My First Time: Moe's Original Bar B Que In Matthews

The Charlotte area's offerings of barbecue continue to grow. I was invited last week to visit Moe’s Original Bar B Que, which opened in June in Matthews. The barbecue franchise started as a single restaurant in Colorado by three friends who met at the University of Alabama. That pretty much explains why today nearly all of the 26 locations are either located in Colorado or the South--Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee (relatively speaking, the franchise has expanded rapidly over the last three years).

The Matthews location is owned by another trio, husband and wife Brian and Janeen Fairhurst, and brother Craig Fairhurst. They picked a great location in the charming area along Matthews Station Street, which has the look and feel of a quaint town square. There are restaurants, shops, the Village Green park, public library, historic train depot, and more all in that area. Moe's is housed in a standalone space that formerly housed a Mexican restaurant, but you know you're in a BBQ spot as soon as you enter.

Photos credit: Moe's

Having lived in Charlotte for several years now, I've experienced the never-ending Eastern versus Western North Carolina barbecue debate, whether at events, on TV, or at different restaurants. But Moe's is described as Alabama-style, and this was my first time trying that. The restaurant's signature approach to barbecue is to smoke all of its meats daily using fruit wood

Whenever visiting a barbecue restaurant for the first time, it's imperative that I try the pulled pork. So I ordered the Pulled Pork Platter ($10.25), which comes with two sides, cornbread, and a drink. I chose the mac 'n cheese and banana pudding as my sides. The pork was juicy and tender, and the sauce was flavorful, with a great mixture of spiciness and sweetness. The mac 'n cheese was tasty as well. And I'm a stickler about my banana pudding so I was prepared to be extremely critical: Moe's passed the test. It was good, even though, strangely to me, the pudding was more of a cream color than yellow. Didn't matter though--it was delicious.

Moe's is a family-friendly restaurant, but also has a small bar that serves about a dozen local and regional beers on tap (a good selection). When I arrived on that Thursday evening around 6:45 p.m., the restaurant was packed with people of all ages.

I get asked often by people who are visiting Charlotte, are new to Charlotte, or by my blog's readers who email me asking, what are the best places in Charlotte to get barbecue. I'll now add Moe’s Original Bar B Que to my list of suggestions (which includes Mac's Speed Shop and Queen City Q, as well as others outside of the center city), and by visiting Moe's it'll also give them an opportunity to experience this quaint downtown area.  

Moe’s Original Bar B Que, 111 Matthews Station St., Matthews, 704-814-6637, moesoriginalbbq.com, facebook.com/MoesOriginalBBQMatthews, twitter.com/MoesBBQMatthews. Hours: Mon-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; closed Sundays.

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Gastonia (and N.C. BBQ) Featured on HBO's 'Veep'

If you were watching last night's episode of Veep on HBO, then you surely noticed that Gastonia played a large role in the comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. It was episode 10 of the show (season two, episode two), and Julia's character, Selina Meyer, the first female vice president of the United States, received orders from POTUS to attend a North Carolina pig-pickin' as part of their new Listen to Rural America Program, "U.S. Hey!" The pig-pickin' was in Gastonia.

Around these parts, we love for our cities and towns to get TV time, even if in fictional shows (Showtime's Homeland and Cinemax's Banshee, for example), but I'm not sure how Gastonian's feel about their portrayal in Veep. In one scene, while aboard Air Force Two on her way to Gastonia, the fictional vice president says she doesn't want to get "stuck talking pig sh*t with people who use hay as furniture." You had to laugh at that.

Another portrayal the show embarks on is the long-running, heated debate on North Carolina barbecue, by choosing a pig roast in Gastonia to attend. N.C. BBQ got thrust into the national spotlight when the real First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, announced that Charlotte had been awarded the 2012 Democratic National Convention, saying that: "Charlotte is a city marked by its southern charm, warm hospitality, and an "up by the bootstraps" mentality that has propelled the city forward as one of the fastest-growing in the South. Vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunity, the Queen City is home to innovative, hardworking folks with big hearts and open minds. And of course, great barbecue."

I wrote extensively about the DNC for a year, so I saw how often N.C. barbecue was brought into political circles and conversations. Veep does a good job of mimicking things politicians actually do, but with more of a hilarious exaggeration. Like, politicians really do go campaigning at North Carolina barbecue events: read my past DNC blog post, which includes a recap of the annual Mallard Creek Barbecue; and last June I begged national media to stop talking about N.C. BBQ; and even more fitting, in October 2010, a New York Times reporter visited a Pig Pickin’ and Politickin’ rally in Huntersville, hosted by a Republican women’s club.

At a recent Levine Museum of the New South event, the Uptown museum featured an Eastern vs. Western North Carolina barbecue tasting and competition.

We take our barbecue seriously around here. Veep got that much right.

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Dale Jr.'s Making Chips (Potato and Money)

There are several slang terms that represent money and/or a person who's making it. Many of them use food references, like: eatin', caked up, dough, cheese/cheddar, bread, and chips. Well, there aren't too many people out here today making chips like Dale Earnhardt Jr. Last month, Forbes ranked him as the highest-paid NASCAR driver for the fifth-consecutive year. And you don't even have to know much about NASCAR to know that Dale Jr. makes a lot of money away from the racetrack. You likely see the Mooresville resident frequently starring in national TV commercials endorsing products and companies, or you see products bearing his name in stores. The latter is what happened to me tonight.

Credit: My Windows Phone

I made a trip to Bi-Lo tonight and stumbled upon a display case of "Dale Jr Foods" potato chips. I had no idea Dale Jr. had gotten into the snack game. Once I got home and did a little Googling, I learned that this food venture with KLN Family Brands, a Minnesota-based company, was announced in January. And that the first products, to have begun hitting stores in February or March, would be four flavors of potato chips: Crispy Original, Carolina Barbecue, Creole & Green Onion, and Zesty Jalapeno.

Interestingly enough, tonight I saw three of those four in the store, but the Carolina Barbecue was missing. My assumption is that's the flavor Charlotteans have been snatching up first, out of curiosity if nothing else. Curiosity is what led me to buy two bags--one each of the original and jalapeno. I haven't tasted them yet, though. 

NASCAR drivers' names and faces on products is common. Heck, their race cars and driving suits are the opposite with brand logos all over them, so sponsorships and endorsements literally fund the sport. But Dale Jr. appears to be taking it a step further because "Dale Jr Foods" sounds like an entire division of a company in which we will eventually see other food products. But hey, if his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon can successfully sell wine, then why not?

UPDATE 4/18/13: I tried Dale Jr.'s potato chips today, both the Crispy Original and Zesty Jalapeno flavors. They kind of remind me of Wise brand potato chips, but Dale Jr.'s are crispier/crunchier, which is very important to me in a chip. I was particularly impressed with the jalapeno flavor. I'm interested in tasting the Carolina Barbecue now. The Dale Jr. name is what will lead people to giving the chips a shot, but I can't say that I plan on breaking away from my regimen of Lay's, Utz, and Cape Cod.

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Levine Museum Takes You From 'Murphy to Manteo', a Culinary Trip Without Leaving the Museum: April 11

Levine Museum of the New South puts on one of the best cultural events each spring with its annual Taste of the New South. It's the museum's signature fundraiser, and the organizers come up with creative ideas to make it fresh and exciting each year. This year's Taste of the New South event is themed "Murphy to Manteo," and guests will be taken on a culinary and cultural trip across the state without leaving Charlotte, or the museum for that matter, when they visit on Thursday, April 11.

Click on image for larger view.

First off, bring your appetite. In fact, on Thursday skip lunch. Working closely with the TOTNS planning committee, Best Impressions Caterers have put together an impressive and diverse menu for the evening. There'll be numerous hors d'oeuvres, such as Southern-style egg rolls, fried green tomatoes, and fried oysters; hefty servings of Eastern vs. Western North Carolina barbecue (guests will get to vote) paired with your favorite fixings like mac-n-cheese and hush puppies; a calabash station featuring fried flounder and jumbo crab cakes; and more.

For your sweet tooth, there'll be a dessert station with popular items from the North Carolina State Fair, including fried apple hand pies, banana pudding shots, red velvet funnel cake, and Coca-Cola cake, to name a few. Games will accompany the state fair flair, and you can expect to find varying decor and activities (like a pie-eating contest and kissing booth) in each of the rooms throughout the museum to accentuate the menu items.

Because you'll need something to wash down all of this great food, you'll enjoy an assortment of Southern tea and lemonade cocktails, along with local craft beer and wine. An eclectic mix of live entertainment is planned throughout the evening.

Taste of the New South truly is one of the most entertaining, belly-pleasing events you'll come across in Charlotte. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Tickets to the event are $85 for Levine Museum members, $100 for nonmembers, and that includes all of the aforementioned food, drinks, and activities. You can buy tickets in advance at www.museumofthenewsouth.org. Great prizes will be raffled away--including weekend getaways, jewelry, and tickets to sporting events--and raffle tickets can be purchased for $25 each.

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Great Burger at Queen City Q

Whenever I blog about food on here, about half the time I'm writing about some great burger I had. What can I say--I'm a burger man. Last night, after attending the Fourth Annual Red Pump/Red Tie Affair at Levine Museum of the New South (put on by The Red Pump Project-Charlotte in recognition of World AIDS Day), I was hungry, it was about 10 p.m., and I had a little time to spare before I was going to walk around the corner to the after-party at Re:Public nightclub. Also within that block, the area around Seventh Street Station, is Queen City Q, so I popped into the restaurant for some quick eats.

Open since February, Queen City Q has quickly become one of Charlotte's top barbecue restaurants. I've enjoyed the barbecue there a few times and whenever out-of-towners ask me where they should go to get some good BBQ in Charlotte, the Q is one of the places I recommend. But last night, barbecue would've been too heavy on the stomach in the middle of a night out. So I opted for a burger, and I made the right choice.

Camera phone pic.

I ordered the All-American Burger, comprised of a grind of beef brisket, porterhouse, and chuck; topped with provolone cheese, bacon, lettuce, and tomato (I asked them to hold the onion); along with a side of sweet potato fries ($10). It was juicy, tender, and flavorful--just the way I like my burgers--and proves that Queen City Q does more than cook good barbecue.

Queen City Q, 225 E. Sixth St., Suite A, 704-334-TheQ (8437), www.queencityq.com; parking is validated for the Seventh Street Station parking deck.

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Pigging Out at Bull & Barrister

There aren't many restaurants (not counting fast food) where I live in northwest Charlotte, in the Coulwood/Mountain Island Lake area. But there is a good neighborhood restaurant and bar here that I don't frequent enough: Bull & Barrister. I ate dinner there last evening, and each time I go I try something different on the menu. I ordered the Pulled Pork Platter, which is 24-hour slow roasted and covered in sweet barbecue sauce. Two sides come with this entree so I chose the baked mac 'n cheese and the loaded baked potato. And because I love them, I ordered an additional side--the sweet potato waffle fries.

I was in food heaven. The pulled pork was very tender and flavorful, which isn't always the case at restaurants that don't specialize in barbecue. Everything was good, and I couldn't eat it all so I got a to-go box, which I will be opening up shortly for lunch. I also ordered dessert to go: the Barrister Chocolate Tower, a large slice of chocolate cake that was very rich and moist. Once again, surprisingly good.

If you're ever in the area, you should give Bull & Barrister a try. It's less than 20 minutes from Uptown up Brookshire Freeway, and only 10 minutes from Northlake Mall down I-485. There are great daily food and drink specials, such as half-price wine and 69-cent oysters on Mondays, 50-cent wings on Tuesdays, and half-price appetizers on Wednesdays.

Bull & Barrister Draft House and Grille, inside Callabridge Commons, 3615 Mount Holly-Huntersville Road, 704-971-3313, bullandbarrister.com.

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'Deliverance' at The Cowfish

I ate lunch today at The Cowfish (4310 Sharon Road, thecowfish.com). The weather was perfect for dining on the patio, and at 2 p.m. there was a 15-30 minute wait to get a table inside or outside. This sushi-burger-bar continues to be a hotspot a year and a half after opening in The Village at SouthPark.

I just wanted to quickly share here this photo of what I ordered. It's called "The Deliverance Roll – Southern Style Bar-B-Q-shi," and is one of about 10 "Burgushi" items on the menu, which are The Cowfish's fusion of burgers and sushi. I'm not much of a sushi fan, so it was the other ingredients for this intriguing delicacy that piqued my interest, as listed on the menu: tender pulled pork, tangy barbecue sauce, and tempura onion strings rolled with seaweed and rice, tempura battered and flash fried to golden brown; each piece topped with homemade bacon coleslaw.

It tasted awesome!

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Chow Down Uptown Food Truck Festival Continues

"Chow Down Uptown - A Food Truck Festival" takes place this Thursday, 5-9 p.m., for the fourth consecutive week. The event seems to be popular enough that the food trucks want to come back each Thursday and the organizer, Charlotte Center City Partners, is keeping it going.

Set up in the parking lot across from Seventh Street Station in Uptown (260 E. Seventh St.), the event showcases Charlotte's growing number of food trucks and the variety of delectables they serve. The list of vendors changes a little each week with some trucks rotating in and out, but those that have served up everything from tacos, pizza, and Philly cheese steaks to fried deviled eggs, cupcakes, and even organic food, include:

• Holy Matrimony Wings and Pizza
• Napolitano’s Mobile Lunch & Catering -- Italian specialties
• Southern Cake Queen -- cupcakes
• Roots Farm Food -- local meats and veggies
• Jim's South Philly Steaks -- cheese steak sandwiches, Italian items
• Sticks and Cones Ice Cream
• Roaming Fork -- grilled cheese and pulled pork sandwiches, fried deviled eggs
• Outdoor Feasts -- barbecue
• Cupcake Delirium -- cupcakes and desserts
• Harvest Moon Grille -- natural local items, featuring Grateful Growers' pork

There's also been free entertainment each week, truly making this a cultural event. It's featured the likes of singer Shana Blake, guitarist Tom Billotto, a Random Act of Culture by the ASC and the NC Dance Theatre, Tom Hanchett and his old-time string band, and Quentin Talley and the Respect Da Mic slam poets group. You likely won't know what the entertainment is until you get there, giving this sort of a boardwalk feel (if only a beach and the breeze from water was nearby).

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own beverages--alcohol is permitted if you’re 21 years of age or older--and lawn chairs are welcome as well. There's no charge for admission, and parking is available for $5 at the Secure parking lot adjacent to Chow Down. Keep in mind that most of the food trucks only accept cash. Find more details at www.findyourcenter.com.

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Stopping By 'Metalmorphosis' aka 'The Big Head' at Whitehall

Andrea and I were coming from south Charlotte yesterday after participating in a hike at McDowell Nature Preserve. Since we were passing through Steele Creek, I decided to stop at the Mac's Speed Shop location over there for lunch. After leaving Mac's (I had the Hand Pulled Pork BBQ Platter with mac 'n cheese and onion rings and the complimentary hush puppies), I decided to take her to nearby Whitehall Corporate Center off Arrowood Road to see "The Big Head." She, like many people living in and visiting Charlotte, didn't know anything about Metalmorphosis.

Constructed in 2007 by Czech Republic artist David Cerny for the opening of Whitehall Corporate Center, Metalmorphosis is a 25-foot tall, 14-ton stainless steel, motorized public art piece in the shape of a human head. Comprised of seven layers, it rotates every few minutes and periodically spews water from its mouth into a fountain at its base. It attracts people daily who come to take pictures in front of it, like we did, but still many Charlotteans don’t know it’s there.

Below is a quick video I captured of the head, showing it rotating near the end. You can also view it through a live web cam at www.metalmorphosis.tv.

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New York Times Article Puts Local Face on Obama's Tax Cut Crisis

There's a great article published in today's New York Times (posted online last night) that proves that many people aren't very knowledgeable of the issues they're concerned about during these tough economic times and especially during this heated political season. "From Obama, the Tax Cut Nobody Heard Of," by reporter Michael Cooper, chronicles a tax cut the Obama administration implemented several months ago that reduced taxes by a total of $116 billion for the majority of Americans. But when polled, people are more likely to either not know their taxes had been cut or think that their taxes had been raised. But the people weren't just polled by the large New York Times/CBS News poll, for this story the Times reporter also visited some good old town's people in Huntersville.

Scene from Huntersville gathering. Photo by Travis Dove for The New York Times.

The setting for the article takes place at Pig Pickin’ and Politickin’, a barbecue-fed rally held in Huntersville last week by a Republican women’s club. Despite the partisan nature of the group, they represent typical Americans. And I feel the article was balanced while also maintaining its purpose of informing readers of what's been happening with their taxes.

Because of so much clutter and nonsense that's being projected in campaign ads, bias media reports, and rallies from disingenuous "grass-roots organizations," an alarming number of people have become overly worked up over topics that they haven't taken the time to become fully educated on. Far too common these days, people are becoming anti-something or denouncing something that in actuality benefits them. Regardless of whether you're a Democrat or Republican (or Tea Partier), you should be aware of the fact that the Obama administration cut your taxes or that about one-third of the much-hated and debated $787 billion stimulus bill was in the form of tax cuts. I learned this months ago and, lately, Bill Maher and Jon Stewart, among others, have been shouting it from the rooftops (sometimes it takes a little humor to get to the truth).

As I've done the past two years, for the 2008 and 2009 elections, I'll soon be posting links to a few local resources that aim to inform the public on policies and candidates they'll be voting on this November. I think it's a responsibility for those of us who disseminate information regularly into the blogosphere. Too many people go into the ballot boxes blindly, or support or oppose something they don't know much about. That's really inexcusable in this Internet age we live in. Some of you spend more time researching players for your fantasy football teams than you do the candidates whose policies can greatly affect you and your family's lives.

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