2
Jun

OnCue: The Business of Barbecue April 2013 recap

Posted by on . -- OnCue Consulting

OnCue_BoB_Attendees

Enjoying a well-deserved drink at the 17th Street bar. From Southern California to South Korea, a unique group of participants gathered to hone their barbecue and business skills.

OnCue Consulting held its 11th Business of Barbecue event in back in April. This unique two-day seminar and subsequent one-on-one consulting has incubated several dozen barbecue businesses and helped numerous existing restaurants take their game to a higher level.

OnCue_BoB_BeveragesAn especially honored attendee at this class was Frank Ostini of the Hitching Post, the famed California winery and restaurant featured in the award-winning movie Sideways. We served some of Frank’s fine wine during one of our meals.

Read more about the OnCue seminars and see the 2013-early 2014 schedule here. The next Business of Barbecue class will be held in April 2014. Exact date TBD.

We are grateful to Townsend Spice & Supply, fine spice purveyors and blenders of our Magic Dust©, for sponsoring our OnCue events.  

31
May

Austin Trek Part 3: the Boots

Posted by on . -- Fashion, On The Road

Foodways_AllensBoots

Elizabeth Karmel and me outside our Mecca.

No trip to Austin is complete without a pilgrimage to Allens Boots, the premiere resource for cowboy boots and fashionable western apparel. Their huge selection of Lucchese and Old Gringo boots is unparalleled.

We shopped ’til we dropped and even outfitted Keith Schmidt with several pairs of boots. Then Keith became my personal shopper and his eagle eye spotted these:

Foodways_StingrayBootsI prefer men’s Luccheses as they fit me best. And hidden in plain sight, on a higher shelf in the men’s department, were these stingray beauties. They were custom made for a man who never picked them up. And now they are mine.

Allens has continually updated shopping site where you can shop by brand, size, etc. And if you make your way there in person, ask for Ryan or Rebecca. They are both extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Tell them I sent you!

We didn’t have much time for other shopping this time around, but we did pop into Uncommon Objects, a large antique emporium in which you can get lost for hours, and Heritage Boots, another fine boot purveyor. Both are highly recommended stops.

Read more about my Austin trip: Part 1 and Part 2.