Mouth-watering barbeque hits Dayton

DAYTON - The Touchet Valley has a new source for fresh "low-and-slow" Memphis-style barbeque with a New York twist. R and B BBQ opened its doors at 232 East Main Street in Dayton on December 8 with breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus.

Owner Rex McNicol was on hand during a recent lunch-hour visit to give a tour. McNicol says he began slow cooking 16 years ago and entered competitions four years ago.

"If we won top prize, we'd still make more money off vending than we did the prize itself," he quips.

McNicol spent some time doing pop-up events in Walla Walla with his mobile slow cooker. But when the opportunity came to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant, he grabbed it. He and his wife Bonnie opened in the space where Noble Hunt and, more recently, Annie's Attic were located. The couple has turned the spacious storefront into a feast for the nose and palate. I learned that, like a boat or guitar, you must have a name for your oven.

"I call my slow cooker and smoker Big Red," says McNicol. "This is where I do the chicken, ribs, Tri-Tip, pork roasts. I have a grill for my steaks, and I call her Little Helper."

McNicol's take on Texas Twinkies is a unique and mouth-watering treat: "A large jalapeno filled with a slice of Tri-Tip and special filling, then wrapped with honey-cured bacon and smoked to perfection." This last summer, according to McNicol, he appeared on Food Network's "BBQ USA," where celebrity chef Michael Symon enjoyed one of those Texas Twinkies.

The secret to McNicol's art could be the six years spent perfecting his secret recipe rub. It guarantees the meat's tender, moist, and flavorful finish, worthy of enjoying without condiments.

"I get offended when people start pouring sauces on my meat," McNicol grins.

R and B BBQ is open Wednesday-Sunday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and offers takeout menus.