As usual, I have much to write about and more photos to include. Ian and I went to Backwoods BBQ in Erwin, Tennessee last week on our way to Asheville, NC. I'd heard that Backwoods had some wonderfully smoked meats and was eager to try them. Ian said he'd seen their fliers at work, but that many of the men with whom he works complained that the portions were meager. The only kind of pork they serve is pulled and I prefer sliced. I got their beef sandwich and Ian got the pork, and I got a sample of his. Their BBQ sauce is not my favorite, as I like a tomato base, and this was... I'm still not quite sure. While we waited for our food to arrive at the table, I snapped a shot of the wire bucket in which they corral their sauces. As I said, Ian got the pork and it was very good. My beef was succulent, but didn't has the kind of flavor as did the meat. I got the potato of the day, which was potato salad, and must say that it is quite possibly the best I've had. I finished the potatoes, but left a good third to half of my sandwich for Ian to eat. He ordered the cowboy beans, which were yummy as well and sweetened with sugar, no doubt. But why call them cowboy beans? There was meat in there, but it still seemed like chili to me. The last thing that we had from the BBQ place was a dessert that they called Pig Cake. The cake tasted like lemon and it had bits of coconut, pineapple, and perhaps orange or Mandarin orange bits. And, it was frosted with cool whip. It was moist and dense, and surprisingly good.
That night in Asheville, we ate at the Black Forest. We love German food, and since there's not a restaurant close by (that's open regular hours), almost every time we visit Asheville, we dine there. Usually we are the youngest diners there, but this last time, there were other couples our age. This was the first time we'd seen the waitresses in flouncy costumes and Ian was disappointed when we got a waiter instead. I was disappointed that he wasn't in lederhosen. And, I said as much to him. He replied that it was too cold, but I didn't point out to him that it was too cold for the waitresses to wear dresses that ended above their knees. I had a great glass of Shiraz, though I cannot recall who produced it. The lighting was dim, as evidenced by the poorly illuminated shot of my Shiraz. However, here's a shot of my leftovers (jager schnitzel and red cabbage):
So then on the leg home, we stopped by my favorite, the Fresh Market, where I bought cookies, beans, and cannoli. Fresh Market has quite possibly the best cannoli I've eaten in these here parts. Of course, it doesn't compare to the kind Maria makes in Boston's Little Italy. But, it's certainly edible. FM's cannoli is just so good. It's subtle, unlike other cannoli whose chocolate bits are overwhelming. And, don't get me started on Italian chain restaurant cannoli. Phew! Also from FM we got cookies, and these shortbread things are some of the most divine cookies I've eaten lately. I'm not a sweets person, and never have a problem saying no to one more cookie, but I devoured these marvels and had to give them to Ian to hide away. Then on to the beans. FM sells bean mixes that are pretty tasty. We buy them there a half dozen at a time. I think this was the first time we tried the Southern Bean Mix, because usually the black bean mix is our favorite. But, actually these weren't half bad, especially after I threw in a few slices of ham. The mixes are made by Carolina Kitchen, Inc., which is based in Greensboro.
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