Hill's Lexington BBQ spearheads another Carolina-style BBQ: Lexington.


“Started by Joe Allen Hill in 1951, Hill’s Lexington Barbecue in Winston-Salem is the first to have the name “Lexington Barbecue,” thus their claim to being the “original” Lexington barbecue. At the time they opened there were a few small side street barbecues in Lexington operated by Stamey, Beck and Swicegood. But none called their barbecue place “Lexington Barbecue.”

Joe Hill, who came from Lexington, conceived the idea to bring Lexington-style barbecue cooking to Winston-Salem. Joe, along with his wife Edna, started the business on its present site.
The sauce is hot, peppery, spicy, thin (Gene says it penetrates the meat better), light reddish brown and has a strong finish by itself, but not so on the meat. It just fits.

The chopped barbecue consists of generous pieces that are not basted while cooking. It’s very lightly sauced in the kitchen. It’s a good mix of outside brown and has a good smoky taste, a rich flavor and nice texture. It’s perfect with sauce and slaw. (SOURCE)"

I ordered chopped pork BBQ, potato salad and hush puppies.

First, look at these weird lil hush puppies.

And my entree came out with some white onion that was pickled a bit and the potato salad in the middle.

The BBQ was already very seasoned and tasty, but I got some more of the peppery, vinegary sauce to add to it.

And you can't finish a meal without banana pudding.

Husk is one of those dream restaurants for me.


I've been to the location in Nashville, and it was fabulous. I have a food crush on these folks, who have been pioneering southern and Appalachian food for some time now.

So when I knew I was heading to Charleston, Husk was one of the first stops on my schedule. I made reservations for one and sat down to look over the menu.





"Centrally located in historic downtown Charleston, Husk transforms the essence of Southern food. Executive Chef and Lowcountry native, Travis Grimes, reinterprets the bounty of the surrounding area, exploring an ingredient-driven cuisine that begins in the rediscovery of heirloom products and redefines what it means to cook and eat in the South.

Starting with a larder of ingredients indigenous to the region, Grimes responsibly crafts menus, playing to what local purveyors have seasonally available at any given moment. The entrance beckons with a rustic wall of firewood to fuel the wood-fired oven in the open kitchen, and a large chalkboard listing artisanal products currently provisioning the kitchen. Much like the décor that inhabits this historic, late 19th century home, the food is modern in style and interpretation.

At Husk, there are some rules about what can go on the plate. If it doesn’t come from the South, it’s not coming through the door. The resulting cuisine is not about rediscovering Southern cooking but exploring the reality of Southern food. This modern approach from Chef Grimes results in playful dishes such as Carolina Gold Crab Rice, Benton’s Bacon, Tomato Jam and Crab Roe, to new classics such as South Carolina Shrimp and Choppee Okra Stew with Carolina Gold Rice and Flowering Basil, Kentuckyaki Glazed Pig’s Ear Lettuce Wraps with Sweet Vinegar Cucumber and Red Onion and Southern Fried Chicken Skins with Pimento Cheese “Ranch” and Scallions.

Seed-saving, heirloom husbandry, and in-house pickling and charcuterie efforts by the culinary team are the basis of the cuisine at Husk. The restaurant is as casual as it is chic, evoking a way of life centered on seasonality and the grand traditions of Charleston life—one lived at a slower pace, preferably with a cocktail and late afternoon breeze on the piazza. It is a neighborhood gathering place for friends, a destination dining spot for travelers and has a little bite of the South for everyone to savor on their homeward journey."

Something I rarely order is catfish. I just remember catching it from the Ohio River, and it was never something we ate.

But this caught my eye: "Cornmeal Dusted Catfish, Carolina Gold Rice Purloo, Brassica Greens, Preserved Tomato, Shrimp Bisque."

First, some housemade rolls.

Carolina Gold Rice is a regional specialty, and it did not disappoint - and neither did this catfish.

Ye Ole Fashioned Cafe & Ice Cream in Charleston, South Carolina, has one of my favorite features when I'm in a hurry: drive-thru.


This restaurant is known for their sundaes, but especially their banana split.


"One of the world's largest & greatest" is how they describe their banana split. And when they handed it to me, I can definitely say it's one of the heaviest I've ever tried. They spare nothing - it's topped with bananas, ice cream, nuts, whipped cream and cherries. Yum.

The Mount Pleasant Farmers Market is a really cool market in Charleston, South Carolina, that has fresh vegetables, prepared foods and more.


This is where I was able to get my hands on some South Carolina pepperoni rolls.


And I also tried Wich Cream - ice cream sandwiches!


So I went with a salted caramel ice cream sandwich.



Some of our handcrafted ice creams are lovingly snuggled between a rich, made-from-scratch, wafer-thin brownie or a vanilla cookie made with local heirloom cornmeal, and our other ice creams are served up in the buff on a stick or in a cozy pint.

Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, North Carolina, is known for its pulled pork bbq.


It's known for its whole hog cooking.


"Skylight Inn BBQ was named a "barbecue capital of America" by National Geographic in the 1970’s, which inspired the construction of the capital dome and flagpole atop the otherwise unassuming restaurant (earlier this year, Eater critic Bill Addison also named it home to one of the country's 23 essential barbecue dishes). Their whole hogs are still prepared in the same style as when Pete Jones began the business: cooked over 100% oak wood become piled of chopped and mixed tender meat and crispy skin." (EATER)


So, I simply got a small "pig" with cornbread and potato salad.


It came in a bag like this.



The iconic pork tray topped with a long piece of cornbread is iconic.


So this was really unique. It's super tender pork with little bits of crispy skin in there. So dang good. And the cornbread is not sweet at all - but perfect with a bite of pork.


The creamy, egg-y, mustardy potato salad made for some nice tang.

So, I recently left one Charleston (WV) to visit the other Charleston (SC). And my first stop? Pepperoni rolls, of course.



Let me explain. There's a food truck - or stand - in South Carolina that is sharing the love of the pepperoni roll for folks down south: Pep Rolls.



"Pep Rolls was formed in September of 2013 by two entrepreneurial minded friends from West Virginia. Mathias and Eric grew up on pepperoni rolls in Fairmont, WV and came to Charleston, South Carolina with empty stomachs and no where to find their fill of the delicious treat. Through experimentation, a hidden baking talent was found and Pep Rolls was born with the hope of feeding the people of Charleston this truly unique and delicious treat that they love.

Each order is prepared and baked from scratch. An Italian style bread roll is stuffed with pepperoni, seasoned, and baked to golden perfection. During the baking process, the pepperoni releases oil which flavors the bread. The result is a hearty roll that is hard on the outside, flaky on the inside, and deliciously filling.

Great for lunches, dinners, appetizers, tailgates, restaurants, catered events, showings, or bars (just to name a few) a Pep Roll is truly versatile and truly delicious. You need to eat one right now!

We sell our pepperoni rolls along with an extended menu including hotdogs, nachos, and drink, from two of our mobile food set ups, which includes a food cart."

 

So I made my way to a farmers market that they were set up at and perused their menu.



I went with the Tommy D, which is their classic - with cheese and marinara.



And it was a whole meal. But really tasty!



Have you tried it yet?

On my Carolina BBQ tour, I stopped at Lewis Barbecue.


Most of the previous BBQ places in the area I tried were more "hole in the wall."


Lewis Barbecue is definitely more hip with this industrial vibe and super duper busy.


I placed an order to pick up, so I skipped the ordering part where they compile everything for you behind the counter.


I waited a little bit for my order to be complete, but then I took it all back to my hotel to chow down.


First off, they give you pickled onion, pickles and white onion for your meal.


This restaurant serves Texas-style barbecue, so I had to get some brisket.


It's sliced USDA Prime Beef Brisket. I like mine on the lean side.


Speaking of sides, I went with macaroni & cheese (of course).


And I also got the green chile corn pudding - ohh myy goodness. Spicy, but oh so good.


And the sauces I tried: a red, a tangy and a green hatch chile.