IN THE KITCHEN: Chef Van Arsdall IV goes OTB to Barrio Logan for BBQ, beer and pizza

BBQ in the Barrio

Story by Clyde Van Arsdall Photos by Karina Passos

Texas troubadour Lyle Lovett once said, “Barbecue sauce is like a beautiful woman. If it is too sweet, it's bound to be hiding something.” David Kendall, pitmaster of Sideyard BBQ by HottMess, lets everyone know he has nothing to hide by serving his ribs dry.

This is the "Barn Burner" from Sideyard BBQ. This combo tray comes with 4 meats, 4 sides, 4 sauces and 4 pieces of cornbread.

If you love to see old things repurposed, then you need to head over to Barrio Logan in San Diego. Thorn Brewing Co. founder Dennis O’Connor, has taken an old factory building and made it a destination for both food and drink. Thorn Barrio Logan occupies a large portion of the building with a production facility and tasting room. Sideyard BBQ, HottMess Wood Fired Pizza and ReBru Spirits, a distillery, fill the rest of the space, completing a trifecta of beer, booze and food. There is a lot to unpack in one location, but for me, barbecue always takes center stage — so let’s get our smoke on with Sideyard.

This converted horse trailer serves as a counter at which to order food and cocktails at Sideyard BBQ.

This is chef Kenzo Inai of Sideyard BBQ and Hotmess Wood Fired Pizza.

My uncle from North Carolina once told me, “There’s a simple truth in barbecue: If you don’t see wood stacked out back, it ain’t worth stopping for.” No need to worry — as you arrive in the Barrio, you can smell the perfume of the white oak hanging in the air at Sideyard. And you can certainly taste it in their barbecue.

Like the iconic lowrider cars of Barrio Logan, Sideyard BBQ is all about the low and slow. Sideyard starts with quality ribs and brisket, and then applies a simple rub of salt, pepper and a few other proprietary spices, allowing the taste of the meats to take center stage. Pitmaster Dave hits all the right switches, making this barbecue bounce. The 12-hour cruise in the old-school smoker produces a brisket that tastes juicy and moist with a deep mahogany bark. You know it's good because Sideyard sells out most days. When it doesn’t, Sideyard makes a next-level chili with what is leftover. I have been praying for a slow day so I can try a bowl but haven’t found one yet.

When I bite into the meat, I want to taste the pitmaster’s hard work and smell the subtle nuances of the smoke before trying the sauce. Sideyard embraces barbecuing with a dry rub and sauce on the side, a style popular in Memphis, Tennessee. Chef Kenzo Inai, the former banquet chef at the Hotel Del

Dennis O Connor, far right, was kind enough to give myself and chef Je Heavey, far left, a tour of ReBru distillery. Oak barrels are used for aging in the Rebru distillery. The outdoor patio of Sideyard BBQ is full of fun murals and plenty of seating.

and many other great spots around town, has created a trio of sauces that are refined and far from the norm. The “Chingon Chimichurri” is chunky, more like an Argentinian pico de gallo than a sauce. “Adelita’s Sweet BBQ” is just that, sweet but tangy. The “Smoked Chipotle Lacquer” gets its heat and smoky flavor from chipotle in adobo — not that unusual until you find out Kenzo smokes the jalapenos and makes his adobo sauce in-house. You're not going to find this anywhere else; the attention to detail can be tasted in everything he touches.

One of the greatest faults of most barbecue joints is that they focus everything on the meat, and the sides are usually forgettable. This is not the case at Sideyard, where chef Kenzo is dead set on producing sides that will have you asking for more. The “Jalapeño Mac and Cheese” with Parmesan bread crumbs o ers a new take on an old classic. The “Crunchy Pineapple Coleslaw” takes a sharp departure from the mundane versions that are sickeningly sweet and drenched in mayonnaise. The “Sweet Potato Salad with Tart Green Apples” tossed in a sweet honey dressing once again lets you know there is a trained chef at the helm. Not all cornbread is created equal. If you ask Southerners what their favorite cornbread is, they will usually claim their mothers’. On this front I would agree, but Kenzo does a mighty fine job with his and then serves it with ancho honey butter — Mama never thought of that.

My favorite side has to be the “Chente Frijoles”. The term chente has a few di erent meanings and is also the nickname of Mexican mariachi singer Vicente Fernández, also known as El Rey de la Música Ranchera. I have no idea if these beans were named after him, but it would be fun if they were because these beans sing to me. Cooked perfectly, the beans are just starting to break down, making them creamy; some beans remain whole giving them just the right texture. Kenzo then laces the beans with tomatoes, onions, garlic and chiles. Beans matter when it comes to barbecue, and even more so when that barbecue is served in Barrio Logan. This fact certainly wasn’t lost on Kenzo; he nailed it.

As if his craft at Sideyard wasn’t enough, chef Kenzo is also the chef at HottMess Wood Fired Pizza in the same building. He uses the spent grains from the Thorn brewery next door to craft his pizza dough. Toppings include some of pitmaster Dave's barbecue as well

These are various fl avorings used in the distilling process at ReBru Spirits.

This is a pepperoni pizza from Hotmess Wood Fired Pizza. This pizza features a crust made of spent grains from Thorn brewery and house made pepperoni.

Hot link sausages are one of the four meats I chose for my "Barn Burner" combo tray.

as pepperoni and sausage that Kenzo makes in-house. The menu at HottMess is just that, a hot mess: eclectic and funky, but exciting and delicious. It gives a healthy nod to Barrio Logan with toppings like cochinita pibil (braised pork), cilantro and fresh chiles. The pizzas are cooked in a wood-fi red oven that uses the same white oak stacked high out back for their barbecue. Wood fi ring produces a char that adds complexity to the fl avor — a nice touch to an already well-thought-out pizza.

Is anyone getting thirsty? If Thorn Barrio Logan wasn't enough, under the same roof is a craft distillery. ReBru Spirits takes overstocked and expired kegs of beer and repurposes them into whiskey, vodka and gin. They use the spent charcoal from the smoker at Sideyard to fi lter the liquor in the distilling process. All this booze is used to make fun cocktails, like the “East Side Ricky” made with ReBru gin, lime, sugar, cucumber, mint and soda. The “John Daly” is refreshing and goes great with barbecue. It is made with ReBru vodka, lemon and sun tea.

This may seem like a lot to take in, because it is. You can break this o into little pieces, but I say go for it. Come in hot with a group of friends or family and order the “Barn Burner.” This combo tray comes with four choices of meat, four sides, four sauces and four pieces of cornbread. Top that o with a couple of pizzas and wash it all down with some Thorn beers or Sideyard cocktails.

Writing about your favorite barbecue is a little like talking about your favorite surf spot. You want to share the love, but selfi shly you want to keep it for yourself. Good barbecue joints amass a cult following, and it won’t be long before this place is swamped with devotees. This is unequivocally some of the best barbecue in San Diego and it is just over the bridge. The good news is when it does become a hotspot — and trust me, it will — Thorn brewery is next door so you can have a few beers while you wait. I'll make sure to save a stool for you.

• Clyde Van Arsdall is a third-generation Coronado local, chef, and storyteller. For more stories and follow-ups to his articles go to www.oliveavenuesupperclub.com.

ReBru Vodka made from repurposed kegs of IPA.

Sweetcane Peppermint Whisky from Rebru, featuring hints of stone fruit and spearmint.

Gin by Rebru Spirits, featuring the foundational fl avors of a London dry gin.

Barrio Logan, Relay IPA and Hopster Pot are three beers in the Thorn brewery lineup.

with Tart Green Apples and Honey Dressing Chef Kenzo Inai, Sideyard BBQ (6 servings) 3 cups sweet potatoes, medium dice 1 tablespoon vegetable Oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 cup green apples, medium dice 1/2 cup red onion, medium dice 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Dressing 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes in the oil, salt and pepper. Next place the sweet potatoes on a baking pan and place in the oven. Cook until the sweet potatoes are caramelized and soft enough to cut through easily with a fork. Remove from the oven and transfer to another container to cool.

In a saute pan, caramelize the onions over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Place in the same container as sweet potatoes and set aside to cool o .

Put all of the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk together.

Once the potatoes and onions are cooled to room temperature you can mix all ingredients together.

Enjoy it immediately or place it in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

This is the Jalapeno Mac and Cheese with Parmesan bread crumbs. Pictured are the dry rubbed ribs served with sauce on the side and the Pineapple ColeSlaw.

Chef and storyteller Clyde Van Ardall (right) visits with site manager Ernie Salgado (left).

Pineapple ColeSlaw

Chef Kenzo Inai, Sideyard BBQ (6 servings) Slaw 4 cups green cabbage, shredded 1 cup red cabbage, shredded 1/4 cup carrot, shredded 1 cup pineapple, small diced Dressing 1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/8 cup honey 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds In a medium size bowl mix the cabbages, carrot and pineapple together. In a separate bowl whisk all of the dressing ingredients together. Pour the dressing over the coleslaw and toss everything together.

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