David Howard Gelin, a self-described barbecue aficionado, toured the Barbecue Belt — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — to write a book about the best barbecue joints. The book, "BBQ Joints: Stories and Secret Recipes from the Barbecue Belt" (Gibbs Smith Publishing), landed on my desk Tuesday morning. Instantly, I thought Starnes in Paducah and Moonlite's in Owensboro were shoe-ins for the best barbecue, but I was surprised.
His Kentucky entries were Marion Bar-B-Q, 728 Main St., Marion; George's Bar-B-Q, 1362 E. 4th St., Owensboro, and Ole Hickory Pit, 6106 Shepherdsville Road, Louisville.
Gelin profiled Jack Easley, owner of Marion Bar-B-Q, and learned about the former Crittenden County High School football coach and how he runs his small business. Easley even included a recipe for his tomato-based barbecue sauce.
The Ole Hickory Pit in Louisville has a tie to Paducah. Owner Ken Ramage grew up in Paducah and watched his father, Murvin, run Plantation Barbecue, which burned in 1953. After the barbecue business burned, Murvin became a bricklayer and built pits across western Kentucky.
Gelin wrote in the introduction that the barbecue joints had to pass his test for tasty barbecue and a great atmosphere. Does anyone else think he may have missed some of the best places in our back yard? Perhaps the Barbecue on the River organizers should invite him to the festival this fall if he wants a flavor of barbecue atmosphere and down-home folks.
4 comments:
I agree that George's is the better Owensboro Barbecue. I love Moonlight - especially the mutton, which is hard to get other places, but a barbecued chicken from George's is tremendous. The restaurant is tiny, quaint, and no frills but definitely the best barbecue I've ever eaten.
Judy Owens
It kinda seems a person's favorite BBQ comes from where they grew up. As a former Carlisle county boy, I just don't think you can beat Nicky's on Highway 51 between Arlinton and Clinton near Harpers Country Hams.
My son is the owner and cook at Prince Pit BBQ in Bardwell. He also has a location in Barlow. He serves pork, ham, mutton, chickens and ribs. The best way to know if his BBQ really is great is to come down and eat some. The prices are low and the servings are big. Alton Brown of the food network visited in 2007. Prince is included in Brown's new book just out at all bookstores and Sams. It is "Feasting On Asphalt" the River Run. He gives a really good review of Prince's meat and sauce.
Thanks, J. Prince. I'll have to come and check it out. It sounds wonderful.
Barbecue really is a regional preference, and also a comfort food. Like Swamproot mentions, he's partial to the hometown cooking of Nicky's in Carlisle County. My favorites from my youth in Tennessee also didn't make the book -- Buddy's BBQ in Knoxville and Redmon's in Paris.
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