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the Barbecue issue

Sauce and

the City by Brad Gottsegen + photos by Denny Culbert

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?

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY MARCH | APRIL 2017