A Benko BBQ

Gray and Mike Benko are friends and a Charleston couple we love (who also happen to be fans of Red Clay, lucky for us). They sat In the Hot Seat to start Labor Day weekend off right.

Ok, let’s start with Hots + Nots:

What’s hot to you right now?

MB: 1. Summertime in the South. (Too hot as a matter of fact. We’re ready for fall.) 2. My old 2003 Ducati 998. 3. My smokin' hot wife, Gray Benko. 

Michael, you’re making us blush. 

GB: 1. Authenticity! 2. My husband doing the dishes.

And nots? 

GB: People leaving doors open and therefore letting swarms of flies into my house--don’t get me started. 2. Impatient drivers.

MB: Not seeing the glass as half full.

One item you can’t live without?

MB: A good green salad with oil and vinegar. I do like to dash it up with some Red Clay Hot Sauce!

GB: I don’t feel like my day is complete unless I end it with a bowl of popcorn with olive oil, parm & sea salt--in bed. 

We need your biggest guilty pleasure.

GB: Probably the same as the food I can’t live without, only add a little bit of Outlander the equation.  

MB: Corona Lights after work.

Can we hangout with you guys more often?

Favorite Red Clay food pairing?

MB: The Original goes well on just about everything.

GB: Hot Honey and pizza!

If you could only have 3 things with you on a deserted island, what would they be?

MB: A fishing pole, a hammock and some Red Clay Hot Sauce.

GB: Lip balm, a good book and, well my husband said Red Clay so I can’t let him show me up!

Fave Red Clay flavor?

GB: A toss-up between Hot Honey and Verde.

MB: Definitely the Original. But we had some grilled skirt steak for dinner tonight and the Verde was amazing on it. It is making a run for my fave.

Can you share a sentence about yourself? 

GB: Mom/wife/photographer whose Southern roots run deep.

MB: No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

OK, swooning over both of you!

Thank you, Benkos! Y’all are the best! With gratitude, The Red Clay Crew