Labor Day Weekend Entertaining

Things to do, drink and eat on Labor Day Weekend!

Hard to believe the summer is already over…feels like just yesterday, we were talking about Memorial Day Delish! Now that the kiddos are back in school and it’s almost time to put the cover on the pool, let’s get the party started with some Labor Day weekend entertaining ideas and enjoy these last breaths of summer lovin’!

If you want to take the “Labor” out of Labor Day, forget the cooking and order from my favorite BBQ restaurant in town, 521 Kitchen & Que, helmed by the talented Drew Kirkland. Here are a few of his speciality BBQ dishes (and while I don’t have a pic, his kale coleslaw is so freaking good, I was literally eating it with my hands in the studio! OMG. Scrumptious!) Check out the perfect beer pairings as suggested by my friends at Let’s Grab a Beer!

Smoked Chicken from 521 Kitchen & Que

If you’re serving grilled or smoked chicken this Labor Day, consider pairing with an American Lager, the most versatile of all beers. Lagers have a malty sweetness, which will accentuate the juicy tenderness of chicken. Bud Light has some subtle fruit notes and a crisp finish which pairs perfectly with this dish.

Can you smell the delicious wafting up from this hot tray of wings?

Who doesn’t love wings at a Labor Day party? By the way, if you’re making your own, try this insanely good version I came up with recently with a Vietnamese flair! If you’re serving hot wings, try pairing them with an English style IPA which has a crisp, zesty hoppiness. Goose IPA is a hop lovers’ dream! It has a fruity aroma, a dry malt middle and a long hop finish.

BBQ Pork Sliders from 521 Kitchen & Que

Pulled Pork would rank right up there on the, “if I had to pick a last meal” list. Drizzled (not drenched) in reallllllly good BBQ sauce….The pic above is food-gasmic. I just wish y’all could have tasted it! Serve this sammy with a Farmhouse Saison, which has spicy notes and a fruity tartness. It brings together the smoky and spicy seasoning of the sliders. Atalanta, from local Orpheous Brewing has acidity and fruitiness to make it an ideal compliment.

Melt-in-your-mouth Brisket at 521 Kitchen & Que

Everyone on set yesterday was freaking out over the brisket from 521 Kitchen and Que! Recently, when I’ve sampled brisket from other joints, it’s been way salty and not super tender. This brisket was smoked perfection. It’s rich and tender and melt-in-your-mouth, just the way brisket is meant to be! Pair this with a Bock style dark lager which has a balance of hoppiness and roasted caramel sweetness. This bring out that deliciously smoked meat. Michelob Amber Bock is a perfect compliment because of the dark, roasted malts.

photo courtesy www.visitmyrtlebeach.com

If you’re looking for a last minute beach getaway for Labor Day weekend, look no further than Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! TravelChannel.com recently named Myrtle Beach as one of the Best East Coast Beaches. There are 60 miles of sandy beaches, an assortment of great live entertainment and family friendly attractions, world-class golf and delicious Carolina Coastal cuisine and fresh seafood.

Plus, the bonus is, it’s only about a five and half hour drive from Atlanta or a 45-minute plane ride and boom— you’re right at the beach. This weekend, there are 2 fabulous events going on– especially enticing for foodies!

The Beach Boogie and Barbeque Festival is the Official BBQ Festival of South Carolina and is a free event that runs on Friday and Saturday. A $10 wristband gets you unlimited barbeque samples. They will also have a wing competition, a car show, corn hole tournament and other kids activities and games for the whole family.

Myrtle Beach’s annual food and wine festival Coastal Uncorked is also taking place Friday through Sunday. There will be a moonshine mixology and dessert event with a competition of local bartenders, a craft beer festival and a large wine tasting with food and local music.

If you can’t make it this weekend, Myrtle Beach just kicked off a “Relax and Unwind” initiative for the fall meant to combat stats revealed by the U.S. Travel Association showing that 40% of Americans don’t use all of their paid time off (PTO). To help encourage people to take their time off, Myrtle Beach has created some incentives for those traveling to the area this fall. Things like budget friendly lodging and attraction deals, perks for vacationers willing to temporarily disconnect from their phones at restaurants and other ideas for relaxing and unwinding in the area. There are ideas for every kind of traveler – from girlfriend getaways to family vacations, cultural enthusiasts to romantics – make sure to visit www.visitmyrtlebeach.com for all of the details!

The Great Plate– and the ONLY plate you’ll ever need.

I already introduced you guys to The Great Plate last week, but it’s such an incredible product, I have to share again. The past 2 times I’ve done TV segments with the plates, people keep coming up to me on set asking to take one (or 3!) home with them! It really is that cool. And, you can now order an assortment of colors and in packages of 4. It’s shareable, it’s portable, it flies and it floats! Check out all of The Great Plate’s incredible (and unlimited) uses here.

Watch Labor Day Entertaining on Atlanta & Company below!