For those of you unfamiliar with the communities of rural Tuscaloosa County, Ralph and Fosters are two tiny communities with indefinite boundaries. It’s often unclear at any given moment whether you’re in Ralph or Fosters, at least to outlanders like me. They’re around 20 miles southwest of Bryan-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa proper. That’s way out in the country, 13 miles past Nick’s in the Sticks, … Continue reading Robertson’s BBQ & Catering, Ralph-Fosters, Alabama

I wrote earlier here about the wonder that is Buc-ee’s. If you are ever near a Buc-ee’s you should go there, especially if you have to go. It’s well worth a detour. I’d gone on and on about Buc-ee’s so much that Nancy wanted to see it when we had some time on our recent trip to Birmingham. So mid-trip, after our sensational barbecue breakfast … Continue reading Buc-ee’s, Leeds, Alabama

I decided to stop for the night in Gadsden on my way from DC to Tuscaloosa. I’d driven for 12 hours, thanks to the I-81 Truckers’ Traffic Obstruction Competition (see here), and it was getting dark, and I remembered that my friend and Gadsden native, Bob McCurley, had spoken highly of Pruett’s. So I checked in at the posh Gadsden Fairfield Inn (very friendly people) … Continue reading Pruett’s Bar-B-Q, Gadsden, Alabama

HICA, the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, is sponsoring a traditional Latin pig roast at the Cahaba Brewing Company from 2-6 on September 11. The pig(s?) will be seasoned with traditional seasonings and cooked over a pit starting the evening before. The whole process is open to the public, and it offers an education to all of you thinking of cooking a whole pig yourselves … Continue reading News Alert! A Latin Pig Roast in Birmingham!