I never get tired of the great debate about which mayonnaise is the best, as if personal preference shouldn’t be allowed to count in these sorts of things. Hellmann’s? Get out of town! Kewpie? Hipster bastard! Blue Plate? I didn’t know you were from New Orleans. (Even though that’s now made in Knoxville.) Miracle Whip? Heretic!
I’ll admit that I gave in early to the indoctrination that said if I was a fan of Southern food (which I obviously am) that Duke’s should be my redneck aioli of choice. That yolky creaminess just hits better with a salt-and-pepper tomato sandwich, and that tang of vinegar makes my pimento cheese more exciting. But I happily allow others to have their own opinions, with the possible exception of Miracle Whippersnappers.
Duke’s versatility is what makes it a favorite of many restaurant kitchens as well, including Nashville chef Bryan Lee Weaver’s restaurants Butcher & Bee and Redheaded Stranger. Along with his two cousin restaurants in Charleston, Weaver has fallen into a partnership with the Duke’s folks to showcase their new varieties along with amazing summer heirloom tomatoes in new special menu items during the month of July.
Duke’s has come out with some new flavors recently — habanero garlic, cucumber dill and bacon- and tomato-flavored mayos, varieties that should dovetail nicely with the kind of food Weaver puts out of his kitchens.
"We've been using Duke's at the Bee and RHS for as long as we've been using mayo," says Weaver. "It's part of what makes our menus special and has gone into so many condiments over the years.”
I’m excited to see what Weaver’s two culinary teams do with fresh tomatoes and these new tarted-up Duke’s flavors. Butcher & Bee has already been one of my favorite spots in town for vegetable-forward dining, so I’ll be(e) heading there soon to find out!
Duke’s and the B&B group have also collaborated on custom T-shirts with sales benefiting Pay It Forward, a nonprofit started by Michael Shemtov and team Butcher & Bee. Pay It Forward is dedicated to providing financial relief to members of the Charleston restaurant community through grants. Fans can visit butcherandbee.com for more info on specific offerings or to buy a T-shirt.
