Image by Mike Licht, http://www.notionscapital.com

One week ago, we announced the arrival of Meat Week to Washington, DC.  Since that time, we’ve been blown away by the amount of attention that this celebration of all things barbecue has received.  Not surprisingly, Tim Carman was the first to give us a shout-out over at the City Paper, but his nod seems to have triggered an avalanche of additional coverage: Zagat Buzz, UrbanDaddy, Brightest Young Things, DC MetroMix, Notions Capital…even Modern Domestic!

The word is clearly getting around: Meat Week is Real.  But we’ve gotten more than a few emails asking about the finer points of what this is all about.

And we’ve had A LOT of people asking about our Meat Week Special Sneak Preview of Pork Barrel BBQ on Wednesday night at Mango Mike’s in Alexandria.

All your questions answered – and the details on the Pork Barrel preview – after the jump.


First things first.  Last night I received an email from Heath Hall, one half of the Pork Barrel team.  They’ve decided to put together a full-on BBQ buffet for Meat Week participants.  The details are as follows:

Meat Week Celebration – Pork Barrel BBQ Buffet
Wednesday, February 3rd, 5-9 PM
Mango Mike’s
4580 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22304
(703) 823-1166
$15.95 per person

Buffet Menu:
Pork Barrel Slow Smoked Beef Brisket
AND
Pork Barrel Slow Smoked Pulled Pork with Award winning Pork Barrel Sauces
Gold Crust Potato Style Kaiser Rolls
Moist Corn Pudding
Rum BBQ Baked Beans
Mango Cole Slaw
Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bourbon Sauce for Dessert

Heath went on to ask that we try to get them a fair estimate of how many folks are planning to attend, so that they “can load up their smokers with enough delicious meat for everyone!”  If you want to check out Pork Barrel BBQ at Mango Mike’s on Wednesday, please either post a comment here letting us know or email us at capitalspice@gmail.com by Monday evening.

And now for the answers to some of the other questions we’ve been receiving.

Q: What’s the rest of the schedule again?
A: This coming Sunday, 1/31 @ 7 PM: Urban BBQ in Rockville
Monday, 2/1 @ 7 PM: Rocklands BBQ in Glover Park
Tuesday, 2/2 @ 7 PM: Red Hot & Blue in Courthouse
Wednesday, 2/3 5-9 PM: see above
Thursday, 2/4 @ 7 PM: Capital Q in Chinatown
Friday, 2/5 @ 7 PM: Branded ’72 in Rockville
Saturday, 2/6 @ 3 PM: Mr. P’s Ribs and Fish in the Safeway parking lot on Rhode Island Ave., NE

Q: Do I have to attend ALL SEVEN nights?
A: Nope.  You can come as often as you’d like, whether it’s all seven or only one night.

Q: Can anyone participate, or do you need to respond in advance?
A: The ONLY night we’re requesting  a response in advance is the Pork Barrel BBQ / Mango Mike’s special event on Wednesday.  Everything else is nice and laid-back, just come on out if you feel like having some ‘cue.

Q: I won’t know anyone else who will be there.  Should I still attend?
A: Definitely!  I’ve met some great people while judging KCBS barbecue competitions…there’s something about getting elbow deep in sauce that helps people loosen up and get to know their neighbors.

Q: How does Meat Week work once I get to the restaurant?
A: The same as any other visit would.  You order off the regular menu – get whatever catches your eye – pay for your food and then sit down and eat it.  We’ll try to identify a Meating Point each evening, so be sure to stop by and introduce yourself once you’re ready to eat.

Q: What does it cost to participate in Meat Week?
A: That’s entirely up to you…all we’ve done is set the schedule of restaurants.  If you want to order a belly-busting combo platter each night, you’re going to run up a hefty bill.  But you could just as easily limit yourself to a single pulled pork or brisket sandwich each night and spend less than you would on delivery pizza.

Q: Is there anything special I need to take part in Meat Week?
A: A healthy appetite.  Wet-naps.  A decent interval before your next blood test.  Otherwise, just come as you are!

Q: Any advice on how to get the most out of Meat Week?
A: Have fun.  Don’t take it too seriously.  Bring a camera to document your conquests.  And consider the Buddy System.  Doing Meat Week with a friend guarantees you’ll know someone there when you arrive.  It also provides opportunities for carpooling to some of the more remote locations and, perhaps most importantly, allows for sharing and strategic ordering.

Q: I’ve got a question you haven’t answered yet.
A: Leave a comment below or shoot us an email and we’ll do our best to answer!

Thanks for all the interest, everyone.  We look forward to seeing you at one (or more) night of Meat Week!