March 17, 2010

Pig Pen Trails Day 15 – Lexington #1

Future Pit master Ben Philpott, Chef Noble, Wayne Monk, Chef Joe Kindred

Might I first say that me and the boys had an absolutely wonderful time with Wayne Monk.  I want to give a special thank you to Mr. Monk, founder of Lexington #1 BBQ and his son Rick Monk for making our visit to “Honey Monk” so extremely special.  We are grateful and honored to have been given the better part of a morning a few days ago at #1 as we continued our road study of Carolina BBQ – on our way to opening our own true, artisan wood-fired BBQ joint in the Queen City in the near future.  

Lexington #1 BBQ, also know as Honey Monk’s, was the site of our latest Pig Pen Trail, though I have been many times prior to this visit.  Growing up in High Point, besides Kepley’s BBQ, Lexington #1 was the place we visited most.  As I have previously mentioned on this blog, my Dad was a great fan of Carolina BBQ and particularly western pork shoulder BBQ.  According to Dad, the pork shoulder BBQ of western NC has less fat and gristle and was leaner and therefore cleaner.  Of course this is really up to the pit master and how well the meat is chopped and separated.  Obviously the pit master has the ability to make the Q as lean as he chooses.  Either way, Lexington #1 is legendary  in western styled Carolina BBQ, and I believe the best BBQ I have had in the west.  

Wayne Monk opened Lexington BBQ in 1962 as “Honey Monk’s” and as he said it was more of a family styled restaurant than BBQ, even though he had worked in BBQ joints in Lexington since he was about 16.  After it became a handout for young kids and he was having to stay open and work until late at night, he changed it to a true BBQ restaurant.  We all should be glad he did.  He says the secret to his success is to focus on really one thing: pork shoulder BBQ.  Monk mentioned that he has tried a lot of things over the years, like BBQ chicken and ice cream, but realized that focusing on BBQ was his best route.   

Lexington BBQ slow cooks their pork shoulders over hickory and oak coals for a period of 10-12 hours.  Their pitmaster has faithfully been with the Monk family for years and he keeps the BBQ excellent – moist and consistent.  This is my favorite Q in western NC styled BBQ.  

Wayne took us all on a tour through the kitchen and to the pits.  Wayne has built, expanded and relocated the pits at least three times.  We walked past the older pits as we headed to the current pits in the rear of the restaurant.  Here BBQ is done the artisanal, old fashioned, painstaking way.  A firebox is where the wood is burned into coals.  Then the hot coals are shoveled under the pits where the porks shoulders are cooking, maintaining a constant 200-225 degree temperature in the pit.  The shoulders are accessed in the pits through doors right over the coals in the lower chamber which has its own door.  Pork shoulders are started skin side up and turned over skin side down to finish.  The shoulder gets a dark smokey mahogany color as it is completed and slow cooked.  

Pits at Lexington #1

After the tour we all had to sit down for an early lunch; by this time it was about 11:20.  We ordered some skins – this is the real deal.  Your cardiologist would not want you to order them, but I think that about once a year should be okay.  Man, we all sure enjoyed them and left nothing on the plate.  (Please don’t tell Karen).  Then we ordered and enjoyed the “coarse, brown” tray.  I love coarse chopped Q best of all, chopped BBQ oxidizes rapidly and loses its great meaty, smokey flavor.  This is, so far the best Q I have had in NC.  We enjoyed the hushpuppies and dipping sauce as well, but I didn’t really watch the guys eating very much, I was too busy.  

Wayne also offered to help us design our BBQ pits were are planning for our BBQ joint here in Charlotte by putting us in contact with his mason.  

Wayne, you are a living legend with a gracious humble spirit.  We appreciate you and we also are grateful for the great BBQ you have served over the last nearly 50 years.  You are a champion and are truly thankful for the time you spent with us last month.  If I become as good a chef as you are a pitmaster, I will be a happy man!

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February 16, 2010

Lexington #1

I am truly looking forward to going to one of my favorite true NC BBQ joints this week as we continue our journey on “The Pig Pen Trails” in North and South Carolina.  See our My Hog Blog about Carolina BBQ and Carolina Road Cuisine as we prepare to open our own, true, Carolina, artisanal, wood smoked BBQ joint here in the heart of the Queen City, Charlotte, NC.

Lexington #1

Going with me tomorrow on the “Pig Pen Trails” will be future exec chef/pitmaster of our BBQ joint, Ben Philpott (now at Rooster’s), Rooster’s exec chef Joe Kindred and Peter St Onge of the Charlotte Observer.  We are meeting with owner and founder of Lexington BBQ #1, Wayne Monk and his son Rick.  Lexington # 1 has been in business since 1962.  Wayne Monk trained under Warner Stamey in the 50’s before he opened his own BBQ restaurant on I-85 (now the I-85 by-pass).  He is an icon in the BBQ world and I am honored to have time with him tomorrow and enjoy some of his BBQ.  I believe his is the best BBQ in North Carolina, western style, and so far my favorite in whole state.  I have grown up on Lexington #1 BBQ and I am excited about our visit.

I’ll keep you posted!

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December 23, 2009

Bum’s & Parker’s Come to Aid of Skylight

Here is something that the Jones’ put together after Skylight had a fire in one of their cook houses during the week of Thanksgiving.  What a testament to all of these BBQ restaurant folks in Eastern North Carolina (among competitors) during the time of year we give gifts to each other and give Thanks to God.

Skylight's Article

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December 9, 2009

Pig Pen Trails Day 14

Finally after several months on the “Pig Pen Trails” I have gotten back to “square one” where my buddy Skipper Beck and I first began on Day 1.  If

my buddy Skipper at Skylight

you recall, Skipper and I flew from Charlotte to Raleigh, where we visited The Pit in a refurbished warehouse/mill in downtown. Originally opened as Nana’s Chop House by my friend Scott Howell, the restaurant was converted to The Pit with pitmaster Ed Mitchell from Mitchell’s BBQ in Wilson, NC at the helm.  From here we flew into Greenville, NC where we visited and had great BBQ at world renown Pete Jone’s Skylight Inn where we had my favorite Eastern NC BBQ to date.  Unfortunately, the Skylight had a pit fire last week and the testimony of other BBQ restaurants who showed up to help out the Jones in the down time was wonderful and inspiring – chivalry and honor are not dead in NC! Those guys at Skylight make the best Q I have had in the East to date!

On the way back to the airport, you may recall B’s was out of food.  From here Skipper and I flew to Conway SC, rented a car and drove to Hemingway SC to eat at Scott’s only to find it closed.  I knew I would never hear the end of Skipper’s raggin’ on me about Scott’s being closed, not to mention I made him throw out the great BBQ at Skylight to save room for 4 more BBQ joints that afternoon.  Skipper said “Noble, I am so hungry now (about 5 o’clock pm) I would pull that Q out of the trash can if I could.  I can’t believe you brought me down here and didn’t know they were closed.”

Well, Skipper, you will be glad to know I finally made it back the Saturday after Thanksgiving on a deer hunting trip.

You have to make a point to visit Hemingway SC and I found out that the deer lease my father-in-law and brother-in-law have is only 15 minutes from Scott’s BBQ.  What a great coincidence!  In fact, Patrick Cook who manages the lease and works with Dick & Sam (father and brother in laws) knows Rosie (Roosevelt) who owns Scotts.  So I took the trek to Scott’s and I am sure glad I did.

I got to Scott’s about 2 in the afternoon and there was a steady stream of people coming in and getting BBQ pork, skins and chicken to go.  As I approached the order window inside, I saw a large pile of pulled BBQ pork waiting to be ordered.  Scott’s uses whole hogs and have been for some 30+

Scott's BBQ

years.  The pork was cooked with precision and was dressed with a little sauce, but they provided some on the side.  It was more of a NC BBQ sauce than the expected mustard based SC sauce.  The meat was tender and luscious.  I ordered a pound of pulled pork, a whole BBQ chicken and a pack of skins which came in a ziplock bag.  As I was paying, I asked the lady at the checkout if she was the owner, and she pointed to a man sitting a the only table inside and said that he, her husband and she owned the restaurant.  Knowing there was no place else to eat, I asked if I could eat inside and she told Rosie to slide over for me.  What a treat, to sit down with Rosie and eat his BBQ.  We struck up a great conversation about BBQ, Scott’s, the NY Times article and his history in BBQ.  He was a great host and after asking, he showed me around and showed me the pits.  This place is a classic.  He has a room to the side that is the pit room with about 10-12 pits end to end with a walk way through the middle.  He also has more pits outside.  Rosie showed me the iron walls and said they were there because the pit room had burned down 2 times already.  He kept a 8′ fire barrel outside where they fired up the wood from which they would pull the coals for the pits.  Rodney Scott, son to Rosie and Ella is the pitmaster and has been cooking whole hogs for over 27 years.

Rosie Scott

Rosie and Ella Scott are good folks and I loved their place.  Scotts BBQ was founded in 1972 by Ella and Roosevelt “Rosie” Scott in Hemingway, SC. If ever I am in the area hunting (which I hope is soon) I will return to Scott’s for the BBQ Skipper and I only dreamed about until last week.

Scott’s is open Thursday, Friday & Saturday
from 9:30am to 8:30pm
Scott’s Bar-B-Que
2734 Hemingway Hwy.
Hwy. 261 Brunson Cross Road
Hemingway, SC  29554
843-558-0134 Store

Fire Barrel

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November 11, 2009

Pig Pen Trails Day 13

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Lancasters Bar B Cue

On a recent solo trip to Noble’s Grille in Winston-Salem I had the opportunity to add a couple more BBQ joints to the “Pig Pen Trails.”  This particular week I took the I77 to I 40 route to the twin city and had my first stop in Mooresville at Lancaster’s BBQ.  Their claim to fame is that they are the only whole hog BBQ smokers in the “Western NC” group.  As far as I know that’s true (not to mention that these guys are no “fly by night” operation – these guys are serious BBQ folks: a noticeably successful and large restaurant.  They must be doing it right.)  I had a chopped BBQ tray with hushpuppies and an unsweet tea.  Now, I don’t know why I try to drink unsweet tea (with Splenda or Stevia) when I am eating BBQ, but I suppose every little bit helps.  I understand that Lancaster’s is a hot BBQ joint for the racing business that seems to have a great toe hold in Mooresville.  This also appears to be a great family place as well.  Well done.

My next stop was in Mocksville, NC.  When I was a kid we would take a trip to visit Granddaddy’s family “up in the country” in Iredell county – before Iredell county was cool!  You remember my Granddaddy Stamie Stroud (my Mom’s Dad) from my restaurant blog on tomatoes and summer.  He was the local tomato king in Guilford County.  Well anyway when Stamie was 16 he moved from Iredell county to the big city of High Point and got a job with Globe Parlor Furniture Co.  Granddaddy was good with his hands and did a great job, eventually becoming the Cabinet Room Foreman.  He grew up between Mocksville and Harmony on NC 901 where we would go to visit every so often, taking Aunt Beaut with us – her name was Beulah, but we called her Beaut.  This was before I40 was completed so we would go down I85 to NC 64 and drive through Mocksville, where Aunt Ruth lived (she was a Hoot! who loved life and the Lord and had a continual and contagious laugh).  There is a square in the middle of downtown Mocksville that had an old drug store on the corner where we would stop and get “real” fountain cokes.  Just in case your wondering how old I am, this was in the 60′s when I was just a tot.  Once we finally got to Grandpa and Grandma Stroud’s home we would always find a plate full of “local” fried chicken (local from the back yard because there was no other place to get it) and stacks of homemake biscuits.  Wonderful, and probably the reason I love fried chicken today (see King’s Kitchen menu).  It is amazing how food reminds you of places, times and smells from your past.

Deano's Barbecue
Deano’s Barbecue

Back to Mocksville and Q!  Deano’s Barbecue is right near the square in Mocksville and well worth the trip.  If you are in Mocksville, you need to stop in.  They are cooking with wood and the Q is good.  Deano’s is owned and operated by Dean Allen who started in the BBQ business in 1961 as a curb hop for Buck Miller at Buck’s BBQ while still in high school.  He opened the current restaurant in 1998 in a hewn log building.  I understand from Jim Early Deano’s serves a “mean” pimento cheeseburger along with a long list of sandwiches.  I’ll go back for the bologna, Philly steak and house made pimento cheese.

Next stop, an interview with Wayne Monk of Lexington #1 – the King of Western North Carolina BBQ.

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October 24, 2009

Carolina Road Cuisine – Squeeze Box

The Squeeze Box

The Squeeze Box

Once again on the Pig Pen Trail, we have gone down a rabbit trail on the “Carolina Road Cuisine.”  This time we have come across a legendary cool place , The Sandwich Shop in Pilot Mountain, better known as “The Squeeze Box.”  I was with a lot of my fraternity brothers from NCSU for a golf benefit/weekend fund raiser for our beloved Bruce Lowe better known as “Thick” and  ”Moose.”  The “Moose Lowe” outing is our annual get together in memory of “Bucket Head” whom we dearly miss.  He was from Pilot Mountain, or more specifically from Westfield.  Friday morning before we played golf (after I had been all over “The Knob” and Mount Airy looking for a good espresso coffee) a few of us PIKAs went together for a quick and early lunch as we toured the fair city of Pilot Mountain.  I had noticed The Sandwich Shop on my coffee hunt, but had no idea that I would return for lunch.  This place is a classic.

Original Store

Original Store

Affectionately known as “The Squeeze Box” because of its tight quarters, this place is a hotdog & burger classic.  We each ordered two hotdogs with mustard, chili and as “Big Mike” would say “take a stroll through the garden” which means add the onions.  We did and I am here to tell you that these were great dogs and an awesome spot that would deserve you going out of your way to visit.  Big Mike’s brother Mark, I am told will take a bi-monthly, if not weekly trek to the “Knob” just to have the dogs and burgers at “The Squeeze Box.”

Dickie & Whitney

Dickie & Whitney

The “Squeeze Box” has been opened since 1953 and is owned by Dickie Crump who started there on summer break from then High Point College.  He went on to buy the Sqeeze Box and has had it ever since.  I have attached an ariticle from a local paper and I hope you enjoy reading about the Sandwich Shop as much as I enjoyed eating here.  Thanks to Dickie and his daughter Whitney Crump, who also serves as a local magistrate.  This is the kind of place we all look for in Carolina Road Cuisine!

Little Man, Chink, George "Mule Face" & Big Mike

Little Man, Chink, George "Mule Face" & Big Mike

"The Squeeze Box"

"The Squeeze Box"

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October 20, 2009

Carolina Road Cuisine – Keaton’s BBQ

Keaton’s BBQ

Keaton's Barbecue

Keaton's Barbecue

Somedays, when we are on our BBQ “Pig Pen Trails”, Karen and I will take a detour off the Cue School and look for what we call good ‘ole “Carolina Road Cuisine.”  Now we love BBQ, but we also like many different types of foods, and particularly those hidden gems found across our state in small towns known only by the locals.  We grew up on places like these and restaurants with great as well as local cuisine.  We recently stopped in Cool Springs, just south of Mocksville and found a great spot, which was told to us by Winston-Salem restaurant equipment mogul, Harry Gallins.
When Karen and I pulled into the parking lot at Keaton’s we knew we were in for a treat, and boy what a treat it was.  The place seems to be in the middle of farm country, not particularly near anyplace.  The outside appeal lets you know that this place is one of a kind.  We were  amused by the signs they had posted inside, like “please don’t take any photographs of employees” among others.  You order and pay at the counter and then sit down.  They will let you know when it’s ready.  We did not know what a great treat we were in for.

Mr Keaton

Mr Keaton

We ordered the BBQ chicken.  Now Keaton’s made our “Carolina Road Cuisine” section because they do not cook BBQ pork, only chicken.  From what we were told by Harry and from what we tasted, the chicken is first fried and held.  Once the order comes in, the fried chicken is submerged in hot Keaton’s BBQ sauce, which is very good.  The chicken was moist, seasoned very well and delicous.  This may be the best BBQ chicken we have ever had, next to ours of course!  We ordered macaroni and cheese as well and it was off the hook!  We also enjoyed the green beans, but feel pretty comfortable saying most anything you may order here will be great!
I can’t believe we lived in Davidson County for so long, not to mention that we were in the High Point and Winston-Salem area most all of our lives and had never heard of Keaton’s.  That’s why we want to blow the horn and let you know.  It’s worth a trip.
From Charlotte, take I77 N to I40 E and travel about 5 miles and take the second exit for 64.  Go right on 64 S, take a left on Cool Springs Road (SR 1003) and travel a few miles.  Keaton’s will the only thing on your right.  You can’t miss it.  And we are sure you will be back.  What a Carolina gem!
Keatons Door

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October 17, 2009

Pig Pen Trails Day 11 & 12

Carolina BBQ

Carolina BBQ

Oftentimes when we are hot on the BBQ trail, we come across great local Carolina cuisine which we call “Carolina Road Cuisine.”

On day 11, Karen and I struck out for Noble’s Grille on our weekly journey to Winston-Salem on what seemed like a great day for Barbecue.  On our way we also hit the “Carolina Road Cuisine” side road rabbit trail.  These side journeys are what happy days are made of.  But let’s talk about the Q.

Our first stop was in Statesville on I77 near I40 to a place called  Carolina Barbecue, which was opened in 1985 at its present location by Gene and Linda Medlin.  Carolina Bar-B-Q uses only whole shoulders and they chop the meat by hand which has been cooked over hickory coals in a pit.  The Q was good, but the sauces which some “Q Bloggers” like, were not to my particular taste.  Our second stop was at Keaton’s BBQ and we will talk about this joint on its own blog, it was that good.  Man, where have I been to not have been here before – concentrating on haute cuisine?

Little Richard's

Little Richard's

Day 12 on the Pig Pen Trail took me to Little Richard’s Lexington Barbecue in Winston-Salem.  Somewhat skeptical on finding really good Q in the twin city on this rainy day, I picked up a coarse chopped BBQ tray to go.  I had a meeting at Noble’s Grille and it’s only a 5 minute drive from Little Richard’s.  Let me tell you, I was surprised at how good the Q really was.  I believe The BBQ Jew beat me here by just a few days.  One day I know I am going to bump into the Hebrew Crew as we do our due diligence for Carolina Q.  As I left Little Richard’s, I looked back to see the smoke curling up from the pit chimneys.  What a comforting sight, pig over wood fired pits.  Way to go Little Richards.

Join our next post on Keaton’s Barbecue on the “Carolina Road Cusine” rabbit trail!

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October 9, 2009

Pig Pen Trails Day 10

Whispering Pine

Whispering Pine

Karen and I are taking our weekly trek to Winston-Salem on day 10 and decided to take the NC 52 BBQ highway from Albermarle to Salisbury.  Hearing Bob Garner talk about this trail had us excited because of the interrelated lore on this BBQ roadway.  Whispering Pines Barbecue in Albermarle was our first stop.  This place was opened in 1945 by Lonnie Doby, most recently operated by his widow, Lavada Doby, who passed in the last few years.  Wood fired BBQ, served chopped and good.   This place had a nice, old styled BBQ diner feel and the staff was there to make sure you enjoyed yourself.

 

Log Cabin

Log Cabin

Heading north out of Albemarle about 1 mile on the right you will find Log Cabin Barbecue, which was as clean as any BBQ joint we have visited to date.  They have a carport styled drive through in the rear which is convenient for pick up and take out.  Their BBQ was good as well.

Continuing north on 52 from Albemarle brings you to Darryl’s in Rockwell, NC.  This place has changed hands a few times over the years and just recently was back in the hands of Darrell Galloway himself, I was told.  However, this place is a classic NC BBQ restaurant with a rich history.  Even though the place was well worn, the chopped BBQ sandwich was very good.

 Our last stop on the 52 BBQ trail was M & K Barbecue & Country Cooking in Granite Quarry.  This is a newer spot, opened sometime around 1990 and they are doing a good job with chopped BBQ sandwiches. Ours was very good.

The best thing about the 52 BBQ trail was that all four restaurants were still cooking with wood.  What a great collection of wood-fired BBQ joints on a

Whispering Pines Woodpile

Whispering Pines Woodpile

small stretch of land between Albemarle and Salisbury - and the countryside touring was bucolic.  This was probably the only way to get Karen to hit four BBQ joints at one time and still look forward to dinner at Noble’s Grille.

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September 19, 2009

Pig Pen Trails Day 9

Old Legends

Old Legends

I guess what I like most of all about “Q School” is the history, lore and legends found in this business - BBQ business that is.  What a history!  What a background!  BBQ is something that most “Tarheels” have a deep passion and opinion about (and by tarheels I mean North Carolinians, not just UNC fans – I am a graduate of State College so I am a little sensitive here).  Now let me tell you, since I have been on the Pig Pen Trails, I have not had a hard time getting great inside info on Carolina BBQ.  Whenever I finally open a BBQ place, and if I could offer everything on the menu that I have been told to, it would take most folk 2-3 days to read the menu.  It’s not hard to find opinions and strong feelings about BBQ in Carolina and that is a healthy thing.  Concerning NC/SC BBQ, there are some vague boundaries when it comes to BBQ but these differences are more defined in peoples minds.  East and West BBQ are different, they cook different parts of the pig, but they are not as far apart as most folks think.  The biggest difference is the pork they cook, whole hog in the east and shoulders in the west – and the west begins somewhere around Raleigh. The sauces do differ, but not as dramatically as some folks would argue.  I know, east has no ketchup and west does, but they are not that far apart, compared to BBQ sauces found in other parts of the country.  Take a look sometime at the BBQ sauces on the grocery store shelves.  Finding something from NC is a blessing.

My next leg on the Pig Pen Trails took me to Cook’s BBQ outside of Lexington.  This was a great stop. You know, my in-laws took my wife Karen and I here over 20 years ago.  If I had only known that one day I would return today wanting to know more about Carolina BBQ I would have paid more attention.  Besides, I was some upscale French chef.  Recently my buddies Bubba and Dan Pritchett have been trying to get me back to Cook’s for about 2 years.  Well I finally made it back and was I glad!

Cook's BBQ

Cook's BBQ

Cook’s still smoke their BBQ shoulders with hickory and oak.  I ordered a brown coarse chopped BBQ tray, hush puppies, a chopped BBQ sandwich and skins.  They thought I was crazy with what I ordered.  Let me tell you, the skins were really good and so was all the BBQ I ordered.  The hushpuppies were small, marble sized and very delicious.    Cook’s BBQ along with Lexington #1 are my favorites in the west (along with the Q Joe & Ben are pulling of the spit at Rooster’s Wood-Fired Kitchen in Charlotte).  I enjoyed every part of my meal and headed to the car.  When I looked back at the building, I saw the smoke trailing up from the chimneys and went back inside to ask for a pit tour.  I couldn’t have been treated any nicer.  The founder’s son and pitmaster, Brandon Cook took me on a tour of the kitchen and the pits.  He had a rack of shoulders on the pit and was glad that they would come off in time to catch the Thursday night Carolina Panthers game.  Go Panthers!  And you know, we really ain’t all that far apart, Charlotte and Lexington that is – in passion and in distance.  I truly appreciate the time Brandon Cook gave to me.

Skins (with Splenda - Ha)

Skins (with Splenda - Ha)

Brandon Cook

Brandon Cook

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