Bar B Q

When I get the chance to visit with old friends from Ohio, Kentucky and Iowa, they always ask me how I like Memphis. And then the conversation always veers off into music and Barbeque. It seems that when people think of Memphis they think of Blues and Rock and Roll and barbeque. They are always disappointed when I tell them that I have experienced very little of either the music or the barbeque.
 

But today was different. I went to Central Bar B Q for lunch and had barbeque bologna. All I can say is, “Welcome to Memphis.” Where else in the world are you going to get barbeque bologna? While traveling through Ohio, a state not know for the uniqueness of its food, a stopped at a gas station located strategically in the middle of nowhere and there was a fellow out in the parking lot cooking up some tasty cheeseburgers topped with grilled bologna. Yummy.

Please understand, I like bologna. And I like barbeque. But barbeque bologna? Really? I grew up in Kentucky and thus grew up eating the food of the region and it seems “normal” to me. When I moved to Iowa I was introduced to scattered meat sandwiches. I moved to the Cincinnati area and my friends insisted that I eat Cincinnati Chili. I like it now, but at first I was a little afraid of it. In Cincinnati they pour Greek chili over spaghetti and cover that with grated cheese. The scary part is that the chili is the consistency of baby poop. And then I moved to Memphis where they barbeque EVERYTHING! You can get barbequed pork (pulled, ribs, dry rubbed or wet), barbequed beef, barbequed chicken, barbequed spaghetti (I am not making this up.) and barbequed bologna. I am pretty sure if I looked around enough I would find barbequed sticks and leaves.

I am thinking of suggesting to a cereal company they introduce barbequed Cheerios™. What do you think? I believe they would go big in Memphis.

Copyright © 2013, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved