How it began...

A long time ago, in a city, far far away...

Well not really.

I married a Texan. She took me to Texas. I discovered BBQ. Real BBQ. Not the chain restaurant BBQ, but good old-fashioned, cooked with smoke, BBQ.

Then I came home. I found Seattle lacks in real BBQ. There are a few places. The best ones seem to do, in my opinion, one meat right. Either their ribs are good, but the brisket is bad, or the brisket is amazing, but the ribs are horrible. Don't ask about the chicken. One even warms up your food in a microwave. I have tried Several. I was let down by everyone of them at one point or another.

So I bought a smoker. A big, heavy, black steel, smoke spouting offset smoker. I spent a summer learning the ropes on that thing. I smelled like smoke for a summer. But then I had some kids. Time got away. My love for BBQ stayed the same, and much to the disappointment of my neighbors, the smoker stayed under wraps.

But a month ago, a strange thing happened. I smelled smoke. Hickory to be exact. I wandered down the street like Yogi Bear looking for the source. I found a neighbor had bought an offset smoker, just a bit different than mine. My blood began to pump. I got excited about making BBQ again. And so it began...
My quest for a new pit. Much to the dismay of my wife, but to the delight of my neighbors...

So began the research. I crawled the Internet, looking at every type of grill. I joined every forum, asked every question. I drove my wife crazy. I drove my friends crazy. I drove myself crazy. In the end it came down to the ceramics. Ceramic grills are just that, ceramic. It retains moisture, and more importantly, heat.

And even that took weeks of painful research. Big Green Egg. Primo. Grill Dome. The big 3. Each one a great piece of equipment. each one a little different. Egg has all the accessories, is readily available, and lifetime warranty. Primo is bigger, different shape, and smaller dealer network. Grill dome is painted better, has thicker ceramics, uses stainless steel, and is unheard of. Each has a rabid fan base. Each is loved by those who use it.

In the end it was a cost factor, or I should say a cost savings factor. I ended up getting an Egg. I chose it because it was at a liquidators and about 25-30% cheaper than retail, which is a big deal with an egg. They never go on sale. Ever. So I sold a few of my possessions and drove to another city and made a deal.
So this the journey. I hope you enjoy it. I sure am.