Meet Ray Lampe aka “Dr. BBQ,” Head Judge for Top Local Chef
We all know Ray Lampe as Dr. BBQ, the Food Network celebrity chef and cookbook author best known, of course, for barbecue, including his latest, “Ray Lampe’s Big Green Egg Cookbook.”
And most recently (just this past October!) he joined Suzanne and Roger Perry, owners of the Datz, Dough and Roux restaurants in Tampa, to open the first Dr. BBQ Restaurant, right here in St. Petersburg, where he has lived the past several years. The two-story restaurant, at 1101 First Ave S in the EDGE District, features new American barbeque in a rustic industrial setting that features reclaimed barn wood, art by local muralist Cam Parker, aka Painkiller Cam; and antique pieces throughout. On the menu: Burnt Ends, Pork Brisket, Go-Chu Jang Sticky Ribs, Mac-A-Phoni & Cheese, and signature drinks are just a few of the highlights.
Ray Lampe grew up in Chicago and spent 25 years in his family's trucking business. In 2000, when the trucking business had run its course, he decided it was time to move to Florida and try something new. He had been participating in barbecue cookoffs for fun since 1982, so he decided to take a leap and turn his hobby into a career as an outdoor cooking expert.
The career leap has certainly paid off. Ray Lampe aka Dr. BBQ is now one of the top names in the barbecue world, and in 2014 he was inducted into the BBQ Hall of Fame.
Here are some of the other things Dr. BBQ does:
• He judges! He is an expert judge on the Food Network's "Chopped" and “Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri,” Travel Channel's "American Grilled," on “Smoked” with Myron Mixon, and now on LocalShops1's Top Local Chef!
• He cooks! Dr. BBQ has cooked in more than 300 barbecue contests, winning more than 300 awards! He is also a featured Pro-Chef on NBC's "Food Fighters" and a contestant on the Food Network Special “Chopped Grillmasters”
• He is the spokesman for several brands, including The Big Green Egg grill and smoker, Cabo Wabo Tequila, Kansas City Steak Company and the National Pork Board.
• He is all over the news! Dr. BBQ was featured on the Food Network’s “Best Thing I Ever Ate” and has appeared on the Food Network, The Talk on CBS, E! News, HGTV, The NFL Network, The Discovery Channel, CNN and several other national and local TV shows. He has also been featured in dozens of publications, including Food & Wine Magazine, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, People Magazine and Men’s Journal.
You can follow him on Twitter at @drbbq and on his Facebook page, Dr. BBQ.
And most recently (just this past October!) he joined Suzanne and Roger Perry, owners of the Datz, Dough and Roux restaurants in Tampa, to open the first Dr. BBQ Restaurant, right here in St. Petersburg, where he has lived the past several years. The two-story restaurant, at 1101 First Ave S in the EDGE District, features new American barbeque in a rustic industrial setting that features reclaimed barn wood, art by local muralist Cam Parker, aka Painkiller Cam; and antique pieces throughout. On the menu: Burnt Ends, Pork Brisket, Go-Chu Jang Sticky Ribs, Mac-A-Phoni & Cheese, and signature drinks are just a few of the highlights.
Ray Lampe grew up in Chicago and spent 25 years in his family's trucking business. In 2000, when the trucking business had run its course, he decided it was time to move to Florida and try something new. He had been participating in barbecue cookoffs for fun since 1982, so he decided to take a leap and turn his hobby into a career as an outdoor cooking expert.
The career leap has certainly paid off. Ray Lampe aka Dr. BBQ is now one of the top names in the barbecue world, and in 2014 he was inducted into the BBQ Hall of Fame.
Here are some of the other things Dr. BBQ does:
• He judges! He is an expert judge on the Food Network's "Chopped" and “Tailgate Warriors with Guy Fieri,” Travel Channel's "American Grilled," on “Smoked” with Myron Mixon, and now on LocalShops1's Top Local Chef!
• He cooks! Dr. BBQ has cooked in more than 300 barbecue contests, winning more than 300 awards! He is also a featured Pro-Chef on NBC's "Food Fighters" and a contestant on the Food Network Special “Chopped Grillmasters”
• He is the spokesman for several brands, including The Big Green Egg grill and smoker, Cabo Wabo Tequila, Kansas City Steak Company and the National Pork Board.
• He is all over the news! Dr. BBQ was featured on the Food Network’s “Best Thing I Ever Ate” and has appeared on the Food Network, The Talk on CBS, E! News, HGTV, The NFL Network, The Discovery Channel, CNN and several other national and local TV shows. He has also been featured in dozens of publications, including Food & Wine Magazine, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, People Magazine and Men’s Journal.
You can follow him on Twitter at @drbbq and on his Facebook page, Dr. BBQ.
