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Michael D Housewright
  • Housewrighter
  • Imagery
  • Video Production
  • About Michael
  • Contact
  • Housewrighter Musings

Franklin BBQ - Finally

The Ribs Exceeded Our Lofty Expectations

At long last I made it to the famous Franklin Barbecue today. My very good friend @theleftoverchef had told me that the line was ridiculous and that the food was equal to the painful task of waiting. For those of you who don't know the good Dr. he is without question the most discerning eater I have ever known and his recommendation for a food joint is not something to take lightly.

Myself being an enormous fan of Texas Hill Country BBQ (especially brisket) cooked over a hot oak fire I had been excited about Franklin since they opened the trailer 2+ years ago. Why had I not already eaten there, you may ask. Because, I don't do lines. Simple as that, I just do not wait in line for anything. I will drive 15+ extra minutes through city streets to avoid lines of cars on the highway. I will go for sushi at 5pm sharp to be the first in the door at the bar, and you can bet your sweet ass I never go to any film on premier night. Nightclubs, not a chance, ice cream on a warm spring day, I get it from the grocer.

All of this being said, Franklin had been touted as freakin' Mecca for cue heads and while I am not some bowling shirt-clad Guy Fieri douche boy getting my primal man versus food fix, I am quite the fan of salty meat and fat interplay with a heaping helping of carcinogen crust. I knew after 6 months away from Texas I needed to bite the bullet and endure the line on this cloudless 72 degree day in Austin.

Juliet and I met another of our meat-loving friends and we chatted up the full 1 hour and 35 minutes before we got to the counter to order. $83 worth of brisket, ribs, sausage, sides, and pies were shortly on some pre-greased butcher paper and staring us in the face. $83 damn dollars for cue stung like a full jigger of Sex Panther stings the nostrils, but just like everyone else in the joint we were smiling as we paid and damn near high by the time we left. This is serious stuff and while the sides were actually pretty weak compared to some other local producers, the meat was exceptional across the board.

Of course, eating this kind of weight in salty meat makes one dry up and bloated like a lifetime member of Weight Watchers and Franklin would really do themselves and their clients a favor if they added a toilet  or two with a high flush capacity. People are not going numero uno here friends.

At the end of the day the line was actually kind of fun and filled with chatty expectations for a meat feast like nothing else in the city. I for one still prefer the overall charm of Lockhart, TX and the drive to get the cue there is a Texas right of passage. For the city of Austin though, Franklin now gives Austin the clear crown of best large BBQ city in Texas and makes the Hill Country hands down the top BBQ region in America for Brisket.

I will leave this with photos of what we loved and while I still miss a $6.99 3 meat plate at Bubba's in Ennis, TX.  I can see where the allure lies in paying heavy shekels for this kind of rare experience.

My strong advice is to skip breakfast, take a Zegerid, and get in line about 10:45 AM on a cool morning. I think a party of 4 is about the right size to sample everything and to walk away completely gorged like a Brazillian competitive eater at a Churrascaria.

I will likely be back someday here in the Big A, but I will not be ending my drives to Lockhart as the confident owner of Franklin's suggested I would do after trying his cue.

tags: @blissadventure, @theleftoverchef, adventure, Bubba’s BBQ, Ennis, food porn, Franklin Barbecue, Juliet Housewright, Michael Housewright, Texas, the blissful adventurer, Tx
Friday 01.06.12
Posted by Sarah Finger
 

Photographer, Chef, Winemaker, and Friend

No, I am not talking about myself (this time). I am referring to a renaissance man and one of my very best friends Loren J Root. I met Loren on my first day of a new job in San Francisco in 2004. I noticed Loren immediately as he was in strikingly good shape, seemed confident and calm (traits I did not possess at all at the time), and his shoes were much cooler than  anything I would have seen in Austin only a week earlier. What I did not know about Loren at the time and have come to learn over the years is that the man is incredibly talented and one of the fastest learners I have ever met.

In our 7 years of friendship we have counted (and tasted) some of the finest bottles of wine on earth, traveled all over the USA in search of great food and great company, and even both sat in a Fiat 500 just outside of Panzano in Chianti laughing at the lack of space while still enjoying the great fortune of hanging out in Italia; even if Katy Perry never stopped playing on the radio.

Loren and I have worked together on numerous projects and at times he was cussed out by his boss and at times I cussed out mine. In 2005 Loren hosted Thanksgiving dinner at his home in SF and it was simply one of the most fun holidays I have ever had. Never will there be another rendition of Country boy can Survive quite like that one and I look forward to our meals and time in the kitchen as much as any social gatherings in my life.

Why is this a blog post today? Because Loren is now doing some incredible work behind the camera and I want the world to hire him. Loren is the only person in my life that I can be certain without a doubt, that if he agrees to take on a project it will always, and I mean always, exceed my expectations.

I want to share a couple of links with you to Loren's work and if you have the need for a photographer for any occasion and want world-class work with a very particular artistic vision of your goals, then Loren J Root is your man. Of course if you need your wine cellar organized and your collection managed or you would like to prepare a fresh seafood dinner in your home for 8 discerning friends Loren can manage all of these as well. This guy has talent and he will share it with you because bringing joy to people's lives is what keeps him learning.

Cheers to creativity and following the path my friends!

Loren's Company Page - Glass Roots Concepts  Loren's Flickr Page  Follow Loren on Twitter @theleftoverchef

tags: @blissadventure, @theleftoverchef, Friends, Glass Roots Concepts, Loren J Root, Matera, Panzano, Personal Chef, Photography, the blissful adventurer, Wine Cellar Management
Friday 11.18.11
Posted by Sarah Finger
 

Ghosts of Matera

In 2010 after years of traveling to Puglia I finally went to Matera in Basilicata. I had my opinions of what to expect but nothing prepared me for the haunted presences I felt in this surreal city carved into the hills.

I captured some of my favorite photos from the trip in an antique shop under an arcade as we walked into town to meet our friends who had stayed the night before. In fact, Juliet bought the most lovely amber glasses that became our main candle-holders in our home in Houston.

I only spent 1 full day in Matera, and I will certainly be back as it deserves much more time and attention. In the meantime, I will look at my photos and wonder whose ghosts haunt each image. Please check out my FLICKR stream for more Matera

The final few images I will leave without caption as the memories in these photos I have no way of deciphering and I feel privileged to have only experienced and photographed.

tags: @blissadventure, @theleftoverchef, adventure, Antonello Losito, Basilicata, Juliet Housewright, Laura Giordano, Matera, Michael Housewright, Puglia, Southern
Thursday 11.17.11
Posted by Sarah Finger
 

HDR - Inspired fusion of Photography and Graphic Art

My wonderful friend, Loren J Root and his pursuit of photographic excellence has inspired me to begin creating in HDR photography. This high dynamic range is right in line with my interest in the dramatic.

Please find me on Picasa and Flickr

tags: @theleftoverchef, bliss, HDR, Loren J Root, Michael Housewright, Nikon D7000
Monday 10.03.11
Posted by Sarah Finger
 

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