One of my coolest friendships in the BBQ community would have to be with Chef Ted Reader.

Wilfred Reinke with Ted Reader at Beechfest 2010

I first met Ted at the Toronto Beechfest in 2010 where he did some mouthwatering demonstrations for cooking burgers on gas grills while promoting his new at that time called Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Burgers which is a wonderful book that any backyard BBQ’er should have in his bookcase.

The first book of Ted's that I have reviewed

Since then I have seen Ted a few more times even at a Fundraiser last year for DivaQ in Toronto that was so much fun.

This year Ted is releasing two new books, One is An Idiots Guide to Smoking Foods which I will be reviewing in the near future and his second is Beerlicious, The Art Of Grillin & Chillin Volume One

The fist place that Ted would be promoting his Beerlicious Book would be in Whitby, Ontario which is the next town to the west of me here in Oshawa.

Clancy’s Meat Co. located at 817 Dundas Street West, Whitby, ON. is a store that sells both fresh and frozen meats along with a lot of other really good quality products, (Their Ice cream and Sherberts are out of this world good) Clancy’s is a franchise and the Whitby location has been open since December  but this past weekend held a Grand opening celebration and asked Ted Reader to come and cook some of their products in the front parking lot and also sell some of his cook books in support of The Children’s Wish Foundation. Between books and Ice cream sales the event raised $600.00 for the great charity.

Ted Reader signing a Beerlicious Book purchased by a fan

For this day only they were selling Ted’s Beerlicious Book for only $20.00 which was a bargain for sure, and even though I could of waited til later and received a press copy from Ted’s publisher, I did not want to wait, besides, I wanted mine to be signed and personalized.

Coolio could not wait to start reading Beerlicious when I brought it home. When he is done with it I will review it for the blog!

As I mentioned in the title Ted and I were Tailgating, and though we could not have any alcoholic beverages we did spend some good times chatting in his office (the lowered tailgate of his pickup truck )

As far as my other pun in the title “Meating”…..

A great thing about this day was that after a bit of promotion on Facebook  a couple of friends in the BBQ world told me they were going to drop by as well…  Jim Van Allen and Greg Brouckxon. I have met Greg before and is a great guy that does a lot of good work in Social Media BBQ Style. While Jim I have talked to a lot on Facebook and Twitter and in fact Jim wrote a guest post for my blog about a BBQ Joint up Jeff’s BBQ  North near Sudbury. But I had not met Jim in person, so getting to be able to meet in person was nice to do. (Silly me though I kept my camera in my pocket)

My friend and business associate Ann Burns with Ted Reader

However, I did remember to take out my camera when my friend Ann Burns of Package of Solutions dropped by to say hi.

Ann runs her own company that helps small business by consulting with them on everything from optimizing their Payment systems to increasing their online presence through sites like GotYouLooking.com and SynerTAG and also helping to coordinate their Printed Materials. Ann uses my 35 years of experience in the Graphic Industry to full advantage for her customers. Along with Ann’s 23 years of experience in her industry we have made a pretty good team, and her customers get the benefits.

I spoke to the owners of Clancy’s husband and wife team of Dan & Gina and I found that they are very personable even when they had to be hustling all day to find more food for Ted to cook, needless to say the event was a complete success. Gina was very bubbly and I think that her customers will come to love her and they will be well served.

On the left owners of Clancy's Dan & Gina and on the right is Ted Reader with Ann Burns

Ted signing another book

Rats Ted caught me trying to take a paparazzi picture

Ann and I had some of the wonderful Ice cream and Sherberts (The Mango and Raspberry were in a single word… AMAZING!)

Wilfred & Ted or is that Freddy & Teddy?

We took a few more pics and then it was time for Ted to pack up his rig and get ready for a flight to Vancouver the next day. On May 16th the Book tour for Beerlicious starts in earnest with a stop at the Canada AM Studios.

Update…..

Here is a link to the video of Ted being on Canada AM and he shows his skills on the BBQ, MMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm!

Canada AM appearance for Ted Reader May 16th 2012

Just a few of the tasty looking items in the frozen section of Clancy's

This must be a great place as Ted placed a meat order to bring home, I bet his family ate well that night!

The owners of Clancy's Dan & Gina with Chef Ted Reader standing beside the banner that reminds us to help children

I am already planning to be around at future Ted Reader appearances including the  Beach BBQ and Brews Festival – Woodbine Park Toronto on Father’s Day Weekend in Toronto and later in the year at the Beer Festival where Ted will have his Grilling Tent.

Woody's Bar-B-Q 565 Woodlawn Rd. W. Unit 6, Guelph, Ontario Canada N1K 1E9

While looking at my Twitter feed I received a message from @Woodysbbqca that read….

Hi, we’re opening a new BBQ restaurant in Guelph & want 2 invite u 2 an exclusive pre-opening event this weekend!

I have to tell ya… it feels pretty special to be asked to attend events like this and that the BBQ community thinks that highly of me to want me involved.

After a couple of emails back and forth  I made plans to visit Woody’s Bar-B-Q’s newest location on Sunday May 6th 2012 and I would be there to sample some of their food and mingle with some of the staff before being opened to the public the day after.

Guelph is a good hour and a half west of me but the travel was not an issue since I had planned to visit my parents in Kitchener after the dinner which is only 20 minutes from there.

The first thing I found upon arriving at the address is that the restaurant is set far back from the road and is not very visible as your driving by. But it does help that they had an extra advertising sign at the edge of the road.

The front door had a sign on it that they were having a private function and after walking in I was greeted with a smile and asked where I would like to be seated.

I chose a stool at the bar and quickly was asked by a staff member if I would like a beverage. The adult beverages were not available since they were not officially opened I guess, but that is ok as I enjoy to have Iced Tea with my BBQ (unless Cheerwine is available of course :- )

Being a soft opening the entire menu was not being served but there was still a variety of BBQ Items that were available, and besides with the food all being comp, it is all good!

The soft opening menu of dishes available

My only regret would be not being able to taste brisket or the ribs, but perhaps I will get that chance on my next trip west.

After asking my server for some suggestions, (she was very helpful that way) I decided I would try the Corn Nuggets and Fried Dill Pickles to start with along with a Sloppy Woody Sandwich with 2 sides (Fries and Brunswick Stew)

While waiting I looked around and was impressed on the decor of the restaurant. It had a southern feel to it and made me feel at ease in the environment.

It did not take very long before my appetizers arrived and I dug into the Corn Nuggets first.

Deep Fried Dill Pickles, Corn Nuggets and Ranch Dressing

On the menu the Corn Nuggets are described as “Sweet Corn that is Crispy on the outside , Moist on the inside” and that they were, They kept the heat and with dipping into the Ranch Dressing they were addicting just as I was warned by my server.

I think this is a great idea for having as an alternative to the more traditional Hush Puppies that we are all more familiar with.

Here I spread a Corn Nugget wide open to show the creamy corn center in the nicely fried shell

The Dill Pickles were also nicely done though I am not a huge pickle fan.

While munching on these tasty little morsels I was greeted by  the President of Woody’s Bar-B-Q Corp. Canada, Dan Masters.

We chatted for 10 minutes and he was a very friendly chap that did make me feel welcome and I found him to be an interesting person to deal with. Dan was open and was very willing to answer any questions I had.

In front of me was a table menu of specials that will be available once they are open for real.

Here we go… time to dig into the main course.

Right away I was told that this is more of a sample of the food than regular serving sizes so the pulled pork sandwich is smaller than the norm. The Sloppy Woody is kind of like a Sloppy Joe but with pulled pork rather than ground beef and it is marinated in sauce. Pretty tasty indeed.

I really enjoyed the slice of corn bread, so fluffy and moist, a real winner!

The fries were lightly salted and had great colour, nothing ground shaking but good fries that complimented the meal nicely.

I am a huge fan of Brunswick Stew having enjoyed it so much on two separate occasions at Southern Soul BBQ in Georgia.

This would be the first time that I could taste some north of the border, and it did not disappoint!

The great thing about Brunswick Stew is that it is a mix of many flavours that is real southern comfort food.

If I were to of had the Chicken or the un-sauced pork I would of sampled the house sauces of which there are 4

Carolina Style, Smokin Hot, Tangy Mustard and Southern Sweet Sauces

I had intended to try the sauces but got distracted by other things and did not get to try them, that will also have to wait until I do a return visit.

Darren Miller, owner of the Guelph location then came over to chat and he introduced me to his Wife and Partner and we had a great talk where I asked him a little more about his new venture and he shared with me how he loves to cook low and slow at home even on his gas grill which is also how I started in this hobby so I could so see where this man was coming from. It was obvious to me that he had a passion for the business.

Now it was time to take some pictures of the people that put on the day!

Their mascot Percy the Pig even came out for a visit.

Guelph Owners Darren & Jackie Miller, Percy the Pig & Woody's Canada President Dan Masters

The gang is joined by yours truly

After spending close to 2 hours at Woody’s it was time to make my way to Kitchener, I had enjoyed this experience and was very glad that I made the trek to Guelph.

Thank-you Woody’s for the invitation and the hospitality!

On the way out I was given a take-out menu which I have scanned for you to see.

(Click to see the take out menu in it’s full size)

Some other pics I took while outside on the way to my car.

After I made it home I wrote an e-mail to Dan Masters the President of Woody’s Bar-B-Q Canada Corp and conducted an interview and here is our chat…

Interview with Woody’s Canadian President

Dan Masters

1. I understand that Woody’s is a Chain of Bar-B-Q restaurants from the States, Could you please tell me more about the chain and where it got it’s roots.

see brochure….

Woody’s Bar-B-Q E-Brochure April 2012

2. How did it come about that you got involved and brought Woody’s to Canada?

I had early retired from my previous chains and was a Woody’s customer  in Florida so I bought the rights to Canada in 2007. I also helped them in a consulting role to get through the recession before we begun here.

3. Are the Canadian restaurants the same as in the South?

80% we have made some changes. Example in the US it’s chili cheese fries in Canada it’s Bar-B-Q Poutine.

4. How would you describe the typical Woody’s customers?

Everyone…we all just order different items.

5. In your view what makes Woody’s successful?

Our food is amazing and perfected over 30 years of competing in the toughest Bar-B-Q market in the world..the South!!

6. BBQ is really taking off here in Canada in the last couple of years, why do you think that is?

It’s comfort food and tastes great. A lot of Canadians go to the south and enjoy it there so why not at home.

7. Any future plans of more Woody’s coming to the Canadian market?

We are opening locations right across the country one every six weeks or so.

8. What comes first Franchise owners coming to you and your finding them a location or do you plan the location first and then search for owners?

A bit of both.

9. Any final thoughts that you would like to pass on to my readers?

Just we hope they try us when we open in their home markets.

Thanks Dan, I appreciate your time and also for extending me the invitation to visit your Guelph location it was a lot of fun, and I was very impressed, I wish you all of the best with Woody’s Bar-B-Q

Interview with the Owner of Woody’s Bar-B-Q in Guelph

Darren Miller

1. Your the new owner of a BBQ Franchise that is just opening, and this must be exciting for sure, but could you tell me a little about the process of your getting this opportunity?

Months before I contacted Dan Masters (President of Woody’s Bar-B-Q Canada) with my interest in purchasing this franchise, I watched Woody’s Bar-B-Q enter into Canada as I was looking for a restaurant of this nature. As it started to grow across the country, I knew it was a business both my wife and I would be interested in. Once Dan and I met in June 2011, I think we both hit it off well and interest became a reality just less than a year.

2. Can you tell me about your BBQ Experiences before the restaurant came along and why you wanted to get into this business?

I do have culinary training, and worked for many years in my Mother and Father’s restaurant… But, I just love to do all kinds of bar-b-q, and always have. For years I have been the back yard guy that invites all of our friends over, get up at the brink of dawn, get the bar-b-q smoking, spends a ton of money on cuts of meat like prime rib, pork ribs, and even oysters just to sit with friends and watch them feast.

3. How did you find staff? This is not your hole in the wall BBQ joint, it is a full restaurant.

I think like every restaurant, we do have lots of experienced staff both front and back house, as well as some very personable, energetic trainable entry level bodies. For recruitment, we ran an employment ad on a web site, and within a couple of days, we were flooded with more than 135 applicants, at which point we had to remove the ad. And of course, we do have some secret weapons preparing the bar-b-q that could make a shoe sole tender!

4. How much support do you get from the Woody’s Bar-B-Q Head office

Support from head office has been fantastic, all the way from President, down to the training team we brought in from all over the country and US. Both Jackie and I were fortunate enough to spend a couple of weeks working alongside of the employees of the very first Woody’s Bar-B-Q that opened close to 35 years ago in Jacksonville Florida, training under the watchful eye of Woody himself. In all, the support over the last year or so has been fantastic!

5. I understand that your using a Southern Pride 300 Smoker, Do you have an experienced Pitmaster to run that or do you handle the smoking yourself?

That is correct, we are using nothing other than a Southern Pride smoker. But, It’s actually a combination of both myself and trained Pitmaster’s operating it… there is no way I would buy this machine and not have “Darren” time with it!

6. What is the most pleasing aspect about running your own BBQ Restaurant?

The smiles on my customers face after the first bite of Bar-B-Q, interacting with the customers and sharing bar-b-q stories, and the sight of Bar-B-Q sauce from earlobe to earlobe!

7. Do you just look for walk in business to build your clientele or do you do other things in the community to attract customers?

We receive support from corporate as a franchise for advertising of course, but we will be venturing into charity events once we get our feet off the ground. I will also be venturing out into the community to meet with the local manufacturing companies offering our catering to their functions, and just stopping in to say hello. I have been involved the local businesses for many years now, and all of whom are very interested in what we are doing. And, let’s not forget about “Percy” the Pig who will be out waving his hands and doing a little dance out by the road!

8. What would you like to say to any prospective customers that is reading this right now.

Come on out and experience real Southern Bar-B-Q at Woody’s! Whether it’s just kicking back with some friends, smoked chicken wings and a cold beer after work… or the full blown Woody’s Feast and throwing the fork and knife aside! You will not be disappointed!

9. Any thing else that you would like to add in closing?

I do love hearing Bar-B-Q stories… whether good or “not so good” if in the restaurant and have any good stories, please look me up and share! I may have one or two that may top it!

Thanks Darren, I Thank you very much for the hospitality you had shown me on Sunday, I had a great time.

Social Media and Information…

Woody’s Bar-B-Q Canada Twitter account @Woodysbbqca

Woody’s Bar-B-Q on Facebook

Woody’s Bar-B-Q Website

I received this Press release today and I will make every attempt to visit my friend Ted Reader and report on this Grand Opening…

Myself with Ted Reader at the Beeches Ribfest in 2010

Clancy’s Meat Co. Whitby Grand Opening

Celebrity Chef and BBQ Guru Ted Reader will be firing up the grill with charitable events supporting Children’s Wish Foundation in co-operation with Hearts of Durham

 

Whitby, ON (May 8, 2012) ­— The grill is getting fired up for the Grand Opening of Clancy’s Meat Co., Whitby at 817 Dundas St. W. on Saturday, May 12, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

 

May is National Barbeque Month and what better way to officially kick off the outdoor grilling season than with a visit into Clancy’s Meat Co. in Whitby for their Grand Opening celebrations.

 

Canadian celebrity chef and BBQ guru Ted Reader will be pulling into Clancy’s Whitby for the Grand Opening celebrations with his custom traveling BBQ rig to grill up lots of free tasty Clancy’s samples and offering tips and grilling demonstrations to the crowd of BBQ enthusiasts from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

 

Charity events will be taking place throughout the day in support of the Children’s Wish Foundation, in cooperation with the Hearts of Durham. Customers will have the opportunity to purchase pre released copies, not yet available to the public, of Ted Reader’s latest cookbook ‘Beerlicious: The Art of Grillin’ and Chillin’ and raffle tickets for a chance to win a BBQ grill, a kid’s play grill, and lots of other great prizes, with all proceeds from the raffle & cookbook sales going to the Children’s Wish.

 

“It’s shaping up to be a fantastic day. We have lots of huge deals on food for the BBQ or to take to the cottage” says store owner Daniel Jeffers. “We’re very proud to be working with the ladies from the Hearts of Durham with raffles for some great prizes and events throughout the day in support of the Children’s Wish”. Not to mention he adds “I’m hoping to pick up a grilling trick or two myself from Ted (Reader)”.

 

 

 

About Clancy’s Meat Co.

Clancy’s is proud to serve North America as one of the fastest growing franchises in the food industry. Providing fresh and frozen meat products, and ready-to-eat meals inspired by the west coast, we continue to craft recipes that reflect our passion for providing a memorable dining experience for our customers.

Constantly developing our selection of organic and preservative-free products, Clancy’s is committed to providing high-quality products that appeal to the changing needs of health-conscious consumers who enjoy preparing well-balanced meals without spending hours in the kitchen. [1]

 

Clancy’s Meat Co., Whitby is located at 817 Dundas Street West (just west of Cochrane on the south side) and is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

 

 

About Ted Reader

Ted Reader is an award-winning chef and food entertainer, who’s parlayed his passion for food into a culinary tour de force that includes more than a dozen cookbooks, shelves of food products, live culinary performances, TV and radio cooking shows and appearances as well as culinary demonstrations, a catering company and teaching.

Known for his pyrotechnic charm and fearless culinary spirit, it’s no surprise that GQ magazine labeled him the “Crazy Canuck Barbecue Kingpin”. The dude just loves to cook. [2]

 

 

About Hearts of Durham

Hearts of Durham is a unique volunteer group made up of individuals who want to support and reinvest in their community. The goal of Hearts of Durham is to support one community initiative each year based on the priorities within the region. It is the vision of Hearts of Durham that by working with and supporting local resources, all of our families will benefit by living, working and playing in a stronger community. Our group believes by supporting these initiatives in our community… we can make a difference.

Hearts of Durham are proud to currently be supporting The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. [3]

 

References

1.       www.clancysmeatco.com
2.       www.tedreader.com
3.       www.heartsofdurham.com

 

 

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For more information, to arrange an interview or confirm attendance at the grand opening on May 12, 2012 please contact:

 

Daniel Jeffers

Owner/Operator Clancy’s Meat Co., Whitby

(905)493-4339 (Store)

(905)431-9181 (Cell)

whitbydundas@clancys.ca

Contrary to popular belief I am not all BBQ all the time, as a matter of fact I can see why so many BBQ Pitmasters and restaurant owners have gotten to the point of not wanting to eat BBQ all the time.

Don’t get me wrong here I love a great Pulled Pork, Ribs or Brisket still but to really enjoy but I have to space out the BBQ meals so that I can still enjoy it even more when I do have it. and with the Ontario RibFest season starting in less than 2 months I do not want to overload before it even starts.

Today I had a business meeting with Ann Burns of Package of Solutions along with my buddy  Joe Simeunovich and we wanted to have the meeting at a place that we could enjoy some food and be comfortable as well without having to spend a fortune.

Joe suggested Off the Hook Sea Food Emporium in Whitby which is just off the 401 and Thickson Road perfect since after lunch we could all get on the highway and go to our afternoon appointments.

Joe had been here before but neither Ann or myself have. Off the Hook has only been here a few months having taken over the Don Cherry’s Sports Bar location.

Joe and I arrived first and as soon as you get in the door there is a huge Fish Aquarium. Very cool.

While we waited for Ann to arrive (we were 15 minutes early) we walked in and were greeted warmly by staff. Rather than be seated at a table or booth Joe and I sat in what could be described as a lobby almost that had a few comfy black leather chairs in front of a great Electric fireplace and a huge big screen TV. And they even brought us a couple of refreshments.

They are fully licensed but I had an Ice Tea. Ann arrived a few minutes there after and we were shown to a booth. Along the way Ann told me how impressed she was with the layout of the restaurant and that the Aquarium was really well maintained. Very fresh and clean looking with lots of gorgeous healthy fish!

I am sorry that I did not take many pics as to tell you the truth I was not thinking about writing a blog post on Off the Hook since it was not BBQ and I was concentrating on the business meeting.

The menu for Off the Hook was well…  “Off the Hook” so many great looking items on the menu and very reasonably priced. There specials of the day were Salmon cooked on a Cedar plank and Cod with a white wine sauce each for $12.99

Ann had the Halibut and Chips. Joe started off with a Bowl of Chowder and then had the Cod Special, and I decided on the Chicken Fettuccine with a fresh Salad.

Pic a bit fuzzy sorry but this is the Cod Special that Joe enjoyed, We did not get a shot of the Chowder but it was amazing Joe gave me a taste  and I knew right away that next time I visit that will be my starter dish, it was just amazing!

The presentation of our plates made us feel like we were in a fancy 5 star restaurant  just look at the cole slaw on Ann’s plate and she said her meal was a winner.

My chicken was out of this world good, the meat was so wonderfully tender and juicy and the sauce and noodles were a perfect combination to go with the chicken and the bread too. I can honestly say it was the best Chicken Fettuccine  that I have ever ever had bar none! and lots of meat was included in it. I had the dinner portion rather than the lunch version so it was $18.00 but so worth every penny and more.

All together the 3 of us spent less than $60.00.

Ann told me that she had now found her new favorite restaurant in Whitby and would use this a lot for her business meetings. and Joe and I both agreed.

I am so glad that I am doing business with Ann Burns, she is an energized woman that helps out small business by offering many solutions for her clients.

Her and I will be working together on a few projects including Printing and design for her clients.

Keep an eye out for the business card below this lady rocks!!!

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Starting this weekend at the Pickering Markets located at 1400 Squires Beach Road, Pickering, Ontario Canada. There will  be the sweet smell of BBQ in the food court.

Donna Darling and her husband   Rob Butler of Horn Dawgs Smokin BBQ and Catering will be serving up some of their famous BBQ food that we have become accustomed to seeing numerous awards for in the Ontario RibFest Circuit!

Horn Dawgs BBQ Sauce will be front and center used on a variety of great tasting BBQ products such as Brisket and Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Great Chili and they will be introducing to the Market their version of a Pulled Pork Parfait which is perfect food for taking and eating as you browse through walking the aisles with all of the cool booths in the Pickering Market.

For those unaware a Pulled Pork Parfait is a complete meal layered in a 15 oz. Parfait cup including Pulled Pork, Mashed Potatoes, BBQ Sauce topped with Baked Beans and a Cherry Tomato to top it off! all for $7.00

You may be wondering it this is authentic Southern Style BBQ or something out of a crock pot…. Don’t fret my friends as this is the real thing, the BBQ Meats are smoked low and slow in a Southern Pride Smoker just a few miles from the Markets (obviously they would not be able to set up the smoker on site.

And here is the kicker, Have you ever had authentic Southern Soda Pops like Big Red, Cheerwine before with BBQ, well if not you have to try some of the imported soda’s that will be sold at the Horn Dawgs booth.

You will be amazed at the flavour that comes from soda that is made with real Cane Sugar rather than corn syrup sweetened pops.

The Horn Dawgs booth will be open for business starting this Saturday morning and will be open every Saturday and Sunday year round from 9 am to 5 pm.

Rob Butler putting the finishing touches on the sign installation

I was there today installing the signs with Rob that I designed for them (yes I do Design and Printing as part of my day job!) I believe the sigse really pop and I am sure they will be attracting many a hungry folk there every week-end.

My iPhone does not take the best pics indoors with this type of lighting, I will be back on the weekend with my regular camera to take some more shots including of what you want to see which is the food!

Please drop by if your in the area and say hi to Rob and Donna and tell em that the Oshawa Ogre sent ya! and you will enjoy some great food!

Check out the Horn Dawgs Website 

I had such a good time at last years Wine and Cheese Show at the International Centre that I had to go again this year.

Frank Caputo of Hank Daddy’s Barbecue out of Maple Ontario hooked me up with some free tickets.

My buddy Joe and I had been looking forward to going here since last years show but at the last minute Joe had to bow out due to some family issues. so I took the hours drive by my lonesome.

But I did not stay alone as I met up with some friendly faces during the show.

When first walking through the door I was greeted by people handing out wine glasses that we can use while sampling the different available adult beverages.

So your probably thinking who was the first person that I met that I knew at the show? Well it was someone from my child hood and I think many of you would also know him….

Since I had not yet eaten lunch and it was 3:30 in the afternoon I had to go visit my friend Frank  of Hank Daddy’s BBQ where he was quite busy vending his fantastic smoked/deep fried Chicken Wings and his famous Pulled Pork Parfaits.

This is where I should apologize for the poor quality of some of these pictures, I brought my camera in for service to fix a lens problem and all of the settings were reset including the enabling of the date stamp and many of these shots are blurry (you should of seen the ones I could not use argghh!) I also had my iPhone with me and some of these pics were taken with that, gotta say I do love my iPhone. I used it to post some pics directly to my facebook page while I was at the show. (Thanks again to friend Annette Penney that strongly suggested that the phone from Apple would be my best choice and it was!)

I first met Frank at the Royal Fair in Toronto a couple of years back and that is where I first heard of the Pulled Pork Parfait though at that show I arrived an hour before closing and he had sold out , That is one thing about BBQ and is true even in BBQ Restaurants as well BBQ can not be rushed it is a process that takes half of a day to cook so when you run out of BBQ meat you can not just whip up another batch.

At last years show I was able to taste the Pork Parfait at the 2011 Wine and Cheese and also at the Toronto Beeches Beer and Ribfest where Hank Daddy’s BBQ sets up shop.

As soon after I shake Frank’s hand he asked me if I wanted a Parfait and of course that was a no-brainer.

Pork and Beer, yup that was so good!

What goes into a Pulled Pork Parfait? Well I’ll tell ya, it is 9 layers of man food in a cup. a combination of Pulled Pork, Mashed Potatoes, Tasty BBQ Sauce with a zing and topped with Baked Beans… Yummy Goodness. And the best thing is you do not have to sit and eat since being in a Parfait cup you can walk around to check out the rest of the show while you eat.

Later on Frank also treated me to some of his Wings which were also fantastic. They looked so good that I forgot to take a picture before I ate em up

I did not have the guts to try Franks FireWing Challenge though…

Frank came up with the FireWing Challenge last year and yours truly designed the T-Shirt that you see above (once again sorry for the blurry picture) In case you did not know my real job is running my own business where I do a number of Graphic arts related things such as Art design, Printing and even Computer sales and service.

The FireWing Challenge is where the customer has 15 minutes to hold down 15 wings that have been smothered in Frank’s signature sauce that is not just hot  but some would call it outright painful!

If someone could complete the challenge with out any relief for that quarter hour they would get a T-Shirt and a certificate, No one dared to take the challenge while I was at the show  but one of the show workers took a lb. of wings with the killer sauce to the lunch room on Friday night and rumour has it he could only eat 1 Wing.

You can like Hank Daddy’s BBQ on Facebook and follow Frank on Twitter @HankDaddysBBQ

Speaking of Heat……

Two other friends of mine were also working a booth Adrienne Kenney and her partner in life Ron Savoie of Jungle Heat where dishing out samples of their award winning hot sauces

Winning at the 2012 Scovie awards is no easy task but  so this is a huge feather in their caps.

When I first was greeted by Adrienne she offered me a piece of chocolate and not expecting anything I ate it…. A couple of seconds later BAMMMMMM! I was hit by the heat, Wow! I have never tasted any chocolate like that before.

Jungle Heat has 3 retail stores one being in Oshawa and yes they also sell Horn Dawgs Smokin BBQ Sauce there! Along with 0ver 150 other brands of Sauces, you would love this store the way it is decorated you will feel like your in a tropical Island Paradise.

I also heard that Jungle Heat will be appearing on the new season of Dragon’s Den on CBC in the Fall, that will be must see TV for me!

Another friend I met up with was Annette Penney who brought one of her friends with her from Kitchener to the show, Annette is a lover of wine so this was where she could be in her element.

You can see in the picture 2 other things…. Look Left People!!!!! First I am holding a bottle of Whiskey which I will explain a little later on. but further to the left you can see a banner for a Photo Booth.

It looks like a cool party idea where up to 10 people can enter and have pics taken of themselves wearing finny hats or other props. I diod not go in but Annette and her friend did and the results looked great indeed.

I know Annette from the Barbecue community and she is in the Social Media Management business running her own company called Inspire and Acquire. Annette has been a great help to my blog by adding content and also giving me great advice from her Twitter account @InspiredAnnette by posting links to very relevant articles from her own website and also from other Social Media writers too. But she is also a good friend to boot!

Now to that bottle of Whiskey….

Coolio wants me to open the bottle now, but we will have to wait!!!

Frank had a sample of Spicebox Whiskey in his glass and poured a little in to my glass and right away I knew I had to buy a bottle of it. Spicebox is a very Smooth tasting Rye out of Montreal that has a great blend of spices added as you can see in this screen shot I took from the website.

click to go to this page on the web

There was also some fun stuff happening at the show, Kitchen-Aid was sponsoring cooking demonstrations and Food TV Host Chef Lynn Crawford was hilarious as she showed how to make Beer Batter Fish & Chips she brought a few of the audience to the set to help her and had us all rolling in the aisles watching, I wish I would of taken some video (or at least some pics) of that it was great fun.

Below I will leave you with some other various pics that I took on my walkabout.

I have been to many BBQ shows and events across Ontario and also down the US East coast from North Carolina to Florida but there is something special about RibFests here in Ontario.

Just imagine crowds of over 100,000 people filling a park over a 3 or 4 day week-end enjoying endless Musical entertainment while enjoying Southern style BBQ from Professional Ribbers!

And the best thing is that they have free admission and much of the proceeds go back into the community to help out local charities.

Reuben Riley of BrickYard BBQ and yours truly showing off his fine BBQ in Brantford last year

Here is the RibFest Schedule for 2012

Along with as many links as I can find for their Websites, Social Networking links and my reviews of them if I have been to the events.

I will update this list as I gather more information…. As far as I know this is the most detailed up to date listing that is published on the web.

Brampton

May 25 -27th 2012 – Brampton, Rotary Rib’n’Roll 5 Ribbers (local only) Gage Park Directions Follow on twitter @rotaryribnroll Like on facebook

My review of the Brampton 2011 Ribfest

Pickering

June 01 -3rd 2012 – Pickering Rotary RibFest 9 Ribbers Map Directions Follow on twitter @pickribfest Like on facebook

My review of the Pickering 2011 Ribfest

Bowmanville

June 08 -10th 2012 - Bowmanville, Rockin’ Rotary Ribfest 7 Ribbers Map Directions

My review of Bowmanville 2010 Ribfest

My review of the Bowmanville 2011 Ribfest

Sarnia

June 14 – 17th 2012 – Sarnia Ribfest 6 Ribbers

Niagara Falls

June 15 -17th 2012 = Rotary Club of Niagara Falls Sunrise Ribfest and BBQ 7 Ribbers Map Directions

Toronto Beaches

June 15 -17th 2012 -  Beach BBQ and Brews Festival – Woodbine Park Toronto 6 Ribbers Map Directions Follow on twitter @BBQandBrewsFest Like on facebook

My review of Beachfest 2010

My review of the Beach BBQ 2011 Ribfest

Kemptville

June 15 – 17th 2012 – Kemptville Ribfest 6 Ribbers

Oakville Since 2012

June 20 – 24th  2012 – Oakville Family RibFest   First Annual!!! Press Release Like on Facebook, Follow on Twitter

Ottawa

June 20- 24th 2012 – Ottawa Sparks Street Mall 2012 INTERNATIONAL CHICKEN-RIB COOKOFF Map Directions

North Scarborough

June 22 – 24th 2012 - Rotary Multicultural Ribfest 5 Ribbers Kennedy Road and McNicoll Avenue. Scarborough Ontario ScarboroughTwilight

Stratford

June 22 – 24th 2012 – Stratford Blues & Ribfest 4 Ribbers Map

Toronto

June 29 – July 2nd 2012 – Toronto Ribfest Centennial Park Etobicoke  13 Ribbers Map Directions Follow on twitter @TorontoRibfest Like on facebook

My review of Toronto Ribfest 2010

My review of Toronto Ribfest 2011

Waterdown

June 29 – July 2nd 2012 - Waterdown Memorial Park Oh Canada Ribfest 6 Ribbers Map Directions Like on Facebook, Follow @ohcanadaribfest on Twitter

Timmins Since 2004

June 29th – July 2nd 2012 – (not yet confirmed!!!)  Timmins Rotary Ribfest Like on facebook Follow on twitter @TimminsRibfest

Gananoque – Since 2005

June 29 – July 2nd 2012 – Gananoque Family Ribfest Webpage Map Directions

Port Dover Since 2010

June 29 – July 2nd 2012 (Date not Confirmed!!) Port Dover Kinsmen Ribfest 4 Ribbers

Clarksburg

2012 event not yet confirmed  Blue Mountains Chili Ribfest KCBS and CSBBQ BBQ Competitions in Clarksburg Information Blog

My review of the Smokin’ for Gold KCBS held at the Blue Mountains Ribfest

My Profile of Twisted Tater from Blue Mountains Chili Ribfest

Chatham Since 2009

July 6 – 8th 2012 -   Chatham Tecumseh Park, Rotary Ribfest 5 Ribbers Map Directions Follow on twitter @ChathamRibfest Like on Facebook, Follow @ChathamRibfest on Twitter

Barrie

2012 not yet confirmed!!!  Barrie Ribfest and Craft Beer Show

Markham

July 6 – 8th 2012 – Markham Ribfest Markham Civic Centre 7 Ribbers Map  Like on Facebook, Follow @markhamribfest on Twitter

Peterborough Since 2003

July 13 – 15th 2012   Peterborough DBIA Ribfest Millennium Park

Whitby Since 2012

July 13 – 15th 2012 -First Year!!!!- Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise Ribbers Run Wild Ribfest    - Facebook Event Page and Rotary Facebook Page

Parry Sound

July 13 – 15th 2012 - Parry Sound RibFest  Bobby Orr Community Center 4 Ribbers Like on Facebook, Follow @PSRIBFEST on Twitter

 Mississauga

July 19 – 22nd 2012 - Mississauga Rotary Ribfest 14 Ribbers Follow on twitter @RotaryRibfest like  on facebook

My review of the 2011 Mississauga Ribfest 

Uxbridge

July 20 – 22nd 2012 – Links to follow

Kitchener

July 20 – 22nd 2012 - Kitchener Ribfest & Craft Beer Show 7 Ribbers Map Directions Victoria Park Like on Facebbook

Muskoka

July 20 – 22nd 2012 – (Date Not Confirmed!!) Muskoka Ribfest 2 ribbers Map

Amherstburg Since 2010

July 6 – 8th 2012 – Amherstburg Rotary Ribfest Centennial Park

Orangeville Since 2010

July 20 – 22nd 2012 – Orangeville Rotary Ribfest 5 Ribbers Map

Cornwall Since 2012

July 27 -29th 2012 – Cornwall Seaway Lions Club Ribfest Lamoureux Park 6 Ribbers

Richmond Hill Since 2012

July 27 – 29th 2012 -Richmond Hill Ribfest Richmond Green Park and Sports Complex

London

August 2 – 6th 2012 – London Ribfest 10 Ribbers Victoria Park

My review of the London 2010 Ribfest

St. Catharines

August 03 – 6th 2012 -  St. Catharines Rotary Ribfest 7 Ribbers

Scarborough Since 2002

August 03 – 6th 2012 – Scarborough Ribfest 10 Ribbers Thomson Memorial Park

Brockville

August 09 – 12th 2012 – Brockville Ribfest Hardy Park 8 Ribbers

Woodbridge Since 2007

August 10 – 12th 2012 -  Woodbridge Ribfest 5 Ribbers Map Directions

Brantford

August 10 – 12th ……… Brantford Ribfest 5 Ribbers Map follow on Twitter @brantfordribfes Like on Facebook

My review of 2011 Brantford show 

Belleville

August 10 – 12th -2012 – Belleville  Quinte’s Big Brother Big Sister Ribfest 8 Ribbers Map follow on twitter @BBBSHPEC like on facebook

Windsor

August 16 – 19th 2012 - Windsor Ribfest Festival Plaza

Milton Since 2009

August 16 – 19th 2012 – Milton Ribfest Milton Fair Grounds

My review of 2011 Milton show

Lindsay Since 2009

August 17 – 19th 2012 -  Lindsay Ribfest www.lindsayribfest.com 4 Pro Ribbers and 30 Amateur  Rib competitors and New Chili Cook-off

Cobourg Since 2007

August 17 – 19th 2012 – Northhumberland Ribfest Cobourg 6 Ribbers Map

Petawawa

August 17 – 19th 2012 – Petawawa Ribfest 4 Ribbers Map

Calabogie Peaks Since 2011

August 17 -19th 2012- Calabogie Blues & Ribfest Directions

Toronto

August 17 – September 3rd 2012 – Canadian National Exhibition Toronto

St. Thomas

August 24 – 27th 2012 – (Date Not Confirmed!!)  Elgin Ironhorse Street Festival 3 Ribbers This one is much much more than a Ribfest

Guelph

August 24 – 26th 2012 – Guelph Ribfest 9 Ribbers Map like on facebook

Sudbury

August 31 – September 2nd 2012 – (Dates Not Confirmed!!) Sudbury Ribfest

Burlington Since 1995

August 31 – September 3rd 2012 – Burlington Ribest 18 Ribbers follow on twitter @Ribfest Like on Facebook Maps

Aurora Since 2006

September 7 – 9th 2012 -  Aurora Ribfest

Oshawa Since 2002

September 7 – 9th 2012 – Oshawa Ribfest 11 Ribbers Map facebook

My Review of the Oshawa 2010 Ribfest Part 1

My review of Oshawa 2010 Ribfest Part 2

Owen Sound Since 2011

September 14 – 16th 2012 -  Owen Sound RibFest 5 Ribbers Map facebook twitter @OwenSndRibfest

 Help me with my list!!!

If you have any information on any Ontario Ribfests that I have not listed I would love to hear from you so that I can add it to the list.

I am always looking for any Social Media Links for RibFests as well  as in Twitter and Facebook.

please e-mail me oshawaogre@hotmail.com

For a look back you can read my reviews of previous Ribfests right here

My Social Media Links….

Wilfred Reinke on Facebook

Oshawa Ogre’s Views, News & BBQ’s on Facebook

@OshawaOgre on Twitter

I am sure you have seen me rave about Cheerwine that I bring back every year from my Southern Expeditions because it just is not available up in Canada.

Last month I was on my way home from my Florida trip with 5 cases of Cheerwine in the back of my Jetta Wagon and I was chatting with Jim Van Allen and he commented to my post he told me of this place that is less than 10 miles from my house that sells it!!!

with that news I had to check it out.

I had my buddy Joe with me as we just had lunch and drove over to see what the Soda Pop Central store was old about.

we walked in and was in Soda Pop heaven!!!

We were greeted by the owner when we arrived, and we learned that the store started just as a wine making store but besides wine his favorite drink was Verner’s Gingerale and since he could not buy it locally he decided to import it himself.

Once in his store and people found out he had it everyone wanted to buy it, so that started the beginning of bringing in more oddball or hard to get soda’s. Now they have over 6000 brands of Soda Pops on his shelves and that list is growing every month.

There are so many great pops in here that I can not tell you about them all but I did want to mention a couple in particular.

Cheerwine of course is a given, now when I bought it directly from the North Carolina warehouse I paid less than $20.00 US a case of 24 bottles. Now I can not get that good a price in Whitby at Soda Pop Central but that is too be expected since he has to import the pop and that is not cheap to do. Her the cost per bottle is $1.99 Canadian but you can get a 10% discount  if you get a case.

One thing I love about Cheerwine is that the glass bottles are sweetened with real Cane Sugar not corn syrup like many regular sodas from the major brands.

In fact many of the rare brands sold here are made with Cane Sugar, you really do taste the difference, it is not as syrupy and does not taste over sweetened.

Lots of the bottles have catchy names and grahics that you can not help but giggle at.

How about a Coffee Soda!

I have not tasted this one yet, I am not a coffee drinker but my friend in the Netherlands, Hanneke Eerden is a Coffee Drinker and she always has some posts about coffee on her facebook page for laughs and so I had to have Coolio pose with a bottle so that I could post it on her Facebook wall.

I also had to buy the Bacon Soda which is made by the same company.

I was having dinner with my friend Annette Penney and her daughter Alexia is a bacon fanatic, anything that involves bacon she just has to have.

So when I showed up this past Thursday night for a BBQ Dinner I gave Alexia the Bacon Soda, you should of seen the expression on her face when she first saw it… Priceless!!!

Here is a picture of Alexia Penney having a drink.

Alexia Penney loves the Bacon Soda

Alexia told me that it tasted like a candied bacon, not greasy, and it went great with the BBQ that I brought from the Lancaster Smokehouse for dinner.

I did not try The Bacon Soda that night, I figured I would go back and get another bottle for myself but when I went back the next day they were sold out of Bacon Soda, but fear not they will have more in a couple of weeks, it is on order coming up from the States.

One other flavour from Lester’s Fixins that I just had to tell you about is the Buffalo Wing Soda

I just opened the bottle as I wrote this line and though it looks like an orange soda it does not taste like orange! Hard to explain the taste but for sure it has the after kick like Buffalo Wings would have.

One of the other flavours that surprised me was the Peanut Butter & Jelly Soda which I tried when I was in the store (they have a few select bottles open on the counter for customers to sample) and to me it did not taste like Peanut Butter & Jelly, it was one that I did not care for at all.

But now that I have found out about this place I will make a stop every now and then to try something a little different.

Soda Pop Central Social Media Links…

Check out the Soda Pop Central Website – It has a list of all of the flavours and you can order online.

Yesterday was a great day!

I visited  an old friend in Hospital in Guelph that recovering from a very serious illness that I had not seen in almost 20 years and after a huge scare it look like a recovery in well within reach. My best wishes go out to Mike.

After that I drove a little further west to Kitchener to meet up with another friend that it seemed like along time with out seeing, Annette Penney. I had a few treats to pass on to her that I had picked up during my Southern Expedition 2.0 to Florida. Annette asked if I would like to pick up some BBQ along the way that we could share along with her daughter Alexia.

I had originally met Annette for the first time when we did a joint review of Hog Tails Bar B Que in Waterloo, which is north of Kitchener.

Hog Tails was fantastic but being that it was located in Waterloo it was a bit out of the way to go there, but earlier this year Hog Tails bought the old Lancaster Tavern which is only a few minutes from Annette’s house and they converted it into the Lancaster Smokehouse (address and map at the bottom of this post in the urbanspoon link)

I called ahead from my car as I was driving to Guelph and the gal from the Lancaster was very helpful in deciding what to order.

My order consisted of a dinner for 5  (I knew that the leftovers would be used in the next couple of days)

It was a generous helping of Smoked Chicken, Pulled Pork, and Smoked Wings along with sides of Corn bread, Greens, Hush Puppies.

I also ordered some of their Fried Chicken as well as an extra order of Corn bread, which is a favorite of Alexia’s.

When I got to the Lancaster my order was ready and I was in out in just a minute, Great service by the counter staff! being that it used to be a tavern and it is fully licensed I will for sure have to try eating in next time.

I arrived at Annette’s and we sat down and really enjoyed the great food and a glass of Annette’s favorite wine, but more than that the great time catching up with Annette made the evening so enjoyable. In fact we had such a great time I did not even think of taking any pictures of the food, so you will have to take our words for it that the take-out BBQ was amazing.

In fact I only took one picture while at Annette’s and that pic will be used in a future post I will write that is about Bacon Soda yup you read that correctly! Stay tuned for that!!

Alexia’s favourite meet is the Pulled Pork, which is my weakness as well but the chicken was oh so good, The Wings were smoky with a heck of a kick of spice that was so tasty. the Cornbread was moist and perfectly baked. Hush Puppies were  just as good as anything I had down South.

I feel like I am not giving this review a very detailed review as I normally would but in my defense I honestly was not thinking of the review possibilities as I was just enjoying the time catching up with a friend.

I am sure that next time I am out that way I will do something like this again and perhaps I will take my camera out of my pocket rather than letting it stay in the dark.

95 % of my reviews are somehow BBQ related but this one is not.

Other than that with out the help of the author of this book I would not be any wheres the writer that I am today.

Cindy Springsteen and I became friends on Twitter & Facebook around the time that I first started to get serious about writing my blog and it was with her encouragement and support that I stuck with it and for that I will be forever grateful.

Living in Lynbrook, New York with her husband and two children she has had a far reaching career as a writer doing poetry and writing for websites but this is her first published children’s book.

Waffles and Pancakes has been a dream of hers to get completed and it has been a long hard fought journey to get this completed. Anyone that thinks that getting a book published is easy has no idea what roadblocks and hurdles there are.

As soon as Cindy let me know that Waffles and Pancakes has been published I was super excited for her and  I bought one of the first copies available. (Yes I said bought!, I could of got this as a free sample but I wanted to support Cindy so I paid the full $8.99)

I have 2 grand children that are in their early school years and I was hoping that this would be something that I could read to them or perhaps have them use as a tool in learning how to read.

As you can see my blogs mascot Coolio was thrilled to get a picture posing with the book, Coolio is always trying to get in front of the camera, where as I like to be behind it.

At first when the book was delivered to me by my mail carrier and I pulled it out of the bubble mailer I though wow it is a thin book.

But it’s 24 pages are perfect for the attention span of a young school child.

The book has very fresh looking illustrations that help to tell the tail of 2 hamsters that were found in a pet store and brought home by boys Griffin & Danny.

The book is a great story of the value of friendship which will not only entertain the young people reading the book but also give them a life lesson that will make them better people.

I have not yet had the chance to read the book to my grand kids but will the next time I see them, in the meantime I read the book to Coolio and he did not move the entire time, he is a great listener

Seriously…, in reading the book myself I am sure that it will be a hit with the kids.

A neat offer is that in the back of the book there are easy instructions on how you can also download an audio version free of charge through eLive at Tate Publishing the publishers of Waffles and Pancakes.

As I mentioned in the title to this post there is a giveaway involved and here is how it will work.

Waffles and Pancakes Giveaway….

Cindy just a few days ago opened a new Facebook page for herself as an author so in order to get yourself into a draw for a free copy of the book and also a matching bookmark, I would like you to “like” her Facebook page and make a post saying “OshawaOgre sent me, please enter me in your draw” Cindy will award at least one book to one of any new fans that post on her page in the next 2 weeks. and perhaps if there is enough response after that that there may be another future draw too.

I always welcome comments here on my blog but please note the draw for the book will be done from Cindy’s Facebook page not here.

Good luck when you enter.

Pre-Release!!!

The cool thing is that right now you can get the book directly through Cindy as the book has not yet been made available for online purchase yet though it will be available at Amazon.com in April.

I hope that some of my friends will help support writers such as Cindy by perhaps buying one of these books or at least spreading the word of this review.

Another way of showing your support is by visiting some of these social media links

Author Cindy Springsteen’s Facebook Page (this is where you enter the draw)

Follow Cindy Springsteen on Twitter @C_Springsteen

Check out Cindy Springsteen’s Website

Cindy Springsteen’s personal Facebook page

Publishers page for Waffles and Pancakes

I was contacted by John Patty of JP Custom Smoke Competition BBQ out of Wichita Kansas while I was still Canada just before leaving for Florida in late January 2012, he had contacted me looking for a supply of Genuine Canadian Maple Syrup and Maple Leaf Charcoal, I found him a few links for leads which I will still need to follow up on.

While talking to John on the phone we started talking about his team and he told me he had a great BBQ rub that he would love for me to try. I suggested since I was heading South that he mail me some samples to my parents in Florida and I would review it, and since I would be meeting some other bloggers that to include some extra samples that I could pass on as well.

I arrived at my parents in North Fort Myers, Florida where I would be staying a week and low and behold a package from John was waiting for me.

He sent me a generous supply of his JP’s Custom Blend seasoning rub for myself and also some of my blogger friends too which I handed out as I met them during my travels.

Not only did I get a huge 13 oz. shaker of the rub but also some sample bags that had just under an oz. of rub.

I cracked open a sample bag of the JP’s Custom Blend seasoning rub too give it a quick taste and just from that I could tell that it was a great combination of ingredients for BBQ.

My problem though was that I did not have a smoker to do a good Low & Slow on, all my parents had was a smaller propane BBQ that is great for Burgers and Steaks.

My Mom & Dad wanted to have some grilled food during the week so I offered to do the grilling.

The first day I fired up the grill was Burger day with some frozen burgers from the supermarket and I though with what my parents carry in their pantry the burgers would be average at best so I decided to spice them up a bit with some of the JP Custom Smoke Custom Blend seasoning rub and man oh man were those burgers ever tasty!

As you can see Coolio was hungry and wanted to help me with the grilling, in fact he wanted to do all the work!

I got to tell ya, for store bought burgers, JP’s Custom Blend seasoning rub really brought them to whole new level!

The next day we were not having BBQ, in fact my Mom did up some fish sticks and nuked some corn on the cob in the microwave and one thing I have done at home was add some spices to  the ears of corn for some extra flavour. so once again since Mom’s kitchen did not have a lot of seasoning choices I grabbed the JP’s Custom Blend seasoning rub and once again it was a real winner, I loved the flavour that the rub gave the corn.

Reading the label on the JP’s Custom Blend I found that….. wait, how about I just show you?

A couple of days later it was steaks that were going on the grill and again I used JP’s Custom Blend seasoning rub on them just with some oil and I was complimented on how great these steaks were.Normally I am not a good cook when it comes to grilling steaks my timing is always off, taking them off either too soon or waiting too long.

But not this time as Coolio was there to keep an eye on them and let me know when it was time to flip and remove these fine pieces of beef.

For those of you needing to know if JP’s Custom Blend seasoning rub is good on the more standard Low & Slow items like Ribs, Pork Shoulders or Briskets it will just have to wait til I am doing some of that in my smoker. But if these grilled meats are any indication at all then I am in for a treat!

I will for sure be posting more reviews of this rub once BBQ season heats up later on.

Click on this card to be transported directly to JP's Custom Smoke Website

Besides the JP Custom Smoke Website the also have a JP Custom Smoke Facebook page that you can like.

I have been all over the East Coast in the US and met lots of good folk in the BBQ community.

And now I have become friends with a guy just one town to the west of me in Whitby, Ontario and his name is Jim Van Allen

Jim found me on Facebook and he mentioned that he was going up North to Sudbury and was going to check out a BBQ Joint while he was there.

That got me thinking… I do not get up that way very often, so I asked Jim if he would take his camera and do a review for me and this blog.

After taking a long time to decide….. yeah about a second!, he said sure.

Here is his review in his words. (but first he will tell you a little bit about himself)

 

Hello my name is Jim Van Allen, AKA Mr. Bonejangles.  Since a lot of you may not know who I am I took a minute to write up a quick breakdown of who I am and what I do.  I have been a fan of Southern BBQ for as long as I can remember, and a foodie ever since birth it feels like.   I am involved with a Southern BBQ Catering Company and have done some minor BBQ competing as well as other food competitions.  When I was laid off due to a company bankruptcy from my full time job I seized the moment and returned to school and finished up graduating with my Culinary Management with honours.

In love with BBQ and visiting various roadside pits throughout Canada and the United States helped me to start making friends in the industry.  While these friends are located all over, some of them live surrounding Lynchburg, Tennessee which has made me fortunate enough to visit the Jack Daniel’s World Championship BBQ as a spectator and to show support for some competing Canadian friends a handful of times to date.

I am always trying to become more involved in the food, drink and BBQ scene everywhere I go please feel free to follow me via some of my social media links listed below and I will do my best to keep you updated on things that I find interesting along my travels.

Thanks for taking the time to drop in and read a bit about me, I hope we can talk soon.

Mr. Bonejangles

Facebook -       http://www.facebook.com/MrBonejangles

Twitter -            https://twitter.com/MrBoneJ

Four Square - https://foursquare.com/user/22970947

Email -               mrbonej@gmail.com

Smokin Jeff’s BBQ House

A BBQ Joint Review by Jim Van Allen (Guest writer)

When you think Northern Ontario the last thing on your mind would be Southern Barbeque, but if you head that way today, you may change your mind.  Along the way Highway 400 North turns into Highway 69, then 46 and finally Regional Road 80 AKA Old Highway 69 and there you will find Smokin Jeff’s BBQ House.

View Larger Map

Located in Hamner, Ontario just nearby Sudbury, Ontario, Smokin’ Jeff’s has put Southern BBQ on the map in Northern Ontario.  There is something unique about a bilingual waitress speaking French to customers ordering Southern BBQ when the outside temperature dips into double digits below zero. Opening in August 2010 owner and Chef Jeff Lavalle uses local meat and vegetables in his restaurant and smokes his meat on site.

Before opening their doors Jeff toured down to the Southern United States sampling Southern BBQ.  Upon his return to Canada he convinced top smoker Earl Whyte of Bustin’ Loose BBQ team to teach him the industry of Southern BBQ.

I had the privilege of visiting Smokin’ Jeff’s recently.  It is a smaller restaurant just off the highway with enough parking to accommodate its size.  Outside is a steel freight locker which I assume housed their smoker, but I was unsure as the smell of smoke was not present outside or in the restaurant.  Unfortunately the owner Jeff was away on business while I was in town so I could not sit down and talk with him.  But I was able to speak with some of the staff.

While in town over two visits I sampled some ribs, fries and a brisket sandwich meal platter.  The ribs had a nice smoke ring visible and were moist.  The sauce on the ribs was nice and not too overpowering.  Right away I noticed though that there was no rub at all used on the meat.  Upon sampling the brisket I found the same thing, no rub. I asked one of the employees if they rubbed their meat prior to smoking and I was told that they just smoke and sauce.  Maybe not to every BBQ fan but to me this was disappointing as I prefer dry rubs to sauce.  But not given a choice wasn’t the end of the world.  A rub would have added additional flavour profiles to the meat.

The Brisket sandwich was a fair size and covered in sauce which made it a little difficult to eat.  While it tasted like beef and was moist with the lack of rub all I could taste on most bites was the sauce.  There was an absence of any smoky taste to be found in the sandwich. Once again not a bad product but the addition of some rub would have made the taste go from ok to great.  The fries were hot and tasty, not to greasy or salty.  The coleslaw was brought in, as I saw because I always like to sit where I can see the kitchen.  While the restaurant was not overly busy they could have had the time to prepare this in house and ended up with a better product.

Overall my experience was a positive one, the restaurant was clean and tidy and the staff was very friendly and answered any questions that I had about the restaurant and their products.  I would return next time I am up North but may try their pulled pork and mention my thoughts on adding a rub to their meats.

You can find Smokin Jeff’s at 6160 Hwy. 69 North in Hanmer  1 705.969.0923

Jim Van Allen

Sourced from my visits to Jeff’s

Jeff’s official media release http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=125622610825664

Northern Life article on smoking Jeff’s

http://www.northernlife.ca/news/lifestyle/2011/08/18-smokin-jeffs-bbq-sudbury.aspx

Thanks very much Jim for sending along your review, I appreciate your time in supplying this to be added into this site and I look forward to working with you more in the future.

Fred

I met the fine couple of Terri and Jon of Pirate Jonny’s at the Lakeland, Florida PigFest in January spending a couple of hours with them walking around the show.

Nicer people than most, I was glad to spend time with them, and here today they announce how well they did at the NBBQ’s 2012 Awards of Excellence!

Way to go you two, and to everyone else please check out their seasonings they are freaky good!

Check out the Pirate Jonny’s Website

and like their Facebook Page

Ahoy mates! We wanted to share to with you our newest and exciting news:   Pirate Jonny – your favorite Pirate and Spicemaker was leading the pack along with the famous Shed BBQ & Blues Joint as the winner of TWO gold medals each in the NBBQ’s 2012 Awards of Excellence!   See below for more details.       2012 Awards of Excellence Winners Announced Winning Entries Represent the Best in Barbecue The National Barbecue Association has announced the winners of the 2012 NBBQA Awards of Excellence. The annual competition recognizes the very best barbecue products in a number of industry categories. The winning entries were announced on February 23 during the Awards of Excellence ceremony at the 2012 NBBQA National Conference in San Diego, California.   This was a record year for the Awards of Excellence as winners were selected from over 350 submissions from across the country. Judging was conducted under the independent direction of the Rend Lake Culinary Arts School in Ina, Illinois. Pirate Jonny’s and The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint led the pack with two gold medals each. However, The Shed also placed in ten other categories, making them this year’s clear overall winner. Scott’s Pig Roast finished second, placing in nine categories, followed by DennyMike’s Sauces & Rubs with eight awards. Congratulations to the following gold medal winners and all entrants who placed in this year’s competition:   FIRST PLACE WINNERS   BBQ SAUCES TOMATO MILD: Porky’s Place BBQ (Mild Smokey Sauce) TOMATO SPICY: 3 Taxi Guys (Sweet and Sassy Sauce) VINEGAR MILD: Uncle Joe’s (Tangy BBQ Sauce) VINEGAR SPICY: Woody Bar-B-Q Sauce Co. (Hickory Hot Bar-B-Q Sauce) MUSTARD MILD: Company 7 BBQ (Captain Carolina) MUSTARD SPICY: The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint (Spice It Up Mustard Sauce) FRUIT MILD: 3 Guys Smokin’ (Smokin’ Razz) FRUIT SPICY: Tennessee River Barbeque (Apple Jack Barbecue Sauce) WHITE SAUCE: The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint (Rene’s Mediterranean Sauce) BBQ MARINADES ASIAN: Famous Dave’s of America (Teriyaki Marinade) CARIBBEAN: Scott’s Pig Roast (Scott’s Famous BBQ – Original) FRUIT: Lynch BBQ Company (Lynch’s Boar Berry Blaster) MUSTARD: Rocky Mountain Products (Caroline Mustard) OIL & VINEGAR: 3 Taxi Guys (Tijuana Taxi Sauce)   BBQ RUBS ALL PURPOSE: Woody Bar-B-Q Sauce Co. (Woody’s Dry Rub) SOUTHWEST: Scott’s Pig Roast (Blackened Magic Dry Rub) CAJUN: Smoky Jon’s #1 BBQ (Cajun Seasoning)   1st place:CARIBBEAN/MEDITERRANEAN: Pirate Jonny’s (Jamaican Jerk)   ANTYTHING GOES HOT SAUCE: Smackers BBQ (“Smack Me Hard” Hot Sauce)    BBQ SPECIALTY ITEMS BEST LABEL: Pirate Jonny’s (Scorched Pirate Chef’s Flask)   BEST GIFT PACK: DennyMike’s Sauces & Rubs (Cue Lover’s 9-Pack) BEST TOOL/ACCESSORY: GrillGrate (Amazingribs.com Temperature Guide) BEST BBQ APPAREL: Twyford BBQ & Catering (Twyford BBQ T-Shirt) NBBQA National Conference Under Way The eyes of the BBQ world are currently focused on beautiful San Diego as The National Barbecue Association is in the midst of its 21st Annual Conference and Tradeshow. “BBQ Coast to Coast” was this year’s theme – one that definitely rang true as we descended on California for the first time in conference history. Attendees from all over the country are currently on hand for food, fun, friendship, and first-rate educational sessions. Be sure to check next month’s BiB for photos from this great event. A huge thank you goes out to our Title sponsor, Sam’s Club and all our other supporters, including Smithfield Packing Co., our Diamond sponsor.                             .

Pirate Jonny’s LCC 2020 W. Kennedy Blvd.#100 Tampa, FL 33606 Tel. 813-258-4504

February 20th 2012 will long be remembered  as one of the most fun days I have had since I started this wonderful hobby of writing a BBQ/Food Blog.

Dangerous Dan's Diner is located at 714 Queen Street East (near Broadview) in Toronto

Back in late 2011 I was contacted by Ms.D-Madame of The BroadHouse asking if I would like to join them as a special guest at one of their video shoots.

Ms.D and I had become friends on Facebook and Twitter taking turns promoting one another in our social media platforms.

I have been following The Burger Broads for a few months now, watching as they visit Burger Joints in the GTA. I have to hand it to them they have a great premise to their videos. They are not out to be Burger critics, instead they just like to visit great burger joints that are not chains and promote the establishment in a fun and dare I say sassy way.

I am sure that each and every one of the people they meet tend to get just a little red in the face.

Our first visit to Dangerous Dan's and we did not get in but still had fun. Click the picture to go to that story.

You may remember that we were supposed to do the Dangerous Dan’s Video shoot on December 27th 2011 but with a little mix-up in communication it did not happen. But hey it all worked out as last Monday it all came together as 4 Burger Broads and myself spent 2 hours with owner James and his wife Amy that opened the doors on their day off to cook us some huge juicy heart stopping burgers.

At the end of this post you can watch the YouTube Video that was made while I was there.

We arrived at 2pm, and sat in really cool booths that had car and van seats for chairs while 2 of the Burger Broads went behind the counter to watch James put together our meals. My mascot Coolio made sure to supervise the whole thing.

Sharon, James and Candie behind the counter with Coolio on it.

Sharon is very outgoing and so bubbly it was just a matter of time that the Kissing Broad would have another victim.

Cover your eyes Coolio, Sharon found her mark! James does not seem to mind

We have the evidence!

James was a good sport dealing with all of our shenanigans but even a better sport would have to be James’s wife Amy who sat by watching it all happen.

Amy keeping an eye on James

 Back to these Burgers!!…..

Just have a look at the Dangerous Dan’s Menu!!! Just reading it gets your heart pumping, It is eating them that may stop it!

You can click on the menu scans below to see them full size.

James keeps a picture of his Granddad Dan the founder on the menu

Check it out, these prices are great!

There was no time for me to take notes during our visit, I was having too much fun! but I think James said they have been open for something like 14 years and a few of us made the mistake of calling him Dan but the namesake is actually his Grandfather Dan.

Here James is preparing a Bull Ball... Three 8oz patties formed into one huge juicy ball

Sharon and Candie seems to enjoy watching James hold his meat

Coolio says "Ok Cow.... This counter is not big enough for both of us, Move it before I tip ya!"

Burger Broad Susan (Left) & Burger Broad JoJo (Right)

In the above picture you can see some of the automobile seats that are the seating in the booths, and why the seats? when the restaurant was being decorated they were short on funds and that is what they could afford at the time and after that the customers liked them so much that they stuck.

Burger Broads JoJo and Susan are getting hungry

Lots of cows are in sight in the restaurant and no wonder since it is all about the beef!

Coolio got as close as he could to the flame kissed burgers

Sharon & Coolio like the joint's motto

Time to take a seat with the other Burger Broads and dig in to these monster burgers!

Burger Broads Susan, Candie & JoJo on the one side of the booth

Burger Broad Sharon & myself on the other, With Coolio getting a tan!

Burger Broad Susan was served first, her burger is called the Big Easy!

Susan likes her burger spicy and that is what the Big Easy is!, an 8oz Burger with Spicy Marinated Peppers, Cajun Spice, Hot Peppers and Hot Sauce. A hot deal for $6.99

The Big Kevorkian put in front of Burger Broad JoJo

JoJo tried the Big Kevorkian Burger which consists of Fried Onion, an Onion Ring, Fried Mushrooms, 2 Slices of Fried Bacon, Deep Fried Pickle with Garlic Dressing & Mayo, Did you notice how many times I said fried?

While waiting for all of the camera and video to finish, Candie & JoJo are slightly overwhelmed by these burgers!

Burger Broad Sharon can not wait to bite into the Big Pig

The lighting in the joint made for some very artistic shots and Burger Broad Sharon sure did become the focal point in many of the shots!

Her burger is known as the Big Pig which has 4 slices of Bacon in addition to 2 slices of Peameal topped with Cheddar Cheese, Mayo, Lettuce and Tomato.

Is Sharon kissing her Burger or Coolio's butt?

Yup it was the burger! How close is this to a Burgasm???

Sharon needed to hold my Coronary Burger while I took the shot! with Burger Broads Susan Candie & JoJo looking on.

I was fed a monster! this is known as the Coronary Special!, 2 – 8oz. patties, 2 slices of Cheddar, 4… yes 4 slices of Bacon and topped off with a fried egg!that has 1 full pound of meat in it!.

A close up of the Coronary.... someone may need to call 9-1-1

Is that Sharon's new hat? no it is Candie's Bull's Ball Burger being served!

Stick a knife in it just to keep it from falling over! but look what Candie has!!!

That my friends is called the Bulls Ball, that is bigger than those things you see hanging from the back of Pick-ups!!

James made this using 3 – 8oz. patties formed into one round ball of meat that weighs in at an impressive 24 oz.!

This can not end well!

This was too much burger for Candie to tackle on her own so Sharon thought it would be fun to share!

Should we??

Sharon's pearly whites are ready!

Yes it was right then that Sharon bit Candie's finger and that was indeed her reaction.

Yup.... Sharon drew blood!!!

We did not know if we should laugh or not (but we did!!) But I guess that Sharon bit the hand the fed her!

Not to worry Candie was a trooper and played through the pain.

Back to see if we could polish off these burgers with out any further injuries!!!

Sorry Sharon but you have eat by yourself now, We hear you like Finger Foods!

Dang these burgers are tasty!

Sharon says "All Gone"

I should also mention that James also gave us some of his famous Steak sized fries and gravy along with a plate of onion rings that were fantastic, if you bite into a ring  (no Sharon not one on a finger!) and you bite through the onion rather than pulling it out of the the crust you know they are cooked right, and these were perfect! Not greasy either.

JoJo, Candie, James, Sharon and Susan a great shot from a great day!

The Broads presented James with a signed shirt

James, she got you again... what is good for one cheek is good for the other!

Susan and the rest of us enjoyed a brew with the great burgers

Sharon and James having a chat as things wind down

JoJo and Candie also chillin' with James

Links…

As I mentioned the reason we were all here was not to do a blog post for me  (that was a cool bonus) but to shoot a Burger Broads Video and Ms. D has given me the link to the video which you can watch here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK0tGUAvVH4

And here is a direct link to some photos taken by the Burger Broads during the day that has a few that even include me the Honorary Burger Broad.

Would you like to here from Ms.D herself talking about what the Burger Broads are all about, tune into this Blog Talk Radio broadcast where she is a guest on

Burgers and the women who love them by Coaching For Life Today in Life

Here are the Social Media Links for The Burger Broads,

Please make sure to support them by following them, Liking them and sharing with your friends.

The Burger Broads Twitter @BurgerBroads

The Burger Broads Facebook page

Link to the Dangerous Dan’s YouTube Burger Broads Video

The Burger Broads Vimeo video page

The Burger Broads Website

The Burger Broads Merchandise site – some really cool stuff here!

Other Social Media Links…..

Dangerous Dan’s Website

Coolio’s Facebook Page

Oshawa Ogre’s Views, News & BBQ’s Facebook Page

@OshawaOgre on Twitter

Wilfred Reinke’s Facebook Page

It was a phenomenal experience for me to be a part of this and enjoyed the day with the Burger Broads!

It is great to have friends in the blog business, One of my favorite bloggers is Wayne Brown aka @brownkw in Charlotte, North Carolina

I have had the pleasure of meeting him on a number of occasions and today when I saw his latest blog post I just had to let you know about it.

Wayne has the complete list of winners from the 2012 National BBQ Association Awards of Excellence Winners and even has the links to all of their sites, what a great reference tool this is!

I know a number of the winners and a bunch I do not  but this is one way to find out about them.

Congrats to all of the winners and I noticed that a local guy here in Canada, Hank Daddy’s BBQ even had a couple of placements, Way to go Frank!

Just click on the below Screen shot to be taken directly to Wayne’s Blog and his list.

Click this pic to be transported to Big Wayner's post

There are many reasons one has to attend a BBQ Competition.

1. Your a Low & Slow Meat Lover
2. Your turned on by the smell of smoke and can’t wait to have it permanganate all of your clothing.
3. Your having a craving for Deep Fried Butter and any festival must have a booth for that right?
4. You love watching people compete and you checked the schedule and Mud Wrestling Season is still a month and a half away.
5. Free Samples!!!!

But for me the best reason I had to make trip was so that I could spend time with people that have become great online friends and having the opportunity to spend a couple of days in a park with them that is warm (except maybe in the shade of that one tree right Doug?)

Now don’t get me wrong, of course there are other reasons that I attend the event, as a BBQ Blog Writer I have an interest in all things BBQ, the food… the music… checking out the cool smokers etc. But what I like best is the people.

If your a regular reader of my blog you know that whether I am covering an event,  reviewing a sauce, rub, book or a restaurant then you know that I send a lot of time profiling the people more so than the products, I am a people person.

And I am so thankful that beyond all of the parts of a BBQ competition that I do enjoy, What I treasure more than any of it is getting to know the people and building friendships that have me longing to see them again.

At the Lakeland Pig Fest I met some people for the first time such as Myron Mixon, Tuffy Stone along with his Dad and Dr. BBQ Ray Lampe just to mention the guys that are well known accross the country. I was floored how down to earth they were and if I could think of one word to describe these stars of the sport it would be genuine.

Terri Toner, Wilfred Reinke, Myron Mixon & Jon Toner

Tuffy's Dad and I also had some great chats, It was really nice to see how Tuffy and him work together

An honour to spend a few minutes with Dr. BBQ Ray Lampe

It boggles my mind to that these well known BBQ personalities have even heard of me and or know of my work, which to this point is still only a hobby.

I also met some others for the first time like Tim Wysocki of the Hogs Gone Wild BBQ team and Tim was friendly and helped to make me feel at ease. I had talked to Tim previously on a very few occasions as a friend on Facebook but it is nice to get to know someone in person.

Tim and Doug from Hogs Gone Wild BBQ

Kevin Sandridge is another that I met for the first time at Pig Fest, but the difference here was that we had talked extensively on social media in the past so I knew him well even before meeting.

Was pleased to meet friend Kevin Sandridge in person for the first time

Last year I did a review on Pirate Jonny’s Seasoning  and I had the pleasure to meet both Jon and Terri his wife at Pig Fest, we walked around the park and more than once I held Terri’s pickle (inside joke haha) and I introduced them to a few people at the show including Doug and Biggi Francis.

Terri & Jon Toner of Pirate Jonny's

Then there were friends that I had made last year in Lakeland that I got to spend time with again.

The Francis family Doug, Biggi, TJ and Melissa are a fantastic group that I have so much respect for and care deeply for and now that Tim has joined I can see that they have blended together as a team that will do very well in the future.

Doug, Biggi and TJ Francis of Hogs Gone Wild BBQ During the Cooks Meeting before the event

Everyone gets to know each other, I had introduced the Toner's to the Francis's and they had a great chat Friday night

Chad Ward from Whiskey Bent BBQ is also a man that I consider to be a great guy and I am proud to call him a friend. He has done so much for the BBQ community on the whole but above all he is great to just spend time with.

Chad Ward of Whiskey Bent BBQ is no stranger to the stage at Lakelan, 3 walks in 2011 and 2 more this year

I was proud of my friends from Hogs Gone Wild BBQ for taking home (10 minutes away) a 3rd place in Chicken!

Doug & Biggi Francis chatting with Tuffy Stone, best part of these shows is the chats between teams

I know a lot of kids will be jealous of my spending time with Legoman, you never know who you will meet up with at a BBQ comp.

Myron Mixon and I met up again on Saturday

If you came here looking for the results from Lakeland, well I do not have that list but you can go to Doug Francis’s blog “Lets Talk Hog” and he has the results.

I also have a ton of pictures on my Facebook Page that are of all the winners that went up to the stage.

Friday’s Pics from Pig Fest via my Facebook album

Saturday Pics from Pig Fest via my Facebook Album

I had a blast at the 2012 Lakeland Pig Fest and I am already making plans to go back again in 2013

Other Social Media Links…

Lakeland Pig Fest Website

Hogs Gone Wild BBQ

Barbecue Smoker Site

Pirate Jonny’s

Whiskey Bent BBQ

Myron Mixon – Jacks Old South

Tuffy Stone – Cool Smoke

Ray Lampe – Dr. BBQ

I was made aware of a very cool Giveaway being done by Celebrity Grill

It is being run as two separate contests one on Facebook with  prizes that are worth $323.00

and another on Twitter with a value of $225.00

Please click on the Screenshot below and it will take you directly to the contest page where you can click on either the Twitter Contest or the Facebook Contest

Good luck and I would appreciate it if you tell them that the Oshawa Ogre sent ya!

Click on this screenshot to visit the contest site

I was travelling on my way from my parents in North Fort Myers to the Pig Fest in Lakeland, Florida driving North on US 17 when I drove through Aradia and between the North and South bound lanes was parked a trailer that said BBQ.

Now I was in a bit of a hurry as I wanted to get to Pig Fest by noon but  I just had to check it out real quick.

At first I just wanted to take a couple of pics and be on my way but owner Kelvin M. Woods came out to see what what happening.

I explained what I was doing and who I was and we had a great chat for 10 minutes while he was tending to his smoker where he had it loaded with Chicken. Dang it looked great (but since I was planning on eating at Pig Fest I resisted the urge to by some, in hindsite I should of at least tried some)

Kelvin M. Woods... Owner of Katie Mae's BBQ in Arcadia, Florida

Kelvin has been doing BBQ for over 20 years and used to compete years ago but now concentrates on his catering and stand.

I bid farewell and afterwards reflected on it wishing that we had some Roadside BBQ back in Ontario.

A few days later I was on the Interstate beggining my return trip home, and passed by another traveling BBQ Rig, pretty cool to see things like this.

Later that day I was nearing Jacksonville, FL and low and behold look what they had for sale at a Ford dealership…

A great vehical, but like some othe Fords I used to own this one tends to Smoke a lot!

Good think my VW did not have a trailer hitch because Coolio was really bugging me to make an offer

During my first Southern Expedition in Jan/Feb 2011 I stopped by Southern Soul Barbeque at the advice of Kevin from Kevin’s BBQ Joints website.

That was some recomondation let me tell you what! I loved that BBQ Joint as you can tell if you read my review from last year of Southern Soul Barbeque.

Owners Harrison and Griffin were great hosts and showed me around and treated me to a nice meal which was a sampler plate.

Well here it is a year later and once again I am on my way to Florida and originally I had planned to maybe drop by again on my way home but was not sure how busy my travel schedule would be.

I arrived and walked in with Coolio and my camera (yeah I get some pretty wild stares when I do that lol) And was greeted by a lovely lady at the counter to whom I asked… “Where are the owners?” and she replied that she was one! Oh so I asked specificly for Griffin or Harrison and was told that they had gone out and may be back later and introduced herself as Kitty Sapp, Harrison’s wife.

Kitty Sapp, Harrison's wife, a pleasure to talk to

I told her who I was and she had recongnized me from last year and was sorry that the boys were not in, but in hindsight that was ok, It was still disapointing not to see the guys but Kitty was a splended host and took great care of me and Coolio.

She asked if I would like something to eat and I ordered the Burnt Ends which was her recomondation as her favourite meal. So that and 2 sides (Mac & Cheese and Brunswick Stew) and I had myself a meal!

And what a meal it was, the Burnt End’s were amazing, so tender but with a tremendous bark.

I had the Brunswick Stew last year and it was just as amazing this time around!

Brunswick Stew can be a meal in itself....

The different textures and flavours all in one bowl are heaven and could be a meal in itself! The Mac & Cheese was very good as well.

I appreciate when a BBQ Joint puts out a choice of Sauces at every table so that I can try various ones and also be able to choose the amount of sauce I want to use.

Southern Soul has 4 fantastic Sauces that they make themselves.

I mentioned earlier I had to get some sauce to bring home so I picked up 4 bottles.

I did not frame this pic well but I did happen to catch all 3 of the Counter Gals in the background a bonus that I did not notice.

A better framed shot of the sauce, and Coolio wants to taste it!

I had a great time after my lunch looking around at all of the pictures and displays in the restaurant and talking some more with Kitty. I have to tell ya I started to tear up when I noticed one of the pigs on a shelf I asked if the pig was the one that was scorched in the video that I linked on last years post and Kitty said yes it was that someone had cleaned him up the best they could.

Coolio told me it was an honour to stand next to that famous pig

To understand what I mean you have to watch the video which I will post again below because it is so powerful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S9PZsREkL0

You have to pay specific attention to the part  starting at 2 minutes 40 seconds, I really felt a little overcome when I had Coolio stand next to that pig and snapped the picture, that touched me, maybe I am too sentimental. Mind you I have been known to shed a tear watching Extreme Home Makeover so it may not be that out of character for me.

Below are some more various pics that I took on this visit, and below that will be the Social Media links…

Social Media Links….

Southern Soul Barbeque Website

Southern Soul on Facebook

Follow @southernsoulbbq on Twitter

After having a fine BBQ lunch with Wayne Brown and Steven Gibbs at Queen City Q in Charlotte, North Carolina was finished I then continued South towards Florida with my next stop planned to be in Greenville, South Carolina,

Now it was only a two hour drive and you may be thinking why only drive a couple of hours if I am going to Florida? Well I wanted to meet another one of my on-line friends Jay Prince whom a lot of you will know on twitter as @Prince_of_Q the who is the BBQ Tools & Tech Reviewer for the website BBQ Sauce Reviews.

He lives about 20 minutes away from Greenville so I checked into the Days Inn and relaxed for an hour then left for Travelers Rest, SC to meet Jay at the Huntin’ Camp Bar B Q & Grill for Dinner.

The Huntin’ Camp is located at 2221 Hwy 25 North Travelers Rest, SC 29690

Sorry it is a nitetime pic and not very clear, but a great looking building, very rustic

I arrived at 6:30 and I thought It was a very cool looking building that reminds me of a log cabin, great looking place that gives you the feeling of being in a rustic place but yet very clean and fresh looking.

This restaurant is the first BBQ joint I have been too that offered an all you can eat BBQ Buffet, and I have to tell ya, I love the concept!

Ribs were not part of the buffet but the food that was available was filled with good choices so that no one could possibly leave hungry. Though Jay did mention that if your willing to pay a little extra you can get Ribs added to your meal.

My bill was under $13.00 for the Buffet and I really got my money’s worth, infact I consider it a real bargain!!!

Jay did not know it was a dinner for 3 lol

I normally take notes when  do a restaurant review but I was not alone and with my first time meeting Jay, I was more involved with teh conversation and the food was really just there, So this will not be an depth review of the restaurant.

The Self Serve BBQ Buffet

I will tell you that the Chicken was really tasty and was perfetly cooked and juicy with nice skin. I also enjoyed the Pulled Pork and the sauces they had were a good compliment. The Baked Beans were tasty, maybe kind of average, but good. The Potato Salad was enjoyable but being of German decent I prefer my Potato Salad warm rather than chilled.

Below is one of my favorite pics I have taken in a while. They had about 4 of these little pigs on top of the buffet and I think they are so cool! no to mention the look on the cook’s face is priceless!

My first plate of goodness

Desert was awesome and also included in the buffet, I went back for seconds on that. A Sweet Potato Soufflé  and a Peach Cobler kind of dish.

As you can see the decor of this Restaurant is pleasing and somfortable.

Myself and Jay just before leaving, thanks to a server for taking the picture

The two hours with Jay went by in a flash, but it was so good to get to meet someone in person that I had talked to so often in the BBQ Social Media community.

It is so interesting to be able to go on a trip like this and stop at so many places along the way and get to be able to not only meet people for the first time but at the same time that you already feel that you know well. Friendships get strengthened and results in an even closer knit sence of family develops.

Social Media Links…

Huntin’ Camp Website huntincampbbqandgrill.com

Huntin’ Camp e-mail huntincamp@huntincampbbqandgrill.com

BBQ Sauce Reviews Website (Jay’s Techie portion)

eMail for Jay princeofq@bbbsaucereviews.com

Jay Prince on Facebook

@Prince_of_Q on Twitter