The James Logan Courier

By Kayleen Garingan, Courier Staff Writer

While in Reno, Nevada my family and I decided to go to the annual Nugget Rib Cook-off. The 24th annual "Best in the West" Nugget Rib Cook-off ran over the Labor Day weekend.

Not knowing what to expect, the smells of smoke and barbeque sauce engulfed our noses and power struck our taste buds. The smells of barbequed meat were absolutely delicious.

Though the lines were irritatingly long, it was worth the wait and the price. I tried many various types of meat and bbq while there like pulled pork sandwiches, brisket with beans, beef nachos and of course the ribs.

Every meat was drenched in a unique, secret bbq sauce. There were many different stands for different tastes such as one for spicy foods and another for sweet flavors. So, no matter how you preferred your food, there was a stand for you.

My favorite, by far, was the Texas style taters. They used fresh potatoes for each customer and used a tiny machine to cut down the potatoes to the perfect size for frying, and in about 3 minutes after ordering the meal was completed. This stand had about every sauce imaginable for this dish; ketchup, hot sauce, lemon, and so on. For only 7 dollars you received a plate full of heaven in your mouth.

After eating all the ribs and taters that your stomach could bear, the most popular drinks at the rib-cook off - freshly squeezed lemonade or beer for the adults - were there at you convenience to wash the food down. On that hot September day in Reno, refreshments were much needed and appreciated.

All in all, the rib cook-off was simply scrumptious, the prices were reasonable, the food was tasty, and the drinks cooled you down. What more could you ask for on vacation? With the community's support the rib cook-off was an absolute hit and pleased many. I recommend you make the drive to Nevada next year on Wednesday, August 29 through Monday, September 3, 2012 when the cook-off returns.