Let me start off by stating the obvious — I love barbecue. Any kind of barbecue really, but I lean towards smoky, aromatic chopped pork and slaw sandwiches wrapped in wax paper, served with a side of hushpuppies.

Faye and I traveled south a few weeks ago to visit the families across North and South Carolina. While there we decided to eat as much barbecue as we could hold without intruding on the non-barbecue family meals. We managed to squeeze in four barbecue lunches, three in North Carolina and one in South Carolina.

Stop #1. Little Richard's Bar-B-Que
4885 Country Club Rd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27104

Our first stop was Little Richard's. We've eaten here before, and even though we've never had our socks knocked off, Little Richard's is generally considered a safe choice for barbecue in the area. I had a coarse chopped sandwich with slaw and a side of hushpuppies. The meat was piled high, but didn't have a smoky fragrance and was far away from meltingly tender. It just didn't fall apart like a well-cooked chunk of pork should. To make matters worse, the hushpuppies were overdone and greasy. I think we're done with Little Richard's.

One out of four hogs.

Outside Little Richard's

We're in tobacco country

Why they serve on tinfoil I'll never understand

Stop #2. Short Sugar's Pit Bar-B-Q
1328 S Scales St.
Reidsville, NC 27320

http://shortsugarsbar-b-q.com/

We drove about an hour NE out to Reidsville one day to try Short Sugar's. Was it was worth the drive? Oh yes. I had the chopped sandwich with slaw and a side of hushpuppies. The sandwich I would faithfully describe as hickory smoked heaven on a bun. The sauce was vinegary with brown sugar and maybe soy sauce, not too sweet, it was just right. The three dollar sandwiches and hushpuppies didn't last long, so additional sandwiches and a few chili dogs were ordered. It was so good we couldn't stop eating.

Four out of four hogs.

Chimneys are something you want to see

Counter service looks good

Short Sugar's knows their stuff

Stop #3. Beacon Drive-In
255 John B White Sr Blvd.
Spartanburg, SC 29306

http://www.beacondrivein.com/

I grew up in Sparkle-city, which meant a hash with cheese, heavy on the red from the Beacon defined what barbecue was. When I visit my family, I always, always, always stop at the Beacon to get my oil changed.

At the Beacon I throw my barbecue rules out the window. Minced pork, not chopped? Never had the chopped, why start now. Cheese on barbecue? Yessir. Red sauce? Yes ma'am. No hushpuppies? Correct. Onion rings and fries? Indeed.

The whole experience of going to the Beacon, and it is an experience, hasn't changed much since I was a kid. JC was there hollering out the orders up front, the Beacon has the best sweet tea bar none, and the food tastes exactly the same as I remember, even though the business changed hands in the 90's.

I had my standard hash with cheese, heavy on the red, onion rings, fries, and sweet tea. I didn't get the a-plenty because I needed to see the sandwich, if you've ever been there you know what I'm talking about. The pork is minced and soaked in a powerful vinegar sauce and the bun is wide and toasted, a nice touch. The onion rings are addictive, immensely popular, and always drenched in grease. The Beacon goes through about three tons of onions a week.

Three out of four hogs. I dropped a hog in fairness to the others because of my sentimental taste buds.

The old Beacon sign

Beacon from the front

Gotta learn the lingo

Best meal in Spartanburg right there

Stop #4. Snook's Old Fashion Barbecue
109 Junie Beauchamp Rd.
Advance, NC 27006

It's hard to believe we hadn't heard of Snook's, especially considering how good it was. I had a chopped with slaw sandwich, hushpuppies and tea. You could taste the smoke and the slaw was tangy like it should be. The hushpuppies were the best of the bunch, a little more flour than cornmeal, and not too sweet. The sandwiches weren't as big as normal, I could've eaten two, but I heard they were running a little small that day. I'll be back next time we head South for a comparison.

Four out of four hogs.

Note the mercedes, I couldn't figure out whose car that was

At the counter of Snook's

Shotgun style dining

That was a great sandwich

Wow, that is one unappealing preview image... thanks YouTube.

Moto and Alinea, two Chicago based restaurants that inject science and a dash of the avant-garde into their cuisine, were profiled on the CBS Sunday Morning News this past Sunday. The story was a rebroadcast from sometime last year, but still interesting, if for nothing else than the hoity-toity Lobster Cheeto featured towards the end.

I can't believe that in just eight months we've passed the 100 mark on our Wine We Drank Flickr photoset. It's funny because when I started, I didn't really think I'd stick with it. I'm as surprised as anyone that I've kept snapping away. I know some of our friends might get a little annoyed that I want a picture of every single wine I have a taste of, but most don't seem to mind. Plus, it's been a great resource which has saved me more than a few bucks on bum wines I would have bought twice in the past.

Here's a slideshow link. That's a lot of wine. Cheers!