As the air grows warmer and stickier, the nostalgic pleasure of ripping sweet meat off a rib with fingertips buttered in rich sauce is beginning to tease the taste buds of Staples students.

Although some students are more willing to grill than others, most students agree that there is nothing better than a hot barbecue dinner outdoors in the summertime.

Barbecue is an American classic. But it’s not the meal people want to eat on their first date. Nobody wants Bone Suckin’ Sauce hanging on the edge of their lips and then plummeting down onto white shirts, with sticky fingers and barbecue breath; but besides a first date, just about any other time is a good time to eat some meat bathed in that familiar sauce.

Phil Foisie ’15, a member of the Staples barbecue club, said there’s nothing better than cooking up some food on the grill for a bunch of sweaty, hungry people chillin’ poolside or at Compo Beach. Foisie’s personal favorite is ribs. He can down a full ten rack.

Another member of the Staples barbecue club, Justin Cheng ’16, is more of a chicken kind of guy. “It’s a classic and works well with a lot of sauces,” Cheng said, partial to the Bobby Q’s bold traditional sauce.

The two barbecue club boys are itching to get their hands on a pair of tongs and find that perfect medium between raw and overcooked on top of a greasy grill.

Nick Ward ’14 however, would rather sit back in a lawn chair and watch his mom grill his summer favorites.

“My mom makes amazing pulled pork,” Ward said. Then again, he said, “the pulled pork sandwich from Wilson’s is pretty damn good.”

Wilson’s is one of Ward’s favorite nearby restaurants; it’s located on the Post Road in Fairfield. He advises other Staples students to try it if they crave a good sandwich or a lip-smacking rack of ribs.

No matter if it’s grabbing Wilson’s to-go or grilling at home, there’s an understood, contagious pleasure attached to barbecue. It’s hard to put into words, according to some Staples students. However, John Miller, a Staples social studies teacher understands why he loves it so much. “It’s outside. It’s easy. There’s no mess and I’m really good at it.”

Megan Nuzzo ’15 argues it’s the inevitable atmosphere associated with barbecue that feeds her obsession. “I love it when I’m surrounded by family and friends with country music blasting eating barbecue” Nuzzo said.

With the temperature rising, a sizzling plate of barbecue chicken, warm mac-and-cheese and seedless watermelon is more likely to weave its way into the diets of Staples students. As long as it’s a sunny day, and there’s a tall stack of napkins waiting to be dirtied, the grill is the best thing to turn up. A glass or two of sweet tea, Ward adds, helps students mellow out that smoky flavor.

Apparently just water doesn’t do the trick.