Twelve years ago this month, I began working for Steven Raichlen, the world’s foremost authority on international grilling and barbecue. My first major project was testing recipes for Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs (now titled Best Ribs Ever). My brand-new Weber Performer—I didn’t own a smoker in those days—and I turned out slab after slab of ribs during the spring of 2005, which I would vacuum seal and pack with frozen gel packs and overnight to Steven’s home in Miami. Pastrami Ribs. Mint Julep Ribs. Even tongue-in-cheek Rabbi’s Ribs.
But my absolute favorite ribs were Cousin Dave’s Chocolate-Chipotle Ribs. What a hit they were at that year’s Fourth of July bash! They were slathered in a finger-lickin’-good wet rub featuring chipotle chiles, fresh lime juice, and a small amount of heat-taming chocolate, much like Mexican mole, then indirect grilled at a fairly high temperature—325 degrees with soaked wood chips for about 2 hours. Those were good bones. Superlative bones. Why have the ribs I’ve made lately not measured up?
I’ll tell you why. Because I was seduced, as were many barbecuers, by the 3-2-1 method. That’s where you smoke the ribs for 3 hours at 225 to 250 degrees, wrap in foil for 2, then unwrap and sauce for the last hour. What was I thinking? The meat was tender, almost bordering on mushy. The bark was soggy after its steam bath. And the flavors were what I can only describe as washed-out. The 3-2-1 method and I are officially parting ways. I’m going back to the lessons I learned when testing recipes for the rib book. Are you with me?
This year’s Fourth of July guests are going to be treated to the ribs they remember. And with shorter cooking times at higher temperatures, I can turn out 12 racks of righteous ribs in about 6 hours in advance of the party. (I can cook four racks of ribs at a time using Steven’s Best of Barbecue rib rack.) And the next time a new fad comes down the pike, I won’t be so quick to jump on board. Here are a few of my rib tips:
• Use a butter knife to loosen the tough membrane on the back of the ribs (called the pleura). Wiggle the blade under the membrane on one of the middle bones and lift it upward. Use a dry paper towel to tear off the membrane. Be patient. Sometimes, it tears. You can skip this step—some barbecuers do—but the membrane isn’t edible and impedes the absorption of smoke and spices.
• Apply dry rubs generously just before grilling or smoking the ribs. If allowed to sit for several hours, salty rubs will begin to cure the meat, toughening it. Work over a rimmed baking sheet to contain the mess.
• “Moisturize” the ribs before cooking by slathering them with a paste made with cheap yellow mustard (Steven prefers Dijon) and a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Mayonnaise is another option; neither one will affect the flavor of the ribs.
• You can buy “St. Louis-style” ribs—spare ribs that have the sternum, cartilage, and rib tips removed—but it is easy and usually cheaper to trim a rack of spares yourself. Use the trimmings to flavor beans or collard greens.
• Create a humid environment in your grill or smoker by placing a foil pan full of water or fruit juice underneath the ribs. Or you can fill a food-safe spray bottle with water or another liquid (like soda pop) and periodically spray the ribs to keep them from drying out.
• Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick between bones. It should go in easily. Alternatively, pick a rack of ribs up in the middle with tongs. If the meat begins to shred where it’s held by the tongs, the ribs are tender. The shrinkage of meat from the bone is another sign of doneness: the meat should recede from the ends of the bones by about 1/2 inch.
• Generally, apply barbecue sauce, if using, to the meat the last few minutes of cooking. Most sauces contain sugar, which will easily scorch if exposed directly to the flames and heat.
• Use a sharp knife to slice between the bones (I like to work from the back side as it’s easier to see where to make the cuts) to avoid shredding the meat.
I hope you try Cousin Dave’s Chocolate-Chipotle Ribs. If you do, please share your impressions with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
To celebrate National Barbecue Month, we recently invited you via social media to share with us your favorite organized barbecue festivals, contests, and cookouts. Thanks to you, we learned about events from the Carolinas to California, from Texas to Tennessee. All summer long, amateur and professional pit masters will be cooking up a storm, barbecuing ribs, brats, brisket, chicken, and more. Hopefully, a cloud of blue smoke will be settling over your town in the weeks to come. Check out the list we compiled from your suggestions. And if we missed anything important, let us know!
Taste of the Carolinas
Timing: April 22 – May 14, weekends only
Locations: Charlotte, NC
As the place where the Carolinas come together, Carowinds knows a thing or two about having a good time. Now you can get a taste of the best food, entertainment, and culture from seven different regions all around the Carolinas, all in one day! You can also ride Fury 235—the world’s tallest and fastest giga-coaster. The park is holding a summer kick-off party, where locals can enjoy gourmet food and handcrafted beverages, homemade arts and crafts, first-rate entertainment from seven distinct cultures from North and South Carolina, including Asheville and the mountains, Outer Banks, and Lexington, Upstate SC, BBQ region, Lowcountry SC, and Charleston.
BBQ & Brew Fest
Timing: April 28 – May 14, weekends only
Location: Kansas City, MO
Looking to give your taste buds a head start before July? Check out Worlds of Fun’s third annual BBQ & Brew Fest. Guests at Kansas City’s beloved theme park will enjoy craft beers from around the region and tasty barbecue! Don’t forget to check out park attractions such as Mustang Runner and Falcons Flight—be sure to leave your BBQ sauce on the side.
Memphis in May BBQ Festival
Timing: May 17-20
Location: Memphis, TN
Come get BBQ’D at the Memphis in May Festival, one of America’s most prestigious barbecue cooking competitions and one that is bound to give you the most smoke-filled weekend of your life. Also hosting some of the cities largest events—like the Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest—this festival brings the world to Memphis and Memphis to the world.
Georgia Mountain Eggfest
Timing: May 19-20
Location: Hiawassee, GA
To the Non-Eggheads out there, an Eggfest is a gathering of Big Green Egg fans and experienced cooks showcasing their skills and talents by preparing specialty recipes all festival-long. Stroll around the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds and get close with the cooks by talking to them about their recipes and techniques while sampling their wonderful ‘Egged’ food.
Photo provided by the Colorado BBQ Challenge
Madison Magazine BBQ Festival
Timing: May 19-20
Location: Sauk City, WI
Two full days of live music, delicious food on sale from the BBQ pros, beer and wine, children’s activities, grilling demos, and so much more—you can’t go wrong at the Madison Magazine BBQ Festival. Financial proceeds go towards supporting the arts, young professionals and youth in the Sauk Prairie Community.
Salt City BBQ Festival
Timing: May 20
Location: Syracuse, NY
Partnering with Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and raising funds for Phoenix Philosophies to build homes for homeless veterans, the Salt City BBQ Festival includes a professional cook-off with teams from across the country competing for cash and prizes and selling their BBQ to attendees. Let the kids get in on the action in the Kids’ Q Cook-off. Come down to the New York State Fairgrounds, eat some awesome BBQ, drink some beer, listen to some great live music, and help a great cause.
Brew & BBQ Fest
Timing: May 19 – June 11, weekends only
Location: Sandusky, OH
Sample more than 100 microbrews and mouthwatering BBQ at the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World.” Brew and BBQ is back for the third year at Cedar Point and better than ever! Venture to Sandusky to enjoy BBQ dishes from premier chefs and live entertainment while savoring some of the best craft beer from around the country; including six exclusive Cedar Point beers! Brew and BBQ takes place in FrontierTown, so grab your friends and make sure you come hungry and thirsty! And if you’re looking for big thrills to match your big BBQ plate, the Valravn – the longest, tallest dive coaster in the world—won’t disappoint.
Red, White & Brews
Timing: May 27-29 and June 3-4
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Kick off your Memorial Day weekend with a celebration of regional micro brews, Bay Area wines, inspiring food, local bands and unique live entertainment, including dueling pianos. Red, White & Brews will entertain guests under some of America’s greatest coasters, including Patriot—the first floorless coaster in the park’s 41-year history.
Taylor Stomp n’ Holler BBQ and Music Festival
Timing: June 3
Location: Taylor, TX
Holy Smoke has been perfected and the barbecue at Stomp n’ Holler is nearly a religious experience. Dish up some mouth-watering barbecue from more than 10 members of the Texas Pantheon of Pitmasters, sit back with a cold Shiner (the #1 craft brew in Texas), and enjoy the astounding musical energy of Grammy Award-Winning Band, The Mavericks.
Big Apple Barbecue Block Party
Timing: June 10-11
Location: Manhattan, NY
Killer ‘que surrounded by skyscrapers? Live music? Cold beer? Manhattan may not be the first place you think of when it comes to barbecue, but head over to Madison Square for this over-the-top, forever memorable block party where the country’s top pitmasters serve-up their specialties.
Ottawa Ribfest
Timing: June 14-18
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Located on Ontario’s most popular festival street -Sparks Street- the Ottawa Ribfest serves up some spectacular BBQ chicken and ribs.
Photo provided by Cedar Point
Colorado BBQ Challenge
Timing: June 15-17
Location: Frisco, CO
Colorado’s longest-running barbecue competition, the Colorado BBQ Challenge is a multi-day event featuring live music, pig races, kids’ activities, a firefighter cook-off, chef demos, a Breckenridge Distillery Whiskey tour, the Bacon Burner 6k and some of the best barbecue in the nation. A Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS)-sanctioned competition, The Colorado BBQ Challenge attracts an elite group of pit masters each year; winning the Colorado BBQ Challenge provides eligibility to compete in the American Royal – the “World Series” of barbecue. More than 70 barbecue masters will travel to Frisco for the two-day competition, that draws more than 30,000 attendees annually, to test their skills in a variety of categories, including pork, ribs, chicken, brisket, barbecue sauce, side dish and more. Event-goers also have the opportunity to support local nonprofits such as Advocates for Victims of Assault, the Summit County Restaurant Association, High Country Conservation Center, Mountain Mentors, Women of the Summit and the Summit Chamber.
The Cedar Rapids BBQ Roundup
Timing: June 23-26
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Hosted at the riverside McGrath Amphitheater, the Cedar Rapids BBQ Roundup brings together teams from around the country to dish up BBQ and compete in categories of ‘Best BBQ Ribs,’ ‘Best Pork BBQ,’ ‘People’s Choice,’ and more. The festival also features live music from local artists and bands and other entertainments that are perfect for the whole family.
Safeway Barbecue Battle
Timing: June 24-25
Location: Washington, D.C.
What better place to enjoy classic American barbecue than in the country’s capitol?! Vendors, chefs, and competitors from across the country go head-to-head while attendees enjoy tastings, live music, and demonstrations by chefs and cookbook authors.
I Love Barbecue Festival
Timing: July 7-9
Location: Lake Placid, NY
Celebrate an all-American holiday like the Fourth of July with some all-American barbecue. The Lake Placid, NY I Love Barbecue Festival’s main event showcases a KCBS sanctioned barbecue competition, although guests can also be entertained by live bands and a motorcycle parade.
Wausau Balloon and Rib Fest
Timing: July 13-16
Location: Wausau, WI
Voted Wausau’s Favorite Event five years in a row, the Balloon & Rib Fest has something for everyone—animals, bounce houses, hot air balloons, 6 Rib Vendors and other fantastic foods, kites, and the largest fireworks show in the region.
BBQ & Brew Fest
Timing: August 5-20, weekends only
Location: Doswell, VA
This annual fest in Virginia is sure to leave your mouth watering with Moonshine pork sliders, loaded tater tots, BBQ chicken tacos, drinks from local breweries, and more. Food for this year’s BBQ & Brew will be set up along Candy Apple Grove and provided by both the park’s executive chef and local restaurants. Make sure you check out new park attractions such as Flight of Fear, Dominator, and new Planet Snoopy expansion before you eat!
Photo provided by the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party
Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival
Timing: August 25-26
Location: Kennesaw, GA
Started in 2001 as a blues concert and barbecue cook-off for only a handful of amateur grillers, Pigs & Peaches is now a two-day festival of non-stop music, good eats by competitive cook teams, cold beer, and interactive family-fun.
Independence BrewBQ
Timing: August 26
Location: Independence, IA
This one-day festival and charity fundraiser is making its twelfth year the biggest and best yet with a morning BrewBQ Bike Ride, BBQ vendors who bring delicious new flavors to the menu selection, a Craft Brew Zone featuring over 75 craft brews, and live music you can enjoy from the comfort of your lawn chair or blanket.
Nugget Rib Cook-Off
Timing: August 30 – September 4
Location: Sparks, NV
One of America’s biggest and best free-entry barbecue festivals, The Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off hosts two dozen of the world’s top barbecue competitors to serve up more than 240,000 pounds of ribs for thousands of event attendees.
The American Royal
Timing: August 31 – September 3
Location: Kansas City, KS
Get ready for a smoky finish to summer. Head over to Kansas City for the American Royal World Series of Barbecue and you’ll experience the world’s largest barbecue competition, boasting of over 500 teams and 70,000 spectators.
Kentucky State BBQ Festival
Timing: September 8-10
Location: Danville, KY
Held for the first time at the historic Wilderness Trail Distillery, this year’s KY State BBQ Festival features celebrity pitmasters and great music, food, beer, and bourbon—promising fun for the entire family.
Rock n’ Rib Fest
Timing: September 15-18
Location: Tulsa, OK
Bring the entire family to Downtown Tulsa for four days of live music and Oklahoma’s premiere celebration of award-winning ribs. Admission is free!
Beef-a-Rama
Timing: September 30
Location: Minocqua, WI
For more than 50 years, Beef-a-Rama has been held on the last Saturday of September, with roasters cooking their signature beefs before dawn and more than 12,000 people filling the streets to enjoy it. This creative festival gives you many choices as a visitor—join the crowd and dress up in a cow-themed costume, participate in the 5K and 10K Rump Roast Run and Walk along Lake Minocqua, shop around the Prime Choice Craft show’s 70+ vendors, watch the Beef Eating Contest and the Cow Pie Plop and and the famous Roaster Parade—all culminating in a one-of-a kind fun you can only find in the Northwoods.
Jack Daniels World Championship Barbecue Invitational
Timing: October 27-28
Location: Lynchburg, TN
This cook-off tests competitors skills in seven barbecuing categories: beef brisket, chicken, cook’s choice, dessert, Jack Daniel’s sauce, pork ribs, and pork shoulders/butts. Try this variety of classic barbecue alongside live music and clogging performances—the traditional dance of the Appalachian region.
About a year ago, the cold water in the kitchen began to slow down to a trickle. Instead of changing the cartridge I decided to just change the entire faucet as the old faucet was nearing 20 years old and was getting rusty.
I bought this Basin Buddy socket and a regular basin wrench. I had never changed out a faucet before and did not know what would be the best to use. After shutting off the water and verifying that the water is off at the faucet, you can use the Basin Buddy to easily remove the supply lines under the faucet. Then you can also use it to remove the plastic retaining flange nuts that hold the faucet down to the sink.
The cut outs at the top of the tool grab the wings of the retaining flange. It comes with an adapter so you can use either a 1/4 or 3/8 ratchet. Using this socket and a ratchet and extension makes the entire chore much easier. You do not have to reach up so far. I did not even bother with the basin wrench. I returned it.
I reused the Basin Buddy socket the other day to replace the bathroom faucet. What makes it great is that it gives you better control over how much torque you’re applying. Supply lines usually are compression fitted, so you tighten it by hand as much as you can and then about another 1/4 turn of the ratchet and it is done. With the ratchet, it makes it easier to gauge how far you are turning it.
A plumber charges about $150 to $200 depending on your area to change out a faucet, so this tool easily pays for itself even if you just use it once.
As a tip, after turning off the water and making sure it is off, remove the supply line nuts at the bottom first just to verify that no water is trickling out. Because if so, you can easily twist them back on tight. It is easier to twist the bottom ones back on then the ones way up top under the faucet. And supply lines are pretty cheap at about $5 each, so it is cheap insurance to replace them at the same time that you are replacing the faucet.
Americans eat more than 4.5 billion tacos a year. Tacos rank among our most beloved fast foods, good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack after the bars close. And now, tacos have their own day! Taco Tuesdays have become a ritual in kitchens across the country.
We challenge you to mix it up this week, and grill your taco ingredients! We’ve compiled a list of recipes below to get your started.
Like many totemic dishes on Planet Barbecue, the tacos al pastor stems from multiple peoples, cultures, and continents. Grill masters have, over time, adapted the recipe to make it their own. Pork came to replace the lamb, chiles and achiote replaced the olive oil and Middle Eastern herbs, and the whole shebang came to be served on tortillas instead of pita. We assume you don’t own a vertical rotisserie, so this recipe relies on direct grilling.
In coastal Mexico, from the Baja peninsula to the Yucatán, fish tacos are not so much a recipe as an appetizing equation: fish + wrappers + condiments = fish tacos. Consequently, they’re infinitely customizable. There’s the protein: fresh fish, seasoned and served hot off the grill. There’s the wrapper: a warm corn or flour tortilla, preferably handmade by someone who knows their masa on a cast iron comal or tortilla press. And at least one homemade salsa or relish.
Inspired by Korean bool kogi (grilled rib eye steak), the beef taco starts with one of the world’s most flavorful marinades, a sweet-salty-nutty mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and mirin (sweet rice wine), with ginger, garlic, and scallions to make sure you’re paying attention. Like so many great finger foods, you wrap everything up, in this case in lettuce leaves, and eat it with your hands.
With at least 4 hours for marinating the pork, plus 4 to 6 hours cooking time, you’ll need to plan ahead when making this recipe. The results are well worth the effort—especially when you serve the fall-of-the-bone tender pork with Salsa Borracha (Drunken Salsa). It’s not the sort of salsa you’d serve with chips, but barbacoa just wouldn’t taste right without it.
This recipe from BBQ USAcombines cilantro, jalapeños, scallions, chopped garlic, salt, black pepper, and cumin in a marinade that gives the recipe its name. Try a wire mesh basket to make grilling the shrimp easier.
6. Build Your Own Taco Combination with Homemade Salsas
Of course, the boot-scuffed concrete floors, cinder-block walls, and corrugated ceilings of John T. Floore Country Store can’t actually talk, but they sure do tell some stories. “The rafters have all kinds of things hanging from them—cowboy hats and farm tools,” says managing partner Mark McKinney of the renowned café turned honky-tonk on the outskirts of San Antonio. “There is a legend that John Wayne hung his boots up here and never marked which pair so they wouldn’t get stolen.”
photo: Courtesy of Heather Bohn
The interior at Floore’s.
The Redheaded Stranger’s career launched here. Several circa-1960s hand-painted signs still announce WILLIE NELSON EVERY SAT. NITE. Another proclaims, WORLD’S BEST HOMEMADE TAMALES. Order one of them with an ice-cold Shiner Bock before taking a turn on the dance floor to celebrate the landmark’s seventy-fifth anniversary.
photo: Courtesy of Heather Bohn
John T. Floore and Willie Nelson.
The party kicks off with a two-night set from Robert Earl Keenand the Randy Rogers Band (Friday, April 14, and Saturday, April 15). The rest of the 2017 lineup is filled with audience-favorite country, blues, and Americana acts. “Bands come here and tell me they’ve played venues all over the country and there’s no place like Floore’s,” McKinney says. “I don’t have an easy answer for what the magic is.” But even if he did, a magician never reveals his secrets.
by Claire Lower on Skillet, shared by Claire Lower to Lifehacker
When preparing a “square” meal—you know, the kind with a protein and at least two sides—I rarely struggle with the actual cooking. I can cook a chicken, mash some potatoes, and roast a sheet pan of broccoli without any issue, but timing it all so everything ends up on the table simultaneously—hot and ready—is what…
The Baltimore Orioles lost 2-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays tonight but Manny Machado made the heads-up baseball play of the night when he smartly read the spin on Evan Longoria’s foul ball and nabbed him at first.
Bowling is a thing of beauty. From President Nixon to The Big Lebowski, bowling is ingrained in the national conscious — it's the largest participatory sport in the US, one...
by Shep McAllister on Gear, shared by Shep McAllister to Deadspin
Beach season is here, and we want to know how our readers keep their favorite drinks cold while the sun is hot. Just be sure to check out the rules below, then kick off your sandals and head down to the comments to nominate your pick. Cheers!
For such a well-loved celebrity, surprisingly little is known about painter Bob Ross. Aside from a few details about his early life and his time with painting mentor Bill Alexander,...
Dutch Schultz, whose given name wasn't Dutch Schultz, had a lot of secrets.
Fatally shot in 1935 while urinating at the Palace Chop House and Tavern in Newark, Schultz was a noted gangster in a time of noted gangsters, when men such as Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel walked the Earth. And, like many of his peers, Schultz had a lot of business interests, one of which was bootlegging, an activity which made a lot of criminals rich. Schultz was also, authorities later found out, running an underground distillery in Pine Plains, New York, that was largely forgotten until recently.
Today, that distillery is operating again under the name Dutch's Spirits, and its CEO, Lydia Higginson, says that the new—completely legit, this time—operation is still unearthing the remnants of Schultz's original activities. "There's some critters down there," Higginson said, referring to a system of underground bunkers (and the animals that populate them) that Schultz used to conceal his distillery from the prying eyes of the feds.
The bunkers have since been excavated and opened to visitors, but before 2010 they were mostly a local rumor. Like a separate rumor of buried treasure in nearby Phoenicia, they might've just lived on as an urban legend, had the owners of the site not done some digging and rediscovered the reason why agents, in 1932, raided what appeared to be a quiet Hudson Valley farm. Some 15,000 gallons of mash and two 2,000-gallon stills were destroyed in the process, though Schultz himself somehow avoided charges.
All of this suggests that Schultz, who was 33 when he died, probably would have liked that his eponymous liquor operation is up and running again, at the site where he first built one. He'd have appreciated the attention, too, since like a lot of gangsters of his era, Schultz liked publicity. He had even changed his given surname, Flegenheimer, to Schultz, because the latter "was short enough to fit in the headlines."
Schultz also, at one point, became something of a media critic, after seeing some language he disliked in The New York Times. Schultz, the paper wrote in a 1933 story, was "a pushover for blondes," a fact that Schultz himself did not dispute. His beef, rather, was that the phrase appeared in what ostensibly was a family newspaper. ''I only remember it made me feel bad when I saw it in The Times," Schultz said then. "I don't think 'pushover for a blonde' is any kind of language to write for a newspaper like The Times.''
A little over two years later, Schultz was dead, the victim of a hit by other mobsters, who were angry that he did not agree to abandon his plan to assassinate the prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey (who died, of natural causes, in 1971).
Still Schultz's legacy lives on, in the form of a largely unsourced Wikipedia page and in Dutch's Spirits, a local, "farm-to-bottle" distiller that's thriving in part because of the law, not despite it. The Farm Distillery Act, which then-governor Eliot Spitzer signed into law in 2007, has facilitated a boom in distilleries across the state, including Dutch's Spirits, which was founded in 2010 and made a name for itself selling moonshine. Higginson says that the current governor, Andrew Cuomo, has continued to encourage the development of such small distilleries. "I think Governor Cuomo realized that this would be another value-added product," she said. "I’m not saying it’s easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it does facilitate the growing of crops and the ability to do it."
For now, however, the distilling takes place off-site, while corn and soon rye are being cultivated on site, where there's also a tasting room. A 12,000-square-foot barn intended to house stills is in the works. The ghost of Schultz, meanwhile, still lurks, providing something of a competitive advantage, though Higginson says that any rivalries (two other distilleries operate in Dutchess County alone) are pretty friendly.
"When I try to explain to Europeans that our country could not legally drink for 10 years their eyes light up," she says, adding what she thinks makes Dutch's unique "It’s the moonshine and our history."
The Royal Navy’s pay truly was contemptible. Except for those who were independently wealthy, the uncertain prospect of prize money was a captain’s only prospect for financial security. The British had to trust in fate and their captains’ skill for the encouraging effects of prize money, but it seems to have worked.
The Jeep was made for one specific purpose — being the vehicular backbone of the US Armed Forces. While other cars of the pre-WWII era were flaunting their curved fenders...
Landscape designer Jon Carloftis grew up in rural Livingston, Kentucky—an hour or so outside Lexington. “We did pretty much everything in Lexington except grocery shop,” he says. But after graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1988, Carloftis packed his bags for the Big Apple and spent the next twenty-five years up North, building his business from the ground up. “I always missed Kentucky,” he says. “The quality of life down here is wonderful—and it’s so beautiful. I can get in my truck with my two yellow labs, and I can be out in the country surrounded by horse farms in just ten minutes.”
photo: Caroline Allison
Jon Carloftis.
On a trip home in 2012, he fell in love with a historic home minutes from downtown Lexington called Botherum, which he first visited when he bartended a party there in college. “It took a couple of years to get the house restored,” he says. “Once I did there was no way I could leave.” He and his partner, Dale Fisher, permanently relocated in 2015. Today, Carloftis has taken on the role of town booster, and when he’s not digging in the dirt on a new garden project, here’s where you can find him:
7:00 a.m.
Start Your Day with a Local Roast: “I always have my coffee at home. David Barnes, the husband of Marianne Barnes—the distiller at Castle & Key—owns Archetype Coffee Co., and his coffee is so good that house guests always comment on it.”
8:30 a.m.
photo: Courtesy of the Lexington Farmers Market
Fresh produce at the Lexington Farmers Market.
Fresh from the Field: “Once I’m moving, I would go down to the Lexington Farmers’ Market and go see my friend from college Ann Bell, whose family owns Elmwood Farms. I buy organic chicken, organic vegetables, you name it. Then I go see Val Schirmer at Three Toads Farm. She’s the “bulb queen.” From spring on, she grows ranunculus, daffodils, tulips. She grows peonies and anemones, too. And her Casa Blanca lilies are the size of my head. I don’t know what she is doing…Voodoo, maybe. But no one grows bulbs like Val.”
11:30 a.m.
Break for Brunch: “I bring my haul back to the house. And then I go to one of two places for either brunch or lunch. Stella’s Deli has six items on the brunch menu. We might order as many as four, but the chipotle biscuits and gravy is hard to beat. Or their farm egg. Honestly, I love it all. For lunch, we might do Blue Door Smokehouse—it’s crazy good. There’s usually a wait and by 2 p.m. they’re sold out, so go early. It’s the best brisket I’ve ever had.”
photo: Courtesy of Blue Door Smokehouse
A hearty helping of barbecue at Blue Door Smokehouse.
1:30 p.m.
A Taste of the Bluegrass: “After lunch, do the Bourbon Trail, which is close, so we often do that with out-of-town guests. Or jump on the Horse Farm Tour or the Garden and Architecture Tour, which Dale and I helped put together. Of course, during three hallowed weeks in April and October, you have to go to Keeneland. Some of the best memories in my life have happened there. It’s especially special when you bet and win. But even if you spend and lose, it’s still a great day.”
photo: Jennifer Roberts
Keeneland.
4:00 p.m.
Talk Shop: “Any other time of year, I might do some shopping in the afternoon. I’d go by Scout, which is my favorite antique store in town because it carries a lot of mid-century modern pieces. It’s one of those places that is priced so well, though, that they really move their stock—don’t hesitate. L.V. Harkness is another favorite. I go there to buy beautiful glasses like Artel. A beautiful glass makes drinking that much more fun. It’s a great spot if you’re looking for unique gifts. To me, L.V. Harkness is like a miniature department store.”
photo: Caroline Allison
Inside L.V. Harkness.
8:30 p.m.
Drinks and Dinner: “We love Dudley’s on Shortfor dinner. The atmosphere, the interiors, the wait staff, the bartenders are all just right. And they just got an amazing new chef last year. I typically order the steak frites—no ketchup for dipping, though. Just a little mayo, please, with cracked pepper. Blue Heron is another favorite. It’s right down the street. My dirty little secret is that I eat fried chicken every day of my life—even if it is just a little piece. At Blue Heron, they fry it the old-fashioned way. If anyone can make fried chicken better, please call me.”
photo: Courtesy of Dudley's on Short
An outdoor table at Dudley’s on Short.
10:00 p.m.
Listen up: “After dinner, walk over to Parlay Social for live music, especially if Joselyn and the Sweet Compression is playing. Her voice is like magic.”
“The Wolf Is at Your Door (Howlin’ for My Baby)” Howlin’ Wolf
“Sam Phillips claimed that the Wolf was his all-time favorite artist to record. He had a raw, gruff sound that was exactly what Sam was looking for. When Sam heard him sing, he said, ‘This is for me. This is where the soul of a man never dies.’”
“Blue Suede Shoes” Carl Perkins
“When most people hear this song, they think of Elvis. Perkins wrote it, performed it, and saw it top the charts before Elvis ever touched it. My favorite behind-the-scenes fact: Sam promised that whoever gave him the first gold record would get a brand-new Cadillac. Sure enough, he bought Perkins a Cadillac for this one—using Perkins’s own royalty money.”
“That’s All Right” Elvis Presley
“This was the first release from a young kid named Elvis Presley. Fusing blues and country, the song was energy, speed, spirit. It was rock and roll.”
“Great Balls of Fire” Jerry Lee Lewis
“Wild man Jerry Lee Lewis gave Sun the two biggest hits the label ever had: ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’ and this one. This song was everything your parents would’ve hated at the time.”
“When Love Comes to Town” U2 and B. B. King
“After Sun Studio resurfaced in 1985, U2’s Rattle and Hum album showed other artists that we were back on the map.”
“Rocket 88” Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats
“This song features some of the earliest distorted electric guitar, and because of that, it is considered by many music historians to be the first rock-and-roll song in history.”
“Cry Cry Cry” Johnny Cash
“Cash came here with gospel songs. ‘Go home and sin,’ Sam Phillips allegedly told him, ‘and then come back.’ Cash then wrote ‘Hey Porter’ matched with the B-side ‘Cry Cry Cry.’ He became Sun’s most consistent hit maker.”
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