well, the bitter-sweet, smokey end of yet another Meat Week has arrived. and at the close of our 5th year of sauce-slingin' celebration, we can't help but face the rest of the year with heavy hearts. (mainly because our arteries are clogged.) must we really wait another full year to experience the camaraderie and meatcraze of the season?! i suppose. otherwise our health might really start to suffer.

but hey! let's pull ourselves out of the dumps (insert poop joke here) and take a moment to recognize those who contributed a little something extra to this year's holiday! check out the Meat Week Honors to see who went above and beyond the call of doody in the LA chapter this year. (captains of other cities, we'd love to post yours too if you have em!)

and, when the post-holiday blues come a-knockin', get a little dose to tide you over by visiting one of the Meat Week Best Ofs! check out the best of the best according to those who sampled a wide range throughout the week. the votes are in and the results speak for themselves. "Meat on!" they exclaim, "MEAT ON!" (once again, any other city who did a vote can send us your results!)

and we, the admirals, would like to extend a very special thanks to each and every one of you who participated, whether you partook of meats or just showed support online. the two of us have always known BBQ as a communal experience with our families, but we didn't realize the degree to which BBQ brings people together. thanks for making us feel a part of all the other chapters by sharing your photos and new traditions online. it was great meating a lot of new faces.

now kick your itis and get back to work with a clear conscience, knowing we've done our part to stimulate the meatconomy this year! we leave you with this food for thought:

"feed a man BBQ for a day and he will become hungry again in a week. feed a man BBQ for a week and his soul shall never hunger again." --gandhi