Ribs, Beer Club & Nathan's Famous!

Summer is FINALLY here!!!  Trey and I kicked off the season by attending the Twin City Ribfest (held right here in Winston-Salem, NC).  We were pretty excited to go because we'd never been to a ribfest before.  Unfortunately, it was kindof a let down...I mean we got there, paid money to get in, paid money for an 'over 21' wristband, paid too much money for one beer, and walked around the entire festival in about 15 minutes. 

BUT...The ribs were good.  Really good.  There were probably fifteen vendors there from different places around the southeast and we just happened to choose Big Boned BBQ Co. by a random decision.  One thing I wish I did do though was buy the '2 bone coupon' where you could go around to different booths and sample 2 ribs at almost every booth. 

BEER CLUB: 21-23

We are almost at 25 beers at the Mellow Mushroom!  Those will definitely be celebratory brews next week after we spend the weekend moving from one apartment to another.  Fortunately, our new apartment is about three blocks from the Mellow Mushroom and now we can walk there (...which could be a good thing or a bad thing...I'm not sure yet).

Beer #21: Hummin' Bird!  Yet another 'Red Oak' beer.  It is a light lager that is refreshingly smooth on a hot summer's day :)

Beer 22: New Holland Mad Hatter.  An IPA that's pretty darn 'hoppy' but pretty darn delicious.

Beer 23:  New Holland Golden Cap -a Saison Ale (yeah I don't really know what that is either...).  It was okay, just not what I prefer.  BUT it was on special that night!

Charlotte Nathan's Qualifier 2010

Well, this was the third year in a row I've been to the Charlotte Nathan's Qualifier and every year, someone different has won!  I would like to thank whoever decided last year to move the contest inside, because it was very awesome once again being in the cool mall instead of outside in 100 degree weather.  Good call. 

Some of the rumoured entrants (Wing Kong, Juliet Lee) didn't show up at the contest so it was pretty clear from the get-go who was going to win: Pat.  He ended up eating 30 hot dogs & buns which was enough to qualify for Nathan's on July 4th.  I think someone ate 13, Richard Foley ate 11.5, Super Paul ate 10, and that's all I could really figure out.  The one & only drawback to having the contest in the mall is that the sound from the speakers really echo and it is hard to understand the announcers.  I attempted to 'tweet' the contest but it is hard to multitask.  Jamie usually does the cell-phone tweeting, but she couldn't make the contest this year. 

The 2010 Nathan's Famous shirts are pretty cute this year.  Supposedly you can buy them at Old Navy but I went to the one in Concord Mills after the contest & no such thing was to be found.  In other news, all 3 Hungry Sisters will be flying out to New York City on July 2nd and are super-excited about being in Coney Island once again on July 4th!!!

--Sadie

1 DAY. 2 WEEKS!

TOMORROW: Nathan's Qualifier at Concord Mills!
Expected Entrants: Pat Bertoletti, Juliet Lee, Wing Kong, Super Paul, Nick Giffen, & idk who else.

2 WEEKS FROM TODAY: 3 HungrySisters will be on our way to New York City!

jimmy johns. but not really.

Let me take you on little a photo journey of our adventure to the Jimmy John's Eating Contest....

Once upon a time, Trey and I got in the car and decided to drive to Charlotte.  We were excited to journey to Speed Street to see the Jimmy John's eating contest.  To get from Winston-Salem to Charlotte, you have to go through Concord.  Concord is where the big NASCAR race is. 

When there is a race, there is race traffic.  When there is race traffic, you can sit on I-85 for hours without moving an inch.  When sitting in traffic a long time, a person can get annoyed.  Very annoyed.  So annoyed that.....

a person gives up on their journey to drive right into a rain/hail storm.  So ends the Jimmy John's contest adventure.  We didn't make it to the contest so we went back home and ate pizza and I was asleep by 9:30.  Jamie will have to fill you in on her Speed Street experience.

Luckily, the next day, Trey and I went to Tennessee and had big beers and went to eat at Krystal.  All became right with the world once again.

--Sadie

Reasons

Next weekend is going to be the best weekend ever for the following reasons:
-Jimmy Johns eating contest
-Free Everclear concert
-33 & 1/3 oz beers & beer cheese in Gatlinburg
-Rednecks & mullets in BOTH Charlotte & Pigeon Forge
-Harrah's Cherokee Casino
-KRYSTAL.  pickles, onions, cheese that brings ya to your knees.
-Outlet shopping!  This girl needs like 5 new pairs of shoes.

God bless you Memorial Day Weekend!

Happenings, Strawberries, and 20 Beers

It's been a while since we've had a 'real' post so here goes....

Eating Contests

Jimmy Johns: ahhhhh we were really excited with the announcement yesterday that there is going to be a Jimmy John's Freaky Fast sandwich making/eating contest in Charlotte!  The contest is during Speed Street which is a fun event in itself.  It is a festival held in Charlotte every Memorial Day weekend before the race (which race... I don't really know.... but it is a big one).  Anyway, the festival consists of live music, fun events, and lots of rednecks at their finest.  It's not to be missed!  We will so be there on Friday night to see not only the Jimmy John's contest, but to see EVERCLEAR.  THROWBACK TO THE 90s, YALL!  Holy crap, we can't wait!

Nathan's Qualifier, Charlotte:  Who is competing?  I have no idea, but we'll be there to watch!  Hopefully it will be inside again, because it was freakin' awesome to be inside the air-conditioned mall instead of outside.

Nathan's on the 4th:  We are planning on going again, even though no real 'plans' have been made yet.  Unfortunately, we'll probably fly this year because of time constraints, so no road trip :(

Life

Once again, life has caught up with us and we have been super-busy.  Jamie is getting ready to start an internship and will be finishing up her last semester of college; graduating in December.  I left the teaching world and got a 'real person job' as a Fitness Director at a local recreation center....and I must say it is the most awesome job ever.

Strawberries

Oh yall, I don't know what it is like in the rest of the country, but three of the best things about summer in the south are: locally grown strawberries, peaches, and tomatoes.  Strawberry season is upon us and I must say that they are so juicy and delicious this year, it almost feels sinful to eat them.

Beer Club

And last but not least, Trey and I have hit a landmark: 20 beers for our beer club!  We only have 5 more to go until we get our coveted Mellow Mushroom koozie!

#19 Great Lake Dortmunder Gold Lager: German-style lager brewed in Ohio.  Delightful on a 90 degree day in May.

#20: Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit:  Brewed in Kinston, North Carolina.  I usually don't like 'fruity' beers, but this beer almost tasted like flowers!  It was unique and refreshing.  I didn't love it but I did enjoy it...if that even makes sense.

--Sadie

Beer Club 7 & 8

Just pictures...

#15 Lagunitas IPA

#16 Smuttynose Brown

#16 Smuttynose Brown

#17 BIG OAK!!!

#18 Bells Two Hearted Ale

Beer Club 6!

This was our first weeknight beer club adventure!  Ok so we intended on going to Subway on April 15th--tax day, to buy one footlong get one free.  BUT, the Subway near our apartment was so f-ing crowded we didn't want to deal with it.  We made an honest attempt to go to the Subway downtown, but it was closed.
Lucky for us :) the Mellow Mushroom is about a block from Subway.  Plan B: Thursday Night Beer Club!

Beer #12: Sweetwater 420. 

Hi Mr. Waiter, I'll have a workin' man's beer, please, because I'm still in my work clothes. 

I'd never had Sweetwater 420 before and it was DEEE-Lightful!

Beer 13: Sweetwater IPA

Sweetwater is the 'brewery of the month' at the Winston-Salem Mellow Mushroom so their beers were cheap(er)!  Out of the two, I liked the 420 & Trey preferred the IPA.

Beer #14: Sam Adams Seasonal (Noble Pils )...and this is what I look like after work...BUT the beer was fresh and tasty.

Beer Club #5!

With it being almost 90 degrees outside, we decided it was time to participate in beer club again!  Nothing beats sitting outside in the warm weather, sipping on some delicious brews. 

Beer #9: Natty Greene's Buckshot Amber Ale.  Brewed in Greensboro, about 20 minutes from where we live, this brew was smooth.  Would I get it again? Yes, especially if it was a special like it was last night at the 'shroom.

Beer #10: Duck Rabbit Amber.  I've had this before in a bottle and thought it was just ok, but let me tell you, it is pretty dern delightful on draft.  Yet another North Carolina gem (....we <3 supporting NC breweries!). 

 

Beer #11: Rogue Dead Guy Ale.  Not a N.C. beer, but still good and went really well with our pizza!

 

...yeah I don't have a lot to say about these beers.  I'm no beer connoisseur, but none were the best I've ever had.  Don't get me wrong, I'd try all three of them again, though!

--Sadie

Barbecue Capital of the WORLD!

Lexington, North Carolina aka the 'Barbecue Capital of the World' is located a mere 20 minutes from my apartment and it took me almost a year of living here before I ventured out to this town (which I will now refer to as heaven).  Pulled Pork Barbecue is a serious thing in North Carolina--especially in Lexington where many claim to be the best.  There are probably 10 or 15 family-owned barbecue joints in this town alone, all of which have their dedicated fan base of clientele who have been eating at the restaurants for generations. 

To give you an idea...
Lexington-style barbecue is made with pork shoulder cooked slowly over a hardwood fire, usually hickory wood. It is basted in a sauce (called "dip" locally) made with vinegar, ketchup, water, salt, pepper and other spices. The actual ingredients will vary from restaurant to restaurant, with each restaurant's recipe being a closely guarded secret. While each is vinegar based, the taste varies widely from tangy to slightly sweet or spicy.

The most distinguishing feature of the "Lexington Barbecue Sandwich" is the inclusion of red slaw (sometimes called barbecue slaw). Red slaw is a combination of cabbage, vinegar, ketchup and crushed/ground black pepper. Red slaw is distinguishable from coleslaw because red slaw contains no mayonnaise. Many Lexingtonians (and visitors) consider red slaw a staple for a quality barbecue experience. Red slaw is commonly served as a side dish with barbecue, grilled poultry and other meats, and on hotdogs as a relish.

--Wikipedia

I am now on a mission to decide for myself which Lexington Barbecue Joint reigns supreme.  I am happy to report that my first Lexington Barbecue Restaurant, Barbecue Center, was a delight...no it was actually euphoric.  The pork had such a deliciously smoky taste that no extra sauce was needed.  The onion rings. OHHH the onion rings.  A lot of times, hand-battered onions tend to flake, but the batter on these onion rings was nice and thick and did not flake off of the onion.  The sweet tea had so much sugar in it, I am still feeling a sugar buzz (and I'm not complaining!).  The desserts. OMG.  They had banana pudding, chocolate pie, and ice cream.  Although the ice cream was not homemade, the things they do with the stuff is no joke.  I didn't order one but many patrons ordered a banana split and I kid you not, each scoop of ice cream was at least the size of a softball, if not bigger.  I just got a single scoop on a cone and Barbecue Center's single scoop was about the size of a large at Baskin Robbins.  ahhhhhhh I am still dreaming about the meal I consumed last night.  I only wish I would have ordered some hush puppies.

Here is a picture of part of my meal.  Unfortunately the picture does not even do the taste justice.
--Sadie

Beer Club #4

Same seat, different night, different beer!

Theme of the night: get what is on special because it is the end of the month and we don't have a lot of money.

Beer #7: Highland's Black Mountain Bitter-Organic Pale Ale. To my knowledge, I'd never had organic beer until then. At first, I didn't really like it...but it actually grew on me towards the end. It is bitter (hence the name) but for those who dig the organic, I'd recommend it!

Beer #8: Foothills Pilot Mountain Pale Ale. I've had this one before at Foothills, but I got it again tonight for three reasons: it was only $3, we hadn't checked it off of our 'Beer Club' list, AND I just got a new job in Pilot Mountain so I thought this would be an appropriate celebratory beer! Overall a delightful beer, but out of the four Foothills brews I've ever had, it is probably my least favorite (1. Sexual Chocolate, 2. Oktoberfest, 3. Hoppyum IPA, 4. Pilot Mtn Pale Ale). However, I'm pretty excited to try their March seasonal--Foothills Red!

--Sadie

21 Adventures

Yesterday was the big 21st birthday. Unfortunately school and snow prevented one of those sloppy birthday stories, but it could not have been a nicer day. I woke up to snow snow snow, we had a two hour delay, which later turned into classes being canceled and much excitement on my part. My friends and I planned on going to La Carreta, the local Mexican restaurant we visit regularly and I was able to have my first legal drink. I opted for the special, Dos Equis on draft. It went perfectly with my chicken quesadilla and complimentary chips and salsa.

I also got Flan!! This was my first flan too, I may have been more excited about that than anything.

--Jamie

BEER CLUB! part 2

We ordered the same thing each round again...maybe this will be our beer club tradition!?


Beer #4: Brooklyn Brown Ale. Pretty tasty, very smooth, would order it again. Bonus:it was the special for the night so it was a dollar cheaper than the others! I'm thinking a stop at the Brooklyn Brewery next July 4th weekend for a tour/tasting is in order.

Beer #5: Magic Hat #9....'not quite pale ale'. Just okay. I hear people talk about this stuff all of the time & sometimes even see it in the grocery store. It is a little on the sweet/fruity side. Trey really liked it but I probably wouldn't get it again.

Beer #6: SEXUAL CHOCOLATE. OMG. If you live anywhere in or around Winston-Salem, you know this beer is a big F-ing deal, so I knew I had to finally taste it during beer club. Foothills, our local brewery, makes it once a year and has a huge release party when they first put it on draft. They also sell it in limited-release bottles and people line up outside for hours to get theirs...and they sell out really quickly--like within a few hours. ahhh it was everything I thought it would be and more. I mean with a name like 'sexual chocolate' how can you go wrong?

Two big thumbs up.

Not in beer club but worth mentioning: Burke St. Pizza garlic knots. Oh lord. After our night of beer sampling, we needed some good greasy food to soak up the booze. Out of all of the foods I've eaten since living in Winston-Salem, I'd have to say that these garlic knots are by far the most delicious thing I've tasted yet. I'm telling you, I have had my fair share of garlic knots and items of the sort, but I have never in my life eaten any so delicious as this (not even in New York). After they take them out of the oven, the pizza makers literally dunk these things in a tub of butter/garlic/parmesan/olive oil while they are still warm. Ohhhhh, it makes me hungry even looking at a picture of them.

--Sadie

BEER CLUB!

Trey and I are officially card-carrying members of the Mellow Mushroom Beer Club. To be in the club you have to drink different draft beers at one Mellow Mushroom location. Once you drink so many different types, you get prizes (a koozie, tshirt, your name on the wall, gift certificates, and most importantly, self gratification and pride). We decided to document our Beer Club adventures so we can remember which brews we like the best for future reference. Follow our journey to Mellow Mushroom Beer Club infamy!

Our first Beer Club night, we decided to order the same thing each round:

Beer #1 to wash down our garlic pretzels: We chose the signature Mellow Mushroom Bogart Pale Ale for our first beer-club-beer. It was delicious! I have never had this before but will get it again once I conquer 99 other types of beer.

Beer #2 & hello, pizza: Battlefield Bock, brewed right down the road in Whisett, N.C. The brother beer to one of my all-time favorites, Red Oak, the Battlefield Bock was one of the better 'dark' beers I've had, with a nice coffee/chocolate aftertaste.

Beer #3 and a happy smiley face: Highland Gaelic Ale...also brewed right down the road in Asheville, NC. Least favorite beer of the night, but still delightfully tasty nonetheless. Would get it again...probably should have had it before the heavier Battlefield Bock.

Check back soon for the next installment of BEER CLUB!

--Sadie

facebook chat.

apparently our lives and conversations revolve around two things: food and big lots.



8:24pm Sadie
invention:
i made smores with chocolate cake icing
and it was the bomb dot com

8:24pm Jamie
YUM

i got iced oatmeal cookies yesterday at big lots
and i think i just finished the whole package
they are so f'ing good
i havent had them in 4ever

8:25pm Sadie
ohhh gahh i havent had those in yearsss
did u get sunday 20% off at BigLots?
i got it today

8:25pm Jamie
i havent checked yet
but probably.. the guy checking me out told me i would get one this weekend

8:25pm Sadie
it didnt come to my yahoo yet but it came to my hotmail
yesss cereal and soup stock up

8:26:pm Jamie
hell yes
i just went yesterday but i might go back and get more soup

8:26pm Sadie
mmmmmm
i'v had 2 of the best tomato soups ever from there this week
one creamy bisque and one organic

8:27pm Jamie
yumm
i just had a can of campbells chicken noodle
and it was delish

8:27pm Sadie
mmmmmmm

8:27pm Jamie
and i got cream of chicken because i've been craving rice and gravy

8:28pm Sadie
oh crap YUM

8:29pm Sadie
i've been making ghetto chicken sandwiches: 4 frozen chicken nuggets on arnold sandwich thins w/a little mayo
so good....today I had a left over BoJ's Honey Mustard on it

8:29pm Jamie
hahahahhahahaha
that sounds good

8:30pm Sadie
it is haha

Snow Day Food

Woke up to snow this morning, again.

In my 24.5 years of life on this earth I have never seen so much snow as this winter. I mean we were out of school for an entire week because of it. What do you do when you spend an entire week at home, trapped in because of snow? Why you eat, of course! And eat, and eat, and eat some more. I don't even know how many frozen pizzas and pans of cookies/brownies I made over the course of the snow-week. Hello overly-processed foods, goodbye girlish figure. Here is a little sampling of what my snow-week cuisine looks like:


Lunch: Sugar Cookies (which were also consumed for breakfast), Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast, Natural Light. Ya'll: If you have never had creamed beef you really have not lived. I don't even have a recipe to give you, it's just something you make...it involves flour, butter, milk, dried beef, and pepper...and it is heaven.


Supper: Scrambled egg with peppers and onions (finally something of nutritional value!) on a bagel, spicy store-brand funions (onyums or something?), and a little debbie chocolate cupcake. My friends, the little debbie chocolate cupcakes are a fairly new snack cake and they are divine.

--Sadie