Purcellville is a nice town of 10,000 in Loudoun County, in the outer Washington suburbs, well past Dulles Airport. It’s in a lovely area of Virginia, and Purcellville enjoys the benefits of the growth of the Dulles tech corridor without being overwhelmed by it. Best of all, Purcellville is the home of Monk’s BBQ, which I can certify is a Campaign for Real Barbecue producer … Continue reading Monk’s BBQ, Purcellville, Virginia
Here’s the headline: Texas Jack’s has the best brisket I’ve had in the DC area. I mean actually very good brisket, and until now, finding very good brisket in Washington has been like finding a herd of unicorns. I had been to Texas Jack’s last year with Doug Jacobson, the Kansas City Barbecue Maven, and at that time, as noted in our review, the brisket had … Continue reading Texas Jack’s Barbecue, Arlington, Virginia
Let’s cut to the chase. Rocklands has the best pork barbecue in the Washington, DC, area. And there it was, right under my nose for years. Rocklands is just a few miles away from us, in Glover Park, just north of Georgetown. I had tried Rocklands a couple of times when it first opened nearly 30 years ago. I didn’t think much of it. … Continue reading Rocklands Barbecue, Washington, DC
I have mentioned the Campaign for Real Barbecue from time to time here on the blog. For those who aren’t familiar with the Campaign, it was founded in 2013 by Dan Levine, and John Shelton Reed two distinguished North Carolinians steeped in barbecue, so to speak. The Campaign identifies and certifies places that cook Real Barbecue — True ‘Cue. That is, barbecue that has been cooked … Continue reading The Campaign for Real Barbecue is Coming to the Washington, DC, Area
Regular readers will recall the annual Hammons-Guy cookout as one of the heights of the Washington, DC, social season, and, along with the Annual Beer Snob Pig Picking in Lumberton, North Carolina, and The Great Independence Day Barbecue here at Stately Tanner Manor, one of the red letter barbecue events of the year. This year, they kicked it up yet another notch. As with any great … Continue reading Chez Hammons 2019, Washington, DC
As you know, Nancy and I host a big party on Independence Day every year to celebrate the birth of our country. The centerpiece of the party is the Best Barbecue in the World, made so by cooking pork butts over direct heat on two Weber grills for nine or so hours so that the pork fat drips onto the coals and creates pork fat … Continue reading Excellent Brisket Comes to DC, July 4, 2019
The Nation’s Capital often has been described as a barbecue desert, not least by me. Washington has great food from all parts of the world, except the South. Revolutions around the world help. Whenever a government is overthrown, leaders of the old, corrupt government come to Washington where they can feel right at home, and they open restaurants. I keep hoping for revolution in India, … Continue reading A Barbecue Oasis in Washington, DC
Despite her initial attribution of paper mill odors to me, Yvette Rivera remains one of my favorite people. Besides being an excellent attorney, thoughtful, and an all-around good person, Yvette is an expert in Caribbean pork — Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican — you name it. Yvette recently sent me a text about Los Hermanos, a Dominican restaurant, and my immediate, brain stem response was, “Let’s … Continue reading The Best Pork in Washington, DC: Los Hermanos
We went over to Annapolis to spend a Friday night with Sue and David Boyd, Michael’s parents and our, or Ella’s, co-grandparents, and to try out the Smokehouse, a barbecue place that also has live music on Fridays. The Smokehouse has a sports bar ambience, with lots of televisions. I got excited when I saw a card on the table advertising dollar oysters on Friday … Continue reading The Smokehouse, Annapolis, Maryland
Memorial Day is coming up, and that means the opening of Prime Home-Cooked Barbecue Season. For your convenience, I’ve gathered together a series of posts describing the five — well, six — steps involved in making perfect barbecue. They give you a detailed guide, and now you have them all in one convenient place. Follow these steps and you’ll make some great barbecue. Note: This … Continue reading How to Make Perfect Barbecue: An Illustrated Step by Step Guide
