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14
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
MARCH | APRIL 2017
the
Barbecue
issue
B
arbecue is on fire in New Orleans. In
the past year alone, several specialty
barbecue restaurants have opened
across the area, the latest of which is Central
City BBQ,the brainchild of industry veterans,
chefs Rob Bechtold and Aaron Burgau.
When I arrived for our interview, Chef
Rob was quietly and methodically going
about his duties of preparation and delivery
while Chef Aaron pressed the flesh in the
packed Friday lunch crowd, more than
likely discussing hunting and fishing rather
than the depth of the smoke ring on today’s
brisket. It’s a partnership with well-defined
roles that seem to be working beautifully,
and if the reality that they’re selling out
most days by 1pm is any indication of how
well the concept is doing, these guys are in
for tremendous success going forward.
Brad Gottsegen:
I’ve lived here my entire
life, and although we’re about as far south as
possible,New Orleans has never been a place
to get good barbecue.What do you think has
brought about this explosion of interest in
cooking and eating barbecue here?
Chef Rob:
Aside from the fact that
Louisianians have always enjoyed eating
with their hands, I think television had
a lot to do with it. When the show BBQ
Pitmasters began airing, people started
understanding what good barbecue was all
about. The Joint was the first place to offer
artisan-style smoked meat in town, and that
really got barbecue going in New Orleans.
Then guys started doing small batch pop-
ups around the city — I had one in Fat City
called Smokin’ Buddha — and I eventually
opened my first brick-and-mortar shop,
NOLA Smokehouse, in 2013. When the
opportunity arose to join forces with Aaron,
who has tremendous vision and marketing
skills, it was a no-brainer.
Brad Gottsegen:
Y’all took a big risk by
building in a forgotten, run down, though
well-located section of town, and it’s
obviously paying off in spades.
Chef Aaron:
If it weren’t for Paradigm
Gardens (an urban farm I’m a partner in)
opening up across the street, this place
probably wouldn’t exist. Once we saw how
comfortable people were coming around
here, and how wonderful the people that
live in the neighborhood are, it began to
make sense. We’re also within walking
distance from O.C. Haley Boulevard —
which is really turning around thanks to
community investment and a city-sponsored
beautification project, the streetcar, the
Mercedez-Benz Superdome, the Southern
Food & Beverage Museum, and of course
the Rouses Market downtown, all of which
make the location even more appealing.
Brad Gottsegen:
We all know about the
different historically regional styles of
barbecue across the South — peppered beef
in Texas, mustard sauce in South Carolina,
vinegary pulled pork in North Carolina —
are y’all trying to define a style that’s unique
to New Orleans?
Sauce
and
the
City
by
Brad Gottsegen +
photos by
Denny Culbert