10 minute read
Trends: Texas-style BBQ food festival redux, eat-in patios
CUE THE LONE STAR BRISKET
Texas-style BBQ is having a moment, and L.A. is here for it.
BY CAROLE DIXON
While California barbecue is typically associated with Santa Maria–style tritip, a passion for Central Texas brisket has slowly crept into our backyards and local rib joints. And we typically have a fall heatwave that makes ring up the grill or the Green Egg smoker appealing well into October.
Brothers John and Chris Bicos have owned and operated Pasadena institution GUS’S BBQ for over 13 years and have certainly noticed the trend developing. “For Central Texas BBQ, beef or brisket is generally the focus, smoked over oak wood,” John says. Gus’s uses the highest-quality prime brisket available and smokes it for 14 hours with pecan wood. “It still gives a great smoke, but the pecan is a mellower, nutty taste,” he says. The meat is also heavily dusted with thick kosher salt and cracked black pepper. “This is typical of what you will get in Texas—prime-quality beef with basic seasonings, no marinades, and a heavier smoke,” John adds.
MOO’S CRAFT BARBECUE was launched in 2017 by owners Andrew and Michelle Muñoz as an East L.A. backyard pop-up before drawing long lines at Smorgasburg, and they recently opened their rst brick and mortar in Lincoln Heights. Inspired by Texas barbecue, they use old-school techniques
TIPS FROM THE BICOS BROTHERS
> Don’t try and rush it. If you can, smoke for a minimum of 10 hours. Focus on the quality of the meat and keep it simple on the seasoning. Let it sit for a little while when it’s done cooking. Wrap it in butcher paper, which keeps it insulated but lets it breathe. (Saran Wrap steams it, while foil keeps it too hot and it continues to cook.) Hold the meat in a cooler container for a couple of hours before serving.
Horsethief BBQ
for smoked meats with a Cali-Mex twist, and have been recognized by Food & Wine’s “Best Barbecue in Every State.”
Andrew uses Creekstone or Harris Ranch brisket and makes his sausages from brisket and rib trimmings that include jalapeño-cheddar and pork verde with roasted poblano peppers and Oaxaca cheese. Their traditional Texas brisket is smoked with local white oak for 14–16 hours, with moderate re and simple seasonings to let the meat shine through.
For the Glendale community, GLENWOOD SMOKEHOUSE on Brand Blvd. is a new option by a former partner at Horse Thief BBQ and AJ’s Tex-Mex. Here the brisket takes on a Central Valley Texas meets California twist. The brisket is smoked overnight for 12–18 hours in oak with a dry rub. The housemade tangy sauce comes on the side, but the meat is so juicy you don’t really need it.
Owned by two Texans, Wade McElroy and Russell Malixi, HORSETHIEF BBQ in the Grand Central Market downtown is credited by many a cionados as putting Texas brisket on the map in L.A. “I think the reason why brisket wasn’t too popular before is that it’s a pretty dif cult and time-consuming cut of meat to barbecue and get right,” says Malixi. “It requires a lot of time in the smoker at a low temperature.” Even with the commitment required, it’s clear that this rich and decadent meat has become an L.A. passion.
BBQ PLACES AROUND L.A. WITH TEXAS FLAIR
Max City BBQ in Eagle Rock focuses on Southern-style ’cue like Texas-style brisket by the pound, sliders, sandwiches, and salads.
Originally from Compton, Bludso’s BBQ on La Brea has a less fatty cut of brisket.
SLAB’s Texas-style pitmaster and co-owner Burt Bakman turned his Valley backyard barbecues, “Trudy’s Underground,” into a brick-and-mortar location in West Hollywood with The h.wood Group.
If you’re up for a hike out to Panorama City, Dr. Hogly Wogly’s BBQ has been worth the road trip for brisket since 1969.
Pop-up favorite Flatpoint Barbecue brings the flavors and history of Central Texas to the streets of Los Angeles with smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and handmade sausages.
Masters of Taste
THE RETURN OF FOOD FESTIVALS
Since California reopened over the summer, outdoor food events have slowly been returning to our socializing
world. BY CAROLE DIXON
The most signi cant local food event in size and scope, SMORGASBURG LA is back at ROW DTLA every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Even after a 16-month COVID-19 hiatus, very few of the vendors closed down or didn’t return. According to general manager Zach Brooks, “Several are still working on coming back or they have moved on to brick and mortar.”
It’s wonderful to see so many foodie favorites back on the
ground, such as LOBSTERDAMUS, THE JOLLY OYSTER, DONUT FRIEND, and BURRITOS LA PALMA. Newer ventures include choices for carnivores and plant-based eaters alike, with CHEESESTEAKS BY THE TRUFFLEIST and MORT & BETTY’S vegan Jewish deli known for carrot lox.
If you haven’t had the chance to experience this carnival style, family-friendly international mix of vendors that converge on over ve concrete acres in a giant open-air food court, picture the potluck of your dreams with close to 80 vendors. Here you can indulge in everything from pies to popcorn, pizza, and THE PUFFS gourmet cotton candy. And head to the beer garden if you want something strong to wash it all down.
Many of the new vendors, such as Caribbean street food from BRIDGETOWN ROTI and autas from LOS DORADOS, were operating pop-ups during the pandemic, and Smorgasburg has always prided itself on being an incubator for small food businesses, so this is the perfect marriage of commerce and great local food nds.
For vendors such as LITTLE FISH, which started at a home in Echo Park less than a year ago and now has pop-ups at Melody wine bar in Virgil Village, Smorgasburg offers much-needed exposure for expansion.
Some businesses were already successful with brick-andmortar locations, such as BROAD STREET OYSTER CO. from Malibu and GO GO BIRD in Hollywood from Hinoki & the Bird chef Brandon Kida. The popular Bangkok street-food window HOLY BASIL by the owners of longtime drink vendors The Base is also in the mix. Since it’s closed on Sundays, owner Deau Wedchayan Arpapornnopparat wanted the chance to experiment and serve different items, such as Salmon Creek Farms pork belly cooked on an open grill.
As you can imagine, Smorgasburg gets tons of applications but is always looking for new vendors. “Every one of the vendors goes through a vetting and tasting process,” says Brooks. “We think they do the best version of what they do, and we want them to be successful. We try not to bring in new vendors that do similar things to what we already have on-site.”
Case in point: While you can do a killer taco crawl, each vendor makes a speci c regional item: TACOS 1986 is Tijuana style, THE GOAT MAFIA from Compton offers Jalisco-style goat birria from a recipe passed down through four generations, and EVIL COOKS makes a Poseidon octopus al pastor sliced off the spit. “We are proud that this is the kind of food that you want to come back and eat again and again,” says Brooks. “It’s not just all Instagrammable.”
For night owls, AVENUE 26 NIGHT MARKET in Lincoln Heights is where street vendors selling tacos, pizzas, and baked goods appear in an open-air setting starting at 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Hosted by chef Vanda Asapahu of Ayara Thai Cuisine, MASTERS OF TASTE will return to the Rose Bowl April 3, 2022. The annual food-and-drink festival features the best restaurants from the Eastside and L.A. out on the open eld, so mark your calendar.
Smorgasburg LA
BEYOND PASADENA
As more places fully reopen, a wave of cozy, new, European-style restaurants along with lush patios are drawing crowds all over the city. Here are some standouts, from Hollywood to Pacific Palisades.
BY CAROLE DIXON
If you can’t make it to France anytime soon, Walter and Margarita Manzke of Republique have opened BICYCLETTE BISTRO on Pico in Beverlywood. It’s truly a love letter to their favorite country, starting with the crusty baguettes and salty Normandy butter. Musts here include the Burgundy Escargots en Croute, Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin that takes four hours to prepare, and the earthy Duck Breast with barley and cherries. The execution is awless and so is the food. Just don’t try to gure out how much butter is in the Potato Mousseline.
TATEL is a sexy Spanish import from Ibiza and Madrid fame that decided to land in Beverly Hills on Canon Drive. Don’t be fooled by this lively indoor-outdoor scene. This is not just a party place but a gastronomic haven with modern versions of traditional foods and wines of Spain, that just happens to have live music and a long, inviting bar inspired by the roaring ’20s. Remember, you are not here just to have lunch or dinner but to have an experience.
For a Japanese twist in 90210, YASU BEVERLY HILLS is an intimate and re ned sushi bar that serves an 18-course omakase menu by Osaka-born chef Yasuhisa Ouchi. The sublime cuts of sh from Japan are served on warm rice and topped with nikiri soy for the perfect umami bite, and the sake is served in small pottery vessels.
For something truly different and delicious, MATŪ on Beverly Drive features a rotating, ve-course omakase meat menu with 100-percent grass-fed Wagyu from First Light Farms in New Zealand. The menu may include a Japanese-style, hand-cut tartare or tenderloin carpaccio.
Esperanza; above: Tatel
In Hollywood, the Sycamore area is buzzing and Francophile favorite GIGI’S is at the center of the action. Here diners spill out onto the sidewalks with dishes such as the Seafood Tower or Steak Frites.
Chef Chad Colby, who helmed Chi Spacca with Nancy Silverton before opening Antico in Larchmont, has expanded with BARI on West Third Street. Focusing on the Puglia region, expect antipasti, burrata, grilled meats, sh, and plenty of rustic pasta dishes.
Over in Brentwood, the old Tavern space has morphed into a sister version of A.O.C. from West Hollywood. Now you can dig into Spanish fried chicken by Suzanne Goin and stellar wine pairings by Caroline Styne on your way back from the beach.
Bicyclette Bistro
Across the street, BAR TOSCANA has started Monday jazz nights from 7–10 p.m. for entertainment alongside your dinner. Try the baby artichoke salad and giant Wagyu Truf e Sliders. Japanese-themed S BAR has reopened next door to sister eatery Katsuya, so the once-sleepy area has plenty to do within a few blocks.
Neighboring Paci c Palisades hide-
away CINQUE TERRE WEST has opened a cozy European bar for wine and charcuterie next to its popular pasta and pizza patio space. While it might look petite, ENOTECA FIVE serves more than 100 different Italian and California wines along with fritto misto and pizzette snacks plus fromage and salame from Spain, France, Italy, and the U.S.
While near the shore, check out award-winning architect-designer Gulla Jónsdóttir’s nishing touches on the two-
story Cabo-esque ESPERANZACOCINA DE LA PLAYA in Manhattan Beach, which is owned by the same crew as Hermosa Beach’s Palmilla Cocina y Tequila. The agave cocktails are strong and the bright ceviche trio with plantain chips will remind you of a long lunch on the Mexican riviera.
And, if you’re planning on getting farther out of town, THE TASTE OF EL
ENCANTO, COLGIN CELLARS EXPERIENCE
will happen September 12–14 at the Belmond’s property in Santa Barbara, featuring a mix of the esteemed winemaker’s wines, exclusive dinners, and tasting workshops.
