Tom Spicer and his artichokes

Tom Spicer is one cool cat, and he’s becoming even cooler (in my book) now that I know he’s throwing a party in his garden on May 24 at 7:30 pm. Urbano Cafe owner Mitch Kaufmann is teaming up with the artichoke guy to bring a New Orleans legend, Spencer Bohren, to the gardens for an entertaining evening filled with song and storytelling. You can bet that the company will be delightful and the food – from whole roasted pig to the homemade gumbo – will certainly be fresh.

Jump for the full release.

(DALLAS)  – Urbano Café and FM 1410 are joining forces to throw a BYOB food and music bash in Spiceman’s famous urban garden on Thursday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m.

Spicer and Urbano owner Mitch Kauffman draw on their New Orleans roots to bring internationally acclaimed New Orleans-based musician, storyteller and songwriter Spencer Bohren to the garden. Food will include a whole roasted pig, homemade gumbo roasted corn and vegetables, summer squash salad, potato mash and more.

Guests can bring a cooler for their beverages, sit on the porch or throw a blanket or lawn chair out in the garden, load up a plate of food and relax to some great blues.

“Tom and I have wanted to do an event that celebrates our unique location, the garden, great food and music,” said Kauffman, whose first restaurant job was at the Pontchartrain Hotel on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. “We both saw Spencer play all over New Orleans at places like Tipitina’s and Snug Harbor, and we thought he’d bring the right sound to bring it all together.”

“Food and music are meant to be shared, and what better way to do it than with friends, in the middle of the city in an oasis like my garden,” said Spicer, a Louisiana native, slow food activist and renowned musician in his own right. “People have enjoyed my produce at restaurants all over town but don’t realize it comes from right here – I love showing them and seeing their reactions.”

Admission is $55 and includes food, gratuity and tax. Call Urbano Café at 214-823-8550 for reservations. For more information go to www.urbanodallas.com.

More about Delphi from the press release:

Delphi, (www.delphigroupinc.com) which led Deep Ellum’s renaissance in the 80s and 90s and birthed the wildly successful Club Clearview (1985-2005), are bringing the same artsy energy to New East Elm. Delphi’s 25 year experience in the Deep Ellum district, specializing in the renovation of older structures and it’s entertainment pedigree made this the group’s next logical project, sure to build on the momentum they’ve created in the area. The area historically was a haunt of Dallas legend Jack Ruby and nexus of the underground gambling rackets of the 1930s and 40s

Our BBQ guy, Daniel Vaughn

Anthony Bourdain’s a smart man for selecting Daniel Vaughn, BBQ Snob and the genius behind “Full Custom Gospel BBQ”, to write one of the three titles for his new line of books published under Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Our favorite BBQ correspondent (who did his first print story with us) will be writing Prophets of Smoked Meat, a full-color tour of the best Texas barbeque joints he’s visited since he first got hooked on the ‘cue. The book will feature recipes of smoked classics and sides, and shed some light on some of the people whose passion drive the Texas BBQ food scene.

“Tony Bourdain and I are long lost brothers in meat. To have his support in writing a book about Texas Barbecue really just feels like an overdue family reunion,” says Vaughn.

Bourdain recognizes Vaughn as “the Yoda of Barbecue, a man of impeccable smoked meat credentials, known most notoriously as the guy upon whose tireless quest for slow-cooked meat-related wisdom mainstream media shamelessly piggybacks. With this book, we hope, he shall finally get his due as the undisputed, argument ending source of all knowledge.”

The first title under the Ecco line belongs to co-founder of the Kogi BBQ food trucks in Los Angeles, Roy Choi, while the third goes to Mark Miller, a kickboxing champion who struggled with addiction. Daniel Vaughn has the second title. Sidedishers, it looks like our BBQ Snob has made it to the big leagues! Go eat some BBQ to celebrate and do a jiggity-jig-jig.

Who are you? I’ve been getting press releases from you for a long time but for the life of me I can’t remember meeting you. I do understand that you live underground and you cook a lot there as well, but do you ever actually come out during the day?

You talk funny. I mean, you write funny. You “sound” like you are totally hip and in with all of the IN people which explains a lot about our relationship. It’s so cool that you are throwing a birthday party for yourself on October 23! You must have lots of friends! Three LIVE bands, CAJUN food, and BYOB! Totally bitchin’. And Thursday, you only have 20 seats left for your super secret dinner in Deep Ellum. Have you done the math? Do you think you can get that many people under the ground in Deep Ellum? It must be so freakin’ dark, dude. Six courses for $66? That dinner is like so effin’ New Testament! And payable in “unmarked, untraceable cash only”? Brilliant.

Keep it up and maybe you’ll get your own restaurant one day. Oh, wait. My spirit is shaking. I’m getting an incoming subliminal message from, wait…oh…I can’t quite make out the voice, I can only hear pigs squealing. Oh, now  it’s clear. It’s  Steven Doyle LIVE from the State Fair. He says you have a “concept portfolio”  for a future restaurant called Twenty-Seven. Far out, it sounds so Satanic! Will you take American Express? Awesome. Keep us posted.

Good luck,

Nancy Nichols

TEXAS                                   OKLAHOMA

Kent Black                                Keith Jennison

Black’s  – Lockhart                  Elmer’s    – Tulsa

Joe Duncan                               Charles Smith

Baker’s Ribs – Dallas              Leo’s BBQ -  Oklahoma City

Kelly Duncan                            Jev Vandegrift

Big Daddy’s – Lavon               Van’s Pig Stand – Shawnee

Cliff Payne                                  Joe Wells

Cousin’s – Fort Worth             Smokin’ Joe’s Rib Ranch and RV Park – Davis

The competition will take place on October 6.  Pitmasters will be cooking their signature St. Louis pork ribs and sauces all day in Downtown’s Main Street Garden (St. Paul and Main Street) for a 7 p.m. special private judging by a panel of food experts, sports industry members, and community leaders.  From this “blind” judging (where judges will not know who cooked what recipe and judge only on food) , two winners, one from Oklahoma and one from Texas will be selected.  (The panel of judges will be announced in advance of October 6.)

Jump for more.

Then, the two winning pitmasters will cook their winning recipes up all day on Friday, October 7, to be sold at The Texas/OU Red River Barbecue Shootout Celebration in Main Street Garden from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.  The Ultimate Champion Winning Pitmaster will be determined by a People’s Choice vote among the 2,000-plus attendees expected at the event.  This will also be a “blind” contest, during which attendees will be invited to purchase a Shootout Rib Plate with “Ribs A and B” identified only and for which they will place a vote. A $1,000 prize, and additional gifts and prizes will be presented to the Champion Pitmaster at 8:30 p.m.

Then on Friday, October 7, Main Street in downtown will be the spot to be for music, food and fun. As a part of the celebration, DRG Concepts and Downtown Dallas inc. are bringing in music from Dallas’ Eleven Hundred Springs, Norman’s Damn Quails, and Austin’s Backporch Mary.  The bands will perform all evening on October 7, starting at 5:30 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public.  Everyone is invited to bring their lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the music on the lawn at Main Street Garden.

Food, including the Red River Shootout People’s Choice Rib Plate, as well as beer, wine and margaritas, will be available for purchase at the October 7 event.