Tag Archives: BBQ

Get Your Tickets – The Best Food Event of the Year

Steak and Wine. Texas Hill Country. Small, Texas town. Surround yourself with friends, family and great people at this event. This is one that you won’t want to miss and I promise when you go home you’ll say to yourself, I can’t wait to go back next year.

Next Saturday, May 18th, the annual Texas Steak Cookoff in Hico, Texas is taking place. Here is your reminder and a few details about this great event!

Steak Cookoff

This year Nolan Ryan is opening up the event! That’s right – NOLAN RYAN!
Opening Ceremony 12pm
The Mayor, Mike James (Chairman of the Event), National Anthem, visit with the Longhorn and the sponsors (Kroger, Nolan Ryan and the Chairman of Nolan Ryan Meats) will officiate the ribbon cutting.
For $25, you will receive a bracelet which will allow you to enjoy appetizers and the steak dinner in the afternoon (ribeye steak, salad, baked potato and a drink) cooked to your perfection by the team of your choice. You’re belly will thank you for this day!
106 teams competing!
Winners announced at 7pm. Prizes for top five teams ranging from $500 – $2,500.

Live music includes four bands from 10am to 7pm.

Take Part in the Wine Tasting…

$20 Admission
11am – 5pm
Receive a commemorative glass.
Two tents this year includes 13 wineries from the great state of Texas.
Glass / Bottle purchases available.

PBR Rodeo

$20 Admission
Begins at 7:30pm – Will last around three hours.
Cody Ohl, legendary roper from Hico, Texas and one of the highest nationwide earners is assisting in putting on this event.
Will be held in the park area near town (within walking distance from the cookoff and wine tents).
Beer and BBQ will be served.

Need a Place to Stay?
Check out Stephenville and Glen Rose – multiple hotels / lodging options.

Need More Info…
Check out my previous experience. If this doesn’t convince you, I’m not sure what will!
Texas Steak Cookoff 2012
Texas Steak Cookoff 2011
Texas Steak Cookoff 2010

Buy Your Tickets Today
I’ll be there! If you’re headed there, let me know!

Random Trip: Austin

4 Replies

If you know me, you would know that I have a hard time sitting still. So, it’s only easy to predict that if I don’t have anything planned on any given weekend, chances are I am planning a random trip, to a random destination for probably a random reason. This particular weekend, on Friday evening, I was planning a trip to Tishomingo, OK to check out Miranda Lambert’s store, The Pink Pistol. Before I went to bed, my plans had changed to go in a complete opposite direction!

I had an old friend from Vermont, who now lives in New Jersey, visiting New Jersey friends now living in Austin. Austin is only a three hour, easy drive. They offered up a couch to sleep on and a guaranteed good time and the plans were changed!

Saturday morning came along. I swung by the grocery store to hit up the ATM inside. How can you say no to a Girl Scout? This is not a good way to start a road trip….

Off I went. Highway 35 South.

This is one of the reasons I love Texas. I despise the city. I wish I didn’t live in such a populated area but I don’t really have a choice considering I need a paying job but there’s nothing more relaxing than driving out in the country and thankfully its not far away!

And drive anywhere on 35 isn’t a drive without stopping at the Czech Stop in West, TX.

When I finally got to Austin, I met up with an old friend, a couple awesome new friends and we headed out to 6th Street to watch some hockey and eat some dinner. We took the bus…. I can’t remember the last time I took public transportation somewhere. (Maybe D.C. in 2009… DFW isn’t really known for their public transit.) At one point, I actually knew where I was.. University of Texas (UT) Co-op Building for all of your UT paraphernalia needs!

And then we catch a glimpse of this building. The State Capital building. Seriously, one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve been in. Gorgeous!

We made our way to the restaurant / bar, grabbed some delicious nachos with brisket and soaked in some much needed hockey. Bill and I are wicked excited that hockey has started however our choice in teams do not agree. He’s a NJ Devils fan… the team that I despise. Go Habs!

I’m going to have to explain this one. Do you ever come across things that are in the shape of your state? Well my friend Meredith and I apparently have a thing for this, especially in the Vermont form…
Are we the only ones who do this?

6th Street was a ton of fun! I have zero pictures from the evening but if you’ve been to Beale Street in Memphis, it’s similar. Bar after bar after bar and live music is everywhere. The street is closed off, there are a ton of people but it’s a ton of fun. We even tried getting Bill to ride a mechanical bull but he just wouldn’t do it. I guess we’ll have to give him a few more drinks next time!

The next day we tried out a local BBQ place called Stiles Switch. I overheard someone say they’ve only been open for a year. The interior decor was my favorite! Rusty, vintage, exposed brick. All favorites here! The sign on the way out was also a favorite!

Food wise, my friends loved their ribs. I had a chopped brisket (as usual). I felt that the brisket was a little dry and there was a bit too much BBQ sauce mixed in but I guess I should’ve just went for the ribs!

I couldn’t stay long. I had a three hour drive to get started and I do love those drives. It clears your mind, there’s always good music playing. It’s just so relaxing. I even saw this guy on the way home and I think he was loving the drive as much as I was!

Rendezvous, Memphis

2 Replies

Alright, I have something very important to tell you. I need everyone to pay attention, very close attention. I’ve thought and thought about how to write this post and I still don’t think it’s perfected but I need to spread the word. Do I have your attention?! Ok – lets begin!

Down an alley in the middle of Memphis, you will find a restaurant that goes by the name of Rendezvous. This place is like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, if it came in food style that is. Let’s face the facts – Memphis is known for music and food. I would think BBQ would be on the top of everyone’s food list… Am I right? Am I right?! Well – it was on top of ours. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who knows us.

One thing that I’ve learned about the South is that Texas is primarily beef BBQ. Everyone else, from Memphis to the Carolina’s is primarily pork. So pork BBQ is what we were expecting. One of my friends from home had lived in Memphis for a couple years so she had recommended Rendezvous. We are forever thankful.

As I said, Rendezvous is found down an alley. Yes, an alley. After walking in, you will see the main part of the restaurant can be found downstairs. Upstairs, is waiting area with TV’s all set to the NCAA semifinal game and people lounging around. There’s a bar available to keep you company.

We were seated at our table downstairs and the atmosphere is very eclectic. There’s one of everything on the walls, hanging from the ceilings. The waiters are dressed in white button down shirts with black bow ties. Very suave. Loved it! The menu sits under a glass cover on the table tops. No chopped brisket sandwiches here!

The appetizers really caught my attention. Not the typical appetizers. Cheese and sausage, ham and cheese, salami, Charcoal Broiled Lamb Riblets. All meats. All appropriate.

Sy ordered pork shoulder and a short order of ribs.

I ordered a pork shoulder sandwich with a side of coleslaw.

Rendezvous is known for their ribs, so we were told. Both the ribs and the pork shoulder were seasoned with a dry rub. Sy enjoyed the ribs but stated that they were not as good as some others he had in the past. The world changed though when he took a bite of the pork shoulder and I will agree –

it was the best BBQ I’ve had. Period.

The meat was moist. Oh – so juicy and tender it was like it melted in your mouth. Really, if you just put the meat on a sandwich it was good on its own but then the Rendezvous BBQ sauce was thrown on top the world just got a little better. Icing on the cake, cherry on top, it all applies. I’m completely serious when I say it was the best BBQ I’ve had. Sy agrees. If Sy agrees, you know you are in good company.

The BBQ sauce was even available for purchase. Just an FYI, we are running low!