Friday, October 3, 2008

It's All About the Que


If you're from the south, this title makes perfect sense. For the rest of you I'll try and explain. "Que" is short for Bar B Que, that slowly, slowly  smoked delicacy that we southerners are passionate about.  We prefer pork but also enjoy chicken.   Beef need not apply. We're finicky about our sauce too.  It needs to be red with lots of vinegar, not sweet or mustardy. There are many great Bar B Que places around town. Today I feature two of them. I am not playing favorites, well maybe a little, but I promise to show you more in future posts.  Full Moon Bar B Que at the top takes the prize for the best logo. I smile every time I drive by this one on southside. They are known for their spicy relish they add to their sandwiches and the Half Moon cookies. YUM!  The bottom photo is the Golden Rule in Irondale , it is near the original restaurant started in 1891!  Not long ago I was enjoying a sandwich and spotted Booker ( "the pit master")  flipping those Boston butts on the pit.  As soon as I finished eating I asked to take his picture.  Behold the artist at work.    Like I said, in Birmingham, it's all about the Que!

The Tune du Jour is....."Blue Moon" by The Marcels


29 comments:

Diederick Wijmans said...

Although it is early morning here, Virginia, I am getting hungry already!!
Enjoy your weekend!!

Olivier said...

magnifique cette peinture murale, elle me fait penser à la lune de Méliès

this is a beautiful mural, it makes me think of the moon Méliès

Laurie Allee said...

This may be war, my fellow Southern gal. Did you dare say "beef not apply?" In Texas, where I was born and raised, you'd be escorted out of any self-respecting Que with blasphemous language like that! And here in Cali -- you'd better make sure to throw on a bunch of veggie kabobs and possibly a some tempeh. Oh, the humanity!

I love this photo, Virginia. And I must say, I'm now craving potato salad -- my favorite part of any barbeque!

USelaine said...

Hey, there's nothing like north Pacific salmon on the grill! Too bad we've heated, silted, and diverted the water from their spawning rivers and streams. Not much salmon left in California.

I guess they don't raise many sheep in the hot humid south either. Well, you can't have it all. 6^)

I love that moon.

Webradio said...

Bonjour Virginia !
Sympa cette peinture !

Nice text !
See You later.

Pat said...

I love barbecue. My mouth is watering. Outstanding photos!

alice said...

If we meet together in November (I do hope so!), I'll tell you a little story about the word "barbecue" ;-)

PJ said...

Godd morning, Virginia!
You know how I feel about BBQ! Sounds sooooo good!

Janet said...

I do love that moon mural!
The barbecue sounds like the kind I like.

Hope said...

Oh, you've made me hungry for BBQ and it's only just 9:30 a.m. where I am! I love the mural of the moon!

Knoxville Girl said...

So thanks for mooning me this morning, V.
And now I want bbq too, and it's only breakfast time.
This looks kind of like the Guinness logo. drat, now I want a Guinness with that bbq too. well, it's past lunchtime in the UK, does that count?

Halcyon said...

You learn something every day! I didn't know about the Que. :)

Then again I am vegetarian, so I don't frequent BBQ restaurants much. I love the moon mural in the first photo - that's a wonderful advertisement.

Janet Kincaid said...

Bar-b-que is evidence that God loves us!

Excellent photos, Virginia.

Virginia said...

D.C., I am laughing out loud! Why didn't I think of that one???

I knew that Que might just bring on some hilarious comments today. IT might give my okra post a run for its money. I will personally throw a few racks of ribs on my smoker for any of you CDP folks who stumble through Birmingham. And for Laurie, a big bowl of potato salad. Halcyon, do they make tofu ribs??

Lisa Wilson said...

I love that painting, and now I'm hungry!

Marie Reed said...

Holy Moly I am licking my plate1

San said...

I came over from Lori's, since I noticed you live in B'ham and I hail from Bama. When I saw QUE in your title, though, the first thing I thought of was the Spanish word for WHAT. I live in Santa Fe. ;-D

A few weeks ago I went to a BBQ place here that I had heard was quite good. And the meat wasn't even smoked! Talk about a travesty.

Bob Crowe said...

Posts about the life of a city are always interesting. We've got some que places around here but it's not like Kansas City or Memphis. A lawyer-photographer friend of mine in Seattle is actually something of a nationally known BBQ expert, having written and lectured on the subject. (He also plays a pretty mean bluegrass banjo. And takes good pictures). So far, however, he hasn't been very successful in educating my palate.

Tanya Breese said...

I love that moon, he kind of reminds me of the Moonpie moon. Is Irondale where the Whistle Stop Cafe is? Although the one where they filmed the movie is in Juliet, GA, so cool!
Now I want bbq for dinner but promised one of the boys we'd get Zaxby's before the football game. Not sure how VA bbq is yet,lol.

Eki said...

V!
The way you explain this makes my mouth watering! I think tried it once in Houston, TX, (that is if they are the same thing, i.e. being from the South.)

And the top photo is just striking. It's like jumping right off the screen.

Coltrane_lives said...

Virginia, I'm in hog heaven! You exe-QUE-ted these photos wonderfully! I'll take two of everything on the menu. "That's what I miss about the South." ;-)

Virginia said...

S.T. - a bar b que expert from Seattle ? Don't make me have to drive to St. Louis with a cooler full of ribs to prove my point!

Coltrane, you are welcome to join the party on my patio any time.

San, welcome!
Tanya, yes the Whistle Stop cafe is in Irondale not far from me.

Eki, Texas Que and Alabama Que are two different things. Come on down and try it. It's just a hop, skip and a jump from Indonesia!

Louis la Vache said...

"Louis" is most appreciative of the fact that beef need not apply!

Jane Hards Photography said...

Gary enjoyed the post to a mouthwatering extent. I'm with the moon, he's after the meat, sorry Louis he would dearly like steak.

Virginia said...

B and Gary,
Down here it's all about the meat! Louis , excusez moi!

Ming the Merciless said...

This is one of the things I miss most about living in the south -- good BBQ!

In NYC, the BBQ restaurants are divided into two types: the cheap, nasty immitations and the expensive, gourmet version.

Why can't we have the cheap, gourmet version?!?!?

Virginia said...

MING, listen to me. Yankees can't do bar b que. YOu are going to have to travel to get some worth eating. I don't know which is worse, nasty imitations or gourmet. GOURMET? That's wrong.

Halcyon said...

I've never had tofu ribs, but once I had soyrizzo. It tasted good on the way down, but my tum did not appreciate it much. So I'll stick to the potato salad and baked beans!

Rob said...

love BBQ! And this is my favorite shot, the Pit Master!