The fair is in town, which means it’s been cold and rainy all week. Pack your poncho for the game on Saturday.

THE MENU

Last week’s brunch-on-the-grill could have been better. I felt like I didn’t have the grill hot enough when I put on the peaches (sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon) and the pound cake (good ol’ Sara Lee brushed with butter). They had a great flavor, just not the sear I was going for. The sausage patties turned out perfectly, and aside from the avocados I bought being a bit small to hold all of the egg white, so did the avocado eggs.

We have a small brisket flat in the freezer that was in the sale bin a few weeks back. It’s about 1.5 lb, so I’m thinking of throwing it on the smoker for an hour or two and then finishing it off by braising it in some beer, onions, garlic, & spices (I saw this on a website recently). On tap is Modelo Especial, which has been my go-to beer lately when I want something light.

Unrelated to food, I just started reading Comanche Moon after having gone through Dead Man’s Walk earlier this year. I read Lonesome Dove a few years ago, and am getting closer to completing the quartet. Long live Larry McMurtry.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

You all are going to have to make some tough decisions:

• ATO’s Gatorfest is at The Office featuring Flatland Cavalry and Koe Wetzel
• If you happen to see a Facebook event for Wade Bowen at Charley B’s on Saturday, it is #fakenews.
• Down & Dirty in the Depot is at The Garden featuring No Dry County and The Forty Thieves
• The fair is still going strong and Nightmare on 19th street opens for the season on Friday
• Lubbock in the Loop has a pretty great comprehensive fall schedule of events. I’ll be linking to this one weekly for a while and will be adding some of the events to the calendar.