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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bark with a Bite: Ride with us as we sample some of Coastal Georgia's best barbecue joints
May 16 may have marked National Barbecue Day, but Memorial Day weekend heralds the return of grilling season and summer vacation. We took our 'cue—so to speak—from the confluence of the two and took a road trip to some of coastal Georgia's best smokehouses, on the hunt for caramelized barks with peppery bites, perfectly pink smoke rings, succulent meats, savory sides, and tangy sauces with the right balance of sweet and heat. We met some characters and debated techniques as we sampled tender ribs, buttery slices of brisket, spicy sausages and strapping chicken legs. One of our crew hails from Texas and holds definite opinions on rubs and that sauces should come on the side. Another, from Eastern North Carolina, proved a harsh judge of both vinegar and mustard-based sauces. Others were delightfully along for the ride, except when it came to the consistency of mac 'n' cheese—and then the, ahem, knives came out. There were surprises—smoked turkey year-round, lamb, seafood—capturing the complexity of the influences along the coast and the fact that both Savannah and Brunswick are port cities. Herein is the beginning of our journey. We started with these essential seven joints listed and plan to expand our map and palates over the next several weeks as summer unfolds. Let's go >> Sweet Spring: Vidalia onions take center plate in Savannah as part of weeklong promotion to end hunger Viral Sensation: The nutty, gooey Dubai Chocolate Bar craze arrives in Savannah Griffin Bufkin is a rarity—a third-generation St. Simons islander and a proselytizer of both Southern foodways and slow foods who does not cook. In fact, he calls himself the 'sandwich maker' when it comes to Southern Soul Barbecue, giving flowers to his business partner Harrison Sapp, the genius behind the 24-hour smokers where slabs of spice-rubbed ribs, juicy Boston butts and bark-encrusted brisket perfume the air around the island's roundabout like a scent trail for meatheads. Together, they turned a shuttered gas station at the heart of St. Simons Island into a mecca that Guy Fieri, Garden and Gun and Southern Living helped put on the map. As Southern Soul comes up on its twentieth anniversary next year—a milestone that almost didn't happen after a 2010 fire—it has expanded its footprint to include a courtyard bar and a gift shop, where you can stock up on their unique sauces and spice mixes. The ribs and pulled pork remain their bestsellers, for good reason, but the team handles the sides with the same heart and soul they do the proteins. They serve arguably the best Brunswick Stew of all the places we tried, and their Hoppin' John, collard greens, brisket chili, pimento cheese and potato salad pay homage to some lost recipes. Bufkin described how they wanted to resurrect bogs and other dishes 'you don't see anymore. Just pulled out the old Junior League cookbooks, go through them and pick out the fun stuff…y'know, tradition with a twist.' And on Sundays, they serve God's favorite yard bird, Southern fried chicken. Southern Soul Barbecue, 2020 Demere Road, St. Simon's Island, Ga., 31522; 912-638-7685; Two huge trees flank both sides of the parking lot to Twin Oaks BBQ on Norwich Drive near downtown Brunswick. They were a lot smaller when this red-brick drive-in opened in 1943, back when Linda Barber's mother worked here. Barber's mother quit after the owner at the time asked her to buy a pair of fishnet stockings and put them on for him while he watched. He was dead by the time Linda turned 16 in 1973 and hired on as a server. She's never worked anywhere else. Most folks call her 'Granny' now, as she's fed generations of Glynn County's bellies. 'I love the people. They mean more to me than just customers,' she said. Granny and her husband Fred help manage the gathering spot, which was full of diners on a Wednesday afternoon, for Darlene Waters, who has owned Twin Oaks for 28 years. Their patty melts are famous, but nearly every person who sat down or took out a brown bag filled with pulled pork sandwiches asked for the battered fries as a side. They are good―thin cut and seasoned just so. Granny leaned in and said next time to get 'em smothered with barbecue (pulled pork) and cheese. Her all-time favorite, though, is the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. 'I add bacon on it.' Twin Oaks BBQ, 2618 Norwich St., Brunswick, Ga., 31520; 912-265-3131; It is easy to drive past the Smokin Pig BBQ Joint's Richmond Hill location, even though you can smell the oak-tinged smoke a mile away. The sign is small but once you see Chuy's convenience store and gas station heading south on the Coastal Highway, just before you get to the I-95 interchange, you know you've arrived. Inside, the rustic confines evoke my granddaddy's den with its wood-paneled walls. A mounted largemouth bass remains in perpetual astonishment that he hit that lure, and a stuffed bobcat will be trying to snag that flapping mallard for eternity. Picnic tables give it a real casual backyard feel. A menu of all the standard fare is written on a blackboard in chalk and the friendly ladies in the window happily answer questions and address regulars by name. Even in the middle of a Friday afternoon, a steady stream of folks came in to pick up to-go orders, most of them just after filling up on a different kind of fuel next door. The smoked chicken sandwich on a hamburger bun was a standout, and it paired well with any of the four sauces, presented in squeeze bottles with handwritten labels: Mild, Hot, Spicy Vinegar, and Sweet. Even the mild had a piquant quality, but the vinegar had some bite. The St. Louis-cut ribs held a lot of tender meat that sported a shiny caramelized coat. They were succulent with or without the sweet sauce. My dining partner loved the generous slather of butter on his Texas toast. Even if you're passing through, the Smokin Pig is worth savoring. The Smokin Pig BBQ Joint has two locations: 13711 E. Oglethorpe Hwy., Midway, Ga., 31320; 912-884-4495; and 3986 Highway 17, Richmond Hill, Ga., 31324; 912-756-7850; A Fun Guy: Fighting against global and local currents, a mushroom farm sprouts in Garden City Sip and Smile: The oysters and fried chicken are great but, oh, those cocktails at Brochu's Family Tradition You can't pin down Sandfly Bar-B-Q to any specific region, which is why the restaurant in the strip mall storefront on the corner of Ferguson and Skidaway roads has such universal appeal. (It, too, is near a gas station, so we're sensing a theme emerging here.) Once again, voters in Connect Savannah's Best of poll put Sandfly on top. There's a bit of Memphis, Texas Hill Country, and a quick spin through the Carolinas among the offerings, which is why we gravitate toward the Hog Wild Platter ($32), which has a something to suit everyone's tastes. The smoked sausage sends my heart aflutter, drawing me back to the German and Czech towns scattered across central Texas, roadside spots I used to frequent on trips between Fort Worth and Austin or San Antonio. Sandfly's brisket is no slouch in comparison, either. The generous chunks of pulled pork are just fine without sauce and even better with the mustard base. But the smoked chicken is a marvel, with a delicate hint of pecan and tender, juicy meat. It holds up well to the North Carolina-style vinegar sauce. The mac 'n' cheese and green beans are still our favorite sides as are the tart hamburger sliced pickles. And just like those pesky critters for which the town and the joint are named, we will keep coming back. Sandfly Bar-B-Q, 9413 Ferguson Ave., Savannah, Ga., 31406; 912-356-5463; The number of times we've tried to get an order of Randy's ribs and been thwarted by long lines or empty inventories are too numerous to count. But on one morning just before 10:30 a.m., we found a safe enough parking spot along Wheaton Street, just east of downtown Savannah, and sidled up to the little blue building—a former car wash—and stood in the line that had already formed. We were jonesing for the combo plate of ribs and chicken ($10) with a side of deviled crabs, but the man at the window said they were out of crabs that day. You could hear Antwan Middleton, who has worked with owner Randy Frazier since the place opened nearly 17 years ago, chopping ribs every time the door opened as loaves of white bread and boxes of canned sodas were loaded in. Frazier was moving between the cinderblock building, his car and the smokers on the side, making sure everything was ready for the 11 a.m. opening. Already the sun was beating down. Customers with cash in hand called out their orders to the server in the window, who started filling Styrofoam containers with chicken legs and smoking bones slathered in a tart mustard sauce that Frazier makes daily. (Note: You have to request your sauce on the side if you want to control the meat-to-sauce ratio.) We carried our combo to the car and ate off the hood, realizing we needed a whole lot more napkins. Randy's BBQ, 750 Wheaton St., Savannah, Ga., 31401; 912-412-2671 Full disclosure: I have a soft spot for Wiley McCrary. He was one of the first people I met when I moved to Savannah in 2009. I sat at the bar of his then-pocket of a barbecue restaurant on Whitemarsh Island (again in a strip mall just down from a convenience store/gas station) while my computer was being worked on at another store. He was sitting in a director's chair with 'The General' embroidered on its back at the end of the bar, smoking a cigar. He asked if I liked barbecue and thus began a long conversation that lasted for years as he and his recipes became the subject of my master's thesis and, ultimately, an award-winning cookbook. When McCrary passed away in 2018, he was buried with his family Bible and the first cookbook we unboxed. Wiley's widow and partner in all the championships he won, Janet, sold the restaurant to Nate Shaffer and his wife, Melinda, who have kept the spirit of Wiley alive. Pitmaster Marion Woodberry is the common denominator, still stoking the fires that deliver some of the best brisket east of the Mississippi and clever specials such as Smoked Meatloaf, Smoked Fried Chicken and Smoked Prime Rib. The Redneck Nachos with jalapeños (don't skimp) are always a favorite. No other barbecue restaurant we tried takes as much care with their sides as Wiley's. The potato salad, based on one of Janet's family recipes, is unique in its taste and creamy texture: No mustard and relish here. Same goes for the vinegar base for the coleslaw. The Best Beans on the Planet live up to their name, and the Dutch-crust Sweet Potato Casserole could double as dessert. The mac-and-cheese is elevated with a white cheese bechamel-style sauce over spiraled rigatoni. Wiley may be gone, but thankfully, he did not take his secrets to the grave. Wiley's Championship Barbecue, About a year ago, Tricks BBQ moved from its long-time location on Bull Street in the gentrifying Starland District to West Bay Street on the edge of Garden City. Folks lamented the loss, but with more space and a new food trailer, Tricks hasn't lost a single customer and has gained several more who clamor for the usual suspects—ribs and chicken—as well as beef and lamb. I first tried Tricks when it was a smoker in the parking lot of a car detailing business, just down from Back in the Day Bakery, where I worked as a 'Sugarnaut.' We would often trade goodies. And their ribs and chicken legs are just as flavorful as I remember from that first taste. So much so, that I often don't even use the sauce because the meat is so unctuous and well-seasoned. The baked beans are satisfying without being cloyingly sweet and the potato salad recalls some church picnic in distant memory. But the made-fresh-daily seafood salad is singular among the area's barbecue joints. Three Savannah-Chatham Public School bus drivers ahead of us in line were talking about it. They only had one more day of school to go and were getting a head start on celebrating. Two of them newbies to Tricks but now that they knew where it was and had tasted its bounty, they assured us they were coming back even during summer vacation. Tricks BBQ, 1901 W. Bay St., Savannah, Ga., 31415; 912-643-2182; Friends Joey GIFfrom Friends GIFs Full confession: We started with these essential seven barbecue joints because eating that much barbecue over the last several weeks has given us the 'meat sweats.' There are so many more we are going to hit over the summer: Bowtie Barbecue, No Sauce Barbecue, Slow Fire Barbecue, Babe's Smokehouse, The Rusty Pig ... until we have the quintessential coastal Georgia BBQ Road Trip Guide. If you would like to nominate a barbecue joint for us to visit between Glynn County, Georgia and Jasper and Beaufort counties in South Carolina, please submit your recommendations to Amy Paige Condon at ACondon@ Amy Paige Condon is a content coach, editor and culture writer for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at ACondon@ Richard Burkhart is the visual journalist for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at RBBurkhart@ This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: savannah morning news takes a barbecue road trip through coastal Georgia
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trader Joe's is Giving This Viral Chocolate Bar Its Own Spin and Shoppers 'Can't Wait' To Try It
I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but the Dubai Chocolate Bar is literally everywhere. If you're not familiar, the viral sensation that's been taking the internet and seemingly every grocery store on the planet by storm was first created by FIX Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai. The original bar features a creamy milk chocolate bar filled with luscious pistachio cream, tahini, and knafeh, a type of Middle Eastern shredded filo pastry. It's both rich and chocolatey with a subtle crunch from the toasted knafeh and ripe for viral fame. 😋😋🍳🍔 In this day and age, all it takes is one video to change the entire game, and that's exactly what happened. Now, everywhere you look, there's some version of the Dubai Chocolate Bar—whether it's shed its usual bar shape and found its way onto strawberries or been turned into a delectable Crumbl cookie. You can find recipes for Dubai Chocolate Cheesecake Bars and even tiramisu. Sure, it may not be the OG, but who cares when it all tastes so good?Luckily, if you haven't tried it for yourself just yet, now there may be one more place where you can find the viral sensation—your neighborhood friendly Trader Joe's. That's right, folks. According to the r/TraderJoes Reddit thread, Dubai Style Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bars are heading to a TJ's near you sooner than you think. These delectable-looking chocolate bars swap the usual milk chocolate for rich dark chocolate for a sophisticated twist on the icon of TikTok lore. Fun fact: Dark chocolate is often considered more sustainable than milk chocolate. The more you know! According to the rumor mill, these bars will retail for just $3.99, and naturally, fans couldn't contain their excitement. 'Can't wait to try this!!' exclaimed one person. 'Please tell me this isn't a joke,' said another. It is, in fact, not a joke. Looks like we might have another viral sensation on our hands with this one. View the to see embedded media.
Miami Herald
31-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Trader Joe's latest viral treat sold out in a day, here's when it's back
You've got to hand it to Trader Joe's. The grocery retailer knows how to launch new products and get us all to make a fuss about it. Most people shop at Trader Joe's because of their budget-friendly prices on everything from unique snacks and fresh flowers to staples like eggs and milk. But several times a year, Trader Joe's seems to hit it out of the park with new products, releasing items that people go crazy for. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Just this year, there was the mini canvas tote bag, which people literally lined up before dawn to get their hands on. The coveted bags were available for about one minute in special-edition pastel shades of blue, pink, purple, and green. The Cashel Blue Cheese Irish Potato Chips have been such a sensation that they earned the title of Trader Joe's #1 new product for the company's 16th Annual Customer Choice Awards. Then in the middle of May, Trader Joe's released a Dubai Chocolate Bar, and people lost their minds. I happen to live in a small-ish city, but we have four Trader Joe's locations here, and I called all of them, hoping to get my hands on the viral snack. No luck. Yes, Costco also has these chocolate bars, but sometimes going to Costco is just a whole thing. Image source: Elliott Cowand Jr/Shutterstock Originally crafted by Dubai-based Fix Dessert Chocolatier and popularized on TikTok in late 2023, the "Can't Get Knafeh of It" bar gained global attention for its unique combination of flavors and textures. So it's no wonder that when Trader Joe's "Dubai Style" pistachio cream and kataifi-filled treats hit the shelves on May 26, they were pretty much gone within a day. By the way, Kataifi is shredded phyllo dough that creates a crispy texture in a sweet cookie-like bar. Think of the Dubai-style dark chocolate bar as a super-elevated Twix. Related: Trader Joe's rivals could learn a lesson from the cult favorite company The Trader Joe's rendition, produced by Turkish chocolatier Patislove, offers a similar taste to the Fix Dessert Chocolatier goodie at a fraction of the cost, making it accessible to a wider audience, per usual for Trader Joe's. Of course, people who know and love Trader Joe's are loyal partly because of its commitment to low prices, and the Dubai chocolate bar was no exception. At just $3.99 for a 3.5-ounce bar, the Trader Joe's nibble was a bargain compared to Costco's Fiorella Dubai chocolate, which will cost $44.99 for three 7-oz. bars. The Fix Dessert Chocolatier version will set you back $150 plus shipping for a box of six. Trader Joe's uses the launch of new products like the Dubai Style chocolate bar as a sort of market test on the fly, giving customers the chance to vote with their wallets. If customers love a product enough that it sells out, and they ask for a restock, the company is likely to respond by bringing it back. Some products - including the Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips and the Step up to the Snack Bar Mix - get so popular that they become available year-round. The Dubai Style chocolate bar should be back in stock around June 10, according to my local Trader Joe's. And who knows, if enough customers clamor for it, it just might become a permanent item. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Home Bargains launches 'insane' new £1.25 Dubai-style treats
Shoppers were divided by the treat you can now get cheaper at Home Bargains than in other stores Home Bargains shoppers can get their hands on another tasty treat inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar. This new form could go perfectly alongside a cup of tea - and it costs just over £1. The discount shop posted on its official Instagram feed and urged fans of the viral treats to "run" as stores were stocking something else to satisfy sweet tooths. The clip showed the £1.25 Dubai Chocolate Cookies that should be available to buy in Home Bargains stores now (May 8). Home Bargains did hop on the Dubai-style trend with cake bars and bite-sized chocolates. Now, these milk chocolate biscuits with a creamy pistachio centre have become an option for shoppers. One said: "These look insane!" Another added: "Stop it now!" A third wrote: "Adding to shopping list!" Someone else posted: "[These are] 75p cheaper than Iceland!" The biscuits are also available at Iceland stores. The supermarket specialising in frozen foods started stocking the treats in April and are selling the biscuits for £2 a pack. However, not all shoppers were convinced by them. One claimed: "They're lovely but the pistachio taste is very weak!" Another added: "Iceland had these for weeks but unfortunately not nice!" A third wrote: "Doesn't taste of anything the chocolate isn't nice either!" What is 'Dubai Chocolate'? The original "Dubai Chocolate Bar" is actually called "Can't Get Knafeh Of It." This was created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier based in Dubai, UAE. Popularised on TikTok, this sweet treat is a blend of milk chocolate filled with a pistachio cream and crispy kataifi (shredded phyllo pastry) filling. It is said to be inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert knafeh, a traditional Arab dessert. The trend started in 2024 but exploded in populairty in recent momths and has led to a huge demand for recreations outside of the UAE. Some were quickly cleared from shop shelves - including Lindt, B&M and Lidl - as fans wanted to try a budget-friendly version of the viral chocolate. People have even tried making their own homemade versions. Lots of supermarkets like Asda, Tesco and Aldi have started stocking the all-important pistachio cream, which combines with readily available phyllo pastry for that crunchy texture.
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I tried M&S £8.50 pistachio chocolate bar - the luxe twist surprised me'
As the whole world raves about the viral Dubai chocolate - a pistachio-filled thick chocolate bar, Marks and Spencer has concoted their own version. With lots of different dupes of the Dubai chocolate bar around, M&S decided to take it up a level with their own version and named it the "Big Daddy 2.0". With Dubai chocolate being the number one trending hashtag for food and drink in the UK on TikTok, and pistachio having a moment online, with an 80% search increase, it's no surprise M&S have made their own bar. The original Big Daddy from M&S was a peanut-filled chocolate bar, but now the 2.0 is a revamped version, stuffed with pistachio creme and pistachio pieces. M&S shoppers 'queue outside stores' for £8.50 Dubai-style chocolate The original Dubai Chocolate Bar is actually called Can't Get Knafeh Of It. This was created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier based in Dubai, UAE. Popularised on TikTok, this sweet treat is a blend of milk chocolate filled with a pistachio cream and crispy kataifi (a shredded phyllo pastry) filling. It is said to be inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert knafeh, a traditional Arab dessert. The trend has led to a huge demand as recreations take shape outside of the UAE. Some have been spotted on shop shelves, including an option from Lindt, and choices in B&M, Home Bargains, Lidl, Aldi and Morrisons. People have even tried making their own homemade versions with the core ingredients. I am a huge pistachio lover, so I just knew I needed to get my hands on M&S brand new bar as soon as possible. With M&S's thick, signature creamy milk chocolate and gooey sweet and salty caramel, it was already a delight. But add a light and crunchy, subtly sweet biscuit crumb and the ultimate chunky, nutty pistachio layer - made with real roasted pistachios, pistachio crème and white chocolate - what's not to love? As soon as I opened the box - yes it comes in a box instead of a wrapper - I was amazed at how big it truly was. It's called the Big Daddy for a reason. It was thick and extremely dense, and for £8.50 a bar, it's exactly what you'd expect. I broke the bar in half and immediately, the caramel oozed out alongside some crumbles of pistachio, and I knew I was in for a real treat. Not knowing what to expect, the nutty taste of the pistachio was the first hit, along with the caramel and milk chocolate. It almost had a nougat taste to it, but I think that was from the chunks of pistachio as well as a touch of saltiness, which really complimented the sweet. The big chunks of pistachio gave the chocolate a nice texture as it wasn't all smooth. I was very surprised the pistachio wasn't over powering, and it's incredibly moreish, however you definitely can't eat a lot of it as it can get quite sickly quickly. My only gripe is that it's £8.50 a bar, which is pretty pricey for a chocolate bar and I don't think it's something you can just buy on a whim. It's also very dense and very sweet which could be off putting to some, but for me and my real sweet tooth it was absolutely perfect, and I can tell I am going to be buying a fair few more of these soon as I simply can't stop eating it.
