BubbleRapt Blog Launch : BBQ Freaks & Coffee Geeks (A Spicy sweet Love Story)
Redwood’s Smoked Brisket and our Cold Brew: it’s a match made in Heaven. We recently served up a special edition brew at Red’s 4th Anniversary bash.
The Bubblrapt Blog launch is about the people we affectionately refer to as BBQ freaks and coffee geeks.
You know these people. They’re OUR people. We’ll plan a trip across town or cross-country, or wait in line for hours for a fix, be it a particular espresso roast or rack of ribs.
Food photographer and visual storyteller Jon Carolino put Redwood Smoke Shack on our radar.
But first, a fun story.
I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill. My very first memory when I arrived on campus was a crowd gathered around a large object roasting on a spit.
Here’s the thing, I’m a New York Jewish girl who thought bacon came from the fridge. When I realized they were roasting an actual pig, I ran back to my dorm in tears and heels, gagging on the smell of smoke and vinegar sauce.
Funny enough, I graduated and married a southern boy who is obsessed with ribs, pulled pork and brisket. Last month, I surprised Wayne by shedding my BBQ PTSD and took him for a pre-anniversary treat to Redwood Smoke Shack. He wasn’t the only one blown away by the ridiculously tender brisket.
That trip to Redwood Smoke got me thinking. People are funny about their coffee and their BBQ. By funny we mean quirky, crazy, possessed and obsessed.
Coffee geeks: we love playing the field. Costa Rica. Ethiopia. Hawaii. Brazil. We know the value of every person on the supply chain. We preach about third wave coffee, terroir, triple-filtrated water, and thoughtfully sourced beans. Why do you think Wayne loves his Everpure Water Filtration System and we’re both obsessed with our roasters?!!
We know our options: Light or dark roast. Arabica or Robusta. Drip, press, pour over. The rainbow of sugar packets and syrup choices.
And milk? Don’t even get me started.
BBQ Freaks: we’re just as snobby as coffee geeks, but we’re crazy specific about it. Don’t mess with Texas is no joke; you best pick a region and style. Be it Texas (like Redwood). Carolina. Memphis or Kansas City. From there, we have more options.
Dry-rubbed brisket, sticky-sweet BBQ ribs, pulled pork or chicken. Burnt Ends. Pork Belly or other special cuts. With slaw, a bun or straight up. And the sides. Like beans, cornbread, greens, mac & cheese, buttery seasoned corn on the cob. So many sides.
And the sauce? I can’t even.
As a recent BBQ convert myself, I managed to work the words “Redwood Smoke Shack” and “brisket” into about every 4th sentence since that day. Now, my neighbor, a proud Texas BBQ snob, makes a weekly pit stop for take-out on her way home from ODU.
We knew a bit about this kind of food obsession back when we started Roast Rider 10 years ago. We’d spent a lot of time foraging around the country, hosting parties and feeding people while living a very corporate life. We knew so little about the coffee business back then, but here’s what we knew going in:
Wayne had a refined palette for coffee (and wine, but that’s another story).
Virginia Beach had a specialty coffee void.
I had a knack for creating unique spaces, vibes & local partnerships.
Our personalities were built to build teams that feel safe, secure and free to create.
And so our story began.
And your stories: some are just now brewing. Others are smoking hot obsessions.
A few words from some of our favorite freaks and geeks.
What’s the geekiest thing you’ve done to elevate your coffee experience?
AeroPress & travel kettle system of Jason, true coffee geek x2
I spent over $150 building a custom travel coffee kit that I've brought with me on every trip, including a recent vacation to Spain, where I made Aeropress for a bunch of people in the dining area so I didn't have to drink the hotel's mediocre coffee.
I also lug multiple gallons of distilled water to my apartment weekly so I can use "special water" (Third Wave Water mineral packets) to level up my home coffee. Even NYC tap water isn't good enough.
- Jason Leibowitz. senior software engineer
I talked my wife Lisa, who doesn’t drink coffee, into helping me open a coffee shop – at age fifty. With no retail experience between us.
- Wayne Richmon, founder of Roast Rider
When camping with my family, I haul out a power supply for a small coffee maker. I’m not great with an open fire OR without my morning coffee. I also went behind the scenes at a local roaster to hear how small batching works, why they do it, and to learn about flavors from different regions of the world.
- Stephanie Fowler, lifestyle stylist/strategist
When I go out in the woods and build a little fire. Grind my beans, use the Moka pot and froth the milk. Anticipation builds as I wait to hear the sound and smell of coffee brewed in the wild. Then drink it out of my favorite cup. All these details, the process, the work, it is all joy and makes the cup so much better. I believe that food and drink always taste better outside.
- Matt Starcher, Adventure Chef
I built an automatic pump system to refill our K-Cup machine water reservoir from a jug of filtered water.
- Johann Klemmack, Chief Information Officer
I made my own cold brew. I brewed coffee and filtered it in a mason jar. I consider that a lot of effort!
- Erin Miller, graphic designer
When we’re camping, I grind beans by hand for my campfire Moka pot.
- Jon Carolino, visual storyteller/photographer
What’s the craziest thing you’ve done for a BBQ fix?
I’d have to say it was the time I went to Tom’s Place in Boca Raton two days before my mother- in-law’s funeral. For years, Lisa and I would visit her parents in Florida. Her father and I loved Tom’s Place. We went multiple times every visit and always waited hours in line while Lisa complained! Her mother shipped their coveted BBQ sauce to me in Virginia for over a decade! I know how bad this sounds but when she passed away, we flew down to Florida for the funeral. That same night I took my father and brother-in-law to Tom’s for dinner.
- Wayne Richmon, Roast Rider Co-founder
My tax returns of 2016 bought me my first larger smoker. And then I told Lindsey, “I have to go and buy a lot of food.” And she’s like, “Well what are we going to do with it all?” And I’m like, “Well, I guess we’ll just sell BBQ at the end of our driveway to our neighbors.” We set up on a Sunday and sold out in 2 1/2 hours. The next weekend, we smoked double the amount of food and sold out in half the time.
- Bob Roberts, Redwood Smoke Shack Owner and Pitmaster
I woke up at 4 am to smoke a pork butt for 14 hours. Also waited in line for over an hour at Redwood for brisket. Now I don’t really make BBQ at home anymore. I go to Redwood and just handle the eating and photography part.
- Jon Carolino, visual storyteller/photographer
Went cross country and planned all the stops to coincide with the best BBQ restaurants I could find.
- DJ Lopes, pilot
They’re no longer in business, but I travelled 900 miles (and would scour the end of the earth) to eat Jerry’s Old Town baby back ribs, potato skins and French Onion soup. There is no distance that’s too much for me.
- David Amos. VA physician
Went all over town to collect the best BBQ in Alabama from three different places. Ribs from one, pulled pork from another, and wings from a third. We had meat for days!
- Kris Irwin, ODU professor
We’d love to hear from you! Comments, your own stories, or ideas for new Bubblrapt articles are welcome. Just fill out the form below.