Here in central NC, the surest sign of summer isn't the smell of gardenias or temperatures in the 90's. It's spotting those black refurbished oil barrels trundling along down back roads behind battered pickup trucks. How did such an authentic Southern rig wind up on the Upper West Side? I can almost smell the smoke!
Hey, a lot of us really DO know the difference.
The reason there's no "real" 'cue in Manhattan isn't a lack of demand, it's the difficulty/legality of operating a serious pit in a crowded urban setting. Danny Meyer spent $$$$$ on smoke-scrubbing equipment for Blue Smoke, and Ken Callaghan has knocked himself out learning how to produce a good product with the gear he's got.
Of course it's not going to match what Ed Mitchell or Chris Lilly turn out! Or, she said modestly, what I can do on my little backyard smoker without the city looking over my shoulder. ;-}
so Ed, how WAS the 'Q' festival?? i am from the South, would never wait in line for anything , so have not gone to the festival due to the crowds.
oddly, the festival seems to be incredibly popular, which 1 would assume, would allow manhattan to support a real honest-to-goodness "real" southern bbq joint. however the 'Q' places in NYC are either phony (daisy mae's, rub), serve below average bbq (brother jimmy's), or serve fairly mediocre bbq at way over-priced venues (blue smoke). the problem is 'northerners can't really tell the difference, but as usual "think" they can. southerners so desperate (like me) need the 'Q' fix, if not able to fly 'home' for the real stuff, so "we" put up with the mediocre.
it never ceases to amaze me the chasm between "those who know, & those who don't, but proclaim they know"; it is what it is, so be it; c'est la vie
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