2015’s Best & Worst in Burgers

/0 Comments/in /by

From burgerbusiness.com, by admin

Another year, another unbelievable assortment of burgers. Are we running out of new burger ideas? Well, BurgerBusiness.com featured more than 600 different builds just in the Burger of the Month specials roundups this year. I like to say there are no bad burgers, but here are some of the more- and less-good creations and ideas of this year. I’m counting on 2016 to be even better. Happy holidays.

BURGER OF THE YEAR
Jack in the Box responded to research showing many of its customers wanted a juicier, more flavorful burger by giving them just that. The chain introduced its Buttery Jack Burgers in January, calling them “the melt-in-your-mouth relationship your burger has always deserved…with butter.” The quarter-pound beef patties feature garlic-herb butter melted on top and a new bun. Customers made Buttery Jack the chain’s most successful new-product intro in more than a dozen years.

BURGER CHAIN OF THE YEAR
The year’s hottest burger concept on Wall Street and wherever it opens, Shake Shack refuses to let the accolades go to its head. It opened just a dozen U.S. locations this year, plus six overseas in the Wales, Japan and the Middle East. A South Korean unit will open in 2016. The secret: a limited menu of top-quality burgers that doesn’t slow speed coupled with operations expertise.

INDIE JOINT OF THE YEAR
It hasn’t appeared in every “The Week’s Most Intriguing Burgers” list only because I want to let some others get some ink. But Victory Burger in Oakland, Calif., creates something different, intriguing and delicious every week. It has pioneered the use of vegetables and nontraditional foods in burgers. For example, its Grilled Summer Squash Burger (above) topped its Five Dot Ranch burger with grilled slices of summer squash, a sauce of heirloom tomatoes and chilies de arbol with spring onion & lemon mayo.

BURGER OF THE YEAR (INTERNATIONAL)
The Freddar Dawg served at UK chain Byron gets the nod not just because the 6-oz. burger was served on a hot dog bun with bacon, lettuce, onion and mustard, but because it has its own proprietary cheese. Named after the chain’s head chef, Fred Smith, Freddar Cheese is a blend of three cheeses that looks and melts like good ol’ American cheese, but tastes even better.

OVER-THE-TOP BURGER OF THE YEAR
I love Des Moines burger emporium Zombie Burger + Drink Bar and feature it often. But even I responded “Umm, no” to itsMarch Fatness burger. Beef, tater tots, American cheese, waffle sausage dogs, Shiner Bock-bacon country gravy and mayo? Love ya, but no.

MOST DISAPPOINTING  BURGER OF THE YEAR
It coulda been a contender. It tapped into the black-bun craze at just the right time, but there was one problem: Burger King’sA.1. Halloween Whopper reportedly turned poop green. Not good.

SIDE DISH OF THE YEAR
Canada has poutine; the U.S. has loaded fries, which this year became the gotta-have side. Wendy’s led the charge with Baconator Fries, Ghost Pepper Fries and Pulled Pork Cheese Fries, but others had a go with the idea, too. Carl’s Jr. even tested Pizza Fries topped with pepperoni and cheese.

CONDIMENT OF THE YEAR
Pickles have gained a hip cachet and often brand-name billing on menus a well. Those fried pickles with chipotle aïoli at burger joint Local 186 in Provincetown, Mass., are Grillo pickles. Kooper’s Tavern in Baltimore used to serve Tanner’s pickles (as with the BBQ Burger above) but now puts Schwartz’s pickles alongside. The Avenue in St. Petersburg, Fla., did an April special burger that was paired with a Surrealist IPA pickle from local Green Bench Brewing Co.

BURGER AD OF THE YEAR
McDonald’s “We hear you” ad campaign that preceded the October 6 introduction of all-day breakfast brought to life actual tweets from customers pleading for the menu expansion. But more impressive is that McDonald’s built a database of all the thousands and thousands who ever posted similar tweets over the years calling for all-day breakfast. Then it tried to respond to each of them with alerts about the rollout.

A delicious and informative taste of Vietnam

/0 Comments/in /by

The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipies for Crazy-Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches by Andrea Nguyen

Autumn Turner
Books Examiner
Rating: 4 Stars

Are you looking for a taste of Southeast Asia? Looking for something you can create in your own kitchen? Look no further! Grab a copy of The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes for Crazy Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches by Andrea Nguyen.

This beautiful recipe handbook includes gorgeous photography, recipes that will suit any palate, flavored with history of the Vietnamese culture and how it adapted harmful colonial influence into it’s own soul- in a positive way. This cookbook, published by Ten Speed Press of Berkley, instructs one in the creation of a banh mi from what to look for when purchasing bread to how to make the banh mi rolls from scratch. It doesn’t stop there, however. The next chapter includes many recipes for condiments including homemade mayonnaise, sriracha aioli, and even some garlic yogurt sauce. You aren’t done yet, do not forget the pickles! Citrusy red cabbage pickles or snow pea and lemongrass pickles are only a couple options that are illustrated- complete with recipe!

The Banh Mi Handbook goes on to cover options for the meat component, including a few vegetarian options. Some of the amazing recipes include crispy drunken chicken, spicy wok seared shrimp, caramel sauce pulled pork, coconut curry tofu, and lemongrass sriracha tempeh. For those who do not care for bread or cannot tolerate gluten, there are several other options in the chapter entitled Alternative Banh Mi, which include salad recipes and wrap recipes that utilize a traditional Viet wrapping of food in lettuce.

This amazing book, more than worthy of a five star rating, should find its way to your shelves!

Secret to Michael Gbinije’s success: Syracuse basketball guard drinks pickle juice

/0 Comments/in /by

By Mike Waters | mwaters@syracuse.com   –   Syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. — Michael Gbinije sat on the edge of a table in the Syracuse locker room and took a small sip out of a bottle of pickles.

He didn’t do it on a dare. He didn’t lose a bet. About a month ago, after doing some research on his own, Gbinije decided to start drinking pickle juice to help prevent his muscles from cramping.

On Sunday, Gbinije had played the entire 40 minutes in Syracuse’s 80-67 victory over Texas Southern at the Carrier Dome, so there sat Gbinije after the game, taking sips of the briny liquid in between questions from reporters.

“This is my own personal thing,” Gbinije said of his post-game pickle juice. “There are days when I have to force myself to drink it, but I’m just doing it for the health benefits. The taste is not the best.”

So far, Gbinije is the only member of the Syracuse basketball team who has taken to drinking pickle juice.

“Some people just ask for a pickle out of the jar before I take my first sip, but no one will actually drink the pickle juice,” Gbinije said. “I get an ‘Ew, why are you drinking that?’ or ‘What’s that smell?’ You gotta take the good with the bad.”

Athletes generally experience cramping due to dehydration and the loss of sodium from their systems during heavy workouts and games. The National Institutes of Health has reported that the consumption of high-sodium drinks before and after exercise can help prevent cramping.

Syracuse trainer Brad Pike said pickles and pickle juice contain a high level of sodium. Pike added that he has not encouraged Gbinije to drink pickle juice. Gbinije said the most he will drink in a day is about three-quarters of the juice in a jar of pickles.

The average pickle spear contains 220 milligrams of sodium compared to 110 milligrams in an 8-ounce bottle of Gatorade. In addition to being high in sodium, pickle juice also contains magnesium and vinegar, both of which are purported to have helpful qualities in the prevention of cramps.

If pickle juice is the answer, then Gbinije is the question. The Syracuse senior currently ranks sixth in the NCAA in minutes played at 37.3 per game. North Carolina State’s Anthony Barber is playing 38.2 minutes per game, making him the only player in the ACC logging more time than Gbinije. Take away Gbinije’s 26-minute outing in a Nov. 21 win over Elon and he’s averaging 38.5 minutes per game for the Orange.

Gbinije had a team-high 15 points and a team-high 7 rebounds and a team-high 4 assists in the Orange’s win over Texas Southern. That was nothing out of the ordinary for the 6-foot-7 senior. For the season, Gbinije leads Syracuse in scoring (18.6 points per game), assists (4.6 per game) and steals (2.7 per game) while also averaging 4.1 rebounds per game.

Syracuse head coach designate Mike Hopkins said Gbinije will continue to play a lot.

“When you have a guy of Mike Gbinije’s caliber, it just helps everybody,” Hopkins said after Sunday’s game. “He’s doing a lot for us from assisting to rebounding. He’s going to play those minutes. He’s going to play. He’s not coming out of the game. He’s too valuable. He’s in great shape. He’s playing as good as anybody in our league, maybe even in the country.”

Then Hopkins revealed Gbinije’s secret.

“He’s drinking that pickle juice,” Hopkins said. “It’s good for you. No cramping.”

After victory, Syracuse basketball star Michael Gbinije drinks pickle juice

/0 Comments/in /by

BY NIKO TAMURIAN   –   CNYCENTRAL.com

After Syracuse’s win over Texas Southern and in several wins like it, the Orange’s leading scorer Michael Gbinije enjoys a nice glass of…

Pickle Juice?

Yes, pickle juice. The part of the jar you typically dump down the drain when the spears are gone.

“I’ve been doing it for about a month now. It just helps out my body a lot. You sweat out a lot of salt and electrolytes and it helps me replace them” Gbinije says.

“Pickle Juice is just a healthier option for me” he adds.

The idea, according to Gbinije is to prevent cramps. He says sports drinks like Gatorade also help with that, but the pickle juice has far less sugar and more sodium to prevent cramps.

He made the decision after doing his own research on his own time.

You can imagine the media’s shock when Mike Hopkins first broke the news at his post game press conference in a matter-of-fact manner when asked about Gbinije playing all 40 minutes against Texas Southern

“He’s drinking that pickle juice. It’s good for you. No cramping.” Hopkins said, after telling the media just how valuable Gbinije is to the Orange

Hopkins then provided a warning to not try the pickle juice, unless you suffer from cramps, of course

So far, all of Gbinije’s teammates have followed that warning and not tried the pickle juice.

“Some people just ask for a pickle out of the jar before I take my first sip, but no one will actually drink the pickle juice,” Gbinije said.

Perhaps, if Syracuse can go on a run we can liken Gbinije’s pickle juice to Michael’s Secret Stuff in the movie “Space Jam”

Only time will tell, but, in the meantime if you someone at your local grocer stocking up on jars of pickles..

It might just be Michael Gbinije.

‘Pickling Is A Higher Form Of Art’, Says Indian Chef Kunal Kapur

/0 Comments/in /by

 

MUMBAI — Despite the art of pickling fading in modern times, there are food enthusiasts who still take pride in dishing out authentic and unique pickles as the Parsi’s ‘Lagan nu Achar’ or ‘Bamboo pickle’ of Meghalaya tribals, who enact its recipe in a dance.

“A pickle is a reflection of who you are. It requires right ingredients, right attitude and patience,” says celebrity chef and restaurateur Kunal Kapur.

Although he admits that pickling is losing sheen, he feels that those who have still preserved the art are immensely proud of their techniques and uniqueness associated with the delectable culinary style.

When it comes to pickle, we only think about the traditional lime, mango and chilli pickles, but “pickling is a higher form of art-meets-science…feel proud to pickle,” Kapur told PTI in an interview.

The 36-year-old Delhi-based Chef Consultant with the Leela Group, as a part of his countrywide tour while hosting TV show ‘Pickle Nation’, has been intrigued and surprised to see the unique techniques and ingredients used to make pickle, which he feels is still a very essential part of Indian food.

He also got an insight into the pickle makers’ vivid reasons and stories behind how and why they prepare them.

“For instance, with the Parsis in Ahmedabad, it is mandatory to make ‘Lagan nu Achar’ and give it to the elders and relatives in the family before they formalise the marriage of a couple,” he said.

“In another fascinating instance, the Karbi tribe from Meghalaya has evolved a special dance that enacts the recipe of the Bamboo pickle.

“The ancestors knew that if the bamboo was not pickled in the right season then it might lead to hunger in the winters, and so the recipe for this crucial pickle was made into a dance form and till date the couples enact this dance to reveal the recipe,” said Kapur, who recently launched his fine-dining at Souk al Bahar in Downtown Dubai.

pickles india

Detailing the fascinating art of pickling, he said that in Jodhpur, the ‘ker sangri ka achar’ is the legacy of love for nature of the Bishnoi tribe.

The Ker shrub and the Sangri tree are the few that grow in this otherwise difficult region. The fruit of the ‘khejri tree’ is the sangri and it is a very critical tree to the ecology of the place. Many have sacrificed their lives to protect this tree.

“The ‘ker sangri’ pickle made from this tree is one of the reasons for survival of the Bishnoi tribe,” said Kunal.

Another example is the Mahali pickle made by Tamil Brahmins. “Mahali is a root that smells of intense vanilla, bitter almond and cinnamon, and it is pickled in yogurt. It is not short of a miracle that no vinegar or oil is used yet the pickle survives for over two years in curd,” Kunal said.

In another insight, he said, “A Hyderabadi style of mango pickle breaks the long held notion by me that a drop of water can destroy a pickle, as this mango pickle is made in water. Limestone or ‘chuna’ is added to preserve the pickle.”

“As I have discovered, pickles are an integral part of how people define their food culture, and each region is intensely passionate about their pickles,” said Kapur.

But, he feels the health conscious modern generation is drifting apart from the traditional food culture.

“I sure see a decline in the pickle making that traditionally used to happen. Traditional pickle making is an art and complete fun, but with our fast-paced lives we live a life of convenience,” he said.

“Bottled pickles have taken over for most young couples. Also, smaller houses with improper sunlight and unpredictable weather are some more reasons adding to go for a bottled pickle over pickling,” says the chef.

pickles india

Also, the fast-paced lifestyle has pushed the art of pickling onto the back-burner.

“Food and life of convenience has taken over the traditional ways of doing things. Pickling is not spared as well. Some of the worst tasting pickles are unfortunately the most selling now. No matter which vegetable that the bottle has, all of them have a standard taste,” he rued.

“Traditionally there was a thought after reason to eat a particular pickle made in a particular way…was a part of balanced diet,” says Kunal, who has played host in many TV shows like “Masterchef India” and “Junior Masterchef India”.

On people’s preferences towards pickles, he said:

“People nowadays want less oil and less salt in their pickles, this is one part they are very clear about. Chilli and mango pickles still are a hot favourite.”

​

People tend to avoid pickles for various health reasons these days. “Yes, that is becoming a common practice. I wish people could eat what they wanted and burn it as well with exercise routine. Also, there is less awareness on water based or no oil pickles,” feels Kapur, who has authored the cookbook ‘A Chef in Every Home’.

Amid talk of pickles, when asked about the demand for chutneys, the chef said, “Surprisingly, chutney is something that everyone relates to. In fact, chutney is an English word now. Chutneys have been more experimental and hence, can be made to suit any taste profile.”

Finally, Chef Kunal also shared a few tips for pickle enthusiasts. “Pickle things when in season. Consult your elder in family for the recipes. Care for it like you would care and nurture a child. Keep it simple and clean…feel proud to pickle,” he said.

The story of the Christmas pickle

/0 Comments/in /by

By May Marquebreuck   –   Wicked Local

The origin of the Christmas pickle may be somewhat of a mystery, but it is a holiday tradition in parts of the United States and fun on Christmas morning. In the 1880s, the Woolworth stores began selling holiday ornaments imported from Germany and some were in the shape of fruit and vegetables. Among their selection was the pickle, which was claimed to be an old German tradition. However, no one seems to be certain how and where it originated. According to historical records, production of the Christmas pickle ornaments began in the 1890s. One story about the Christmas pickle is connected with a soldier, Private John Lower who served in the 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry in the American Civil War and was born in Bavaria in 1842. He and his family emigrated to the United States, and while fighting in the Civil War, he was captured and sent to a prison in Andersonville, Ga. Given the conditions and miserable food rations of the prison, he soon fell into critical poor health. Lower was dying of starvation and it was Christmas Eve, so he begged the guard for a pickle. The guard took pity on him, found and gave him a pickle and that gave Lower the mental and physical strength to live on. After being reunited with his family after the war, he began the tradition of hiding a pickle deep among the boughs of the Christmas tree, which was the last ornament to be hung on Christmas Eve. The first child to find the pickle on Christmas morning would be blessed with a year of good fortune and an extra gift from St. Nicholas. Another theory comes from a small town, Berrien Springs, Mich., which calls itself the “Christmas Pickle Capital of the World” — an uncontested title. As the story goes based on a medieval tale, two boys in Spain were trapped in a pickle barrel by an innkeeper while on their way home from boarding school for the Christmas holidays. They were freed by St. Nicholas, who had stopped at the inn and saved the boys when he tapped on the barrel with his staff. This town in Michigan celebrates the boy’s miraculous escape with an annual Christmas Pickle Festival in early December, complete with a parade led by the “Grand Dillmeister” who would hand out what else? Pickles! Whatever story you believe about the Christmas pickle, you may wish to begin a new family tradition and hide a pickle ornament in your tree. Pickle ornaments are available online at Crate & Barrel, Pier 1 Imports and ebay.

Hillary Clinton Apparently Has a Great Passion for the Hot Sauce

/0 Comments/in /by

By Ben Mathis-Lilley   –   The Slatest

Buried in the middle of a sentence in an Associated Press story about presidential candidates’ campaign diets is an important and surprising fact: Hillary Clinton is a fiend for the hot sauce.

It’s in a section about her time in the White House as First Lady and low-fat diets and protein and other boring nutrition things:

Many of their meals centered on fish and vegetables. Clinton favored hummus, had a collection of more than 100 hot sauces and a weakness for mocha cake and Dove ice cream bars — a favorite of daughter Chelsea.

She loves the hot sauce!

Also the hot peppers:

At a farm stand in Davenport, Iowa, this fall, Clinton detailed scientific research on the health effects of spicy food, telling a cashier that she finds eating raw jalapenos “so refreshing.”

This predilection for la comida muy picante has actually been reported on before, it turns out. From a 2012 Wall Street Journal piece about her tenure as Secretary of State:

In her Air Force plane, which stocks fruit, almonds and Tabasco sauce, which she dribbles on nearly all foods, including salads, she slept on a foldout sofa in a private cabin.

I don’t know why, but I feel like learning about this changes the whole dynamic of the election and that Clinton’s zeal for peppers should be highlighted in every one of her 2016 ads.

Hillary Clinton pops raw jalapenos on the campaign trail ‘like potato chips,’ former aide says

/0 Comments/in /by

Presidential candidates are seemingly constantly fielding questions about what they eat on the campaign trail. There’s Jeb Bush’s Paleo diet. There was Scott Walker’sutter lack of diet.

Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has started dieting this election cycle, but The Associated Press reports she’s long been singing the praises of eating spicy foods as a weight-loss strategy.

“During 2008, there was not a day or a minute that went by that we didn’t have a full plate of raw jalapenos,” said Jamie Smith, a 2008 aide for Clinton. “She ate them like potato chips.”

In case that’s not enough heat, she also takes red pepper flakes with her when traveling. Julie Kliegman   –   The Week

 

BEP Wraps up 2015 With a Kits for Kids Report

/0 Comments/in /by

The New Braunfels Chamber’s Business-Education Partnership Committee closed out 2015 with a pancake breakfast meeting held in Honors Hall. Roy Linnartz, Committee Chair, presided at the meeting and was the pancake chef. With more than 22 members in attendance, Linnartz led a year in review discussion about the successes that the BEP had in 2015.

One of those successes is the very popular “Kits for Kids” program (pictured), headed up by Chris Snider of Texas Tito’s. Snider reported more than 350 bags were prepared to distribute more than 900 books at the last meeting. Chris Snider will take on the reins as the new BEP Chair in 2016 and the group welcomed Shannon Dixon of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas as the 2016 Vice Chair. Snider recognized Linnartz for his two years as the Committee Chair, and thanked him for the many pancakes he has prepared during the past four years.

The Business-Education Partnership Committee acts as the education advocate for the community, acting on the recommendations of the Mayor’s Higher Education Task Force.

– See more at: http://innewbraunfels.com/chamber/2015/12/21/bep-wraps-up-2015-with-a-kits-for-kids-report/?ct=t(Serving_You_Issue_51)#sthash.AbZt5Zmi.dpuf

Buffalo Barrel + Brine

/0 Comments/in /by

By queenseyes   –   Buffalo Rising

A young Buffalo couple has opened up a market on the city’s Lower West Side/Historic West Village dedicated to foods that are pickled. Buffalo Barrel + Brine is located in a former corner store that was once considered the thorn in the side of the neighborhood. After neighbors fought to have the business closed, the space sat empty for quite a while. Recently RJ and Lindsey Marvin decided the it was the perfect location to open a pickling business. “We live right down the street,” said Lindsey. “Ever since I’ve known RJ, he’s wanted a corner type store such as this.”

If you’re still trying to wrap your head around the idea of a market that is dedicated to the art of pickling, then you probably haven’t been doing a lot of traveling to larger cities like NYC and Montreal. “Those types of cities have dozens of shops that are dedicated to particular types of foods,” RJ mentioned. “There are cheese shops, fish mongers, pickle shops, etc. Buffalo’s restaurant scene is finally starting to arrive, which means that there are going to be more people who appreciate specialty foods. Some people think that it’s weird, but there are a lot of people who love what we’re doing.”

During a recent visit to the shop, called Buffalo Barrel + Brine, three young kids from the neighborhood walked in with skateboards in hand expecting to find a store that sold candy, most likely. One of them shouted out, “What kind of a place is this? What do you sell?” “Pickles!” replied RJ. The three youngsters looked at each other, before one of them exclaimed loudly, “That’s weird – this place smells like pickles!” Upon, realizing they had walked into a pickle shop they abruptly walked out.

Fortunately, the rest of the people that walked into the pickle shop during my visit all arrived in search of pickles. One woman walked up to the front counter and sampled a number of slices, before proclaiming her favorite variety. A couple of young guys walked in looking for one of the bread and butter varietals, but they were already sold out. Sold out! Yes, there appear to be a lot of pickle fans out there who are extremely happy to have these picklers in the neighborhood. “It’s like going to a brewery and ordering a flight of beers,” RJ explained. “But instead of beers, it’s pickles.”

Before long, I found myself trying a number of the different house pickled cukes – some in vinegar and brine, and others in salt water. RJ’s favorite is the Buffalo Sour (a full sour), which is fully fermented in salt water, with garlic and a couple of spices. It’s raw, all natural, and took a month to make. After popping one into my mouth, RJ told me, “It’s yeasty and funky… it’s like being in NYC in an old Italian or Jewish deli – there’s nothing else like it.”

While the Buffalo Sour was not thenumber one on my list, I did find that the rest of the pickles that I sampled were pretty dynamite, especially the bread and butters. “Those are great,” said RJ. “The bread and butter dates back to times when people were too poor to eat anything but bread and butter. Occasionally, if they were lucky, they managed to come across this style of pickle, which they would put on top of the bread and butter, hence the name. Then we have the Million Dollar Pickle, which was resurrected from old Amish recipes, resurrecting old world recipes. If you like beer, then try the Southern Tier IPA Pickles, which are dry-hopped with fresh hops.” It’s true – the pickle has an IPA taste about it!

For those of you wondering how RJ and Lindsey got into all of this, it all started when RJ was working at Elm Street Bakery. “He worked in the restaurant business for 17 years,” said Lindsey. “Elm Street had a market, which is where he got a lot of experience in the business. He was doing a lot of pickling at the time, but he wasn’t able to do everything that he wanted. He wanted to experiment with pickling – he wanted to create flavors that no one else was doing. In order to achieve that goal, we needed to open this business.”

“It started when I was young,” RJ added. “It’s something that I always knew how to do. My grandparents preserved their tomatoes for the winter time, and my dad was always pickling. I was always helping when I was young. For years I was making kombucha (fermented tea) at home. I was also pickling and fermenting. Now I have taken all of these learning experiences and applied them to a business.”

Aside from pickles, Buffalo Barrel + Brine does carry a number of other products including house made kimchi and sauerkraut. The owners even serve up kimchi shots! When they make ferments, they create additional brine and add juices – it’s essentially a probiotic gutshot, according to RJ. There are also a number of products that are sourced from other supplier friends in the industry, such as BBQ sauce and rub. But most everything right now comes from the brain of RJ, who considers himself a Willy Wonka sort of character when it comes to pickles. “Next we want to do miso and vinegars… a steam punk cider vinegar… barrel aged,” RJ reflected. “The door is wide open for all sorts of ideas. In NYC there are people who come together as a ‘think tank’, dreaming up different ideas. I want to do that here in Buffalo. Maybe we might have one kick-ass sandwich that is what we become known for. We might do pop-up grilled cheese or tacos. Right now I’m looking for a rabbi – we want to be certified kosher [seriously]. I’m also thinking about putting out a Craig’s List ad, in search of a couple of old Italian guys who would sit outside and play dominoes all day [laughing].”

In the end, RJ dedicates much of the success of the market to his wife. “She helped to shred 300 pounds of cabbage a couple of days ago, and she plays a huge role in the day to day operation,” he told me. “She is 100% involved. I couldn’t do it without her. I wouldn’t do it without her. We both make the decisions, and we both roll up our sleeves.”

Was I expecting to see a pickle shop open at the foot of Johnson Park, in the shadow of The Avant? No. Am I anticipating heading back to score a jar of bread and butters as soon as they are available? Of course!

Buffalo Barrel + Brine is going to become a mainstay in the neighborhood, hopefully fueling others to follow their own culinary passions, no matter how weird they may seem. In the end, it’s these types of places that will enhance our city’s overall culinary prowess.