DNC Eats: Where's the barbecue? And more food

Former Observer writer Dan Huntley is now better known as barbecuer Dan the Pig Man, who sells from a food truck covered with barbecue slogans. Dan was planning to sell barbecue sandwiches and ribs on Tryon Street all week for the Democratic National Convention.

He smoked 3,000 pounds of pork butts and 200 racks of ribs, enough for 6,000 sandwiches. After starting Monday at CarolinaFest, he was moving to Legacy Village, next to the Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St., for the reminder of the week.

Late Monday, word rocketed around the newsroom (or at least among my editors, who tend to be a bit obsessive about Dan's barbecue): Dan was sold out already. CarolinaFest turnout was so big, he was done for the week.

Never trust the word from editors: I called Dan on Tuesday morning and he was already back on South Tryon at Legacy Village. He stopped by a WalMart on his way home to York County Monday night, loaded up with 28 butts and started smoking again. So he's back in business for the rest of the week.

If you know a delegate who is desperate to try real Carolina barbecue, take them down to Legacy Village, across from the convention center (and all those hungry journalists). Tell Dan I sent you.

(And if John Oliver wants a barbecue sandwich, tell him to give me a call. I'll buy.)

THIS JUST IN: The Tin Kitchen food truck, with those cutting-edge tacos (pork belly, blackened shrimp, chicken tinga and the rest) will be at Morehead and Tryon Street every day at lunch, roughly from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 or so. They're at a private event Wednesday night (that would be the VIP after-party at ElderArt) in SouthEnd, and Thursday night, they'll be in NoDa near the Dog Bar. (And John Oliver, the offer still holds: You want a taco, I'll buy. I know these guys -- they'll give you extra cilantro rice if I ask them.)

DNC: The view from uptown

Hustling from the Mint to the Bechtler to the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Sunday, especially in the rain and heat, can definitely crimp a girl's party style. So I used a trick I've used several times in New York, when I don't have to go far but I want to save shoe leather: Hail a pedicab.

For $5 and a tip (I'm always generous to pedalers), veteran driver Raymond Dudine gave me some good advice. Worth bearing in mind this week: "You have to be smarter than traffic. Be nice to corner officers. Pay attention."

And since my camera cut off his phone number, here's another way to reach him if you need a ride: 704-668-9496.

Thanks, Raymond.

Delegates: What are you eating?

I can tell you what my diet has been like in the last week of 12- and 13-hour days getting ready for the DNC: Drive-thru, fast food, frozen stuff I barely thawed.

I was interviewing caterers by day and grabbing the fastest thing I could find at night. Ironic that Michelle Obama and her friends drove me to the first Big Mac I've eaten in a couple of years.

But what I'm more interested in is what you're eating: If you're a delegate or a DNC visitor, where did you end up going? Did you get shrimp & grits, did you love or hate our barbecue?

Pass it on, please. After hearing what the big-city papers ate here, I'm more interested in what the ground troops are doing. Email me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com or send me a note through Twitter (@kathleenpurvis).

Thanks.