Tri-Tip Coming to the East Coast

Below is an article I ran across in the Sacramento Bee which talks about a cut of beef that I grew up with -- tri-tip.

When marinated and thrown on the grill, this cut of beef is absolutely delicious. Found between the bottom sirloin and round, this triangular cut (hence the name tri-tip) of beef will be found at almost every backyard grill and every street fair during the summer in California's Central Valley.

Below is a part of the article, with the link to the full story. Apparently tri-tip is growing in popularity and is found in a few restaurants on the east coast. Yay!
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Tri-tip is 'California's Cut' -- and a gift to the nation
apierleoni@sacbee.com
Wednesday, Jul. 21, 2010

When it comes to beef, tri-tip rules as the king of the California grill. Now this humble, easy-to-cook cut is gaining a toehold in other parts of the nation and is even wowing diners in the Big Apple.

Sporadic consumer demand outside California has spurred Costco, other national chains and regional grocers, to supply what the California Beef Council has officially dubbed California's Cut. The council has fielded so many requests from people in other states longing for tri-tip that it posted a meat-cutting chart on its Web site (http://www.calbeef.org/).

"These are people who moved out of California or who tasted tri-tip during a visit here, and they can't find it where they live," explained Laura Norman, marketing director for the Sacramento-based council. "Now they can take our chart to their butchers and have a tri-tip cut especially for them."

While these grass-roots appeals caught some grocers' attention, they hadn't caused a ripple in any dining meccas. Then, earlier this year, Northern California tri-tip czar John Pickerel introduced New York City to California's Cut at his Tri Tip Grill. Ever since, New Yorkers have lined up there for a taste. . .

Click here for the rest of the article.

Mac's Speed Shop (Cornelius)

At the urging of a friend of mine, I decided to hit the local Mac's to get some BBQ. This was my first time at Mac's, and I was curious about what I would find. And more importantly, how would it compare to Lancaster's (my favorite BBQ in the area.)

Mac's has a definite biker bar feel to it. In the front there are almost a dozen motorcycle parking places (cars park in the back), while inside you'll see lots steel, wood, and many HDTV's.

Once inside, my friend and I were taken to our seats at a small elevated table in the middle of the main room. From my seat I could see no fewer than 4 HDTVs, each one with an ESPN channel showing. The menu has a decent selection ranging from standard BBQ and ribs, to salads and sandwiches.

Wanting to have a smaller serving of BBQ and some sides, I decided upon the "lil pig" BBQ sandwich. Along with the one side of mac and cheese, I decided to get a second side of BBQ beans. (Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat -- the more you...) Oops! Sorry for that brief trip down grade school memory lane....

Anyhow, the food arrived quickly and I took a look. As you can see, it was pretty much standard BBQ fare. The BBQ pork was a little more bland and dry that I was expecting. However, the sauces at the table added the needed flavor and moisture.

The sides, however, were delicious. The mac and cheese was made with real cheese and was creamy and good! The BBQ beans, were really flavorful and had a nice and thick sauce that had hints of molasses and brown sugar. The sauce had some meat in it, but not much.

I know people love their BBQ, and I'm sure this will ruffle some feathers. But, I didn't find anything about Macs that was extraordinary. For the most part it was about average. The BBQ was OK, but the sides were slightly above average. The next time I go, I'll be sure to try their ribs, and see if my experience differs.

Score:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Total: 10/15

Price: $$
Kid Friendly: Yes

Conclusion: About average BBQ with a biker theme. It was OK, but not memorable. I'll head back again because I want to try their ribs.

Restaurant Info:
Mac's Speed Shop
19601 Liverpool Pkwy.
Cornelius, NC 28031
http://www.macspeedshop.com/

Lake Norman HS BBQ Fundraiser

I opened the Lake Norman Citizen last week, and I saw an ad that proclaimed, "Fall Food Festival!" I was excited. Fall? Food? Festival?? What's not to like? Right???

Wrong...

Stupid ad was for the local Wild Birds Unlimited store. No offense to the folks at WBU, I actually like their store and have found great gifts there, but they really got my hopes up over nothing. My excitement for bird food just doesn't match my excitement for people food....

But a few pages later, I ran across this tidbit. There's an upcoming BBQ fundraiser at Lake Norman High School. This Thursday, October 29, the BBQ will run from 4:30p to 6:30p. It will cost $10 at the door, and will include BBQ (your choice of pork or chicken), roll, coleslaw, and beans. Sounds like some good food for a good cause... sign me up!!

For more info about the BBQ call 704-799-8555.

Blues, Brews, and BBQ

There is yet another festival in Charlotte this weekend! Starting today, the Blues, Brews, and BBQ festival will have plenty for you to eat in Uptown!

I haven't been there (I'm still a noob!), but it sounds delicious! The event is free, and they'll have nine blues bands playing.

Now the only question is -- which will I hit first?? The Greek Festival or the BBQ?

Hours:
Friday, Sept. 11, 11a - 11p
Sat., Sept 12, 11a - 11p

Location:
Uptown
Tryon Street -- between Martin Luther King Blvd. and Trade Street

Website: http://www.bluesbrewsandbbq.com/

Horsefeathers (Sherrills Ford)

Last week I visited Horsefeathers, and I've spent the better part of the week trying to put together my feelings on the place. When I got there I was expecting more. The building is owned and was rebuilt by the folks that own the Prickly Pear -- one of my favorite area restaurants. However, this is like comparing enchiladas and fried okra. Both are delicious and unique, and they should never be brought together.

Then it hit me yesterday, Horsefeathers is a Lake Tavern / Roadhouse, and should be compared to other comparable restaurants . . . though, I'm not sure that there are currently any similar experiences in the Lake Norman area.

Horsefeathers is in a rehabbed building. The property had been closed for 8 years, and the past two years have been spent bringing it to a higher level. The exterior looks new, as does the roof and patio. The interior appears new, but doesn't scream it. The walls are covered with old signs, folksy sayings, and even a photo of the Marlboro Man, and much of the simple furniture in the dining room appears new. But don't let that fool you, this place seems to have quite the following of locals at the Saloon upstairs.

My buddy and I walked in the door to the Saloon (next to the pool tables), not knowing that the Dining Room was downstairs. As we entered the conversation immediately stopped, and everybody turned to look at us. Apparently the New Yorker driving a Mini Cooper (which was parked between two Ford F-150 pickups) and this California boy, stuck out like a sore thumb. Needless to say, we quickly found our way to the Dining Room!

Once we made it to the Dining Room, our waitress took us to our seats. As I mentioned before, the interior appears to be relatively new, but it still conveys the atmosphere of a lakeside roadhouse. Though we were in the non-smoking section, the smell of smoke was still in the air -- which actually seemed appropriate for this place.

A friend recommended the Hawg Wings to me a while ago, so I placed and order for that appetizer when the waitress took our drink orders. Hawg Wings are individual pork ribs shanks (I chose BBQ), which have been cut so that an inch of clean bone is available at one end for grabbing. This makes the ribs shanks very easy to eat, and also keeps your fingers (relatively) clean too!

The Hawg Wings were quite good. They were moist, tender, and topped with a thick western-style BBQ sauce - my favorite! These "Wings" were especially good after my last rib experience at Outback!! There was simply no comparison, and Horsefeathers was the winner.

After the Hawg Wings, the waitress brought our lunch orders -- I ordered the pulled BBQ sandwich and a side of fried okra. It should be noted that Horsefeathers has their own smokehouse, and the flavor shines through in their BBQ. The pulled pork had the same sauce as the Hawg Wings, and in all honesty I wasn't thinking when I ordered the sandwich. The Hawg Wings and the sandwich both consist of BBQ pork. Therefore the sandwich was good, but I was a little over-loaded on BBQ.

I was surprised to see that their BBQ only consists of the thicker western-style BBQ sauce, and not the NC vinegar-based BBQ sauce that I've become accustomed to. It's not a criticism, just an observation.

However, when it came to the sides, I was a little underwhelmed. My fried okra, and my friend's onion rings seemed like they were just standard frozen sides that were poured into a deep-frier and cooked. They were OK, but they weren't anything special.

But our waitress was great and considering she appeared to be the only person working the dining room, I was even more impressed.

Horsefeathers is definitely off the beaten path. But it appears that they already have a good local following. In addition, they're continually working to enhance the property, and are currently working on the lakefront portion of their land. (They're on the tip of a small inlet.) This place has improved a ton in just two years, a lot of TLC has gone into Horsefeathers. And it looks like the place will continue to improve for years to come.

In addition, they offer a jam-packed calendar that is loaded with events and specials. I recommend you take a look, and if something strikes your fancy, give them a try.

Score:
Atmosphere: 4/5 (Nice, new, and clean lake tavern -- no lake views from the dining room)
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 11.5/15

Price: $$ (Sandwich, appetizer, and tea were about $14)
Kid Friendly: Yes. They have a couple of kids meal deals. Under 10 eat free on Sundays, and they have a Kids Night on Tuesdays -- though I'm not sure what that entails. Call them for details.

Conclusion: One of the nicer lake taverns around. Their BBQ is good, and the Hawg Wings are a new (and cleaner) take on a standard messy dish. On a nicer day I'd enjoy having a beer on their deck -- it's quite impressive.

Restaurant Info:
Horsefeathers
3746 Mount Pleasant Rd.
Sherrills Ford, NC 28673
p) 704-966-0192
http://www.horsefeatherspark.com/

Pops BBQ (Huntersville)

A few months ago I started to notice a BBQ trailer in front of the Cashions at the intersection of Catawba Ave. and Hwy 73. The trailer is only there on Fridays and Saturdays, and going to a BBQ trailer is something new for me -- where I grew up, there were taco stands, not BBQ stands.

So, I decided to take a chance and fill up on gas -- and top-off the car too. :)

I went up to the trailer, and didn't see anybody inside. After yelling "Hello?" I received a response, and it turns out that Pop (I don't know if that's what he's really called, but he is the owner of Pop's BBQ, so that's how I'm referring to him.) was in the back of the trailer.

As I got to talking with Pop, it turns out that cooking BBQ is a hobby that he's using to supplement his income. From our brief conversation, it sounds as if his other business isn't doing so well in the recession, so he sells BBQ to make ends meet.

I've gotta say, he's doing us all a favor by selling his BBQ, it's good stuff.

Once I got it home, I opened the box and took a look. I had a LOT of pork BBQ with his vinegar based sauce already on it. The pork was accompanied with two sides: coleslaw and baked beans. There was also a standard hamburger bun included, in case I wanted to make a sandwich.

The BBQ is standard pulled / chopped pork with a vinegar based Carolina BBQ sauce. The pork was nice and moist and the sauce had more tomato than I was expecting. It was thicker than the vinegar-based sauces that I'm used to, and it was much more red in color. In addition, it has a nice black pepper flavor to it, which gave the BBQ some depth of flavor.

I wasn't as happy with the sides. The coleslaw was nice and crunchy, while containing some carrots and bell peppers. However, it didn't have the typical mayonnaise-based sauce and because of that it seemed to be lacking in flavor. The baked beans cold. They had a nice thick molasses-like sauce but there was little, if any, meat.

That said, Pop is quite friendly, and served up the food quickly. In addition, there were a few other menu items than just BBQ. I'd definitely recommend giving Pops a try.

Score:

Atmosphere: 1/5 (It's a trailer in front of a gas station, there is no atmosphere)

Food: 3/5 (The pork is great, but the sides were lack-luster. I'd recommend getting a BBQ sandwich.

Service: 4/5 (I came to like Pop quickly, so I'll say the service was above average)

Total: 8/15 (or 7/10 I don't' think that the lack of a dining room should be held against Pop's BBQ)

Price: $ (food and drink just under $10)

Kid Friendly: No, but since you're not eating here, it doesn't matter.

Conclusion: Good BBQ for a good price. If you're driving by and in a hurry for a meal, Pop's BBQ is a good option.

Restaurant Info:

Pops BBQ

(In front of Cashions Quik Stop 5)

16600 Highway 73

Huntersville, NC 28078

Lancasters BBQ (Huntersville)

Since I moved here, I've learned that there are four things that North Carolinians take seriously: 1) March Madness; 2) NASCAR; 3) Football; 4) BBQ. And I can't think of a place in the area that does a more serious BBQ than Lancasters off of Beatties Ford Road.

I gotta be honest, I tend to prefer a thick, molasses-based Texas Style BBQ. BUT Lancasters is making me question my preference.

When I went there yesterday I was promptly seated, and the sweet tea I ordered came to my table in less than 60 seconds. My waitress apologized that the hush puppies were being made and would take a couple of minutes. Really? An apology for fresh hush-puppies?? Heck, I should be THANKING her for the impending deliciousness!

After looking over the menu I decided on the BBQ with two sides, beans and onion rings. While waiting for the food, I took a couple of minutes to take-in my surroundings. Lancasters is very clean, and has a good atmosphere for a BBQ place. The restaurant is decorated with an automotive theme, with old gas pumps in the corners, and a NASCAR engine in the back and race-car hoods on the ceiling.

After those couple of minutes, my meal came out, along with piping-hot hush puppies. Even though I knew they were just out of the fryer, I reached in, grabbed a hush puppy, and took a bite. YUMMY! The burned fingers were worth it! Then I looked at my heaping plate of food. Lancasters is nice, but it IS still a BBQ place -- the food came on a paper plate with plastic utensils. But, in all honesty, that doesn't bother me -- it kinda goes with the informal atmosphere.

The BBQ Pork was amazing. Flavorful and moist, even before I applied the Carolina vinegar-based sauce. Once I added the sauce, it was even better. The sauce added a refreshing tanginess with a hint of heat, and I devoured everything it touched. The beans were great, I love BBQ beans, and these exceeded my expectations. Keep in mind -- these are NOT vegetarian beans (though, I don't know if anything in Lancasters is vegetarian), so choose accordingly.

And lastly on the plate were the Onion Rings. These were huge onion rings, with a thick layer of crunchy fried batter. Nothing was soggy, and they were among the top 5 onion rings that I've ever had.

Needless to say, I ate waaaay too much, and today the scale hates me. But it was worth it -- how many meals can you say that about? In addition, it should be noted that the wait staff at Lancasters were awesome. My sweet tea was never empty, (something which my bladder didn't appreciate). And they were so friendly, I almost felt like I was a regular -- though the last time I'd eaten there was about a year ago.

Score:
Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 12/15
Price: $ (Including tip, I was out of there for less than $10)

Conclusion: Friendly service, huge portions, and great prices make this place a fantastic value. If you're in the mood for BBQ, this is the place to go to.

Restaurant Info:
Lancasters BBQ
9230 Beatties Ford Road
Huntersville, NC 28078
704-394-1464
http://www.‎lancastersbbq.com