This!

(Photo: Chicago Tribune)


We totes lived vicariously through the Chicago Tribune's Kevin Pang and Keith Claxton as they embarked upon BBQ Roadtrip '10—an ambitious, 72-hour project that took them to eight states over the weekend.

Armed with Maximum-Strength Pepto Bismol, Purell anti-bacterial gel and paper towels (and laptops and car!), they managed to chow down on Baby Back ribs, pulled pork and "hot" chicken in the likes of downstate Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and Alabama:

"FRIDAY, 9:30 a.m. We didn't eat breakfast, obviously. We saved stomach space for what Mike Mills was to feed us. Mills, proprietor of the 17th Street Bar & Grill empire, is to the barbecue fraternity what Kobayashi is to competitive eating. Say his name to those in the know and a chorus of ooooh's follows. ... I'm somewhat swayed by an empty stomach, but truth be told, his baby backs were the best I've ever had. Mills appreciates the meat too much to tamper with it. A bit of 'Magic Dust' seasoning, a kiss of smoke and a light slather of sauce doesn't upstage, but amplifies the ribs. It's a gorgeous piece of work."

Reading about this BBQ extravaganza has me reaching for the Maximum-Strength Pepto Bismol right now!