#skylightinn

One of the main reasons for this culinary crusade called the Barbecue Rankings Tour was that I was unsatisfied with the Top 10 in America lists that generally feature the best marketed, most famous or oldest barbecue restaurants in America.  While some of these places are still great barbecue spots, some of them simply live off of reputation and no longer make great barbecue.  Some of the newer, smaller or less recognized places off the beaten barbecue path can compete with the big boys of barbecue, but they are not often given the chance to be considered when the list is thrown together by someone from a click-seeking website.  I find the Top 10 lists created by local reporters to be, for the most part, pretty good. Just as local reporters go and visit a variety of local options before putting together their Top 10 lists, I thought that someone should actually go and visit hundreds of barbecue restaurants around the country before claiming to put together a list of the best in America.

Why mention this now?  Skylight Inn is one of those places that shows up on a lot of the national lists...most recently in Paula Deen's magazine.  Like I said, some of these restaurants still bring their A-game...others do not.  Skylight Inn passes the tests of both time and success.  

Sam Jones is a barbecue celebrity today and the whole hog tradition has been in his family for generations.  His father, Pete Jones, opened Skylight Inn in 1947.  During my visit, an older gentleman picked up his phone and answered what I assume to be a question regarding his whereabouts by saying "I'm at Pete Jones'."  Many barbecue restaurants feature signed pictures from famous visitors and politicians, but the display case Skylight is different.  Old black and white pictures of long deceased celebrities and politicians have turned into a collection of faded yellow and brown portraits.

The best part about Skylight is watching the preparation of pork right behind the counter.  You can see it chopped, lightly sauced, scooped and handed to you within minutes.  The basic tray of chopped pork comes topped with a square of dense, greasy cornbread and another try of fresh, finely minced, slightly sweet slaw: some assembly required.

The real secret of Skylight, in my opinion, is found on the table.  The light red vinegar sauce with black pepper and red pepper flakes is divine.  Just the perfect accompaniment to the textured chopped pork and is absolutely one of my favorite sauces anywhere.