Erika Victor, Jill Jobe, Adam Murray, Katy Jo Nickelson, Madalynn Kainer, Marc Vogelsang, Taylor Rowland, and Spencer Tindel at The Woodlands BBQ Festival
The Texas Barbecue program at Texas A&M University was honored to be asked to participate in The Woodlands BBQ Festival on Sunday, September 25, 2016. Faculty members Davey Griffin, Ray Riley, and Jeff Savell along with grad students, Katy Jo Nickelson, Adam Murray, Jill Jobe, and Spencer Tindel, and seniors, Erika Victor, Marc Vogelsang, Madalynn Kainer, and Taylor Rowland traveled to the festival to make new and renew old acquaintances with the folks in the Texas barbecue business, and to visit and share knowledge with the participants at the festival.
This is the first year for The Woodlands BBQ Festival, which benefited the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. The festival was a community partnership between Stibbs & Co., P.C., the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, and The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. Congratulations to Stuart Lapp and Jack Stibbs for their hard work in getting the festival organized. Thanks also go to Chris Reid and Michael Fulmer, organizers of the Houston BBQ Festival, for their help and encouragement for this festival and their desire to showcase the great barbecue that is in and around the Houston metropolitan area.
Visiting with pitmasters
We enjoy the opportunity to visit with the pitmasters at every festival we participate in. Our goal is to get there early enough to go by and introduce ourselves to those we do not know and to say high to those we do. We will be hosting the Texas Barbecue Town Hall meeting on Monday, December 12, 2016, and we invited each of the companies represented at the festival to come to campus to attend.
Ronnie Webber, TinRoof BBQ with Ray Riley and Davey Griffin
Jeff Savell and Russell Roegels, Roegels Barbecue (photo by Madalynn Kainer)
Ray Riley visiting with Ryan Zboril, Pitts and Spitts
Ray Riley and Davey Griffin visiting with Russell Roegels, Michael Fulmer, and John Brotherton
Jeff Savell visiting with Sherice Garner, Southern Q BBQ and Catering (photo by Madalynn Kainer)
The Midtown Barbeque folks
Jeff Savell listening to stories from Bryan Bracewell, Southside Market & Barbeque
Sampling great barbecue
Of course, the major benefit of going to the barbecue festivals is to sample the great barbecue and side dishes that each of the vendors has to share. At each event, we try to pace ourselves, but it never works! Everyone does such a great job of bringing the best at what they do, and we are never disappointed that we have sampled so much great food in a short time without having to travel around for hours or days to do so.
Davey Griffin taking photos of great barbecue by Midtown Barbeque
Beautiful brisket (photo by Madalynn Kainer)
Boudin (photo by Madalynn Kainer)
Beautiful brisket by Spring Creek BBQ
Answering questions about barbecue
The organizers provided us a Texas A&M University tailgate tent so we were in heaven. We had many people come by to talk to us about the Texas Barbecue program: ANSC 117, Texas Barbecue, Barbecue Summer Camp, and Camp Brisket. Some knew about these programs, but most did not so it was good to share what we do and why we were at the festival if we were not serving barbecue to everyone.
Davey Griffin answering barbecue questions (photo by Madalynn Kainer)
Katy Jo and Spencer talking to participants
The organizers told us that their will be another The Woodlands BBQ Festival next year and to come back and participate in it. We love the opportunity to visit with people, eat great food, and help support worthy efforts such as the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. We hope that we see everyone in The Woodlands next year.
