Shindig 2012

The Fatback Collective and Friends gathered on the shores of the Tennessee River in The Shoals area of Northwest Alabama this past weekend to help Billy Reid throw his annual party, The Shindig.

Fatback Collective Members with Billy Reid
L-R: Drew Robinson, Ashley Christensen, Sean Brock, Rodney Scott, Billy Reid, and John Currence

Fashion designer, Billy Reid throws a great party and combines his loves of music, fashion, food and friends together each summer.  The Fatback Collective happily gathered to cook for guests who made the trek to Florence, Alabama from all over the country as well as those who live there and work with Billy.  Thanks to everyone who made it a great weekend including Jim 'N Nick's team members, Sam, Katie, Larome and Alecia. What a great community of people!  The collective is proud to call Billy and all of his crew friends.

Thanks for a great time Billy!

Here are some photos from the weekend:

Billy Reid, Rob McDaniel, Exec. Chef at Springhouse Restaurant on Lake Martin, AL and Rodney Scott, Pitmaster, Scott's BBQ, Hemingway, SC

Ashley Christensen, Executive Chef/Owner, Poole's Diner, Raleigh, NC

Billy Reid, Alabama Chanin designer, Natalie Chanin and Rodney Scott

Chris and Idie Hastings, Executive Chef and owners of Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, AL

Drew Robinson, Executive Chef, Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, Sean Brock (center) Executive Chef McCrady's and Husk, Charleston, SC, Rob McDaniel

Musician Greg Spradlin of Little Rock, AR with his little son--sleeping through some loud music like a true little rocker.

Melany Mullins of Polished Pig Media provided essential noodles for floating.

Chef Rob McDaniel with fresh foraged chantrelles.

Wild Cub, one of the many talented bands that entertained through the weekend getting some of the Fatback's chicken.

Spicy boiled peanuts from Rob McDaniel

Grilled vegetables from Chef Chris Harrigan of Stone's Throw Restaurant, Birmingham, AL

Pimento cheese slathered slider buns awaiting their White Oak Pastures beef patty and Ashley's green tomato pickle.

Folks cooled off with gourmet ice pops from Steel City Pops, Birmingham, AL

Rodney Scott's fried pork skins

Crispy potato chips and dip from Rob McDaniel

Back of the house at the party.

White Oak Pastures beef sliders, Jim 'N Nick's pimento cheese and Ashley's green tomato pickle.

Big Denver BBQ Block Party a Success!

This past weekend, Jim 'N Nick's folks from all around the country followed the BBQ rig to Denver, Colorado to participate in the very first Big Denver BBQ Block Party.  A western version of the annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party, hosted by the Union Square Hospitality Group, seemed to make a lot of sense and provided an opportunity for some new pitmasters to participate in the family of events.

Taking place in beautiful and lively Downtown Denver, bands, beer and barbecue was abundant and the Jim 'N Nick's team was able to fraternize with old friends like Ed Mitchell from North Carolina, 17th Street BBQ from Illinois, Martin's Bar-B-Q from Tennessee and Blue Smoke from New York.  But they were also happy to make new friends like the good folks from The Hitching Post in Buellton, California.

All of the event proceeds went to local charities in that community and Jim 'N Nick's provided additional support by staging a raffle to win a signed Peyton Manning Broncos jersey.  Proceeds from the raffle went to Judi's House, an organization based in Denver that provides trauma counseling to those (mostly children) who are working through traumatic experiences like the recent tragedies that took place in Aurora, CO, a neighborhood in Denver.

Jim 'N Nick's stores around the country also collected "Thoughts and Prayers" as well as donations for the victims and families that were directly impacted by the shootings in Aurora.

The weekend started off with a pitmaster's and press event at the Northfield location of Jim 'N Nick's.  Paul Bestofka is the Jim 'N Nick's partner in Denver and has two locations in the area--Northfield, located at 8264 E. 49th Avenue and Southlands in Aurora at 24153 E. Prospect Avenue.

Check out the photos from our great time in Denver!

Blake!  Superstar server at the Jim 'N Nick's Northfield location.

L-R, Paul Bestofka of Jim N Nick's Denver, Roy B. Ray, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and Nick Pihakis, of Jim 'N Nick's

Pitmasters gathered to kick off the weekend at Jim 'N Nick's bar.

Drew Robinson, Executive Chef of Jim 'n Nick's demonstrates the art of smoked beef brisket.

Jim 'N Nick's famous cheese biscuits were baked fresh at the festival.

The rig and servers, ready for folks to line up.

The crew from Jim 'N Nick's and the Hitching Post in Buellton, CA became good friends.

The pigs grow antlers in Colorado!

Football great Peyton Manning generously donated a signed Bronco's jersey to raffle off for Judi's House in Denver.  www.judishouse.org

Thoughts and Prayers were collected at the event and at Jim 'N Nick's restaurants to distribute to the victims and families associated with the tragic Aurora shootings last month.

The BBQ team!

Mike Mills (4th from the left) of 17th Street BBQ gathers his crew.  It is great to be able to catch up with dear friends like Mike and his daughter Amy Mills (2nd from right) at events like this.

The boys from Martin's Bar-B-Q Joint in Nolensville, TN

The Jim 'N Nick's crew closing out the day with some cold Colorado beer.

Looking forward to next year Denver!

Chef's Potluck Benefits Wholesome Wave Georgia

Jim 'N Nick's is very proud to sponsor this event each year on behalf of the Southern Foodways Alliance Skillet Brigade and Wholesome Wave Georgia.

Join us on the gorgeous Serenbe property located just 40 minutes south of Atlanta where we will fire up our bar-b-q rig to cook delicious, humanely raised, organic meat from Fatback Collective member Will Harris' South Georgia farm, White Oak Pastures.

Join some of Atlanta's finest chefs for a great, casual day of amazing food, music and a live auction and raffle to benefit Wholesome Wave Georgia.

Learn more at 

www.wholesomewavegeorgia.org

Purchase tickets on line here:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/251283

Celebrate America!

Happy Fourth of July from Jim 'n Nick's Bar-B-Q!

Here are some menu suggestions for your day...

Low Country Asado!

Charleston, SC, with its palm trees, beaches and salt air combined with country sensibility about farming and raising food reminds Jim 'n Nick's Executive Chef, Drew Robinson of another place--Jose Ignacio, Uruguay--yep, Uruguay.  Back in December, Drew, along with other members of the Fatback Collective went on a culinary exploration to Estancia Belcampo--an organic farm and ranch that hosts Asado dinners on their farm. It was a BBQ exchange of sorts and both the South American chefs and the Southern American chefs had lots to learn from each other.
Drew and the others came back inspired and eager to try out new techniques in their own kitchens.  Recently, John Haire, the Jim 'n Nick's store owner in Charleston, invited Drew down to cook with him at a lovely waterside house on Sullivan's Island, SC.

Charleston's John Haire

King Street store in Charleston, SC

Veteran food writer Marion Sullivan was at the asado to experience the feast and document it for Charleston Magazine's cover story. Talented Charleston photographer, Peter Frank Edwards captured the event in gorgeous style.
Check out the story here:
http://www.charlestonmag.com/charleston_magazine/feature/asado_southern_style


Taking in the Charleston Magazine story, seeing the beautiful photos, it becomes clear that Drew made direct references to the experience in Uruguay.  Take a gander at some of the photos from the Estancia Belcampo trip and see where Drew's inspiration came from.

Sangria stirred with a knife.

Drew Robinson checks out the "iron cross" cooking method.

Even the vegetables are cooked with fire.

Drew cuts broccoli greens into a chiffinade for a Southern style coleslaw

Sausages cooked over coals.

Carrots cooked over coals become tender and sweet.

Chimichurri

Nick Pihakis tends the pig

A peach cobbler in its own little oven.

The final crust on the peach cobbler

That's what exploration and learning are all about folks--growth and sharing and that is what Drew did on that balmy day in Charleston.

Thank you to Marion Sullivan and Peter Frank Edwards and Charleston Magazine for helping share this great experience on the homefront!