This joint is home to some really excellent cocktails.
I had been eyeballing the place for a while, and when a buddy was in town and staying at a hotel nearby, we decided to go in.
Our bartender, Albert, mixed up the absolute, hands-down best Old Fashioned I have ever tasted. On the menu it is called a Winona, and is made with a few flourishes to the standard ingredients, the most impressive of which is its delivery in a smoke infused bottle.
Watch as the smoke billows out and creates a nose for the drink as you sip it:
I’m not big on the whole “mixology” thing. Mixing drinks is cool but I still call it bartending. Bartending with interesting ingredients doesn’t require a scientific-sounding name. It’s all about pairing flavors, and that’s what any good bar tender should be able to do. Albert is one of those people who takes pride in what he does. He isn’t afraid to try new things and come up with new drinks. I even told him about the Germain Scotsman. His initial reaction was “mixing peaty scotch with anything is blasphemy,” but he embraced the drink with an open mind and found that he actually liked it! It works on many levels.
Anyway, after another visit here for drinks with ANOTHER friend who was in town and staying in midtown, my wife and I finally made it over to try out some of the food.
We started with the scotch eggs. These seem to be made with quail eggs, so the ratio of egg to breading is a bit off. While they tasted really good, had good seasoning and crunch, the egg just got lost a little bit in the breading.
The dry rub chicken wings had nice flavor. If I had to guess, it was some kind of mild jerk spice rub. Very interesting. Good crunch on the outside and nicely cooked inside, and served with a celery and jicama slaw.
We also dug into the pork terrine. The meat was a bit more solid than I expected. When stuff like this is served with toast, I expect more of a spreadable texture. The taste was nice, however, and paired nicely with the mustard and jicama, pepper and cabbage slaw.
Our last savory course was the burger with blue cheese.
I ordered medium, and that seems about right to me on the inside. Perhaps just a bit over?
The pickles, bun, lettuce, tomato and cheese were all on point, but the meat was a little grainy in texture. I think maybe the beef was over worked after it went through the grinder to become a patty. It also could have used a bit more seasoning.
The new version of their burger features 4oz smoked patties and a red onion bacon jam. Way better.
Fries were shoestring style – like McDonalds (a good thing).
For dessert we tried the blueberry upside down cake. This was essentially three small muffin sized cakes served with fresh blueberries (both in the cake and as garnish), tangy orange/lemon curd, whipped cream and basil.
The flavors worked really well together, and the cake was warm and fresh. Even my wife, a baker, gave it her seal of approval.
I’ll definitely be back to try a few more items from the food menu, but it seems like the drinks are really the star of the show here. Nicely done!
UPDATE! IMPROVED BURGER & SECRET BURGER, SAME GREAT COCKTAILS!
This page is dedicated to the greatest liquor around: whiskey. Aside from a dirty, dry, gin martini, a glass of scotch and/or whiskey is probably the greatest thing to happen to the male sex since the discovery of female tits, ass and vagina. Read and learn all about these great accompaniments to dinner.
You may sometimes see it spelled “whisky,” or generically (and often erroneously) referred to as “scotch.” You might also see scotch lumped in with things like bourbon or rye. Shit, you’ll even see single malts confused with blends. But words have meanings, my friends, and this is where you will learn them, and where you will find my opinions about which are the best.
Terminology
Whiskey/Whisky: Whisky is alcohol that’s been distilled from fermented grain mash. All whiskey must be distilled at a minimum of 40% and a maximum of 94.8% ABV. The spelling is generally different based on which country it is from. A nice rule of thumb is that countries that do not have an E in their name do not spell whisky with an E. Examples: Scotland/Japan = Whisky; America/Ireland = Whiskey
Where Brooklyn at???
Grain Whisky: Whisky made, at least in part, from grains other than malted barley.
Malt Whisky: Whisky made primarily from malted barley.
Irish Whiskey: Yup, you guessed it… whiskey made in Ireland. It must be distilled to an ABV of less than 94.8%. Additional rules are that it must be aged three or more years in wooden barrels, and if two or more distillates are used the whiskey must be labeled as a “blend.”
Scotch: The mash must be barley, it must be from Scotland, and it must be aged in oak barrels for three or more years at an ABV of less than 94.8%. Pretty simple.
Single Malt: Essentially this just means that the whisky is a product of a single distillery. A single-malt Laphroaig may contain whisky from many barrels produced at their distillery, but it must contain whisky produced only at Laphroaig.
Blended Malt: Also known as vatted malts, these are a blend of single malts from two or more distilleries.
Single Grain: Very misleading. It means barley and one or more other cereal grains were used, produced only at a single distillery (similar to single malt).
Blended Grain: Blend of single grains from two or more distilleries.
Blended Scotch Whisky: A mix of both single malt whisky and single grain whisky, sourced from several different distilleries.
Single Barrel: This is a whisky from a single barrel, unmixed with other barrels. Very rare.
Bourbon: Grain mix must be at least 51% corn, and bourbons are from the USA and aged in new charred oak barrels. Straight bourbon is a bourbon that has aged two or more years. While most bourbon is made in Kentucky, it is not a requirement. Bourbon can be no more than 80% alcohol (160 proof) and no more than 62.5% when put into casks for aging in new charred oak barrels.
Tennessee Whiskey: Straight bourbon made in Tennessee and filtered through charcoal.
Rye: In Canada, there must be some rye in the mash. In the USA, however, there must be at least 51% rye in the mash, and they must be aged in new charred oak barrels. Like bourbon, straight rye is a rye that has aged two or more years. Rye can be no more than 80% alcohol (160 proof) and no more than 62.5% when put into casks for aging in new charred oak barrels.
Personal Preferences
I have two distinct likes when it comes to scotch. I enjoy the extremes of the spectrum: creamy and sweet like butterscotch, and super medicinal and peaty.
Let’s start with the peaty ones: Laphroaig 10 is like baseball glove leather, and I mean that in the best way possible. Very smokey and definitely an acquired taste. I absolutely love it.
That, Ardbeg (both the 10 year and the Corryvreckan) and Lagavulin are my favorite of the smokey, peaty varieties.
I have a great book called “Michael Jacksons Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch” that I found to be very useful (Not Jacko – some other dude). It also rates them out of 100. Lagavulin 16 (their most common) gets like 96/100. That’s pretty fucking amazing for a bottle that typically costs $75-$100 (depending on how hard you are being raped in cities). Tasting anything higher ranked is going to cost you a shitload of scratch. In fact, I don’t think I’ve tasted anything rated higher than Lagavulin. Get it. It’s fucking totally mint.
For the smoother types: I like Macallan 18, Glenlivet 21, Balvenie Double Wood 12, and Glenmorangie 18.
That Glenlivet 21 is as clean as a freshly shaved snatch too, assuming there was a shower taken afterwards, and no STDs or weird rashes… One Christmas Eve I drank nearly half a bottle of GL21 and had no hangover whatsoever the next morning. Happy Birthday Jesus!!! The smoothies I listed here are all a bit more expensive (though Balvenie is not) but well worth it.
The Macallan and Glen Livet 12 years are nice to start with if you’d like to try something smooth as well, but I prefer the Balvenie Double Wood by far at that price point. They call it “double wood” because it has two hard cocks. No… because it is aged for most years in oak casks, but then finished in sherry casks, so it has a unique flavor.
Scotch Flavor Map
I came across this pretty cool chart thing a while back, and kept it handy for quick reference. This gives you a little visual of the flavor profiles people often discuss with scotch:
From http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/01/03/all-hail-scottish-whisky-flavour-map
Regions of Scotch Production
There are essentially four main regions of scotch production in Scotland, and each region has flavors that are often typically associated with their scotches.
Speyside: fruity and delicate. The valley of the river Spey is often associated with flavors like vanilla, honey, apples and pears.
Lowlands: fresh, light. These malts are fragrant, floral, taste of cereal and are light in color.
Highlands: smooth and floral. In the west, you have some maritime influence in the flavor, and in the central highlands you get some honey and heather.
Islay/Skye Islands: peaty and briny. These robust malts are laden with the medicinal / iodine aromas of the sea.
Drinking Tips
One thing I like to do: drink the first half of my glass neat, then throw one or two ice cubes in and allow the flavors to change. It’s like having two different glasses of scotch in one, because the ice and water allow the scotch to open up (kind of like wine), and different aromas and flavors can be more easily detected.
The ice sphere is so much cooler than the ice cube. The ice cube is such a square.
Another cool thing I learned at a tasting: splash a little scotch on the palm of your hand and rub your hands together like Mr. Miyagi. Then smell your hands. All sorts of aromas are unleashed. You’ll smell florals, vanillas, nuts, wood, etc. Very cool.
An interesting trick: suck air in through your teeth as you have some scotch in your mouth and on your tongue. The break-up and aeration of the liquid will release aromas and flavors that you might have otherwise missed.
Most important: take your time. I sometimes see scotch amateurs order a nice scotch and then shoot it fast. What a waste! Don’t be that fucking guy.
Organize a tasting: maximize your exposure to various scotches. If you’re anything like me, you have a bunch of buddies who love to drink. Chances are, a good crew of them dig scotch. Call them up and organize a scotch tasting. Everyone can bring their stash and you’ll have a really big selection to work with. Check out this selection we amassed last Christmas. Fuck yeah! I think we had 30 bottles total when a last minute arrival showed up, and it was something he brought back from China. Sweet!
A final note: scotch isn’t for everyone. Some people just don’t like this shit. Tastes are subjective, but tastes do change over time. I always hated tequila, for instance. But I respect the spirit and understand how tons of variety exists in the product lines. In fact I’ve recently started to come around to tequila through my enjoyment of aged mezcal. Maybe you’ll come around to scotch if your first impression is bad. Keep trying. You never know – your taste buds might have adjusted and now you might love scotch if you tried some good ones.
Other Resources
For a more in-depth dive into terminology, check out THIS SITE. Start at A, and work your way through Z. Do it. Don’t be a bitch.
Something that many discerning men enjoy after a steak is scotch. But these days, there are a dwindling few who have a chance to partake in the OTHER delight of a post-steak meal: a good smoke. Whether you’re a cigar or a pipe guy, or even one of those ridiculous e-cigarette fanatics, NYC has pretty much fucked your world when it comes to lighting up at the table as you wait for the bill.
Look – I get it – no one wants to go home smelling like an ash tray. And by now it’s old news that NYC has a ban on smoking in food establishments. There are a precious handful of places where you can still smoke, but there’s one thing I always thought was unfair about the smoking ban: PIPES SMELL AWESOME!
Pipe smoking is real altruism: I know it’s bad for me, but you’re getting enjoyment from it because the smoke smells fucking fantastic. I’m not really a cigar guy. Occasionally I will have one. I’m not really a cigarette person, either. If I’m out drinking and a friend offers, I might smoke one to be social. Generally cigars and cigarettes smell like shit to me, and they don’t taste all that great to boot. I DO like a clove cigarette, on occasion. And I DO like pipe tobacco. Those both taste and smell excellent, and typically neither product gets inhaled, so they’re slightly better for you than a cigarette. I guess mouth cancer is less shitty than lung cancer.
Why pipes, though? Who gets into that kind of thing? People who want to look distinguished, that’s who.
I began my foray into pipe smoking sometime in 2003 or 2004. A friend sent over a random video of himself and a friend – set to classy jazz music of course – puffing away on a long churchwarden pipe like some kind of hobbit.
A churchwarden pipe, by the way, is named so because men who kept watch over churches at night (wardens of the church) would often want a long-stemmed pipe that they could rest on their belly as they sat back in a chair.
Anyway I saw that video from my friend and I laughed. But I thought, “This is actually pretty fucking cool. I need to get one now.” In fact a small group of us all picked up some pipes soon after, and we started a club called the Aromatic Embers Pipe Smoking Club.
It was great! Every week we would meet at a local Starbucks and puff away in the outdoor seating area.
Without fail people would comment about how great it smelled. We had membership cards, a nice logo, and we were even in the process of building a website.
So here are a few things you’ll need to know about pipe smoking, that way you’re ready to rock when you decide to take up this healthy and enjoyable habit.
Types of Pipe Tobacco
Astoundingly similar to scotch, pipe tobacco can vary from smoky like baseball glove leather, to sweet like caramel. In fact I often pair a smoky scotch with something like a Latakia tobacco, which has the similar medicinal, iodine-y aroma of peat moss mixed with leather.
Those types of tobaccos are generally less pleasant to smell when burning, but they’re still not as noxious as a cigar or cigarette. They’re not UNpleasant by any means; they just have a characteristic odor that takes a little getting used to.
Other tobaccos are infused with flavorings and even sugars to make them taste different or become very aromatic and scented when burning. It’s as if you’re burning a nice-smelling candle in the room. The smoke does tend to cling, though, so make sure you have good air circulation. If not, you may soon find yourself wading through a thick fog of pipe smoke. Here’s a more specific look at the various types of tobacco:
Major Breakdown of Tobacco Styles
Aromatic: During the manufacturing process, flavors or “casings” are added to the tobacco, as mentioned above. Some of the most common are vanilla, nougat, cherry and chocolate. Depending on the amount of flavor used, a blend in this category can also be deemed semi- or lightly-aromatic.
Non Aromatic: Natural tobaccos that derive flavors, in many cases, through aging, curing, smoking or fermenting. This technique increases the sweetness and/or flavor without using sugar additives.
English Blend: Until 1986, additives were not allowed in English tobaccos. While non-aromatic tobaccos are manufactured all over the world, a true English blend is one containing Oriental tobaccos, most notably Latakia. The most common English blends consist of Latakia, Virginia, and Perique. Depending on how much Latakia is mixed into the blend ultimately determines the overall strength of the mixture, described as mild-, medium-, or full-bodied.
Blending Tobaccos
These tobaccos are often blended together to form different flavor profiles in commercially packaged and loose pipe tobaccos.
Virginia: This is the most common and mildest of all aromatic blending tobaccos. With the highest natural sugar content, it can burn hot and “bubble” or boil while smoldering in the pipe bowl. It lights up easily, and has a sweet taste, which increases when aged prior to blending. It is sometimes sticky or damp.
Burley: This has a thicker leaf than Virginia, with a soft, nutty flavor. It burns slowly and contains little sugar. As such it is commonly used in high sugar blends to keep them from burning too hot. The color ranges from mahogany to light brown, and is typically air-cured for 30-60 days in large barns.
Spice or Taste Tobaccos
These are blending tobaccos that are used like seasonings. You add a particular amount to your blend to give it a characteristic flavor or unique kick. Examples would include varieties like Perique, Brazil, Kentucky, Oriental and Latakia. These are all commonly found in English blends.
Perique: This is a dark tobacco from St. James, Louisiana that’s spicy in flavor. It is a rare, slow burning and strong-tasting tobacco. Production is small, so its value is high. Perique’s cured leaves are put in large oak barrels under heavy pressure and fermented for a year or longer. The aroma is full bodied. The nicotine content is very high, so Perique isn’t smoked by itself. The most you usually see in a blend is about 5 %, and it’s usually mixed with Virginia.
Brazil: A dark tobacco with a strong, sweet flavor.
Kentucky: This is actually a special fire-cured Burley tobacco produced in Kentucky. It’s very aromatic and unique. The nicotine content tends to be high, so it is used sparingly.
Oriental: A generalized grouping of dry tobaccos that includes Latakia and is known for unique “spice” flavors. Tobaccos in this category come from Russia, Macedonia, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, the Balkans and Syria. Some popular Macedonian tobacco varietals include Komotini, Samsun, Xanthi, Drama, Serrus, Izmir, Yenidji, Cavella and Bursa.
Latakia: This is a full-bodied dark, dry tobacco from Cyprus and Syria that gives off a smoky aroma that’s similar to burning tree leaves, peat moss or baseball glove leather. Latakia is a powerful tobacco: this is the “smoky scotch” of tobaccos that I discussed earlier. It is produced by smoke- and fire-curing the leaves over spices, herbs and aromatic woods. This is very similar to the process of peat smoking barley prior to fermentation in the whisky and scotch making process. It is precisely why the two items have such similar flavors and aromas. English blends sometimes contain up to 50% Latakia, and some smokers will put nothing in their pipes but 100% Latakia. Balls. One thing to note here is that this variety can sometimes get ashy toward the end, since it is such a dry tobacco. It rarely “bubbles” or boils as you smoke it, as it tends to burn cool (low sugar content).
Side-Note About Latakia: The smoking process associated with Latakia tobacco was first discovered when farmers forgot they had stored excess tobacco in the rafters of a barn where they used to cook. The smoke from all the burning wood wafted up and flavored the tobacco. When the farmers found the old tobacco in the rafters, this new, enjoyable flavor style was born.
Tobacco Cuts & Curing Processes
Like steak, there are several cuts of tobacco. However while each cut of steak has a different flavor because it’s from a different part of the animal, tobacco cuts have a more physical connotation: it’s all about the shape, size and manner of how the leaves are cut.
The curing and processing of tobacco is analogous to steak aging, marinating and applying varied cooking methods. The tobacco leaves can be dried, flavored and processed in a variety of ways prior to smoking, all to different results and imparting a wide variety of flavors.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the information you’ll need to know when you go out and buy some tobacco:
Cavendish: This special heating and curing process brings out the naturally sweet flavor of tobaccos. The result is a mild, light tasting and easy to pack product. Cavendish can be produced from any tobacco type, but mainly Virginia tobaccos are used because of the high sugar content that naturally occurs in the leaves. Examples include Black Cavendish, Navy Cavendish (aged with rum) and English Cavendish (fire-cured tobacco which is steamed and then stored under pressure to permit it to cure and ferment).
Casing: Simply put, this means adding flavoring to a tobacco. This is usually done by producing a fluid mixture of sugar, honey and/or other kinds of aromatic sweeteners and then soaking the tobacco. The goal is to produce a tobacco with a sweet and smooth aroma.
Air-Cured: Drying tobacco naturally, and sheltering it from sunlight in large barns causes sugar content to crystallize on the leaves. It usually takes about three months.
Fire-Cured: This drying and curing method is achieved by a wood-fired smoke fumigation.
Sun-Cured: Most Oriental tobaccos are cured by simply baking in the sun, which is why they tend to be drier than other varieties.
Cake: This is tobacco that has been soaked in honey, which acts as a bonding agent as well as a sweetener.
Spun-Disc or Plug: Similar to cake, this is tobacco that has been soaked in a bonding agent (like sugary syrup or honey), but then pressed together by packing it into round molds or logs before packaging. If a piece is cut off its called a plug.
Flake Cut: Tobacco packaged as large, flat flakes. It must be rubbed out to separate the flakes, or folded and then simply inserted into a pipe and lit.
Rubbing Out: While often used as a term for masturbating, in the world of pipe tobacco it means rubbing flake or plug in the palm of the hand to loosen the tobacco prior to smoking.
Ready Rubbed: A flake-cut tobacco that has been rubbed out before packaging.
Shag: Tobacco that has been shredded very finely. This is what Sherlock Holmes smoked, which, at that time, was supposedly considered an inferior product.
Ribbon Cut: Tobacco cut into long, thin ribbons, though not as long or as fine as shag.
Cube Cut: Pressed tobacco chopped into small square pieces.
Navy Cut: Traditionally the tobacco was put in a long thin canvas tube and twisted up very tight. After time it became a thick rope of tobacco, approximately an inch in diameter. Similar to spun disc, if a piece was cut off it was called a plug. It is also commonly sliced, and is generally a slow burning tobacco.
Styles of Pipes
Similarly important to WHAT you’re smoking is the vessel in which you’re smoking it. The pipe you choose is an extension of yourself; it is a personality marker. Like fashion or clothing style, it is a deeply personal matter. It may even be the kind of Harry Potter wand bullshit where the pipe chooses you, rather than you choosing the pipe. You may be surprised in what ends up being your “fit.”
Most commercial or good quality pipes are carved from high density hard woods, like briar, that won’t ignite and turn to charcoal with frequent burning. This dense wood often has some pretty cool patterning in the grain as well.
However some are made from meerschaum, which is a mineral deposit that is carved and later polished with hardened bee’s wax. These are typically ornately designed, like sculptures.
The meerschaum pipes will tend to turn slightly yellow over time as they become seasoned and used, with a dark brown or black interior in the bowl. They are said to impart a sweetness to the smoke that you don’t get with a wood pipe.
Other pipe styles are more natural, like those made from dried gourds, calabash pipes, or corn cobs. The calabash, which has a removable meerschaum bowl topper that traditionally rested in a hardened, hollow gourd, is what Sherlock Holmes smoked.
I suppose we could throw glass pipes and hookah pipes into the mix, but those are generally being used for illegal drugs, dried fruit or more harsh blends of non-pipe tobacco that aren’t very pleasing. Those pipes are more difficult to carry around for every day use too.
If you see the phrase “estate pipe,” it usually means that the pipe was used and is now being re-sold. Nice for decoration, perhaps.
In the realm of wood, where we will remain, there are “free-hand” natural cut, rough top, and smooth varieties. Below, the top pipe and right pipe represent smooth, elegant styles – more refined. The bottom, top right and top left represent natural cut styles – more rustic. On the left and lower left, you’ll see smooth styles but with rough tops. And on the bottom right you’ll see a stylized smooth pipe that still retains a natural, rough looking shape. As you can tell, there are lots of pipe styles out there. Picking a single one that suits you is often difficult. That’s why pipe smokers tend to collect several pipes, and choose which to smoke depending on their mood.
A closer look at the bottom-most natural cut, free-hand pipe:
I apologize for the repeat photos below, but I’m popping them in so you don’t have to scroll back up to see what I’m talking about.
In additional to the overall look, there’s also the stem length. Longer stems allow the smoke to cool down before it gets to your mouth, making for a more relaxed and smooth smoke. However, a long-stemmed pipe is not the most convenient thing to tote around and carry for the evening. As such, a chuchwarden pipe might be better suited for long bouts of reading or relaxing by the fireplace.
As you saw from the pipe wheel up above, a few of us prefer the traditional bowl style, or a smooth style, while others like a rustic horn pipe shape or a free-hand. Here’s a closer look at my horn:
It’s all a matter of preference. There really isn’t a difference on many of the styles other than what I mentioned about the stem length. However if you notice, in the image of the natural cut pipe, the pipe has a very large and deep bowl. When comparing the natural cut to the small churchwarden bowl, the natural pipe may stay lit for an hour as opposed to 15 or 20 minutes for the “churchie.”
Same goes for these two pipes below. The churchwarden on the left is about half as deep as the rustic/natural topped pipe on the right:
These things need to be considered before lighting up or leaving the house with your pipe gear.
Pipe Gear
Pipe gear can range from tools and accessories to satchels and pouches. There’s a LOT of cool stuff you can pick up for your new and awesome hobby. Below are some examples:
Pipe Cleaners: Yes… these are actually used for something other than children’s craft-making. You stick them down the stem to remove excess gunk, sludge, moisture, tar, spittle, you name it…
Pipe Nail: A poor man’s pipe tool, this is primarily used for tamping down your tobacco as it burns (to keep a compact but well-breathing ember/smolder going). At the end of your smoke, the flattened point can be used to scrape out the ash and gunk. Picking up a pipe nail will only run you a buck or two at most.
Pipe Tool: A full fledged pipe tool looks a bit like a folding pocket knife. One side is a scraper, the other side is a poker. And the flat bottom portion is for tamping down your tobacco, like a pipe nail. Fancy pipe tools can range from $10 to $100 depending on the craftsmanship and materials involved.
Pipe Lighters: Special lighters like this Zippo are made for lighting pipes, as they have a cut-away hole for holding the lighter sideways, with the hole hovering over the bowl of your pipe as you light up.
Pipe Knocker: This cork doo-dad is for tapping against the side of your pipe bowl to get excess out before scraping out with a pipe tool. It’s safer than using your hand (burns suck), and it also protects the finish of your pipe so you don’t ruin it by tapping the bowl against something that could scratch or nick the wood.
Pouches: Simple. This accessory is for holding loose pipe tobacco that you may have purchased by the ounce at your local tobacconist or smoke shop.
Pipe Cases: These nice leather-bound satchels are for holding pipes and everything involved with pipe smoking all together in one easy-to-carry item. Plus they’re pretty sharp looking.
They even make these things for long-stemmed churchwardens:
Pipe Display: If you’re like me, you like to show off what you’ve got sometimes. These stands and display cases are perfect for classy, old school home decor.
I’ve even made some out of rock, to emphasize the natural, rustic look of this horn pipe:
Tobacco Jars: These are usually for storing your loose tobacco purchases. You should pop a small humidifier into the lid if you can to keep your tobacco moist. I use my jars for matches, since I have a humidor for the tobacco:
Speaking of humidors, a shot of mine is below, which I got from Carnivore Club. There are also other cool things too, like special pipe ash trays and schwag boxes for storing some or all of your shit:
Packing Your Pipe
This here is a pretty good method for packing your pipe with tobacco in such a way as to preserve maximum air flow when pulling through the stem, but also allowing for a good burn, with which you won’t have to re-pack or re-light your pipe several times throughout the course of your smoke.
Your first pinch of tobacco should go into the pipe and be pressed down gently. A rule of thumb is to fill the bowl loosely and then pack it down so that the bowl is half full. Your second, and any successive pinches of tobacco, should be pushed down more firm as you go. When you fill from half to full again with the second pinch, you should pack down to 3/4. And a third pinch should pack down to 7/8. When you continue in this vein, you’re creating a more solid bump of tobacco at the top as opposed to the more loose shreds at the bottom. You want the tobacco to be a little loose at the bottom so that air can be pulled up the stem easier and allow for fresh oxygen to feed the flames and keep the pipe lit.
Check out the short demo video below for how to pack your pipe:
Lighting Your Pipe
Many people use a special lighter or their favorite fancy torches for lighting a pipe, but I like a good old fashioned pair of wood stick matches. Two matches, both simultaneously lit and held slightly apart from one another, makes for the perfect flame size to get a good, even light.
I prefer matches because they don’t impart a lighter fluid or butane smell/taste to the process. Torch style butane lighters can damage your pipe if the flame is too hot and concentrated. They can also burn your mouth if you pull too hard while lighting. The flames from those things are piercing, and can actually over-light your tobacco, burning it out too quickly, if you aren’t careful in how you apply the flame to the tobacco. My suggestion: don’t use a torch lighter.
If you’re just starting out, you may not have a cool lighter yet, and wood stick matches are typically free when you buy tobacco from the smoke shop. The only down side to matches is that it can be difficult to light if you are outside in a windy environment. That’s when a pipe Zippo comes in handy.
Okay so here’s how you actually do it: Strike your matches and hold them slightly apart. Make small circular motions over the top of your tobacco while you pull long, even and powerful puffs through the stem. About three to six good long pulls through the stem should do the trick to get a good light. If you do it right, you won’t have to light it again before you finish. See below for a short demo video:
Smoking Your Pipe
Piping should be a relaxing, soothing experience. If you find that you’re furiously puffing like a madman just to keep the embers glowing and billowing, then you’re probably doing it wrong. You should take occasional long pulls and allow the smoke to swirl around your mouth for a moment before blowing out. I don’t inhale.
While doing so, I occasionally will partially cover the top of the bowl with my thumb or palm to deprive the flame of oxygen prior to pulling through the stem. This technique keeps the embers smoldering nicely because when the flame gets the air it needs, it gets it in abundance. Think of each pull like a billows for a fire.
If you find that your smoke is thin and ashy, it probably means you’re losing your light. You should tamp down your tobacco occasionally as you smoke, with a pipe nail or pipe tool.
Pushing down gently or “tamping” the lit tobacco will keep your fire burning. A compact tobacco preserves heat for a longer, more steady burn. This will prevent your bowl from going out. Check out my video demo below:
I had a few decent smoke rings in there. I’m still working on the Gandalf ship technique though.
Once you get down to the bottom of the bowl, you may experience an ashy taste, or a chalky residue in your mouth. This usually happens when you’re running out of tobacco in the bowl, and you’re starting to pull in the ashes that remain in the bottom of the pipe. For me, this means it is time to either refill and repack the pipe, or put it out and put an end to the smoking session.
When ending your piping session, allow a few minutes of cool down time before you tap out the ashes and scrape out the excess. I also give a few gentle pushes of air through the stem and out the bowl too. This will dislodge any fluids, ash or chunks that may have gotten stuck at the bottom of the stem or bowl. Check out the demo:
Cleaning Your Pipe
You don’t have to clean your pipe after every smoke. In fact, allowing a bit of the tobacco residue to settle on the walls of the bowl will act to “season” your pipe. This is recommended with new pipes or pipes that haven’t been smoked many times yet, as seasoning the bowl actually protects the wood and makes for a more enjoyable, insulated, robust and flavorful smoke.
It was once recommended to me that I smoke specific types of tobacco in specific pipes. For example, use your English blends in Pipe A, and your aromatic Virginia’s in Pipe B. I never really followed that suggestion, because I prefer blends that contain both Latakia and sweet tobaccos. But I can see how some may prefer to smoke specific tobacco styles in an exclusive pipe for each, especially if the bowl becomes seasoned for that particular flavor profile.
Anyway it IS good to clean your pipe every once in a while to allow for better air flow and a cleaner, more fresh-tasting smoke. At the very least you’ll want to get that white/gray ashy stuff out, even if you want to allow the dark residue to cake up (for example if you are seasoning a new pipe).
Pipe cleaning is truly enjoyable for me. Here’s what I like to do:
First, work on a surface that’s easy to clean or wipe down afterward. Set yourself up with your pipe cleaners, pipe tools and a dry cloth.
Next, use your pipe tool scraper or the flat end of your pipe nail to lightly scrape the inside of the bowl in a circular motion. Do this a few times to get the bulk of hardened tobacco residue off the walls.
Then get a shot glass and fill it with whisky or scotch. This is not for drinking, per se, although you certainly could have a sip. But alcohol evaporates quickly, and, as such, is a great fluid solvent to use for cleaning up sticky, gunky stuff like tobacco residue. I prefer whisky because it tends to pair well with the flavor of the tobacco I smoke, but if you’re averse to whisky you can use vodka or some other neutral flavored liquor.
I use a cloth material to dip into the whisky and then rub out the inside of the bowl. Keep doing this until you’re satisfied with how clean the bowl is getting.
Note: it will probably never wipe completely clean, especially if you end up smoking often. There’s just a lot of black shit that embeds into the wood. The idea is to get the loose shit out so you have a clean smoke in your next puff.
Then dip your pipe cleaners in whisky and run them through the stem a few times to get the dark residue out of there. This will make for a better, cleaner pull on your next smoke. Again, do should this several times until you are satisfied with the amount of residue coming off. You should be able to get the pipe stem pretty clean inside since it isn’t made from absorbent wood.
Most pipes can be disassembled by detaching the stem from the bowl. You’ll want to do this to get all those nooks and crannies clean where they connect.
Finally, run a dry pipe cleaner through the stem to dry the inside, and wipe (or pat dry) the inside of the pipe bowl with a dry section of cloth. Then run a flame across the bowl to finish drying it, and to cook off any excess whisky left over in there from the cleaning.
Re-assemble your pipe and store it for your next use, or pack it with a fresh bowl of tobacco for a fresh smoke!
That’s pretty much it. Don’t forget to wipe down your pipe tool/pipe nail with a cloth to get the residue off before you put everything away. Use that whisky again if you have to.
Here’s a video demo of me cleaning one of my pipes:
So there you have it: a one-stop guide for all your pipe-smoking needs, provided by yours truly, Johnny Prime.
One word to the wise: don’t overdo it. I only smoke maybe once every month or so, and only that often around the holidays and in the colder months. Everything in moderation, as they say (including moderation). Anyway feel free to share this educational post with all of your friends, you pipe-hittin’ mutha fuckas!!!
Here’s all the demo vids together as one:
Still want to see more? Check out my dedicated pipe-smoking Instagram feed, @PipeBossOfTheDay, where I feature pipe smokers puffing away with a re-gram tool. Give me a follow!
UMAi Dry contacted me a few weeks back about their dry aging bags. I was intrigued by some of their promotional materials and video demos, so I told them to send me some samples to try out at home. I already had the sealer for use with my DIY sous vide machine, with which I made some kickass steaks.
Usually when I think about the aging process for steaks, I get overwhelmed and think I could never do it. This is something I should leave to the professionals. I worry about mold, bacteria, rancid meat, wasting money on failed attempts, etc. But with UMAi Dry this otherwise daunting task is boiled down to a super simple procedure. Essentially you just pop a hunk of beef in their special vacuum seal bags, put it in your fridge, and wait 35 days.
So I received my sample bags and ran out to the store to buy a nice rib roast, which I would later parse out into rib eye steaks after the aging is completed. NYC grocery stores don’t really have massive slabs of rib roasts sitting in the fridge section, so I had to ask the butcher what he had. He went to work for me, giving me a section of rib eyes with about four or five bones intact.
I was a bit freaked when I saw the price tag on this fucker. The butcher told me that the beef was prime, but that he only charged me for choice.
I guess that’s a good deal (several dollars per pound cheaper). But still… at $225 it could turn out to be a really fucking expensive mistake if I fuck anything up.
On the other hand, if this nearly 11lb hunk of prime rib eye ages nicely for 35 days, I could end up with several high quality rib eyes that would save me money on steakhouse dinners in the long run.
I took the gamble. I probably should have waited for a sale or something, but I was too excited to get started. About 30 minutes later I was starting the process of bagging and sealing.
I put some wax paper across the bones so that any sharp bits wouldn’t puncture or slice open the bag.
Meat condom:
Once sealed properly, it just goes into the fridge on a cookie rack or drying rack, so that air flow goes all around the bag.
Then we just wait 35 days, with an occasional flip here and there. Here’s a pair of shots after 5 days with a flip. As you can see, the meat is already starting to darken and dry where the bag is in contact with the flesh.
Even darker after another week. It’s forming a “bark”-like layer of beneficial mold that helps to tenderize the meat as it develops.
And another week or so. I notice it’s also shrinking. Dry-aging processes tend to cause the meat to desiccate to the point where you can lose almost a third of the original weight.
After 35 days, here is the unwrapping!
The outside bark, which has the texture of really hard beef jerky, needs to be sliced off of the underlying softened meat, and the tough skin membrane over the ribs needs to be peeled and picked off.
It’s an arduous task, but the end product is totally worth the effort. Here are some shots that my wife snapped of the slicing, trimming and portioning process.
The inside is so gorgeous. This shot looks like angel wings:
A great looking fat cap was still intact. I was worried that I would have to carve off too much of that, but we did pretty good.
I’ve saved all the bark slices to use in making another beef stock or broth at a later date.
I ended up with two thinner boneless cuts, so I seasoned them up right away and seared them off in a cast iron skillet with some butter, garlic and onions (I cut one to fit them in the pan better).
The result was awesome. Perfectly cooked, super flavorful and really well worth the wait! The fat was entirely edible. Very soft and buttery, like beef jelly.
Those were just a couple of small boneless cuts. This cowboy chop was pretty incredible:
Now I’m wondering if I should try this again and just leave the shit in the fridge for several months. The flavor was great on this stuff. It had a nice earthy smell; a well-endowed scent of mushroom or truffle, with a slight hint of blue cheese. Like heaven.
If you’re adventurous with home meal prep, I highly recommend this easy-to-use product. I think I still have a few extra bags, so the next time I have a little extra fat in my bank, I might go in for another dry-aging experiment: maybe strip loin next time.
Final note: if your fridge is generally full, but you still want to age beef at home, I suggest getting a mini fridge, or a smaller dedicated separate fridge, just for beef. Put your temperature setting to about 35 degrees, and get a fan in there somehow to circulate the air. Always keep the beef elevated off the surface on a baking rack or something, too. No special aging bags necessary.
I recently dined here for a fourth time, and I’ve confirmed that the wagyu long bone rib eye is by far the greatest steak I’ve ever eaten.
The quality of the flesh is just outstanding. Every bit of it is edible, juicy and savory. Del’s uses a lot of crushed pepper to get a good crust on their steaks, and that “rub,” so to speak, really permeates down to the center of the meat and imparts flavor from end to end.
Fucking unbelievable. I was even gnawing on the bone.
As you can see in the background of one of the other pics, there’s another chunk of steak on my plate. My buddy and I split both the wagyu long bone, and the boneless strip.
As you can see, it was also cooked perfectly, and crusted with that great peppercorn rub – the strip is on the left, and the wagyu is on the right. Although the strip can not hold a candle to that wagyu in terms of insane flavor, it was still one of the best strip steaks I’ve ever had. Del’s just really knows what’s up.
My wife ordered the special cowboy bone in rib eye that was on the menu. This, too was excellent.
You really can’t go wrong with any cut of meat here. Porterhouse is excellent as well:
My buddy’s wife ordered the 12oz filet, and that was great as well. Buttery, savory, peppery and juicy.
As you can see from the pics above, some of the plating wasn’t as pretty as in the past. It seems like Del’s got rid of their signature chopped parsley across the top and on the plate. They also failed to wipe up some of the juices from when they placed the steak on the plate and then adjusted the positioning. Not a big deal though, especially considering how delicious every cut of meat is at this joint.
The first app that we tried this time was burrata. I thought it was a little too light on the cheese and too heavy on the tomatoes, but the quality was excellent.
The escargot was nicely executed. While I’ve had better at French joints, this was served on toasted bread like bruscetta, and in a really nice buttery sauce.
The crab legs we ordered were super pricey, but super fresh. These are dangerous because you could really eat your entire paycheck in just a few minutes time.
After the crab legs, our awesome waiter Luke brought out some hot towels and a lemon wedge to clean up from handling the shells.
But in all honesty it wasn’t needed, because with the insane service you get at Del’s, the shells are already cracked, opened and easy for meat extracting.
The chateau potatoes we ordered on the side were a bit dry. They were skin-on mashed potatoes with garlic and some spinach greens. Perhaps if they were served with a gravy they’d be killer.
The pancetta is what made these brussels really great. I prefer a harder roast and some char on my brussels, in general, but they were nice and tiny so the surface area was coated nicely with all the seasonings and flavors. It didn’t get monotonous-tasting like brussels sometimes can.
For dessert, we tried the lemon cake, as it is a crowd favorite and secret menu gem, as well as the sweet potato casserole (with ice cream on top). I have to say that the version at Ruth’s Chris is better. That lemon cake, though, is wonderful. The cake is moist without being too heavy or dense. And while there is a LOT of frosting on this baby, it is really tasty and I didn’t think it was overly sweet.
The other cake on the plate there with the lemon cake is something that the staff sent out for us on the house, since it was my buddy’s birthday. It was a butter cake with caramel ice cream. That shit was the best desert of the night, and it’s right up there with my favorites of all time.
The outside held a nice crunchy sweet crust, but the inside was buttery sweet with a slight bit of savory to boot. Drizzled with a little bit of sweet caramel and maple syrup type of shit, it really hit the spot.
Then the bad news showed up. DAMN! But worth every penny.
The bar here is still amazing, as I remembered. It was packed out all night, really great buzz. And the bread served at the table comes with a really soft whipped butter that has just the right amount of salt content.
So Del’s ended up remaining at a 97/100. I pulled one point for the apps/sides, since the burrata and the potatoes were both somewhat failures. I considered pulling a point for the plating since the plates weren’t as pretty as the past, but I reconsidered because that seems petty and retarded. I tacked on a point for price, though, since I really feel that despite the astronomical pricing of some of the shit here, it really is worth the money. If you’re going to splurge on a steak dinner, you may as well do it the right way. That means going to Del’s and being fully aware of the wallet rape that is to come.
Del Frisco’s Overall Score: 97/100 – price moved from 8/10 to 9/10, and apps/sides/desserts moved from 10/10 to 9/10. So we evened out and remained at 97.
Ever since I became obsessed with NYC steakhouses back in 2000, I have heard overwhelmingly great things about Del Frisco’s “Double Eagle” Steakhouse. I finally nailed down a time to go with a group of old friends and coworkers when one was back in town from California. A nice 25 second stroll from my office took me to one of the best steakhouses in the city. A second trip to this joint in December of 2012 solidified Del Frisco’s place in my top five. New info added on that trip is in italics. After a third trip, comments in BOLD, this place is tied for first.
Flavor: 10
I ordered the ribeye that they had on special; a 22oz bone-in cut of heaven. It had a nice seasoned crust, the kind of marbled fat that just melts away and gets really soft, and it was perfectly cooked. It could have rested another two minutes, but that didn’t alter juice or flavor qualities. My friend ordered the filet. I had a bite of that, and it was delicious and well seasoned too. Del Frisco’s certainly lived up to the hype for me in terms of flavor. On a second trip with a couple of buddies from Junior High, High School and beyond, I ordered the house special: the double eagle bone-in strip. It, too was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. On the third trip I had the $94 wagyu ribeye, which was easily one of the best steaks I’ve ever had in my life (if not THE best). It was 32oz of pure heaven. Delicious flavor from end to end; juicy, tender, and cooked to a perfect medium rare. See the pic below:
rib eye, strip, filet
32oz wagyu ribeye
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
Everything on the menu is prime quality. They only have the four basic cuts (filet, ribeye, porterhouse and strip), but they offer several varieties of each, like the 38oz longbone American “wagyu” ribeye and some specials (see below). This makes up for the initial point I was going to take for not having anything outside the basics. Del Frisco’s shows that when you do the basics the right way, nothing else is needed.
Portion Size & Plating: 9
The filet comes in two flavors: vaginal (8oz) and quasi-manly (12oz). They also have 16oz strips and ribeyes (boneless) – a bit on the small side but not horrific. They also offer a signature bone-in “double eagle” strip at 26oz, as well as a 24oz porterhouse, and a special bone-in filet at 16oz. The relatively smaller sizes make it easy for the eye to wander to the 38oz “wagyu” ribeye at 2x the price, or the specials at 1.5x the price. Well worth the up-charge, in my opinion. The plating is super-basic. But for real men with balls swinging between their legs, plating isn’t really something you go yammering to your friends about anyway.
Price: 8 (now 9/10)
In my opinion the price was a bit on the hefty side for the size of the cuts, but relatively on par with other NYC steakhouses of even footing. What they lack in size is made up for in taste, so you kinda even out on price value. The filets are $40 and $47, ribeye $46, and strip $48. The porterhouse comes in at $58, and the wagyu at $92. The specials ran in the mid $60 range. The signature crab cake comes in at a pricey, but worthy, $21 (crab cake went up $1 since last visit, but I guess that’s just standard inflation). My martini at the bar was $18.50 (an incredible $20 when you leave a tip). The total bill for two appetizers, three beers, a vodka tonic, two steaks, two sides and a dessert was about $300 (tax and tip included). On my second trip, I took a photo of the elusive Mr. William Price, that way you scumbags can see just exactly what everything cost:
William Price
I HAD to include the bill from the third visit, simply because it oozed manliness (with the exception of the trio of filets that was ordered… and the patron cafe’s were also mocked as well):
Bar: 10
The main bar is really beautiful. Del Frisco’s has a wide open floor plan with a nice wrap-around bar internally positioned alongside the high windows in the corner of the restaurant. There is also a nice sized second bar on the second floor with a couple of flat panel TVs for sports. The martini could have used a little less vermouth, and was a bit pricey, but overall the bar experience was great. This is definitely an after work spot worth checking out after a hard day at the office, even if you don’t eat the meat. On my second trip, the martinis were made much nicer, our incredible waiter Tim introduced me to one of the most delicious, peaty scotches I have ever tasted (Ardbeg Corryvreckan), and we also ordered a wine from the extensive wine list. I also took note of an interesting passage featured above the bar: DO RIGHT AND FEAR NO MAN. The quote, as far as I can tell, dates back to a 15th century proverb out of England, and then later common in 18th century Scotland. On the third visit I had a chat with the manager about my score for the bar. I flat out told him that I just have a personal hold-out in giving this place a 10 because the martini is so fucking expensive. It really is an awesome bar though, and there are actually two bars (there’s one upstairs with a TV)… so… in the interest of making sure this place ties for first among NYC steakhouses, I am reluctantly giving full points here despite the cost of a martini.
Specials and Other Meats: 10
Aside from the “wagyu” ribeye, the other carcasses were on the order of lamb chops, veal porterhouse, pork porterhouse and roasted chicken. That covers the whole basic range. Those are all standard menu items, so it is a good selection for people who don’t feel like being a man. On special there was the 22oz bone-in ribeye, which I had ($65). There was also the conundrum 16oz bone-in filet ($68) and trio of filets (also somewhere in the low to mid $60s range). They also had some seasonal shellfish special appetizers too.
two 8oz lamb chops – fantastic
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 10 (now 9/10)
I had been told – no ORDERED – by a friend to get the crab cake, so I did. It was a succulent 4oz ball with mostly lump crab meat and a bit of breadcrumb for texture. It sat upon a nice spicy lobster-based, peppery sauce. The creamed spinach, called “spinach supreme,” had bacon folded into it, perhaps cheese as well. Delicious. My friend recommended the skillet potato dish as well – which was like fresh homemade potato chips topped with sauteed caramelized onions; not too greasy, not too salty. Really tasty. For dessert, we ordered a massive slice of lemon cake that was not on the menu (a secret item they don’t generally offer – you have to know about it). To quote one friend, it was WAY more moist than Starbucks’ lemon loaf, that is for damned sure. I’m generally not a cake person but it was yummy, even if rumors say it is made from four boxes of Duncan Hines cake mix. On a second trip, we had a dozen oysters, lobster mac & cheese, steak tartare, and the obligatory crab cakes and creamed spinach. I must say, the lobster mac & cheese was freaking delicious. It was nice and creamy, it had great crunch for texture, and the lobster bits were pretty good too. The oysters were perfect, but the steak tartare was one of the best and largest orders I’ve ever had. It had to be a solid 2-3 inches high, and 3-4 inches on each side. A nice brick of raw meat. What better way to prime the gullet before a nice steak dinner?
tartare & oysters
special burrata app
Seafood Selection: 10
An impressive selection of caviar graced the appetizer menu in addition to the delicious shellfish selections. On the entree menu was sea bass, scallops, salmon, tuna and a special catch of the day, as well as lobster. They also offered some special seafood items on the appetizer angle that weren’t on the menu. If you have a bleeding vagina, these might tempt you to not get steak.
Service: 10
Our waitress may have forgotten a water here and there but it was busy. She was very nice though, thorough, and wanted to personally thank us and email us deals and things. She certainly presented the specials in such a way that they were deemed much better than the regular menu items; perhaps looking for that up charge? Hey, if she did, then it worked on me… but it was worth it. I asked her about the differences between the standard 16oz and special 22oz ribeyes. She showed a well-versed meat lingo, but essentially said that one was bone-in and one was boneless. When our steaks arrived, the server asked us to cut into the center so he could make sure it was cooked properly. There was a warm sesame bread loaf and soft whipped butter as well. Our service was excellent on the second trip. Our waiter Tim went really above and beyond expectations. Before we could even remind him that we had ordered two plates of oysters, he came by with the second. He offered great insight into our scotch selections at dessert, and he helped us navigate the extensive wine list when picking a bottle to drink while eating our steak. He certainly knew his meat too, so I am giving the full 10 points here. While settling up the bill, I handed Tim one of my cards to let him know that I’d be giving the joint a great review and adding some points on his account. After that, Scott, the regional manager of the Del Frisco’s restaurant group, came over to greet us and thank us for our business. This is the kind of top notch service that really makes me smile, and want to go back for thirds.
Ambiance: 10
Del Frisco’s is set up with a nice, classy open design. It is semi-corporate in feel, simply by virtue of the surrounding neighborhood, but it still feels like old, art-deco New York. Despite its vastness, it manages to be really warm and inviting. There are floor to ceiling windows 30ft high. Beautiful views. This place would be amazing around the holidays. There was a bathroom attendant, but otherwise it was a normal style bathroom, nothing fancy. Just clean.
UPDATE 7/23/17
Dry Aged Strip: 10/10
This baby is delicious. A bit pricey at $70 for the special “up-charge” steak, but the flavor was excellent.
I’ve updated this review here in the top portion of the entry. I’ve indicated below where my older reviews begin, for ease of reading. I’ve also indicated below which scores have changed, by how much, and why.
This recent update is based on my 3rd visit to the restaurant for steak (I’ve been to the bar a few times other than for meals). I was fortunate to be invited to lunch by Ruth’s Chris’ marketing and public relations execs. They brought me in to get to know me, know more about my blog, my plans, etc., and to talk about and try some new menu items they are rolling out, or have already rolled out.
A testament to the customer service here, and the type of people who work with and for Ruth’s Chris, I felt comfortable and at home with these folks. We DO share a profound love for meat, after all…
We started off with some really great appetizers. First was this New Orleans style BBQ shrimp dish. Laz, a really friendly and knowledgeable waiter who’s been with Ruth’s for 15+ years, explained how the sauce was made and how it brings in the traditional Louisiana flavors you might associate with a roux or something similar. Typically when I see something labeled “BBQ shrimp” on a menu, I shy away from it. For some reason I think “BBQ sauce,” and I’m generally not a fan of BBQ sauce (or buffalo sauce) with my seafood. But as soon as I heard Laz explain that it was NOLA inspired, I was intrigued.
My curiosity paid off. The sauce was buttery and had great soulful depth to it. You could taste the shrimp essence throughout, as if they simmered the shells for hours to make a perfect reduction.
Next was this spicy lobster app. It was lightly battered with a crispy, golden coating that grabbed hold of the lightly spicy, Asian-flavored and southern/vinegar-tinged sauce.
The meat was cooked perfectly. So tender and flavorful. The briny yet sweet pickled onion, cucumber and cilantro plated in the center paired perfectly with the buttery lobster meat. The crunch from the breading gave a nod to the classic Louisiana specialty known as the “Po’ Boy,” and the asian flavors were a tribute to the vibrant Vietnamese community in NOLA (just go visit Cafe DuMonde, or a shrimp boat operator on the mighty Mississippi – it’s almost all Vietnamese people working there). I loved it.
Why all the NOLA flavors? If you didn’t know, Ruth’s Chris began there, when a woman named Ruth struck out on her own to start this incredible brand of fine dining establishments. You can watch/read all about the rich history of Ruth’s Chris on their website. Ruth was a woman of many important “firsts,” especially in the restaurant biz, breaking down all sorts of social barriers, whether it was race, gender or just good old fashioned entrepreneurship and culinary ingenuity. Fascinating stuff, actually.
Okay so now on to the meat! One of the most important additions to the Ruth’s Chris menu (just a month ago) is this psychotic looking 40oz tomahawk rib eye.
I mean, holy shit… come on…
All the meat here is prime caliber, and wet aged for at least 28 days. At $115 this tomahawk may seem expensive, but it will definitely fill up two guests, especially if indulging in all the other great offerings when it comes to apps, sides and desserts.
The tomahawk was a clear 10/10 for flavor. It was cooked perfectly to medium rare. The fat content was all edible, melty and savory. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked with butter, this steak truly hits the high mark for me, and is possibly one of my favorite steaks in town.
The chef even carved it up and portioned it out specifically for five diners right there at the table. I’ve posted a quick video of that below. If you pay attention to the audio, you can hear him explaining how the eye portion of the steak differs from the cap. That kind of interactive and knowledge-imparting commentary is what I want to see more of in my dining experiences in general. If I were the owner of a dining establishment, I would want my diners to know as much about what they’re eating as possible, to immerse them in the “insider knowledge” about the food they’re eating. At least that’s what I like, anyway, as someone who is obsessed with food. Okay so here is that video:
As you can see from the close up here: perfectly pink all the way through. That’s the fat cap on the left, and the eye on the right. I absolutely destroyed the cap in about 20 seconds.
We also shared a porterhouse, which, as you should by now be aware, is a NY strip on one side of the bone, and a filet on the other.
In these pics, the filet is on top, and the strip is on bottom.
I’d say the strip side came in at about a 7/10. The center of the meat tasted slightly under seasoned. It was thick, however, and the crust had good seasoning on it. My trick to getting even seasoning flavors in each bite is to cut the meat both latitudinally and longitudinally, if that makes sense. Essentially that means each slice is then cut so that the steak goes from, say, 2in thick to 1in thick, with seasoning on one end, and pink center on the other. That tends to maximize the surface area of the seasoning, especially if you can wipe up a little bit of juice, butter and other goodies from the plate before each bite.
The filet side was an 8/10. Everything about it was exactly the way it should be. If you’re a filet person, you’ll probably want to go with their signature “bone-in filet” though. It’s a much more dedicated cut for filet lovers. In the shots immediately above and below, you’ll see the strip portion on the left, and the filet portion on the right. Both perfectly cooked to medium rare.
So taking all things together, I’d say the flavor averages to about a 9/10. That’s an improvement on the score from the previous visits. This is a great sign. Each visit is a better experience than the last. That means I will be back again and again. For the choice of cuts and quality category, my score moves from an 8 to a 10, given the special new additions to the menu in the meat department. In addition to those points, a tacked a point back onto the plating section. As it turns out, this visit produced no problems in the sizzling plate department. In fact, the sizzle was subtle and enjoyable, as opposed to blazing hot, loud and obnoxious. Plates come out at 500 degrees, and they cool down relatively quickly, so there isn’t much of a danger in the overcooking department. The sizzle is done correctly here. By the way, here’s a nice shot of a plate with all the cuts on it:
So in addition to menu additions, this NYC location of Ruth’s Chris is going to get some upgrades in decor. There will be a stainless steel wine display case to replace the wood. The bar will get some new finishes, some tile work and a new backdrop. Last, the dining rooms will see new wallpaper, updated finishes and even a grand fireplace. I’ve tossed another point to the bar category here, because the place truly is an awesome spot to hang out. It’s big and beautiful.
The bar is also street side, and lively most nights of the week. I’ve been in for drinks a few times since my previous reviews, and I always love the atmosphere. A quick note about the bar at other Ruths’ Chris locations: they’re running a Happy Hour deal where everything is $8. That’s a steal! I don’t think it is available yet for the Manhattan location, but if you’re in Jersey, the Weehawken location will have it, and they just expanded their bar area from 9 seats to something like 62!
On the side we had some brussels sprouts with bacon, mushrooms, and garlic mashed potatoes. I found that mixing the potatoes with the mushrooms was the best way to go at those bad boys. Its almost like mashed potatoes with gravy when you eat it like that.
For dessert we had two items. First was another new menu feature: white chocolate bread pudding served with spirit reduction sauce.
You can choose from four sauces: Grand Mariner (citrus/orange), Chambord (berry), Kahlua (coffee) or Amaretto (nutty). The original bread pudding came with a pecan sauce and lacked the white chocolate. I’m generally not a white chocolate fan, so I think I might like the original better than I liked this dish. However the sauces were really great. I kept going back for the Chambord and Kahlua.
This next dessert is actually a side item, but since it has a sweet flavor profile, it goes really well with desert: sweet potato casserole. The secret to this is to order it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. That is absolutely KEY. Don’t question me on this.
I first have a confession to make: I am NOT a fan of sweet potato. But I am now a converted man. Most places try to pretend that sweet potato is some kind of savory item. They make sweet potato french fries, trying to pawn it off as some kind of healthier alternative. Or they serve it like a baked potato. Fuck that. I love the fact that Ruth’s Chris embraces the sweetness and goes full bore into what this tuber actually is.
While this is listed as a side item to have along with your steak – like you would have, say, a sweet potato pie on Thanksgiving – I firmly believe that people who dine here should consider ordering this for dessert. I highly recommend… No… I DEMAND that you order this in lieu of your regularly scheduled programming of creme brûlée, pecan pie, tiramisu, key lime pie or whatever other boring-ass nonsense you were thinking about ordering. I’ve gone on tirades, and so has my wife, about being sick and tired of restaurants throwing in the towel when it comes to dessert. It’s like they just fucking give up! But with this sweet potato casserole + ice cream, dessert is exciting again. It has a sweet pecan crust that’s almost like a graham cracker + brittle mixture. That’s the only spot that contains any savory element. The sweet potato itself is soft like a mashed potato, with no grainy texture. It’s creamy and velvety, without being overly sweet. The ice cream on top of this hot dish turns it into a riff on pie a la mode. Delicious. Needless to say, I gave another point here.
Not only am I excited to go back and get this again, but I am going to try making it at home, because Ruth’s Chris actually provides the recipe for this dish online (along with the original bread pudding, the BBQ shrimp and crab cakes). Pretty cool.
While ambiance and service are already at top marks here, one thing I’d like to mention was this new thing they’re doing where you get to choose what knife you want to use for eating your steaks:
Essentially you can choose a super sharp French knife, or the larger/thicker serrated knife that we New Yorkers are accustomed to seeing here in our fine steak joints. I tested both of them out, and the small straight edge works much more efficiently. Since it is super sharp, it works like a filet knife. It requires fewer strokes to separate the flesh, which means less work, less time cutting and a much faster delivery into your mouth. HA!
So we have a total of 6 points of improvement, taking us from 87 to 93. I’ll be back in here very soon, because my wife absolutely must try some of these things. My guess is that this location will climb yet again on that visit.
Thanks again to John, Amy, Cory and Mikella for this great experience, and for the confidence you place in me as a steak authority. I look forward to future visits: I’ll be eating through my leftovers very soon, and will need a Ruth’s Chris fix, posthaste!
To my loyal meat minions, if you’re still interested, you can see how my opinion of Ruth’s Chris evolved by reading on below, to the older review(s) which I’ve preserved here for your edification:
RUTH’S CHRIS NEW SCORE: 93
OLDER REVIEWS BELOW (from two separate, earlier visits)
Ruth’s Chris is a well known steakhouse chain across the US. I took my buddy there for lunch because he scored me an interview which eventually landed me a new jobby job. That said, this review should be taken with a grain of salt since we dined from a low cost prix fix menu. REVISED: On the second trip here, things have improved. See text in italics for new additions to the review. First, some commentary about this place being a chain: Many people would frown upon the chain aspect. But I disagree. A chain of this caliber allows the large company making big money to spend a little more and go that extra mile. With places like Outback or Fridays, they often cut corners to keep more profit… but a place like Ruth’s Chris is putting the extra $ into their decor (it looks nice regardless of whether it is “authentic” or not), into the quality of the product, and into the service. I have to say – I like this place. And if the food is good that is all that should matter, right? Right.
Flavor: 8
The steaks were good: tender, well seasoned, and a slight gamey flavor that was JUST the right amount – enough to remind you that you were eating a quality piece of meat, but not too much to the point where you feel like you are licking the peri-anal area of a barnyard animal. Downside? They overcooked both of our steaks; I ordered a 12oz strip, medium rare, which was surprisingly thick for a small portion. It was medium in parts, medium well in others, and medium rare in other parts. UNEVEN! Hey – what can you do – it was lunch in midtown. My buddy ordered the petite filet with shrimp, medium, and it was medium well to fully well. What a shame. The meat was good though, so I am only taking off three points. Butter. BUTTER is the secret here. Everything is soaked in it. I ordered the ribeye and the fat cap on it was delicious. The cut was nice and gamey from the aging process, just like last time. There was a strip or two that I couldn’t eat, but for the most part this was a great experience. My wife loved the flavor too. They serve it on a hot plate, which I dislike in general, but I ordered my steak a bit under just to be safe. As it turns out, they cooked it just right regardless of the hot plate. They’ve got the system down.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8
The lunch menu had tons to choose from. Ribeyes, cowboy ribeyes (bone in), porterhouses for multiple diners, t-bones (which I think they call their porterhouse for one), strips, several portions of filets, and lamb. They did, however, stick to the basics. No skirts, flanks or anything like that. The quality is all prime and aged. Very nice.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
We ordered from a prix fix menu: soup or salad; petite filet + shrimp or strip; creamed spinach or mashed potato; strawberry shortcake with hazelnut truffles. Even this lunch special had great portions, at 6 and 12 ounces for filet and strip. Their regular menu items are average to large sized, but I took points off for the “hot plate” style of plating that I despise. It ruins meat, and it MAY be why our meat was overcooked. Meat, after cooked, needs to rest! The size of the cowboy ribeye was probably about 20oz.
Price: 8
Ribeyes are mid to high $40s, which is normal for NYC steak joints. Our meal was $75 total with tax and tip (the prix fix is $28.95 for soup (gazpacho) or salad; petite filet + shrimp or strip; creamed spinach or mashed potato; and strawberry shortcake with hazelnut truffles). Total meal for two on the second visit was $243 including tax and tip, which was with several apps, sides, drinks, etc. Not bad!
Bar: 9
The bar is nice looking – dark wood, fancy looking. I’d definitely hang here for a martini, which they make well. And wine – WINE – everywhere. It is part of the decor, since almost every wall in the hallways are also wine racks, you can’t miss them. The collection is beautifully encased in glass and wood cabinetry throughout the entire restaurant.
Specials and Other Meats: 9
This is tough to rate on a lunch meal, but they do have chicken (for pussies) and lamb (for half pussies). As for the prix fix – it was awesome for the price. Well worth it. This place has some really great specials on and off the EXTENSIVE menu. Really take your time to poke around, because there are nice surf and turf combos and price fix deals. Also they will pretty much accomodate anything you ask for.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9
The creamed spinach and mashed potato were basic – nothing fancy – but when you combined a fork-full it was spectacular. The salads were basic, but my blue cheese dressing was top notch, with real chunks of blue cheese and a nice cream. The dessert, also, was basic, but the flavor of it surprised me in a good way (strawberry shortcake with strawberry whipped cream and hazelnut chocolate truffles). We had some new items on the second trip. The mandarin arugula and crispy prosciutto salad with shaved parmasean cheese was excellent, and a big portion. The sweet yet peppery, bacon-scented dressing was a great way to open the meal. We also had the spicy lobster plate, which was essentially a lobster tempura with a spicy kick to it. Yummy! Last, we had the amazing crabtini. Get it. Big juicy lumps of crabmeat dressed in a nice aioli. Totally worth it. My wife had a price fix deal that came with a side of broccolini. It was essentially steamed but then topped with a savory parmasean cheese crumble. Not too bad. For dessert we had some vanilla ice cream (rich and creamy), and our anniversary plate had some fruit + cream, a bit of ice cream, and a thick, rich, coffee-flavored chocolate cake.
Seafood Selection: 8
I have to be honest, I didn’t even look, but I will leave the score as a default 8. Some fools behind us ordered salmon – assholes. May as well order a plate of grilled veggies or a tofu steak, as my buddy said. They had an almond crusted seabass and some scallops on a price fix special that looked really enticing. My wife had a special seafood plateau that came with pre-cracked Alaskan king crab, a half lobster, and shrimp. The lobster was a bit over-boiled, but all else was good. They also have a good deal of other seafood items on the regular menu by way of apps, but not much in terms of mains. As such, I am keeping this as an 8.
Service: 10
Service is good here. They have male and female servers, but all wear the classic white button down with a tie of some sort. I didn’t quite get into it with the waitress about the meat, and she almost brought us a plate of fries on accident, but I can tell they know what they are doing. Warm crisp bread with spreadable, home-made whipped butter, and nice tables, etc. They pay close attention to the notes you add when you make your reservation online. They wished us happy anniversary multiple times, and they even created a special seafood plateau upon request, even though they don’t have one on the menu (though it was a bit pricey). They also brought out a special dessert plate with “happy anniversary” written on it in chocolate. Nice touch.
Ambiance: 10
Going into a chain steakhouse, I was expecting much less than what I experienced. This place is fantastic inside. Really beautiful, elegant, dark, woody, manly, fancy, and comfortable. Nice mural paintings of old style urbanites adorn the walls, which are half dark wood wainscoting on the bottom and half elegant patterned wallpaper on top (where there are no paintings/murals). An elegant stairway leads up from the entryway to an unknown dining area of further fancifulness. I didn’t use the shitter, so I don’t know how good it is. The shitter is nice. They have green marble tiles, dark wood trim and thick disposable hand towels. The place is also pretty big, with multiple seating areas for dining.
I gave up drinking soda a few years back. Not completely – I’ll have one maybe once a month or something – but I cut it out when I started running and dieting and haven’t gone back. The sugar content is killer, even the natural ones like the glass bottles of Mexican Coca Cola.
But I love good a bubbly drink, and I didn’t want to give that up. Flavored seltzer became my substitute. No calories, no sugars, nada.
When my wife and I were still out on Long Island, Stop & Shop brand’s mandarin orange seltzer was my go-to flavor, and it was super cheap – usually between $3 and $4 for a 12-pack. It was more of an essence or scent of orange than a taste, but there was something in there that was orangey.
It worked to give me my bubble fix. Then I discovered La Croix at Whole Foods after we moved back to the city…
In particular this coconut flavor. It’s the Rolls Royce of seltzer. Sure, it is more expensive at between $4.50 and $6.00 for a 12-pack. But the amazing flavor that tastes real and natural. I’ve had other coconut seltzers in the past and they taste like fake coconut, if that makes any sense. And while I still enjoy the Stop & Shop brand well enough, this La Croix shit is miles beyond.
Originally set up by the late meat enthusiast Josh Ozersky, this is the 11th Meatopia event. Meatopia also happens in other cities worldwide, expanding like my belt size after indulging in these delicious meats.
The concept here was pure wood and coal fire, no gas or electric. Just flames and meat carcass. Some shit was done quick on the flames for a sear, and other shit was done low and slow in smokers like these:
With heavy hitters like Creekstone Farms and Pat LaFrieda involved in the mix, you can imagine how excited I was to be here. And without mincing words I will simply say this: Meatopia is the greatest food event I have ever attended in my life.
Upon walking out onto Pier 92, I was blasted with the invigorating scent of roasting meat, and bathed in the billowing bovine smoke that was coming off of the giant Pat LaFrieda fire pit. Heavenly rays of sunlight shone down through the smoke and kissed the meat, as if God himself was proclaiming this to be a righteous undertaking.
What a sight to behold! And nothing was wasted from this animal. As you can see, even the head got picked apart by the savage carnivores that roamed the pier. Even the guys at Gotham Burger Social Club took a bite.
Want to know the most depressing part about the LaFrieda station? I didn’t know this meat was for the crowd. I thought they were providing the meat for all the other stations to use in their dishes, like a supplier of sorts. By time I figured out that I could eat this shit, they had run out. That’s right – they ran out of 1000lbs of meat!!! I was on line for it, five people away from getting a bite, when they finally called it quits on the beast. Not even a scrap!
I did try every other item at the event, however, which is probably a rare claim to make for anyone who attended, I would imagine. There was so much food. I think maybe 30 stations or more. It was very easy to get full if you weren’t smart, or fat.
My first and last stop of the day was this killer broth made by Marco Canora’s “Brodo.” This hearty and hot beef stock was just the right thing needed to keep warm on the windy pier.
As I wandered around with childlike wonder, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the Beatrice Inn station, where Chef Angie Mar was slinging pig for her hungry meat minions. I found myself just staring at this shit. Something deep inside me was triggered. Something primal and cave man -esque…
These not-so-little piggies were roasting on a spit all day and night.
Watch them spin!
So the actual food item being served here was a whole roasted wild boar, blackberries, port and mash. Here’s what a small plate looked like. My photo does it no justice:
This was succulent, juicy, crispy and savory. It had a slight hint of sweet from the berries that made the pig flavors pop. It was one of my top choices of the day, for sure.
Another favorite was Hometown Barbeque. This was a masterful execution of beef rib. So tender and juicy. I know those words are used up like cheap hookers, but they are accurate. The bark on these ribs was crisp without being too hard – just enough to lock in all the meat juices. It had sweetness, but the savory beef flavor was the star of the show.
Occasionally some meat angel would come around and plop one of these dinosaur bones in your hands for you to gnaw on for a while. Some were from Hometown, and some were from LaFrieda.
Another favorite was this sri racha pork belly by The Backroom at Moody’s. I went back for it twice. The belly was cooked sous vide style for 48 hours (okay that probably involves electricity), and THEN smoked. It had a nice pungent flavor that reminded me of fish sauce or Vietnamese food.
They also presented a nice array of charcuterie:
My favorite of the day, just slightly ahead of that pork belly, was this hot beef tongue sandwich by Harry & Ida’s Meat & Supply Company. The meat was so soft, unlike what you might expect from common tongue preparations that can sometimes be rushed, or have the consistency of deli meat.
This was more like pulled meat, or braised stew meat. Absolutely delicious. And they even had a nice tongue hanging on display for food porn photos:
I’m jumping around again here, because I want to front-load this review with the most interesting shit up top, in the event that you meat minions start to nod off, or the ADD kicks into high gear.
CHORIZO ICE CREAM!
There. Did that wake you up a little? It was actually good. These novelty ice cream flavors always strike me as purposefully odd – done with the intent of shocking someone rather than actually delivering a good flavor. But this chorizo ice cream was lightly chorizo flavored, and it was balanced by the presence of caramel. Oddfellow’s is not pulling stunts here. This is good shit.
There was a healthy variety of rib eye and prime rib preparations going around (Hawksmoor London, Andre Lima de Luca and Balthazar, in particular). Never did I feel like the shit was overlapping or redundant. I was actually surprised at how nicely cooked they all were, given the windy conditions and an open flame that is hard to control or regulate in terms of temperatures.
Speaking of those wind conditions causing problems, I think Jason French and the guys at the Ned Ludd station were battling what was probably the worst of the wind conditions. They were one of the first booths next to the large tent in the back. As the wind whipped in from the southwest, it gathered along the tent walls and flowed directly to their station, which was on the south-facing side of the pier. WHAM. The wind over there was bonkers. I have no idea how they were even able to cook in such conditions.
The meat quality of their lamb dish suffered a bit, at least in the plate I had, as it was overcooked and slightly tough. My guess is that these guys were concerned about serving something raw, and wanted to keep the meat roasting despite the wind – so they had to keep stoking the flames. It was still really tasty despite all that nonsense, which is a testament to the chef and cooks. I think if they had more control over the environment this would have been a winning dish: Whole roasted pastured lamb with grape leaf cumin yogurt sauce, and a basmati rice salad with golden raisins and cilantro.
And I was glad to see a nice lamb carcass gracing their work station:
Perhaps the most prominently featured cut of the day was short rib. Check out all the different varieties below:
Tough to choose a favorite between those. If I had to, I’d probably lean toward The Cecil (their veal was really memorable), or Hill Country.
Naturally there was some brisket as well:
One interesting item was this braised beef cheek terrine from Employees Only. Super soft and flavorful. I was hoping to see more cheek represented at this event, but this was really nice with the pickled tomatoes and radishes on top.
The only place featuring strip was El Blok. It as really nicely cooked with fresh turmeric and sour orange, sitting on a side of smoked calabaza.
There was a beef pinwheel sandwich from Brindle Room:
And several other pork and non-beef items, most notable of which was probably this Portuguese porchetta fried rice from 42 The Restaurant – a very interesting mash up of Asian and Portuguese flavors:
Funny thing about that last photo: I was joking that chicken doesn’t really count as meat. The sauce on there was actually really great though, so it became acceptable to serve at this event, in my eyes.
This station sent me home with a packet of Badia spice seasoning. I always like samples!
There was even some dessert as well. I didn’t take a picture of the cookie I ate, but this banana chocolate turnover with maple bacon and peanut butter from Oceana was excellent. In fact their menu looks pretty brilliant, and it’s somewhat nearby, so I will have to go with my wife soon to try it out.
Don’t look so glum, whoever you are working back there in the pit… There’s meat hanging behind you and I’m sure there will be other Meatopia celebrations in the coming months. Can you say MIAMI?!?
That about does it guys. What an amazing day. I don’t want to wash any of my clothes because the lingering smell of smoke and meat is too precious to cast aside. It should somehow be bottled and sold as cologne.
Oh yeah… one last photo – my stalker pic of Iron Chef Michael Symon, who was the host of the event. People were waiting for hours just to press the flesh with him. I was too busy eating for any glad-handing with celebs!
In case you’re from a different planet, barbecue is a culinary technique that involves cooking meat for long periods of time at low temperatures with smoke from a wood fire. BBQ pits add a distinctive smoky taste to the meat.
Clearly we’re not talking about what you do in your backyard on Memorial Day with your Weber propane grill. We’re not talking about slapping a piece of thin, raw beef onto a hot electric mesh of metal either.
That’s GRILLING. Never confuse it with real deal BBQ, which involves smoking a massive carcass for days on end, and the low-and-slow roasting and/or constant basting and sauce-mopping of meats for hours and hours. No my friends. This is a whole different beast. Speaking of different beasts, there’s really no limit on what animals can be cooked in this style.
In the American south and midwest, however, barbecue has become more than just a cooking style. It’s a way of life, as is often said, and it varies greatly from place to place. Regions differ on things like sauce or no sauce, what type of animal or cuts of meat are used, and even what types of wood is burned. This page will serve as your guide to understanding these great varieties.
Texas
May as well start with the big one. Texas has regional styles within it’s own style. Central Texas “Hill Country” is known for its old meat markets, which were heavily influenced by German and Czech immigrants. Here, the focus is on the meat, so they use dry rubs (no sauce on the meat, or it is not a primary element to the food). Beef brisket and ribs are king, and sausage links are also prominent, with pecan and oak wood being used in most smokers. East Texas BBQ is pretty much split 50/50 between beef and pork, but, similar to southern styles, what you get is usually chopped rather than sliced, and served sandwich style with a tomato- and vinegar- based hot sauce.
North Carolina
North Carolina, like Texas, has variations within: eastern style and Lexington style (not to be confused with Lexington Steele). Three unifying things you need to know about NC BBQ: (1) the meat is PORK all the way; (2) said pork should be brushed with a spice and vinegar mix while cooking; and (3) hickory or oak wood is used in the smoker. Two differentiating things you need to know about NC BBQ: (1) eastern NC is a whole-hog BBQ, using the entire animal, while Lexington favors just the pork shoulder and ribs; and (2) eastern style NC BBQ favors an apple cider vinegar-based sauce, while the west prefers a ketchup- and brown sugar- based sauce.
South Carolina
Here, it’s all about the sauce differences, otherwise it is pretty much the same as North Carolina. Central South Carolina is typically BBQ with a mustard-based sauce known as “Carolina Gold.” The coast is all about pepper and vinegar, and the far west and north are into ketchup- and tomato- based sauces. Preferred cuts/dishes across the state are pork butt and ham.
Kansas City
This info holds for both Kansas and Missouri versions of Kansas City, as they are neighbors. But because of its geographic location, KCBBQ has a mix of culinary influences from all regions. And given its history as a hub for the meatpacking industry, Kansas City style BBQ embraces all kinds of meats. Everything is done “slow and low,” as they say, and usually with hickory wood, although all woods are used. Burnt ends are big here, and smothered with a thick and sweet, molasses- and tomato- based sauce, because, well, in Kansas City, “sauce is boss,” as they say.
St. Louis
St. Louis-style barbecue consists of mainly pork dishes, a staple of which is the pork steak, which is sliced from the shoulder of the pig. However another item unique to the St. Louis area is crispy snoot. This nose and cheek cut is prepared by removing the nostrils and cooking until crispy. Similar to pork rinds, these can be presented many ways, but the two most common are either (1) covered in sauce, on a sandwich, or (2) broken into pieces and dipped in sauce.
Memphis
Pulled pork and pork ribs are both big for this style of ‘cue. The dry rub is usually paprika and garlic, but served with a thin and tangy tomato-based sauce. Wet ribs are also prominent as well. Hickory is the choice wood, although oak, cherry, pecan and apple are all used.
Alabama
Alabama tends to be a mixture of Texas and Carolina styles, but they’re big on sandwiches and cole slaw. They usually go with pulled pork or pulled chicken, but ‘Bama’s signature is the white sauce that they use as a topper, which is a mayonnaise and vinegar concoction.
Kentucky
The thing to know about Kentucky BBQ is their use of mutton: older lamb and sheep. Don’t think of the word “old” as a bad thing. Lamb comes from a sheep that is less than one year old. Mutton comes from a sheep that is more than one year “old.” Kentucky mutton usually comes with a Worcestershire dip as well. Pork is prevalent here as well, but the mutton is what makes this region unique.
Virginia
I’m bogarting this description right from Wikipedia, since it is absolutely fascinating and I have nothing of my own to add to it: “While less prevalent than the other Southern styles, Virginia barbecue is a fair mixture of Carolina and Memphis barbecue. Originating in Hanover, Virginia in the 19th century, the traditional meat is pork (often Virginia ham) or chicken, although more gamy meals contain venison or squirrel. Unlike Carolina barbecue, the texture of meat is sweeter and finer. However, it does contain the smoky blend of Memphis barbecue. During Thomas Jefferson’s tenure as ambassador to France from 1784-89, he engaged in lengthy letter correspondence with James Madison regarding the preferred game for Virginia barbecue. While Jefferson exhibited a general preference for venison, Madison insisted that smaller critters were more consistent with the smokey flavor of the sauce. The key ingredients of Virginia barbecue are bourbon/wine, vinegar, peppers, corn, and a tomato-based sauce.”
California
I’ve decided to pull this directly from Wikipedia as well, since I never knew California had an official style of BBQ: “The original use of buried cooking in barbecue pits in North America was done by the Native Americans for thousands of years, including by the tribes of California. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries eras, when the territory became Spanish Las Californias and then Mexican Alta California, the Missions and ranchos of California had large cattle herds for hides and tallow use and export. At the end of the culling and leather tanning season large pit barbecues cooked the remaining meat. In the early days of California statehood after 1850 the Californios continued the outdoor cooking tradition for fiestas. In California a well-known barbecue dish is grilled tri-tip beef rump, sometimes cut into steaks. The Santa Maria Style BBQ, originally from the Central Coast of California, uses a portable ‘towed’ trailer version frequently seen at farmers markets. The old Mexican Ranchos of California would cook tri-tip over a pit of red oak, and simply season it with salt and garlic to enhance the flavor. It was served with pinqinto beans, pico de gallo and tortillas.”
Hawaii
Often overlooked is the luau, a polynesian tradition and celebration where whole hog is cooked. The centerpiece of any luau is kalua pork, which is a whole pig that is roasted in an imu pit – an underground oven traditionally made with lava rock – that cooks the animal for several hours, low and slow. The pig is ceremonially wrapped in banana leaves to impart sweetness and lock in moisture before being placed onto the coals.
Hybrid Styles
Many other states, like Oklahoma, Arkansas and Georgia, are essentially hybrid forms of BBQ that exhibit techniques and flavors from the surrounding geographic areas of influence. New York City, on the other hand, is beginning to develop its own unique cultural hybrid BBQ style, as various African, Asian and Latin American immigrant communities weave the flavor profiles from their heritages into the American culinary tablecloth, so to speak. A true melting pot in every sense of the phrase, New York City has outlets for the flavors of African braai, Korean kimchi, Indian curry, Middle-Eastern cumin, Mexican mole and Brazilian churrasco/rodizio, just to name a few. In time, I see NYC as being a place where the boundaries of BBQ are expanded to a global level, as New Yorkers currently seem to be taking BBQ – something uniquely American – and applying it to various cuisines from all over the world. When that happens, everyone wins. Especially my stomach.
I realize that many BBQ aficionados might find my overview above to be a bit rudimentary. There’s so much more to know, and not even just about the meats. One could easily spend an entire day learning about the various side items that go along with American BBQ, for example. As a matter of fact, one of the most thorough and enjoyable resources I have come across for BBQ is a book called Be The BBQ Pitmaster, by Will Budiaman. This book is good for history, detailed discussions of the various regional techniques, tips for wood selection, smoking instructions, and even recipes from well known pit masters in each region. It’s a one-stop-shop for all your BBQ research and cooking application needs.
And if you are wondering what wines to pair with your BBQ, check out THIS ARTICLE by Bro BBQ.
Lastly, to see my small but growing collection of BBQ reviews, click on over to “The ‘Cue Review” now.
Twelve vendors vied for support from hundreds of hungry BBQ fanatics, each wielding a single voting chip to cast their ballot for the night’s favorite food. All the while, old rag time and tin pan alley jug band music played to set the mood.
There was a nice open bar, stocked with vodka lemonades and hard root beer, to name a few items.
But the focus here was the BBQ, so let me get down to business… Here’s a quick list of the pit masters: BarBacon, Mexicue, Mile End, Sweet Chick, Kimchi Smoke, Miss Korea BBQ, Otto’s Taco’s, Tchoup Shop, Vermillion, Korilla, Pig Beach and Union Bar & Kitchen.
The dudes at Korilla really put together a nice spicy plate. I was told that this typically is MORE spicy than what we sampled last night, but take a look at the menu and see for yourself.
I snagged a nice shot of Adam licking a gun in this shot. Impeccable timing.
Right next door was Kimchi Smoke. I was psyched to see them using the Searzall at the table to melt cheese on top of their items.
Here’s a look at what they were serving up:
The brisket was super tender and flavorful. Perfectly done.
However the chonut slider was a bit too out there for me. It was a blast of every flavor known to man in one bite. Kimchi on a glazed donut with bacon and cheese! That’s on a whole other level.
I jumped a little out of order there because I was excited to talk about those items, but the very first thing we tried was one of my favorites of the night.
Tchoup Shop struck an amazing balance between sweet and savory with this crab and pork meatball slider. It had a hint of fish sauce to give it a distinct Thai or Vietnamese influence too. Jay put his chip on this as the best of the night.
My favorite of the night, which I thought just edged out Tchoup Shop by a sliver, was Mexicue.
Maybe it’s the nacho lover in me, but this was such an amazing bite of food. The chicken was deeply smoked to the point where it almost tasted like a pork item rather than chicken. The flavors were more on the savory side than the sweet side, which is what I like from my BBQ (I know that’s not normal). That may have ultimately been why I went with Mexicue over Tchoup Shop.
Another close contender was this classic pulled pork slider from Union Bar & Kitchen.
The pickle was nice and it cut the sweetness of the sauce nicely, but the meat was the star here – perfectly cooked and tender. A pile of that with the pickles, minus the sauce, and I am a happy man.
A nice outside the box item was this bacon and masa wrapped rib from Otto’s Tacos. Very creative and delicious.
My least favorite of the night was this hot dog. It just didn’t have the punch I was hoping for. I love a good hot dog too, so I was a little disappointed.
I had high hopes for Vermillion too, thinking that there might be a nice Indian influence going on. There indeed was, but it fell a little flat for me. The tamarind was a little overpowering, but the mango rice did cut the flavor nicely.
Miniature tacos are always a hit in my book. I might have to head back to this place (BarBacon) and try a few more items.
And there was a third Korean BBQ selection from Miss Korea BBQ. This pork was tender and juicy, with a nice light spice to it.
This joint offered up two items: a chicken chili and brisket.
At Pig Beach I was expecting starch based on the menu, but this baby was almost all meat. Nice!
One yeah – one more semi-celeb sighting from the food biz:
Definitely a fun night, and a very challenging one in terms of lighting and color for the photos. I was on my game though, so we did alright. Big thanks to Jay again for hooking me up with a ticket!
