Met Tuffy Stone

500

I just ate lunch with my coworker at Rancho T, Tuffy's new restaurant.  Walked up and Tuffy's standing outside.  My coworker and I introduce ourselves and immediately pick up a conversation with him, just like we're neighbors.  Real easy guy to talk to.  We chatted about motorcycles, and fishing kayaks, and whatnot.   I tried not to fawn over him, but the guy is like a BBQ God.  Lunch was a fried mortadella bologna sandwich with fried potatoes.  Real good.   I want to try the Cubano sandwich next.  My wife and I had been to Ranch T for dinner.  Very good food all around.  The pork shoulder green chili was outstanding and the tamales were amazing.  So we finish and come out and Tuffy is coming in.  He thanks us for stopping by.  We talked about the BBQ classes that he's held, and my coworker asked how he got started in the restaurant business.  He described the whole setup he put together for the BBQ classes, with cameras and monitors to see all the cooking, how the classes had steaks Friday night, the early the next day with pork, brisket, and chicken throughout the day.  Dinner is the BBQ from that day.  He includes beer and wine, and tells all his competition secrets, including all the rubs and sauces he uses on the circuit.  I commented that he's not telling everything, but he said yes, he is telling all his secrets in the class, because he the cost of admission to the class, like $850, he said people expect to know everything.  He said they come away from the class with a bag of stuff, including all the rubs and sauces, and recipes for everything.  He said he plans on smaller shorter classes in the future, but he people came from Cananda to the class and also three world champion BBQ circuit pitmasters were there too.  Tuffy tells his condensed life story about learning cooking under a French chef, Alain Vincey at La Maisonette Restaurant, then opening his catering business, and it getting so big that he wasn't cooking any more, and so he wanted to get back to cooking and decided to get into BBQ and the competition circuit with the Cool Smoke team, and then winning all the BBQ competitions, starting the Q BBQ restaurants, and now Rancho T.  I told him I've enjoyed BBQ ever since moving to Richmond, and sought out great BBQ restaurants, and then decided I  wanted to make my own BBQ at home, and got the Egg.  He said he has a BGE as well.  Just a really nice, down to earth guy; real easy to talk to.  Glad I got to meet him, and look forward to talking with him again.  Fortunately, Rancho T is three blocks from my desk at work, so I'll be going back. 

Ozzie_Isaac

Awesome story.  Sounds like you had a good meal and visit.

swordsmn

BBQ people are in general decent sorts of folk.   Glad he was so cordial.

Cookbook_Chip

Cool!  I met him at Q in Short Pump when it opened.  Gotta try Rancho T!

Eggcelsior

Damn. I wish I knew about this when I wandered around Richmond for 2 hours while my wife ran the half-marathon there. Sounds like an awesome place.

johnmitchell

Great read..Thanks for sharing.

GATraveller

Pics or it didn't happen.

Cookbook_Chip

GATraveller said:

Pics or it didn't happen.

Well, okay then!

Thatgrimguy

He sure knows his way around that Jambo of his.

Nature Boy

Have had the pleasure of his company many times over 10 years of competing against him, and occasionally when not. Tuffy is a rare individual. You were quite lucky to get some time with him. Can't wait to try out his new place! I visited with him while he was working on it, and he put his whole heart into it.

Great story thanks!
Chris

500

I had my phone out ready to take a picture with him, but wanted him to ask me for a picture with him first.

johnkitchens

He seems like a great guy from what I have seen of him on TV. I would love to take his cooking class. I live about 100 miles from Myron Mixon, and I have debated taking his class that is held at his home. 

I am sure you will be going back often. 

Gman2

Nice post, some friends and I went for lunch three weeks ago after they first opened and ordered almost everything on the menu to try it out( it's not a huge menu). I must say it was great and you will not be disappointed with the cubano, green chili very good and very filling, tamales awesome, pig in blanket thingy good as well! Will be back 4 sure!!  We had a 7'1 server, it was weird watching him duck to go through the door back to the kitchen, he made everyone else look like midgets!

500

When I told him I had a Big Green Egg, he said he had one as well.  (I wouldn't have expected any less.)  He said he uses his mostly for high heat grilling.  I suppose he just fires up his hot rod Jambo when he wants to cook low and slow.