, smokes them and finishes them on the grill with a sauce brushed on at the end. Amazingly moist, delicious chicken. Also, off on the side, they had prepared a very few lamb ribs, which were amazing. I was impressed with what Blue Smoke did: the organizers felt the event was so large and public that there would be a significant number of non-red-meat eaters around, so Ken Callaghan agreed to do chicken -- and excelled at it. In general, I felt the places in the New York ghetto on 26th Street held their own at this event. - Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, New York, NY - If you didn't taste Dinosaur's pulled pork shoulder, you missed one of the best items at the event. I found it fully as satisfying as Big Bob Gibson's. While Big Bob's meat has a slightly more interesting flavor, Dinosaur's exterior spicing is probably the best I've had. I made sure to get lots of exterior pieces. Also, in chatting with John, the owner, I was reminded that Dinosaur sells, at its restaurant in Harlem, the sausage from Southside Market in Elgin, Texas. - Rack and Soul, New York, NY - Good baby back ribs, but not good enough to hold my interest given the other offerings. Another one I tasted and handed off. - 17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro, IL - I love Mike Mills's ribs, and his baked beans are the only condiment at the event that I really can't resist. Five different kinds of beans sweetened with honey and brown sugar and bits of meat and such. - The Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood, TX - Doesn't compare favorably to Southside in my opinion. I took a couple of bites and gave my portion away, then went back to Southside for more sausage, which I ate even though I feared I was going to explode. I also had a Tabla soft-shell crab sandwich, which was not only a welcome change from all the mammalian flesh but also one of the best soft-shell crabs I've ever had, with a spicy cornmeal-like crust. At the end of the day, after my seminar had allowed a little time for digestion, I had one last Mitchell's whole hog sample, and one last piece of sausage from Southside. Then on my way out Amy Mills offered me some ribs, so how could I say no? My three favorite tastes of the weekend, firmly implanted in memory for next year. I regret I missed Ubon's (they ran out), the place from Boston (I somehow failed to account for it on my checklist), and the Brunswick stew (got distracted).

I can't eat like I used to. There was a time when I could have eaten 15 complete plates of barbecue in a day -- indeed, I did things of that nature on several occasions. These days age, acid reflux and general decline would make that impossible. Still, I remain a big guy with large appetites. I can eat 7-8 plates over the course of the day no problem if I jettison the inessential stuff like bread -- especially since the bread served at the Big Apple Barbecue isn't indicative of the bread you'd get if you went to the restaurants in question (it's better, but that's another story).

It would be interesting to know the ethnicity of Japanese-restaurant owners, however I've found data of that level of granularity to be extremely difficult -- perhaps impossible -- to come by. If you have a source, I'd love to hear about it. There's a section of the book called "Guerilla Sushi Tactics," which is a rough guide to how to get the most out of a sushi bar (rule number one: sit at the sushi bar). It doesn't concern itself specifically with the high-end -- that sector is so small as to be not all that central to a book with nationwide, mainstream scope. But I think the basic strategies work at most any level of sushi bar. Actually, I know they do, since I developed them over the course of several meals at Sushi Yasuda, Kuruma Zushi, Hatsuhana, et al. in New York City a few years back. One of my central theses is that strict adherence to Japanese etiquette is not necessary in American sushi restaurants. No sushi chef who has spent more than a week working in America insists on that. The important thing is to make a connection with your sushi chef and communicate that you're an interested, enthusiastic, discriminating customer.

Here's a short video we made yesterday, of Ed Mitchell pitching his new Pitmaster pig cookers. By the way, to answer Dave's question above, the reason that one cooker is tricked out with receptacles for propane tanks is so they can use it for crisping the skins. After the hog is cooked at low temperature, they can use the propane to crank it up to a much higher temperature quickly.

I was able to catch two of yesterday's seminars, and was very pleased with the setup and the presentations. The seminar tent is located right in the middle of the action, on the corner of 24th and Madison, but is well shielded from noise. The cooking demo area is great -- maybe I'll cook something during the panel discussion I'm moderating this afternoon. Anyway, the first one I sat in on was the 2:30pm "Planet Barbecue" presentation with Steven Raichlen. I confess, I have been guilty of underestimating Raichlen. I was amazed at how dynamic, charismatic and exceptionally well informed he was about everything the slightest bit related to cooking with fire. It was a great time. He made, in about an hour and with very little pre-cooked trickery: Buccaneer Shrimp, Oaxacan Grilled Corn, Thai Sweet Chili Ribs, and Grilled Pineapple with Cardamom Whipped Cream and some big-ass long-bone rib steaks. These are all recipes from his forthcoming book. He took questions all throughout and was great at answering, cooking, coordinating -- an amazing individual, he is. Then, at 6pm, "Barbecued Baloney, Bourbon & Beer," with Danny Meyer, Julian Van Winkle (of the Van Winkle Bourbon distillery) and Steve Hindy (of Brooklyn Brewery). This seminar/tasting was in the same format as the one Danny Meyer did the past couple of years on "Wine for Swine." There were five food items (barbecued baloney, barbecue sauce, barbecue potato chips, peanuts and coleslaw) and five beverages (three beers and two Bourbons). Members of the audience were given samples of all and asked to taste the 25 possible combinations and make quick, impressionistic notes (smiley face, sad face or indifferent face). I was able to catch a glimpse of Lolis Eric Elie and John T. Edge's rating sheets (they were in the audience near where I was sitting) and, between that and what Danny Meyer and the panelists came up with, I was a radical contrarian outlier. Either that or my palate sucks.

I don't know if I'm going to make it to all 15 this year, but I'm trying. Certainly I'll try to hit all the visiting pits, and I hope to catch the New York ones for comparison -- but there are limits. Some quick notes: - Southside Market & BBQ, Elgin, TX - Superb brisket and even better sausage. The sausage is the real attraction, because nobody makes anything in the category that can touch it. As mentioned, for brisket, ask for some cut from the deckel. You'll be accommodated and, probably, you'll get a nicer portion. - Baker’s Ribs, Garland, TX (NEW) - Despite the name, they're serving brisket. I felt it didn't stack up favorably next to Southside. Southside had a beautiful pink smoke ring and, while tender, still maintained its meaty structure, Baker's was more mushy and brown. - Blackjack BBQ, Charleston, SC (NEW) - Pulled pork shoulder. Big Bob Gibson and Mitchell's both have better product in this category. - Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Decatur, AL - Definitive pork shoulder, and Big Bob is a great showman. - Hill Country, New York, NY - A terrific beef rib. I was very impressed, especially since the restaurant only opened the previous night. - Mitchell’s BBQ, Wilson, NC - Still my favorite. The whole hog takes it to another level. Also noteworthy: Tabla is selling Indian-spiced brisket sandwiches from its "terrace" area on the corner of 25th Street. It's smoked, spiced, braised -- it's quite excellent.

I'll try to post that video soon, DutchMuse. As several others have observed, the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party this year has thus far been a minor New York miracle. The event organizers at last cracked the code, though I shouldn't really say "at last" because, were the event a restaurant, yesterday would have been its ninth day in business. So that's pretty fast -- I should have said already. The two things that made the biggest difference (and I have confirmed that the numbers of people were not lower than last year) were, first, going from 10 to 15 pits and, second, switching to the efficient, elegant, low-tech punch-card method of payment for the Fast Pass. There were also a million other little improvements, not least of which was that the experienced pitmasters really ramped up their efficiency. I heard from two pitmasters almost the exact same words: "We served as many people from 12-4 today as we did from 12-6 last year." And it showed: by 4:30, there were very short lines even at the most popular places, and as far as I know 14 of the 15 pits had food to offer all the way until 6. On the intangibles front, the event felt calm and collected. There was no feeling of palpable stress as there was last year, when I feared the size and scope had become a Frankenstein never to be controlled again. Also from the department of New York miracles: the Big Apple Barbecue has become a major event in the barbecue community. New York has gone from laughing stock to cultural icon, thanks to this event. Not only has the event encouraged openings of barbecue restaurants in New York City that are operating at a more serious level than in days past, but also the pitmasters who attend the event -- some of the top names in the business -- spend all year looking forward to it. They love being on the New York stage, and several told me it's now considered one of the key events on the circuit. Hope to see some of you today. I'll be wearing the same fish-patterned pants as above, so do feel free to say hey.

The most detailed weather forecast I could find says there may be some scattered showers this morning but that things will be clearing up around noon. Great timing!

On my way home from the subway today I saw a street vendor selling very nice looking cherries 3 pounds for $5. That's about $1.66 a pound. Pretty good.

I believe there are also some 20,000 BTU gas burners in there. I don't think Ed Mitchell's crew is using the gas option, but it's available. I'll double check tomorrow.

Ed Mitchell is in the house. (Pictured above with Ken Callaghan, chef of Blue Smoke) I chatted with Ed Mitchell for awhile today. He's most certainly not retired. He's been spending his time designing new pig cookers, breeding organic hogs, and engaging in litigation in order to get his restaurant reopened. The new pig cookers, which are being debuted at the Big Apple Barbecue, are designed by Ed Mitchell in cooperation with Floyd Knowles of Wilmington Grill based out of Wilmington, North Carolina. Floyd Knowles is here with Ed Mitchell for the weekend. This is one of the grills, named "Sassy Pig." Ken Callaghan is the first customer for one of these new grills. You can see it in action this weekend -- it's the red one on the north end of the row, with a Blue Smoke logo where the Sassy Pig name is on the one pictured above. Ken will be taking possession of it after Ed Mitchell breaks it in this weekend. (The plan is that, when Wilmington Grill puts these pig cookers into production, they'll go for about $3,500, but I have it on good authority that if you show up on Sunday with $2,500 and a truck you can take your pick.) The plan this year is to cook 25 whole hogs -- the biggest ones they could get from the festival's supplier -- and several cases of pork shoulders. So there will be a higher percentage of shoulder meat in the final sandwich mix than you'd get from a straight whole hog. Here's the Mitchell's crew getting a pig and some shoulders started in the cooker. You can see that the next generation of the Mitchell family (one of Ed's nephews) is represented as well. Here's another pig ready to go. Some of the cookers are red, others are black, but they're all the same new design. The main features are, first, that there are shelves arranged inside to hold a combination of coals and wood (the coals for heat, the wood for smoke, is the idea) and, second, that there are various valves to allow for "banking" heat so that the pigs can cook pretty much unattended overnight. Here's our son PJ after playing in the fountain in the playground in nearby Madison Square Park. Regarding the question of which pits to hit, I would suggest letting your own tastes be your guide. I've given up on trying to force people to like Mitchell's whole hog. Some people think it's the only thing at the whole Big Apple Barbecue worth eating, and others think it's utterly unremarkable. I think it's the one thing you won't be able to experience even a pale imitation of in New York, so for me it's a must. I'll probably eat three of Mitchell's sandwiches before I even think about going elsewhere. Ask for extra skin. If you have a preference for ribs, sausage, brisket, shoulder . . . I think it makes the most sense to indulge that preference. You also may find that the lines at the most popular places are so long that the cost benefit analysis favors going to the places with shorter lines. I also learned today that Tabla will be selling soft-shell crab sandwiches for $12. The big advantage there is that Tabla's stand (corner of 25th and Madison, right outside the restaurant) tends not to have much of a line. So if you're down primarily for the music and enjoyment of the park, that's a nice option. As an additional means of getting psyched for tomorrow, I recommend the eGTV Big Apple Barbecue video from two seasons ago.

It's certainly possible that they made last-minute adjustments. My diagram is what they sent out in advance.

For the hard-core geeks, here's the comprehensive diagram/site plan.

Hepatitis A isn't spread through the skin. It's spread through feces. A worker who properly sanitizes his or her hands after using the bathroom has no greater chance of spreaing Hepatitis A than one who puts on a new pair of gloves after using the bathroom. Likewise, a worker who keeps the gloves on while using the bathroom is just as likely to spread Hepatitis A as one who uses the bathroom and doesn't wash his or her hands. If there's a benefit to gloves, surely it accrues because most workers don't wash their hands well enough, and glove-wearing is easier to enforce.

Especially since admission is free! I'll try to hunt Ed Mitchell down this afternoon and see what his plans are.

Di Fara's is way past the stage where it's possible to play that game. Once you've failed several inspections, in order to reopen you have to operate under the equivalent of a consent decree or probation. You have to agree to do a list of things, and if you don't do them you get shut down again. In order to get past that, you have to suck it up and do absolutely every stupid thing the DOH tells you to, no questions asked. If you fight it, you're out of business. It hardly seems worth it.

Pretty sure I paid $8.99 for a 4-pound box at Costco, so that's, um, let me see here . . . just under $2.25 a pound.

Much appreciated.