|
|
Lacey Burke Blogs |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Georgia's Eastside BBQ |
|
|
Location: Blogs BlogsRestaruants |
 | | Posted by: laceyb | 7/25/2007 | Born and raised on a farm in New Hampshire that was built “before this country was a country”, Alan Natkiel exudes a quiet confidence, subtle intelligence, and a deliciously twisted sense of humor. I showed up a little late for the interview only to be scolded by a tall, lanky white boy with a full mane of crazy, black corkscrew curls. With a PBR in hand, (and several empty cans lurking in the background) Alan looked like a cross between a hillbilly and a folk singer, complete with a big ol’ dog. His new BBQ joint in the Lower East Side gives off a rustic and authentic feel. I sat down with him to get the lowdown on his take on bona fide southern BBQ, done city-slicker style.
 After a boarding school education, he moved to Atlanta to help build and operate a few bars, while going to Emory College. After getting a feel for southern food, he drifted around a bit. Miserable in Colorado, he packed up his Sicilian Mastiff, Georgia, and headed to NYC to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He started at the Porto Rican Coffee Company and moved up through the ranks, establishing many restaurant connections along the way.
7 years later, Georgia’s Eastside BBQ is born, the name paying homage to his beloved pooch. He worked a few different positions on the line, as well as some in the front of the house, but this is his premier chef position. His menu features plenty of classic favorites, including his Memphis-style, dry rubbed baby back ribs and fried chicken. The ingredients that make up his tantalizingly superb sauce include cheap American beer and Kentucky bourbon, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup and to top it off Peruvian cocoa, which gives it a rich depth of flavor. It is a formula he’s been tweaking over the years, inherited from his former Mother-in-law. His finger-licking ribs are so tender; the meat literally falls from the bone with a hearty shake!
 He certainly doesn’t cater to vegetarians (what self-respecting pit-boss would?) but he does plan on offering some veggie side dishes including collared greens, grilled asparagus, corn bread, French fries and potato salad. How’s the “mac” and cheese? A scrumptious foursome of creamy, salty, and buttery cheese hugs those little noodles with child-like bliss. He certainly did my favorite comfort food justice. He also mentioned something about an $80 veggie burger, which is allegedly the most amazing thing you’ve ever tasted. Not to forget his mother’s pie recipes, which he’d like to feature as specials. Other things in the works are a $25 All You Can Eat Sunday Blue Crab special, complete with tasty sides.
During our conversation, he reminisced about a time he and his brother ate so many of those “armored water arachnids” that fingers were practically bleeding. Now that’s true love.
So stop by and be the judge yourself on Alan’s plan to bridge the gap between what’s authentic and what’s New York. His family farmhouse décor will charm you, but how’s the food? This Yankee thought it was some pretty delectable BBQ, but alas, I’m not an expert on this one. I’ll have to bring my 2, Tennessee born and raised partners in crime to be the real judges. I predict many ribs and wet-naps in my very near future…
 | | | Permalink | Trackback |
|
|
|
|
|
Archive |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Search |
|
|
|
|
|