Lola may be a drunken pig, but she’s the hottest pig in town these days.

Lush Lola’s, a new catering business in the area, is doing so well it now has an event center in the historic Graystone Plaza in Detroit Lakes. Shop today at our online store!

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The Bayfront Park Art Fair connects families, artists and even trolley cars every summer along the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth. A community happening brings together artists ranging from jewelry production and paintings to sculptures and body products. With over 180 gallery quality artists and entertainers from all across the United States, the annual event is handi-cap accessible and offers up food, fun, music and even an art class or two. The 2013 Festival runs August 16-18: Friday 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday 10 to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 to 4 p.m. and it’s FREE.

Although the art is breathtaking and inspiring, I am fixated on the food. I can already taste the food!  I hear the Art of Brewcraft wine and beer tastings is out of this world! These exclusively crafted spirits come in a variety of distinctive styles, each possessing unique flavors that would add zip to any beer-braise or wine-infused recipe! There I go again, dreaming up new recipes! Everyone knows I am ruled by my stomach. What can I say, I am a pig!

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My new office/retail digs also have two complimentary business tenants in Beth Pridday’s Clever Container franchise and Kelly Schiffner’s Right Hook Design. The more the merrier, I always say. Our new office and event center is located at 113 Grastone Plaza, just off of Highway 10 near the Washington Avenue intersection. Look for all the great signature pink signage on our huge Highway 10 window.

All moved in and ready to rock, we are holding an open house this Thursday, August 8, 2013 from 4 to 7 PM. What a great excuse to play at the lakes. And because I love a good party, we will have some wonderful appetizers and summer refreshments too! I will also have my new wares on display so you can stock up on things like my famous Captain Lola’s Rum BBQ Sauce. See you there!

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Well the campers are rolling and the musical acts on the way! Yes WE Fest 2013 is set to start this Thursday, August 1!  WOW! Can you believe it has been more than 30 years since WE Fest opened its gates for the very first time? The year was 1983 and in addition to a great venue at the Soo Pass Ranch near Detroit Lakes, WE Fest flooded lakes country with lots of great country music, food and fun.

A little trivia for you true festers…can you remember the first big act to play WE Fest, way back in We in ’83?? It was the band Alabama and approximately 9,000 people showed up to listen to iconic country band perform. Since then, the annual outdoor music gathering has hosted hundreds of thousands of concert goers and numerous bands such as Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill, Merle Haggard, Brooks & Dunn, Kid Rock, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift.

An annual country music happening held the first weekend August, WE Fest is still going strong at 31!  Offering live music set in a one-of-of-a-kind venue, WE Fest also provides onsite camping for its festival goers. And what is camping without food! That is the part I like. Vendors providing everything from nachos to hot dogs: beer to, of course, BBQ. Come find me at WE Fest this year. My Drunken Pig sandwich will send you into hog heaven.

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Different places to peruse and plentiful new foods to try, I love summer vacations. Whether you are traveling to Maine for an authentic lobster boil, Seattle for fresh fish or New Orleans for a good gumbo, the key to these tasty native dishes is the special blend of seasonings they add – seasonings that may be common in their region but exotic in yours. Things like cumin, curry or coriander can give any homespun cuisine a memorable kick.

So, the next time you are traveling and find yourself going ga ga over a particularly wonderful local nosh, ask the server, cook or chef how they prepare it. Culinary creatives, those that craft new cuisines, love to share their unique concoctions. You may not get the exact recipe, but you may get an ingredient list and what their favorite seasoning of choice, which may be just enough to get your creative juices flowing to replicate the dish in your own kitchen.

As I am a BBQ expert (heck without me, there would be no BBQ!) I love sampling new sauces and seasonings inspired from my travels. Sometimes that means a new dry rub from St. Louis or maybe a cilantro-filled homemade salsa from a diner around the corner.  Either way, they get me thinking about new seasoning to try. Get inspired and try adding a new spice or herb to your own unique sauce or rub. A small change in seasonings is a great way to shake things up and add a little zip to your tried and true flavor-filled recipes.

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With lots of Fairs on the horizon, I am gearing up for some great midway action, fantastic exhibits and fabulous foods!  I like to get to the fair early and stay all day indulging in the most delectable fair stuffs imaginable such as my signature name sake, the Drunken Pig Sandwich.

Looking for a different type of fair? Try the 38th Annual Downtown Fargo Street Fair held July 18 -20. With 8-blocks of vendors, a street dance and lots of great food stands, this annual downtown gathering is a great way to eat, walk and shop all at the same time.

Come check me out. Just look for the familiar pink pig and wonderful aroma of BBQ. We will be serving something special for you at the Street Fair too. Try a Slathered Pig or Slop Bucket. There is just something familiar and fun about BBQ! It is true hog heaven.

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I consider myself an old soul, but Detroit Lakes’ Water Carnival out dates even me. If you are looking for new and nostalgic activities, fun fair style foods and special event happenings in and around the lake, the 78^th Annual Northwest Water Carnival is the place to be July 12-21. Beer Gardens, Water Show, Pet and Doll Parade and live music courtesy John Michael Montgomery are just a few of the endless activities offered. With over 60 events in 10-days culminating with one of the biggest parades around, the Parade of the Northwest on Sunday, July 21, I will have to pace myself to make sure I can take it all in. It’s time to party at the lakes.

Come say hi…Always adding new things to the lineup, the 78^th Northwest Water Carnival is offering up something called Sweet Summer Nights on Monday, July 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. Staged along Detroit Lakes’ Washington Avenue downtown shopping area, there will be numerous vendors, food and other wise, door prizes, giveaways and just tons of fun. Come check out my booth and get a taste of summer on a bun!

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As for food , I am somewhat of an expert on BBQ, so I’d suggest a whole pig roast (for a whole lot of me) or maybe a beer-braised meat paired with  one of my signature side dishes and private label BBQ sauces to create the perfect fuss-free gathering. And besides being extra tasty, I am extra helpful to boot!  I am available for room setup and upgraded plating!  Whatever you need to make your dream wedding come to life, I am your pig!

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I love the way fireworks light up the sky. Breathtaking blues, scarlet reds, gorgeous greens and brilliant whites coming together to light up the night sky. It truly brings  a tear to this pigs eye. Add food to such a spectacular event and you got one heck of a party brewing.  And…If you like fireworks as much as I do, come to Bonanzaville this 4th of July. Located in West Fargo, the Bonanzaville 4th of July Celebration is a fun,  old-fashioned family celebration complete with a BBQ picnic, train rides, scavenger hunt, costumed historical figures and of course FIREWORKS!

A truly must-see historic attraction, Bonanzaville offers up 12 acres of historic buildings and more than 400,000 artifacts to peruse, each taking visitors back to a place of pioneer people and nostalgic foods. Ohh, I am so there!  Actually, I really will be there! Check out my tastier side over the 4th as I bring myself to the BBQ in the form of my famous Drunken Pig Sandwich.

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Come to the 17^th Annual Cavalier Motorcycle Ride-In June 14 & 15 in Cavalier, ND for live music from the band Flying Bird, numerous street vendors, lots of great food, inflatable games for the kids, community church service for everyone, pancake breakfast feed and gun raffle. Considered the “Little Sturgis of the North”, the annual Cavalier Ride-In is now one the hottest biker events in the state! From walleye to BBQ, donuts to diner food, it’s a great summer pit stop. And of course you can stop by to say hi to me at my food booth on Friday night and Saturday!

All this talk of food again is making me hungry! As a pig though, I am always hungry. It’s what I do and who I am! And nothing rounds out a great BBQ, my favorite food, than fantastic sides! Think Bourbon Baked Beans, Loaded “Smashed” Potatoes, Steamed Baby Red Potatoes with garlic butter and parsley, Sweet corn, Collard Greens, Steamed Green Beans, Glazed Baby Carrots, Celebration Slaw, Pasta Salad, Potato Salad, Potato Chips, Cornbread, Double Chocolate Brownies, Cookies, Pies, and Cakes (including our famous Bourbon Bundt cake).  Great sides = a great meal! So don’t forget these less glamorous but ooh so important part of your next BBQ.

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