Que With the Klinners

Yesterday we joined the Klinner family in Clanton for a good ole southern Fourth of July barbeque "on the grounds" as we like to say.  They opened their lovely Victorian home to us all, and after a plate full of ribs, creamed corn and green beans like my Nanny use to make, I drug myself up and had a field day photographing the whole event. Let's just start with the back porch and work from there shall we?

Miss Myra's

Many of you saw the New York Times article 36 Hours in Birmingham.  Well it seems even those folks in the Big Apple, know good bar-b-que when they taste it.  Miss Myra's in Cahaba Heights was the place they picked.  I stopped in for a sandwich the other day and just happened to have my camera.  Aside from the great smoked chicken sandwich, the friendly folks behind the counter couldn't have been nicer.  Today I feature them along with what I call the "Trinity of BBQ". For those of you not in the know, that would be a roll of paper towels ( a necessity if you're eating ribs), red sauce ( vinegary, NOT sweet) and white sauce ( A mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar, black pepper. Fabulous on their chicken).  My Alabama viewers can tell you right off that the rack of chips in the background is Golden Flake, of course!  The last photo is a smattering of their rather extensive collection of pigs.  I'm not discussing the wall to wall photos of Bear Bryant and the Crimson  Tide.

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