Getting a call from The Chew producers in late April was an unexpected surprise. “We’re coming to film at Memphis in May and we want to feature Apple City Barbecue,” they told me. “Is that okay with you?” Ummm… hello! Of course!
The shoot took place over a two-day period and the first morning was pretty soggy. We completed all of the filming in our tent while the rain steadily fell. One of the plans was for us to take host Michael Symon on a walkabout and introduce him to some of our friends. That plan was about to get shelved because of the rain, but fortunately, the skies cleared later in the day.
The Chew was already scheduled to film Big Bob Gibson, Yazoo’s Delta Q, and Jack’s Old South. So we introduced them to our friends at The Shed …
Boar’s Night Out {last year’s winners of Praise the Lard Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off} …
And the Ribdiculous BBQ Krew, who fed us some delicious alligator ribs they had just cooked for the exotic category.
Yes, Lauren Hirschberg, I am trampling your lawn!
We’ve worked with Michael on several shows, most notably Food Feuds {where he named our ribs “best in St. Louis”} and Best Thing I Ever Ate where he chose our ribs as the best single bite of pork he’s ever eaten. Thank you, Michael. We remain incredibly grateful! Without fail I’ve watched him patiently pose for numerous fan photos and chat with people who approach him, with his trademark smile and genuine warmth shining through. The success of any show is the crew behind the scenes and the producers of The Chew are an incredibly personable and professional team. Huge shout out to Anthony, Maggie, Becky, and Katie – you’re the best!
The Memphis in May story was part of a prime-time special about barbecue ranging from a clambake on the beach to a trail ride in Texas. We were thrilled to be part of the production along with so many of our barbecue friends.
More about our Memphis in May experience coming up next week!
