You may have noticed a new menu item at the left – Food Tour. We’ve started a new area here to post food related articles, reviews & research. We’re not calling it a “food blog” because we’re not really getting that “bloggy” with it. More like a notebook to collect ideas & notes we have from our various BBQ & food explorations.

If you have any suggestions or thought, drop us a line via the Food Tour Contact area.

As some of you may know – I am not a big rib fan. I know I have to make them because we’re a Q joint, but when it comes down to it I wish I didn’t. I have spent several years working on my rib technique & many of you have had great things to say about the ribs we serve. I thank you for that.

Lately – though – I have not been tremendously happy with the way my ribs have been turning out. It might just be me being obsessive. Or perhaps the change in weather has affected some of the cooking technique.

In any case, today begins Rib Quest: Tweaking the Cha Cha Hut Rib Technique. I promise no radical changes – same dry rub & no sticky ribs – but some behind the scenes cooking tweaks that hopefully will result in better ribs (& possibly an earlier Rib O’Clock).

If you drop by & get ribs during Rib Quest, I would greatly appreciate an honest critical review of the new rib results. I promise you will not hurt my feelings. I’m a cook – not a chef. I need feedback – good or bad – in order to make the best possible food I can.

For those among you who are BBQ geeks: Smoker @ 235. Ribs bone down for 3 hours. Double foil wrapped dry with meat down for 1/2 hour. Unwrapped, placed bone down back in smoker & finished for 2 hours. Better but thinking of returning to 3-1-1 but running the wrap dry.

With summer fast approaching, we’re getting into ice cream making mode. We’re looking for folks interested in being taste testers. Some of the flavors are a tad unusual. Drop by the Hut to get a taste of what we’re working on. Honest critical opinions only.

The end of last week was quite a busy one.

FRIDAY
We delivered the site plans and permit application to the New York State Department of Health. (That’s a slice of the plan above…) We now have a couple weeks wait while the DOH review the plans.

SATURDAY
It was a trip to New Jersey for research. First off, dropped by Bourbon BBQ in Wyckoff, NJ for lunch and to get some ideas for the Hut. Same concept we are setting up: order here – pick up there, no plates/glasses just paper cups and baskets lined with wax paper. I had the brisket sandwich with a side of beans and slaw. Cherie went with the pulled pork and mac & cheese. Everything was pretty good (a little dry but good). The sides were a little bland, but certainly fine for what they were. Only one house sauce – a nice spicy sweet tomato based one. I picked up a pint of their rib rub because it was packages in a Chinese takeout box. Thinking I might “borrow” that idea for the Cha Cha Hut rubs.

Next up: IKEA. Probably the best – and least expensive – way to get the counters and furniture we need. Of course, going on a Saturday may not have been the wisest choice, but we did find everything we need to furnish the Hut. Once we have the DOH approval on our plan, we’ll be renting a truck and making a return trip to purchase – though we’ll be making that trip on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

SUNDAY
Our landlords are a group of folks who own several properties along Bridge Street. We had not met half of the partners until Sunday and they wanted to discuss our cook house. The meeting went great – much discussion of BBQ and our plans for the space. In the end, they gave us the go ahead to start the build on the cook house. We’re hoping to have the poles in this week and a completed smokehouse around Thanksgiving.

So now it is a waiting game. Waiting for the DOH to give it’s approval to our plan. Waiting for the cook house to be built. Waiting to see if we can find more funding. We’re finishing up the menu (keep tweaking the selection/pricing), shopping around for signage and continuing work on our recipes.