School is in session. Let's do a quick refresher on regional BBQ. There are a few notable locations in the United States characterized by the kind of BBQ they serve:



1. Kansas City - sweet, tomato-based thick sauce. All kinds of meat.

2. Carolina - South Carolina has a mustard-based, tangy gold sauce, while North Carolina goes for aa vinegar-based, thin sauce. Pork.

3. Texas - beef brisket. No sauce.



And then there's Memphis-style BBQ, which is often characterized by pork - shoulders, butts, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches. 

"Memphis style BBQ prepares ribs in two ways: wet and dry. Memphis-style pork shoulders are slow-smoked, pulled, and served with a thin, tangy sauce on the side. While it’s certainly sold on its own, pulled pork sandwiches are a staple of the Memphis BBQ style. Traditional Memphis style BBQ restaurants pile creamy coleslaw onto their pulled pork sandwiches."



Central BBQ is an award-winning BBQ joint in Memphis, which is known for its slow-smoked hickory & pecan wood, secret combo of dry spices and 24-hour all-day meat marinade.

"Our founders Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp met on the barbecue circuit in the mid-80s and after competing in Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and many other local and regional BBQ competitions, they made the leap from friends to business partners. The pit at the first Central BBQ on Central Avenue was fired up in 2002 and has been stoked ever since thanks to our wonderful customers.

Central BBQ’s local success in Memphis has sparked national interest over the years, Our restaurant and founders have appeared on several national TV shows including Pitmasters, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and BBQ with Bobby Flay, plus national publications such as USA Today, Garden & Gun, Southern Living and Men’s Health.

Over the years, Central BBQ has expanded far beyond Central Avenue. We have four locations in Memphis and recently opened our fifth restaurant and our first outside the Memphis city limits in Nashville’s Capitol View area."



I got in line early, and there were already folks there in front of me. I tried to maneuver my way into the shade because it was warm on this day. 



Once it was my turn to place my order, I went with a pulled pork sammy, side of mac & cheese and potato salad AND a little banana pudding. Mmm-mmm.



This thick sandwich was full of pulled pieces of pork - no fatty bits. While fat adds flavor, I'd rather that be removed before gnawing on a hunk of gelatinous ick. None of that here - just smoky, delicious pork piled high between two pieces of bread. 



I had to try every BBQ, and I am always going to lean toward the tangy mustard ones or the sweet tomato ones. It's no difference here. 



The mac & cheese was delicious - a nice little browned topping with tons of ooey gooey cheese underneath.



The potato salad could have used a bit more tang for my preference, but cool and creamy is a nice complement to the smoky pulled pork. 



And banana pudding is the absolute perfect end note for a BBQ meal. Sweet, southern and soul-soothing.

Grade: A

Folk is a cool restaurant in Nashville with lovely high ceilings, exposer brick walls and an elevated Italian menu.



The menu changes frequently - weekly, I believe. But, at the time, Bri and I ordered some snacks to share.



Bri opted for a fennel salad, which was piled high with the crunchy stuff, as well as apples and herbs. Maybe a bit much on the fennel, but nice and light and fresh.



I went for a beet and whipped goat cheese salad, which was a delicious balance between tangy/funky and sweet/fruity. A lovely evening at a swanky spot with a great friend.



Grade: A

Dutch Bros Coffee is a popular coffee shop mainly with locations more west. While I was in Phoenix, I stopped a few times to try a few different drinks. The drive-thru chain always had a line wrapped around the building.



They have coffee drinks, fruity drinks, teas, energy drinks and snacks, too. I first tried a frozen strawberry lemonade, which was beautifully tart and sweet, too. I also tried the Caramelizer - a blended caramel mocha. This was equally as tasty if you're going for the roasty, caffeinated pick-me-up.



Grade: A

3 Amigos is a Mexican restaurant in Barboursville that serves much of the same fare common in the area.



First up, of course, is chips and salsa. The salsa here was pretty thin and mild, but always a nice appetizer for a big meal to come.



All chips are always better with queso. This one was creamy and delicious and everything that I wanted.



For the main meal, I went with steak, covered in cheese sauce, along with green peppers, pineapple, and a side of rice.



The pineapple is maybe a bit odd for some, but it did add some sweetness. Most of the steak was OK, though there were definitely some chewy pieces. Overall, this was a decent dish that I've not had before.



Grade: B

If there is a Chinese restaurant in West Virginia, there's a good chance that I will travel to find it eventually. I love all the Asian food, but I have a soft spot for a Chinese comfort food. And I will often travel great lengths to find it, and I justify it because it's a new restaurant that I can feature on my blog.



When I found myself in Ripley recently, around lunchtime, I put in an order at the China Buffet to go. It doesn't appear as though they are doing the buffet or dine in anymore since Covid, but you can still get takeout.



I went with my usual order of crab rangoons. I also went for the General Tso's chicken, but I asked if it could be made with white meat chicken as opposed to the dark meat that's often found in this dish. They could not do the all-white breaded chicken, but they could do the grilled chicken that is often seen in dishes like chicken and broccoli. So it was not as chewy and definitely a more tender cut of chicken. I always enjoy the sauce that comes with this dish because it is sweet and a little sour and just thick and delicious. It would have been even better with a higher quality protein. The crab rangoons were decent. They were a little over-fried, but with enough cheese filling, anything can be good.



The eggroll was very average, as tends to be the case with many of these local restaurants. I had a good eggroll not too long ago and I have been chasing the high ever since. But most of the ones in our area tend to just have a ton of cabbage and not a whole lot of flavor. Aside from the oil. That tracks here. Not bad.



Grade: B