Nugget Rib Cook-Off 2014 - August 2014

Just off the heels of my last trip for Kansas City BBQ, it was time for the annual Nugget Rib Cook-Off in Sparks, NV near Reno. I love barbecue and especially love ribs, so this was a great opportunity on a Labor Day weekend. I have been to Reno many times and have gotten to know the city and region. The rib cook-off is very popular and draws a large crowd from all over the west, including many fellow travelers on I-80.

As soon as you exit the freeway, you can smell the smoke and meat. It is rather intoxicating and worthy of a Homer Simpson drool. Parking and admission are free, and the venue is next to the JA Nugget Casino which provides air conditioning, video poker, and a time out to digest massive amounts of barbecue pig. BBQ outfits come from all over the United States and set up stands to sell their wares, but the main event is pork spare ribs. All the vendors sell ribs in varying quantities, including sampler packs of 3-4 smaller ribs to try. I prefer my ribs dry with a good rub with sauce on the side; most mop their meat during the smoke.

First up was Yazoo's BBQ from Mississippi. These guys have a solid rib - although fall-off-the-bone tender! Good balance of smoke without being too dry. The rub was a little weak, but the above average sauce made for a good start.

Next was Carson City BBQ from Carson City, NV of course! These ribs look good, but they had little pork or smoke flavor. I detected no rub, but the texture was spot-on tender.

These are good ribs from Just North of Memphis BBQ from Minneapolis, MN of course! The rub was excellent with lots of spice and flavor. The smoke was a little light, but still present. They were very meaty and tender, and the BBQ sauce was really good. I could eat a whole rack of these beauties.

After losing some money in the casino, I got lucky again with The Barbecue Company from Phoenix, AZ. These were awesome ribs. They rub and mop their ribs with a great sauce that caramelizes and makes a smoky-sweet glaze for tender porky ribs. Finger lickin' good to the extreme.

I have been to Chicago many times and love the city and its people. Please do not think of Chicago when you try ribs from Chicago BBQ. These ribs had little flavor, even when doused in average tasting sauce. The texture was great, but without flavor you might as well be chewing paste.

Finally, time for NorCal to represent with Armadillo Willy's BBQ. These were average ribs. Moderate rub and decent smoke. Nothing too aggressive and a little lacking on the amount go meat on the ribs. The sauce was a sweet chipotle blend which was delicious, but not enough to make up for a uninspiring rib.

I have been to BJ's Nevada Barbecue Company in Sparks before, and I always enjoy the restaurant. This time, the ribs were just missing something. All the elements were there, but I think they lack in comparison to other options.

Bourbon and BBQ? That sounds like a great combination from Bourbon Q from Kentucky. They are the official sauce of the Kentucky Derby and make a great variety of sauces, including bourbon whiskey of course. After tasting their ribs, they should just stick to the sauce. They were overcooked and light on the rub. I should have matched their sauce with some of the better ribs.

After sampling ribs all day, I did feel a bit like a stuffed pig, but it was still a great day. Even bad BBQ is still pretty good. The people watching was great and there was a lot of non-meat stuff going on in the area including live music and all sorts of displays and vendors. If you like ribs, you should try your luck on this one. Enjoy the rest of my pictures below.

Minneapolis - August 2014

After a week of touring the Midwestern grain belt, I finally arrived in Minneapolis, MN. This large, hip town is located in southern Minnesota doncha no. Most people do not talk with an accent in the city, but bless those that still have that strong accent! Unfortunately, the weather returned to hot and muggy by the time I arrived in the Twin Cities, but my apartment was waiting with A/C in each room. I stayed in the near the university and the old Polish Nordeast neighborhood, so I could not resist a dinner of kielbasa and pierogi. Yum.

My first stop was the Walker Art Center near downtown. They are an avant guard modern art museum that offers free extended hours admission on Thursday nights. It also happened to be the 2014 Internet Cat Video Festival which packed the gardens full of people wanting to watch YouTube on a big screen with strangers. The museum art was complimented by visitors wearing cat tails and ears and meowing all over the place. As expected, the videos were cute and funny.

After a long cat nap, it was time to continue my explorations. A sunny day brought me to the American Swedish Institute which is located in an old mansion built by a wealthy Swedish immigrant. They display many Scandinavian artifacts and art. I have extensive Scandinavian heritage, so it was cool to see some of my ancestral roots. Their cafe also serves pretty good meatballs and salmon. No lutefisk though. Uffda!

I have been to the Mall of America before as a child; it is still massive, but a bit smaller than I remember. The massive monument to capitalism has nearly every store you can imagine, including several Caribou Coffees. Pity all my west coast friends who do not have the Campfire Mochas. Nevertheless, Friday night means fish fry, and the Red Stag Supperclub has one every week. I chose the local Walleye with a Grain Belt beer. Very awesome and very authentic. It was time to walk off that grease near the Mississippi River and disappear into an old Polka bar for a Friday night Manhattan. Fortunately the apartment was close.

Minneapolis owes its start to the St. Anthony Falls and the hydropower which drew lumber and flour mills to the city. Grain and trees from the Midwest made their way to the city to be transformed into product for the East Coast and beyond. The Mill City Museum chronicles this growth in an abandoned mill partially destroyed by fire. This place tells a rich history of the region and is just a cool facility to escape the hot afternoon. The history lesson is interesting and funny. They even have an onsite demonstration kitchen baking treats all day long so the place smells like grandma's kitchen. We all use and eat flour on a daily basis, so it is good to know how it came about.

Finally, it was time to end my journey with a visit to Target Field - my 25th MLB ballpark. The Minnesota Twins decided to play in San Francisco this year, so I was unable to see my team play, but the Kansas City Royals were in town following me of course! I saw the Royals play all week, and it was great to see them lose to the Twins. Target Field is very modern and wedged into a tight downtown spot. It works well with the parking garage built into the Interstate and the light rail stop directly in the outfield. The beer was cold and cheap. The cheese curds were warm and golden. We root, root, rooted for the home team and won. The perfect end to a long and enjoyable trip.

Yes, this is a statue of Mary Tyler Moore throwing her hat into the air. Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below, and go take your own journey!

Iowa State Fair & Capitol - August 2014

Welcome to the 2014 Iowa State Fair! My trip took me from Kansas City to Minneapolis through Omaha and Des Moines. Des Moines is the capitol of Iowa and hosts one of the largest state fairs in the country right in the middle of farm country. As expected, the fair has a huge agricultural focus and was a great way to spend the day. The park-and-ride lot was located at the state capitol, so I also had a chance to explore the capitol building and grounds.

The Iowa State Capitol is gorgeous. The exterior and interior are all very well done with extensive artwork, marble and metal work, and a very unique library. As expected the state senate is a little more decorated and stately, but the real gem is the library. The library is about 5 stories tall in an open hall with ornate spiral staircases leading to each floor. There are several large murals and monuments, and best of all - free admission and tours!

Back to the fair, it was time to see the famous Butter Cow. They carve a cow sculpture out of fresh butter and display it for the fair. Along side the cow is a changing art exhibit also carved from butter. This year was a Field of Dreams theme - If you churn it, they will cream. Not really, but that would be funnier!

Iowa is corn country, and the state fair is no exception. There is a huge display of award winning corn at the fair including field corn, sweet corn, and popcorn. Driving across the Midwest, you see a lot of corn fields. Most is used for animal feed and ethanol production and requires a lot of chemicals and water to produce. Iowa is a pretty conservative place, but has a vested interest in both promoting biofuels and wind energy which are both abundant in the region. It makes for interesting bedfellows in this agricultural stronghold.

As expected, the food options are also as wide as the corn fields. Above is a Walking Taco. It is a bag of tortilla chips split open, crushed, and topped with meat, salsa, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream. It tastes much like a taco salad, but designed to be very portable. I also sampled a Corn Brat (like a corn dog, but with a bratwurst instead), some local Iowa wines, and a Dutch Letter (S-shaped pastry filled with almond paste). Ironically, the pork options were not that tasty which belies the Iowa pork industry reputation. I guess I need to stick with BBQ instead!

The Iowa State Fair shares a lot of soul with the California State Fair in my backyard. In Iowa, there is a much larger focus on the agricultural and rural traditions. The competitions include more canned and homemade goods - including an ugly cake contest! - and the whole feel is very rural even though it is located in the big city. California focuses much less on the farm side, but still has a great feel. If you are ever in Iowa during fair season, drop by. You will have a great time. Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below.