Issue 429

Grilled Lunch

Around the Woodworker’s Journal offices, the subject of lunch can sometimes become a hot topic. There is a cadre that will sometimes go out to one of the nearby restaurants, and choosing which one can involve a lot of negotiating and discussion of the daily special. (Myself, I’m a fan of the tater tots at a nearby family-owned diner. I am hot to trot for a good tot!)

I’m thinking of this not just because I’m writing this editorial right before lunchtime, but also because, as I mentioned a couple of issues ago, I recently attended the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. What do these things have to do with each other, you may wonder? Well, I’m here to tell you.

Not only does the Hardware Show display tools and, not suprisingly, hardware, but there are also a plethora of grilling options on display in the outdoor parking lot. A quick little walk-through around midday yields some tasty samples of salmon, burgers, pizza … whatever a guy could want for lunch.

Grills are kind of related to hardware, in that you can buy them at a hardware store, and you can find all sorts of them at the show. And, now that Minnesota’s weather is not quite as frigid, it’s beginning to be the season to grill out here, too. Some people might even throw a few mesquite or applewood chips on the grill – although for most woodworkers, that probably only happens if those chips are too small for building a project.

Are you a griller? Do you throw wood on your fire? Or do you save that for the woodshop?

Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal