A number of years ago, we asked Sky readers: Where’s your favorite barbecue joint?

It seemed like such a simple question. . . . But the answers! The torrent of tips! The cascade of ’cue! The bonanza of buns, slaw, hot sauce, cobbler and sweet tea.

Traveling this holiday? You might want to check out the reader recommendations below or click on Sky’s hundreds of reader recommendations, organized state by state and available online. To see even more barbecue recommendations—or make one—visit my Barbecue Blog, Cue Confessions, where you’ll find not one, but two posts on the subject.

• I’m a pilot for Delta and get a chance to try barbecue places all over the country. Here are my absolute favorites (in order): Whole Hog Cafe—Little Rock, Arkansas, Corky’s BBQ—Memphis, Tennessee, Dinosaur BBQ—Syracuse and Rochester, New York, Jim and Nick’s—Birmingham, Alabama, Neely’s BBQ—Memphis, Tennessee

• Your list is missing the best BBQ in Los Angeles—Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ. They say the beef ribs here come straight out of Jurassic Park.

• Vandy’s in Statesboro, Georgia, where the ’cue is smoked over an open pit until the outside is burnt and crispy, and the inside is tender as pork can ever be. The two contrasting textures are then chopped into a succulent mixture, drizzled with a tangy, vinegary-sweet sauce worthy of drinking by itself, and served—as it should be—on plain white bread.

• The completely authentic Cooper’s Country Store in Salters, South Carolina, is without dining room, but you can step over the dog on the front steps and go on in to get you a sandwich and a Yoo-hoo to go.

• If Jim Neely’s Interstate Bar-B-Que (with not 1 but 2 locations in Terminal B of the Memphis airport) is not on your list, it should be. The chopped shoulder sandwich with a smidgen of slaw and a dollop of their special sauce was just the ticket for two weary travelers on their way home from California.

“When you meet someone else who loves BBQ—It’s like talking to an old friend right away!”—Bob Herndon, President Atlanta BBQ

David
Delta Sky Magazine

Spendy Wendy has always worn big, glamorous baubles, most of which she found while rummaging through the $1 grab bags in vintage stores. So imagine her glee on discovering that they’re now all the rage; it’s only fitting that we call them “statement jewelry.”

If you’re a bit shy when it comes to making a statement, the holidays are the perfect time to come out of your shell and try on a fabulous pendant or a large bangle. They can turn a blah black outfit into a cocktail stunner. And the best part is that indulging in one simple piece can turn drab to fab without your investing in a whole new outfit. Just remember that one bold statement is enough. The single piece should be the focal point. When you try to combine two or three pieces, the effect can become too costumey. I’m reminded of Alicia Keys’ recent AMA ensemble. The earrings were quite enough, without the snake-like charm dripping onto her forehead.

Banana Republic is doing some delicious sparklies for the holidays. Spendy Wendy loves the large, geometric gemstone necklace, as well as the large beaded necklaces, the latter of which would make Mimi from “The Drew Carey Show” proud. But the beads sure look stunning when paired with Banana’s gorgeous evening dresses.

Packing Tip: Statement pieces are usually too large for the average jewelry roll. To properly pack them, first wrap them in tissue. Rhinestones, crystals and gems can chip and scratch when they rub together, so be careful. Then place them in a velvet pouch and tuck them into the toe of a shoe or boot. That way, they’re not taking up excess space.

For more I’ve-got-personality pieces, check out the interview with the Stiletto King, Stuart Weitzman, in this month’s issue of Sky.

Can you say “juicy red platform sandals”?

Wendy
Sky Magazine

The best part of being a travel writer is—duh!—the travel, of course. Followed closely by all the fabulous food you get to wolf down in exotic locales. During my various peregrinations, I’ve eaten everything from guinea pigs roasted by Peruvian Incas to “grasshoppers of the sea” in Slovenia.

Then there’s the coffee. I guess you could say I’m coffee-obsessed. For proof, check out the November issue of Sky, which is all about coffee, front to back.

Which brings me to the photograph of my Illy X1 Francis Francis espresso machine. Instead of using prepackaged pods like so many new espresso machines do, my Illy accommodates freshly ground coffee, which prompts colleagues to bring presents of coffee back from their far-flung treks. Check out the labels on the shelves behind the machine. Sometimes while I’m waiting for the machine to warm up, I find myself just reading the exotic names out loud: Kopi Kampung from Sulawesi, Indonesia; Cafe Molido from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Espresso Regalo, from the Yergacheffe region of Ethiopia; Costa Rican Orgánico Bajo Sombra, Café Grano Entero; Tchoupitoulas Blend from good ol’ New Orleans. I frankly can’t think of anything we eat or drink that’s as global—or as easily accessible—as java.

Favorites? Café Alta Gracia, grown in the Dominican Republic on Julia Alvarez’s plantation. Raven’s Brew Coffee, which hails from the rainiest inhabited place in North America: Ketchikan, Alaska. For a longer list, see the tasting I attended with Theodore Erski, a Chicago prof who uses coffee to teach geography in his classroom.

The most interesting coffee I’ve ever had? That would be Indonesian Kopi Luwak, which you may have read about. The beans have had the advantage of “curing” in the digestive track of a civet cat, which is more closely related to a mongoose than a house cat. The animal eats the beans, and nature takes its course. The beans are then gathered from the forest floor, cleaned and roasted.

What did it taste like? On the front of the palate, it had a dusty note, like some African coffees—maybe more earthy, as you might expect, than dusty. I’m almost certain from its bitterness that the beans were robusta instead of arabica. But as it hit the back palate, there was a je ne sais quoi (but maybe I do)—a bitter/sour aftertaste that was definitely a little beyond funky. About a half-dozen people tried it. One taster, who’s really got good taste buds, said after long deliberation and smacking of her lips and gargling that its taste reminded her of “decay.” I and others could see instantly what she meant. Though not complex, Kopi Luwak is, if nothing else, distinctive. I’m glad to have tried it, but—at a whopping $150 or more per pound—probably won’t buy a whole lot more.

What’s the most interesting coffee you’ve had? Will you be enjoying a cup this Thanksgiving?

David
Delta Sky