Pigskin Pursuit

A sixteen year odyssey across the backroads of America during the ultimate College Football roadtrip.

Tag: 2009 (Page 6 of 13)

War Eagle Mill

November 12, 2009 / / 0 Comments

I’ll start this off by saying that unless you are *looking* for the War Eagle Mill, chances are you are not going to find the War Eagle Mill.This isn’t exactly the kind of place that you just stumble along on the side of the highway and pop in for a visit.

In fact there were times where I closely resembled a moonshine runner racing from the excise police on twisting, worn out county roads.The agile Jetta streaked through the hills of Northwest Arkansas like a white comet, brazenly ignoring speed limits, narrow bridges and livestock crossing signs.I may have even jumped a crick or two….but I digress.

After crossing what can best be described as a single lane, rickety iron bridge (I’ve built sturdier structures out of toothpicks and Elmers glue) we arrived at the picturesque War Eagle Mill nestled along the bank of the swift flowing War Eagle River.

http://www.wareaglemill.com/

 

The War Eagle Mill is a fully restored and operational water powered grain mill, where they still grind daily on grooved European granite millstones. The main drive belt is powered the same way it has been for centuries, by harnessing the current of the WarEagleRiver with an 18 foot undershot cypress waterwheel, believed to be the only operational undershot wheel left in the United States.

You can read a little more about the history of it here:

http://www.wareaglemill.com/historymyst.html

 

In addition to the plethora of fresh ground grains, flours and mixes that they have available for bulk purchase, the War Eagle Mill has a cozy little restaurant on the third floor that serves breakfast and lunch daily.Naturally, we came here to sample some of the breakfast fare at the Bean Palace Restaurant.

Most of the breakfast was expectedly straightforward, with the exception of a surprisingly meaty ham steak that gave me a good challenge. The buckwheat waffle was the main attraction however, made from War Eagle’s own stone ground buckwheat flour and adorned with, ahem, maple flavored syrup (insert fake syrup soapbox rant here).Despite the syrup deficiency, the waffle was still delicious, and felt slightly more authentic with the rush of the War Eagle river in the background.

The War Eagle Mill is certainly a bit remote, but the location is what makes it decidedly unique. It’s well worth your time for a visit, a quick bite of food, and a nostalgic glimpse into a bygone era.

Or order up a bag of your favorite flour mix online!

http://www.wareaglemill.com/khxc/index.php

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Wooo, Pig, Sooie!!!

November 6, 2009 / / 0 Comments

You guessed it! This week is Arkansas football week and we’re “calling all the hogs” for another weekend of college football revelry in SEC country. This weekend our tour takes us to the “NaturalState”, home to Johnny Cash, Bill Clinton, Wal-Mart, The Boggy Creek Monster, and the only active diamond mine in the United States

http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

But unless you plan on unearthing a five carat hunk of Arkansas’ finest covalent crystalline carbon, my guess is that the Arkansas vs. South Carolina game will be the highlight of your weekend. And for those of you that share the same sophomoric sense of humor that I do, there is simply no way you can eschew the enticingly adolescent storyline of Hogs vs. Cocks.

On the field this week we will see the matchup of the streaky Arkansas Razorbacks, who despite their 4-4 record nearly took down invincible Florida a few short weeks ago. Although new head coach Bobby Petrino has put the kibosh on the infamous “Wild Hog” offense, rumor has it that transfer quarterback Ryan Mallett’s arm is so strong he could throw a ball “clear over that mountain”. The Hogs are pitted against a revived 6-3 South Carolina team, led by the infamous “Old Baw Coach” Steve Spurrier. Up until a week ago Spurrier had the Gamecocks ranked #22 in the country before being Rocky Topped by the Vols.

But not so fast my friend!

If you’ve been paying attention all along, than you are aware that we don’t do much fasting on these trips, and Arkansas will be no different. There are a littany of culinary options awaiting us, graciously provided by our friend and Razorback faithful Stephanie.

Among these places one that has me rather excited is the Bean Palace Restaurant at the War Eagle Mill in Rogers, Arkansas. The venue is a fully operational flour mill, where they still grind their own grains on a daily basis with one of the few functioning water wheels left in the United States, all powered of course, by the War Eagle River. I’m guessing there might be some buckwheat pancakes in the near future, as well as the associated syrup snobbery…

http://www.wareaglemill.com/

Of course, any visit to Northwest Arkansas wouldn’t be complete without a little foul on the menu. It’s no secret that The University of Arkansas has one of the most highly touted poultry science curriculums in the country, and we’ll be putting that feathered reputation to the test at AQ Chicken House. AQ Chicken House, for those of you cut off from the telegraph line for the last 62 years, is a Fayetteville institution that has been serving up a mean pan fried bird since 1947. If it’s good enough for ol’ Bubba Clinton himself, it’s good enough for me.

http://www.aqchickenhouse.net/

I know a handful of you have been clamoring for a little culture in addition to the steady diet of football and indulgent foods. Not to worry as this trip will include a visit to one of the most significant American architectural landmarks of the 20th century: Thorncrown Chapel. Located in nearby Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Thorncrown was the creation of renowned Arkansas Architect Fay Jones and is a masterpiece of glass and wood. I have been looking forward to experiencing this building since architecture school.

http://www.thorncrown.com/index.html

http://www.thorncrown.com/photogallery.htm

Well that’s the lineup for this weekend, along with whatever other fun we can rustle up in the Ozarks!

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The Irish Defend the Alamo

November 5, 2009 / / 0 Comments

I’ll begin this post by stating that I do not agree with, nor support the idea of the Notre Dame “barnstorming” concept, or the scheduling of neutral site games.The background for this concept dates back to the 1920’s when Knute Rockne used Notre Dame’s independence to schedule “barnstorming” games, where ND would play opponents anywhere, anytime.This brash, pioneering concept was among the reasons that Notre Dame was able to rise to national prominence and become the national powerhouse that it is today.
Recently, the Notre Dame administration felt the unprompted need to resurrect this concept, not with the idea of scheduling premier opponents, but rather to simply maximize revenues.The “barnstorming” game effectively becomes another home game for Notre Dame (and thusly the associated TV contract), and because it does not offer a return game for the opponent (one and done), the only opposition that would agree to such lopsided terms are the bottom feeders of the NCAA.Simply put, there is no nexus between Notre Dame, San Antonioand WashingtonStatethat make this a compelling draw. Nor does it propagate the mystique and reputation of a football team predicated upon consistently playing one of the toughest schedules in the country.We would be well served to reconsider this botched idea, and schedule a simple home and home with a premier Big 12 or SEC opponent the likes of Texasor Alabama.

Despite my political opposition to the game, given the chance to spend a weekend in sunnySan Antoniowith a handful of friends and see my beloved Irish play, I put my political differences aside and we made the journey.
The atmosphere around the game and in stadium more closely resembled a bowl game than a typical home or away game.Predictably, Notre Dame fans vastly outnumberedWashingtonStatefans by about 48,000 to 5,000.It was also my first experience at an Irish game with empty seats.The Alamodome has a stated capacity of over 60,000 seats, and the “recorded” attendance was a mere 53,000 (and judging by the expanse of vacant seats in the upper tier, presumably even lower than that).I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the noise level in the dome.The Irish fans on hand were quite spirited despite the neutral site, and the crowd noise was further augmented by the dome acoustics to create an unexpectedly loud in stadium atmosphere.

On the field, the game was a mismatch from the start.While ordinarilyWashingtonStatemight be a mildly competitive opponent, this has been an off year for them, and they are ranked among the lowest teams in the country.Watching the explosive Irish offense carving apart the Cougars on the Alamodome carpet was a sight to behold.I believe we averaged nearly 8 yards per play in the first half, which was capped off by one of the most spectacular touchdown catches that I have ever witnessed (by standout ND receiver Golden Tate).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QwwMqeEX5M

With the second half already a foregone conclusion, we saw the Notre Dame offense work in their second and third stringers during the third and fourth quarters, giving us a glimpse into the Irish future.In all the day was a solid win for the Irish, and hopefully a benefit to ourTexasrecruiting credibility.

Final Score: Notre Dame 40WashingtonState14
Go Irish!!!

It was great hanging out with Julia and Andrew for the second weekend in a row, they are starting to become regulars! Special thanks to Bryce, Kate, Alan and the animated Grace for touring us around San Antonio and joining us on all our barbecue adventures.

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Smitty’s Market

November 5, 2009 / / 0 Comments

No trip to the Austin or San Antonio areas is ever complete for me without a trip inside the storied walls of Smitty’s Market in Lockhart, Texas.It’s become a staple of my travels, and I simply refuse to return to Dallas without a trip to Smitty’s. If you are beginning to notice a pattern with a town called Lockhart, it’s quite intentional, as Lockhart is considered the BBQ capital of Texas, and home to two of the top three BBQ joints in the state.

View from the back entrance.

On any given day, Smitty’s is probably my favorite BBQ that I have been to.Interior walls of Smitty’s could be considered works of art by themselves, as decades of smoke have seasoned them with a layer of blackened char that leaves little doubt about the heritage and tradition contained within this storied meat market.Hallowed brick pits at Smitty’s command reverence, and stand as ancient monuments to the fading art of slow and simple cooking.The carving room itself carries a church like atmosphere where the only sounds penetrating the silence are the crackling embers of burning oak and the brusquely whispered orders of eager patrons.

I ordered up my usual pile of protein at Smitty’s with the three wiseman equally represented: brisket, sausage and ribs.As always the brisket was well penetrated with smoke throughout, and every morsel was melt in your mouth tender.The sausage was done perfectly and snapped with each flavorful bite.Now if only they would offer a Jalapeno sausage like Kreuz’s….The ribs are what truly shine at Smitty’s, however, as they are smoked perfectly throughout with a telltale pinkish hue and finished ever so subtly with a sweet glaze.In fact, the food on this day was so tasty we even sidled back into the smoke room for a second round…

Simply put, if you’re looking for a one of a kind combination of vintage atmosphere and truly world class barbecue in Texas, Smitty’s should be at the top of a very short list.

One final note: If you’re looking for one dead giveaway of a genuine barbecue joint, have a look out the back door.If you see a giant pile of hardwood like Smitty’s, you know you’re in the right place…

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