Barbecue is the new deli, writes Esquire's Jim Shahin. It's cheap, it's everywhere, it's popular, and people like to argue about whose pork ribs or brisket is the best. So is New York fast on its way to being the new barbecue capital of America?
That primal flavor is disappearing, even in its Southern capitals, but that's its home. New York, meanwhile, serves up a legitimate representation of the real thing. But until it gets all-wood pits and pitmen who apprentice for years and a style all its own, it remains a BBQ Epcot.Of course, it's certainly possible to do something new and "authentic" outside of the geographic center of barbecue, but when it comes to places like Fatty 'Cue, Hill Country or Dinosaur, "They're all doing what's done elsewhere." In other words, at least when it comes to barbecue, New York ain't got nothing on Memphis.
· Is New York City the New BBQ Capital? [Esquire]
[Fatty 'Cue in the West Village by Krieger]