What do Charleston, S.C., Garland, Texas, and Oneonta have in common?
They are sources for barbecue sauces listed on the AOL Food website. Among 20 featured rubs and sauces, Brooks' House of Bar-B-Q is mentioned twice _ once for its original sauce and a second time for its chicken sauce.
The list was presented by Kat Kinsman, writing that ``some of the country's finest BBQ joints and cooking teams have bottled their signature sauces and rubs. We're sharing our regional favorites so you can start planning your road trip to visit the pitmasters _ or just order online.''
Kinsman, senior editor of AOL Food and a resident of Brooklyn who grew up in Kentucky, said, ``Nothing makes me happier than spending hours upon hours tending a barrel smoker so I can share the glory of a pulled pork shoulder or a dry-rubbed brisket with my friends and loved ones.''
Ryan Brooks said he didn't know that both versions of Brooks' BBQ sauce were going to be featured on AOL's website.
"I've never been so excited to open something on the Internet and see our sauce," Brooks said Wednesday. "One picture even showed a half-used bottle. It was really great."
He said his mother is an avid AOL user who was surfing around when she happened upon the barbecue sauce listings.
"Mom was shocked to see it and called me instantly, and then almost simultaneously, I got an e-mail from one of our vendors congratulating us for making the list.
"I'm still smiling," Brooks continued. "It's a great honor."
Brooks said he was trying to contact someone at AOL to find out how the featured sauces were chosen, but he said there didn't seem to be any direct contact information.
"I guess our customers did it," Brooks said. "We get a lot of Web-based orders, and there are comments on our website from people in California, Florida and all over who have tried the sauce and have to have it again."
Brooks said he loves to see the smiling faces of people who enjoy the sauce at the restaurant.
"That is why we work so hard," Brooks said. "And we have been very lucky."
No criteria or rankings are mentioned for the featured sauces. According to the website, http://food.aol.com/grilling/bbq-sauce-reviews, the recommendations include:
ä Brooks' House of BBQ Original Barbecue Sauce _ ``Slather it on: Anywhere you'd use ketchup. ... The luscious, tomato-based sauce slops the palate with a mellow sea of caramel that's not too sweet, and just tangy enough to keep it interesting. It's all but replaced ketchup in our house."
ä Brooks' House of BBQ Chicken Sauce _ ``Slather it on: Whole or split chickens. ... Since 1951, Brooks has built an upstate New York empire on the back of its addictive split-chicken barbecue. This tangy, yellow marinade and finishing sauce has an awful lot to do with that. The sharply acidic vinegar-and-egg base is an ideal brining solution, resulting in impossibly moist, tender chicken every time _ even if you're blazing up fifty of 'em at a pop.''
Ryan and Beth Brooks are the third generation to own and operate the business.
Brooks' House of Bar-B-Q has a 300-seat restaurant on state Route 7 in Oneonta and also caters at events throughout the area. During the peak of the summer season, 100 people are employed for the restaurant and catering service, according to the business' website.
The average number of customers on a weekday is 600, with 1,100 on a weekend day, the site said, and these numbers don't include take-out and catering services.
For more information about Brooks' House, call 432-1782 or visit www.brooksbbq.com.
