Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Looks like Blofeld's cat finally ate him...

We have one of those countertop convection/rotisserie ovens that we use to keep the side dishes warm until serving - one of the best $80 investments I ever spent. Caveat: I am usually only making holiday dinners for two, so I use smaller casserole dishes. a standard 9 x 13 dish won't fit in this oven, unfortunately.

As a Memphis native who has spent some time in Chicago recently, I both agree and vehemently disagree with the article. I still think there are some great barbecue places in Memphis that far outshine what I've had in Chi-town, but most people haven't heard of them or hadn't been. However, I do agree that the restaurants noted above (except for Central IMNSHO) are no longer representative of what Memphis 'cue was/is all about. See, a lot of the 'cue places in Memphis have become "industrialized" - that's our dirty little secret. I grew up about a block east of the original Corky's on Poplar Avenue - I still remember when it was converted from an arcade (and a 76 gas station before that) into Corky's. It was delicious and really was some of the best around. However, over time they have tweaked and adapted their original recipes to service the mass market - bottles, grocery stores, etc. The same thing has happened at all the other places - Rendevous, Commisary, Neely's, Interstate, etc. Once they start changing their recipes to be shelf stable and mass-produced and they start using their mass-produced product in the restaurants, they become just another place to eat.

Right now my two favorite places are Central (I like the Summer Ave location - much more room than the one on Central; they have the best brisket and their homemade bbq potato chips are great - especially freshly made) and Tom's on Getwell and Raines (bbq bologna is a must-try!).