Kuwata retires after one year in majors

A legend in Japan retired yesterday in Bradenton. He looked better than most Pirates pitchers to me in Spring Training. The story is here.

Question of The Day

For more of these head on over to Star Trek Inspirational Posters.

My Visit To The Pit

A friend and I visited Ed Mitchells Pit last night to sample the barbecue.

We sat at the bar which is unusual because most BBQ joints in North Carolina don't serve alcohol. Once we got the attention of the bartender we ordered a couple of my favorite Carolina Pale Ales. What can I say? I love this beer and pairing it with BBQ cannot possibly be a bad thing.

I had not eaten anything that day except for a bucket of day-old popcorn at Horton Hears a Who so I immediately went for the smoked wings as an appetizer. The bartender didn't ask about "the three sauce choices" so I got my wings plain. They weren't bad, decent size and pretty good smoky flavor.

We both ordered combination plates so we could sample both the chopped whole hog as well as the baby back ribs. I also ordered both the candied yams and mash potatoes wit gravy as my 2 sides. I know it seems like an odd pairing but they looked like the two most important side dishes and I wanted to get the full experience.

The plates arrived quickly and looked pretty good. My major complaint is that the side dishes were in separate dishes yet the cole slaw was thrown right into the middle of the plate between the ribs and chopped pork. Those of you that know me already know my distaste for cole slaw; I really don't like most of them. But this cole slaw was extra extra runny and quickly started to take over my plate. I immediately grabbed my orange slice garnish as well as my friends and had to create two damn-like barriers to stop this overly hydrated slaw from ruining the rest of the plate. I may be mistaken but doesn't this mean that the cabbage in the slaw was not properly rung out and dried? Anyway, if there was ever a side dish that cried out for its own cup/dish this would be it.

The pork was excellent; it was chopped but was still a touch coarse. It came to the table already sauced with Ed's eastern sauce. It had a little zing to it which is something I really enjoy in pork BBQ. The ribs looked a little different to me. They lacked any of the "bark" that you would see in a Corky’s (Memphis) type rib. I ordered them dry so I could really get a taste for them. They did have a smoke ring to them but they fell right off the bone kind of like a Friday's or Chili's prepared rib. I suspect that they may have been baked or steamed as well as smoked. I really like a smoked rib with a little chew to it so these were a little different to me.

That being said, the ribs did have an excellent flavor and I would not hesitate to tell you that they were much better than what you would get at the two chain restaurants mentioned above.

The bartender let us know that the side orders are homemade. I have to tell you that I was not disappointed in the least with either of my choices. Both were excellent. The sweet potatoes were syrupy sweet and the mashed potatoes seemed to be mashed by hand as opposed to the "whipped" potatoes you so often get nowadays.

All in all I would say that another visit to The Pit is definitely in order. True, it's pricey for BBQ but it's a restaurant not a shack. They offer quite a few wines as well as beers. There are also other items on the menu for people that you may bring who just don't appreciate North Carolina Barbecue. This alone makes it a great place to take clients from other areas that are looking to try "indigenous cuisine".

The service could have been a little better and the slaw will be avoided from now on but I will go back.

Non Traditional Easter Dinner

So, after the big culdesac egg hunt I busted out my 14 year old Weber performer and made fajitas for the neighborhood. Andersen couldn't get enough.

Crying Shame

 

The Ruritans Can Cook!

One of the great things about living here are the fund raising BBQs. When someone mentions one to me my first question is always "Are they cookin' or catering?" I assure you that the Ruritans of Lynn's Crossroads are cooking. They do this every 6 months and I always try to bring as many people as I can.
Last time out I checked out their smoking house and they informed me that they had cooked 1500 lbs of pork shoulder and 500 chickens.

New Barbecue In Town !

Okay, we have a new Barbecue place in downtown Raleigh.
The Pit is brought to you by Ed Mitchell.
Ed has been written up in Mike Mills book as well as several others. I'm sure he'd consider himself a celebrity but around here he's maybe more of an enigma.
Here's a blog posting/review.
And here's a story from the News & Observer about Ed and the new restaurant.
I'm going to go by there and check it out this weekend. I'll give you my opinion on Monday.

Snapshots of The Pirates vs Blue Jays

Front Row Again!

Last day. Question:Can you eat an italian sausage everyday on vacation? We'll let you know.

Baseball Food Porn Double Feature

 

Hard to believe so much good stuff could come out of one ballpark. First, The Cheesy Coney Dog and second, the Cincy Au Jus dipped roast beef on a kaiser. I myself only ate the roast beef. Steve ate both the dog and the beef. He said it was a cleansing experience ...... This is the "Cohen Brothers Produced" of BB Food Porn.

Baseball Food Porn Double Feature

 

Photos from Sarasota - Astros vs. Reds

Lightning Roll Islanders

Vinny with the hat trick. He's my favorite non Cane.

Possible Wet Day In Sarasota

But the food is much better than yesterday.

Sunday's Phillies Jays Game

Photos from Today In St. Pete

Spring Training 03-10-08

Tyndall's Soul Mate

There she is Tim...the woman you are going to leave Schmoopy for.

D. L. Hughley Plays for the Rays!

Monday's Baseball Food Porn

Here's your food porn courtesy of the fine folks at Al Lang Field in St. Pete. Basically, the food sucks here. You would think there would be a cuban sandwich stand or something. Anyway, the place is full of charm and I will miss coming here.

Must Be In The Front Row

Sorry about the blurry photo. Front row St. Pete for the last time........

Today's Baseball Food Porn

Italian Sausage and peppers courtesy of the fine people at Brighthouse field.

First Game SRO

The only game we didn't advance purchase. Hers's the view from standing room in center field. I'll be hearing about this for years.

Steve Instructs On The Art of Beer Cap Flipping

I have tried for years and have no idea how he does this.

We Splurged

What can I say? We went to get some Guiness and this poor lonely bottle of 100 year Grand Marnier was calling out to us.
Seemed like a good idea at the time........

Jim's English.....and he works out!

The First Beer

Spring training officially begins. First beer at RDU.

These Are My Kids

Could these 2 aspiring Doughnut makers be any cuter?
Yep, I'm a little biased.

Frank

First Blog Test Post

My co worker Matt in his native environment. He is ultra productive. We should all strive to be just like him.