Barbecue, Inventing Cleveland Style

It is in this Ohioan-at-heart's humble opinion that the American South has perfected the art of divine, mouth-barbecue within these borders (to be sure, Brazilian Barbecue is another beast entirely).  Never having been to the Deep South to experience Southern or Texas barbecue in its native environment, I can only reference dinner at Baby Blues BBQ in Philadelphia, PA and a trip I took to North Carolina last year.  My best and most concise way to describe the food with words: good for the soul, deadly for the arteries.

So it is no wonder that some of the most publicized barbecue shops in Ohio tout their Southern style prepared meat.  The Midwest has its own style too (in my opinion, a tamer version of Southern barbecue), but one intrepid soul means to redefine barbecue in his (and my) hometown.  And I cannot wait.  This Fall, Iron Chef and Cleveland native Michael Symon will open up Mabel's BBQ in downtown.  Using locally produced meat, regional wood from fruit and oak trees, and creating in-house sauces from tried and true Cleveland ingredients, Symon hopes to reinvent barbecue with long-term aspirations of driving the creation of Cleveland style barbecue.

For this foodie who is also a staunch hometown and home state supporter, Symon's endeavor promises potentially fantastic adventure(s).