Statesville Barbecue Tour

I've been working on a very special barbecue-themed project lately, which means I have been eating a lot of barbecue all over the state of North Carolina. I'm gearing up for another round this weekend with twenty of my friends I've rounded up for a Charlotte BBQ and Brewery Tour. We're renting a van for the day and driving around to destinations in and around Charlotte. We'll be stopping at five barbecue joints and three breweries, so we are sure to be stuffed by the end of the day. 

This brings me to rule number one of BBQ touring... SHARE! Do not attempt to eat five barbecue sandwiches in one day by yourself! You only need to get a taste of everything, so just split a sandwich (and hushpuppies, Brunswick Stew, or whatever classic sides you want to sample) and move on to the next stop.

Above are some photos from my most recent barbecue themed romp around the state, in Statesville. Here's the list of stops (L-R), in case you want to try them on your own:

1. Little Pigs Barbecue:  226 Brookdale Dr, Statesville, NC 28677 (first 5 photos)
2. Carolina Barbecue: 213 Salisbury Rd, Statesville, NC 28677 (next 5 photos)
3. Pfiffer's Hot Wings and Bar-B-Q: 1023 Shelton Ave, Statesville, NC 28677 (next 3 photos)
4. Port-a-Pit BBQ: 119 Marshall Forest Lane, Statesville, NC 28625 (last 3 photos)

And yes, there are a gazillion spellings of the word "barbecue," but what really matters is how it tastes.

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Every Day is an Adventure

This was a "yes" day; everything we saw along the road that looked interesting, every idea we had, we had to say "yes" to. This took us into 5 different counties, down hidden back roads, and to places we've lived near and grew up close to, some of which we've never visited, others familiar and full of memories. It meant turning the car around many times to go back and go inside some little shop or to walk along the road and take a picture. 


A road trip should be cut through with a swath of green in every shade of the country and pops of vibrant color from roadside stops. It should be a little bit of everything. This one had it all, and this daylong excursion took place only an hour or so from home, proving that an adventure can be had anywhere, anytime, and with not much money in your pocket.

Paul and I started our day in our hometown of Mt. Pleasant, NC, where we stopped to check out the new farmers' market. The vegetables we picked up were weighed on this antique scale. While we were in town, we also rummaged around a consignment shop and a roadside yard sale. (Click photos to enlarge.)

Next stop: Cline's Antiques, a treasure trove full of interesting finds. Paul and I both grew up down the road from this place (but never met each other until after college - random fact), and I couldn't believe he had never been! It turned out to be one of his favorite stops of the day. We took home some cool letterpress blocks, a dish/tray/contraption for my nature collection, and antique beer bottles for bottling homebrew.

On the road in Stanly County: driving down country roads past fields of corn and soybeans, a church that dates back to 1830, BBQ lunch in Albemarle, and a wine tasting at Dennis Vineyards. We also found a really great thrift store in Albemarle that was tucked away down an alleyway and was packed so full of things you could hardly walk!

Paul remembered passing over an interesting bridge while driving out to a hike a year or so ago. We found it on the atlas and it was about an hour away. Should we go? There was only one possible answer: Yes! 

Wading through the Uwharrie River was one of the highlights of the day. It was such a cool reprieve after the 90 degree heat!

A country drive: Seeing another bridge on the map, we crossed over and kept driving. Left: looking down over the second bridge into a nice swimming hole. No road trip is really complete without a dirt road or two, and we found a bunch of good ones! Bottom right: old country store that was at the corner of the road pictured above it.

Last stop: Pat & Mick's in New London. I used to frequent this country fish camp with my family when we were staying at the lake house as I was growing up. Lots of good memories here! Dinner to share: cajun flounder, deviled crab, fried shrimp, oysters and scallops. And with full bellies, we drove just a little over an hour back home to Charlotte.

Drink It Up

As promised, here are the drink recipes from the 1920's speakeasy party we hosted this past weekend. I'll just have to say - I could have a BBQ whiskey sour everysingleday if I wasn't worried about turning into a total lush. We served all of these drinks in half-pint mason jars, which we luckily have a slew of from all of our canning. I have been picking up even more lately from all my Goodwill and thrift store trips to stock up for the season. They're fun to drink out of, and you can snag them from 10 to 40 cents apiece. Now try to beat that with a hickory stick! If you try any of these out, let me know which is your favorite!

yours truly, serving up Lemon-Absinthe Poppers

The Blind Pig

recipe adapted from Cherry Tea Cakes

equal parts (1 oz. or 1 shot each)...

whiskey

fresh lemon juice

BBQ simple syrup

The Bee's Knees

recipe adapted from Southern Cocktails: 

Dixie Drinks, Party Potions & Classic Libations

1 shot gin

1/2 shot fresh lemon juice

1 shot honey syrup*

Tequila Toss-Up

recipe created by me!

1  sm. jigger tequila (1 oz.)

1 lrg. jigger grapefruit juice (1.5 oz.)

1/2 lrg. jigger basil or thyme syrup** (3/4 oz.)

splash seltzer

A 1920s Weekend

This weekend, Paul and I threw a stock-the-bar speakeasy party for our friends who are getting married. I just love a good themed party! We went all out with old-timey treats and DIY drinks, and I even turned my dressing room that I use at craft shows into a photo booth! Yes, you had to take your own photos using my camera, but it didn't make it any less fun. And afterwards, I turned them into photo strips for everyone. Below are a few of my favorites from the night that I'll share without getting too many of my friends in trouble. :) On the left, I'm with Paul and one of my very best friends, Sarah. Then when Paul and I were cleaning up the next day, we decided we'd take a few photos with the dogs. (The chihuahuas, Lola and Biscuit are ours. Emerson the beagle we were watching for a friend.) Later this week, I'll share some food and drink recipes with you and a few more photos to go with them.