Best barbecue restaurants in the south

Barbecue is a bit of a passion of mine, if simply for the obstinate comfort of eating foods that are warm and familiar to me. Heading to a new city? Need a place to eat? Probably going to default to a BBQ restaurant. It’s hard to get wrong.

Naturally we couldn’t expect to cover every single great BBQ joint in the south in one article, but we can point you in the right direction and give you a few headlining features. Here are the top line products:

Austin, TX

You can’t really have a discussion on BBQ in the south without mentioning Austin, and you can’t really talk about Austin without mentioning the Salt Lick. There are three of these delightful restaurants in the city: one in the airport (strangely enough) another in Driftwood and a third north of the city in Round Rock. A few years back I found myself on the outside patio of the Driftwood restaurant and got the beef brisket. First hand, I can vouch for the succulence of this great slice of meat, and if you get the chance to visit Salt Lick I would strongly recommend the dish. Read More >

You probably know that we’re having an unseasonably warm spring here on the East Coast

Hard to believe that we’re breaking temperature records!  The great news?  This spring, Washington, D.C., will be even more fun to visit if you don’t have to bundle up the kids against the chill.  And given that American history is an important part of the curriculum at schools across the country, you should be able to get the kids on board for a real, live civics lesson.

First things first:  what should be your home base?

Well, the D.C. Homewood Suites is right in the center of everything, near the Metro, bustling Dupont Circle, and tons of fun shops and restaurants.  The rooms are hugs and comfortable, with sofa beds and multiple TVs, plus kitchens so you can prepare snacks right at “home.”  Add in a full, hot breakfast, plus a three-course evening meal during the week, and you’ve got a central, cost-efficient crash pad in our nation’s capital. Read More >

Nothing captures kids’ imaginations quite like piles of money, which is why touring the United States Mint is so much fun for kids.  Even though there are four active coin-producing mints, only the ones in Denver and Philadelphia are open to the public.   The Philadelphia Mint has been closed for renovations since January, and will be reopening this summer.

The Tour

The highlight of any mint visit is, of course, seeing coins being minted.  The mint is not responsible for the production of paper money, however.  That happens at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C.

The tour, which covers both the history of the mint and the present state of coin manufacturing, will probably be of interest to kids aged 5 and older.  Depending on your docent, you may get to hear some colorful stories of attempted gold theft by insiders and outsiders over the years. Read More >

Contents of my birthday care package this year (thanks sis):

Six linen placemats, six napkins, one potholder and one book: The Art of Fielding. Opening up in a small Midwest town on the shores of Lake Michigan, The Art of Fielding is about far more than baseball, but the first five chapters illustrate a pace and a melody to the a game that is far more endearing than I had ever originally considered. That narrative and the unseasonably warm weather this year have put baseball in the front of my mind this spring, a true symbol of American culture and the sign that summer is here to stay.

In honor of that transition, here are five of the best ballparks to experience this season. Get out there, enjoy the weather and drink some $17 beers to celebrate. Read More >