Men Who Like to Travel - David Latt

The Barbecue Trail It's summer. Time to follow the sweet smoke that drifts from smokers and grills in rural Texas, Alabama and North Carolina all the way to the busy streets of Brooklyn and Chicago. The basics are the same everywhere. Slabs of meat and poultry spend hours in giant metal ovens until, stained by heat and smoke, they are sliced, chopped and pulled, served with an assortment of salads, sides of steamed, braised or roasted vegetables and slices of white bread or chunks of corn bread. The application of barbecue sauce--sweet, tangy or tongue-burning hot--completes the experience. Something about barbecue creates fanatics. Diners with sticky fingers, wave their bones in the air as they debate whether or not dry rub by itself or a combination of dry rub and sauce brings out the best flavors in the meat. Hunched over a plate of pulled pork, people can argue for days about how long to smoke, which sauce is best (sweet and hot and thick or thin with a vinegary bite), a

Twenty-five miles west of busy Washington, D.C., Loudoun County is close enough to be far away. Dominated by vineyards and horse farms, the idyllic setting can quiet the mood of anyone wanting to take a break from their over-stimulated life.   Leaving behind turnpikes and highways, travelers enter the slower paced world of small towns like  Middleburg ,  Leesburg ,  Lovettsville  and  Purcellville . Where to Eat Middleburg Equestrian farms surround Middleburg. A road trip on Route 50 takes visitors through beautifully maintained pasture land. There are fast-food outlets, but you are more likely to eat in a small restaurant or market that is soneone’s passion-project. For anyone who enjoys picnicking, Market Salamander  and  Home Farm Store  on Washington Street carry high-quality prepared foods, made-to-order sandwiches, whole cooked chickens, smoked turkey wings, charcuterie, cheese and desserts. Down the block and around the corner, you can stop for a good cup of coffee, a