Where There’s Smoke, There’s a Good Meal: Comparing Three New Barbecue Spots

Oct29

Barbecue is perhaps the most American of cuisines. Originating and developed in the South and Midwest, barbecue is big in other parts of the country. New York, for instance, has tremendous spots such as Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Hill Country.

In terms of its barbecue scene, Philly is hard to define. It’s not about the pulled and chopped pork-centered barbecue with vinegar or tomato-based sauces of North Carolina. It isn’t, at least until recently, the informal, served-on-paper, Central Texas style of emphasis on the quality of the meat, especially beef, rather than on sauce. And it most definitely does not feature dry rub ribs like Memphis or slow-smoked and heavily-sauced barbecue of Kansas City.

Barbecue in Philly, however, has been evolving. New spots now offer the best features of the traditional styles popular elsewhere. Just in the past couple of months, three spots – Blue Belly BBQ, Bubba’s Texas BBQ and Fette Sau – opened up and are significant additions to the city’s smoked meat scene. Sounds like a good time to do a side-by-side taste test and comparison.

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Running in Groups: Plenty of Running Club Options

Sep25

Some folks have no problems motivating themselves to run everyday. They have the discipline to get up and run by themselves, through hot and cold weather, day in and day out. For others, it’s a little more difficult, and some additional motivation is needed.

A good deal of that motivation can come from running in groups. There’s something to be said about specifically scheduled days and times to run. You’re more likely to either get up early or perhaps skip a post-work happy hour to run if there’s a group run with others in the same boat. Group runs also seem to go by a lot easier, so you hardly notice that you’ve just run 5 or 8 miles.

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The Cambridge: Pouring Remarkable Draughts

Sep2

In recent months, the once dull and desolate area of South Street west of Broad Street has become vibrant and lively. Places like Indian Restaurant, Sawatdee, Quick Fixx, Rex 1516 and Magpie have all added terrific and diverse food options to the neighborhood. On the drinking side, the folks who run Hawthorne’s have just opened up The Cambridge, next door to Rex 1516. Taking over the space from former music venue Tritone, The Cambridge offers up some excellent food and drinks, including one of the city’s best beer lists.