I mentioned Martelle’s in my post on H&L’s so often that you must be wondering about the place. Let’s start with this: Martelle’s, formally Martelle’s Feed House Restaurant, is great, just great. Fair enough, but still, how does a restaurant survive in a town of 155 souls and fewer than 4,600 people in the whole county, especially with H&L’s selling pork chop sandwiches just a … Continue reading Martelle’s Feed House, Englehard, North Carolina
There was a time when candidates for office in Virginia wooed Virginia voters with barbecue, beer, and brandy. The voters wisely elected people like Washington, Madison, and Monroe. But where are the barbecues of yesteryear? By the late 20th century, when I moved to Washington, what little “barbecue” there was seemed to be cooked in ovens or crock pots, hardly a diet for another generation … Continue reading Ten Best Barbecue Places in Virginia
I need to get back down to Mississippi more often. Back in my working days, I probably drove on every paved road in the Delta and half of the rest of the state. Recently I’ve lived vicariously through our Senior Mississippi and Idaho Correspondent, Doug Herbert, a son of Mendenhall, Mississippi, home of the legendary Revolving Tables Restaurant. You’ll recall Doug from his report on … Continue reading Pleasant’s BBQ, Ocean Springs, Mississippi
I recently drove down to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to teach an Honors College class for my good friend, Bob McCurley. I do that every year. Usually, I take my time driving down, stop and see family, and Nancy and I join Bob and Babs at an Alabama game. This year, I was a bit antsy about drinking, dining, and just being at close quarters with an … Continue reading Rusty’s Bar-B-Q, Leeds, Alabama
There are things I don’t love about The Original Ronnie’s. Right now, they just have curbside service, so you can’t go inside and sit and eat and talk with the other customers. And, well, that’s about the only thing I don’t love about Ronnie’s. The rest of Ronnie’s is great. You drive up and see a low white building — there are some big cookers … Continue reading The Original Ronnie’s, Henrico County, Virginia
If you want know just how good the ribs at Rolling Rib’s are, just ask Ms. Lily Claire Boyd. Note her concentration — And her reaction — And that was after the ribs had been sitting around for hours, and Lily has a very refined palate for a two year old. These are some ribs — still, the very best in the Washington area! We’d … Continue reading Rolling Rib, Part II, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
I was excited to try the Grill Sergeant. Nancy and I had stopped by to get something to take home late one afternoon before heading home. When we pulled up, they were almost sold out. We were able to grab a turkey sandwich for Nancy and a Pork Wing for me (that’s a pork shank, by the way) before starting our trip back to DC. … Continue reading The Grill Sergeant BBQ, Lusby, Maryland
Nancy and I spent a long weekend in Nashville, and had a great time. The two immediate lures were (1) the Barbecue Bros ranking of the top five barbecue places in Nashville, and (2) really cheap airfares on Southwest. The Barbecue Bros are three friends from High Point, North Carolina who, as every good North Carolinian, like to eat barbecue. The Bros, Speedy, Monk, and … Continue reading Edley’s Bar-B-Que, Nashville, Tennessee
Winter looms, so I have updated my list of alternatives to fast food for those driving south (and back north) along the East Coast. And, indeed, normally the only sensible thing to do when the weather promises to chill the very marrow in your bones is to head south. In light of COVID issues, special care and consideration must be taken before you decide to … Continue reading Best Places to Eat Near I-95 from Washington, DC, to Florida
Mechanicsville is no bigger than a minute, but it can claim both the Surgeon General of the United States and the House Majority Leader as native sons. Pretty tall cotton — or tobacco. That’s what they used to grow in Southern Maryland. Now the tobacco is gone and the farmers are growing subdivisions. But Mechanicsville is largely untouched by the Washington excrescence. It’s still just … Continue reading Smokehouse BBQ Shack, Mechanicsville, St. Mary’s County, Maryland
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