Ribfest Ottawa 2008

My peops and I sure know how to pick them! It was Ribfest in Ottawa last week, and we happened to hit the two best vendors according to Ribfest's esteemed judges. I've been living under a rock for the past four years because I didn't find out about this mouthwatering festival until this year! Thanks new friends in HR (that's you TH and KV)!

Teams from Canada and the U.S. compete for best ribs, best chicken and best BBQ sauce in a crazy five-day cook-off on Sparks Street. BBQ perfume wafts everywhere. I feel sorry for the vegetarians who work on Sparks, they must be horrified.

I only went to two places, but they both turned out to be winners. Squeaky, Em, S and I went to Alabama's Camp 31, which won for best ribs and also sold me the best six-dollar pulled pork sandwich I have ever eaten (pictured above, precariously balanced on my knees). The next day some of my work colleagues and I did a noon-hour rib run to Billy Bones, also American. When we got there the choices were overwhelming, but one of my lunchmates made the executive decision to jump in line at Billy Bones because of its great name :) Billy Bones won for best sauce and Camp 31 came in at a respectable second here, too.

These folks have a good sense of humour - the vegetarian combo, also known as the tree-huggers special, is all three meats for $18. They also ring a big cowbell when someone orders the full rib rack, which put the spotlight on S. Including my half-rack that I took home for dinner - my eyes were bigger than my stomach - I ate here three times in two days. Good times!