Just like Tony Bennett left his heart in San Francisco, there’s a piece of me forever planted in Memphis. It’s my stomach, the part of it that still craves Southern comfort food. Of course, at the top of that heap is barbecue.

Since leaving Memphis in 2007, I’ve been chasing after the holy grail of meats cooked low and slow. Seattle is a wonderful food city, but the State of Q here is pretty abysmal. Occasionally, I’ll hear about a place that’s supposed to be the real deal. When I make the pilgrimage, though, it’s often disappointing. Baked dry in the oven, drowning in sauce.

So, naturally, when offered the opportunity to contribute to this new project, I jumped up and down for joy. Especially because it meant reconnecting with the many good people I had interviewed while working at The Commercial Appeal, folks like Nick Vergos and, his brother, John, the first two subjects of the State of Q and A. Even though many people consider themselves experts on all things Rendezvous, the Vergos brothers reveal something old and something new. (They’re going green!)

It just goes to show that while things appear to stay the same, the State of Q is constantly evolving. One of the biggest changes in recent years is the spread of that smoke ring across the country. It’s a long way from the metal drum set up you’ll see on the street corners around Memphis to Manhattan, but the barbecue scene in New York City – and beyond – has really been heating up the past few years. You never know where Memphis barbecue is going to pop up.

Just the other day, I was having lunch at Shultzy’s, one of my favorite pubs near the University of Washington, talking Memphis barbecue with the owner. (Who has a shrine, documenting his first visit to Payne’s, a meal he calls a religious experience.) A diner across the room piped up and asked: “Do you know John Willingham?” Sure do. “Well, he taught me how to cook barbecue.”

Small world.

In 2004, photographer Dave Darnell and I ate barbecue in four states in one day, one of the most memorable stories of my life. Dave, also known as The Bottomless Pit, has been talking about expanding that to five states, maybe even six. (Alabama’s a possibility. So’s Kentucky or Illinois, though I don’t think we could make it to Texas in just one day.)

Stay tuned for juicy details!

I’m going to be in Memphis next month, doing “research.” Sure would appreciate any advance scouting reports about what’s new or what still lights your fire.

In the meantime, let’s talk about the State of Q in Memphis and beyond.