Buford: Praise the Lard BBQ

I just had an outstanding meal at Praise the Lard BBQ. It's located next to a church. I had to ask---the pastor and pitmaster know each other but the restaurant and church aren't formally related. The menu does, however, mix biblical references ("Do not call unclean what the Lord has made clean") and pro wrestling references.

I ordered the burnt ends, which were superb. You won't need extra sauce. They come slathered in just the right amount of sauce to make them perfectly juicy. The meat is very beefy and smoky---this is a very flavorful cut. The carrot souffle is out of this world. It combines sweet, rich, and carrot-y tastes in perfect proportion. I ordered the spicy version of the cucumber salad, which was crisp but tender; the acidity perfectly balanced the carrot souffle. I also got a chance to try the baked beans, which was an excellent combination of dark and light red beans.

Service was superb. The owner made the rounds repeatedly. At one point he checked on my order and made sure it arrived.

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Eating Around Georgia Tech: Ecco

Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course) ...

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Pressure Cooker Candied Ginger

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