The Eaten Path » BBQ

Rama Food on iPhone: A New Way to Reach Flavor Country

James Boo — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:00:03 +0000

Dear readers,

A while back, Layne Mosler of Taxi Gourmet approached J.O. and me with her newest project: a series of self-guided food tours, written by local experts and sold through a mobile app used to explore good food throughout the world.

I signed on because Layne’s approach to food is very much like my own: Go to a new place, find the special bites that you can only take in that place, and make good on life. I’m not linguistically skilled enough to hop into a cab in Argentina and ask where the best sausage sandwich is, but I’m happy to know someone out there is doing so on a regular basis.

Rama Food is free to download from the Apple App Store; however, each tour is sold for a price set by its author. An Android version is slated to follow.

The app’s goal is to immerse readers in the food and the culture of its subject, while showcasing some of the best dishes in town. I’ve contributed two tours as part of Rama Food’s initial release: a NYC BBQ tour and a double Chinatown tour. The former will point you to the city’s best smoked beef ribs, pork ribs, burnt ends, pulled pork and brisket – a difficult task, given how inconsistent barbecue menus can be around here. The latter will take you on a 6-stop tour of regional Chinese cuisine, with tips on how to make the trip from Manhattan to Queens quick and stress-free.

All things considered: If you’re a regular Chowhound or a seriously dedicated New York eater, you might find that my tours don’t add a ton to your own experience. However, if you’re a reader of this blog, a casual fan of good food, or a traveler wanting to make the most of your meals, then by all means check out Rama Food and purchase one of my tours. You should check out J.O.’s tour of Little India in Queens while you’re at it.

Once downloaded, each tour is fully functional without 3G or wifi access, which is great for those of you who hate waiting for things to load while you’re making your way to the next bite. So try this out, and let me know what you think! I’ll be making changes and additions as I get feedback from readers, so the more I hear from you, the better. This could be really cool, and I want to make the experience worthwhile.

When Pigs Fly: Uncle John’s in Chicago (Where Barbecue Gets Sauced)

James Boo — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:18:51 +0000

My latest column for Serious Eats is the first of two stories on Chicago’s Southside, where ribs come fiercely smoky and typically smothered in a barbecue sauce that is not for the meek.

When Pigs Fly: The 2011 Big Apple BBQ Block Party and a Long Detour for Maryland Pit Beef

James Boo — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:56:11 +0000

My latest pieces for Serious Eats explore the medium-rare delight of Maryland’s Pit Beef sandwich and plumb the full menu at this year’s Big Apple Barbecue Block Party.

New York’s Annual Moment in Barbecue

Maryland Pit Beef: Barbecue in Rare Form

When Pigs Fly: Barbecue Sauce Guides and a New York City Rib-off

James Boo — Fri, 27 May 2011 21:49:52 +0000

My latest barbecue columns for Serious Eats focus on America’s regional
barbecue sauces and a hunt for the best barbecue pork ribs in Manhattan.

A Guide to American Barbecue Sauce Styles

Regional Barbecue Sauces Available by Mail-Order

The Best Barbecue Pork Ribs in Manhattan

Oh, and sandwiches!

A Sandwich a Day: Charles’ Grilled Cheese at Jodie’s in Albany, CA

A Sandwich a Day: The Piggly Wiggly at Chef Edwards’ in Oakland, CA

When Pigs Fly: The Serious Eats Barbecue Style Guide

James Boo — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 06:07:46 +0000

My newest barbecue column for Serious Eats is an extensive guide to regional barbecue cooking styles in the United States of America.

I don’t suggest reading this one on an empty stomach.

When Pigs Fly: Barbecue History and Brontosaurus Ribs

James Boo — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 21:58:46 +0000

Robert F. Moss’ Barbecue: The History of an American Institution

The Serious Eats Barbecue Style Guide, Part I

My newest barbecue columns for Serious Eats review some essential barbecue reading and set out the first part of what will become a fairly epic guide to barbecue styles in the United States of America. Yyyabba Dabba Doo! I’m talkin’ to you!

When Pigs Fly: Judging Barbecue at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue

James Boo — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:36:38 +0000

Part One: Roundup

Part Two: Judging

My newest barbecue columns for Serious Eats tell the story of my experience as a first-time certified KCBS judge at “The Jack,” America’s most prestigious barbecue competition. As is to be expected in the world of controversial foods, the most passionate of barbecue partisans have negative things to say. It’s all in the game.

I couldn’t fit this mention into either of my stories, but at the risk of breaking every unwritten law of the competition world, I’d like to personally thank whoever prepared this fresh apple crisp as their dessert entry. The top three winners in the dessert category were all rich, sweet concoctions, but this entry – a crisp, fresh apple hollowed out and filled with a light, slightly sweet whipped cream and a spoonful of minimalist streusel – was the perfect finish to four hours of meat overload and palate fatigue. Thank you, mystery team, for putting creativity over competition and coming up with the only dessert entry I awarded perfect scores.

When Pigs Fly: Scott’s Bar-B-Que, a Living Legend

James Boo — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:07:38 +0000

My newest barbecue column for Serious Eats is the last of the stories I’ve written on my recent trip through the Carolinas.

This piece is about the experience of eating at Scott’s Variety Store and Bar-B-Que, a country smoke house that is enough to make a man believe every barbecue legend in the book. Click here to read more, and for a much better story and photo album on Scott’s, check out this column by southern food champion John T. Edge.

When Pigs Fly: The Mustard Belt of South Carolina

James Boo — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 21:42:18 +0000

My newest barbecue column for Serious Eats is the third of four stories I’m writing on my recent trip through the Carolinas.

This piece includes a set of reviews focused on the region stretching from Columbia to Charleston in South Carolina. Referred to by some as “The Mustard Belt,” this area is known for pairing mustard-based barbecue sauce with wood-smoked whole hog. Click here to read more, and for a much more interesting story on the topic of mustard sauce, check out this piece of food culture journalism by native son Jack Hitt.

When Pigs Fly: Southern Sides on the Carolina Barbecue Trail

James Boo — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 21:32:16 +0000

My newest barbecue column for Serious Eats is the second of four stories I’m writing on my recent trip through the Carolinas.

This piece is devoted to the incredible side dishes of North and South Carolina. Featured: Brunswick stew, hush puppies and the Palmetto state’s barbecue hash (pictured above), which is essentially the American South’s take on Japanese curry. Click here to read more!