3 on Thursday

Happy Halloween, bloggies!  This week has been very busy so I am glad it's more than halfway over.  I'm looking forward to some QT with a bottle of wine tomorrow.  This week's background is a shot of the old escalators in Macy's Herald Square.  Even after a major renovation, these remain and I love them for that.  Don't ever change, Macy's.

1. It's ridiculous how long it's taken for Steph and me to hang out.  For months we have been out of town on opposite weekends making it impossible to get together.  For two best friends, this is unacceptable so we took advantage of the first Sunday we were both in town and spent the entire afternoon together in Hoboken drinking wine and gabbing away.  Reunited and it feels so good.
2. Terry (the UGA business school from which I graduated) does an annual Chick-fil-A picnic in the park.  I'm always in heaven sitting in Central Park, but doing so with an impossible-to-get-in-NYC sandwich was extra special.
3. Though I love Halloween, I didn't have any costume parties on the agenda this year.  Some years are just better than others, I suppose.  But at least I wasn't sitting home on Saturday while everybody was prepping their best Miley Cyrus at the VMAs costume.  Instead, I went to Brooklyn Heights for a bar crawl.  I may not have been dressed up, but I did get to drink in bars that had put up spooky decorations so it still felt like Halloween.    

Floyd's and Their Beer Cheese

I figured beer cheese was basically my beloved pimento cheese but with beer.  If anything, I thought it would just have a whippier consistency.  Unfortunately, Floyd Beer Cheese was a bit too crumbly for my taste.  The flavor was spot on.  A little hoppy from the beer, smoky from the bacon, and just a bit spicy.  I thought it would soften up when it got to room temp but it just wasn't the case.  The people who buy and sell it at Smorgasburg would tell you it's the texture I was looking for.  Maybe I got a bad batch?  If it was just a bit more spreadable, I would be eating it daily.

Though the cheese didn't quite reach my high hopes, I was a big fan of Floyd, the bar.  It's divey with an indoor bocce court and baroque couches for reading.  It was a perfect second stop on our Saturday bar crawl around Brooklyn Heights.

Bourbon and Vine

I recently had my first bar hopping excursion in Astoria.  I don't know if it's considered a full hop since I only went to two bars, but that's two more than I'd been to before.  The second bar we went to really struck a chord with me.  The whiskey chord.  I hear it now as if from a pitch pipe.

Bourbon and Vine may have hipsters at the bar and bourbon behind it, but everything feels nice and relaxed.  The chalk wall behind the booths encourages participation from the bar's patron's and it's hard to take a bar too seriously when somebody has scrawled a Miley Cyrus "Wrecking Ball" joke on the wall.

I surprised myself by ordering a glass of wine instead of whiskey.  I was further surprised when the bartender topped me off with a little extra.  The only disappointment was that they stopped serving food at midnight, 24 minutes before we tried to order.  I was really looking forward to trying the Cap'n Crunch breaded spiked pb&j.  Next time.

Monday Reads

1. Is Tumblr making it cool to be depressed?
2. A little less creepy than prisoners' last meals, this chart of famous final bites is intriguing. I wonder what I would eat...
3. I was shocked to discover there's a pill to prevent HIV. I was even more shocked to learn that no one is taking it.
4. I'm wondering if I have an Oreo addiction.

Thainy

There's something to be said about breaking from the routine.  Something good.  I have my go-to Thai spot for delivery (don't we all?), but while I was walking home last Sunday night I stopped in Thainy for something new.

I ordered the chicken dumplings and the street noodles.  The dumplings only come four to an order, but they're large so don't stress.  They definitely needed the flavor of the sauce, but once they got a good dunking I liked them.  Not the best ever, but definitely satisfying.  I was a big fan of the street noodles.  Crispy bean sprouts and lettuce gave it a nice crunch and there was the perfect amount of bean sauce.  This is a great dish for someone with an aversion to spice.  I enjoyed it as a replacement for my typical pad see ew.  I'm not saying I plan to stray from my regular spot altogether, but it looks like Thainy made the case for a Sunday night deliver alternation.

      

Boozy Cherries Over Cheese

Two things were standing in the way of dessert at last week's dinner party: 1) I'm not big on baking and 2) I was low on time.  Thankfully, I remembered something Murray's Cheese posted on their tumblr a while back.  As I just mentioned, I didn't have a ton of time on my hands so I couldn't soak the cherries in booze myself.  I lucked out and found some in the store, but I recognize they're not readily available.  I did some research and learned they're actually very easy to make, the just take time.  Take fresh cherries and pit them.  This is what takes time.  A cherry pitter is a handy doodad so I would recommend picking one up from a kitchen store before starting this project.  It will still take a while to pit them all, but this will at least seriously reduce the labor.  Once they're pitted, put them in a jar along with the alcohol of your choice.  Brandy seems to be pretty popular.  Some people toss them with sugar before jarring and soaking them, but that's your choice.  Then just store in a cool place for a couple days.  It seems like they can last a very long time so it seems worth it to put in the effort to pit them to have these around for the subsequent months.

Boozy cherries would be great over ice cream or in a fresh Manhattan cocktail.  I went with Murray's suggestion and poured them over a triple crème and served it with fresh baguette slices.  I'm sure chocoholics will doubt that cheese can be a dessert, but when it's done like this...oh baby.

3 on Thursday

I've been lucky enough to have a couple short weeks in a row.  It feels a bit strange to now have a full, 5-day work week.  On top of that, the cool weather has hit New York and is finding its groove.  I'm sure I'll be very sick of it soon; but now, with the cold in it's infancy, I'm enjoying the richness of Fall with all it's warm colors.

1. The Food Network NYC Wine and Food Festival recently took over the city.  There were demonstrations and seminars for days and I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the grand tasting.  Upon arrival we received a wine glass on a lanyard, which is just too convenient not too love.  I would consider wearing this daily. 
2. New York is full of wacky people and wacky people make wacky signs.  I'm not sure if this sign was advertising an open house to adopt cats, to look at an apartment, or to generally celebrate Octoberfest.  Whatever it's selling, I like it.
3. If you've read the last few posts, you know I hosted a dinner party on Friday night.  After Matt and Karina had Albert and me (and Shawn who unexpectedly tagged along) over for supper a couple months ago, we realized how amazing dinner parties can be.  As long as you call it a dinner party, you can get wasted and still be considered classy.  Matt and Karina read our minds and brought Cards Against Humanity with them again because it's a great game that is guaranteed to provoke laughter.  It doesn't take much to take a dinner table from everyday to party.  Mini pumpkins invade grocery stores in October so I put a little sharpie on em and instantly had festive place settings for very little money.  Flowers befitting the Fall theme (seen in today's background) finished off the table and a signature cocktail brought it all together.  For the cocktail I just mixed caramel vodka with Simply Apple juice.  It tasted just like a caramel apple - thanks for the idea, Pinterest!

Salad with Pomegranate Seeds, Fennel, Gorgonzola, and Avocado

I wanted to use some very Fall flavors in the salad at Friday's dinner party and that meant pomegranate and fennel.  This is an incredibly easy salad to put together.  Simply dump the lettuce into a bowl and top with chopped avocado, crumbled gorgonzola, shaved fennel (a mandolin comes in handy here), and pomegranate seeds.  It's as simple as that.  I offered two dressing options: a champagne vinaigrette and a mango vinaigrette, neither of which was homemade.  

Many grocery stores are selling pomegranate seeds in little tubs.  You can usually find them near the pre-cut fruit and vegetables.  It's definitely a seasonal item so they will be harder to find in warmer months, which is even more of a reason to incorporate them into dishes now.  Whatever dish they find themselves in, they look like little gems.  They glisten.  If you don't go through the whole tub in the salad, they're great to have on hand.  I like tossing them in with Brussels sprouts and maple syrup or using them as a topping for ice cream or yogurt.  They won't go to waste.

Herb Butter and Radish Toasts

Appetizer number two at Friday's dinner party, her butter and radish toasts, was another easy one.  Here's a tip that will make your life significantly easier if you're the kind of person who entertains: bakery counters slice bread for you.  This is a great thing to know if you ever want to use a loaf of sourdough for your lunch sandwiches, but it's even better for a party.  Toasts or crostini are a major crowd pleaser at any gathering.  They can be topped with virtually anything and are relatively easier to put together.  The only thing that can get annoying is slicing the baguette.  It take time, the bread usually gets smushed, and you're left with crumbs all over your kitchen.  Well if you just take that baguette to the counter, they'll slice it right up in perfect little rounds.  With that bit of the process taken care of, you can stick them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and let them get toasty while you make the topping.  Sooooo much easier.

It's not so big in the US, but in France, radishes with butter and salt is a snack akin to our carrot sticks and ranch dressing.  I decided to up upgrade it a bit by using herb butter, which is easy to make.  Just mix herbs into butter and put it back in the fridge to set.  At least that was my plan.  But then I found ready made herb butter at Trader Joe's.  That made things even easier (and tastier since they put garlic in theirs).  Simply spread the butter on the toasts and top with thinly sliced radishes (I like using a mandolin to get them the right thickness).  Since my appetizers are usually heavy and cheese-laden, it was nice to have something a little lighter on the buffet.

Monday Reads

1. It's not all like the movie "Taken". There's human trafficking going on right here in the US.
2. The new trend in talking (yes, there are trends to speech) is the Vocal Fry. It's invading our culture and I must admit I'm guilty.
3. I often eat lunch at my desk, but I think I owe it to myself to walk away for a bit.
4. Fall = football and you don't want to be the lame one at the bar talking about celeb gossip when everyone wants to talk about the game. This guide will get you up to speed with the basics so you can speak to more than just which team has the better uniforms.

Brussels Sprout Prosciutto Skewers

On Friday I hosted a dinner party that went off without a hitch.  Because the guests were arriving at 8:00 and I wasn't going to get to my apartment until almost 7:30, I had to make sure I filled the menu with easy to activate dishes.  I also knew I would be doing all the work for the main course (sausage lasagna with smoked mozzarella and a side of roasted cauliflower) once everyone was already there so I needed to have a couple appetizers ready to go.  That way, people could snack and mingle (mingling is always easier when there are snacks to mingle over) while I finished off the cooking.  With food to pick at, I knew they wouldn't miss me while I spent a few minutes finishing everything in the kitchen.

The first app was brussels sprout and prosciutto skewers.  The last time I made this app was over Thanksgiving last year.  I promised I would take a pic and I am now making good on that promise.  Much like anything else made with prosciutto, these guys went quickly.  They also taste fine at room temp so they're a great item to put out at a party.

Garlic

Everybody in NYC has their neighborhood slice place.  If you don't, it means your realtor lied to you and you're not actually living in New York.  I hope Minnesota is nice this time of year.

One of the pizza joints in my neighborhood is just a teensy bit nicer than normal.  It's not significantly different than what you would find elsewhere, but the floors are nicely tiled and it's too clean for massive eyesores of parmesan jugs.  I love the grimy pizza joint, but it's nice to have something a little cleaner every once in a while.  Along with the cleanliness at Garlic comes some great pizza toppings.  Don't get a slice from the one round pizza in the case - that's what they make for those silly doubters who are too afraid to try something new.  The rectangular pizzas are where it's at.

Have you heard of chicken bacon ranch pizza?  If you have, you're far more worldly than I am.  I'm a fan of that one but really love the buffalo chicken and the upside down (sauce on top of cheese) pizzas.  Those are the two I went with last night, though I was tempted by the artichoke and ricotta white pizza.

They stay open late and they have an iPhone app.  What more do you need?

3 on Thursday

It was so nice having Monday off for Columbus Day.  I know most people weren't so lucky so I was sure not to waste my good fortune.  It felt great to be so productive.  This week's background: the lamps on the wall at Public.

1. I spent this past weekend in Connecticut for Albert's sister's wedding.  The whole weekend was lovely, but the best part was the surprise of hand rolled cigars in the middle of the reception.  All the men were so happy.  It was a great touch...one I will probably steal one day.
2. I have been obsessed with Valley Nails ever since I saw what they could do in the way of nail art.  Looking at their Instagram is like falling down the rabbit hole.  I have wanted to get mine done for a while and just as I was about to suck it up and pay for it myself (these ridiculous nails don't come cheap - why would they?!) a rep offered to take me to celebrate my promotion.  Since I was going to a wedding I wanted to do something fun while still erring on the side of conservative.  I got a gel mani with light to hot pink ombre and a light glitter overlay.  The whole thing came to $70 (not including tip) so I don't even want to know how expensive some of the crazier designs are.  For a fun occasion, though, I think it's worth it.  
3. When I hear persimmon, I think the name for the color of a sweater found in a catalog.  I knew it was an actual thing but the details were hazy so when I saw a stack of them in Fairway with a description, I thought I might try it.  It eats like an pear but tastes like pumpkin/squash.  Not too bad!

Israeli Couscous with Zucchini, Spinach, and Ricotta

Here's a quick fix side dish idea for ya. Cook up some Israeli couscous and while you're doing that, start sautéing chopped zucchini in a pan with a little butter. When the zucchini is about halfway done, add one clove of chopped garlic and a bunch of fresh spinach. I also added some fresh thyme because I had it on hand. It's not necessary, but I happen to think it really added to the dish for minimal effort. When the veggies are done, your couscous should probably have finished up, too, so combine that in the pan as well. Now just fold in some fresh ricotta to make it nice and creamy. It won't look as pretty, but it will taste nice and comforting. Just be sure to salt throughout the process. 

This was one of those pantry clean out dishes, but it solved two problems for me: 1) I still got to feel like I was cooking when the main part of my meal was Fairway's [delicious] pre-made meatballs and 2) I got to try something new instead of pairing those meatballs with the expected spaghetti with marinara. 

Mighty Balls

I forgot tis the season for Madison Square Eats!  I happened to walk by right at lunch time and it just so happened that the stall I most wanted to try accepted credit cards.  This cash-free gal was in luck!

I had never heard of Mighty Balls before so that was the main draw.  They had tons of flavor options and the line was long - all good signs.  While they have several recommended combos, I decided to go rogue.  I ordered the pork meatballs on a hoagie with African onion sauce and spicy feta on top.  The sauce was sour so the spicy feta was a good choice to round it out.  I was surprised at how juicy the meatballs were.  After seeing a mass of them getting pressed on the griddle I really thought they would dry out.  I guess those guys really know what they're doing.

I took my messy sandwich into Madison Square Park where I could scarf on a bench in peace while people watching.  The sandwich was very filling and I washed it down with a big solo cup of Mighty Balls' fresh pomegranate lemonade.  I think the meatball shop may have the market cornered on brick and mortar meatball restaurants, but Mighty Balls is a great addition to the roving street fair scene.

McCrady's

You know it's fine dining when you don't even get a normal menu so I had a feeling I was in for a treat when we were handed a 4-course tasting menu at McCrady's.  At $65 per person, it's an indulgence, but we were on vacay so...what the hey!

The entrance to the landmarked tavern is in an alleyway and upon entry it's brick brick brick.  It looks like the kind of place revolutionaries sat drinking ale.  The atmosphere is anything but modern, which puts it more on the cozy side of the spectrum.  And since we were inching towards the Fall season, cozy was perfect.

Albert and I made a deal to order together with no repeats.  That way, with 4 choices for each course, we could try 8 of the 16 menu items.  It's not often I get to go to such a nice restaurant, especially not one that boosted its chef to James Beard Award status, so I wanted to make the most of it and taste as much as possible.

For course #1 we ordered the heirloom tomato salad.  It looked quite boring on the menu, but after the waitress talked it up we had to order it.  Glad we did because it was one of my two favorites of the night.  There was a thick buttermilk foam and some infused oil.  It was not nearly as simple as the menu description, but the taste itself was clean.  We also ordered the scallops with mushrooms and found them to be grilled to perfection.  The next course was the fish.  We got one trout and one snapper and landed on opposite teams as to which was better.  I would have to say the snapper with fennel and scuppernongs was the other of the two best dishes, but Albert would tell you that the trout with polenta and vegetables was better.  The meat course was a duo of pork with butterbeans and lamb that was wonderful but I can't remember its accompaniments.  I was too focused on eating it.  My mistake.  Albert's not a sweets guy so he wanted a cheese plate for dessert.  No argument here since cheese plates are my fave.  I particularly like the raspberry with black pepper sauce that went with one of them.  I ordered the frozen pear parfait and I'm pretty sure it was the best dessert at the table.  I've never had farro in a dessert (I haven't had it that much, period) but the crispy farro on top was like a nouveau granola.  It was like a panna cotta on top of chopped pears.  It was light and not too sweet.  Since I'm not a chocoholic, those are two qualities I look for in a dessert.

A meal like this is not one you can have all too often.  With four courses and a hefty price tag (particularly if you're drinking), it would be excessive if you ate like this every week.  But that's exactly what makes it special.

3 on Thursday

It's week 2 of 2 for the Lowcountry wedding themed "3 on Thursday."  I've been back for a week and a half but I still miss being home.  Part of that is missing the feeling of being swept up in the excitement of a wedding.  Andrew and Lee's wedding and reception was so beautiful.  I may one day have to steal their idea of hanging a chandelier outside.  For now I'll settle for using a pic of it as my background for today's post.  Lucky for me, I get to go to another wedding this weekend.  This one will be in Connecticut and I'm thinking much different from the one in Charleston, but it's pretty hard to hate on a wedding.

1. One of my favorite treats is boiled peanut.  It's a Lowcountry specialty - I don't even think you can find the right kind of peanuts in NYC - so I always try to get them when I'm home.  When I think boiled peanuts, I can see myself eating them dripping wet, prune fingers, hanging on the side of the pool.   They're only in season in the summer so I just barely squeezed them in on this trip.  Knowing it would be my last chance to get them for a while, I ate about four servings.
2. Andrew and Lee's wedding fell right in the middle of a big UGA game (vs. LSU).  Since most wedding attendees were diehard Georgia fans, there were plenty of people sneaking updates on their phones during the ceremony.  The nailbiter of a game was ending during the cocktail hour and somebody actually projected it onto the side of the building.  Only in Georgia...
3. In a small town like Savannah, the opening of Whole Foods became the event of the season.  It's the place to see and be seen so I had to go like all the other cool people.  While there, we picked up a full spread of snackies because whenever my Mom has a full house she loves to host a good happy hour.  We had all sorts of olives and pickled vegetables (the Savannah Whole Foods has a pickle bar - the first of it's kind, the cashier told us), pimento cheese, cheese and crackers, scuppernongs (a favorite, pronounced scoppa-nines), and of course, wine and beer.  

Salad with Honey Mustard Thyme Chicken

I was in the mood for a big hearty salad, the kind that's topped with chicken and serves as a full meal.  I picked an easy chicken recipe by making honey mustard (honey + dijon mustard) and adding thyme.  I poured it over a row of boneless skinless chicken breasts that were lying in a baking dish in a nice cozy row.  I used the chicken that was pounded thin because I knew it would cook up in an instant.

While the chicken was cooking, I made a bed of butter lettuce and added some bell pepper, tomato, and avocado.  I topped it all with Trader Joe's feta dressing, which is surprisingly light.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's, make your own chunky version by mixing plain greek yogurt with crumbled feta, olive oil, garlic, dill, and oregano.  Thin it out with a little buttermilk.  I haven't made it myself so I can't speak to the proportions.  Who knows - olive oil may not even be necessary, but I'm guessing those ingredients are a good place to start.

When I was writing it all out I didn't think this salad was much of a recipe.  After all, it doesn't seem particularly innovative.  BUT I've never put this combo together in a dish before (especially not with the thyme - glad I added that in there) nor have I seen it on tons of menus.  So maybe it does qualify as innovative.  Just because it's simple and seemingly boring doesn't mean it's not good.  And if you haven't thought about making a salad this way then I've done my job, haven't I?

Public

After getting a fabulous set of nails, a colleague and I decided to grab a quick drink at whatever bar was closest.  That turned out to be Public, which may have been swankier than we were looking for, but they served alcohol so it fit the bill.  When a group of trendy Soho girls waltzed in (lots of floppy hats and double kisses), the people watching became too good to leave and one drink turned into several along with a light dinner.

The cheapest wine on the menu was $12 so don't go there for bargains.  But I will say that my $12 glass was delicious...that's why I had three of them.  We decided to split an appetizer and an entree.  Since we were sitting at the bar instead of a table, going splitzies just seemed appropriate.  For the app we got the lentil salad with green beans, avocado, pecans, and pomegranate molasses.  If you're wary about lentils, you won't be after eating this dish.  For the first time, I wasn't shoveling mocha colored mush into my mouth.  It was absolutely delicious.  We also split the pork tenderloin and belly with poached egg.  The belly was incredible and made more decadent by the egg.  The tenderloin had a bit too much peppercorn but was cooked perfectly.

Candles line the brick walls and a step down makes the large dining room feel intimate.  When I walked in I saw old records in a nook next to oversized leather chairs, all things you'd find in a rich man's library.  One wall, however, looked more public library than personal.  Upon a closer look I realized the tiny drawers that covered one wall were actually mailboxes, each with their own key.  For $50/month, the chef will choose a wine each month and deliver it to your restaurant mailbox along with suggested parings.  While I don't usually frequent restaurants at this price point, touches like this and the $50, 5-course Sunday menu could entice me to be a regular (if I made a bit more money and was a generally fancy person...which I don't...and I'm not).

Monday Reads

I read a lot.  You've probably seen book reviews on this site so you're familiar with the novels and memoirs I've been reading, but it doesn't stop there.  I'm constantly flipping through magazines and websites for interesting articles.  But I'll admit it's overwhelming.  I work in print and digital advertising so I know firsthand how much great content is out there.  I usually feel like I can't get to it all, but I'm trying to expand my mind and I'm taking all you readers with me.  That's why I'm instituting a new series on this blog: Monday reads.

You probably spent the whole weekend with your brain shut off.  Now it's Monday, you're back at work, and it's time to get the gears turning again.  You warm up before any physical exercise and should do the same before you exercise your brain.  I plan to curate a few articles every Monday to get things moving up in that noggin of yours.  Just think of it as stretching for the brain.

1. It's good to know I'm not the only one who feels the urge to cry on an airplane.  Don't be embarrassed; this article explains why we get extra choked up while flying. 
2. I found school supply shopping thrilling...except for when my Mom always made me buy the cheap pens.  The one thing she didn't skimp on: the Trapper Keeper.  I loved comparing my fun binder to everyone else's on the first day of school.  
3. I fancy myself a reader, but David Bowie seems to be in a whole other league.  Glad it's not all sex, drugs, and rock & roll with this one.
4. I may not be on the creative side of advertising, but I find this hilarious.

Joe & Misses Doe

Because of how much I enjoyed the small JoeDough sandwich shop, I was eager to try their new restaurant as soon as it opened.  I made it to Joe & Misses Doe within a month and a half of their opening. I'll give it to ya straight: it was hit and miss.

The spicy oxtail special had good - albeit spicy - flavor, but it was prepared like their wings. I'm sure the wings are good, but oxtail requires a different treatment, one that allows the meat to just fall off the bone. It was too difficult to get to the good stuff. The real disappointment, however, was the French dip dumplings. I called dibs on this before we even got to the restaurant (since I'd reviewed the menu beforehand, natch). Unfortunately, they were bland. Nothing more to say about that.

The snacks, on the other hand were great. I was lucky I even got to try one of their house made pickles before Albert ate all of them. What a fiend, that boy. They were like spicy bread and butter pickles. I didn't think you could be both spicy and sweet when it came to pickles. I also loved the deviled eggs, especially because they seemed to put two whole yolks in each half.  Between that and the drink menu, there are enough good items to merit another visit.

3 on Thursday

Thankfully I'm back on track after my 4 AM Tuesday morning wake up call.  That 6 AM flight is brutal, but it was worth it to have all of Monday at home with my family.  When so much of my long weekend home was actually spent in Charleston for Andrew and Lee's wedding, I really needed the extra day to get in some good Savannah time.  This is part 1 of 2 for Lowcountry themed "3 on Thursday."  The background for this week is a shot of an old Charleston cemetery off King Street that was more Secret Garden than spooky.

1. My brother and sister in law got to live their fantasy of downtown living this summer.  They spent a few months in a great apartment after selling their old home and waiting for the new one to finish construction.  They are happy to be back by the river, but loved living so close to Savannah's vibrant, downtown scene.  Based on how much he talked about it, my brother's favorite part about living downtown was being a block away from a growler shop.  He loves their selection and I loved the quote they had posted outside.
2. The Delta terminals at LGA have gotten a makeover and this trip was the first time I've taken advantage of their handy iPad ordering system with credit card readers docked right at the bar.  It made grabbing a bite or a drink before the flight very easy.
3. This trip marked Albert's first flight in a decade so we had to share a toast...that's not coffee in those cups.  

Sandfly BBQ

For his first visit to the South, the main mission was to introduce Albert to some of the best BBQ we have to offer.  It's probably his favorite cuisine and I was sure Savannah could do it better than NYC.  Many Southerners are single-minded when it comes to who makes the best bar-b-que in a given town.  My household is divided, with my Mom and brother steadfastly in support of SandFly BBQ so we decided to start there.   

It's time for me to come clean.  While I say I am from Savannah, GA, I am technically from unincorporated Chatham county; meaning, I'm not really within the borders of the Hostess City of the South.  If we're being honest, I am actually from Sandfly, GA...but that doesn't look nearly as good when you're addressing an envelope.

SandFly BBQ is in my little slice of Georgia heaven and it kinda makes the neighborhood.  While it could use a little bark (that's BBQ speak for the crust on the meat), the pulled pork is nice and juicy.  It's great BBQ, but the star of the show is their Brunswick stew.  Brunswick stew has a tomato base and is filled with butter beans, corn, and pork.  It is pretty unique to the Lowcountry, and I think it's what sets our bbq apart from other regions.  Everybody makes it differently, and I think SandFly's is some of the best I've ever had.