me vs. buzz; buzz kills.

We all love barbecue, no? It's very American. It's a reliable meal of equal parts tasty, nostalgic and fun, and it's relatively easy and fun to cook, too. In fact, even though most of us are merely grilling burgers or steaks over our backyard propoane robo-cookers, we all think we are barbecue masters.

I'm no different. For years I've been making the best baby back ribs I've ever tasted, tender pork awesomeness with a sweet-and-spicy hickory/hoisin sauce, even though I can accept the truth that since there is no smoke involved in my process, I'm pretty much faking it. More recently, I've experimented with a cute little smokebox in my propane grill, which has had some decent results. The first try was a pretty damn good brisket, cooked low and slow for about five hours, super tender and smoky tasting with a savory peppered crust, but maybe a bit dry. Weeks ago, I dropped the first cookout of '11 on my surprisingly growing group of friends and went to town on the ribs, some chopped pork for sandwiches, grilled chicken and a first attempt at pigstrami (pictured). It's kinda hard to fuck up pork, but this was definitely a success: a top loin with a good amount of fat, overnight dry-brined with black and Szechuan peppercorns, garlic, crushed red pepper, mustard seed, lots of cracked coriander seed, and other traditional pastrami seasonings. We smoked it with applewood chips for a long time, and it came out juicy and nice. Next time we'll use a liquid brine, or maybe just make some more time for those great flavors to set in.

But it only took a few days for that backyard pride to dissipate. You see, no matter what crazy rubs and sauces you like, no matter how much smoke and fire you keep burning, you're not a barbecue master unless you are. All it takes is a visit to a true master's domain to bring some humility. And so it was when I visited the new, second location of my favorite Vegas 'cue joint, Buzz BBQ, for some brisket (pictured). It's simply no contest. These guys serve it up serious - superthick slabs of meaty perfection, deeply imbedded with hickory smoke, fat melting between slices, ultimately juicy and soft. The sauce comes on the side at Buzz and they have a solid spicy version, but you don't need it with the brisket. Actually, you don't need it with the chicken or the ribs, either, but it's good with pulled pork or chicken and hey, why not dip the great fried catfish in it? Buzz has great sandwiches, too, like the Pig Twister, with pulled pork plus Andouille sausage, or the Texas Tornado, which adds some of this supreme brisket to that meaty mix.

Because barbecue is so regional and is rooted in historic areas (like the South and Texas) and not so much on the west coast (like Vegas), the restaurants that serve this wonderful cuisine in our city don't get much credit. Also, barbecue may be fun and easy at home, but it doesn't necessarily translate well into the restaurant biz due to time consuming preparation and a short window  for optimal service. But there are a small handful of stores that have been doing it right for years now here in the desert, and with its recent expansion, let's add Buzz to that bunch. They deserve it, for the brisket if nothing else.