July 28th of 2011 will go down in Austin barbecue folk lore as a dark day in our town's history.

This was the day that "Operation Meat Locker", a covert sting operation ran by Austin Police Department, came to a head with arrests at 3 area restaurants.

La Morenita, Willie's Barbecue and Sam's Barbecue were all implicated in the affair with police alleging that the 3 restaurants were engaging in black market meat purchases from brisket bandits who were smuggling foods out of area HEB Supermarkets.

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Spotted.

An ancient ghost sign. In real life it's barely legible but I dialed up the light to make it easier to see.

I imagine there's some old timer out there who'd recollect "Oh Hell yeah, I ain't seen those around here in a coon's age. I remember when all the barbecue joints around here used to sell barbecue chicken faces."

With brisket headed north of $3 per lb could the day come when future generations only know of this treasured meat from old ghost signs and photographs?

I shudder to think of a world like that.

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Fricano's has shuttered their original location. We loved this restaurant from the moment they opened. Yes, they were slow, toddler-like, out of the gate but once they found their rhythm they became a very good source for fat, deli sandwiches.

It was touch and go from day one whether they were going to remain open. Crowds were slow to arrive and you could tell the little business was struggling to stay afloat.

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Getting excited about what's coming to the little old building across from East End Wines that's housed a variety of restaurants over the years.

Gene's Po Boys was one of our very favorite cafes in Austin but after a 10 year run in our town, chef Gene decided to call it a day and move back to his beloved New Orleans.

J Kelly had a brief run in the building where he basically just ran the business into the ground taking Gene's classic version of old standards and rendering them unrecognizable and unpalatable.

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Our main fear is that we won't be able to get a table. We're navigating downtown in the hopes that this gorgeous Winter afternoon will not find the masses descended upon Easy Tiger.

Unfounded.

While the word is certainly out that David Norman is back in the game and putting out the best baked goods in Austin, the restaurant is actually pretty lightly attended when we first walk in the door.

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A farewell can be be bittersweet. Our friends were relocating to New Zealand for a couple years so we decided to send them out in style by throwing a big food party in the backyard.

Pictured is the mise en place for one of my favorite dishes of all time: Red Beans and Rice. Since I was in heavy recovery mode after a Saturday night that featured some very poor decision making as to alcohol consumption, I had to break out the pressure cooker instead of slowly simmering the beans all day long.

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For only the third time in my eating history am I so moved by the high level of cooking I've just eaten that I feel the need to inquire as to the marital status of the chef.

First time was at Wrights Cafeteria in Knoxville, Tennessee where I ate a bowl of banana pudding so profoundly delicious that I knew I could have a very good life with the lady who'd authored it.

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Taquero Frankie is putting out some very fine charcoal grilled chicken tacos from the El Pollo Rey food trailer located in the East Side Food Park on Cesar Chavez.

Walking up to the tiny trailer the smell of sizzling chicken flesh is intoxicating. These birds have not died in vain. We inquire as to whether the tortillas are homemade and receive the dread answer of "no".

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We ran up to Perez Barbecue in Bartlett Texas this weekend to get another chapter written in the book on Texas barbecue.

Armando Perez has been running this little roadside joint for 25 years in the fading town of 1500 or so people located an hour north of Austin.

We've been hearing about their homemade sausage links for awhile now and with good reason. They're incredible.

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Tipster button is heating up again. Thanks to the reader who clicked on our tipster button with the story of an attack at Mi Palacio Tex Mex restaurant on Manor Road near Rogge Lane.

This little neighborhood is famous for being one of the last open air drug and prostitution markets in Austin.

Love The Wire and hate that it got cancelled? Then head on over to this zone and you can relive the glory of one of the greatest tv series of all time.

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