Competition BBQ Secrets Book Review

bbqcompetitionsecretsribsWhile growing up in the South I ate my fair share of great BBQ. But many of my friends don’t know that I was a BBQ Pit Man at the Old Hickory House in Stone Mountain, Georgia while in High School.  Two old school BBQ Pit men named JuneBug and Lawrence spent many an afternoon passing down their very own trade secrets to me. So whenever my friends and family are in the mood for some real BBQ I employ many of the techniques that were passed down to me over 20 years ago. Watching and reading about BBQ competitions over the past few months has been getting me excited about BBQ again. I just moved back stateside after being gone for about 7 years.  So with the spring BBQ season closing in fast I decided to brush up on my BBQ skills before I decided to fire up my smoker or dare to enter a competition.

competitionbbqsecretsbook Competition BBQ Secrets by Bill Anderson is exactly the kind of book that I needed to update my BBQ skills.  Bill’s book is a very detailed education on the exact science of cooking championship ribs, pork butts, and chicken.  It’s a real education and well worth the read even if you are not interested in competitions.  He even goes into detail about brisket—which I’ve never actually cooked before.  The chapter on barbecue science was like going back to BBQ Grad School and was a much needed extension of what JuneBug and Lawrence taught me over 20 years ago at The Old Hickory House.  Bill’s book reviews every facet of BBQ—from choosing a Cooker and how your wood choice will impact your recipe, to the correct way to use finishing sauces and glazes.  In case you were wondering, yes we did use real Hickory wood at the Old Hickory House.  This book is a must have if you are considering hitting the BBQ competition circuit or just want to wow everyone at your next family get together.  One of the best features of this book is the extensive list of BBQ associations.  He even lists where you can find out about all the competitions.  Which is a great resource even if you aren’t interested in competing—heck someone’s got to eat all that BBQ.  Competition BBQ Secrets is available on Bill’s website as an e-book or hardcover—I choose the e-book option so I could get started using it right away.

Filed Under: Books, General Tagged With: , , , ,

Hawaii Trip Planner: Plan a Trip to Hawaii

 

The water is the prettiest in Hawaii mid day when the sun is through it.

 

Hilton Hawaiian Village is right next door to the Hale Koa. Most dates they will match the government official travel rate.  I think it is $177 per night right now.  Depending on the rate at the Hale Koa this can be a good deal.  Some people have told me they have paid much higher than this and much lower than this so I am sure it depends on the dates.

If you request the Tapa Tower it is nicely renovated and most floors have nice views without having to upgrade.

 

If you do go to the Hilton Hawaiian Village you can still park a car at the Hale Koa parking lot.  The Hilton has very expensive parking.  Something like $17 instead of $7 or $9 per day.

 

The food and shops are all way less expensive at the Hale Koa.

 

You are probably going to want to rent a car.  If you take a shuttle to the hotel you can always rent one (make a reservation) at the Hilton which is next door to the Hale Koa.

 

Speaking of next door to the Hale Koa.  Friday nights the Hilton has a mini Luau type show.  You can buy tickets for a seat but you get there early many people stand outside of the seating area to watch the show for free. It could be too crowded if you are late.  My thoughts, if you are going to a real luau there is no need to pay for this show. If you are close by walk over and check it out.  Plus there are fireworks after the show.  You can see them from the beach.

 

Rockin’ Hawaiian Rainbow Revue at the Hilton Hawaii Village
Fridays at the Super Pool

Registered hotel guests can pre-purchase tickets for poolside seating at the Ali’i Tower desk (near Tropics Bar & Grill). Tickets are available for purchase 8:00 am – 9:00 pm daily except Fridays, and 8:00 am – 2:00 pm on Fridays (room charge only). Tickets can also be purchased by hotel guests and the general public at the entrance to the Super Pool from 6:00 pm until show time on Fridays. Poolside seating is $20.00 per person and include one Mai Tai punch or non-alcoholic punch per person.

Show Schedule
Main Show 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm*
Fireworks Display 7:45 pm*

Food
Hawaii is not a big seafood place.  They but like Ahi fish.  AKA TUNA.  It taste just like canned Tuna to me but some people go crazy for it.  I can not recommend any good restaurants. When we were in Waikiki we usually ate at The Cheesecake Factory or fast food.

Ok I just remembered three restaurants in Waikiki
All in hotels and walking distance.  I think that Tiki’s is the longest walk.

Tiki’s
http://tikisgrill.com
Fun Polynesian tiki atmosphere, if you sit outside on the balcony you can get an ocean view.  I think they might have inside and outside menu pricing.  Inside being nicer food but pricer and outside being sandwiches and burgers.  We usually sit outside.  Actually, this was my last meal in Hawaii.  I went straight from there to the airport.

Dukes
http://www.dukeswaikiki.com
Two sections the Dukes restaurant (pricer) and the Barefoot Bar (lower prices)
Tourist Like to go here and so do locals.
The Barefoot Bar was featured on Rachel Ray’s $40 a day.  All she bought was one mixed drink.

Shorebird
http://shorebirdwaikiki.com/
breakfast buffet – fruit, pastries hard boiled egg yogurt. (might can find a $1 coupon in a Oahu gold magazine) Also serve lunch and dinner.  Only ate breakfast there.
Nice water views! Probably some of the best in Waikiki.
Also featured on Rachel Ray’s $40 a day.

One restaurant off the beaten path.

Haleiwa Joes in Kaneohe
http://www.haleiwajoes.com/111111_hjoes_kaneohemain_menuprint.html
They have another location in Haleiwa at the North Shore but the location atmosphere is not nearly as nice.  They are expensive $25 per person kind of prices.  No free drink refills etc.

Tourist Stuff

The big tour company there is www.robertshawaii.com.

I don’t pay for there tours just look at what you would like to do and then go on your own.

 

Pearl Harbor

http://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm

Everyone wants to go to Pearl Harbor.  I heard they renovated it since we lived there.  It is free but you might have to pay $5 to park.  They have a free parking but sometimes it is full. When we lived there SOMETIMES they gave out tickets in the morning then you came back for your assigned time.  If you got there late all of the tickets were already gone.  Call ahead to see what their system is now.

 

Hiking?

 

Manoa Falls

Easy Trail

http://www.everytrail.com/guide/manoa-falls

Must bring Deep Woods Mosquito repellant.

Can be very muddy. Not sure if it will be muddy in May – Not the rainy season.

Someone told me that this was their favorite part of their vacation.

 

Diamond Head

http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/hiking/oahu/index.cfm?hike_id=2

I prefer to look at Diamond Head instead of hike it.  But you might learn some interesting facts if you go.  A lot of stairs!

 

Hanauma Bay Snorkeling – Hot Spot.

http://www1.honolulu.gov/parks/facility/hanaumabay/information.htm

CLOSED ON TUESDAYS

That website did not seem to offer much info but this is a hotspot.

Cheapest way to snorkel and no boats involved.

Sometimes the parking lot is full and they turn cars away.

$1 to park $5 or $10 to get in.  $1 or so to ride a shuttle from the parking lot to the beach. MAYBE military members get in free.  MAYBE dependants get in free too but ONLY WITH ID.

You can rent snorkel gear here for about $2 more than you could rent elsewhere and then bring it.  Even if you don’t snorkel or go in to the park it could be nice to pay the $1 parking and look over the edge.

 

 

 

ITT

They probably have the same prices.  My thoughts are that they might have different specials.  I believe that the ITT at Pearl Harbor has more choices than the one at the Marine Bases.  There is also a ticket office at the Hale Koa but I am not sure that it is ITT.

http://www.cnic.navy.mil/PearlHarbor-Hickam/FleetAndFamilyReadiness/ThingsToDo/TicketsTravelAndTours/index.htm

AND

http://www.mccshawaii.com/itt.shtml

 

 

Luau’s

Check ITT for the best deals

Book early because some shows are only available certain nights a week.

Tip: Many people don’t like the food but still have fun trying it.

If you have seen one you have seen them all.  They only vary slightly.

Paradise Cove

http://www.paradisecovehawaii.com/

Best setting and many people say it is the best.  But you have to go to KoOlina by car or by bus and it is at least 45 minutes away from the hotel.

Hale Koa

http://www.halekoa.com/dining_entertainment/dinner_shows.cfm

Nice and probably most affordable.  Right there at the Hale Koa. Tribute to the military. Might have a special musical guest from the 1980’s.

Hilton

http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/luau/

On the roof of the Hilton.  My opinion is it is the least best setting. The dancing could be considered a bit provocative.  Since many people say they don’t like Luau food the Hilton may have the best food.  They have an assortment of Hawaiian Luau food, Japanese food and American Food.

Polynesian Cultural Center

http://www.polynesia.com/

Far Far away!  About an hour bus ride.  The mormon’s own or run this so they modest.  No coconut bras. This is the only one where you eat one place then move to a stadium like place for the show. You can spend the entire day there and explore the center then go for the show at night or just do the show.

Germaines

http://www.germainesluau.com/

The only one I have never been too.  I have been told it is funny and comedy like.

 

You can’t do it all BUT

If you have extra time on Oahu Hawaii. Plan this for your trip

http://www.magicofpolynesia.com/

This is a really good show.  Buy the tickets through ITT and skip the dinner.

 

Horseback riding

http://www.kualoa.com/

I never went but my family went while I was pregnant.

They liked it.  I think ITT might sell tickets for them too.

 

Whale Watching

I am not sure that there are many whales to see in May.  Just be aware that the whales are humpback whales and most likely you will only see a fin come out of the water.  Don’t let me discourage you, it was just not what I was expecting.  Plus I got sea sick.

 

Some people say skip Sea Life Park.  Personally I would not go.  It is like a mini Sea World but with an ocean setting.

 

MUST DO

Driving Tours

My suggestion RENT A CAR don’t take bus tours/circle island tours.

I have been on fabulous tours where the driver or tour guide talked about all of the fascinating things on the tour but the one we went on was BORING!  Half of our group fell asleep and missed half the tour.

Plus when you are diving you can make your own stops AND go off the path a bit.

IF you want to go with a tour company tickets are around $80 per person.  Maybe cheaper through ITT

Recommended Route

 

DETAILED Mapquest Map

http://mapq.st/zE0pSH

 

A Hale Koa Hotel

 

B Hanauma Bay Park

Just stop at overlook and take a photo – This is if you don’t choose to snorkel on another day.

 

Most scenic part of route

 

C Halona “Blow Hole” lookout

http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/oahu/halona-blowhole/

8699 Kalanianaole Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96825

Travel about 1.5 miles after Hanauma Bay to reach the Blow Hole. There is a parking lot for at the Holona Blow Hole.

D Bellows Air Force Base

If you have time this is just another chance to see the beautiful water of Hawaii

Just drive on base and follow the water until you get to the end then go back on the main road.

 

Kailua Beach Park and Lanikai

Beautiful

Everytime single time I go I can not get over how beautiful it is.  It is a beauty that can not be gotten used to.  Of course the water has to be clear, on rare occasions the water can be muddy.

 

E Lanikai – I think this is a must do.  Don’t go super early nor too late or the water wont look its best.

The best kept secret?!

World Famous but I say secret because no tours go here

http://gohawaii.about.com/od/oahuphotos/ig/southeast_oahu_photos/se_oahu_044.htm

or

http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/oahu/lanikai-beach/

When you enter Lanikai it is a one way loop. You will park on the side of the road and walk down a public access path.   Don’t worry about parking in someones yard.  The law is that you can do it. Remember tourism is Hawaii’s income. I emailed my friend who lives there to see if she knows which public access path to is best she said

Tell her to go to the one by Lanikai Community Park. She will figure it out. Take a left off Aalapapa right after the park. Then park somewhere near there. The access to the sandy part of the beach is close by.

Map http://mapq.st/yr1Afi

 

If you have time drive up the mountain side in Lanikai and look back out over the water.

 

F Kailua Beach Park

526 Kawailoa Road Kailua Hi

Beautiful beach and landscape spend a few minutes walking along the beach.

Two parking lots – check out the water from both parking lots if you can.

Watch the kite surfers on a windy day.

BTW: This is where we lived!

147 Ainoni Street Kailua HI 96734

 

G PALI LOOKOUT

Drive through Pali rainforest
Short stop photo opp
Look out into the valley below.

H H3 should not be missed.  Beautiful scenery.  Driving the H3 is the single most thing I miss about Hawaii.

So my recommendation is to head back to Kailua and take the H3 West then turn around and enjoy it going East.  I think there are two tunnels, once you come out of the second tunnel you can turn around and go back down the mountain.

 

I Byodo-In Temple

http://www.byodo-in.com/

47-200 Kahekili Highway, Kaneohe, HI

This stop is on most of the main tours.

Scenes from lost were shot here.

$3 per person to go in

about a 15 to 20 minute stop

 

J The tour we went on stopped at the Macadamia nut farm.
Mainly a shopping opportunity
It was mostly a shopping experience but you could see coffee beans growing on plants
http://www.macnutfarm.com

49-227 Kamehameha Hwy # A, Kaneohe, HI 96744

49-227 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744

 

K CHINA MAN’S HAT
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g29222-d496697-Reviews-Chinaman_s_Hat-Oahu_Hawaii.html

5 minute stop. Park and snap a picture if you like.

L SUNSET BEACH

M WAIMEA BAY
This where the surfing tournaments are held.  The waves are only high during the winter.  In the summer it can be as calm as a lake.

N Turtles
Laniakea Beach
You can pull off the side of the road (there might be a crowd) and see a few turtles lying on the beach.

O HALEIWA CITY – The North Shore
Most people stop here and have lunch and visit a few shops.  There is fast food and a few restaurants.  The restaurants are known for having poor service so don’t expect to get your food fast.  If you see long lines the people are waiting to buy SHAVE ICE. That’s right, no D in Shave Ice.

P DOLE PLANTATION
http://www.dole-plantation.com/
64-1550 Kamehameha Highway  Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786
(808) 621-8408
Stop by to see the different varieties of pineapple and try out some dole whip pineapple sherbet like soft serve ice cream.

http://mapq.st/zE0pSH

 

 

Filed Under: General, Uncategorized

Tampa Pizza Restaurants: Searching for the Best

Being new to the Tampa area I get to have some fun trying out all my favorite cuisines and searching for a new specialty dish that I’ve never had before. So this week I’ve been checking out some Tampa pizza restaurants and here’s what I found.

San's Pizzeria (Westchase) on Urbanspoon

My quest for the top Tampa Pizza restaurants began with San’s Pizzeria, 13048 Race Track Rd. San’s has received some positive online reviews so we decided to take the drive over to Westchase on Tuesday evening to check them out. I’ve read that they were pretty busy on the weekend so we thought it would be a good idea to try them out on a slower night. As reported the staff is sociable and this is an enjoyable family restaurant that is very kid friendly. As far as Tampa pizza restaurants go, San’s has a full menu of pizzas and casts of all the usual suspects in its Italian Dinner Entrée selection. We enjoyed the fresh fried calamari even though the marinara sauce tasted like something out of a can. Now I don’t usually eat veal parmigiana unless I make it at home. Most food distributors deliver a quality piece of veal but most restaurants tend to over or under cook it leaving a rubbery or soft texture that makes me wish I had ordered a simple salad.

I know what you are thinking, why would I order veal while on a quest for the top Tampa pizza restaurants? Well I have this habit of asking the wait staff what they had for dinner before I order. If they give the dish a great review I usually follow suite and ask them to dish me up a plate. After a few questions about how the veal was prepared I decided to go for it. The veal was lightly breaded, it had a good texture, and most of all it tasted like veal. The veal plate came with a simple presentation and a good portion of pasta on the side. We also ordered the Margarita Pizza. The ingredients were fresh; the sauce did not overpower the great tasting olive oil and basil. After sampling the veal Margarita pizza at San’s it’s apparent that I’m well on my way to find the top Tampa pizza restaurants.

Filed Under: Restaurant, Restaurants, Review, Reviews Tagged With: ,

Tampa Chinese Food: Yummy House Satisfies

Even as a newcomer I had pronounced the Tampa Chinese food scene DOA.  I have many warm memories of sharing meals with my grandmother at China Wok II growing up in Atlanta.  Traveling every part of Asia for the past 7 years I have developed a somewhat more complex pallet, it was difficult at times to recognize many of the dishes prepared there if you are accustomed to the American adaptations.  But after spending so much time in Asia I really try not to hold the food in the states to the same standard as the authentic cuisine and I have had great success finding a local restaurants throughout the states that are reminiscent of my experiences eating Chinese food growing up in Atlanta.  When I got back to the states I just had to find a local Tampa Chinese food outlet that satisfied my urge for good old-fashioned Chinese food.  American Chinese that is, if there is or ever was such a thing.  However, a quick tour of what is available on the Tampa Chinese food scene has been below par when compared to other major US metropolises.  Then I tried Yummy House.

Yummy House on Urbanspoon

 Since arriving in Tampa a few months ago I’ve been disgruntled with the performance of 9 restaurants in this category.  In fact I recused myself from writing reviews on any Tampa Chinese restaurants in fear of being censured by local food writers.  However, this past weekend I decided to take another shot at finding some Tampa Chinese food worth writing about.  The fact that Yummy House, at 2202 West Waters, seems to outshine most online reviews was an indication of a good dining experience so I decided to take a small group to check out what YH had to offer.  YH has been my best experience with Tampa Chinese food because it’s just plain good Chinese food.  YH is the most exciting hopeful in the crowd so far to be place to satisfy my craving for some good Chinese food. 

 We were all pleasantly surprised with the service, food, and atmosphere of Yummy House.  The menu is a bit more complete than most of the other places I’ve ventured to recently; although that didn’t stop me from sticking to some basic dishes.  The pot stickers were hot and extra crispy, like I ordered them; even if they did come out after Seafood Chow Fun.  The XO sauce was much better than my earlier experiences with Tampa Chinese food but I’m still pretty sure they were using a commercial grade manufactured for the American market rather than making their own.  The S & P Calamari probably reflects the best calamari dish I’ve ever had in the states from a restaurant of this quality.  Calamari really has become trendy in the states since it’s become more readily available by commercial food distributors.  Ten years ago it was difficult to find good calamari, something I always attributed to the lack of supply.  The more refined diner might find YH a bit shallow in the ambiance department and the service was nothing to rant about but it outshines all of my other Tampa Chinese food experiences I’ve had over the past few months.  Next time I might even ask them if I can go back in the kitchen and share one of the XO sauce recipes I picked up in Hong Kong.

Filed Under: Restaurant, Restaurants, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

New Favorite Tampa Mexican Restaurant: The Lime

If you are looking for a solid Tampa Mexican restaurant then let me tell you about one of my new favorites.  Can you say that a place is your favorite if you’ve only been there once?  Well…I can certainly say that The Lime, at 915 S. Howard St, is one cool place with a great atmosphere.  Stopped in last Wednesday with two of my buddies after work, we all agreed the food was fantastic and we had an awesome time.  There’s nothing like encountering a restaurant in a new town when they are having a girl’s night out special (ladies drink free martinis 9-10 on Wednesdays)—score.

Enough about girls’ night out—my wife does read this blog—and on to why I think this is my new favorite Tampa Mexican restaurant.  I tried a few bites of the Carnitas that Mateo ordered; the pork was tender and juicy with just the right amount of flavorful mojo.  The dish was served with black beans and sweet plantains—some of the best plantains I’ve been served in a restaurant for over a year.   I had the rotisserie fried skirt steak Lime fajitas.  The menu lists this as a Brazilian/Mexican fajita and it was a twist from what you would expect from the usual chain joints.  The dish was served with a lime marinade packed with flavor.  Or was it the lime from all the Coronas we were drinking…

The relaxed friendly atmosphere is another thing that makes this my favorite Tampa Mexican restaurant.  Our waitress helped us navigate through the menu, which is larger than what I would have expected, and it was pretty neat to compare Final Four brackets with her.  Who knows, we might be back at The Lime next week for Wii Bowling night—8-11 every Tuesday.

Filed Under: Restaurant, Restaurants, Review, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,