God bless our men and women in uniform! Especially my nephew, Murray “Cuatro” Johnston. Cuatro’s current uniform is that of a West Point cadet, but this spring it will be that of an Army lieutenant headed off to Fort Benning to prepare to lead an Infantry platoon. You met Cuatro as the Founder and First President of a Barbecue Club at St. Anselm’s Abbey School for Really … Continue reading 2020, The Year of the Sausage: Episode II
This post, written at Nancy’s suggestion, has been sitting around for a while. I am inspired finally to send it forth by a Barbecue Bros post on a song inspired by barbecue: Too Much Pork for Just One Fork. It is, of course, the work of the band Southern Culture on the Skids. I’ll keep checking their tour dates for a performance around here. Making … Continue reading Barbecue and the Fine Arts
Sloppy Mama’s in Arlington sells moist brisket as well as lean! I here confess error and hope for your forgiveness. In my otherwise glowing review of Sloppy Mama’s, I groused that, like other Washington area barbecue places, they served only lean brisket. Hard as it may be to believe, I was wrong. Flat wrong. I was extrapolating from the general state of brisket in the Washington area. … Continue reading Moist Brisket in the Washington Area!
The Blog has been focusing on food, of course, but it occurs to our large professional staff that you might be interested in great places to stay, as well. That revelation came because in our after-Christmas trip to Key West, we stayed in a really nice place — so nice that it inspired me to start writing up hotels when Nancy and I stay at … Continue reading The Sheraton Suites Resort, Key West, Florida
A couple of days ago I wrote to encourage tourism to San Juan as a way to boost the Puerto Rican economy in the wake of a series of natural disasters. It’s a great place to vacation, with beaches, history, natural beauty, and (my focus) great places to eat. I mentioned Orozco’s, a great place for Puerto Rican food, with what may be the most … Continue reading More Love for Puerto Rico
Having resolved the Christmas Gift Mystery (thanks Dale Leibach), I can’t leave Christmas behind without mention another gift. I have a hard time shopping for other people. It’s rare that I pick a really good gift. I did hit a home run one Christmas. I gave Nancy tickets to see her favorite singer in concert in Paris. That wasn’t the home run. Since Nancy knew then … Continue reading 2020, The Year of the Sausage: Episode I
As if they didn’t have enough problems in the wake of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico has been hit by an 6.4 earthquake and a 6.0 aftershock. The damage was centered on the southwestern portion of the island, west of Ponce, and San Juan seems to be unaffected as of this writing. Our hearts and, I trust, our help go out to Puerto Rico. Mindful of … Continue reading Another Look at Orozco’s, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Sloppy Mama’s is the best barbecue place in the Washington area — at least in the DC-Virginia part of the area. I’m hedging because there are a couple of new all-wood barbecue places in Maryland that I haven’t tried. so stay tuned. I’m keeping my powder dry, but Sloppy Mama’s owns the DC-Virginia crown. I went to Sloppy Mama’s as part of my continuing efforts on … Continue reading Sloppy Mama’s, Arlington, Virginia
Well, perhaps an early Martin Luther King’s Birthday present. We just received it today via Amazon, with no indication from whom it came. Did you send it? I’m excited. It’s an Alabama white sauce — basically a mixture of vinegar and mayonnaise with black and red pepper. You see the black flecks — those are the black pepper. Up close, you can see the red … Continue reading Mystery Christmas Gift
Is it cold where you are? Raining? Snowing? All of the above? Then you’re thinking of sun and sand. I certainly am, and I just got back from Florida a few days ago. Nancy and I have been regulars at Marco Island during the winter the last few years. Marco is as far south as you can go on the Florida West Coast without getting … Continue reading Best Restaurants in Southwest Florida: Marco Island, the Everglades, and Naples
