Brooklyn has lost some of its cool cred to Texas hipster haven Austin recently, but the playing field is being leveled soon with Downtown Brooklyn’s own barbecue food hall opens.
Despite its name, Hill Country Food Park (345 Adams St.) somehow won’t have any rides or carnival games. What it does have is a “heaping plate full of Austin, Texas inspiration” served up in the 10,000-square-foot space divided into six “stalls.” (Maybe they should’ve called it a Food Fair?)
Former Top Chef contestant Ash Fulk remains as culinary director at Hill Country Hospitality, which oversees all Hill Country locations. The day-to-day of Food Park will be in the hands of Michelin-starred head chef Steven Ferdinand, who’s worked with Marcus Samuelsson at Aquavit and served as executive chef of Le Zoo. He’ll be serving the “greatest hits” of barbecue plus fried chicken, “Texas-sized” pizza slices, burgers, tacos, salads and more.
Upstairs is a full bar (opening at 4 p.m.) with an emphasis on craft beer and snacks, which will also host concerts. The food hall will also be open in the mornings serving breakfast tacos, housemade donuts and coffee until 11 a.m. Opening date is tentatively set for mid-summer 2018.
All the hype about Texas barbecue aside, Brooklyn is making plenty interesting barbecue of its own. Let the haters hate — taking a BBQ trip through Red Hook, Williamsburg and up to Greenpoint will convince anyone that New York’s smoking and grilling scene has its own identity. And don’t forget that some the country’s best pitmasters come to us every June for the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party.
