Barbeque in Brooklyn
ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY AMELIA EDWARDS | SUMMER ISSUE
Kicking off our summer series, Culinarian photographer Amelia Edwards visits Smorgasburg to grab a taste of brisket.
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Walking into Smorgasburg in Brooklyn on a Saturday afternoon is like entering a maze of never-ending temptation. The summer humidity suspends tantalizing aromas in midair, the heat making every beverage look like a glimmering glass of salvation. With some of the most unique bites of food congregated into one market, it’s the absolute dream location for any foodie, yet it holds a true dilemma. What is one possibly supposed to choose?
After you walk past the tempting cold treats of La Newyorkina and the melted cheese of Milk Bar, you’ll see a line wrapping around the perimeter of the vendors. Everyone in it looks like a hipster or a tourist. But don’t turn away just yet, because this is Mighty Quinn’s ‘Texalina Barbeque.’
A simple chalkboard sign lists your two choices for the afternoon: pulled pork or brisket, both classic barbeque fare. Waiting in line I decide to go for the brisket, being freshly cut before my eyes.
The only question they ask is if you want everything on it, which should be answered with an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ The brisket is heaped upon a roll–no skimping–fresh cut slices piling onto each other. Coleslaw, red onion, pickles, barbeque sauce, and tomatoes, cut into long, curling strips, follow.
This sandwich is one that you definitely need to sit down at one of the picnic tables to eat, a stack of napkins beside you. Take a bite, and experience the culmination of flavors—the smokiness of the brisket with the sweet, punchiness of the barbeque sauce; the fresh crunch from the pickles, adding a great textural element to the sandwich. The splash of green from the pickles adds a little panache to the visual element of the sandwich, making it hard to choose between admiring it and devouring it.
Looking at the empty plate at the conclusion of your meal, it’s hard to believe that you finished the entire creation, but once that initial bite of brisket hits your tongue, enveloping your senses with the sensations of summer, it’s near impossible to not finish the whole thing.
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Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque is located at Smorgasburg weekends from 11am to 6pm, and at 103 2nd Avenue in the East Village. For more information, please call (212) 677-3733.
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