The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 231

In Episode #231, proudly recorded in the Such-N-Such Media Studios at Liberty Plaza:
Tim discusses:

  • Willow’s Bistro closes, and a new restaurant takes its place.
  • Lot 63 takes the place of the Moravian bookstore and gift shop in Old Salem. Some aren’t happy about it.
  • Que Vida is open!
  • Slappy’s Chicken is back, and so is the drama!
  • The latest from the soap opera called “Winston-Salem Eats.” This includes a “B*tch Session” from Tim.
  • Visit The Go-To Winston-Salem for not only food but other happenings around town!
  • Food history and holidays for this week.

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere, complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game, or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, and basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post). Like, Rate, Subscribe, and hit the “alert” bell to make sure you know when the latest episodes are released!

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 230

In Episode #230 proudly recorded in the Such-N-Such Media Studios at Liberty Plaza:
Tim discusses:

  • Tre Nonné has closed permanently. Que Vida Latin Street Grill will replace it.
  • Tim and Street Team Steve visited K-Stop and here’s Tim’s report.
  • Diamondback Grill is opening a new downtown location.
  • Carroll Leggett gets (mostly) to the bottom of what is going into the old Hops Burger Bar location on Reynolda.
  • The latest from the soap opera called “Winston-Salem Eats.” This includes a “B*tch Session” from Tim.
  • Visit The Go-To Winston-Salem for not only food but other happenings around town!
  • Food history and holidays for this week.

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post). Like, Rate, Subscribe, and hit the “alert” bell to make sure you know when the latest episodes are released!

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 229

In Episode #229 proudly recorded in the Such-N-Such Media Studios at Liberty Plaza:

Tim discusses:

  • Tim is back!
  • He talks about what kept him away.
  • An update – a REAL update – on Slappy’s Chicken.
  • Black Mountain Chocolate news.
  • Visit The Go-To Winston-Salem to find out about events around the WSNC area.

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game, or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post).

 

2022, the year that wasn’t…

Wow, look at the date. December 13, 2022.

The last post I made on this site was on March 21, 2022. That was the burger recap of 2021.

I haven’t posted in nine months, but this site’s numbers have remained (mostly) steady. People have been at least looking at stuff here.

People have asked where I am, if I am going to do more podcasts, and so on and so on.

Let me address that here, now.

I have been right here. In Winston-Salem. I moved into a new office and podcast studio. I am downtown in the city I love. I am on the seventh floor of the Liberty Plaza building with a fantastic view of the western horizon. I also get a less-than-fantastic view of the construction of the new Kaleidium, but I have to say, once it’s done and the construction stops, it will be a great addition to the area. I’m not mad at it. I want it to be done.

When you have an audio recording business, hearing metal hammering metal and construction vehicles and backup alarms going off constantly, it’s a bit of a task.

With that, let me speak on the whole of my business.

Back in March, when I made that post about burgers, it was just before I found out that I had to move out of the location I was in. The building was going to be gutted (it was expensive to maintain and wasn’t worth it to the owners). I get it. I had to find a new place. I had to put most of my stuff to the side. I had to concentrate on money-making endeavors because I had to really start paying rent (I had already been paying rent). So, I took on more clients in-studio and had less time to do my “for fun” projects. I say that tongue-in-cheek because everything I do is “for fun.” Just some of those also pay me.

Let me back up a bit. When the pandemic hit, I busted my arse to ensure everyone around town knew where to find food, be it takeout, dine-in, delivery, outside dining, etc. I (along with some help from former podcast co-host Lea Metz) curated a list for over a year. That meant, in the beginning, 5-7 days a week of looking up social media accounts, making phone calls, updating a master list, blogging about it, podcasting about it, and making sure you knew where to go. It went down to three days a week and then to one as things started opening back up. That was a job in and of itself. But, again, I don’t do anything if I’m not enjoying it.

Another thing happened at that time. The influx of “food bloggers” rose to ridiculous proportions. I have been lucky enough to serve this town as a food ambassador for over a decade, so I get it. My problem is that the over-saturation of hobbyists diluted the usefulness of true “food journalists,” which is a moniker I prefer for myself and a few others. I’m not bad-mouthing those people. In fact, I’m doing exactly the opposite. They tend to tell you all the things you really want to know. They tell you when they like things and are very quick to tell you what they don’t. Some consumers want that.

I committed to myself and my food community back in 2016 that I would be a different kind of food journalist. I would do everything I can to build up the food community here in WSNC while doing as little as possible to tear it down. Some want to regard me as a “food critic,” and I cringe at that. I may critique, but I try not to criticize. So, unless I’ve privately conversed with a restaurant, restaurateur, executive chef, etc., about what was wrong, I won’t write about it here or on social media. Even then, it’s generally a “what was wrong and how it’s now better” kind of deal. Local food businesses know me as a voice for them, but the consumers know me as an advocate for them. I observe the bad things people are saying. I do my best to convey that to the businesses. Chances are, these days, they already know about it.

I also don’t really want to compete with Michael Hastings at the journal. I certainly don’t want to compete with the “word on the street” scoopers who want to tell everyone’s business before they’re ready to hear it. More than one person does that, but one, in particular, is cringingly consistent.

So, with both the ones telling what is wrong with food establishments and scooping official pressers and people wanting their business told, what is the win? What good does it do for the food establishments themselves? To me, that answer is not very much good at all.

I have gained my reputation as a confidant for many a place, and when they tell me, I don’t run and scream it from the rooftops until they give the go-ahead. In journalism, that’s called “embargo” and means that while we may have privileged information, we wait until we’re given the green light to run it. Any journalist worth their salt, integrity, and self-respect does it right.

I get it, though. Some people just can’t help themselves. They need to get the jump. They need to try places as soon as they open and tell about all the reasons that place let them down. Please stop doing that, at least. I attend openings and may report on the opening and how it went. Generally, I reserve full judgment until they’ve had their feet under them and have had time to work out the kinks.

Some may say that I’m not doing the consumers any good by only telling the good things and not the bad things. I don’t leave the bad things to fester. I may say how I would have liked it differently or say they had trouble with this or that. But, really, here’s the thing. I’m here to build up the establishments and businesses. You don’t see me doing a “list of worst burgers.” Boy, I could have, but that’s not my style. I have had plenty of things that weren’t great. I just don’t report on those things. I’m not omitting the truth. I just don’t think pushing the bad helps the establishment. I’ll leave that to the Facebook groups. Have at it.

I kind of got side-tracked (you think!?). The point is, I was tired, had little want to talk about food, wanted to do something different, had other things come up (did I mention I now own a radio station?), and didn’t feel like I was giving my readers and listeners the best I was capable of.

2023 will be different. I have begun some partnerships with other promotional entities, and we will collaborate on a few things in the new year. The podcast will return. It won’t be the same podcast you were used to. Some of the elements will return, some will not. A new podcast will come along with that. I want to do things with Street Team Steve and grow my “Street Team.” When the time is right to talk about all of that, I will (see how that works?).

Truth is, I have missed you all. I have missed reviewing food. I have missed podcasting about it. I haven’t really missed most of the writing about it, though. Considering this post is just under 1300 words, you wouldn’t know it. I just had some stuff built up, I guess.

Have you missed your verbose food guide? Bon appetite, WSNC!!

(the picture is of a sunset but is NOT a metaphor for this blog… I’m not going away)

The 2021 Burger Tour Final Results

This past year’s Burger Tour was quite the undertaking. The roster of “to-be-had” was massive. The list was 102 restaurants deep. These included burger-specific restaurants, diners, casual dining, and more. The list was compiled from suggestions from readers, listeners, friends, and things that I was wanting to try.

I wasn’t alone in this. Street Team Steven was a sponsor of this tour. He accompanied me to a large portion of the restaurants. We talked and conferred but all the ratings were mine.  My wife, Stephanie, went with me for several of them, as well. The same went for her, too. She had some say but the rating was mine to make. My friend Jeff Davids sponsored one of the burgers, too.

To recap the tour, we started this on March 22, 2021 (which oddly enough, is a year tomorrow), and it ran until the week after Thanksgiving. Yes, there were 102 to choose from but I didn’t get to all of them. I couldn’t (and really shouldn’t) have more than 3 or 4 a week. I had to have some breaks. Some that were missed were ones that I really wanted to get to but just didn’t for whatever reason, whether for proximity, convenience, or honestly, desire. Not that I didn’t want to go to some of them but because there were others that I felt I needed to try more. The ones that I missed outside of the Winston-Salem area were because of the distance. The ones outside Winston that I did have were ones that I was either working in that area on an outside project or Steven and I went there together.

I’m going to remind you of the 2019 Burger Tour results. It was the Top 10 burgers in the area. Starting from the 10th and counting down:

10. Small Batch
9. Max Burger
8. West End Cafe
7. Cin-Cin Burger Bar
6. Canteen Market & Bistro
5. Food Freaks of NC Food Truck
4. Zito Pizzeria and Grill
3. Social. Southern Kitchen & Cocktails
2. Zesto Burgers & Ice Cream
1. Boone Doggies

Of those 10, three are no longer in business at all (Zesto, Social. Max Burger); two have changed their concepts (Small Batch, Canteen); one was a food truck that isn’t out much but has a brick and mortar (Food Freaks); and four that are still doing what they were doing, mostly. The “mostly” I’ll talk about in a bit.

These burgers were different kinds of burgers going up against each other. The list had specialty burgers, pub burgers, diner burgers, weird burgers, and so on.  This year, I decided that to be a contender for the list, it was going to have to be a “standard” ingredient burger. That means, as close as possible, it was going to be cheese, mayo, pickle, tomato, onion, sometimes mustard. Perhaps some shredded lettuce if that was the lettuce style, no whole-leaf iceberg or other leaf lettuce were allowed but I did allow spinach as a substitute. If there was a burger sauce like a “special sauce” or Russian dressing type thing, we used that instead of the mayo. The difference wasn’t really noticeable in the grand scheme of things. Some of the ones on this year’s list are pub burgers, others are diner burgers. Pub burgers are usually around 7-8 oz. Diner burgers are generally 3-4 oz. Some of the burgers are fresh beef and some are frozen. I have found that I don’t mind frozen beef as long as the final product is seasoned well and done right.

For this year, Steven and I devised a system to allow me to put a numerical rating into six different categories. Those categories were “Flavor,” “Quality of Ingredients,” “Presentation,” “Aroma,” “Order Correctness,” and “Overall Happiness.” It wasn’t a straight, across-the-board weighting, either. Order correctness and aroma were 5% each of the total rating. The presentation was 10%.  Quality of ingredients 20%. Flavor 25%. Overall Happiness was 35% of the rating. Because, to me what I felt while eating it, the enjoyment of the burger, and the ambiance in which I was consuming it matters a lot to me. After all, the whole purpose is the experience, at least to me. All of those categories equal 100%.

For this year’s final list I expanded to a Top 15 and really, that’s a misnomer because Nos. 10-15 are basically tied and mostly interchangeable.

There are some that we couldn’t put in the contention for the official ranking because of several factors; some of which are chains (smaller or otherwise), specialty burgers, availability, etc.

Here are the burgers I did get to:

4th Street Filling Station, 601 Burgers and Brews, 6th & Vine, A Slice of Napoli, Allen’s Dairy Treats, Antojitos Las Delicias, Big Burger Spot (Greensboro Guilford College Area), Big Burger Spot (Kernersville), Big Burger Spot 2 (Greensboro Battleground), Bobo’s Deli & Grill, Boone Doggies, Cafe Arthurs, Cagney’s, Campus Gas, Carolina Ale House, Char’s Hamburgers, Cin Cin Burger Bar, Culver’s, Dari-O, DB’s Grill, Earl’s, Food Freaks, Foothill’s Brewpub (Downtown WSNC), Foothill’s Grill & Tap (King, not related to the brewery), Frank’s New York Style Pizza and Subs (Rural Hall), Grandma Ruby’s, Greek Guys Grill, Hero House, Hop’s Burger Bar WSNC, Hot Dog City, Joe’s Take-Out (Clemmons), John Brown’s Country Store and Grill (King), Johnny B’s Grillhouse, Kermit’s Hot Dogs, King’s Hot Dogs (Rural Hall), Little Red Caboose, Local Artisan (which is currently closed), Mama Zoe Michaels, Mojito (Mojito Burger), Mozelle’s, Mr. Barbecue, Munch Box, Nicks Old-Fashioned Burgers (Welcome), P.B.’s Takeout, Papa Lee’s Grill (currently closed), Piedmont Aviation Snack Bar, Pine Tree Tavern, Putter’s, Quiet Pint Tavern, Rudy’s Cafe & Catering (Greensboro), Small Batch HP, Thunder Road, Times Square Pizza (now The Pizza Place), TJ’s Deli (Parkway), Tuning Fork Provisions, Twin Peaks Restaurant, Wake Mart – Exxon (4100 Cherry), West End Cafe, Willow’s Bistro, Young Cardinal Cafe, Zito’s Pizzeria & Grill, and Zoe’s Kitchen (Trenwest). 

Here are the places I had on the list but did not get to:

66 Pizza, 801 Southern Kitchen and Pancake House (Advance), Beef-Burger (Greensboro), Brick Oven Pizza (Clemmons), Burger Supreme (truck), Davie Tavern, Diamondback Grill, Doss’s (Kernersville), East Coast Wings, Grey’s Tavern (Greensboro), Hop’s Burger Bar GSO, J Butler’s, Jeffery Adams, Kickback Jack’s, King’s Crab Shack, Krankies, Lone Star Burger (High Point), Mayberry Ice Cream, Midtown Cafe, Milners, Mossy’s (Clemmons), Old 64 Diner, Old Richmond Grill, Pfafftown Kitchen, Porterhouse Burger Co (High Point), Riverbirch Lodge, Sir Winston, Small Batch WSNC, Sweet Potatoes, The Katherine, The Loop Restaurant, Tipsy’s Tavern (High Point), Tucker’s Grill (Hornytown), Twin City Minis (truck), Villa Grill (Clemmons), Whatyasay Burgers (truck), Zoe’s (Old Walkertown Rd).

As I said, some of the ones I couldn’t get to were a matter of location and convenience. I had to go to many of these in-between work and lunch hour times, so I couldn’t get to a lot of the outlying places unless Steven and I were making a trip out of it. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to try them. It just wasn’t in the cards this time around.

On this tour, I am sorry to say that I had some of the worst burgers I’ve ever had in my life. I am not going to mention who they are because I’m about building up my local food establishments, not tearing them down and I think that for the most part, these restaurants offer a lot of good outside of the not-so-good burgers on their menus or they just so happened to have a burger on the menu but they specialize in other cuisines.

There are some that we couldn’t put in the contention for the official ranking because of several factors; some of which are chains (smaller or otherwise), specialty burgers, availability, etc.

Before we get to the list, I want to go over some honorable mentions and/or explanations.
*Diamondback Grill, I did have a specialty burger but not their regular menu burger so I couldn’t count that. Plus, being as they are a sponsor of mine, I wouldn’t have included them in the rankings. This way there was no claim of favoritism given to that. The same goes for Mojito Latin Soul Food where I did have their Mojito Burger.

Two of the last lists’ Top 10 were left off this time.
*Food Freaks couldn’t count because their menu specifically and explicitly says there are no lettuce, tomato, or pickles available. So, it can be a specialty burger, which we had the Godfather and Puff Mento, but still not in compliance with the rules this time around.
*Zito’s Pizzeria scored a 90 and would have pushed numbers 10-15 out of the list altogether. However, because the burger isn’t conspicuous on the menu and she doesn’t have beef all the time (she uses it for the meat sauces and such), I couldn’t count it. But, if you’re going there and want a burger, call ahead to see if they have the beef they need for it. It’s worth it if they do have it.

There are a few “chains” that could have shown up in the top list, but because I’m narrowing the list to “local independents,” I chose not to include them on the list proper, but here’s how some of the stacked up:
*Culver’s rated a 91. It’s one of the best burgers in town, actually, and Vikram is community-minded and wants to be involved. Give them a try, and… cheese curds.
*Dairi-O. Yes, I know they’re local but they have more than three locations and are a little bigger than I’d like for the “local” aspect. They rated an 89 and I really like their double cheeseburgers. I have been several times for “unofficial” burgers. I do suggest you try them if you haven’t.
*Twin Peaks. They were better than I expected and had a score of 84 which would tie the 15-10 spots but, they’re part of Fat Brands which includes over 2000 restaurant locations worldwide.

So, here it is. I’m going to start from #15 and count down. I reiterate that numbers 15-10 could have been any number, so just because one is #11 doesn’t mean it did better than the one before it, I just had to put one somewhere. The numbers in parentheses are how that location rated out of a possible 100.

#15 — Nick’s Old Fashioned Hamburger (84)
Street Team Steven went here to try not only the burger but the tenderloin sandwich, too. I will be 100% upfront here, I’ve had better burgers from Nick’s than we did on this trip. The ratings were for this trip, no matter how much I’d had before (and I have had Nick’s several times). Even with that, though, it was still a strong burger. Mayo, pickles, tomato, onion, and cheese. We had not only a single cheeseburger and the tenderloin sandwich, but a double burger. I think that Steven and I both agreed that the double was the way to go.  Had I had this on the 2019 tour, they probably would have been in the top 10. Nick’s is in Welcome at 6999 Old US Highway 52 (just past North Davidson High School).

#14 — Big Burger Spot – Kernersville (84)
The two Greensboro locations did fairly well, too (one at 80 and the other at 79), but the K-Ville location won due to the “overall happiness” rating. The experience was better here, not that it wasn’t before the onion rings were spectacular, too and that adds to the experience. The burger, though, was solid. All three locations were solid, actually. I think part of it was the owner actually made the burger there. He just so happened to be in that day. Stephanie and I ate there on the way back from Greensboro, where I was working for the day. Mayo, pickles, tomato, onion, mustard, ketchup, cheese. Pub burger with diner burger personality. The experience was more “diner.” Big Burger Spot, 803 Old Winston Road, Kernersville.

#13 — Hero House (84)
This was recommended to me by my friend Paul Jones and while I have eaten at Hero House before, it has been a long, long, long time. Mostly because it’s on Stratford Road and can be a pain to get in and out of. I just went for a late lunch and missed most of that traffic. But, I’m so glad Paul put me on this burger. It had this great under-flavor of onions like many diner burgers have and many others should have. Mayo, pickles, tomato, onion, cheese. Hero House is a great family-owned business, too. They do good work. 914 South Stratford Road, WSNC.

#12 — West End Cafe (84)
Here’s our first return burger from the 2019 list: the Cheeseburger Grinder. West End Cafe does everything well. I’ve never had a bad meal there. GM John McLemore introduced this to me in 2019 and I returned to it this time, too. This is a burger patty formed in the shape of a rectangle and topped with Thousand Island dressing, spinach (instead of lettuce), tomato, onion, pickle, American and pepper jack cheeses on a hoagie bun. It was a darn fine burger. A bit messy, but delicious.  West End Cafe is at 926 W 4th St., WSNC.

#11 — Antojitos Las Delicias (84)
This was a bit different and a wonderful surprise. A Mexican burger.  My Facebook friend Sarai’s mother owns this restaurant and had mentioned that they do a burger. I had to try it. So, in addition to mayo for this, they have avocado as a spread and it added a whole different dimension to the burger. I’m not sure which cheese they use, but it was really good. Here’s a pro tip for you: just get a single patty, you won’t need a second one. Trust me.  Antojitos Las Delicias is located at 1521 E 5th St in WSNC. and is take-out only.

#10 — Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro (84)
The Chef’s Double from Chef Jay Pierce. Let me tell you this burger was one huge mess. In fact, it would have rated higher but it was falling apart from so much stuff happening with it. All that, though, and it was delicious, worthy of a higher placement but the “Overall Happiness” factor took a bit of a hit. Two smashed Brasstown beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, American cheese, pickles, onions, on a brioche bun. Mozelle’s is at 878 W 4th Street in WSNC, just two doors up from West End Cafe. Never a bad meal there, either. Mozelle’s always does amazing work.

Okay, so here we go into the Top 9, where most of the ratings were different.

#9 — Young Cardinal Cafe (86)
The YC Burger, a pub burger with a 6oz. ground beef patty, onion aioli, pickle slices, sliced tomato, cheddar cheese. I do wish that there was a cheese option that wasn’t cheddar, as I don’t like cheddar on my burgers, but this was white cheddar, which melts a little better so it wasn’t a deal killer. The onion aioli was a bit messy but the flavors were amazing. Chefs Andrews and Swing do amazing work at YCC and I am so glad I had this one, on our anniversary, by the way. The patty was cooked just right and all the ingredients popped well together. Juicy, messy, delicious. YCC is located at 424 4th Street in WSNC.

#8 — King’s Hot Dogs (87)
King’s Hot Dogs was on the monster Friday trip that Stephanie and Steven and I took to King and Rural Hall. We tried four burgers that day. Steven and I split all four so we really only had two whole burgers. Anyway, with the break and travel in between, we were getting loaded up pretty fast. This was the last one that we had that day and truthfully, I didn’t want it and didn’t enjoy it. It was way too much to try at once and while I don’t usually give second chances, this wasn’t King’s Hot Dogs’ fault. It was mine. So, I went back, on my own to give it a fair shake. That was a darn fine burger and I’m so glad I went back. Double patties, mayo, pickles, tomato, onion, and lite mustard. King’s Hot Dogs is located at 1009 Bethania Rural Hall Rd, in Rural Hall. The picture is from the first trip.

#7 — Greek Guys Grill (88)
This was another surprise. This is almost certainly a frozen patty. But, this is the perfect example of taking a frozen patty and making it taste delicious. Stephanie and I stopped after going to her mom’s for the nightly check-in. It wasn’t on the list but I saw it on the menu and decided to give it a shot. It was seasoned so well and the ingredients so fresh, that it made me go, “mmm” out loud. Stephanie had one, as well and she agreed with me. It was a double diner patty, mayo, pickles, tomato, onion on a sesame seed bun, which I generally don’t like, but the seeds were sparse and not in the way and not distracting. When we drive by here going to her mom’s, I think, “man, I could go for a Greek Guys’ Burger.” Greek Guys Grill is located at 2545 Somerset Center Dr, WSNC.

#6 — Piedmont Aviation Snack Bar (88)
Another huge surprise for me. I had seen it in passing and didn’t know if it was actually open. I had noticed it on the DoorDash menu, as well. I just didn’t know much about it. I saw a friend talk about it and decided to jump in there and try it. It’s another situation of taking a frozen patty and making magic with it. Much of the score here is from my enjoyment from eating it, but I cannot take anything away from the flavors. The seasoned grill with years of use along with fresh ingredients and proper seasoning on the patties is certainly magic. It was a double diner patty, mayo, pickles, tomato, onion. I have said this a bit in the last few months, but PASB is a hidden gem in this town and we need to make it less hidden. You won’t be sorry.  PASB is located at 3820 N. Liberty St, WSNC. The reason this got #6 is that it had no category below an “8” rating.

#5 — Hops Burger Bar WSNC (89)
This was a definite surprise. Anyone reading this and having been in WSNC for the last 3 years is probably questioning why it was a surprise. Well, in 2019, Hops Burger Bar had just opened. There was a lot of hype that I didn’t really understand, and in some ways still don’t. But, when Steven and I went for a burger, it was underwhelming, to say the least. This time around, with time to season the grill and the employees, they were able to knock it out of the park. While we had two burgers, “The Spicy Goat” (with goat cheese, applewood bacon, sweet and spicy jelly, and lettuce) which we got just to try, and the “Hops Classic.” The classic came with American cheese, applewood bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, ketchup, mustard, and mayo. Now, I can’t remember what it was but something was wrong with our order. Either it was supposed to not have lettuce on it and did, or something was left off that was supposed to be on it. In the ratings, I nicked it a bit for that. But, my silly self didn’t put down what it was. But, I will say, Steven and I were both very pleased with the Hops Classic. Hops Burger Bar WSNC is located at 901 Reynolda Rd.

#4 — Mr. Barbecue (89)
When I did my rankings in 2019, I had said that this would have been my #3, but a devastating fire closed the restaurant and led to its rebuild in early 2021. Mr. Barbecue has risen to my top 4 even if they don’t have the “Jumbo-sized” burgers that they used to have. This is always a solid burger, almost what a diner burger should be, frozen or not (which I’m not sure it is frozen). And, probably a good bit of it is that I just enjoy eating at Mr. Barbecue. We did without it for a period of time and that was harsh. I always get mine, mayo, pickles, tomato, onion. It’s my comfort food. Mr. Barbecue (and Miss Fried Chicken) is located at 1381 Peters Creek Pkwy, WSNC. Mr. BBQ eeked out Hops because the order correctness was a 10 for BBQ and 9 for Hops.

And here is the TOP THREE!!

#3 — Joe’s Take-Out (90)
Here we are, top three. Joe’s Take-Out in Clemmons was a “double” so to speak because I had scoped it out prior to the tour’s start. But, nonetheless, Steven and I tried three burgers when we went, the BBQ Burger (which was a specialty burger with BBQ sauce, cheddar, and an onion ring), the OKC Burger (cooked on top of onions, mayo, pickles, tomato, and light mustard), and the Smashed Joe’s Burger. The latter was the one that counted for this. It was mayo, pickles, tomato, onion, and mustard, with cheese, of course. The seasoning was really, really good, the ingredients were very fresh and you could taste it. The onions were crisp, the tomato juicy but not too, pickles crunched and the patty was perfectly smashed. It was a really good burger and it is well-deserving of the #3 spot. Joe’s Take-Out is in the Tanglewood Commons Shopping Center across from Tanglewood Park at 4124 Clemmons Rd.

#2 — 601 Burgers and Brews (92)
This was probably the biggest surprise for Steven and me on the Burger Tour ’21. We had no expectations and even joked about some of the menu items, expecting it to be a mediocre experience. We could not have been any more wrong. What we got was popped in the mouth with burger magic. We had two burgers (split between us). One was the misnamed, Smash Burger, which should be called “smashed” burger because unlike a traditional smash burger that has two smaller patties that start in a ball and are smashed onto the grill, forming a good crust and char, this was a burger that was smashed onto the grill after being assembled; bun and all. Now, while we laughed at it (we’re not proud), we stopped laughing and were pleasantly surprised at the flavors. Double patty, pimento cheese, Candied Bacon, and smashed grilled on a Brioche Bun. But that wasn’t the “official” burger. The official burger is called “Old Glory” and Steven and I still talk about this burger when we meet up for lunch. American cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, mayo, and we added onion. Y’all… this burger was near perfection. Properly seasoned and juicy patties, crisp pickles, wonderfully plump but not messy tomato, and a little more lettuce than I wanted so I removed some but that didn’t at all impact the burger. To top it off, the sidewinder chips, which are puffed-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside french fries shaped like little half-moons were the bombdiggity. I can’t believe I just used that word, but oh well. The restaurant is located at 2203 N US-601, Mocksville. It would probably be worthy of the top spot, except…

#1 — Boone Doggies (99)
The reigning champion returns and kicks butt on retaining its title. I went in knowing that Boone Doggies was going to be hard to beat. I’ve eaten there several times since 2019 and every time, it’s heaven in my mouth. There were some good contenders on the list, but none of them, no matter how hard they tried, could knock Boone Doggies from atop the mountain. Smash burgers, the way they were meant to be with amazing flavor, char, and crust. We had three burgers, but only one of them counted. These are the same three burgers we had in 2019 and we just wanted to revisit to make sure all was right in Burgerland. First, the two that didn’t count for ranking but counted in so many other ways. The Rock, with mayo, homemade BBQ sauce, bacon, grilled onions, and American cheese. Oh, yes. The Peacock, with mayo, homemade pimento cheese (made by Drew’s father), bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Yes, again! But the one you need to know about, in relation to this list, is The Grandfather. This is the classic burger. Two smashed patties, mayo, pickles, tomato, onion, shredded lettuce, and love. I’m not at all religious but this almost makes me find the Lord. This is 100% everything a smash burger or any burger, in general, should taste like and be. The rating should actually be 100 but, I did take a half-point away because I had to drive so far to get there. But it was worth every mile. Boone Doggies is located at 566 E Main St. in Yadkinville. Update: Boone Doggies has announced that they will be closing their Yadkinville location at the end of the month, but they will be concentrating on their Mocksville Location, which has all the same things and then some.  That is at the Colin Creek Golf Club:
2251 US Highway 64 East, Mocksville.

There you have it. The Man Who Ate the Town’s Burger Tour ’21 recap. Which of these is your favorite? Do you disagree with me? I welcome comments and friendly discourse. I don’t want to hear that the list was biased because as with 2019’s list, we learned that it very much IS biased. It’s my list, with my rating, with my opinion, with my blog, and my podcast. So it is my bias.

I had a great time doing these burgers, but I have a doctor’s appointment this week and I doubt he’ll share my jubilation. So, Street Team Steven, my wife, Stephanie, and I are looking for the next “tour” for 2022. I think Cheesesteak has been mentioned, but I’d like to hear thoughts on other tours we could do. Burritos, tacos, pizza, subs, sushi (although that can get expensive), and so on. Throw them at me.

Thank you, as always to Street Team Steven for supporting this blog and podcast and being a fun food partner with my wife and me. Thank you to Mojito Latin Soul Food and Diamondback Grill for your support of my efforts. Thanks to the listeners of the podcast and readers of this blog for your valuable support.

Eat Drink Restaurant Week Is Here!

The time is here! Eat, Drink, Restaurant Week has arrived in the Triad.

Now, I know I mainly focus on WSNC restaurants but this event is everywhere in the “Triad” and Triad-Adjacent locations.

What is “Eat, Drink, Restaurant Week” you may ask?

It’s basically a competition between area restaurants. Is there a prize? There is… that prize is bragging rights. You want to say your restaurant is the best at what you do and you want it to come from customers and not just you saying you are, right?  That’s what is happening here. But, that’s not all. “Restaurant Weeks” are a perfect way for you to get your culinary feet wet with a restaurant or cuisine you have maybe been wanting to try but not ready to jump in for the price. And, maybe you want to introduce your family to your favorite place, but don’t know that it’s right for them? Whatever the reason, it’s meant to be fun while getting the establishments some recognition and love, and providing you a good meal, all at the same time.

Each restaurant will have a QR code for you to vote for them. It should be on a table tent or equivalent so you can vote while you’re there. This eliminates folks just going on and voting. The point is to drive business.

These restaurants will be competing in three different categories, so a fast-casual restaurant needn’t be outshined by a prestigious fine dining establishment. I’m going to highlight them so you know right away. The meals will be capped according to the category the establishment falls under. You can add to it for a nominal charge, I believe but the dish itself is capped at the category’s assigned price. There are no substitutes and when a restaurant sells out of that dish, there isn’t a replacement meal for it. So, it’s first come first served.

First, is the Fast-Casual category. These restaurants will be providing a meal capped at $10.

Next, is the Casual Dining category. These restaurants will be providing a meal capped at $15.

Finally, we have the Fine Dining category. These restaurants will be providing a meal capped at $25.

There you have the roster and lineup of culinary deliciousness to choose from, nosh, imbibe, enjoy, share, and vote. Take pictures! Use the hashtag “#eatdrinkrestaurantweek”. Tag @manwhoatethetown me in your pictures! Tell me what awesome delights you’re trying.

Bon appetit!

 

 

James Beard Nominees in Our Back Yard

The 2022 James Beard Award nominees list was announced and we have two nominees here in Winston-Salem and

Stephanie Tyson (©J. Sinclair/WSJournal)

one in our neighboring Greensboro, as well as several others from around our state.

First, MY people! Both are nominated for Best Chef in the Southeast.

Congratulations to Stephanie Tyson from Sweet Potatoes (…Well Shut My Mouth) a Restaurant. She is a mighty fine chef. I don’t know of anything I’ve ever had of hers that I didn’t love. I have purchased one of her cookbooks, now I need to definitely get it signed. Smothered Yardbird and Spaghetti with a Drawl come to mind, immediately.

Peyton Smith (©Peyton Smith)

Congratulations to Peyton Smith from Mission Pizza Napoletana. Already voted one of the Top 100 pizza concepts in the country, Peyton takes his pizzaiolo skills to new heights all the time. His pies are unique and delicious. Sometimes it’s hard to get both of those qualities at the same time. But, it’s not just pizza, his meatballs and tomato sauce are some of the best around.

Now, the ones from outside of WSNC.

Tal Blevins brought the inspiration from his culinary travels to his hometown of Greensboro. What that gets us, my fellow eaters is Machete, which is the brick-and-mortar version of their newly famous supper club events they had been doing since 2018. I have to be honest, I haven’t eaten here, yet. I don’t get to GSO as much as I would like. But, hey, as an owner of what has been called a “glorious beard” (not James, but you know…), Tal rocks a magnificent beard, as well, so I definitely need to get over there. But, Machete is nominated for Best New Restaurant. Fingers crossed for them!

Tal Blevins (©Tal Blevins)

Chai Pani of Asheville is nominated for Outstanding Restaurant.

Cleophus Hethington from Benne on Eagle in Asheville is nominated for Emerging Chef.

Nani’s Piri Piri Chicken in Asheville is also nominated for Best New Restaurant.

Susannah Gebhart of Old World Levain (OWL) Bakery in Asheville is nominated for Outstanding Baker.

Cúrate in Asheville is nominated (of course) for Outstanding Hospitality.

Alley Twenty Six in Durham is nominated for Outstanding Bar Program.

Katie Button from Cúrate, Greg Collier from Leah & Louise in Charlotte, Oscar Diaz from The Cortez in Raleigh, Sunny Gerhart from St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar in Raleigh, Ricky Moore from SALTBOX Seafood Joint in Durham, Aaron Vandemark from Panciuto in Hillsborough, and Cheetie Kumar from Garland in Raleigh, are all nominated, along with Stephanie and Peyton for Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV).

Congratulations to all of the nominees and good luck to them all! I feel lucky to have so many awesome chefs and establishments within reach of my foodie heart.

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 228

@TGBII (not necessarily the #1)

In Episode #228 proudly recorded in The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill:

Tim and Street Team Steve discuss:

  • The Burger Tour ’21 Results show! Tim reveals where his favorite burgers are around the Triad, mostly in WSNC, in the culmination of a 3/4-year eat-a-thon. The blog post is coming soon.
  • 600 Degrees news.
  • ROAR news.
  • Restaurant openings.
  • Eat Drink Restaurant Week is coming.
  • “The List,” Country Spinner, and burgers are discussed as well as other food news.
  • Visit The Go-To Winston-Salem to find out about events around the WSNC area.

The Man Who Ate the Town website includes the food and beverage list that we have been forging and curating to know when and how your favorite WSNC-area restaurant is doing business!

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game, or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post).

 

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 227

Chef Eric Brownlee (© is not mine)

In Episode #227 proudly recorded in The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill:

Tim discusses:

  • Chef Eric Brownlee, his wife, Morgan, and Asst FOH Manager, Mark Patykewich of The Katharine Brasserie and Bar in the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel are Tim’s guests.
  • The gang discusses the restaurant, the awesomeness that is Chef Eric Brownlee, French cuisine, world cuisine, things happening at The Katharine, and more, lots more. Tim really enjoyed having these guests.
  • Also, ROAR has opened a couple of concepts. Bootleg Ramen, El Patron Bar & Grill, Wicked Awesome Foods.
  • Tim and Stephanie’s Burns Night Supper.
  • Eat Drink Restaurant Week is coming.
  • “The List,” Country Spinner, and burgers are discussed as well as other food news.
  • Visit The Go-To Winston-Salem to find out about events around the WSNC area.

The Man Who Ate the Town website includes the food and beverage list that we have been forging and curating to know when and how your favorite WSNC-area restaurant is doing business!

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game, or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post).

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 226

In Episode #226 proudly recorded in The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill:

Tim discusses:

  • Street Team Steven co-hosts with Tim today.
  • Brothers Pizzeria closed for staffing issues.
  • Johnny’s Farmhouse coming to Hanes Mall Blvd. Rhythm.
  • Lounge to open in a new location.
  • West Coast Wanderer reopens after two-month hiatus.
  • Showmars, Bootleg Ramen, Coffee Park Airstream, Slappy’s.
  • “The List,” Country Spinner, and burgers are discussed as well as other food news.
  • Visit The Go-To Winston-Salem to find out about events around the WSNC area.

The Man Who Ate the Town website includes the food and beverage list that we have been forging and curating to know when and how your favorite WSNC-area restaurant is doing business!

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post).