Memphis. In May.
So yesterday we headed for Memphis with Mandie and Sam. After one false start and getting both our new driver's licenses, we headed out around 11AM. We found several geocaches along the way and had some BBQ in Alabama at The Golden Rule. It took a long time to make the trip with so many stops, but what are you gonna do? Eventually, we got to the hotel and then went into downtown Memphis looking for food. We decided on a place called Route 61 that had many interesting food stuffs. There was duck and waffles and other such odd combo dishes. It was tasty...
Today, we headed out to the Memphis in May World Championship of BBQ. Since we got there before 2PM, we got in for free. Cool! Unfortunately, you don't really get to sample all the contest foods. We wandered around for a while collecting free crap from all the vendors. We watched several groups prepare whole pigs for cooking. One team had a pig cut open and then they covered it in bacon and then sewed it back up. Wild... We went to the people's choice judging tent when it opened and waited in a long line to make our choice between 5 tiny BBQ samples. Most of them weren't that exciting though... Anyways, just as we got done with that, it was time for our rib caravan tour. We walked around with a guide who took us to see two rib teams so they could teach us about the ribbening. The first group, 'Cue and Brew, was fun. They showed us what they were cooking and gave everyone booze and pulled pork sandwiches. They also had strawberries soaked in vodka, which they then filled the core with kahlua and topped with whipped cream. Tasty! We should do it at our housewarming party. The other group was less interesting and was mostly a speech. After that, we wandered more and eventually decided to pass on the invites to dinner from the groups on our caravan and wandered off to see the giant pyramid. It was closed, so we only saw the outside. Then we walked back towards the car and had dinner at The Rendezvous. It had a great reputation, so you know what that means. It was quite a letdown. I think the ribs we got were burned or overcooked or something. The rub was tasty though. Then we went to the Bigfoot Lodge and had some ill-advised but delicious deserts.
Today, we headed out to the Memphis in May World Championship of BBQ. Since we got there before 2PM, we got in for free. Cool! Unfortunately, you don't really get to sample all the contest foods. We wandered around for a while collecting free crap from all the vendors. We watched several groups prepare whole pigs for cooking. One team had a pig cut open and then they covered it in bacon and then sewed it back up. Wild... We went to the people's choice judging tent when it opened and waited in a long line to make our choice between 5 tiny BBQ samples. Most of them weren't that exciting though... Anyways, just as we got done with that, it was time for our rib caravan tour. We walked around with a guide who took us to see two rib teams so they could teach us about the ribbening. The first group, 'Cue and Brew, was fun. They showed us what they were cooking and gave everyone booze and pulled pork sandwiches. They also had strawberries soaked in vodka, which they then filled the core with kahlua and topped with whipped cream. Tasty! We should do it at our housewarming party. The other group was less interesting and was mostly a speech. After that, we wandered more and eventually decided to pass on the invites to dinner from the groups on our caravan and wandered off to see the giant pyramid. It was closed, so we only saw the outside. Then we walked back towards the car and had dinner at The Rendezvous. It had a great reputation, so you know what that means. It was quite a letdown. I think the ribs we got were burned or overcooked or something. The rub was tasty though. Then we went to the Bigfoot Lodge and had some ill-advised but delicious deserts.