By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

Column Note: In the 57th column in the Diners and Dives series, a small group of Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club members explore BBQ.

Smokesignals

“Hold on,” Hogs R Wild BBQ Owner Mark Poling held up his hand. “I need to get some eye candy.” Mark returned wearing sunglasses and holding a gorgeous smoked brisket. After he posed for our picture, he hustled back inside to serve his faithful customers in this family-run business.

You’ve probably driven by Hogs R Wild BBQ at 1527 N. Detroit St., in Warsaw and wondered about that huge line. On a cool but sunny Friday around noon, Our Breakfast Optimist Gang joined the line. As we chatted with people, I heard multiple times how they came every time the place was open (Thursday – Saturday opening at 11 a.m.).

The Wildcards In The Pit Crew

We invited three guys representing the Kosciusko County Fair Board: Randy Shepherd, Kevin Harris, and Sheal Dirck. We also welcomed KCV Cycling Board President Mike Cusick and Vice President/Founder Greg Demopoulos. The two groups immediately bonded over the cool pig statue and a discussion of the various qualities of BBQ.

Where Did You Sit?

Hogs doesn’t have indoor seating but hidden behind it you’ll find six picnic tables. We settled in to discuss everything from dry rub to rodeos to kale as both the fair board and the KCV board guys have huge events coming next weekend between May 17-19. I opened my enormous pulled pork sandwich, corn muffin, and potato salad and started dipping everything, including myself, in BBQ sauce.

TIP – Order the water to drink so you can clean yourself with a napkin.

TIP – Hogs is family-friendly. A kid’s meal with a slider and a side (cowboy beans, mac and cheese, salad, French fries, potato salad, coleslaw, or pasta) is only $6.

Fat And Skinny Spokespeople

No, I don’t mean how we felt before and after eating our spectacular food at Hogs. The Fat and Skinny is the name of an event put on by KCV – the legendary 19th annual bicycle festival in Winona Lake this weekend, May 17-19. Consultant Kris Williams is a former president. He gestured with his sandwich at Demopoulos. “This is Greg’s baby now. He loves Fat and Skinny like a child.”

Greg groaned happily both from eating and anticipation. “It’s almost like a sickness I have. When the festival is coming, I can’t concentrate on anything else!”

Fat and Skinny begins with a celebration of National Bike to Workday on the morning of Friday, May 17. As you pedal, stop by Light Rail in Winona at 7 a.m. for free coffee and snacks.

“What do you need most?” I asked while attempting to write in my notebook without sticking the pages together with BBQ sauce.

“Riders!” Cusick said without hesitation. “We have both free and paid events for everyone.”

“It’s an ALL-SIZE tires shindig,” puts in Demopoulos. The Fat and Skinny really begins on Friday evening with a Critical Mass ride kickoff party (critical mass means there’s so many bikes on the road that cars can’t ignore them). Start at the Miller Pavilion in Winona at 6 p.m. with instructions and a ride to downtown Warsaw for a party including live music, a BMX stunt show, and lots of food vendors.

“The year after COVID we had 900 riders. Last year it was raining, so it was down to about 300.” This event is free and doesn’t need to be registered for. Free shuttle rides back to Winona are available later in the evening here.

Licensed To Grill — The Rockin’ BBQ

All nine of us agreed our Hog’s wood-fired grilled briskets, ribs, pulled pork, nachos, and tacos made our mouths sing. Kosciusko is lucky to have some amazing grill-masters. “So …” Realtor Jeff Owens put down his smoked turkey to be a good host. He turned to the fair board side of the table. “Tell us about YOUR event at the fairgrounds?”

The guys from the fair board will help put on the 10th Annual Rockin’ BBQ sponsored by the KCBS, Kansas City BBQ Society, at the fairgrounds next weekend. Judges evaluate texture, taste, and approved garnishes like kale. “Can you put a $100 bill in each chicken as a garnish?” joked 1st Source banker Paul Finley. “To influence the judges.”

KCV Cusick perked up. “I bet a $100 bill tastes better than kale!” He continued, “I love meat. You don’t see meat shaped to look like veggies, right? But there’s a lot of veggies trying to look like meat.” There was a lot of general nodding around the table as they enjoyed their coleslaw, cowboy beans, and potato salads.

“Where do the Rockin’ BBQ competitors get their meats to grill?” I asked.

Fair Board Kevin gestured with his BYOB (Build Your Own Burrito). “Each team brings their own meat. Some bring high end and others buy it when they get to town.”

“Hold on!” Consultant Kris mansplained with a wink. “Shari, the meat comes from cows, pigs, and chickens. It’s M-E-A-T, you know?” If you were wondering, all the regulars and wildcards approve of MEAT.

So far 35 teams from multiple states have registered in hopes of winning the top Rockin’ BBQ $5K purse. A quick scan of the competitors saw some from Kosciusko including the Outlaw Smokers from Mentone, Bleacher Bums from Claypool, and Z-Top Farms from Burkett.

“Are there BBQ groupies?” Realtor Jeff Owens asked as he dipped his onion rings.

Yep. The BBQ world has aficionados for several methods — wood, charcoal, meat cooked in sauce, and meat cooked without sauce. “I’m a dry-rub kind of guy,” Fair board Sheal put in.

Upcoming Fair Hot Tips

If bikes and BBQ events keep you spinning your wheels, the fair board provided some insider tips for other events. May 24-25 is the free Horse and Pony Show, and the 105th Kosciusko County Community Fair will be July 7-13. “Don’t forget the rodeo on Memorial weekend too,” Randy added.

Randy nodded at his two fair board members, Travis and Sheal. “We will live at the fair the week of 4-H.” They nodded vigorously.

This year the fair will include a motorized rodeo, two monster truck shows on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a Dinosaur experience for kids. “Cara Metzger heads our truck show, and she does an awesome job!” Kevin added. We had Cara as a guest from Tranzstar Trucking a few weeks ago. She’s an awesome wildcard too.

Brisket Buddies

‘I’m going to come to your biking event,” Fair Board Harris told KCV Cusick. “It sounds fun.”

The KCV Board agreed that the fair events sounded fantastic too. They shook hands again with lots of surreptitious checking of shirt fronts for sauce stains.

Goodbyes To The Pigs And Bulls

I said goodbye to the shiny copper bull out front (it turned out to be a smoker). Kevin tried to put his Diners and Dives T-shirt on the pig without success. Both moments are documented in the pictures.

Want to get your picture with the pig or the cow too? Get it wearing a Diners and Dives T-shirt and I’ll post it online. T-shirts are available by stopping by The Papers office at 114 W. Market St., in Warsaw. They are only $10, and proceeds will benefit the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club Foundation Scholarship Fund. You can send pictures of yourselves wearing the shirts to the new InkFreeNews Diners and Dives Facebook tab for posting.

Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Diners and Dives, Whirlwind Wanderlust Travels, or Profiles Behind the Scenes? Send SB Communications LLC Shari Benyousky an email at [email protected].