New York Barbecue Is Coming To Los Angeles
Texas brisket-style thick-cut pastrami at Mendocino Farms.
Here's another sign of the growing respect for New York City within the national barbecue scene. Mendocino Farms, Southern California's seasonal-themed sandwich chain, announced this week that it will be opening its own dedicated smokehouse facility in Los Angeles next month. Which renowned pitmaster did the company choose to bring in as a consultant on the project? Not some dude in bib overalls from any of the usual barbecue hotspots, such as Central Texas, Kansas City or North Carolina. Nope. Instead, it's the guy with the fancy watch and suede Pumas: Brooklyn's own Billy Durney, the self-described "head fire maker" at Hometown Bar-B-Que in Red Hook — a fittingly fashionable choice for LA, anyway.
"The owner of Mendocino Farms has been through Hometown a few times and became a fan of my BBQ," Durney explains in an email. "They asked if I would come on as a consultant to help them grow their smoked meats program and I've agreed. I'm heading out to LA in December to test recipes with them."
West Coasters who are yet unfamiliar with Durney's delicious works can get a tantalizing preview by watching the original Food Republic video below, shot by Zero Point Zero Production this past summer.
Related: How Barbecue Has Become New York City's Most Addictive Smoking Habit
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