GOOD EATS: ARTMAN COUNTRY SMOKEHOUSE
‘We Don’t Do Leftovers’ By Rick Allen • Photos By John Jernigan
Clark Artman’s “retirement” is a little different than most of the folks he serves from his namesake restaurant on the northern edge of The Villages. The aromas from the cookers out back are a slight hint as to how he spends most days.
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ome might say our national dish is the hamburger or apple pie. But I suspect if you asked all Americans, odds are most would say barbecue. No matter where you go you can find the savory smoked flavors of beef, chicken and pork. Different regions might have their traditional sauces for local tastes, but the slowly saturated meats fresh from the smoker typically taste the same wherever you are. My first real encounter with barbecue was in the early 1980s working in Winter Haven. The staff would occasionally do lunch at a small rustic spot near Auburndale that served only
OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined
during the summer in a screened-in, open-air shelter surrounding its massive smoke pit. I don’t remember the name of the place, but I still recall the food. It wasn’t fancy—it didn’t need to be—but the taste was sufficient. I found the same vibe when I visited Artman Country Smokehouse, on the northern edge of The Villages. It’s a complete building, but the meats coming out of owner Clark Artman’s cookers out back are about as tasty as protein gets. He wasn’t always a pit master, says his wife and co-owner Gayla. “About 10 years ago Clark started
