Weekend Cooking & Drinking Thread

[BeastMan]

It's the weekend again. I'll be in town this week so I might have more to participate than last week.

[BeardoMSU]

Tonight we ate crawfish at Rosey Baby's, and now I'm at home watching Goodfellas and drinking some Four Roses bourbon.

[Prediction? Pain.]

For dinner, a big ass hamburger from a hipster butcher shop that makes their own pickles and bacon and uses only local dry aged beef. Overpriced, but damn good.

I'm now drinking an old fashioned made out of Wild Turkey 101 of all things. (Not a fan of the stuff straight, and really just happened upon a bottle for no good reason. But, I must say, it makes for a solid old fashioned. That, or my low brow palate is helping me truck on through none the wiser.) Not sure I've got anything special planned for the weekend. Thought about smoking a turkey or doing something with some rainbow trout (there's a trout ranch the next county over, so it's about the only legitimately fresh fish I can buy in my landlocked Tennessee environs), but I may just, well, not.

[BeardoMSU]

For dinner, a big ass hamburger from a hipster butcher shop that makes their own pickles and bacon and uses only local dry aged beef. Overpriced, but damn good.

I'm now drinking an old fashioned made out of Wild Turkey 101 of all things. (Not a fan of the stuff straight, and really just happened upon a bottle for no good reason. But, I must say, it makes for a solid old fashioned. That, or my low brow palate is helping me truck on through none the wiser.) Not sure I've got anything special planned for the weekend. Thought about smoking a turkey or doing something with some rainbow trout (there's a trout ranch the next county over, so it's about the only legitimately fresh fish I can buy in my landlocked Tennessee environs), but I may just, well, not.

Man, 101 is actually not a bad whiskey for the price. I actually quite like the WT rye. There are several good bourbons for under $25. Buffalo Trace is one of them, and it's only like #19. They also make the Pappy's and Blantons.

[Prediction? Pain.]

Man, 101 is actually not a bad whiskey for the price. I actually quite like the WT rye. There are several good bourbons for under $25. Buffalo Trace is one of them, and it's only like #19. They also make the Pappy's and Blantons.

I'm with you on the number of quality sub-$25 whiskies. My most frequent go-to drinks are in that range -- Dickel, Larceny, and EW Single Barrel (though that's up to $30 where I live, it's between $20 and $25 many other places). I gave the WT 101 a go straight a few times before using it solely in cocktails. I didn't recoil at the stuff or anything. It just wasn't quite what I'd want for my normal drink on the rocks.

[BeardoMSU]

I'm with you on the number of quality sub-$25 whiskies. My most frequent go-to drinks are in that range -- Dickel, Larceny, and EW Single Barrel (though that's up to $30 where I live, it's between $20 and $25 many other places). I gave the WT 101 a go straight a few times before using it solely in cocktails. I didn't recoil at the stuff or anything. It just wasn't quite what I'd want for my normal drink on the rocks.

I like Dickel, for sure. Yeah, I hear you on the 101, it is a little brash; not bad with a couple rocks though. Something I tried recently was the Grandad's 100 proof 'bonded'...It's like $21, but damn good.

It's funny, though. This whole "affordable whiskey" thing is sort of a new concept to me, since I've been drinking Scotch for so long. I still love scotch, obviously, but with my favorite variety, Isla, it's pretty much impossible to get a decent bottle for less than 50 or 60 bucks...not so with bourbon.

[BeastMan]

Tonight we ate crawfish at Rosey Baby's, and now I'm at home watching Goodfellas and drinking some Four Roses bourbon.

How is Rosey Baby since it reopened? I had heard horror stories toward the end but there is no reason that location shouldn't be a solid dining option in Starkville.

[BeardoMSU]

How is Rosey Baby since it reopened? I had heard horror stories toward the end but there is no reason that location shouldn't be a solid dining option in Starkville.

It's still hit or miss. The service, for the most part, is still terrible. The positive, though, is on the weekends they have very cheap beer. On Friday nights they have the "house beer" for $4 a pitcher, and it's usually a premium; last night it was Southern Pecan.

Crawfish is good when it's good, lol. I make a point to tell my server that we want our crawfish fresh and piping hot when it comes to the table (which seems ridiculous to have to say at a restaurant, but it's necessary...). It was good last night, because it was fresh and hot. We've been before and had to send them back because they were basically room temp when they brought them out; won't fly.

Rosey Baby's is really a conundrum of a restaurant. It has a pretty good ambiance, cheap beer, and somewhat decent food (when its done well) thats affordable in a college town. Yet last night, it was mostly empty. That place could be a mad house if it was run correctly. It's just the inconsistencies that bring it down. It seems the owner got into the restaurant business without knowing anything about how to run a restaurant. He should really hire a consultant and fix some of their issues. There is a lot of potential in that place, IMO.

[BeastMan]

It's still hit or miss. The service, for the most part, is still terrible. The positive, though, is on the weekends they have very cheap beer. On Friday nights they have the "house beer" for $4 a pitcher, and it's usually a premium; last night it was Southern Pecan.

Crawfish is good when it's good, lol. I make a point to tell my server that we want our crawfish fresh and piping hot when it comes to the table (which seems ridiculous to have to say at a restaurant, but it's necessary...). It was good last night, because it was fresh and hot. We've been before and had to send them back because they were basically room temp when they brought them out; won't fly.

Rosey Baby's is really a conundrum of a restaurant. It has a pretty good ambiance, cheap beer, and somewhat decent food (when its done well) thats affordable in a college town. Yet last night, it was mostly empty. That place could be a mad house if it was run correctly. It's just the inconsistencies that bring it down. It seems the owner got into the restaurant business without knowing anything about how to run a restaurant. He should really hire a consultant and fix some of their issues. There is a lot of potential in that place, IMO.

I think their issue is the guy that owns it has numerous other huge money makers in Starkville. The location itself is good but the back of the house is an absolute nightmare as far as someone buying it from him. I think the current owner is just sitting on it waiting on the right offer honestly. I'm sure as long if he breaks even or even slightly less than break even he might get some kind of tax break to keep it so it just kinda it what it is (I'm totally speculating on that comment). If I had a shit ton of money to buy the location and redo the kitchen, I'd bet my life I could make that place hop.

[BrunswickDawg]

Spent the day working on transitioning my wife's business books from being her job to being my job. Getting a crash course in Quickbooks is not my ideal way to spend a Saturday - but at least I have time to pay the bills and make sure she gets paid. She doesn't.

My reward was a 1/2 rack and some pulled pork with okra and fried green beans from Southern Soul washed down with Abita Amber.

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/BrunswickDawg/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps2kferwyu.jpeg (http://s356.photobucket.com/user/BrunswickDawg/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps2kferwyu.jpeg.html)

[BeastMan]

Beautiful dish as usual Brunswick

[BeastMan]

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc473/stoms31/Mobile%20Uploads/48B3F52F-FE03-45CE-AA1B-3883D828A959_zpsnerlnjac.jpg

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc473/stoms31/Mobile%20Uploads/24D20421-C81D-4020-B202-6A636ECA67E3_zpsluweyipi.jpg

First pic is a sirloin and ribeye by the beef line I've been using professionally the last year (Halpern's). Really like it. Check out the marbling, especially the sirloin. For dinner we did steaks with grilled baby bellas, mashed baked sweet tater, and salad. Simple but a winner.

[BeastMan]

Wife & 2 dogs are asleep on the sectional and I just resumed the godfather biopic I started the other day. Oh ya, just poured a single barrel dickel on ice

[SpeckleDawg]

Oskar Blues IPA and putting together 5 outdoor cieling fans. Trying to delay actually hanging them.