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Peach Pit BBQ in Fredricksburg Texas

Editors Note:  Fredricksburg Texas is in the hill country of Texas.  It is a popular tourist destination stop for those familiar with Texas.  Fredricksburg is known for fresh peaches, German food, and bueatiful Texas Hill Country surroundings

Now from the Low Budget Review Guy:

Today’s review focuses on The Peach Pit BBQ in Fredericksburg, TX.  This first time visit marked a change of pace for eating choices in Fredericksburg, as usually we dine in one of the many German restaurants in this beautiful Texas Hill Country town.  The Peach Pit BBQ inhabits what appears to be an old stone building, like most of the businesses in town.  The décor is sparse, with a large flat screen on one wall, a giant stainless cooler in the middle of the floor and Formica tables and chairs.  The friendly young counter staff helped us with questions on the basic menu.  I ordered the two-meat plate with brisket, sausage and two sides, and my companion ordered the chopped brisket sandwich.  We were directed to the cooler to serve ourselves from the variety of sides, potato salad, coleslaw and next to that a hot-sides table with pinto beans, and a green-bean concoction.  We decided on the potato salad, beans and for something different, the green bean dish.  The food came out promptly.  The brisket was lean and tender, but the smoke ring that you expect from good BBQ was barely visible and only on the edges, where the char ring usually is.  This could have been from the particular part of the brisket it was cut from, but can also mean that the meat was not smoked long enough, or slow enough.   I expect more than that from a Texas BBQ place.  The sausage was lean, unusual in Texas BBQ and had an interesting spice that we couldn’t quite place.  However, the result was mostly bland.  The chopped beef was tender, the portion size large. The optional BBQ sauce, on the side, was tomato-based, and while serviceable, needed some work.  It  got some extra credit for being kept in a warming dish, so was kept very warm, which I found to be a good idea.  The sides were very good.  The potato salad, while not a yellow mustard based, like I prefer, was milder than that, but still good.  It was crunchy and flavorful.  The pinto beans were well seasoned.  The star of the day, however, was the green-bean dish.  It came in a yellow-brown sauce, almost like a stew or thick soup. There were onions and celery mixed in as well and had a tang that resonated. Unusual and quite good.

Overall score:  C+

The brisket was merely average, the sausage slightly below . The potato salad, and especially the green-been dish brought the score up from a “C”, but was not enough to bring the overall score up further.  While sides are important to the overall picture, the meat is what we are there for, and that was not the star.

The Barbecue Road leads onward….

This is a rather quick post to review the opening game for the Baylor Men’s Basketball team, a team that went to the Elite 8 last year. Although there are significant losses of personel from last year, namely Epke Udoh, who was drafted as the sixth pick in the NBA draft, there is (was) significant anticipation for this year as well. Newcomer Perry Jones III arrives as the nations Number 2 recruit last year, according to ESPN.  Returning scoring star Lace Dunn would provide the senior leadership for the team. Mesquite Texas’ own Quincy Acy returns to scare the hell out of the opposition.  A strong supporting cast of returning players now with more experience under their sneakers.

Well Coach Scott Drew (I call him Skippy, and hereto forward in this article, that is what he shall be called), known for turning this titanic of a basketball program around, has seemed to run into a few bumps in the road. All that glitters is not gold, at least for too long apparently.  You see, it seems that Lace Dunn allegedly rearranged his girl friends face….oops, one star player out while they sort this matter out.  Please note, I said “allegedly”  God only knows how accurate this is.  But, Dunn is out indefinitely as a result. Skippy is also now a bit tarnished as NCAA is investigating the program for allegedly (there I go again, using that “A” word) texting a Columbian recruit…a clear violation of rules, if it indeed did happen. And further, the texts allegedly (thats three) were very aggressive and basically threatening the kid that he will never leave his native Columbia if he does not come and play for BU.  Now thats not very Baptist, Skippy.

Bottom line:  Distractions are a plenty at the beginning of this season.  The game I witnessed was an exhibition game against a very scrappy, aggressive DII school, Midwestern State, coached by ex-BU basketball players.  The starting line up for BU was Anthony Jones, a third year underachiever from Houston area, AJ Walton, a sophomore point guard who got a lot of playing time last year, Quincy Acy, best known for the blown call by incompetent refs in the game against Duke last year when they called Acy for a charge in a drive to the basket which was no more than me bumping into my grandmother…..(believe me Mr. Incompetent Boob of a Ref, you will know when Acy really charges, and next time may it be at you). Perry Jones started as well.  Perennial journey player Fred Ellis was the fifth starter. The team continued its normal tact of 5 individuals playing a basketball game while the Midwestern State team put on a clinic on passing around a zone defense.  In the end, BU won 68-59.  But they were out hustled, out played, and nearly out rebounded even though at any given time BU has at least three player on the floor 6-7 or more. Jones did not do much. 5 total points, and I think 5 rebounds.  The one thing I witnessed that was impressive, however, was his ball handling. After a rebound, he took the floor, and for a 6-11 dude, he looked like a natural point guard.  Rumor has it he is a three point threat.  But then again, so was Anthony Jones to be as well, and his three point game has spiraled to hell since his freshman year. The impressive player in this group was junior transfer J’Mison (think ‘Jameson’) Morgan, transferring in from UCLA.  This dude served up a double double with 15 rebounds playing half the game. I consider him to be the potential impact player on this squad. Match him with ever aggressive Quincy Acy (love this guy), and if the Dunn situation does work itself out before the season wears on too long, this could be a great combination.  Jones III? Hey, first game.  But if he going to be the one and done like I think he think he is, and certainly the way Skippy likely did the recruiting sales job for one and done, the kid will have to make a impact quickly.  This was no Kevin Durant out there.  As number two pick in the nation, I expected more

WE will see how this sordid saga of distractions mix into this season’s agenda.  Heres to hoping that somehow, God sweeps in and makes everything better with the NCAA and personal issues on the team….and they just get to playing ball.  Ranked 14th in the nation, they have an opportunity, and the personnel, to make this another great season.

To pick up where we left off, from Blue Diamond it was back to the hotel to cash in my few winning sportsbook bets, take a nap, then  head out to one of the best things to do in Vegas—cocktails at the top of The Stratosphere Hotel.  This towering structure at almost 1200 feet is not only one of my favorite places to stay in Vegas, great for the budget traveler, good clean rooms, $5 table games, good restaurants, but the tower itself has many attractions.  One of the best is also the cheapest. WE refer to this hotel as the Motel 6 of Las Vegas. Cheap, functional, clean, no frills. A good stay. While you can buy tickets to go to the 109^th floor (scarily high) for the thrill rides (no thanks) you can ride up to the 107^th floor lounge for free. While cocktails are approx $12-$13 apiece, at least there you are paying for the atmosphere.  The lounge looks down onto the restaurant a floor below. The restaurant rotates, the lounge does not-so it’s great for people watching.  The best time is to get there about 30-45 min before dusk.  Have a drink, chat with friends and watch the sun set over the mountains to the west, and watch the incredible lights of Las Vegas appear.  We tried a couple of appetizers and were very impressed. There are usually some happy hour specials.

From there we drove downtown to the Golden Nugget.  Dinner was at our favorite steak restaurant, Vic and Anthony’s.  This was our top-dollar meal for this trip and worth every penny.  Have been there a number of times and never disappointed. The wait staff is very attentive and the best, most tender steak I have ever had.  The sides are extra, but the marinated mushrooms were spectacular, even for non-fans.  Dinner there is truly a special experience and is highly recommended.

After dinner, we hit the slots and waited for the Fremont Street Experience, the dazzling overhead light/sound show that takes up several blocks downtown and shows several times a nite. Each show focuses on different bands, from Kiss, to The Doors, to the Rat Pack.  The people watching is primo.  They usually have several live bands, street musicians and performers, vendors, and everything in between. Cheap drinks and good cigars can be had in a number of directions.   Although we didn’t get to it this trip, a very cool biker bar, Hogs and Heifer’s is just a block away. Here the girls dance, uh, sometimes, fall off the bar.  Very entertaining.

The next day, we hit another new favoirite for a late breakfast/early lunch:  Hash House a Go-Go.  I ahd seen them on the Travel Channel and we stopped last year and loved it, so this year we had to take the spouses to enjoy, “Twisted Farm Food” is their sound bite,—and twisted it is.  My favorite—Chicken and Waffles.  Two large pieces of tender golden fried chickennestling on two huge buttermilk waffles with applewood bacon cooked into the waffles.  I can eat, but I couldn’t even get halfway through.  The prices are not cheap, but the portions are unbelievably large.  There can be a wait at either location, west of the strip on Sahara, or on the Strip at the Imperial Palace, but the wait will be worth it.  If you are into  delicious large breakfast/brunch, this place cannot be beat.  I wish I had a franchise. A new location has now opened in the M Resort, on the far south side of Las Vegas.

After we waddled to the car we drove up to Mt Charleston, approx 45 min away.  This refuge from the desert terrain is seen by very few Vegas tourists and they are missing a treat.  The road steadily climbs from the valley to well over 9,000 feet to a mountain lodge where native Americans sell handcrafted jewelry and pottery.  Cactus and desert scrub gives way to bushes and then pine trees.  On this visit we were granted a special sight.  The stands of Aspen trees in the draws and creek beds had changed to their brilliant golden hue.  We took a hike up a stream bed and took many pictures of the beautiful scenery.  There was even a picture of some strange squirrel-type creature hanging from a tree.  The temperatures at that altitude were 20-30 degrees cooler than the valley.  Looking at a number of incredible mountain homes in the area, we stopped by several that were for sale and checked the prices.  Might be a little high for a second home, but gorgeous just the same.  From there we coasted downhill 14 miles, in neutral, back to Hwy 95 and headed back to Vegas.

On the way back from Mt Charleston we stopped at the famous Pawn Shop from TV’s “Pawn Stars”.  It is on the Strip almost to downtown.  There was a line waiting to get in—to a pawn shop—are you kidding me?  They had security at the door, security directing traffic.  After about a 15 min wait we walked in. Although they had a few interesting items (Antique Slot machine anybody?  A $20,000 portrait of Jim Morrison?). They seemed more interested in selling “Pawn Stars” t-shirts and coffee mugs.  They did have some of the items that were seen on episodes of the show, which we love. The civil-war style mortar (that they actually shot a bowling ball out of during one classic episode) and the Top-Secret WW II map of the invasion beaches at Iwo Jima were two of the best that were on display.   We were glad we went, but don’t necessarily have to go back.

The rest of that day was spent playing some blackjack and roulette and getting my tail handed to me at the slot machines.  Still full from our huge breakfast at Hash House, for our last night’s dinner in Vegas we elected to hit Del Taco, a fast-food chain based out of California for a late dinner. Good taco’s , with fresh Cilantro, and cheap prices were just the ticket.

All in all, another great Vegas Vacation with great friends, great food, great fun.  Vegas appears to have rebounded nicely from the previous year or so.  The crowds were up, prices were up,  hotels were booked, restaurants were busy, traffic was awful. We tried the new (hotel Vdara and Aria Casino), the traditional (Vic and Anthony’s, In-n-out Burger, Pasta Mia) mixed in with new favorites, (Stratosphere Lounge, Hash House a Go-Go, Blue Diamond).  I am looking forward to my next trip back to my favorite American Playland–  Viva Las Vegas!

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My latest attempt at finding the world’s best rums for the best value is called , “Old Monk” rum.  This is a 7 year old, vatted, blended rum.  Almost all rums are blended as part of the final step in making rum. It helps provide consistent flavor and color.   “Old Monk” comes in an attractive, squat bottle, with a short neck and pebbled, or almost etched glass, reminiscent of clear alligator hide.  The busy, unimpressive label is black and red with Olde-English script.  The surprising part was it country of origin: India.  This rum is a product of Ghaziabad, an industrial city  in Upper Pradesh, India.  It is in the northeast corner of the country towards Nepal but not far from Delhi.  Being unfamiliar with India, I was at first quite surprised and then pleased to try this rum.

First, a few kitchen chores:  Here is the link to the website Old Monk Rum

Uninteresting Label Rum Guy, Really?

The dark, sugar cane rum is supposedly one of the world’s top sellers.   Upon opening the screw top and inhaling the aroma, the rich, tad-more-than-semi-sweet flavor wafted gently up.  The sugar-cane was very present and quite promising.  As I poured a shot for straight-up tasting  into my glass, the rum presented  even more, a dark maple-syrup color, and rich texture.  This 80 proof rum had a very impressive first taste.  Rolling it over the tongue, the flavor was strong, earthy, smoky, with just a little bite at the finish.   This is a rum you can drink straight, or even better, over ice. Mixed with Coke, Cherry Coke Zero, it blends very well.   Mixing it with various fruit juices it mixed surprisingly smooth, unusual for a dark rum.   Some dark rums overpower the fruit juice, some simply cover it like a heavy smog bank layered on top of the juice.  This rum blends  with a smooth teamwork where both juice and rum are present and pleasantly enhanced.   I have not yet tried it in Boat Drinks, for my “Frozen Concoctions”, but almost always it will be a similar result to mixing with fruit juices.  If it works for one, it will work for the other.  I look forward to it.

Net result:  For $18-$22 a bottle, this rum is a keeper.  Great value, very good flavor and texture.  A good choice.

Correction:  My previous Low Budget Rum Review gave a mixed grade for “Mount Gay Extra Old”.  It was a very expensive rum, very smooth, but I felt not a very good value given the taste vs. price.  I have to humbly adjust my grade.  After finishing the entire bottle, I realized my opinion had risen considerably about this rum.  If you are looking for high quality and the higher price doesn’t scare you away, I would highly recommend this rum.  It has caused a change to my rum rankings below:

1)      Pyrite

2)      Plantation Grande Reserve (Barbados)

3)      Old Monk

4)      Mount Gay Extra old

5)      Flor De Cano—12 yr

The Quest continues….

The Rum Guy….and primary Low Budget Review Guy

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Unless you have been dwelling in a dingy hole somewhere, hard rock fans, you should know by now that the Uproar Tour, 2010, sported one of the best line ups of the summer. Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Stone Sour, Halestorm, Hellyeah, Airbourne and others made up for one roaring kick in the ass good time in Dallas on Friday, September 10. The Uproar Tour is no different than other commercially driven (ah, that would be sponsored) event.  This was set up as a festival in the hot Texas sun, starting around 3:30p.  There were two stages: the main and a large side stage. The bands began on the side stage.  I did not arrive until a bit later in the afternoon….and after the necessary beers in the parking lot, we went in and unfortunately missed half of the first band: Airbourne.  I really wanted to see their whole set…oh well, two parking lot beers too many apparently.

Airbourne in the Air

Airbourne is an Australian outfit that brings back a sound from the metal 80′s. Sounding like a mix of Motley Crue and early AC/DC, these guys have received moderate airplay in the last year.  This is no easy task for this type of band in today’s fragmented and ailing popular music scene. Their set was tight, the songs recognizable, and the antics were in your face. Really, maybe just a bit too much, too contrived. The lead singer seemed to graduate from Headbanger University teaching lead singers the 10 sound bites to say on stage.  He passed, A+.  He needed a bit more creativity.  Overall, still, I liked these guys and look forward to more beyond the Uproar Tour.

Hellyeah. This band is always a Dallas favorite because of its roots here with drummer Vinnie Paul. It does not hurt to have the Pantera legacy as well.  Every time I see these guys I think the same thing.  Consistent. Enjoyable. Crowd pleasing. These guys are a little more grunge in approach.  Recently they have enjoyed air play as well.  But the songs that get air play really are kind of flat on a Hellyeah set. Performance wise, they are tight. This is a cohesive group. Not one of my personal favorites, but I do enjoy seeing them.  I just would not go see them as a headliner. They are best suited on bills like the Uproar Tour.

Halestorm. Brother/sister act Halestorm proved to be more than the title song of Voyuers everywhere (I Get Off ). Upon stage arrival, it took a a few minutes to get over the fact that Lizzi Hale looks (and sounds) like she could be the daughter of Pat Benetar. Nice looks.  But Lizzi needs to just say “no” to spandex.  A somewhat squatty lower body made this a bad look. But the tunes were good.

Loose The Spandex Lizzi

In fact, I down loaded some to my iPod. As a band, it is clear they are young and a bit raw. Stage presence was decent, and even understated until they did what I consider a really bad sign….a drum solo.  Let me explain. This band had a 30 minute slot to play and impress.  They used over 5 of it for a useless drum solo. Tells me they are short on music…at least rock music that fits the flavor of the Uproar Tour. The brother drummer was also a pretty boy. Clearly, part of the act is to sell looks for this group. Give them a listen.  A decent group, that, if they solve their apparent playlist issue and get even more airplay, they will be touring alot on shows such as this.

Stone Sour. This is a group I struggle to understand.  First, how does lead Corey Taylor strike gold twice with Slipknot and Stone Sour?  Why not translate the music to Slipknot, he just need a reason to get rid of the on stage outfit?  This questions will never get answered. This is the fourth time seeing Stone Sour. They have a no nonsense stage approach, with the sparse stage back drop to match.  They do not, however, loose any energy.  Sound wise, their harder stuff blends a little too much together.  Could be mixing. But I cannot separate any specific guitar work from voice, bass, etc.  You get the picture. As a lead without the get up, Taylor makes for an odd front man. He offsets his nakedness by running back and forth as if possessed, but in a friendly sort of way

Taylor without the Slipknot Get Up

Ironically, Stone Sour’s most popular songs, judging by airplay and audience expectation are softer, acoustic guitar based songs. Melodic, and with striking lyrics.  Those songs do not translate well in a show with this bill.  So they left one of them on the table.  Their new song received decent acceptance, less than I thought it would given the airplay it now gets. Overall, this was just an average outing for a group that has a lot of talent. They were better on other nights that I have seen them…but still, do not pass a chance to go see them.

Disturbed. Right up front, I do not like these guys, never did.  I was not here to see them. And it is not like I have not seen them before, this is the fifth time to see them. One thing is for certain, they sure do have a lot of recognizable songs from massive airplay. All I will say about this performance is that their act has gone a bit more mainstream.  More corporate, if you will. It is less edgy as in the past, and the audience reaction followed suit. Not taking anything away from hard core fans, again, this is just my personal tastes.

Avenged Sevenfold. This is the group I was here to see. This is the first tour after the loss of their drummer, DOA for who knows what reason.  Replaced by Dream Theaters drummer, they march on. Lead guy M Shadows voice was in great form. Recall they had to cancel a tour mid way two years back due to voice issues. Their brand of rock is very difficult to pull off. Listen to their music on iTunes or CDs, it is very complex, almost Kansas like in machine gun musical directions within one song. It takes a talented group to pull this off live, and they most certainly do,

Yes, Avenged Sevenfold Knows Death First Hand Recently

Welcome To Hell

Blessed with an elaborate stage set up that changed it flavors several times throughout the one hour set, the group did not miss a beat in playing or energy. They are musically a superior band.  Audience reaction was great as well.  In fact, we thought Avenged Sevenfold was the headliner as billed. They must switch nights with Disturbed on headlining.  Bad news for Disturbed when they are headlining as in tonight as audience reaction is much stronger for Avenged Sevenfold, and 20% of the audience left before Disturbed closed the night. This group has never been more popular as witnessed by their hit “Nightmare” which charted at #2 in the overall singles chart recently….yes the overall charts, not just the rock charts.  Go see this band.  They are curious.  Their themes are dark. Their personality matches.  Yet their lyrics are lace with interesting religious implications. This was my third time seeing them, and this was the best.

Business Results. As many of you know, I like to summarize the business side of the concerts I attend.  There is no doubt this has been one of the most difficult concert seasons in years with cancellations, low attendance, etc. Tonight was no different. I believe this line up was stellar (sans Disturbed). This venue holds 20,000. Tonight I estimate that there were 11,000 in attendance on a Friday night. As with festivals that are sponsored, it is difficult to assess the sponsorship money.  The festival approach yields a myriad of vendor tents selling things to concert goers.  Then there is the alcohol….bottom line, I estimate this event grossed less than $600,000. There was not the normal bullshit $15 charge for parking.  My pit ticket cost $105 with all the Ticketmaster bullshit fees. The hillside lawns were about $40. Clearly organizers were hoping for more, and it just depneds on the sponsorship money to know whether this floated the costs of the event.

Go see these bands.  This is a great tour.

Up Next: A review of the Uproar Tour with Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Stone Sour, Halestorm, Hellyeah, Airbourne.  This tour came through Dallas Texas on Friday, September 10.  A complete review will be posted here on redd granite no later than tomorrow.  Catch it.

Continuing our series on Texas Best BBQ, last Friday’s lunch stop in Central Texas took us to Corsicana, Texas.  Corsicana is a city of about 25,000 in Central/North Texas.  Along I-45, 2/3 the way from Houston to Dallas, Corsicana is a stop for many travelers making the 245 mile trip. Our stop ended at Clyde’s BBQ:

Clydes BBQ, Corsicana, Texas

When it comes to Texas best BBQ, many times a minimalist attitude is king.  Many of the best joints are holes-in-the-wall. Clyde’s BBQ in Corsicana, Texas fits the bill. As you can see from the pic above, it almost looks as if it was converted from a double wide.  Inside, a sparse, but functional interior compliments this minimalist approach to best BBQ. There are about 6 tables to enjoy your lunch for those who wish to eat in.  Plates are not served here.  It is all to go containers, even if you eat in.  The menu is limited. Again, very minimalist. Ribs, Brisket, and links are the only offerings.  Same for the sides.  Baked and Ranch Style Beans, Slaw, and Potato Salad.  I stuck with my review menu (for this site at least) and had sliced Brisket with Ranch Style Beans and Potato Salad.

The Brisket was prepared wonderfully. Very, very tender, which tells me they take the time to slow cook as Brisket should.  The smoke ring was not real defined: interesting, with the fact that it tasted great and Mesquite smokey.  But the ring was not nearly as defined as it should be. The sauce was another interesting point. There really was not a BBQ sauce to speak of.  It seems as if it was marinaded or cooked in this sauce-type au jois. I personally loved the approach.  It was superbly tastey, without drowning the brisket in ancillary sauce. There are those hard cores which would tell you this is closer to what BBQ should be.  Too many confuse BBQ with sauce….but it really is the Brisket and the process of cooking/smoking the meat. The serving of Brisket was overly healthy in portions. Good thing, I may have had to purchase seconds if it was not as large of a serving.

The sides were mixed.  The Ranch Style Beans were OK. Not sure if they were store bought or not, they could have been. The potato salad, however, was a different story. Clearly home it was home made. A different tasting mustard style potato salad which was nearly the consistency of mashed potatoes. Very tasty. As I devoured my late lunch, one of the family brought in two huge buckets of the potato salad, confirming that it was home made, likely by a family member.  This is no corporate resturaunt operation, but a true minimalist BBQ operation that can stand with most.  Again, if you want the sauce, go elsewhere. But for more true BBQ lovers, this does qualify as one of Texas Best BBQ.

There were not many guest on this Friday. This is unfortunate.  They are just 1/10 of a mile beyond all of the fast food joints on HWY 31 off of I-45. With just a little knowledge of this place (read hwy billboard), I am certain many would bypass the fast food hell and end up at Clyde’s.  And the price, oh yeah, about 20% less than most BBQ joints (which are all over priced).

So try them out if you are ever in this area. I give Clyde’s bBQ, Corsicana, Texas a total of 8 out of 10 boots…..(I really need to find a boot icon for this portion of the post)

So a quick update as promised to follow up our post two weeks ago about this family fun BBQ joint in Hubbard, Texas.  Recall that I really liked the place….but felt I needed to do a follow up since I only ordered a sandwich there. This time we order the two meat plate with two sides, called the Big Boy.  The price of this is $8.75 and includes your drink…so a very good deal as far as Texas BBQ pricing goes. Recall that I spoke that the sandwich was near perfection, but that they need to slow the smoking a little to make the meat more cut with fork tender.

This past stop was consistent with the first.  The brisket was a bit more tender, and getting close to the  acceptable range.  Again, great smoking and taste.  A perfect ring on the meat.  So this was a good step in the right direction in improving what was a great experience the first time. The ribs were needing a bit of the same slowing of the smoking process.  Do not get me wrong, very tasty, but just a bit too rushed in the smoking process leaving a bit more tough of a rib than I would like to see.

The sides are the laggers here.  There is a limited choice of  beans, slaw, fries, and potato salad.  I chose the potato salad and beans.  Both seemed to be store bought retreads and not very tasty. Generally a waist of calories.  So next time I will stick to the sandwich.

This weeks visit dropped the overall boot total to 7 out of 10. Stick to the meats and you will be happy.

Of course, I now need to find another to try in my back road Texas travels. I have a few on the radar and we will give them a whirl in a few weeks.

Peace

Those of you in other parts of the country may not feel the effects of late July early August, a time when I feel in general we in Texas basically get a case of the Late Summer Blues. Allow me to pontificate. This is the time of the year when the heat becomes just oppressive. The Fourth of July holiday as disappeared from your rear view mirror. School looms in the distance, but still a few weeks away. With the heat, and all of the above, it just leaves a lot of us down here downright lethargic. Unmotivated. Maybe the Mexicans have it right, I think we would all do better if we just closed our tents, and took a nice lengthy Siesta in the middle of the afternoon when the heat threatens to cook the souls of your shoes.

Bottom line, it leaves us struggling to keep focused. Some of us get caught up in the pennant race in MLB. Still a lot of baseball to play, but if you follow a team that has a wing and a prayer chance, you may just have something to keep your attention. Constant posts to Facebook seem to help, let all of your poor friends know that you are going to the gym, scratching your balls, whatever.

I even write this in pure boredom. Sorry. The Texas Rangers whom I choose to follow this year in the pennant race since my beloved CUBS suck so bad, are just plain boring tonight in their game against Oakland. Pshaw….I think I will go to bed.

Peace

I am on a mission from God. Yes. He spoke tome today as I was driving my normal Friday afternoon 110 journey. I drive this way every Friday of the working week. So the good Lord spoke directly to me, loud and clear, that I need to try every BBQ joint between the two journey points and find the best BBQ. Now I cannot not listen to God, how sacrilegious that would be. So I heeded His call and started today. The call was to

Now my BBQ tastes may not align with the experts, but suffice it to say, I believe my tastes would align with most of you. I am only testing and commenting on Brisket at these joints….so what I look for is a great smokey flavor, hickory or mesquite, one that leaves you not feeling you need BBQ sauce. The verification for a good smoke out is the 30 minute after belch, if you taste the smoke the second time over everything else you ate with it, including the sauce you likely put on it, you have a great smoke taste, (that keeps giving and giving). I like a slight marbeled Brisket. OK. It is not healthly, but if you are eating BBQ for health, you missed a turn along the way somewhere.  Best BBQ is a wide definition to most, but here is my first attempt….and oh, yeah, this is central and north Texas area, so my apologies for the regional discussions.  Again, maybe my Russian spamming friends may learn something new to go with their vodka. (Contact me directly using the contact form here, my Russian friends, I will send you recipes.  Spam that! The Brisket needs to be uber tender, where you can EASILY cut it with a fork. Of course, the smoke ring  must be there.

We tried a joint in Ennis, Texas today.  Bubbas (no website) is along I-45.  This place has been there for years, and I have always heard it was good. They have two levels of service, self for the BBQ line, and sit down to order.  Their menu does consist of more than the typical BBQ joint.  They add in several grilled fish offerings as well as steaks.  I have no idea who good or bad these are.  Unfortunately, Bubba fell real short.  The Brisket was very tough (although very lean for you health heads).  The taste was smokey, but in a strange sort of chemical way.  I could not put my finger on it, but it was a strange taste.  Quite unfortunately it turns out, the young lady who served me, who was the cashier who is not supposed to serve, but she saw noone was helping me so she did, ignored the weight scale that is normally used in these joints (always hated that, for you Russians, Brisket is a in expensive meat and BBQ is priced fairly high for casual dining), and she piled a load of Brisket on my plate. I felt compelled to eat it even though it was nasty.  The side were excellent, however, great potato salad with the right combo of mustard and perfectly cooked taters…..and very importantly, served at the right chilled temperature. The sauce was good. It was fairly standard tasting.  Of course, I slathered it on huge when realizing how poor the Brisket tastes.

Bottom line, $10.97 for Brisket plate and 2 sides, and a soda.  About normal.  Unfornately, Bubbas falls fall short to be considered in the best BBQ catagory.  I give it the boot, ah, that is 1 boot out of 10

Peace