Leonard’s Pit Barbecue is one of the oldest and “top” spots in one of America’s barbecue capitals, but it has very little national hype. We went to find out why.
We see the MALL of Cookeville, TN as an authentic, local reinvention of a place that the corporate world forgot. Perhaps it can offer urban planning lessons to other communities stuck with abandoned big boxes.
The night was far younger than we realized. Someone invited us to have a drink at Wild Bill’s, which a local would later call “the last real place in Memphis.”
It was about 3 a.m. and time to eat dinner again. Even before leaving the Northeast, we’d labeled the ribs at Alex’s Tavern one holy grail of our Memphis quest.
The Ribs. Succulent, platonically moist, fall-aparty, infused with Memphis-style charcoal smoke, served with a dusting of finishing-spice and a side of sweet house sauce. In other words, perfection.
