|
Follow the Smoke: 14,783 Miles of Great Texas Barbecue |  | Author: John DeMers
Publisher: Bright Sky Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $14.15
as of 9/9/2010 12:00 MDT details
You Save: $5.80 (29%)
New (15) Used (9) Collectible (1) from $10.95
Seller: Books-n-stuffinTexas
Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 647216
Media: Paperback
Pages: 255
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6
ISBN: 1933979224
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.76
EAN: 9781933979229
ASIN: 1933979224
Publication Date: September 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The product of a 14,000-mile road trip and 111 different meals, this delicious guidebook to Texas barbecue is just the thing for any aficionado with a little gas money and a large appetite. The restaurants profiled range from very plain (a shack with an ordering window) to fancy, from Port Arthur to Abilene, McAllen to Texarkana, and Austin to El Paso. Expressing an absolute reverence for Texas barbecue, this guide celebrates the work and time required to produce meat that is perfectly smoky, tender, and juicy.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Hoped for more April 6, 2010
Andrew Chandler (Houston, TX)
This book starts with an introduction and brief history (maybe too brief) of Texas barbecue and why it is different than barbecue found in other regions of the United States. It then progresses through the various geographical regions of the state (center, east, south, north, west). There is no introduction to each section that describes how barbecue in a particular region varies from that found in other areas. Each section is just pages and pages of barbecue joints. The history of each place and their owner is told, most of which are quite interesting. However, with 119 bbq joints discussed, many seem very similar. Décor is noted. The author usually mentions what the signature dishes are, as well details on the barbecue process such as type of wood, cooking time, and equipment used. Most barbecue joints also get a nice picture as well. At the end of the book there is a chapter that details many barbecue recipes.
The book is unique among barbecue books in that in focuses on the people and tries to explain how they got drawn into the business. Having said that, I was disappointed in that the book is not actually reviewing the restaurants the author visits. Evaluation of the food at each joint is usually not made (besides generalities like "delicious" or "smokey"). It can be assumed that all places visited in this book sell a good barbecue, but the qualifications for being included are never stated. After reading the book, I am left wondering if all the joints included actually make the best bbq in the area, or if some where included because the owners story, or the place's history, or the décor, or something else made the place unique and impossible to ignore. That, along with the exclusion of any sort of map so one could scout the proximity of joints to their location, makes this a hard book to use if you want a guidebook for sampling some of the various barbecue in Texas.
And that may not have been the point of the book. As it stands, it is a good read and offers a unique perspective on the topic of texas barbecue. But if you are wanting to sample the best `cue in Texas, I am hesitant to trust this book completely.
 Helps Me Enjoy Texas Barbecue Even More January 12, 2010
Esteban Ess (Austin, TX United States)
I am enjoying "Follow The Smoke" as I live in Texas and we go to the very places that John DeMers covers in his book. It is fun to review the book while in the parking lot of the barbecue place before we enter. Helps us decide what to order and provides a sense of the history, barbecue art and philosophy of the owner and preferred choice of meats and cuts. I only regret that the history of Rudy's Barbecue was not covered in this book. While it is a chain, the meats are high quality, the service is fun and the cooking is just great. It is a fine place to take visitors and less expensive than many other places. I also do not agree with the ratings provided the County Line. Two years ago, the service and poor food quality at the County Line in NW San Antonio drove me away very unhappy and I have not returned since. So, take the book with a grain of salt. Barbecue is not an exact science. Changes in personnel can have a big effect on the food. The author provided me with more things to consider when evaluating a barbecue place.
Excerpted from my January 2009 review column in The National Barbecue News April 23, 2009
Doug Mosley (Monroe, LA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Follow the Smoke: 14,783 Miles of Great Texas Barbecue" by John DeMers ($19.95, Bright Sky Press, 240 pp.) is stunning in the amount of detail it packs into its pages. I've no doubt that this book may have been decades in the making. DeMers coverage of Texas barbecue is as complete as anything I've ever seen, including his take on 119 different barbecue restaurants, shacks, dives and joints. This book also boasts strong photography with over 150 full-color photos. This one is also a bit light in the recipes, but as with the former that's OK. There's plenty of outstanding content here to make this book a winner.
Smell The Smoke October 16, 2008
Slag (TX.)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Follow the Smoke: 14,783 Miles of Great Texas Barbecue
Being a native Texan and living in Tx all my life I have found this book to be a trasure for a true barbecue lover. Now you don't have to be a Texan to enjoy this wonderful book. If you have ever ventured down to Tx and experience some Texas barbecue then you will also get a kick out of this book.
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
