Chevron: Chicken on a Stick

One local delicacy that kept surfacing among the litany of dining recommendations that I received for Oxford was a late night delight know as “chicken on a stick” at the Chevron Station. Specifically, the Chevron station on the corner of University and Lamar (adjacent to the “square”) was known to dish out these deep fried delicacies to throngs of hungry students after a long night of imbibing.

As you know, if it’s one thing I love, it’s dining anywhere within visible distance of a gas station and, wherever possible, actually on premise.

If there’s another thing I love, it’s any cuisine option that comes on a stick or with its own built in handle (pork chops on stick, turkey legs, 22oz bone-in ribeyes – whatever).

The Chevron chicken satisfied both of those requirements, so I popped in for a late night treat before the ride back to the hotel. The chicken was surprisingly hefty; one of these sticks was loaded with roughly 8-12 ounces of batter fried goodness. The bird itself was crispy, salty, greasily delicious and certainly convenient. I propped myself against the Jetta in the parking lot and gnawed away at the chicken stick while surveying the costumed Halloween party goers staggering along the sidewalk.

After a hard night against the rail I would gladly double fist a couple of these chicken sticks, and from what I hear it’s not uncommon to see a line thirty people deep waiting for them at the Chevron after the lights go on.

http://www.chevron.com/

Taylor Grocery: Catfish & New Friends

When I hopped up onto the porch at Taylor Grocery on an unusually brisk Mississippi October night, I had no idea that the folks I would encounter inside would set the tone for one the most welcoming weekends I have ever had.

Taylor grocery is a landmark in Taylor, Mississippi about 20 minutes outside of Oxford. It occupies an old dry goods store that was originally build in 1889, and after changing owners a few times, they have been frying up catfish dinners inside since 1977. The interior and exterior are worn from generations of patrons, and their mantra is a chuckle worthy “Eat or we both starve”.

After greeting the owner and proprietor Lynn, I was informed that despite being alone I was going to spend about an hour on the front porch waiting for a place to sit. Overhearing this, a moment later I was tapped on the shoulder by a fellow that introduced himself as Regan. With a welcoming smile and genuine sincerity he invited me to join him and his eight other friends for dinner that evening when their long awaited table was available. I’ve certainly encountered some great hospitality in some of the SEC trips I have made, but this show of kindness was completely unprecedented.

After a short wait out on the porch, the entire table was ready and Regan, true to his word, waved me over to come join the entire group. At this point, all of them were warmly beckoning me to join, and dumfounded at such remarkable hospitality, I slid into a chair at the end of the table grateful for such warm company.

I spent the next couple of hours exchanging stories with the entire crew (Regan & Allison, Jonathan & Gretchen, Nathan, Andy) all of whom were banded together by various connections to Ole Miss and making their annual pilgrimage back to campus. Obviously, they provided me with a handful of recommendations for the weekend wanting to ensure that my entire Ole Miss experience was a noteworthy one. As if dinner weren’t enough, they insisted that I join them for their tailgate the next day, and I quickly accepted, humbled yet again by their remarkable openheartedness.

For having no real plan when I walked into Taylor Grocery, this amiable group of friends welcomed me as one of their own, and made it one of the most memorable meals I have had on my travels.

As for the food itself. Despite being a regular fish eater, as a habit I generally eschew catfish, as I find it has a bit too strong of an “earthy” flavor for my taste (and by “earthy” I mean tastes like an old boot dredged up from a murky river bottom).

Not so the case with the catfish at Taylor Grocery. They had a reputation for having the best catfish in Mississippi, and after downing a plate of it I can see why. The fish is a pristine flaky white filet that is deep fried to perfection with just the right amount of crunch from the battered crust. All the catfish is farm raised, so it’s delectably light and clean on the palette, free of that earthiness that plagues other catfish. It was truly some remarkable catfish.

While at Taylor Grocery I was introduced to yet another undiscovered Southern delight by some of my new well informed friends: Rotel Cheese sauce.

I’m quite sure a jukebox scratched somewhere in the joint, when, to mixed looks of sheer pity and astonishment on their faces, I informed our table that I had never even *heard* of Rotel, much less actually tried it. Mothers instinctively covered their childrens ears at my blasphemy, and a few hound dogs ran and cowered beneath the porch. Regan, with aplomb far better than I, quietly urged me to “simply try some”. Judging by the popularity of Rotel at the table, I needed little convincing.

Rotel, for my unenlightened Northern audience, is a canned mix of green chilies and diced tomatoes that is mixed with cheese sauce. Don’t be fooled by its simplicity, however, Rotel cheese sauce is one of the most addictive substances ever devised by man. I timidly dipped my first french fry into the sauce for a taste, only to find myself dumping the entire cup on my plate seconds later, and straining to resist the urge to lick the remaining contents out of the cup. You could put this stuff on ANYTHING, and it would taste phenomenal.

While the food and atmosphere at Taylor Grocery is exquisite, it was truly the company that made it such an extraordinary evening (and weekend) for me. I cannot overstate how thankful and humbled I am by the entire table of new friends that welcomed me into their group in a remarkable show of hospitality. Especially towards a guy wearing a Notre Dame sweatshirt in Oxford on a football weekend…

Special thank you to Regan, Allison, Jonathan, Gretchen, Nathan, Andy and the other names that I forgot. You are the kind of folks that make my travels so enjoyable, and give Ole Miss such a well deserved reputation. Thank you again for what would become such an amazing weekend.

http://www.taylorgrocery.com/

A rendezvous with Rendezvous BBQ...

If you’re inclined to take a gander at a map, you would notice that Google’s preferred route from Dallas to Oxford routes you on I-40 through Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis is famous, of course, for Johnny Cash and Elvis. Evidently, they also make some ribs there once in a while.

More to the point, Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous Barbecue is internationally renown for being one of the most famous rib joints in the country. You have probably seen this place on scores of different television shows, magazine articles and “best of” lists. It’s a landmark in Memphis, and, apparently, I’m the only person on the planet to have circled the block three times in search of the place because it’s discreetly tucked away in an alley.

Judging by the throngs of hungry patrons waiting outside on a Friday night, Ol Charlie runs a pretty robust business. But since I had a hot date with a catfish sling in Oxford, I bypassed the line for an open bar stool, and hurriedly ordered up a two meat combo of brisket and their famous ribs. This would be a quick affair, so I admittedly did not get a chance to soak in the entire experience.

Memphis BBQ is noted for their emphasis on the “dry rub” style of ribs, which are heavily dusted before and after cooking with a mixture of seasonings. If you’re a regular reader, you already know that I much prefer a dry style of ribs and the well seasoned Rendezvous ribs had a pleasant spicy “bite” to them. I was a bit put off by it at first, but slowly I kept reaching for one rib after another, until I found my platter empty. They were oddly addicting, and got better with each successive bite. There are two downsides I would note. The first was that their charcoal cooking method leaves the rib meat a bit on the dry side for my taste. You have to work a bit to tug the meat from the bone, and I found myself reaching for the water glass more often than I would like. Second, was that the ribs didn’t have a very strong smoke profile to them, and I couldn’t really detect it in the meat. While it may have been intentional from their cooking methods, it left me wanting more.

To answer everyone’s lingering question; in a head to head battle I would still opt for Texas style ribs. I can think of a handful of places in Texas where I have had better ribs than Rendezvous, and, as a matter of personal taste, I prefer the simpler, heavily smoked profile of Texas ribs. But make no mistake, Rendezvous is still excellent by any measure.

The brisket was solid, albeit a bit on the dry side because it had been heavily trimmed prior to cooking. Still, it was better brisket than I expected to find in Memphis, though completely average by Texas standards.

Regardless, Rendezvous still serves up some excellent Barbecue and is considered the crowning jewel of a city that prides itself on great cue’. It’s notoriety makes it worth the visit alone, and I hope to return there someday to take in the entire experience with a handful of friends.

http://www.hogsfly.com/

Bye Week & New Games Added

We took our first bye week last week to hang out with a few friends and take in a few minutes of relaxation. There were a handful of decent games to watch all day, especially the Wisconsin vs. Iowa and Missouri vs Oklahoma games. Fear not, I still gorged myself on some green egg smoked burgers and ribs courtesy of the skilled hands of Bryce and Heath.

This week we'll be back on the road, however, with a much anticipated trip to another SEC school - Ole Miss! In addition to the game, which features the unbeaten Auburn Tigers as the opponent, this is a trip to the Holy Grail of all tailgating spots - "The Grove". The Grove, according to most pundits, is considered the preeminent tailgating destination in the country.

Finally, take a gander at the bottom of the upcoming schedule for a couple of games that I just locked in flights for (to avoid any further airline pricing shennanigans). In addition to the Texas vs A&M Turkey day game, I've added a trip to Nebraska (for their final Big 12 Game), as well as Ohio State, for the most heated rivalry in College Football (Ohio State vs. Michigan). I'll be giving my thanks this year at some of the finest College Football venues in the country!

Texas A&M: Aggies host Missouri

If you follow the schedule closely, I had originally planned for a trip to Wisconsin this past weekend to watch the Ohio State matchup. Regrettably, flight prices a few weeks ago had risen prohibitively high, and I had to pass yet again. This proved to be a rather unfortunate miss as it turned out to be the ESPN Gameday game, and had I attended it would have been the second week in a row of watching a #1 team get upset. Fortunately, a quick glance at the schedule revealed Texas A&M was in town, and I don’t need much convincing to head down to College Station for a game.

If you followed the blog at all last year, you know that I’ve been quite enamored with my trips to Aggieland, to the point that I would consider Texas A&M my adopted Texas team. There are few places in the country that can match the College Football atmosphere you will find in College Station, and I relish any trip down there. Irritatingly, however, the game was scheduled for an 11AM start in a stroke of scheduling ineptitude. Early start times completely deflate gameday atmosphere in my opinion. Fans have barely had a chance to roll out of bed by this time, and pre game tailgating is all but non existent. It makes for a flat, sluggish crowd, and College Station on Saturday was not up to its usual grandeur compared to some of the other trips I have taken there.

On the docket today was Missouri with their perfect 5-0 start to the season on the line. Given the Tigers dubious level of competition thus far, however, this figured to be a coin flip between Texas A&M and Missouri.

Unfortunately, the game was an absolute mess for the Aggies, who struggled to do anything all afternoon. The touted Tiger defense stifled the Farmers on offense, almost completely shutting them down until a late touchdown in garbage time. Not even the 12^th man could rouse them out of their funk. This Aggie team has been a perplexing team to watch and especially frustrating for long time fans, as they came into the season with rather lofty expectations. Unfortunately, the year has been mired in wildly streaky play that leaves the Aggies on a performance rollercoaster. Prior to the year, I had picked them as an outside shot to win the Big 12 South given their abundance of returning playmakers, but they can’t seem to put it all together. Missouri walked away an unblemished 6-0, and ready for an epic tilt next week in Columbia against the unbeaten Sooners.

We’ll be returning to College Station again in a few weeks for a more “official” visit, and hopefully they can show up to play next time around.

Thanks to my friends Pat and Christine for coming down, as well as finally meeting Pat’s brother Ryan. I was long overdue to catch up with them for a game and get them some proper brisket commensurate with Pat’s discerning taste buds.

It was also great to meet up with my old roommate, and former Aggie, Federico. We were able to snap a photo with the 12^th Man statue, proof that I was able to get him back for a game in College Station. Hopefully he manages to remember what real college football is like from his perch in New York City…not so long until the next visit my friend.

Martins Place BBQ

Martin’s Place had been on my list for quite some time now, and after knocking out the famous burger joints in College Station last year, I thought it was high time to sample some cue’ in Aggieland. Martin’s place is an institution in Bryan, with continuous family ownership dating back to 1925. The original location was sold after surviving the Great Depression, and the family upgraded to the present brick location which dates back to 1939 and has since been registered a historical landmark. It’s a rare find to step into a building with this kind lineage and history oozes from the smoke tarnished walls. Countertops worn through from decades of diners plates scraping against the linoleum dot the horseshoe shaped bar, and I hurriedly straddled a stool like generations of hungry Texas before me.

After ordering up my usual three meat pile, I was crestfallen when my order arrived slathered in unsolicited sauce. The most heartbreaking aspect of this saucing was that I could tell this was extremely well prepared and lovingly smoked BBQ. The ribs were exceptional, cooked perfectly with a deep pinkish ring, and I managed to save one from the depths of red sauce. Brisket wasn’t so lucky, however. While I could tell it was smoked quite well from the texture, I just couldn’t get past the tangy sauce to get a full tasting. My last few morsels of brisket had quite literally been drown in sauce, and were beyond rescue.

Regardless of the sauce-tastrophe, I’d certainly like to hit Martin’s again and give it another shot with a dry order of meat. This is a place that does it right, as an inspection of the deeply charred smoke room quickly revealed. Pitmaster Steve warmly offered me a tour of these ancient brick pits, which have been chugging through post oak (with a touch of hickory) for over 71 years. Smoke and meat folks, there’s no big secret with proper BBQ, and I’ll be back for more.

If you’re looking for a touch of history and some fine smoked meat after your next Aggie game in College State, sidle on into Martin’s Place and plop down in a stool. Just ask them to hold the sauce….

Snow's BBQ - Where there's smoke...

After my BBQ disaster at Maurice’s the week before, I needed some proper smoked meat to get the rancid taste out of my mouth. A trip to Texas A&M meant one sure thing, an early morning feast at Snow’s BBQ. As the best BBQ place in Texas, I knew Snow’s could rectify last weeks aberration. Of course, any trip down to Lexington requires a rather early morning wake up call, so beating back the drowsiness of a Ranger playoff game the night before, I settled into the captains chair of the Jetta at 5:00 am sharp for an 8AM arrival.

There are few more peaceful rides than a sunrise drive through expansive Texas plains as the amber dawn floods over the horizon.

I don’t need to rehash a full review of Snow’s on here, you can read about the prior two posts on Snow’s to get an in depth analysis.

http://pigskinpursuit.blogspot.com/2009/09/snows-bbq.html

http://www.pigskinpursuit.com/2009/12/snows-bbq-going-back-for-seconds.html

And if you still don’t believe me, take a look at the line at 8AM.

But to reiterate, this is the BEST brisket in Texas, and therefore the galaxy. If you’ve ever wondered what a picture perfect brisket looks like, please refer to the picture at the bottom.