I had a fine visit today! :-)

CHARLIE · October 26, 2005, 12:20:05 AM

Kirk Allen was in Minnesota to give a demonstration to the Savage, Minnesota Fire Department. He was staying in Burnsville, so I drove over for an afternoon visit and to pick up some very nice turning wood he brought me.

We had a late lunch at a BBQ place and a good visit. I enjoyed hearing about his business and how it got started and enjoyed hearing about his sawmilling too. It was a real good time. I left about 5pm and he had to give his demo about 6pm.

sprucebunny · October 26, 2005, 07:38:19 AM

Did you have cake and ice cream ??? ;D

DonE911 · October 26, 2005, 07:47:36 AM

BBQ in Minnesota :

do they serve grits? ;D

sounds like a good time anyhow.

Frank_Pender · October 26, 2005, 08:47:03 AM

Did he get to tell you about the axe? ;)

Texas Ranger · October 26, 2005, 11:09:50 AM

BBQ in Minnesota? Moose? Elk? Red sauce or that stuff they make over in Tennessee? Inquiring minds want to know.

(Under my breath and behind my hand) Still aint Texas BBQ. ;D

CHARLIE · October 26, 2005, 01:49:15 PM

Sprucebunny, no we didn't have any birthday cake and icecream. In fact, I forgot to wish him a happy birthday. I reckon I forgot because he didn't look any older than when I saw him at the Piggy Roast.

Frank, no mention of an axe.

Now for the rest of y'all. BBQ up here in the midwest is a hit or miss situation. When I moved up to Minnesota back in 1972, BBQ was absolutely terrible up here. The Norwegians thought (some still do) that good BBQ is to boil up some ribs until they are tender, then put them in the oven smothered in a very mild red sauce. BLEEEEKCH! :( Since then, there has been a few fairly decent BBQ restaurants open up. The most popular (IMO) is Famous Dave's BBQ. It comes the closest to the BBQ I'm used to in the Florida/Georgia area.

Don, I can get grits up here but not the best grits in ther world. About the only grits sold up here are Quaker Grits. They sell Instant, which is a sacriledge and quick grits. I buy the quick grits and they satisfy my craving for the wonderful delicacy. When I go South, I always bring back some Jim Dandy, Eelbeck or Dixie Lily. I get real ornery If I don't get my grits a few times a week.

Kirk_Allen · October 26, 2005, 10:50:18 PM

One thing for sure, Tom and Charlie are definatly related ;D When I visited Tom in FL what did we eat? BBQ. Visisted Charlie and what did we eat? BBQ ;D ;D

Had a GREAT visit with Charlie! Thanks for the lunch and more importantly, your time!

We had a great visit and were able to share some of our blessings! Charlie made me the most beutiful little bird house I have ever seen. It has inspired me to get back on the lathe and get to work.

I brought him a few peices of Osage to play with and keep him busy during the winter up north.

Looking forward to another great visit! Thanks Charlie!

Tom, we didnt have time for those sides of beef you like to eat but we sure talked about them...............and the Peas ;D

Bro. Noble · October 27, 2005, 06:09:05 AM

Is it just my imagination? Seems like the very best BBQ and catfish houses are old ramshackled dumps that look unsafe and unsanitary.

Kirk_Allen · October 27, 2005, 09:23:34 AM

I have found that in my travels those small rundown family owned operations are the best.

What I find interesting is how folks will always apologizer for the looks of a place when going there but follow up with the familiar statement, But their food is the best!

chet · October 27, 2005, 09:40:12 AM

Quote from: CHARLIE on October 26, 2005, 01:49:15 PM

Now for the rest of y'all. BBQ up here in the midwest is a hit or miss situation. When I moved up to Minnesota back in 1972, BBQ was absolutely terrible up here. The Norwegians thought (some still do) that good BBQ is to boil up some ribs until they are tender, then put them in the oven smothered in a very mild red sauce. BLEEEEKCH! :( Since then, there has been a few fairly decent BBQ restaurants open up. The most popular (IMO) is Famous Dave's BBQ. It comes the closest to the BBQ I'm used to in the Florida/Georgia area.

I spent 6 weeks living a couple of blocks away from Famous Daves while da wife was in da hospital in Minnesota not knowin' it was there.

Charlie finally did take it upon himself ta let us in on da secret. :

We are on a first name basis with da crew dar now. ;D

beenthere · October 27, 2005, 10:04:33 AM

I understand the 'original' Famous Dave's is just east of Hayward, WI and have enjoyed their BBQ beef ribs there many times.

Also recall one in Dallas, TX that was like in a 'shoe-box' along the street with a long line of well-dressed business women and men waiting to purchase ribs over lunch hour. Don't recall the name but it wasn't a place you'd just pull into without knowing about it from someone else, or figure it out because of the 'traffic'.

I enjoy travelling and going through a small town to search for the place in town that has all the local cars and trucks clustered on main street. THAT is near always a good place to have lunch.

CHARLIE · October 27, 2005, 02:13:24 PM

Kirk, just let me know the next time you are up this way and I'd be mighty glad to visit with you some more. ;D

I love cafes in small towns. First, I enjoy the names of the cafes and then I enjoy a good plateful of a hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and smothered in gravy. There are two cafes here in New Richmond, The "Next Door Cafe" and the "Kozy Korner Cafe". In Rochester, Minnesota I enjoyed going to "Cheap Charlie's" and in Lanesboro, Minnesota there used to be "The White Front Cafe" (now closed) that was painted...........white. They had the best burgers and milkshake served just like I had back in the early 1960's.

Now for one of my "out of the way" BBQ stories. My son was on the skulling team one year at the University of Minnesota. There was a huge meet in Topeka, Kansas. Donna and I went and stayed at the Holiday Inn there. Now I figured, since Kansas City is known for it's BBQ, then Topeka would be loaded with BBQ places too. Not so. So I asked the desk clerk where the best BBQ restaurant in town was. He gave me directions and when I got there I didn't recognize it as a restaurant. It was dark and I must have circled it 2 or 3 times before I figured it must be the place. I had to park in an alley. It was a small dumpy looking place and When Donna and I walked in, we walked through a room full of college kids playing pool and drinking beer. We hung a left into the eating area and sat down. Around us were tables of college kids doing nothing but drinking pitcher after pitcher of beer.

I ordered a pitcher of beer and a rack of ribs. Donna ordered a half rack. When the BBQ was served, there were no plates. The ribs came wrapped in newspaper. Those were some fine tasting ribs and didn't require any sauce at all. We only drank half the pitcher of beer, so when we got ready to leave I walked over to a sober looking table of kids and asked if they wanted it. Absolutely they said. Then I caught good humored grief from several other tables of not so sober kids. ;D That was an enjoyable evening.

My other "out of the way" BBQ story. Not long after graduating from college, my daughter got a job down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I packed her belongings in a huge rental truck and hauled it down there. A local young man helped us unload and afterward I told him I'd buy him supper if he knew a good BBQ place. He took us way out in the boonies somewhere to a small building called "Dreamland BBQ". It had a big dirt parking lot and a few stray dogs hanging around. We went inside and there was a bar with people sitting on stools eating BBQ, tables with people eating BBQ and booths with people eating BBQ. I think we got the only open booth. I watched the huge man waiting tables pull a big plastic trash can up to a recently vacated booth and just scrape the contents on the table into it and wipe the table down. He put his trashcan up and came over to take our order. I ordered a platter of ribs and a bottle of beer each. Then my daughter said, I'd like a side order of cole slaw. The huge waiter said, "Don't need no slaw, you got dem ribs." My daughter said, "Yes, but I'd like a side order of slaw." The waiter repeated, "Don't need no slaw, you got dem ribs." I said, "Catharine, I don't think they have cole slaw here." Pretty soon, here came a large paper plate piled with some of the best tasting ribs I've ever had, a paper plate piled with about a half loaf of white bread, 3 paper plates to eat on and napkins. After we had our fill, I was up paying the bill and watched the huge waiter drag the trashcan over to our booth and scrape the paper plates and rib bones into it. That place had it down to a science. They didn't have any food but ribs and bread and served everything on paper plates. I don't think they even had forks. So.....they didn't have to do any dishwashing at all. That was a great experience and I couldn't even begin to tell anyone where the place was located. :D

Ain't it funny that no matter what subject a thread starts out as......it somehow ends up being about food. ;D

Minnesota_boy · October 27, 2005, 09:37:25 PM

I'm hurt! :'(

Kirk Allen came all the way up to Savage, MN and didn't come on up to see me! I was only ablut 300 miles more! ;D

Kirk_Allen · October 27, 2005, 10:16:12 PM

Dont let the pain get to you to bad MB. My but hurts! 8 1/2 hrs one way. Up and back in 36 hrs! Its trips like that that make me wish I still lived in Chicago...............................NOT.