If you’re an out-of-town visitor flying into Columbia, your introduction to South Carolina barbecue is likely to come just a bit beyond the airport, where there stands a neon sign topped by a giant, smiling swine. This marks Maurice’s Piggy Park, the flagship restaurant of Maurice Bessinger, the self-proclaimed king of South Carolina barbecue. No one mixes sauce and politics more controversially than Maurice—a first-name figure in South Carolina, where he once ran for governor, literally riding atop a white horse.
Gates open at 11 a.m. and admission is free; however, after the double-blind judging, tickets to sample all participants’ entries are available for purchase, with all proceeds benefiting Step Up for Soldiers. Tickets will be sold in $5 blocks, meaning folks can taste five samples for basically a buck each. Also, there will be wine, beer and soft drinks available, in addition to oysters and chowder thanks to Michael’s Seafood. Entertainment will be provided by Wilmington’s very own Dog’s Ave, who will play a unique mix of rock, reggae, grunge, blues and classic covers among their own original tracks.
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Headlining a high-energy show will be Machine Gun, with a medley of covers from the ‘70s and ‘80s. DJ “Lil Mike,” Mike Worley, of Edge Entertainment, will also be spinning a wide variety of tunes throughout the day, in addition to keeping everyone up to date with what’s going on. There will be raffles to enter and local arts and crafts vendors to check out.
Several weeks later, I felt the need of a January party to bolster winter spirits, so I hosted a cooking party for those who participated in the Biltmore tour. The goal was to have a reunion of new friends, to relax in an informal setting and just to have fun. To accomplish that, I made a plan: We would gather in the kitchen and cook a few authentic North Carolina recipes, sit down and enjoy the meal together, catch up on the latest happenings and relive our memories of a fabulous trip.
As the group gathered, we sampled Cumberland Plateau Dip, a regional recipe, while enjoying a glass of wine. To make the party easy and fun, I gave a short synopsis of the recipes, and jobs were assigned. One group finished the pulled pork and made a great Carolina barbecue sauce. Another small group made the Biltmore Slaw, and still another made the Stable Potato Salad — both are Biltmore restaurant specialties. And, for the grand finale, I had arranged for the famous Biltmore Vanilla Ice Cream to be shipped in for the occasion. It brought broad smiles on the faces of my guests, as many had enjoyed it there.