Vision Barbecue, Charlottesville, Virginia

Let me give a shout-out to Jim Bosket of Sweet Blue Smoke. I owe him. I got to chatting with Jim when Nancy, Lily, and I went to Sweet Blue Smoke, and it turned out that Jim was from Charlottesville. I mentioned Ace Barbecue and Biscuit, and Jim said that THE place to go for barbecue in Charlottesville was Vision Barbecue. Vision, he assured me, was the real deal. So on the way back from my two-day tour of northeastern North Carolina with John Shelton Reed, Dan Levine, and Alan Parnell, I detoured to Charlottesville to give Vision a try.

Well, first I went to Ace in an effort to resolve the Great Biscuit Controversy, and then drove over to Vision in a pouring rain. I pulled up and saw the offset cooker smoking away. Ah!

I was alarmed to see a propane tank on the front by the hitch (not shown). Could that be a gas assist? I went inside to the counter and asked co-owner Mike Blevins about it. No, he explained. All of their meat is cooked only with wood. The propane is for a griddle attachment for toasting the buns, etc., when they’re cooking at special events. Whew!

I got down to business and ordered the 9 oz Three Meat Plate ($16) with brisket, pork, and sausage.

Jim Bosket, you were right. Vision is the real deal. The brisket was tender and moist, and had a decided taste of smoke. Ditto the pork. The pork included some outside bark that had a noteworthy texture, especially for an offset smoker. Both brisket and pork were flavorful and had just the right texture. The sausage was well seasoned, not especially hot. The meat had a medium grind, not Texas rough or over-fine, and the casing had a serious snap.

The plate came with two sides, as you can see.   The slaw had an interesting and complex dressing that really appealed to me. The greens were exceptionally meaty, and you can see some pepper seed in there. Like all the other sides, they were made in-house, and the sides extend at times to gumbo, chili, and other delicacies.

All in all it was a great meal. Mike and I were joined by co-owner Gabi Barghachie. I asked to photograph Mike and Gabi, and they insisted on having Brandon, “the guy who does everything,” join them. I like that — making sure people down the ladder get credit. Here they are, Mike, Gabi, and Brandon.

The Vision website includes profiles of all of the team members here. Vision is a tiny place, and much of their business is carryout, catering, and events around Charlottesville and beyond, notably on Carter Mountain. Stay tuned to their Facebook page and other social media.

I need to get back to Charlottesville, and maybe up to Carter Mountain. Gabi’s profile noted that chicken is his favorite meat, and smoked chicken can be wonderful, as at B’s and Stephenson’s. They also have pastrami sometimes, and burnt ends. Also, there are some places I need to check on the way down, and Charlottesville has so much else to offer. You should visit the city. While you’re there, definitely go to Vision. You’ll be glad you did.

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