VIDEO: Daniel Boulud’s Burger Complex
March 16th, 2010 § 2 Comments
I have a stash of fun video footage from South Beach Wine & Food Festival so now is as good a time as any to share one such clip. The occasion is this Week’s TIME Magazine which contemplates Daniel Boulud’s Burger Bash entry, more complicated than most. It wasn’t the winning strategy at the end of the day, but do bells and whistles ever really have a chance against a classic? Check out Josh Ozersky’s story on page 63 to find out his argument. Oh yeah, and if you use a magnifying glass, you might notice my photo is credited, too 
Gone Ribbin’ in Homestead: Photos from Sunday’s Pig Out with Fellow Food Blogger Friends at Ribfest
November 12th, 2009 § 3 Comments
This past Sunday, I joined foodie friends Steve, Paula, and David on a tiny trek to Homestead for a taste of America — and what could be more U, S of A than barbecued pig, funnel cake and roasted corn vendors, and cowboy and tchotchke stalls of all kinds?
Now mind you, I know it sounds like fun and games, but the annual event brings serious competition between the “Ribbers,” with a horde of trophies at stake to add to their overflowing and quite colorful collections. Also, it’s even a more imposing challenge for attendees, who must attempt – as any respectable rib eater would – to sample as much diverse ‘cue as possible in mere hours. All I will say is thank god my seasoned company (I was the only newbie to Ribfest) had a plan of attack! Divide and conquer (always a good idea in most situations) by splitting up and bringing back our spoils to a picnic table to share and compare. Brilliant.
Skin & Bones flying high! My fave!
Most of the meat players brought their A game; everything we sampled had a unique, appetizing taste, with only a few faltering because of dryness, which was easily remedied with plastic cups of frothy Fosters (Miller Lite was the event sponsor.)
Pig In Pig Out, Aussome Aussie, Smoke & Spice, Porky N Beans, Blazin Broncos, Big Boned BBQ, Willingham’s World Champion BBQ, Skin & Bones, Huckleberry Hillbilly, Johnson’s BBQ, Fat Fred’s, and Boss Hog comprised the line up. My favorite was Skin & Bones, followed by a close second showing by Porky N Beans. Both had great meat to bone ratio and were cut-with-a-fork tender.
The sauce on the proverbial rib was the Wings Over Homestead Airshow, the side show of this meat circus which made the $15 entrance fee and a la carte pricing inside very much worth the traffic and parking fiasco. And what would an event like Ribfest be without that?
Here’s the afternoon in pictures. I will definitely be back next year — and bringing my brother the carnivore!
Thanks, Youth Fair, for the box office!
Pig In Pig Out's "Ribsicles" won best pork at Ribfest 2008.
Skin & Bones' sauces were great, especially the yellow and the sweet hot, but its ribs' flavor (from a dry rub) was best savored sans sauce!
The Skin & Bones menu board. I went with the half rack and a Tennesee Taco (ended up being unnecessary, but curiousity killed the cat!)
Skin & Bones. Nuff Said.
Paula scored with her pick, Porky N Beans.
Porky N Beans. Killer at all angles.
Aussome Aussie (above) was my third favorite tied with Blazin Broncos.
It was a nice day -- very dry and windy, sometimes creating food, napkin, and beer control complications!
Case and point.
Blazin Broncos.
Nicely done by Chuck Wicks. Cute, too!
And the entertainment doesn't end... Classic cars were on display, including this slick Pontiac Bonneville!
Would rather not have seen this littering of entry bracelet sticker covers upon exiting. Hopefully the Parks people will crack down on even organizers for next year.
