Street food with Soul

Georgia’s Smokehouse

When the Canary hotel was purchased by Kimpton in march of 2012 and laid off half of the existing staff, fate led thenexecutive Chef Brian Parks, a graduate of culinary school with many years of experience under his belt, down a new road. Literally.

he and his wife Alissa opened a food truck business.

After years of doing “fancy” food at the hotel and other high-end restaurants, Brian explains he wanted to get back to his Southern, soulful roots and make his mom’s Alabama-style, comfort food: pulled pork sandwiches and baby back ribs slathered in finger-licking Southern-style sauces, paired with cheddar and bacon hushpuppies and fried green beans—the kind of food that makes people happy.

“he wanted to open a restaurant. I told him he was crazy, because that’s my job,” recalls Alissa, with a smirk. “So we decided to meet in the middle on a food truck, which is still like opening a restaurant, but not so much.” or so they thought.

Brian explains that they actually take a very brick-and-mortar approach to Georgia’s Smokehouse, the mobile Southern-style barbecue restaurant they opened in January of 2013. They give customers tickets and run food out to them at their regular stops, which consist largely of business parks throughout Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Ynez and Carpinteria (during lunch and dinner hours from Tuesday to Sunday), as well as at public festivals and private events.

“People are surprised at how organized and reliable we are for a food truck, but we don’t know any other way than to run this truck like it’s a restaurant,” says Alissa, a 16-year hospitality industry veteran. Brian concurs, saying his new on-wheels dynamic “really hasn’t changed much from the kitchens and restaurants I’ve worked at. You still have to have a certain level of organization and preparedness every day you go into it.”

The main difference, Alissa explains, is that, with a truck, they can take the food to where the hungry people are. “You don’t have to worry about a slow Tuesday or a slow Wednesday.”

Brian adds that there are other major benefits to taking his back-ofthe-house talents on the road. “It’s fun for me to meet everybody, see the people that are eating the food, and get immediate responses. It’s great instant-gratification feedback.” —Jamie relth

Track down the truck to taste for yourself at georgias-smokehouse.com.

WOOD-FIRED PIZZA, COLD CUTS AND CHEESE PLATES, SALADS, BRUSCHETTA, BURRATA, PANINI, FRESH LOCAL FISH, SHELLFISH, SEAFOOD PASTA, RISOTTO, RAVIOLI, GNOCCHI, ORGANIC CHICKEN, STEAKS, LAMB CHOPS, SCALOPPINI, OSSOBUCO, ITALIAN SAUSAGE, ARTISANAL GELATO, CANNOLI, TIRAMISÚ, FINE WINES, SPIRITS, LARGE HEATED PATIO DINING, OPEN EVERYDAY.

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436 STATE STREET, SANTA BARBARA (805) 957-4177

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