Spiffy little series over on Slate this week, a barbecue tour. Sadly, he's planning to skip Carolina, instead going to KC, Memphis and Texas. Which is a shame cos, (1) I'm in Carolina and I'd have liked to see what he had to say about the local 'cue; (2) he hated pretty much everything about Memphis so other than letting me know that when we finally make that pilgrimage to Graceland there won't be much good barbecue in the area, not too helpful. But overall, I'm enjoying the articles. I'm always up for some good writing about meat. Was struck by two things similar to my own 'cue experiences. The writer has the revelation that, hey, you can get great barbecue at places that don't look kinda scrungy and beat-to-shit. Which is exactly how I felt after eating at the Q Shack for the first time. Also, he talks to a local KC barbecuer who waxes rhapsodic about his first encounter with the 'cue at the legendary Arthur Bryant's. My first real 'cue encounter, as I think I've waxed about here previously, was at Flint's in Oakland. Maybe not as legendary as Bryant's but damn was it good. Definitely one of my top 10 memorable meals. Anyways, coincidentally enough, last night's Cook's Tour rerun was the barbecue episode where Tony Bourdain went to KC, Houston and NC (Wilson and... uh, someplace out near Lexington... I don't remember where exactly).