Varmint

Tee hee, this gives me great pleasure. Why, you ask? Let me bring up a statement Fat Guy made nearly 3 years ago about NC barbecue: The man has learned. NC barbecue is often an acquired taste, simply because it doesn't overpower you with sauce or smoke. The pork is what it's all about. The stuff is chopped a bit too finely at a few places, but, perhaps apocryphal, that's an unfortunate relic from the days when dental practice resulted in too many folks needing their food substantially chopped. Ketchup? That's a common misunderstanding of NC barbecue ("western" style, that is). The sauce is usually quite thin and still vinegar based. It'll have some ketchup in it, but it's certainly nothing akin to Texas-types of barbecue sauce. Finally, I want y'all to realize what a special treat you had up there in the big city. Most barbecue festivals are not about feeding the masses. Instead, they're competitions where serving good Q to the ordinary Joe or Jane is almost an afterthought. You certainly would never get so many different types of barbecue at one place. Perhaps they'll add someone next year from Owensboro, KY, to demonstrate one more style. I'd hope they bring up a Lexington/Western style barbecuer, too. I need to set aside all plans in early June next year!

I will say I've had plenty of whole hog barbecue with a prominent smoke flavor -- mine, for example! I think in NC terms, at least, it's important to understand that mere smoking does not create barbecue. Using an indirect smoking source would not likely satisfy the purists of the crowd, as the pork must be cooked directly over the heat source that is also the smoke source. Where things get a bit crazy is when the heat source is gas or electric but there is a separate chamber to add smoke to the mix. It tastes fine, most people will call it barbecue, but it doesn't satisfy the purists' definition. Oh, and who owns America's Barbeculture? We do, of course. Let's treat it with the respect it deserves. Let's all bow our heads in reverence now.

Pan roasted wild salmon, roasted beets on a bed of swiss chard in a creamy balsamic reduction, and oven roasted redskin potatoes. This was the first "real" meal I cooked for Mrs. Varmint in a couple of weeks. She hasn't filed for divorce yet.

Pick up a case or 9 for me, would ya, Tom? I always need ultra-cheap wine.

Nero is so dreamy! Seriously, I have no problem eating any of those things. It's not something I go out of my way to do, but they always seem to taste good to me.

I have no problem eating the processed foods that 98% of eGulleteers abhor. I also love beer and chocolate chip cookies -- together.

Wow. PBR. I lived in Milwaukee for three years, and touring the Pabst plant was one of my favorite forms of recreation. I remember riding my bike to law school, passing through the middle of these old brick and stone semi-gothic buildings, right under the huge arching PABST sign that hung across the road. The tour itself made me proud of this fine institution. The tour “guides” were often college-aged stoners who just wanted to be able to drink beer all day and get paid for it. As you pass through the brewery itself, you soon learned that this single brewery was responsible for producing more cheap beer than any other spot in the world. PBR, Olympia, Colt 45, Old Milwaukee, Lone Star, Old Style, Blatz, McSorleys, Ballantine (and all their “light” versions). Of course, they also made their “premium” beer, Andekker. At the end of the tour, you ended up in a tasting room that was made to look like a typical German pub. What’s weird about this room was that is was connected to the Board room, where the big business occurred. The tour guides let you stay and drink to your heart’s content – all free, of course. I occasionally would ask for some snacks, and they could usually find some leftover pretzels from the prior Board of Directors meeting. What a place. The Miller tour, however, was a sterile, Disney-esque affair. Everything was behind glass, and inevitably, the guide was some sorority girl named Buffy or Missy or Heather. You received two tickets, allowing you two 8 ounce beers at the end of the tour. Bah. Finally, my favorite way to drink PBRs was to get a case of returnable longnecks for about $6.50. I miss those. My favorite way to drink this beer at a bar was at the National Liquor Bar, where you could get a 12 ounce PBR (or Andekker) and a shot of rotgut whiskey for a buck. Man, I miss Milwaukee, but my liver doesn’t.

Cook for her. That's how I got my wife. Really! It's how I've managed to keep her for 12 years, too!

Captain Crunch with Crunchberries is one of the best reasons to raise small boys. I love all of that sugary goodness. I especially like the way that my teeth are coated with a padding of sugar paste after a big heaping bowl. MMMMMM. THat's good eating. My brother used to pour them out into a big bowl, like Jethro, and eat all of the Crunchberries, take the toy (Captain Crunch had cool toys), and then put the plain cereal back in the box. I hated him for that. You also get that lovely "film" atop the milk after eating the Cap'n Crunch. And don't you love the way half a box of Apple Jacks will make the roof of your mouth totally raw?

First, I must admit that I'm a pretty mediocre photographer, as I don't know what the hell I'm really doing. However, I do like my camera, the Sony DSC-V1, because it is fairly compact, has great optics (Zeiss lens), and it allows me to take total control of all settings: Film speed, aperture, and shutter speed. These are important (particularly the aperture) when trying to get stylized shots that Heidi produces, with a narrow depth of field. This camera is a Sony, meaning it uses the stupid memory stick, but those prices are finally coming down. However, this is my bread and butter camera for food, friends, family, flora and fauna.

Damn, I don't think eggplant is the greatest thing, but I don't despise it. Scotch isn't my favorite, either, but in the right context, it's OK. Oysters made me sick the last 3 times I ate them, but I haven't given them another shot in 12 years. But really, honestly, I don't think there's anything that I truly, positively despise. And I'm including chemical laden stuff -- such as super-sweet breakfast cereal, bright red weiners, Scooter Crunch Bars (check those ingredients some time), and fat-free half and half (I always get a kick out of that one). Damn, I'll eat anything you put in front of me -- and my waistline is proof positive of that.

I think that most folks agree that Dips has not been the same since they moved. I used to love hanging out at the old place during my extended educational tour of Chapel Hill. Bigger is rarely better when it comes to quality. And I agree about the cookbook, too.

My favorite happy meal is the 4 piece McNuggets, fries, and a Hi-C with a cool Shrek toy. Oh, you said happy hour meal. Sorry.

William, perhaps we should go there for lunch tomorrow instead of the Roast Grill for "hot weiners"? (no, folks, it's just a hot dog place! The Vertigo has always held a soft spot in my heart, as I've had plenty of good meals there over the years, and some incredible cocktails as well. Anyone who can come up with a drink named "37, Really?" in honor of Kevin Smith's Clerks deserves a special mention in my book.

This review was a perfect way to begin Bruni's tenure as the Times' restaurant critic. Much of the debate we've had with the recent critics (including the temps) is that there was no rhyme or reason to their reviews or awarding of stars. Here, Bruni reviewed a restaurant that is extremely well-known. By starting with a known entity, he has established a baseline of restaurant excellence. With his future reviews, both he and the Times' readers can look back at the Babbo review (and the award of 3 stars) for comparative purposes -- why this particular restaurant merits a rating higher, lower, or equal to 3 stars. I wouldn't be surprised to see his next few reviews to be of other well-known restaurants at each star level. That lets us know what his guidelines are, and by doing that, we can determine whether he's being honest with himself with future reviews.

Try this thread. Have fun, and report back!

I often wonder whether the American public will completely embrace the traditional Indian cooking or this more refined, sophisticated style. Something tells me it's the latter, and we'll start to see this type of restaurant in cities other than NYC. In the meantime, I'm just glad I'll be eating dinner at Tabla later this month. Thanks for the report.

I totally take advantage of the time when Mrs. Varmint and the L'il Varmints are gone. I love cooking for myself, using every single ingredient that Mrs. Varmint despises (and there's quite a few). Fortunately, though, I'm not cooking for myself very often at all. I'd prefer a crappy meal with my wife than an outstanding solo meal any day of the week.

God, there couldn't possibly be a bigger compliment coming from a former vegetarian! (although Giacammo's is always better, right? ) And yes, I did have a lot of visitors today, asking me what I'm going to do next year. Please start submitting your suggestions now.

Buz- Thanks so much for participating here, and I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about your restaurant and the cooking process you use. Could you help us out with this information, primarily the meats you use, where you acquire them, the type of wood (and dryness), the time and temperature of the cooking, etc? I'm one of those barbecue freaks, and I'm always trying to learn more of how different restaurants practice their craft. Our readers want to hear more as well! Thanks in advance.

No recipes for those. Wash okra/tomatoes. Slice okra/tomatoes. Soak okra/tomatoes in buttermilk. Dredge in seasoned cornmeal (with a bit of semolina for extra crunch). Fry in vegetable oil. Eat. That's as simple as it gets -- just season your cornmeal to your taste with whatever you have on hand. I made the okra a bit spicy and a touch saltier than usual, simply because I wanted them to have a bit of a "crouton-like" flavor pack.

Forks Lunchroom is in Wake Forest on Falls of the Neuse Rd. Rachael Ray also visited: Caffe Driade Elmo's Diner Barbecue Joint on Weaver Dairy Road.

It was most expubidantly without tip. Oh, and don't look up expubidantly (pronounced ex POOH bu dent ly). It doesn't exist except in my mind.

Final cost: $822 or about $34 per person. Not too bad when you consider the cost of some of the ingredients that were used!

Here's a report of the Dillard House from our family vacation last summer. As mentioned above, there are plenty of family style restaurants throughout the Southeast.