Yup It's An Edsel!

Caught sight of this at one of my favorite restaurants, Major's Steakhouse, in Woodbury. I snapped off some photos and promptly sent one to my dad. To my surprise, he didn't recognize it. Chalk it up to his ancient phone if you will, but the fact remains that even with infamy, a brand that dies disappears from people's minds. For any business owner who cherishes their legacy (and most do, given the fact that most are not still in it for the money) should take this lesson. You can do everything right...or so you think, and end up doing everything wrong, vanishing in the process. I pondered this as I enjoyed my ribeye steak, thinking of my own shop and legacy.

Autism Awareness Now

Everyone should be aware that April is Autism Awareness Month. My wife and I have both been touched by autism through work and through family. It is critical that we come together as a community to fund research and awareness campaigns to support the children, adults and families that are affected my this disorder. Realizing that in lieu of a cure, therapy, especially early intervention therapy, is critical to helping children who are on the spectrum lead more enriched lives. Education, awareness and fundraising can only be accomplished with the participation of communities and organizations.

Umami Burger Test Run

I love umami. This otherworldly flavor experience that stems from glutamate rich foods is a taste that I can't get enough of. So while reading about Umami Burger in California, I had to give it a try. Our burger meat is ground daily, providing a perfect foundation for my experiment. A quick search on the internet provided the recipe and I was on my way. As I added fish sauce and truffle oil  to my burger and ketchup, I kept thinking.. "No way this will fly in Bayside." So I was making it for myself, good enough. Topped with a Parmigiana Reggiano wafer, and this was a knockout. I am anxious to try the real thing when I get a chance.

My Kind of Whopper

Ft Lauderdale, circa 2008. I was too drunk to remember the name of the restaurant. All I know is that I ordered a six pound lobster. I was celebrating life with my best friend and future wife and decided that you only live once. Sure I felt bad about eating this old beast, and yes, I did feel guilty when I ruined everyone's meal by upstaging their 1.5 - 2 pounders. But I have to tell you, it didn't stop us from enjoying the heck out of that lobster. I think we ate lobster salad sandwiches for breakfast for three days after.

Vindication

Giants advanced today, thrashing the Atlanta Falcons in true blue form. Running the ball like Giants teams of years gone by, it was a pleasure to watch while eating reheated sausage and peppers from the comfort of my brothers couch. The last time the Giants were in the playoffs, my brother and I were at the game. Great tailgating, old stadium, interview by NY1 and ultimately a loss. So this time around, the humble simplicity of starting the day barbecuing for business, then running to a tv to catch the game was a blue collar return to basics, just like the game plan that produced the win. Next week is Rodgers and the Packers, slightly reminiscent of 2008, I can't help but feel superstitiously optimistic.

A Little Change

I decided to change the focus of this blog. Although I love blogging about Barbecue and my shop, it has become obvious that I need to loosen up the content a bit. Spreading out my contributions will hopefully lead to more posts. Plus what better place to deposit the random crap that I stumble upon. So the first few new entries may be some old bits of interest that I have in my archives. They may be a couple of weeks old, they may be a couple of years old. Either way, they were interesting at one point, and needed to be noted by me.

Apocalypse BBQ!

It's two minutes into the last day of earth as we know it and I am already planning my Apocalypse Barbecue! I figure, if this is really the end, why not have a bbq to celebrate. Grill up some butcher burgers, dry aged steaks, and pile the pulled pork high. Eat as much as you want, since we won't be caring about our weight anymore. I thought about calling it the Zombie BBQ, but realized that some people may be confused about the meat I am serving. I know this, Ill be suckin on some barbecue ribs when the rapture comes, and I sure ain't sharing!