BBQ: food for some, lifestyle for others
by Travis Hudgons
Photos by Travis Hudgons
hudgons@yahoo.com
Beef or pork? Sauce or no sauce? Gas, charcoal or wood? These are a few of the topics up for debate among many barbecue enthusiasts. Having a mere love for barbecue doesn’t automatically qualify one as a barbecue expert, but understanding what factors make for great barbecue does.
“When you meet someone else who loves barbecue it’s like talking to an old friend right away,” stated Atlanta BBQ Club President Bob Herndon. The Atlanta BBQ Club started as BBQ Cook-Off Contest, with proceeds going toward the Oakhurst Recovery Program—a homeless shelter run by Oakhurst Baptist Church where Herndon serves as a deacon.
Now, the mission of the Atlanta BBQ Club is to introduce people to, and educate them about the variety of barbecue restaurants and methods of cooking barbecue. A one-year membership is $25; which includes: A 10 percent discount from member barbecue restaurants, a map of Atlanta BBQ Club restaurants, news and discounts on state-of-the-art barbecue equipment, invitations to members only functions hosted by members or selected chefs and fieldtrips organized by the club to barbecue contests throughout the South.
Members meet once a month at a local establishment to try some new barbecue or enjoy a familiar favorite. This allows members to meet fellow barbecue enthusiasts and exchange tips on cooking. Special guest speakers such as Steven Raichlen, host of BBQ University, are invited to meetings to inform and educate members. The club also gives members a chance to qualify to become an official barbecue judge.
The club had its August meeting at Decatur’s BBQ Blues and Bluegrass Festival. There was a hospitality tent for members, and Herndon was there extending invitations for passersby to join.
Bill La Franca has been a member for nine months. La Franca was cooking pork sausages that he had made. “When I was a kid, my dad taught me how to make it—he was born in Sicily. I used to grind the meat, cut it up, put all the spices to it. Now he’s passed on and I carried on the tradition,” La Franca said.
Also in attendance was member and author Dave Gelin, who wrote BBQ Joints: Stories And Secret Recipes From The Barbeque Belt. The book features dozens of barbecue restaurants that are off the beaten path. “I tried to find the one that don’t have all the pub…they are the real deal,” said Gelin. Covering 13 states, it took Gelin four years to gather the “research” (dining at the various restaurants) for the book. “I didn’t talk to any managers (implying that he didn’t deal with chain restaurants), just owners and they have to work [at] the joint,” Gelin said. “If they are in my book they have phenomenal barbecue,” he boosted.
Even with nationally published authors as members and having been featured on Better Mornings and Good Day Atlanta, the club remains grounded and humble. Herndon’s ultimate goal is to start “Atlanta in April” a barbecue festival that would mimic the popular one held in Memphis called “Memphis in May.”
For more information, visit: www.atlbbqclub.com; BBQ Joints : Stories And Secret Recipes From The Barbeque Belt available at www.davidgelin.com.
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