Paulie’s Pig Out, Afton, Virginia

You may not have been to Afton, Virginia, or even heard of it. Afton is off the beaten path, a bit south of Waynesboro, but it turns out to be worth a trip. I’d heard from Virginia barbecue scholar Joe Payne that Paulie’s Pig Outcooks barbecue with wood and wood alone, so I went to check as part of my responsibilities with the Campaign for Real Barbecue.

It was cold, gray, and windy, a dismal sort of day, the sort of day that covers hope with a dark cloud. But is that a cloud, or something else? A whisper of smoke? And that gray, could it be? Yes!

Hope was rewarded as I drove up to a really good looking place to eat: Paulie’s Pig Out.

Unfortunately, on that day Paulie’s was operating as carry-out only as they waited, along with so many other restaurants, for the blessed day that some eager employees arrived to help staff the place. The best I could do was go to the carry-out window and order a pork sandwich.

Now that’s a lot of sandwich, with a whole lot of meat and a little bit of slaw. The meat, as you can see, has been sauced, and with that hint of sweetness that I can do without, but it had a good flavor. I have high hopes for a return visit when more clement weather and more helping hands allow them to open and talk about things and maybe temper the sauce to the shorn customer.

And there are many reasons to visit Afton, which turns out to be a culinary wonderland. Everywhere you turn, there seems to be a vineyard, a distillery, or a micro-brewery. Of course, there’s a long story of the production of alcoholic beverages in the mountains, so the only wonder is that it all seems to be taxed. And, like Paulie’s, the local restaurants seem proudly to bear the owner’s name — Ed’s Grill, Alex’s Tacos Truck, Jo’s Place, Weasie’s Kitchen, and so on. I have greater trust when people are willing to sign their work. It’s pretty country, and well worth a visit. Give Afton a visit and let me know what you think.

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