Nashville Food Blog

Looking ahead, who's planning on a big St. Patrick's Day? Maybe the Get Lucky East St. Pat's pub crawl?

Ready for the next Nashville Originals discounted gift certificate sale? It's March 24 -- start planning.

Even further ahead, who wants to visit Martin's Barbecue the first week of April to be part of the crowd when "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" comes calling? D,D and D contacted Bites on the super-huge snow day, first ticking off Carrington so much with their TV arrogance that she handed them off to me.

It was an interesting call -- while I was on the phone, the rock band that lives down the street made their first-ever daylight appearance in the neighborhood, wearing cowboy boots and jeans, and toting glasses of bourbon. Ice + cowboy boots + bourbon = bad example for the neighborhood kids but very amusing to watch.

Anyway, I handed off the phone to the rock band to chat with the production assistant. They made pathetic suggestions for the must-visit places for D,D and D's segment on Nashville. I added a few -- Phat Bites, Bobbie's, Pie Wagon, Bolton's, Sylvan Park, Mayo's and Mahalia Jackson's. So besides Martin's, we'll see who else ends up on the air. If you're one of them, let Bites know.

http://www.ulikafoodblog.com/

​The entertaining porkmeisters at the Ulika BBQ blog tipped me off to a real opportunity coming to the Middle Tennessee area later this spring. Ordinarily, we wouldn't burden your calendar with an event that's still months away, but this one looks like it will be an early sell out.

2009 KCBS (Kansas City BBQ Society) Team of the Year, Pellet Envy, is teaching a two-day class in Lebanon. The class will take place on April 30-May 1, and Rod Gray will go through all of his techniques and recipes used to win barbecue competitions across the country. This is the man who earned additonal honors as 2009 Brisket Cook of the Year, so the guy knows his stuff.

The class isn't cheap at $500 for the whole shooting match and $250 for the spousal option. (I'll admit I'm not exactly sure what the "spousal option" is, but if it will save me $250 I'll gladly wear a wedding ring and cling to Mr. Pink's arm.)

Eric England

​This week's dining review features the new Melrose outpost of B&C Barbecue. The B&C nameplate debuted three years ago in the Farmers' Market and also operates a catering division known as Bacon & Caviar. Don't even get me started on the well-priced succulent racks of ribs coming out of the smoker at the Franklin Pike eatery. ... But before I spring for the novelty T-shirt emblazoned with "Ribs ... for your pleasure," I'd opt for the sister shirt: "Show Us Your Grits."

Indeed, B&C stole our hearts on several recent wintry days with its array of comforting grits. Every day, there's a pan of cheese-and-garlic grits on the steam table, but there's also a rotating list of signature recipes for pizza grits, taco grits and Buffalo chicken grits, among others. You might say that by using grits as a blank canvas, B&C has elevated the breakfast grain to an art form.

What other gritty combos would you like to see on the line?

​Does anybody know the pope's cell phone number? Because I need to call him to ask for a special Lenten dispensation.

According to Pat Martin's Twitter feed, after a few minor remodeling snafus he is planning to reopen Martin's BBQ at their new location at 7238 Nolensville Road (just down the street from the previous spot) next week (Tuesday, March 2).

With a larger kitchen but a promise of the same attention and dedication to great pit-smoked pork, the new joint should make barbecue lovers rejoice! Head on down to Nolensville and tell him I sent you. And that I'll be in after Easter.

Martin's BBQ Joint
7238 Nolensville Rd.

The highly anticipated opening of Martin's BBQ at its new spot (near the old spot) in Nolensville is reasonably firmly set for Feb. 18. Proprietor and pitmaster Pat Martin tweets:

Need u for more help!!! What "throwback" colas/sodas do u want us to offer? ex. Frostie Blue Cream, Cheerwine, Sun-Drop..help us out here!

For old school soft drinks, RC gets my vote. Martin's Twitter feed has an earlier tweet that ponders whether to add pork cracklins to the menu -- you can tweet a vote about that, too.

Over at Nashville Restaurants blog, we get the sad news that Taste of Russia in CoolSprings has closed.  I was looking forward to more blintzes and smoked fish. While you're there, read up on Battle Ground Brewery and see if it doesn't give you a yen for a big, chewy homemade pretzel and a beer.

Ulika captures an editor's heart with Apostrophe Catastrophes and does the unthinkable: sacrifices himself to try Kraft barbecue sauce. Yeah, you can guess the result.

Meanwhile, evilchefmom also does the unthinkable and posts a mediocre recipe. We feelin' you, girl -- that's a lot of work to put into a so-so result.

Erin scores big at Big Lots with organic soba noodles and wasabi peas. I feel you, too, girl -- my last Big Lots haul included hearts of palm.

At A Man's Gotta Eat, Joltin' Django rediscovers Ron's BBQ & Fish in Antioch -- $7 buys enough meat and three for two meals -- and
discovers that Chinese seasoning for roast duck is even better on pork chops.

Lucky Lannae at Lannae's Food and Travel -- she went to City House for New Year's Eve, two years in a row. Did you see the Scene's Dana Kopp Franklin there? She reported a great meal there. Too bad there weren't name tags.

Barton Creek's business card

​A massive slab of beef brisket bought at West Nashville Farmers Market has finally made it to the table.

The brisket, from Barton Creek Farms in Rock Island, weighed in at nearly 7 pounds and was 3 feet long. To fit it into the vacuum package, proprietor Dan Roller had folded it in half. It took three days to thaw, about the same amount of time as a whole turkey. It took up half a refrigerator shelf. To fit it into the roasting pan, I had to cut it into halves and arrange them so they didn't overlap.

Did I mention it was large?

From the department of "Things That Sound Glamorous But Aren't" comes this story of my experience as a judge in the Backyard BBQ division of the Music City BBQ Festival. At first it sounds like a dream assignment, eating bbq for hours and getting to be all judgmental and stuff.

But as that immortal cinematic character Bob McKenzie described his predicament while standing waist-deep in a vat of pilsner in his magnum opus, Strange Brew, "My brother always said that drowning in beer would be like heaven. Well my brother isn't here and I've got two soakers. This isn't heaven. This sucks."

Don't get me wrong. I know lots of people who would give their eye teeth and Lipitor prescription to be a bbq judge. As a matter of fact, many of them give hundreds of dollars and a weekend to go through the official training to become a Kansas City BBQ Society and/or Memphis BBQ Network judge.

​In return for this investment of time, money and lifespan, these individuals receive the keys to determining a perfect brisket or shoulder, the opportunity to eat free bbq in both the training class and numerous competitions and lots of flair to put on their suspenders or hats.

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The First Annual Music City BBQ Festival took place last weekend at Riverfront Park to mostly glowing (charcoal briquette) reviews. For an inaugural event the volunteers organized a wonderful atmosphere for the competitors and put together an entertaining schedule of music for the masses. Some complaints bounced around the Interwebs about the lack of bbq available for purchase, but I found several good options spread up and down the Paseo de Puerco.

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A first-time event means a lot of first-time attendees as well. Festival organizers tried to plant expectations that competitive bbq events are not intended to be a buffet for visitors for several reasons. First and foremost are health concerns. Cooking teams prepare a limited amount of meat for the judges and for their own guests without intending to sell their products. The vendors who did have food available passed the regular Department of Health inspections that any mobile food purveyor must have.

These pork shoulders did not:

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That being said, visiting with the teams on Friday night and showing sincere interest in their methods and extraordinary cooking rigs led to several invitations to drop by after judging on Saturday for a sample if there was anything left. They make big time investments in their set-ups and appropriately feed themselves first. The vendors who support the Festival by paying to be there deserve to get paid for feeding the rest of us.

And frankly, any competitive bbq festival is primarily about the cooking teams, their friends and the parties they throw while they add smoke to pork all night. They are hilarious to watch as they go at it, especially if you know that you will be able to go home to a soft pillow as opposed to sleeping in a lawn chair in a parking lot.

In a nutshell, the absolute best way to have a great time at a barbecue festival is to compete. With 70+ teams this year, here's hoping even more people get involved next year. (Chris Ferrell isn't a vegan or anything, is he?) Just kidding, boss.

Check out the fun that was had and the amazing pork party wagons after the jump:

​No, not that kind of pigskin, Vol fans. You'll have to wait another week to see if the Kiffin Cuzins can erase the bad memories of Full Philmer's fall from grace last year. We're talking bbq pigskin. (again)

This weekend is the inaugural Music City BBQ Festival. Located in Riverfront Park, the festival runs from 5:00pm - 11:00pm on Friday, August 28th and 11:00am - 11:00pm on Saturday, August 29th. Single day tickets are available online for $10 or 15 clams gets you in for both days of smoke, pork, music, fun and games.

Friday night will be the time to walk amongst the teams and watch them prepare to put the hickory to their entries for Saturday's Kansas City BBQ Society sanctioned chicken, pork, ribs and brisket competitions as well as the Memphis BBQ Network whole hog, ribs and shoulder judging. Apparently in the world of contest bbqing, this sort of dual sanctioning is rare. $16,000 in prize money is at stake, so you know the competitive juices will be flowing. It's also the last chance for the teams to compete for a spot at the 21st Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg in October.

For the amateur smokers, there will also be backyard bbq divisions being contested on Friday night for poultry, beef, ribs, seafood and dessert. Insider knowledge recommends spending a little time meeting the teams with punny names like "Gettin' Piggy With IT," "Sweet Swine O'Mine" and "The Ash Holes" while they're working and having fun for your best shot at getting a little sample of their wares the next day after judging. Or if you want to buy your access, there are also tickets available for the "Smokin' Hot" tent, an all inclusive area that will be located by the music stage offering all the BBQ & beverages you want. These tickets are $50 for one day and $85 for both days.

The event benefits the Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt and Shriners Hospitals for Children, so you know it's for a good cause. The weather forecast looks like...well, it looks like late August in Nashville. Bring an umbrella just in case. If nothing else, you can use it to trap some of that smoky goodness.

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Jimmy Carl's brisket sandwich basket

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A former Nashville resident and dear friend of both mine and Jim Ridley's visited recently. We planned a day together seeing old stuff she remembered, and new stuff. 
An Arcade trip for Manny's pizza and art galleries promised memories of being 28 again. But grown-up stuff intervened so Jim was, uh, indisposed.
Collective lightbulb over our heads. "Manny's serves pizza. You live in Brooklyn, home to the world's great pizza joints. Let's eat barbecue."

So we set a course correction for Jimmy Carl's, where my friend, a semi-tarian had the thigh plate and I got the beef brisket sandwich. Not to pick a fight, but that brisket is the best thing on the menu, and I'm usually a pork person. The beef is lightly smoke-flavored and tender, and Jimmy Carl's buttery horseradish spread is the fillip that sends it rocketing up the charts.

We ogled Velocity and Terrazzo and marveled at the redevelopment of the Gulch, which she remembered as the scary place where reporters had to park. A good time was had by all, but was there somewhere else we should have gone to see, and taste, the new old Nashville?

Photo by the artist, Martin Cadieux

​East Nashville restaurateur Matt Charette is expanding his empire into the space that formerly housed Alleycat Lounge. If all goes according to plan, Charette will launch Drifters restaurant and bar by the weekend. Coming on the heels of Charette's Batter'd & Fried, Beyond the Edge and Watanabe Sushi and Asian Restaurant, Drifters will focus on barbecue and bar service.

"I've bought the most expensive piece of equipment I've ever bought," Charette says of the slow roaster, which will cook brisket, pulled pork, baby back ribs, pork sausage and chicken. Batter'd & Fried chef Andy Trexler will man the kitchen at Drifters, just around the corner from B&F at Five Points.

Trexler & Co. have created four signature barbecue sauces, including Texas-style sorghum-tomato-based sauce, Tennessee-style vinegar-based sauce, Georgia-style spicy hot mustard sauce and New Mexico-style pepper-based sauce, which "is not for the faint of heart," according to Trexler. For vegetarians, there will be fried tofu with barbecue sauce and a vegan burger made with rice, beans and potatoes.

With a fresh coat of paint and a new layout, Drifters could open as early as this weekend, in time for the Last Minute Toy Store poker run, which raises money for holiday gifts for families in need.

Located at 1008-B Woodland St., Drifters will open for dinner during the week and lunch and dinner on the weekends, until Labor Day, when Charette plans to expand to lunch all week.

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Country singer/songwriter Trent Willmon has decided to diversify his portfolio. Already collecting mailbox money from several Top 40 radio hits he has either recorded himself or written for other country stars such as Brad Paisley, Eric Church and Montgomery Gentry, Willmon has returned to his Texas roots to create and market his own brand of barbecue sauce.

No celebrity dilettante slapping his face on a label of generic product, Willmon is serious about this endeavor. An ex-cattle roper from West Texas, Trent definitely knows his way around a smoker. His custom pistol-chimneyed behemoth could be seen for years outside of Judge Bean's BBQ joint, where he had loaned it to Mr. Aubrey, his friend and fellow Texan brisket broiler.

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Last week, I asked Bites readers to suggest some place worth driving out of the way for on the trip from Nashville to Memphis. Particularly in search of a new whole hog bbq joint to replace our normal Hays Smokehouse stop. Helpful commenter Pogo suggested Siler's Old Fashioned BBQ in Jack's Creek, a suburb of the metropolis of Henderson, TN south of Jackson.

We made the 40 minute detour off I-40 with rumbling stomachs and hearts full of hope. Word that Pat Martin had studied his craft there and that meat had been smoked at that location for over a hundred years set our expectations high. Too high, unfortunately.

The owner and his wife were extremely personable and took us on a tour of the smokehouse while explaining the whole operation. Our path took us through the pantry where we confirmed our fears with the discovery of huge cans of Hunt's beans which I had regrettably ordered as one of my side items. The "red slaw" which we had been told not to miss was simply chopped cabbage with the house bbq sauce squirted on the plate. But good bbq can still make up for bad sides.

The pitmaster admitted that they no longer practiced whole hog smoking because the economy had converted all the hog farmers in the area to raising corn instead. Now Siler's smokes hams and shoulders along with pork ribs and chickens. Losing the ability to select the cuts from the original pig sadly led to really mediocre pork on our plates. A shortage of smoke in the meat did not help the situation.

We were there late on Friday afternoon, so I'm hoping we got the bottom of the barrel. Again, the owner and his whole family were great folks and we need to encourage more people to smoke more meat. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, well...you're probably lost. But if it does happen, let us know if you have a better experience at Siler's. Best of luck!

The good news is that you don't have to go nearly that far to get some great bbq later this month. On August 28th and 29th, Nashville's Riverfront Park will host the First Annual Music City BBQ Festival benefiting Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt and Shriners Hospitals for Children. The event is rare in that it has won dual sanctioning by both the Memphis Barbeque Network and Kansas City Barbeque Society which is akin to getting thumbs up from both Siskel and Ebert.

Over 70 cook teams will compete on what Governor Bredesen has declared "Music City BBQ Fest Day" and the winner will be crowned by executive decree "Tennessee State Barbeque Champion." Obviously Phil has embraced his lame duck status and isn't too worried about ticking off our Bluff City neighbors to the west anymore. The competition is being held on the last weekend teams can qualify for the 21st Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg in October, so that should bring out the best in the beasts.

Local bands will be showcased throughout the event, plus lots of kid-friendly events are also being planned. For more details, point your pig here to visit the Festival website.
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​In an effort to contribute to the stimulus package, specifically in Tunica County, Mississippi, this intrepid Bites correspondent is headed into the setting sun on Friday. The Gonzo to my Raoul Duke on this road trip is none other than Dr. Funkenswine, ex-pitmaster of the dearly departed Mothership BBQ.

Ordinarily, the drive to Tunica is highlighted by the bridge over the Tennessee River where we raise our hands over our head and lamely scream, "Wheee!" Yeah, it's a boring-ass drive. But there was always the hope of a detour to Hays Smokehouse in Lexington, TN for the best ribs and whole hog barbecue I have ever had in my life. Alas, Dennis Hays sold out to The Man, and the man he sold out to is apparently now making some pretty mediocre `cue.

There's always the original Gus's Fried Chicken or Bozo's Hot Pit BBQ in Mason, Tenn., but any visit to them would be for the fourth or fifth time. I'm a big fan of Interstate BBQ in Memphis, which is a block from where you exit I55 to take Highway 61 south to Tunica. With the opening of Interstate 69 (snicker), apparently the time savings makes the old scenic route not worth the effort anymore. I'll try to talk Dr. F. into Sunday brunch there on the way home.

I once asked a friend from Memphis if there was a way to get to Tunica without driving through a bad part of Memphis. He thought about it for a moment and said, "Well, I guess you could parachute in." We're not willing to go to that extreme, but we're also not really nervous about going anywhere for a good meal.

So what say ye, loyal readers? Where would you suggest two hungry pilgrims sup between here and the mighty Mississip or during a weekend stay in Tunica? If you say Paula Deen's buffet at Harrah's, your Bites user status will be canceled.

If you ever get the chance to serve on the Grand Jury for Davidson County, I highly recommend the experience. Besides the chance to learn more about your community, you may be lucky enough to have Mel Harders assigned as your court officer.

Mel and Gene Pierpaoli run Gallatin's kitchen-on-wheels Buffalo P's, which specializes in slow-cooked, hickory-smoked barbecue. On our final day of jury duty, Mel treated us to their pork, beef brisket and chicken, along with sides of coleslaw, baked beans and potato salad.

Come scarf barbecue, swill beer and smoke a cigar from America's oldest family-owned cigar company at an Uptown Smoke Shop and/or Grace's Plaza Wine & Spirits shindig tomorrow (that's Thursday) from 4 to 8 p.m.

Dicky Doo's is slinging the 'cue (anyone familiar with their goods?) for free, and the suds are gratis too.

On hand will be Bobby Newman, executive vice president for sales and marketing of J.C. Newman Cigar Company, a 114-year old stogie manufacturer. There'll be tobacco talk, cigar specials and other freebies. The shop is at 4001 and 4005 Hillsboro Road, next to Trader Joe's.

High fives all around to Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint in Nolensville, which made the list of the Top 10 New Barbecue Restaurants Around the U.S. in the "BBQ Issue" of Bon Appetit magazine. From the article:

10. Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint Nolensville, Tennessee Take a 25-minute drive from Nashville to owner Patrick Martin's music-filled joint, which is quickly becoming a destination spot. The Big Daddy Sampler Platter includes a slab of ribs, sliced beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked half chicken, 12 smoked wings, and three side dishes. 7215 Nolensville Road; 615-776-1856

It's on there alongside places such as Ed Mitchell's The Pit in North Carolina and Stacy's Smokehouse BBQ in Phoenix. Hat tip: Shine.

Debates about the perfect barbecue sauce are pointless, but so entertaining! Let me throw down the gauntlet: that there sauce above meets all the criteria for a perfect sauce. Despite the label warning to "keep away from eyes and genitalia" it's just about two-alarm. That's hot enough to get your attention, but it doesn't send you rushing for the milk, and it won't be featured at a fraternity hazing prank.

It has enough sugar to caramelize on the outside of pork or beef (or, hell, shrimp, tofu or Quorn, probably), but not so sweet it interferes with the flavor of the meat. It has a good solid edge of vinegar but not so much that the fumes cook off with that nose-twitching whiff.

All in all, I wonder what ulika thinks of it. And I'm looking for a bottle of it--or eight, actually--for the fathers in my family. I know--we're a class act all the way!

Brisket taco are back. After a health-related hiatus, Aubrey Bean returns to the barbecue business with Judge Bean's Bar-B-Que in Brentwood. Slated to open in the former Church Street Pub, the newest iteration of Judge Bean's will serve the same Texas-style menu that lured fans to Wedgewood Avenue, 12th Avenue North and most recently to Greer Stadium.

Bobby Burton joins Bean as a partner in the business, which is scheduled to open later this month. Located at 7022 Church Street East, Judge Bean's will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

It was an epic and detailed journey to dinner for chef and entrée at the pig-picking I attended to this weekend.

I quizzed the chef closely about the gorgeous mahogany hunk of sizzling passion--you can see the two hot pepper pods resting on the thigh, the kind of extra touch that made it worth every gram of saturated fat. Here is how he explained his path to porcine perfection.
1) Buy hickory scraps at a handle factory in West Tennessee. Burn them to make your own charcoal.
2) Haul the smoker that your daddy made onto a piece of country property.
3) Visit C&S meats in College Grove, probably the only federally inspected, HACCP-compliant butcher around that sells dressed hogs.
4) Realize AFTER you leave the butcher that they didn't split the backbone so the pig won't lie flat on a grill grate.
5) Get reciprocating saw.
6) And headlamp.
7) Regret last two bourbons; shut right eye to compensate.
8) Saw very carefully.

9) Hope self and compatriots don't fall asleep, leaving 135 pounds of meat to incinerate.
10) Remember how much trouble it is to smoke a pig and vow not to do it again.
11) Revel in ecstatic compliments. Enjoy watching refined people snatch bits of crisp skin from the grate. See rare sight: ladies licking fingers.
12) Decide it was probably worth it. Not soon. But some time.
13) Hire 16-year-old to clean out smoker.
14) Take massive nap.

For the record, points 12 and 14 are just a guess.

This week's dining review features three admirable start-ups that, while very different in their food offerings, share one critical thing on their menus: specialization.

Gabby's Burger & Fries, The Local Taco and Jimmy Carl's Lunch Box offer tight rosters of burgers, tacos and barbecue, respectively, with Gabby's and Jimmy Carl's limiting their service to lunch-only. If the success of these highly focused eateries is a result of their blinkered commitment to a single food group, then specialization is a trend we'd like to see grow.

Meanwhile, when you read this week's glowing mini-review of Jimmy Carl's, which serves a lunch menu of barbecue inside the Station Inn, you might think, "Hey, Fox, you didn't sound this chirpy about the place when you dined there on opening day." It's true, we were initially lukewarm on Jimmy Carl's ribs, which were decidedly dull and pork-flavored, sans sauce or rub. But on our second visit, pitmaster Pat Isbey had his systems in place and was churning out exceptional racks, glazed with honey over a sandy crust of red pepper, paprika and cumin.

That's exactly why we hesitate to try a place on Day One, but in the case of Jimmy Carl's Lunch Box, it was right by the office and we could smell the smoke from our garage--it was just too hard to resist. If the food at Jimmy Carl's stays as good as it is now, I expect that's going to be recurring problem.

After asking the Bites team for a prescription for picnicking, I answered my own question while waiting in the drive-through line at McDonald's on West End. There, in a battered and faded porcine mural shrouded by a light smoky haze, was my answer: Hog Heaven.

I veered out of the McDonald's queue and into a parking spot by Centennial Park, then scuttled into the screened dining room of the barbecue shack and placed my order at the window.

Twenty-seven dollars and 10 minutes later, I had a pound of pulled pork and a six-pack of buns, two bags of Zapp's, a half-dozen ribs, a half-pint of slaw and an array of thick sauces in vary degrees of heat. While it was perhaps not the most memorable 'cue--it traveled a while in Styrofoam, so I'm not holding it up to severe scrutiny--it was enough to nourish six people with plenty of leftovers. I laid my bounty on the family picnic blanket, as proud as a lioness who had felled a zebra to feed her young.

(While Hog Heaven met my needs of volume, price and speed, it failed to live up to the expectations of my kids, who, in the end, just wanted McDonald's--like everybody else at the picnic was eating.)

The benefits of Gulch-dwelling continue to mount with the arrival of Jimmy Carl's Lunch Box, housed inside the renowned Station Inn. In a seamless marriage of pit-smoked barbecue and history-soaked venue, Los Angeles transplant Russell Nelson and Indiana native and filmmaker Pat Isbey have launched a terse menu of meats smoked on the premises of the Mother Church of Bluegrass.

Eight bucks buys a pork sandwich with side and drink. Don't miss the high lonesome kick of red cabbage-vinegar slaw with finely minced carrot and peppers. The menu advises simply, "Try the beans."

At yesterday's inaugural lunch, the restaurant already had the well-worn feel of a dining landmark. Not that the food itself was legendary. Ribs lacked bark, sandwiches were a little soggy, and pork could have been smokier. But overall, our table was delighted by the combination of food, atmosphere, price and service. Located just steps from the Scene office, Jimmy Carl's could likely become the next editorial lunchroom, so we'd like to go ahead and make a request for un-sweet tea and dessert--maybe some banana pudding.

Jimmy Carl's serves lunch Tuesday through Friday 11:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There's a new gold standard for gluttony in Middle Tennessee, and it's the Franklin Food & Spirits Festival, which lured several hundred patrons to the Franklin Square in 90-degree heat last Saturday for some of the best BBQ this area has ever experienced. Granted, some of it can be sampled here round the clock--like pitmaster Patrick Martin's redneck tacos, crisp Frisbee-sized corncakes heaped with slow-smoked pork and cool, sweet slaw. You can find those at Martin's, well worth the drive to Nolensville.

But oh my God, the brisket! The Kansas City Barbeque Society was on hand with a truck ladling out huge hunks of crusted beef dredged through a vinegary dip. (It looked even better than the picture here, an image I swiped off the Commercial Appeal's BBQ blog.) I took a bite, and my knees buckled. I've had the heralded beef brisket at the Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas, and I can tell you that this was better. I'm so used to the dry, crumbly brisket in these parts that I'd forgotten how juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender it can be. Even the large pieces of fat, which normally disgust me, were buttery soft and velvety with a wonderful caramelized crust.

This pit-masterpiece was the handiwork of Tony Stone, a Cookeville chef who deserves a statue erected in his honor wherever beef brisket is worshipped. Many thanks to Wayne Lohman, the KCBS's man from Memphis, who has convinced me I need to attend the next KCBS training class for judges when it's offered in Middle Tennessee.

What else was there? More after the jump.