Snow's BBQ

There are precious few things that I like to wake up at 6:30 in the morning for. There are even fewer that don’t involve massive piles of eggs and generous slabs of bacon. And despite my undying devotion to it, BBQ isn’t on that exclusive list of things I routinely wake up at sunrise for. Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, TX shattered all of that.

For those of you unaware, Snow’s BBQ was recently rated the #1 BBQ joint in Texas by Texas Monthly Magazine. In this upset for the ages, Snow’s usurped such perennial favorites as Kreuz Market and Smitty’s Market in Lockhart, long considered the stalwarts of true Texas cue’.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/magazine/bbq

Adding to the lore of Snow’s, the place is only open on Saturday’s, and they typically sell out of food before 10am. As if that weren’t enough, Lexington is about 60 miles from anywhere you might be inclined to visit. As such, any visit to Snow’s requires some dedication to BBQ, and can be considered a venerable notch on the belt of any BBQ aficionado.

http://www.snowsbbq.com/

I’m here to tell you first hand, this is the best brisket I have ever had in my life. Period.

Many other BBQ websites can do a far better job of going into excruciating detail explaining why. Brisket can be the most difficult of meats to smoke properly and consistently. This brisket stands above the rest because every single piece is uniformly perfect. Suffice to say, this brisket is otherworldly out of the smoker, and was still amazing eaten as a leftover, 5 hours later and cold. It is that good.

Of course both their ribs and local homemade sausage are first class as well, and on par with anything you will find at the traditional BBQ powerhouses. But if you only had stomach space for one protein here, the brisket is a runaway winner.

Here we are with Tootsie herself, the 70 year old pitmaster who has been smoking some of the best BBQ in Texas for almost 50 years.

I’ve eaten more than my fair share of BBQ in Texas, so trust me when I say it’s worth your time and effort to get to Snow’s, and I would happily roll out of bed at the crack of dawn to join you.

Red River Rivalry: Texas vs Oklahoma

Without question, one of the biggest annual rivalry games in the country, Texas and Oklahoma squared off in the cavernous and historic Cotton Bowl at the Texas State Fairgrounds in Dallas. Dallas being equidistant from both Norman and Austin, makes for a convenient setting for this annual match up named after the Red River which serves as the northern border separating Texas from Oklahoma. The entire city of Dallas reaches frenzy status during TX vs OU weekend, as throngs of fans pack into bars and pubs donned in their respective team garb - Burnt Orange or Crimson and Cream.

Even the Cotton Bowl itself is demarcated clearly into Texas and Oklahoma sections, and one could draw a line into the stands at the 50 yard line clearly separating the two fan sections.

While this matchup perennially determines the winner of the Big 12 Conference, during my visit this game even took on an even greater magnitude as Oklahoma was ranked #1 in the country at the time, with Texas only a few spots down the ladder at #5. Furthermore, it featured a head to head battle between two Heisman hopeful quarterbacks in Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. When they say everything is bigger in Texas, they don't make football games any bigger than this as 92,000 other fans can attest.

In a classic gunslinging Texas shootout, the Longhorns prevailed on this day running away with a 45-35 upset victory.

Air Force vs Notre Dame

I made the quick 8 hour jaunt from Salt Lake to Colorado Springs, passing through some of the most ruggedly beautiful terrain the Rockies have to offer to watch the Irish visit the Air Force Academy. Passing through a few security checkpoints, we toasted a robust tailgating atmosphere with a few of Colorado's finest microbrews from Breckenridge Brewery. We then filed into Falcon Stadium where on a sunny, yet windy high plains afternoon, the Irish promptly grounded the cadets 39-17.

BYU vs San Diego State: Cougars on the prowl...

Nestled into the rocky hillside along the picturesque Wasatch Range, Lavell Edwards Stadium may claim one of the most awe inspiring backdrops in all of College Football. Claiming a few unique traits among the CFB landscape, BYU is the only alcohol free tailgating I have experienced in my travels. Naturally, I opted for student seating, and despite the obvious sobriety of all, it was surprisingly boisterous and loud. The team also sports an imposing Haka during their warmups, a feature introduced by the well represented Tongan members of the BYU squad.

The Cougars proved quite formidable in their home venue, after some they promptly thrashed the Aztecs in short order to the tune of 47-17.

Utah vs Boise State: Busted by the Broncos

On a clear fall afternoon in Salt Lake City, the Utes hosted prolific Boise State and their perennial quest for perfection. Since the departure of coaching prodigy Urban Meyer the year before, the hapless Utes barely put up a fight this day and were trounced in their own backyard 36-3.

Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame vs Ohio State

After a successful 2005 campaign, the Irish took the field in Sun Devil Stadium against the Ohio State Buckeyes in a compelling Fiesta Bowl matchup. The outcome on the field, however, proved to be a disappointing way to end the season and would ultimately expose the defensive shortcomings of Charlie Weis. Despite the lackluster performance, there are far worse places to spend New Years than under the bright sunshine of Tempe, Arizona, and it was certainly a welcome respite from the long winter of the Midwest.


Final Score: Notre Dame 20 Ohio State 34

Notre Dame vs Purdue: Boiler Beatdown

This was yet another big roadtrip to watch the Irish in 2005. Unfortunately, my photo documentation of this one is a bit sparse. Rest assured, however, I was there surrounded by thousands of surly Purdue fans watching the shellacking unfold on the field before them.


Final Score: Notre Dame 49 Purdue 28