East Coast West Coast Eats Something to Chew On

Barbecue Mayhem

Have you ever stopped to think that you can taste a thousand different barbecues up and down the East Coast yet all will taste delicious but no two alike? Certainly this is due to different ways of cooking and different spices, sauces, woods uses, etc.

Big Fat Daddy's pit beef is premarinated with dry rub.Learn all about dry rub here.

Where's the Beef?

Problem is I often wonder about the whole East Coast vs West Coast ways of cooking. Let's take beef for instance. I bet a steak in Texas is cooked totally different than a steak in Maryland.  This means you may not care for a sirloin in your home town but visit a different state and see how they prepare, marinate, or cook it and you may just change your tune.

I'm unsure if the West Coast knows anything about Baltimore Pit Beef and Dry Rubbing.  Now I don't know, I've not been to California to see if they have pit beef stands so I'm curious to know what I may be missing.  Some other states call it London Broil which is another version of Pit Beef in a way, as they are cooking and slicing the same darn way, but not sure if most use the dry rub.

Seafood Surprise

Maryland crab cakes taste totally different than Pennsylvania crab cakes which taste altogether different than New Jersey crab cakes. I often wonder how you can change a recipe so much when it really only calls for a few items? I suppose it's all based on where you grew up, what you are used to eating, and how you like it made. Maryland eats hot crab dip but in Virginia they look at me like I have three heads when I try to sell it down there.  

My wife loves lobster salad, but only in Old Orchard Beach, Maine--no two places seem to make it the same!

I'm all for shrimp but I would not be a cowering pile of fluff if someone invited me to an old fashioned Crawfish Chow Down where the scary little buggers still had their heads on. That is one big old countrified HELL NO for me.

Red and White Hot Dogs

I guess you can chalk it up to red and white hot dogs.  In Maine the red casing hot dogs are made with lamb and beef and taste yummy, and are pretty common around there.  Rochester and upstate New York has Zweigles (pop open) totally white hot dogs.

Courtesy of ErinCooks.com , the Maine red hot dog.

Now I grew up in Baltimore where the Esskay plant is, and we didn't have all these fancy gourmet colors and varieties.  I feel like I got shorted. Make sure to catch the article over at ErinCooks.com about the red hot dogs.

Are You Hungry Yet? 

If not this will sure make you hungry,  check out the Best Restaurants in Los Angeles. There's some great reviews of five local restaurants over at Barrys Tickets and I hope to visit them real soon as I think that Father's Burger is calling my name. Sites like this are very informative when you are planning a trip. Best to check out what local food reviews are and consult with local yocals  who write articles and know exactly what you MUST eat when you are in their town.   Yum.  See, I think I am missing some things on the West Coast. 

Road Trip 

So I think it's awesome to think about what foods you may be missing out on. My advice? Travel often and sample lots of local foods.

  
I want to hear about your regional favorite food, something you get in your state that just isn't prepared the same elsewhere! Let me know Tweet me @BigFatDaddys

Nascar Scrapbook BBQ Devolver and More

The Monster Mile

The Nascar Experience

So this past weekend I'm at Nascar selling barbecue.  We used to sell in Home Depot Parking Lot, but for the past two years I've been outside the track--near the 5 Hour Energy Fan Zone. This is what you would see if you looked in the window.

Window of Big Fat Daddy's in Nascar

Unfortunately, the wind was not cooperating and our giant signs were blowing down. This causes some havoc on us.  There was a bad storm but thankfully after hours of operation.  A fan stole my wooden turkey leg display sign but the security guard got it back.

Now we weren't smart like other concessions stands who have just one or two items in their tents--they have lower signs and they weren't blowing anywhere. We had Texas Beef and Pork BBQ, Texas Cheesesteaks, Hatfield Quarter lb franks, Texas Burgers and our Giant Turkey Legs plus fries and drinks.

How to Sell Food at Nascar

If you are wondering how to sell food at Nascar, good luck. We were invited by Paige, the old Vendor Coordinator. Nascar used to allow a certain number of vendors into Nascar other than DJ's Concessions who used to have the majority of the food. That all changed in 2011 when Nascar gave DJ's Concessions all the food. Not only did DJ's wait until the last minute to send us a contract, (who does that) but he upped the rent from exorbitant 30% of gross sales that Nascar charged you to a whopping to 35% of gross sales even though Nascar assured us it would be the same. Oh, he expected you to buy soda direct from him, and ice, but there was no delivery of such items like there are at most festivals. My wife was out of product.  On top of that, he slapped us with inventory sheets when we got there and wanted us (each day) to count every single roll we sold and balance our inventory. He also didn't like our guys hats being sideways, and told my wife to tell them to turn them around. Guess he didn't like the way my guys have tattoos.  He asked my wife if she had a three pan wash was although it was set up right in front of him and she's a certified food manager.  Needless to say I would rather throw my barbeque into the Back River for the crabs to eat than go and deal with him again.  He expects your stands to look like this (one item and whitey white)

Sorry, bbq guys that sell 20 items out of one tent don't look like this!

Camping at Nascar

Now part of the whole "Nascar" experience is the campground. You never know what you are going to find or what you may see. There were five guys in a kiddie pool drinking with a big sign, "Honk and we'll drink." I didn't see them after the first day. I can only imagine they were down for the count.  There's no running water, but you can fill your camper with tanks or pay to have it filled. There's also portable showers to the tune of $6 each.  They have onsite ice trucks and Giant sets up a giant tented store just for the event. My wife managed to make her way to the casinos, tattoo parlor, local bars and restaurants and see a live concert in the campground during this short stay.

Devolver and Red Angel Perform in Campground

Lot 10 of Nascar Campground Nando Garza, Lead Singer of Red Angel is rocking right now.

Now what no one will believe is the fact that on Saturday night, a full fledged soundstage was set up by local talents like Devolver and Red Angel and 13:1 were in the lineup.  All are local rock bands. If I told you in the middle of Lot 10, there were smoke machines, stage lighting and Marshall amps set up for all to see you'd probably think I had one too many Ricky Bobby Brews. First up was Red Angel, you can find them on Facebook (listen to them here)  on their Red Angel Band Facebook Page or on Twitter. They are from the Delmarva area, and we talked a bit to the lead singer Fernando Garza!

Last but not least we watched Devolver, Delaware's fresh new talent!  They were rocking the stage at nightfall and they kicked ass. See their profile on Reverb Nation here, connect with them on Facebook  or follow them on DevolverRock on twitter!  My wife was a big fan of this group and I am glad we got a chance to see them!  You can also check out their website right here.

Local band 13:1 closed out the show but we missed them, busy getting ready for race day catching some zzz's tucked away in our bunks.

Thanks guys for making Nascar such a blast!

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Big Fat Daddy's took Whaling City Festival by Surprise in New Bedford Massachusetts but the Portuguese BBQ Rules

Big Fat Daddy's Menagerie of foods.

We recently debuted our Texas BBQ and open pit bbq foods at the Whaling City Festival in Massachusetts.  Any BBQ guru knows that KCBS type foods are truly not as popular in New England as it is in the Southern States.   My wife however wanted to go north to enjoy a weekend eating lobster rolls and fresh fish.  We did so and had the best Cod, shrimp and calamari at the Waterfront Grille.

From WhalingCityFestival.net official site.

The Whaling City festival is huge, and the committee is great, especially Manny.  You'll find lots of vendors selling tshirts, purses, shoes, sunglasses, and handmade products.  Food includes fried dough, Sicilian pizza, bloomin' onions, foot long hot dogs, and more Lobster chowder than you can eat!  Unfortunately, it's not a place big on barbecue, at least not the kind I have

Portuguese BBQ, open spit, photo Courtesy of this site.

I was told that most bbq in the town consists of a lot of Portuguese bbq.  It was explained to me that it is done a bit differently, on open flame, or spit, sort of kabob style, in chunks with fresh herbs, like this !