Bryan, Texas - Martin's BBQ

So a recent trip down South with my parents afforded the opportunity to visit my namesake town, cruising the exact same streets they did back in 1956. After a quick look at the garage apartment in which I was conceived (hypothetically) to fully comprehend my white trash roots, it was decided to grab a little lunch. We stumbled upon Martin's BBQ about half a block down the street, replete with a Historical Marker commemorating the site. The full brunt of being in Aggieland struck home when reading the sign above the door handle:

Please Turn Doorknob Left to Open Door

Even the "NO SMOKING" signs were infused with years of BBQ smoke. The ribs rocked, the German potato salad was flawlessly executed, and the history of the place was overwhelmed by the quality of the food. How does a BBQ joint stay open for 85 years in Texas? By serving great food at a fair price!

Martin's Barbecue is the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Bryan, Texas according to owner Steve Kapchinskie. The land where the current building stands at South College and Sulphur Springs was purchased in December 1924 on what was then a one-lane country road connecting Bryan and College Station. This restaurant has survived the Great Depression, thousands of Texas A&M graduations and changing times. Some of the customers that Kapchinskie calls "the old timers" remember the days when horse-drawn wagons and Model T Fords parked side-by-side at Martin's. Bryan and College Station have changed, but one thing that has remained constant is the way the Kapchinskie family goes about making barbecue. Each Tuesday through Saturday at about 8 a.m., Kapchinskie, a third-generation barbecue expert, stokes the oak fired, 65-year-old pit that was built by his grandfather, then loads the cooking grates with ribs, brisket and sausage. In a few hours, the meat transforms into that tender barbeque that customers have been experiencing for 80 years.


Martin's BBQ - Info @ Yelp.com

Martin's BBQ @ Google Video

New York Times Debuts The Tipsy Diaries

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The Tipsy Diaries is a new column about the city’s drinking life that will run every other week.

Great Weather, Good Music, Rocking Food

FWPL - Cookbook - MOMOFUKU

The FWPL pulls it out for me again - MOMOFUKU will make you dig out your WOK and get cracking...

From Momofuku: Ginger Scallion Noodles and Ginger Scallion Sauce

Our ginger scallion noodles are an homage to/out-and-out rip-off of one of the greatest dishes in New York City: the $4.95 plate of ginger scallion noodles at Great New York Noodletown down on the Bowery in Chinatown.

Ginger scallion sauce is one of the greatest sauces or condiments ever. Ever. It’s definitely a mother sauce at Momofuku, something that we use over and over and over again. If you have ginger scallion sauce in the fridge, you will never go hungry: stir 6 tablespoons into a bowl of hot noodles--lo mein, rice noodles, Shanghai thick noodles--and you’re in business. Or serve over a bowl of rice topped with a fried egg. Or with grilled meat or any kind of seafood. Or almost anything.

At Noodle Bar, we add a few vegetables to the Noodletown dish to appease the vegetarians, add a little sherry vinegar to the sauce to cut the fat, and leave off the squirt of hoisin sauce that Noodletown finishes the noodles with. (Not because it’s a bad idea or anything, just that we’ve got hoisin in our pork buns, and too much hoisin in a meal can be too much of a good thing. Feel free to add it back.)

The dish goes something like this: boil 6 ounces of ramen noodles, drain, toss with 6 tablespoons Ginger Scallion Sauce (below); top the bowl with 1/4 cup each of Bamboo Shoots (page 54 of Momofuku); Quick-Pickled Cucumbers (page 65 of Momofuku); pan-roasted cauliflower (a little oil in a hot wide pan, 8 or so minutes over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the florets are dotted with brown and tender all the way through; season with salt); a pile of sliced scallions; and a sheet of toasted nori. But that’s because we’ve always got all that stuff on hand. Improvise to your needs, but know that you need ginger scallion sauce on your noodles, in your fridge, and in your life. For real.-- David Chang

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions (greens and whites; from 1 to 2 large bunches)
• 1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons usukuchi (light soy sauce)
• 3/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

(Makes about three cups)

Directions

Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed. Though it’s best after 15 or 20 minutes of sitting, ginger scallion sauce is good from the minute it’s stirred together up to a day or two in the fridge. Use as directed, or apply as needed.

Huff Post: Burgerville

The HuffingtonPost's new FOOD section is a great read, as evidenced by this Taxonomy of the Hamburger article. Notoriously absent is Fred's Diablo Burger - the perfect juxtaposition of Heaven & Hell, leading revelers to contemplate the duality of man while attaining burger Nirvana.

NYTimes: Food Allergies Take a Toll on Families and Finances

A DEBATE has broken out over how many people in this country really have food allergies. But whatever the numbers, parents whose children have serious reactions to certain foods can attest to the distress — and high financial costs — such allergies can cause.

NBCDFW.com - The Outlaw Chef, Terry Chander, interviewed by Annie Potasznik

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Dr. Oz sets forth a plan to get in swimsuit shape this Spring:

Dr. Oz's Fridge Makeover: Your Kitchen Can Help You Lose Weight

Imbibe.com : The 25 Most Influential Cocktail Personalities of the Past Century

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The May/June 2010 issue cover story by Paul Clarke features the 25 Most Influential Cocktails of the Past Century. Narrowing down that list got us thinking about the people behind some of those cocktails, so we thought it only fitting to create a list of the 25 most influential cocktail personalities of the last 100 years. For this list, we considered the type of influence someone has had on the cocktail world as well as the duration of that influence—and keep in mind that these are people who have specifically influenced cocktail culture, not spirits. Whether they’ve created an iconic cocktail, spawned a cocktail trend or dedicated themselves to educating the public about the craft of cocktails, the following 25 people (listed alphabetically) have undoubtedly impacted the way we all drink cocktails today, and for that, we toast each of them.

Huff Post Pictorial

RAIN - Happy Hour at FRED'S

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Wed Gourmet Pizza Night

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No cover - 7 PM

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Mother's Day Brunch

My mom has already put her order in:

HOT WATER CORNBREAD
&
BIG POT 'O RED BEANS

but for those of you who need some last minute ideas, here's some tools:

Fabulous Foods has recipes for Mother's Day brunch.

What is brunch without French Toast? Check out Martha Stewart's own Mother's Day brunch version.

The Food Network Mother's Day brunch is designed so the kids can prepare it.

Rachael Ray treats Mom like a queen with her plethora of Mother's Day brunch recipes.

Woman's Day features a choice of three different menus for Mother's Day brunch ideas.

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WorldClock

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Via: Cell Phones