SHBA HOEDOWN & BBQ COOK OFF

Dateline: Rhodes Landing, Florence, AL


On Saturday, May 19th, our cooking team from Home Depot participated in the Shoals Home Builders Association’s annual BBQ Cookoff.  This was our second year cooking in this informal event and it was even larger than in 2011.  In addition to the Home Depot team there were 13 other teams from various local and regional business that joined in the fun and festivities.  In 2011 there were only ten teams in competition so the word has gotten out that there is a lot of fun to be had at this event.  

The event was held at Rhodes Landing 

                     (Google Street Maps Photo View)

which is located just past the Petersville/Underwood area on Highway 157 North, better known locally as Cloverdale Road.  Tim Rhodes, owner of Shoals MPE, LLC, has a fantastic site for the cookoff at his grassy landing strip.  The area also includes a small lake with a water feature and gazebo for spectators to enjoy while waiting on their evening meal to be prepared by the BBQ cookoff teams.

Our team was the first to arrive and we setup in the same spot as we did last year.  Team Depot BBQ Team consists of David M. Williams (left), Frank Stephenson (right) and myself.  I’m the one behind the camera (it’s my best side).

We got our cooking site all setup and then starting firing up the first smoker to get the pork shoulders on for the BBQ entry.  It wasn’t long till smoke was rolling and we could relax a bit until it was time to start preparing for the next meat entry.  In a BBQ cook off timing is everything and you don’t want to have your entries to get done too soon nor too late.  There is a window of opportunity that you have to strive for to insure perfection.

Not only was this a BBQ cookoff, but a gathering of friends, new and old.  There was the local politicians (Chief Rick Singleton and Mickey Haddock) that stopped by and said hello as well as other prominent business owners and contractors.  We even had the Air Evac LifeTeam helicopter to drop in.

Air Evac Lifeteam

Myles Duboise, RN CEN
Flight Nurse

I guess they must have smelled all of the smoke in the area and decided to check it out and have dinner.  

Here are some of the faces of the various teams that were rolling the smoke skyward.

Mark Davis Restoration Team

Hog Wild Bar-B-Q Team

Pit Bosses for Up In Smoke (L) &
Smokin@High Noon

Arnie Scott
Pit Boss A/C Man Cooking Team

 

First Mortgage Corp Team

Tim Rhodes (L) and Judge James Hall

A fun filled day was had by all.  I still don’t know the winners as we had to leave as soon as our turn in was completed.  I do know that the Team Depot cookers took a 3rd place in ribs.  I called the SHBA office today and they did not have a listing of all the winners but they will send me a complete list when it is ready.

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Una Fantastica Esperienza Cucina Italiana

Una Fantastica Esperienza Cucina Italiana
(A Great Italian Dining Experience)
Dateline: Sheffield, AL, 04.27.12
By: Dave Reasons



We had dined at Frank’s Italian Restaurant when they had a Muscle Shoals location off Wilson Dam Road and at that time it didn’t impress us enough to drive across the river again to dine with them.  With all the other choices on the north side of the river Franks just sort of slipped from our list of places to eat.  

I had been reading about Frank’s opening a new location in Sheffield and this past Friday evening we decided to give them a try.  We arrived between the early bird crowd and the prime time dinner crowd so we did not have to wait to be seated.  When we walked in we were warmly greeted by the hostess and then her fellow hostess escorted us to our table and made sure we had our dinnerware and menus.  

The server arrived at our table within minutes and took our drink order.  We surveyed the menu and decided to skip the appetizer and go for the main course.  My wife ordered the Garden Salad with Ranch and for her main course, Eggplant Parmesan (Breaded and fried eggplant slices filled with cheeses, topped with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella, served on a bed of pasta $14.99).  I ordered an Italian Salad (Fresh iceberg and romaine lettuce, crumbled bleu cheese, sliced red onions, black olives, diced tomatoes, and pepperoncini peppers tossed with Italian dressing and topped with croutons) and for my main course,  Mostaccioli Di Caserta (Spicy Italian sausage, sweet peppers and sliced onions, tossed together with mostaccioli noodles and marinara, smothered with melted mozzarella, $13.99).

Shortly after taking our orders and turning them into the kitchen, the server delivered a basket of freshly baked bread for us to nibble on.  However, unlike the local Florence Trattoria they do not include any dipping sauce with the bread. But in all fairness, a larger serving of bread along with bread dips can be ordered ala carte from the appetizer menu for $3.00.  This would be an excellent choice of an appetizers for a small to medium dining group.

The salads were served and we both agreed they were quite tasty.  All of the ingredients were fresh and the lettuce was nice and crispy just the way a salad should be served by a good establishment.  

A great plus for the server was when asked she promptly brought out another serving of bread which as good as the first batch that we consumed.

Our main courses arrived within minutes of our finishing our salads and they were piping hot and very nicely plated.  In fact I was so eager to dig in that it slipped my mind to take pictures of our main courses.  I’ll try to do better in the future.  

My wife and I both agreed that the main courses were a mixture of great flavors and a good presentation.  The portions was above average and in our opinion a good value for the cost of the meal.  

After we finished our main course we decided to order a dessert to share.  We ordered a slice of Italian Cream Cheese cake and it was very good.

All in all, our evening at Frank’s Italian Restaurant was a very enjoyable one and was a great value for the price.  We would highly recommend Franks as a choice of a place to eat in the Shoals area.

If you do go to their new location in Sheffield, please be patient and remember they are still in their shakedown mode as a newly opened restaurant and there could be that occasional snafu.  

We do plan to visit them again soon and will be looking forward to it.

Our overall rating: 3.5 stars = (Good to Excellent)


No guts, no glory as we travel the Shoals area and beyond in search of the ultimate food experience.  Typically you get what you pay for at a food establishment, but there is still great food and good service at an affordable price. Good, bad or ugly we’ll let you know where to spend your money or NOT to spend those hard earned dollars as well.  However, remember these musings are our own opinions and do not reflect the publisher of this news blog.
So check for our column and find the best (or worst) dining in the Shoals area and beyond.

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Birmingham Night Pictures

Dateline: Birmingham, AL

Here are a couple of pictures that I shot at night in Birmingham back on February 25, 2012.  These were shot using techniques that I learned in the Photography Workshop taught by the Rocky Mountain School of Photography.  Had a great time and learned alot.

   

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Back again, Time Flies

Dateline: Florence, AL




My goodness where has the time flown too?  Didn't realize it had been this long since I had submitted my last update.  My photography has been kind of on the back burner the last few months while I'm involved in a few renovations of our home.  So far, I've renovated both bathrooms with new lighting, exhaust fans, tile floors, paint and hardware, plus in the master bath I installed a new vanity with a granite top.  Still working on the completion punch list for both of the bathroom projects but it's just small things left.

I've also installed new replacement windows and have been getting those cleaned and looking good.  It all just takes time of which I'm always short.  Still left on the project list is to replace the three wooden columns on the front porch with perma-cast columns.  One of the existing wooden columns has rotted out at the bottom and there is a big hole in it.  The new columns I choose are a concrete type product that will never rot and only will need painting every few years.

I did manage recently to get a couple of good shots.  I was going up to the Tennessee State Line to buy lottery tickets and had my granddaughter with me.  I spotted an old car parked at a guy's house that deals in older vehicles.  We pulled in and I took a few pictures of the car and my granddaughter.  She is becoming quite the young lady and getting a mind of her own.

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