Wintersong

I have a pallet but unfortunately it's turning out substandard BBQ. Am I doing something wrong? Maybe I just need a better pallet?

petitefrancaise

I'm not that keen on US pizza either. Tasteless pap for the most part.

Pissaladiere on the other hand TJ's does a good tarte d'alsace equivalent. My Italian neighbour, a pizza maker from Rome does the most amazing pizza. Light as a feather, perfectly cooked and full of taste. When he opens his pizzeria in Austin, he is going to kickass.

My food preferences are fresh meat/fish with vegetables, homemade soup and fresh bread, cheeses and hams. And I don't snack between meals.... In all, my food education in France has stood me and my family in good stead.

BBQ? Too sweet and icky. Rudy's beef BBQ is about all I can eat in that department.

mrken30

Pizza varies a lot, unfortunately most American cuisine is made to a price point. Most people seem to prefer cheap pizza to good slightly more expensive pizza.

Add enough sugar and salt and no one will notice the difference.

Pulaski

It's probably not made of hickory.

/helpful

ddsrph

Colin
Don't bother looking at Good Will for tent and sleeping bag. I found mine which I have used one time in 20 years and no longer need. I would recommend getting a rental car that has a back seat that will fold down opening up into truck. Many times I have been on a trip and it is late at night and renting a room would be a waste so I stop at large truck stop and sleep,in car for a few hours. I haven't used them but you can also get a shower for a small fee at any large truck stop. Most places cool down enough at night and you can buy a small fan powered by car battery by plugging into lighter socket.

Wintersong

Dammit - I knew I'd regret buying a cheap ass knock-off.

mrken30

Did you feel safe sleeping in your car at a truck stop?

I just noticed there is a big difference between rest areas and truck stops.

Wintersong

I do find BBQ sauces to be too sweet, so I steer clear of ribs and other things that are smothered in it. We have a couple of local BBQ places that are amazing, though - they're smokehouses and the pulled pork and beef brisket are heavenly.

ddsrph

I always park in area visible to the workers at the 24 hour operation. Many trucks park overnight and there is a lot of activity that would make it risky for criminals. Never had a problem. I wouldn't feel safe at a rest area and it is usually forbidden to park in them overnight.

ddsrph

Has anyone ever been to the Far Western steak house near Santa Maria? I remember it from my Air Force days in the late sixties when I was stationed at Vandenberg, AFB. They used to raise their own beef.

Pulaski

I'd take sleeping in a truck stop over a state-owned "rest area" every time. (At least) one rest area in NC has been closed to overnight stops due to a long term history of jiggery pokery in the toilets, of the sort that is commonly frowned on in NC.

themadpooper

BBQ sauces vary depending on region so your generalization is way off

Kansas, for example, is spicy

Memphis style is sweet

There are 100s of different styles

A decent BBQ restaurant will have numerous sauces

Try dry rub if you don't like sauces

petitefrancaise

BBQ sauces are full of sugar, no matter which one you choose. As an example, a local BBQ company - Stubbs - was recently acquired by McKormick foods for $100million. All of their sauces, whether normal, hickory, spicey, bourbon whatever are loaded with different forms of sugar. molasses, cane sugar, brown sugar, dextrose etc etc. No HFCS which they are rather proud of for some very strange reason. last I looked ( pesky science again) normal sugar is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose, so they're kind of splitting hairs.

I don't eat ketchup either for the same reason. That's the trouble with being a qualified dental health professional for over 20 years, you get to understand food labelling despite the manufacturer's best efforts to obfuscate. Especially here in the USA.

Pulaski

Like a room full of monkeys with typewriters, occasionally you write something intelligible.

I agree with this - decent BBQ restaurants usually have 4-6 sauces to choose from. "Western Carolina" BBQ sauce is sweet, "eastern Carolina" style is mustard-based. Tennessee is made with bourbon and is only moderately sweet. IMO dry rub BBQ is unappealing - it makes the ribs look and taste grey.

Jerseygirl

What is a qualified dental health professional?