They came. They roasted. They boasted.
The two-day Roast-n-Boast barbecue cooking competition soldiered through a rainy Saturday afternoon to finish strong Saturday evening.
“This is probably the biggest crowd that”s been in front of this stage in a while,” Paul Clardy, director of the Roast-n-Boast Committee, told competitors and party people Saturday night before the award ceremony.
Columbus Mayor Robert Smith was on hand to pass out trophies and plaques to the winners and pose for pictures.
“This is Possum Town USA, a town that preserves its past and promotes its future,” said Smith in a brief address.
Possum Town was well represented on the awards stage as Road Kill Grill out of Columbus took first place in the Back Yard portion of the contest.
Keith Frazier, head cook for Road Kill Grill, was clearly happy to keep the award in Columbus.
“Absolutely lovely. I think it was just a team effort, totally. All my boys and my daughter, they all stay right here with me and I”ve been doing this since 1984. We are surprised, don”t get me wrong. But it”s been lovely,” said Frazier.
The Memphis Barbecue Network Mississippi Grand Championship stayed in-state, but left town as Olive Branch”s Red Hot Smokers edged last year”s grand champs, Yazoo Delta Q, by six-tenths of a point to claim the $2,500 overall prize and a chance to compete in MBN”s national championship.
Red Hot Smokers Head Cook Linda Booth summed up her team”s feelings afterward.
“Absolutely phenomenal. We”re thrilled, thrilled to death,” she said.
Booth said the difference for her team was experience.
“We”re just real consistent in our cooking process,” she said.
Brown Chicken Brown Cow out of Memphis took first place in the Jack Daniels Qualifier, Roast-n-Boast”s first dual first prize. They”ll be entered in a lottery to compete at a Jack Daniels cook-off in Lynchburg, Tenn.
Other Columbus teams claiming awards included: Sobley”s Pig Diggers (third place, Jack Daniels Qualifier, chicken), Road Kill Grill (second place, Jack Daniels Qualifier, pork shoulder), Road Kill Grill (first place, Jack Daniels Qualifier, brisket), Barnyard Roasters (fourth place, MBN, whole hog), Cotton Patch Cooking Crew (third place, MBN, whole hog), Cotton Patch Cooking Crew (fourth place, MBN, pork shoulder), Barnyard Roasters (second place, MBN, ribs) and Leroy”s OIC of Caledonia took the hospitality award.
“It”s gone good,” said Mike Langford, head cook for Leroy”s OIC of the overall Roast-n-Boast experience. “But I always like it. I”ve been doing this too long not to like it.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
