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Kevin Gillespie is easily one of the most talked about culinarians in Atlanta.  His showing on Top Chef is a big reason why droves of people now lineup at Woodfire Grill to sample his cuisine.  Meanwhile, his delicious grub keeps people coming back for more.  He’s so popular that I get a near daily report of a Kevin-sighting (the latest being at my beloved Gato Bizco – thanks Lilly!).

Yes, it’s true … people can’t get enough of Kevin.  In fact, exactly one-month prior to this posting, Jennifer Brett interviewed KG on her AJC blog.   In that postification of insights, innuendos, and implications, Kevin confirmed what many in the foodie circles had already heard: he’s hell bent on opening a barbecue inspired restaurant.  As these things tend to go, information has oozed out like jelly from your favorite doughnut.

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I feel like I should preemptively duck for this one.  Community Q, a Decatur meat emporium, is the result of a Triforcean partnership between David Roberts, Jim Laber, and Stuart Baesel.  Backed by Roberts’ foundation at Sam and Dave’s, the trio has set out to save Atlanta from the clutches of the evil Ganon and his barbecue minions.

Not surprisingly, the amount of love doled out on Community Q has been nothing short of intense and swift.  The Geek chimed in (several times in fact), Top Chef did it, and the carnivorously anxious gang at Creative Loafing also made a trip out.  Speckled in between these notations were riblets from the young, the restless, and the truly irascible.  In between all this hustle and bustle, I, joined by a duo of foodies, managed to sneak my way in to dine on some swine.

After seeing what S&D has put out for the past few years, I’d say CQ is playing in that pigpen.  Though people often dismiss me as a curmudgeon, I wasn’t the only one at the table to walk away less than blown away.  This was advertised as something transcendent … alas, it was not.  While one of the better barbecues in Atlanta, there is still a long way to go.  Though I will most certainly be back, this meal did little to make me feel like a drive beyond Daddy D’s or Fox Bros is necessary.

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As time goes by, I am presented with the opportunity to head back to some of the restaurants I’ve already chatted up.  Since my initial visit to DBA Barbecue, there have been a number of changes.  Doug Morgan has moved on, and in his place, we have Drew Kirkland.  Kirkland, who was previously stationed at The Albert, spent four years under celebrity chef Kevin Rathbun.  According to Matt Coggin, one of the three owners, Kirkland has brought with him a Lang Smoker.  I’m not sure if that’s a big selling point or not – my knowledge of smoker producers is definitively lacking.

After a fairly lackluster blind date, I was hopping to see an improvement from the restaurant.  Unfortunately, the food seems lost in the doldrums of barbecue mediocrity.  Given the high price point and the extended opportunity to fix the problems, I would say this return visit was far more disappointing than the first.

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This news is actually a bit outdated, but it’s still worth a mention.  Chef Jay Clark, who previously served as the Executive Chef at The Bureau, has found a home at Fox Bros Barbecue in L5P.  This news brought on a “Well how bout that” moment.  The move is a distinct departure for Clark as his previous stints include time at NYC’s Babbo and some of Shaun Doty’s restaurants.

Regardless, it seems like a needed move from Fox Bros, as their food has always been highly inconsistent.  In fact, it’s that inconsistency that was the main culprit in the review a few months back.  All that aside, with the Bureau now a thing of the past, it’s nice to see Clark resurface.

Osage Farms, located on Hwy 441 North in Rabun Gap, is just one of a handful of local farms that call Rabun County home.  While I haven’t visited any one of those other spots, I imagine that Osage is one of the better options for fresh produce in the entire state of GA, let alone Rabun Gap.

Roughly a month ago, the AJC asked everyone to identify the best place to get produce in and around Atlanta.  The resulting lists contained all of the usual suspects.  The DeKalb Farmers’ Market and the Peachtree Road Farmers’ Market showed up on both top 5s, while the Morningside Farmers’ Market showed up on the staff section.  Meanwhile, two or three people chimed in regarding this highway side farm some two-hours drive from the heart of Atlanta.

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Last week, I posted some thoughts on Rolling Bones BBQ.  Ultimately, I said that I found the new iteration of this downtown joint to be heavy on potential and thin on delivery.  In a bit of surprise, owner/chef Todd Richards himself showed up to share his thoughts on my post.

As I’m not sure people will be as likely to find his words in the comment section of the post, I thought I’d throw them up here.  So with that, take a gander at what Richards said this past Tuesday:

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Hope ya’ll had a pleasant weekend. I know I did.  As you might expect, the past few days have left me worn down and fried.  So, rather than pen a full review, first impression, or the like, I have decided to hit ya’ll up with some quick notes about some recent goings-on in the ATL.

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Creative Loafing ran a little bit on a recent article in Bon Appétit.  BA decided to get in on the barbecue debate by naming the America’s ten best NEW barbecue places.  The mention on CL motivated me to revisit my thoughts on the list that was released earlier this month.

Top 10 lists are really hard to do, especially when your sample size is the entire US of A.  Heck, it’s hard enough to name the top 10 in any given city, let alone, the country.  But still … they could have done better.  Is it any surprise to you that I find the list a debacle for several reasons?  Keep in mind, I’ve only hit 3 of these spots, but those trips have told me all I need to know.

First, the list is supposed to discuss new restaurants.  Granted, there isn’t a hard definition for a “new restaurant,” but Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge is anything but.  It’s a gourmet spot that has long been in my Boston rotation.  While I can’t tell you how long they’ve been open, I do know that I’ve had barbecue there as early as 2005.  Same can be said for my beloved Zingerman’s Roadhouse (website).

Second, there’s a difference between a BBQ restaurant and a place that serves barbecue (both of the aforementioned are the latter).

Third, Rolling Bones BBQ is now under new management.  I posted on it earlier today, but I just want to clarify.  I am surprised that it was identified as one of the best in its former incarnation.

I guess the moral of the story is “Be careful what you read.”  You never know how qualified the person behind the list is! (wink) Meanwhile, if you are ever in Cambridge – you must stop in at Formaggio.  Regardless of where you live, YOU MUST try Zingerman’s (via mail order if need be).

The area of downtown surrounding Edgewood Ave doesn’t get a lot of love.  For the most part, it is pretty dingy and it’s definitely not the safest of places.  Still, the ‘hood does have some life, and Rolling Bones Barbecue has long been part of the reason to venture down there.

The converted gas station has one of the most identifiable looks of any Atlanta grub hub.  However, recent events took a toll on business at the barbecue joint.  Enter chef Todd Richards, who, backed by his own LushLifeGroup, acquired the business some months ago.  Earlier this month, Richards began to implement some changes; not surprisingly, I was there soon after.  A couple of trips in and I think I have a good idea of what’s going on.

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A couple of weeks ago, I hit up DBA Barbecue and then waxed poetic.  Today, Cliff Bostock did his civic duty over on Omnivore, his blog at Creative Loafing.  Checkout what Cliff had to say.  I think the two of us were sharing a brain on this one.  Amongst other good information, Bostock laments dry meat at DBA; that Fox Bros. is good but completely in consistent; and, that the best stuff at DBA has little to do with barbecue.

As a quick aside, there seems to be some concern over the lack of “smoking” done onsite.  These reasonable concerns were explained to me.  Supposedly, DBA can’t go outside with the smoker because of neighborhood zoning issues.  Meanwhile, Mr. Fire Marshall has some concerns about inside.  All I got to say to that excuse explanation is: come on now … that seems like information that was relevant and available BEFORE you signed the lease.