News
and Observer
Published: Dec 9, 2005
Greg Cox, Correspondent
Dixie Belle's BBQ, Chicken & Seafood
Owner Rich Kazazian is justifiably proud of his pulled
pork, which he makes every morning with Boston butts and
coarsely chops with generous amounts of the crusty bits
that Western Carolina barbecue fans call "outside brown."
A customer-is-always-right kind of guy, he offers three
house-made sauces (mild vinegar-based, hot, and tomato-based
Western), as well as more than 20 bottled sauces. He even
invites customers to bring their own favorite sauce from
home.
As good as the pulled pork is, the dark horse candidate
for best dish on the menu -- indeed, best of its kind in
the Triangle -- is the beef brisket. True, "best brisket
in the Triangle" may not sound like high praise, given
our location in the Land of Pork. Allow me to elaborate:
Dixie Belle's brisket ranks with the best I've had in any
of more than a dozen restaurants in Texas, the acknowledged
capital of beef barbecue.
The St. Louis cut ribs are better than most, too, marked
with the telltale pink of proper smoking and exceptionally
juicy thanks to brining before cooking. They're glazed --
but not swimming -- in a classically tangy-sweet, tomato-based
Midwestern style sauce. The barbecued chicken, however,
is so heavily glopped with sauce that it's more like a hash
or stew.
Kazazian recently expanded the menu to include pressure-fried
chicken and fried seafood, neither of which I've had the
chance to try. I have sampled liberally from the side dishes
that accompany platters and can especially recommend the
fried okra and the baked beans.
Ask Kazazian about the beans, and he'll explain -- after
he apologizes for being a transplanted Northerner daring
to venture into the holy Southern territory of barbecue
-- that he seasons them with barbecue trimmings and Italian
sausage and slow-cooks them with the meats in the smoker.
Ask him how he gets the textbook "bark" (the brisket
equivalent of "outside brown") and such juicy
meat, and he'll explain at length how he trims the meat
and positions it in the cooker so it bastes in its own fat.
His methods may be unorthodox, but they work. Sometimes,
it doesn't hurt to have an outsider come in and shake things
up a bit.
Triangle.com Dining
Published: Dec 29, 2004
Modified: Jan 4, 2005 2:53 PM
The siren call of hickory smoke wafting from Dixie Belle's
Bar-B-Q may be too much to be ignored.
By GREG COX, triangle.com
It didn't take long for locals to discover Dixie Belle's
Bar-B-Q, which opened earlier this month at Laura Village
shopping center on N.C. 64 in Apex. I would even bet that
some of those cars in the parking lot belong to folks who
are just passing through and can't resist the siren call
of hickory smoke wafting from the building.
But don't let the crowds scare you away. The line at the
order counter moves fast, and the reward is a broad assortment
of smoky fare at fast food prices.
Besides the chopped pork barbecue that is de rigueur in
these parts (both Eastern and Western Carolina sauces are
provided), the menu also lists Texas-style pulled chicken,
beef brisket, pork loin and maple glazed turkey. Star billing
goes to St. Louis style ribs, which the menu pronounces
"award winning."
I haven't tried the ribs yet. I have sampled the chopped
pork barbecue and brisket, though, and I'm happy to report
that both are more than respectable. And you can't beat
the prices, with most regular platters going for $6 to $7,
including hushpuppies and two sides (collards, fried okra,
Brunswick stew and cinnamon apples, to name a few).
Dixie Belle's is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Next
time, I think I'll go whole hog and shell out ten bucks
for a half rack of those ribs.
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