Bluffton BBQ

It’s been a summer of change for me, as I said goodbye to New York to embark on my next big adventure – grad school in California! I left my job in June and for the past month have been traversing the Southeast, visiting family and friends and taking some time off before hitting the books in August.

My  vacation so far has taken me to the sun-scorched corn fields near my aunt’s house in Mayfield, KY (luckily, we were able to rehydrate in her backyard hot tub); to the beaches of Hilton Head Island with my sister Donna; to my mom and dad’s bluegrass jam sessions; to walk the Lake Murray Dam in Columbia, SC, with my sister Carmen; and to Raleigh, NC, for a day of art museums and comedy clubs with my friend Aliana, as well as quality time with my sister Lori who, according to one restaurant hostess, must be my “maternal” twin.

Of course, my trip home wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t seize the opportunity to chow down on some real Southern BBQ. I should note that I’m slightly concerned about my future ability to satisfy these cravings in the Bay Area, which I’m sure has more pork than Mark’s neck of the woods, but it appears to be largely vegetarian terrain. Many of the apartment listings I’ve seen say things like, "No Meat, Dead Animals, Fish, or any eggs allowed in the fridge.”

With this in mind, I went with my parents to a little family-owned restaurant near their house called Bluffton BBQ, located at 11 State of Mind Way (very zen!). My mom’s initial reaction was that the place looked “kind of… redneck,” but I knew I was going to like it when I saw the tub of free PBR in front of the cash register. The restaurant is brand new and was giving away beer for donations until it gets its alcohol license.

The meaty menu included pulled pork, ribs and chicken; a smattering of sides; and moon pies for $1. There was also a sampler platter called the “fat bastard,” but I didn’t hear anyone ask for one of those.  

You’ll only find tomato-based (not mustard-based) BBQ here, as indicated by a handwritten sign that says “mustard is heresy.”  This, however, is contrary to popular opinion in many parts of this pork-loving state. According to Lake E. High, Jr., of the South Carolina Barbeque Association, German settlers brought mustard sauces to South Carolina in the 1700s and, as people began applying them to BBQ, mustard sauces came to be considered the traditional South Carolina style. (Here's an interesting article about this.)

I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato casserole and mac and cheese on the side. The sandwich was scrumptious, especially when dipped in the restaurant’s signature “Ted sauce.” I found the mac and cheese a bit bland, but the sweet potatoes were smooth and rich. Also tried some of Dad’s perfectly spiced rack of ribs. 

Pig paraphernalia adorned almost every inch of the restaurant that wasn’t already occupied with a political poster. A Yelp review I read says the owner is a big Tea Party-er, so no surprise there. In case we forgot, this was a gentle reminder that we were indeed in the South, where you can walk into a restaurant and find both butts to eat and butts to talk politics.

In the end, we all gave it a big thumbs up but agreed we’d probably prefer to take it to-go. The outing was a delicious way to wrap up my last week at home... hopefully I’ll be back again soon for more.

Ham sammy and a BLT - sorta

It's been nine months since I moved to Abu Dhabi, and my quest for quality barbecue has so far been unsuccessful. I got a glimmer of hope yesterday when I met a friend for lunch at Cafe Arabia. A cursory glance at their menu showed a ham sandwich and a BLT. My heart quickened, and my cholesterol rose in anticipation. But a closer read revealed the ham was made of turkey, and the "B" in "BLT" stood for beef. Sorry for the sideways photo - had to make it big so it was readable. My search continues with a heavy heart and surprisingly clear arteries..

Churrascos and chimarrão

My latest barbecue spree took me far beyond the five boroughs – to Brazil! Arguably the meat mecca of the Western hemisphere. No question, the Brazilians I encountered have perfected the art of the churrasco (a Brazilian barbecue), which is unsurprising since these events happen there almost every weekend.

I was in the southern town of Canoinhas not too far from the exotic beaches of Florianopolis or gaucho territory of Rio Grande do Sul. I stayed for two weeks visiting my sister Michelle and her beautiful family, and my sister Lori also made the trek from North Carolina.

Per local custom, they threw a huge churrasco party at the neighborhood tennis club to celebrate our visit, where we were offered an array of delicious food, live music and a never-ending supply of caipirinhas.

About 60 of Michelle and her husband Curtis’s friends showed up. We were first served a sampling of chicken, sausage and turkey heart. It was the first time I’d tried turkey heart, and I wasn’t a big fan. It’s hugely popular there, but even after getting past the strange thought of eating a heart, the meat was rubbery and the taste not very flavorful in my opinion. But the sausage was to die for – succulent and slightly spicy.

Then came the main course, a full buffet spread of beef, chicken, sweet rice, potato salad, veggies, fruit salad and pickled onions. Waitors circulated, rodízio-style, serving fresh cuts of meat to those who appeared to be running low. The grand finale was a cake topped with tropical fruit and some kind of creamcheesy frosting.

For entertainment, my niece Trinity played her violin and then a band played traditional Brazilian country music. The band members were from a family of 11 who rotated playing guitar and singing.

All the things I’d heard about Brazilians being hospitable and big-hearted was true. I got to know many of Michelle and Curtis’s friends, and it was a diverse group. Some have lived in Canoinhas their whole lives without leaving, and they also have American friends who work with Curtis and travel all over. About half the people I met spoke English, and with the others I could usually get by speaking “portuñol” – a mix of Spanish and Portuguese.

There, people never eat with their hands (even with sandwiches, they’ll use a knife and fork or pick it up with a napkin) and rarely drink directly out of a bottle. Beer especially is always served with an ice cold mug and for them, the more foam the better.

Other highlights from the trip included trying capoeira (a form of martial art that incorporates dance and music) and being sore for days after; a spa excursion with the girls; a night of drinks and dancing at the local club; visiting the museum and Easter bunny house in Tres Barras; a drive through the country to check out the nearby Steinhaeger (gin) factory; and lots of sunbathing and poolside reading.

There’s a lot more I could say about the local cuisine – about the amazing selection of tropical fruits and juices, or the way hot dog vendors prepare their franks with peas, corn, mayo and potato chips – but I’ll close by talking about a special kind of green tea that I fell in love with there, called chimarrão. Canoinhas is well known for its chimarrão, which is a social drink that people often share when they get together. It’s made by putting loose erva mate (tea) in a cup, adding hot water, and drinking it out of a filtered straw. It’s slightly bitter, but people will sometimes add different flavored spices or teas, like chamomile, to the erva mate. I saw people drinking it everywhere, even at the spa and pool.

Here I am with Trinity in front of a statue of a chimarrão cup in the center of town.

Palm Sunday in Abu Dhabi

St. Joseph’s Church in Abu Dhabi was packed on the Friday before Palm Sunday, with parishioners forced to stand along the sides of the church and along the center aisle. Chairs were placed outside the church in order to accommodate the overflow.

Yes, it was a popular holiday, and yes, this is the only Catholic church in all of Abu Dhabi, but daily and Sunday Masses here are always well attended. Masses are celebrated here in English, Tagalog (the main dialect of the Philippines), Arabic, Malalayam (one of the many languages of India), Urdu (the lingua franca of Pakistan), Konkani (another language spoken in India), Tamil (another of the 22 Indian languages), Sinhalese (Sri Lanka’s main lingo), and French.

The English-language Masses are attended mostly by Filipinos and Indians, many of whom live in labor camps and company housing in Mussafah, about an hour away from Abu Dhabi. At the end of the video I’ve attached you'll see a few of the dozens of buses that regularly pull up to St Joseph’s. Most of the people who go to church here don’t have cars and live far away. They pile into buses and travel a significant distance to get to the city’s only Catholic church. I am immensely impressed with their faith.

I often think of the times I went to Saturday or Sunday Mass in Midtown Manhattan. If Our Lady of Peace church on 62nd Street was half-full, that would be a big crowd. 

In the video below, you can see where the modest, low-lying St Joseph's Church is located in between a beautiful, towering mosque with multiple minarets and an equally majestic Coptic Orthodox church, all in the same block.