New York Style BBQ Comes To Tucson Via A Wee Red Truck

Finally Tucson is getting into the BBQ groove. For some bizarre reason it's taken this town a while to get down with slow cooked meats, dry or wet rubs and fall off the bone deliciousness. I've seen lots of fantastic BBQ joints come and go; for some reason here in the Old Pueblo, a city resplendent with amazing and diverse cuisine, true BBQ never really seemed to take hold.

Sure there are a smattering of eateries offering up a selection of BBQ fare, even a local chain that (for whatever reason) keeps winning "Best Bar-B-Que in Tucson" year after year but, honestly, there are far better options to get your slather on.

We're looking at you Red's Smokehouse!

Heck, about a year ago, the Homeskillet discovered Mr. Cookman's, a small orange truck that churns out some of the tastiest Louisiana inspired BBQ and how he has found mobile success and is considering going landlocked with his own brick and mortar.  

So when we spotted a small red truck with a blackboard that simply said "BBQ" scrawled on it in multi-colored chalk parked in a dusty lot, we just had to pull over and see if we can discover this guy before he gets big.

That is...if the food is any good.

Michael on the grill applying nothing but love to his food

Umm...it was amazing.

We ordered the ribs and, oh man, the taste was a sensation. Fatty, meaty, gnaw your fingers off trying to get every succulent bite in savory perfection. The cornbread it was served with was light and flavorful with a good crumble yet pliable enough to sop up some of the tangy sauce that was on our faces and hands. As a bonus, you get a bacon wrapped cheese stuffed chili pepper that was a good spicy accompaniment to the rest of the dish.

So we ordered more food. The pork sliders melted in our mouths with a zesty slaw to round it all out. But then we were treated to the catfish sliders. Oh crap. This is when the situation got real. Not since travels through the deep south have we come across catfish done so correct. Flaky, flavorful, seasoned with care and fried to a golden perfection, it was here that we had to get to know the dude behind the BBQ madness.

Standing tall in a very tight space was a man named Michael Eure Jr., a New York transplant that now calls Tucson is home. Along with raising a family, Michael is new to the local food truck scene but with his skill and passion for what he does, we know he will go pretty darn far in the Tucson BBQ game. And what this guy can pull off in a small space? Yeah, if he ever expands he will most definitely be a contender in the local food scene.

Maybe he already is.

Well...we're about to find out.

Yes please!

"I was born and raised in New York", Michael says as he sauces up the ribs in the cramped confines of his truck, titled The Bronx Tale. "I served six years in the air force and was stationed here at the air base. After spending just one year here in Tucson...I knew this was the place for me."

"At first I ended up here due to military duty but, honestly, I stayed because of love."

And that love would be his wife and, eventually, his kids.

But we're also hoping it is his love of BBQ and serving the good people of Tucson amazing food.

Now that's love.

I think you get the idea by just looking at this rib-majesty

As Michael prepped our sliders and checked the pulled pork, we had to know how he made his way into the BBQ culinary scene in the first place.

"I got into cooking because the good Lord gave me the appetite of a competitive eater; I could never wait to eat," notes Eure Jr. in a fog bank of smoke coming off of his grill. "My grandmother is a phenomenal cook and inspired me to do more than just make things edible. I wanted to make things delectable."

Yeah. That's a good word for his food: Delectable.

I'm sure Robert De Niro would be fine with this

"Ironically, there wasn't just one experience that made me want to open a Bar-B-Que restaurant, it was more of a lack of," when we asked about what got him into the BBQ business initially and our city's lack of abundance of the style of cooking. "Tucson is a culinary melting pot and a great place to be embraced when introducing something that may seem like an oxymoron such as New York style BBQ."

It's true. We've never heard of New York style BBQ, but if it tastes anything like the creations Michael has come up with, we're sold.

So go ahead and get your rope...

Probably some of the best catfish you'll find in Tucson, or anywhere really

So Michael, what do you consider real authentic BBQ?

"In regards to real BBQ it's simple, smoking meats over hard woods over long periods of time at a low temperature. Meat that can stand alone and needs no sauce," he says with authority and a nod.

With such a paired down menu, what would you regard as a signature dish?

"I'd have to say my signature dish is the catfish sliders. But at a close second is my strawberry cornbread."

Luckily, we all had both. And, yes, we couldn't decide either.

Michael is a big man holding it down in a small space

"The food culture here in Tucson is much more diverse than the demographics might show and people are daring when it comes to trying out new things," when asked about the culinary scene of his adopted desert city.

So what about getting a food truck business up and running?

"The mobile kitchen idea came about from trial and error," Michael states as he puts the finishing touches on our sliders. "Prior to this I attempted to start my own brick and mortar restaurant, but the start up fees and tremendous overhead is what geared us toward this avenue.

"The challenges in operating a food truck is exposure to the elements and finding a sound location to park or a partnership with another business where we compliment each other. The reward is simple: I am able to apply my God-given gift in a way that has me connect with scores of people potentially everyday to spread the good news."

Amen to that!

Pulled pork sliders...yes, you need these in your life

With a fantastic food product and an even better outlook on life, we were curious as to what Michael thought the future of his cooking career and The Bronx Tale just might be.

"The future for us is a simple one. As long as I love my neighbor and put people before monetary success; I'm on a narrow path following the Almighty, giving honor, praise and glory through my works!

"That's real..."

Mike is real, his food is real (really exciting and delicious) and now you really need to find him and The Bronx Tale and see, and eat, for yourself.

You can follow him and The Bronx Tale online and track them down HERE.

Good luck. And don't blame us if you get addicted to The Bronx Tale's New York style BBQ. Even Robert De Niro can't help you with that.

For real...

Trust this man and trust his food...Mike has got you

Camera, Typing & Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Last Day in May, 2016

Metal Influence:

PRONG

"Force Fed"

Your New Roving Food Obsession Resides In A Funky Red Truck

I remember the moment I spotted the boxy red coach that rolled into sight and set up shop.

It was a breezy summer evening a year or so ago. We, some friends of mine and I, were all relaxing at our favorite neighborhood bar when I caught sight of the food truck through the window getting ready to serve the crowd who were all beer buzzing and hiding in the free air conditioning.

"They're called Bam Bam," informed the bartender. "Not too sure what the food is like but they say it's a blend of Mexican and Korean. I think."

Always up for a new member of the mobile eatery nation, we waited patiently for the two guys inside to prep and gear for our orders. Eventually one guy began writing on the chalk board next to the pass window:

Yakisoba Noodles (steak, chicken, pork, tofu)
Korean Tacos
Fusion Burritos
Kimchi Quesadillas 

And...that was pretty much it. Simple little menu which I actually liked because when food trucks get mighty ambitious with their offerings, sometimes their point of view gets a bit lost in taste translation. Plus can you imagine cramming endless ingredients and components into such a tight little area? I've seen it being done before and, boy, what a mess. These Bam Bam guys seem to know what they were doing so when they announced that they were ready for service we queued up and asked what was good.

If I say it three times will magic Korean tacos appear?

"Oh everything here is good," assured the bearded man with the thick South American accent at the window. "It's Asian and Mexican fusion so we have traditional yakisoba noodles and house made kimchi paired with Latin spiced meats mixed with cilantro and all sorts of good stuff."

Sold.

I ordered the steak burrito and waited for the outcome. When it arrived it was about as big as my leg, reminding me of the Mission Style burritos that I got back in San Francisco. And biting into it? Holy mother of wow. Incredible. There was a mesmerizing syncopation of Eastern and Western style flavors and ingredients that just worked on so many levels. The noodles were chewy and seasoned well, the protein had a distinct Latin influence pop and the kimchi, oh man the kimchi!, just brought it all together and made for a very memorable dish.

My friends got the tacos. Again, amazing.

But it wasn't until we ran into Bam Bam again that we got the yakisoba (fried buckwheat) noodles that sent us over the edge and knew that these guys and this truck were a welcome contender for our palates and business. Just simply put, the noodles paired with any kind of protein is a personal favorite. It all just makes sense. 'Fusion' is a word that gets tossed around a lot in the culinary world, some of which works and others, eh...not so much. Bam Bam works.

Like silly works.

For that reason alone we grabbed a chance to hang out with owner and chef Fernando Sanchez to discuss the ways of his wizardry and get a glimpse on what it's like to serve up some of the best food to come out of a little red truck.

Or any color really.

Legend status? I'd be okay saying Fernando is on his way...

"I was born here in Tucson but I was raised in Mexico," says Fernando, writing up the daily specials on the board before opening up recently at Borderlands Brewery. "My passion for cooking started at a very young age. I used to love cooking with my grandmother.

"I actually graduated with a degree in Marketing from the University of Guadalajara, in Guadalajara Mexico, but my real passion is cooking. It's really what I love most in life. I learned to cook Asian food from a Korean friend of ours and it just kind of took off from there."

I am here to say we are glad he switched careers because, boy, I can't imagine him doing anything else.

Steak Yakisoba in full glory

Through countless trials and much errors, eventually Fernando and his team came up with some combinations that perform together in a seemingly effortless style. You wouldn't think that Mexican style pulled pork would pair well with a spicy pickled kimchi but its there that you would think wrong. It does. A little too well.

Like I said, Bam Bam's food is just a shy away from total surrender to addiction.

"Asian cuisine is actually my favorite style of food," Fernando notes. "We just wanted to bring something unique to Tucson that you really can't find in restaurants here.

"This kind of fusion is really popular in California, especially Los Angeles, so I studied what one of my all-time favorite chefs, Roy Choi, does to get the flavors mixed correctly. He is just so talented and creative. Eventually things fell into place and we knew we had something special."

Lucky customer ordering it up

When we first got hold of Bam Bam, Fernando was a bit more mobile. If he wasn't parked in front of some of our favorite bars he could be found in various food truck round ups and the occasional farmer's market or sporting or social event.

Recently Bam Bam was a fixture downtown, inhabiting the space between The Rialto Theater and World of Beer on the busy nights of Thursday through Saturday. Turns out, the surrounding restaurants got fed up with Fernando stealing their business so they politely asked him to set up somewhere else. When that didn't work they took further (legal) action to run him off.

Do you see why I'm not a huge Downtown Tucson fan?

Anyway it all worked out for the best because now Fernando and Bam Bam can be found on 4th Avenue at the Flycatcher most weekend nights, a business marriage that he is most happy about. So when you see a bright crimson food truck after catching a show there, be sure to walk on over and fuel up on their fantastic fusion cuisine.

Korean tacos (I didn't take this picture, came from the internet...sorry)

As Fernando started taking orders from hungry patrons lining up, he had this to say about being in the food truck business here in Tucson:

"It was really hard when we first started years ago because food trucks in Tucson weren't really popular, not like it is today. It was even harder for us because we were doing such different food than anyone else. You know sometimes people are afraid to try something new but...everything has worked out okay because people seem to like what we do."

Oh yes. We do.

If you park it, they will come

"I think today," Fernando continues as the crowds gather, "Tucson is a city with a great variety of food and amazing restaurants. The quality and diversity of the food is what got us the UNESCO designated world city of gastronomy. We are really proud to be a part of that."

With such delicious food to be bestowed to us here in Tucson via Bam Bam, I had to know what he considers his signature item.

"It would have to be the Korean tacos. They're just like...perfect to me."

And what do you consider the crowd favorites?

"Oh, probably, yeah, the tacos. People really love the burritos too. And the yakisoba noodles as well."

So...all of it?

Fernando just smiles.

"Yes."

We went back for seconds

The food is incredible and deserves to be a part of our UNESCO nod. The menu is so tight though. Like I said earlier, that doesn't bother me, at all. Or anybody else really. But with so much attention getting thrown his and Bam Bam's way I had to know if they were planning on expanding any time soon.

"Not at the moment," quipped Fernando as he tried to get orders out, you could see that was the last thing on his mind. Dumb question if you ask me. "We would like to keep our menu simple like it is now. But we do have specials from time to time. You just need to keep up with us online to see where we are and what we are serving up special that night."

You can follow Bam Bam on Facebook or Twitter...and I highly suggest you do both.

Can I has some more please?

On the rare occasion that Fernando isn't working or cooking, he says his favorite downtime activity is "spending time with my wife and kids" which I am sure is a scarce concept to him seeing as he is usually on the move.

And what about the future of Bam Bam? Most food trucks or small business entrepreneurs usually have a five year plan of some kind and I just had to know what was his goal for the near future.

In the midst of grilling meat and tofu and boxing up orders to the line of patrons, all Fernando could get out was, "Oh yeah. I can totally picture myself opening up a small restaurant."

I guess we'll just have to wait a bit for that to happen because the truck part totally seems to be working out for him at present.

Even in a different light, it's still crazy good

Until that time that Bam Bam becomes a brick and mortar here in Tucson (you're going to stay in Tucson...right?), we all will be on the lookout for the funky red truck with the smiling Buddha on the side reminding us that all good things come in small packages. And on wheels. And equipped with a flat top grill. And jammed with noodles and kimchi.

When you do see the lil' red wagon of badassery, do yourself a favor and, like, just order one of each. Because, apparently, the whole menu is a crowd favorite.

We know its ours, for sure.

Now I'm hungry. Where is he parked again tonight?

See you there...

Thank you Fernando...you rule!

Camera, Typing and Eating
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
The Day After Cinco de Mayo, 2016

 Metal Influence:

RED FANG

American Flying Buffalo: Your New Food Truck Obsession Starts Here!

If we know one thing about food trucks here in Tucson is that if they have a specific dish or style they usually just stick with that. Taco carts sell tacos, hot dogs do hot dogs, crepes are all about crepes...you get the idea. That's normally the norm. But what if I were to tell you about a new truck on the block that is chopping it up and serving up dishes that are as diverse as the heritage of it's chef and owner. I hope you would say, "Bring it on Metal Mark!", because I know you're cool like that.

Enter American Flying Buffalo.

On a chilly evening, all you need is American Flying Buffalo

A brief history. 

The man behind the flavor madness is Eddie Bickel, who has been bartending now and then at the Saddlehorn Saloon for quite some time. Thing is, Eddie is a natural cook, always has been, so one day he decided to bring in some homemade wings and serve it up to his bar regulars. Turns out, they were some of the best wings anyone had ever had. His business started to grow at the bar but not just for his drink slinging abilities. People were actually lining up for his food, not just the booze. Since it was always a dream of Eddie's to open up his own restaurant, he gathered up what resources and backing he could and before you know it, he is the proud owner of a bright orange truck to deliver amazing food to the (essentially) good people of Tucson.

"I had just won the Best Wings in Tucson from the Easter Seals foundation and was looking to bottle my own sauces", Eddie notes while turning chicken and burgers on his long grill from the back of the truck. "Originally the name started out as Arizona Flying Buffalo with the slogan 'Bring Your Taste To New Heights'! I actually got some product into a few local shops and they did really well. To reach a larger demographic, I changed the name to American Flying Buffalo so I pulled them from the shelves and just decided to open up my own restaurant, which has always been my dream. 

"I still want my sauces to be in stores but, really, I wanted my own place to get going so people know where it actually comes from."

Burgers and lemongrass chicken on the grill 

Sure Eddie has amazing wings and incredibly addicting sauces to go with them, but with a full service food truck, it was time to start looking into expanding his culinary horizons. 

Born in Vietnam to a Vietnamese mother and Dutch/German father, he was exposed to a grand plethora of diverse flavors and dishes from all across the globe seeing as his family was also influenced by French cooking (if you know your history, you know the French had a huge impact on the Vietnamese during their occupancy...oh just read about it HERE) and even American and Mexican cooking as well. 

Eddie and his "secret burger seasoning"

"Growing up, my mom used to bar-be-que all the time on weekends and everyone would come over to eat," muses Bickel over rising flames from his grill on a drizzly evening in front of Danny's Baboquivari. "Once the marinaded meat hit the grill we could smell it and see the smoke and we'd all come running. Everyone thinks their mom is the best cook but my mom is the best chef ever! 

"Our dinner table during the holidays was full of everything: turkey, eggrolls, ham, tamales, roast beef, salsa...you name it. I always tease her about teaching her how to cook when in reality she was the one that taught me how to cook."

Well all that time with mom really paid off. Eddie and American Flying Buffalo dole out some of the best mobile food fare around. With a sundry of styles and flavors, on any given night you really don't know what the menu might entail. But one thing is for sure, you will always be treated to a huge and delicious burger and a steaming bowl of his signature pho.

"It's like what Anthony Bourdain said", Eddie says with a grin, "'I would burn down cities for a great bowl of pho'. Ha! What I love so much about pho is that you can add anything you want in it. My pho comes from an old family recipe and it's just slow slow cooking and you gotta always remember to skim the top." 

Another happy customer

"I have been cooking, seriously, since I was thirteen," informs Eddie after handing out a heaping platter to a happy patron. "I started out as a dishwasher when I was sixteen for a fish fry place in Sierra Vista. But I soon got a line cook job when they saw I had some skills. 

"Then one day I just had to quit and immediately got a job cooking at a mom and pop burger and beer place which was soon bought out by a enterprising couple. They would come into the restaurant almost everyday and get burgers. They told me it was my secret rub for the meat that kept them coming back. Eventually they cleaned house of all the lackluster employees...everyone but me! That was back in 1987 and for three years straight we won best steakhouse in town. We even won a chili cookoff in Tombstone, one that had almost sixty contestants. From there I went to Phoenix to enroll in culinary school but instead I ended up apprenticing with Chef King at the Phoenix Hilton."

Cooked to perfection

Eddie continues as he "beast mode"s his way around the truck, trying to get orders out to chilly and hungry customers. 

 "Around that time my mom opened up a Chinese food restaurant in Bisbee so I moved out there to help her out. For five years straight she won best Asian restaurant. Five years! After she retired I really didn't want to live in Bisbee anymore, so I moved to Tucson where I got a job as a chef at another Hilton, but cooking in hotels was starting to bore me.

"So pretty soon I started bartending at the Saddlehorn Saloon for extra cash and for a new challenge, then I  started bringing in my wings to the bar and then, well...the rest is history!"

Grill master Eddie doing work

And what a history.

All of the combined energies, food factions, locations and methods, really paid off for Eddie seeing as his cuisine has a very distinct rapture to it. 

The lemongrass chicken is so succulent yet so, lets say, "Tucson-ish". Is that a term? Well, it is now. Enter any Asian eating establishment and you can get, I'm sure, delicious lemongrass chicken, but it might have the same quality and distinction of so many herds of similar eateries. American Flying Buffalo bring a twist and turn to the dish, completely making it their own which is something to be savored and enjoyed to fully understand what you are reading about here. 

Same goes for the pho. There is a bite and credence to the flavor profiles Eddie creates in a bubble hue of spices and secrets he keeps in a continuum steam brew on the line. The fat noodles, the cilantro, the citrus, the perfectly rare meats, it all comes together in yet another uncommon provision of simple yet wonderful sparks of inspiration and just wanting to get the magic of a real bowl of pho to the headscratchers that might not be convinced of its glorious healing power. 

No really, on this sputtering rain evening, Eddie's pho somehow made us all feel just a little bit better. Not that we were sick...just better. 

PS: and it's pronounced FUH, not FO. Just saying. 

Delicious pho broth roiling away

Always the freshest ingredients 

Fantastic flavor, slurping is encouraged

"But what about the burgers?", you might be asking me. "You said in your header that American Flying Buffalo has some of the best burgers in town. Is this true?"

Well...yes. 

Each one weighs in at a decent half pound; a good n' hearty half pound. I got something called the Mac Daddy, which was loaded with crisp lettuce, tomatoes, onions, thick slab of cheddar cheese and a "secret sauce". Combined with his already special rub, this thing nearly killed me. And, I was alright with that. 

If I was to enter the kingdom of the otherside, face slathered in burger juice and secret sauce, with tater tot (yes, Eddie serves up tater tots, and fries too but, whatever...tots!) speckles dusting my mouth and beard, I'd do so with a dumb grin and lazy meat soaked gait, totally content. 

Then the Almighty would look down and ask, "Why are you here so early?"

I'd be all, "Fxxk it. American Flying Buffalo dude."

Then we'd have a good laugh before going off to see whatever band Cliff Burton had established in the after life.

Mackin' down on the Mac Daddy. Not a great shot because I was on  meat high and sweat (note perspiration on finger)

To make matters worse (not really but...well we were already packed in with food), Eddie had a special eggroll going that night, one that he usually changes depending on his mood and what ingredients he can get fresh that day. 

This time around it was a pastrami Reuben roll. Oh yeah, you heard it right and you heard it right here: eggroll stuffed with my favorite cut of deli meat, topped with provolone cheese, fried to perfection and served with a spicy Russian dressing. If you ever get a chance to eat these things, please do yourself a favor and do so. Check his social media, make sure he's got this going and hunt Eddie down. 

We had three servings that night. Three. After everything else we ate. Three. 

Trust me here.

Reuben rolls ready to, well, roll

Classic techniques makes Eddie's rolls so sensational

Three rolls were just the beginning for us that night

"I just love the people's reactions. I love being in the restaurant business!", beams Eddie as he tosses his famous wings. "No really. Everything from the back of the house to the front. But mostly I love it when people say I just made their tastebuds explode or that they can't get fried rice anywhere else because of me.

"People always ask me 'what's my favorite thing to cook?' All I can tell them is that I simply love to cook! Whatever. That's why I don't want to just, say, open up an Italian place because I'd just be cooking Italian food all day. Or a Mexican place, or strictly Asian. Not that there's anything wrong with that but...I just wanna cook what I want to cook.

"But running a food truck isn't easy," Eddie confesses. "We have to keep this thing extremely clean and we detail it once a week. Plus having to refuel and all...everything else is awesome. I'm used to working in small spaces so the tightness in here doesn't bother me. I really love the mobility and always serving to a new audience."

Wings are on point as well

And Eddie's thoughts on the future of American Flying Buffalo?

"I can see us opening up restaurants here in Tucson and elsewhere. That's our dream and goal. I would love to go back to that restaurant in Sierra Vista and just buy it. That's where I met my business partner Bill (Tankesly) where we worked together. It's definitely on our wish list. 

"Plus I want to get our sauces out there back on the shelves along with our seasonings and dressings. Who knows, maybe I'll write a cookbook someday!"

Then, in the midst of his flurry of activity, Eddie paused, looked at me and said:

"You know, I would like to say I wish I had more time to bake more."

Huh. Okay. 

So simple, so perfect, definitely not your basic burger

With a belly full of goodness, cooked with love, we headed out into the cold dribble of the night,  and all we could do was exhale a delighted breath which caused a rare quick steam cloud in the Tucson air. 

Later, in a beef and pho soaked slumber, I had a dream about a heaven that was lined with bright orange food trucks, manned by heavy metal bassists and serving up vegan sprout patties while blasting Jimmy Buffet records over a sea of cold soup made with the tears of a Nickleback reunion. 

Wait. Is this heaven...or?

Nevermind. Eddie's food was worth it.  

Cheers!

Be sure to follow American Flying Buffalo on Facebook and Twitter

Camera and Typing
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Early Autumn, 2015

Metal Influence:

Bison BC

No real Southern inspired BBQ in Tucson you say? Forget that...Mr. Cookmans is here to the rescue!

When I first moved to Tucson over ten years ago, for some reason I thought I was relocating to a bar-be-que mecca. It's the Southwest thing I suppose; me being a Northern California kid I just had this image of steaks and ribs being turned and burned over wild fire spits, their juices running, hissing as they touch down on the coals with slathered wet rubbed skins crisping as the pit master perfectly angling them on the grill sending a quick flame up from the oak and mesquite wood smoldering below. 

Yeah, what I got was...not really that. 

Okay, I was lucky enough to find some outposts most would deem "dive bars" that know how to cook a good slab of meat, the occasional BBQ joint that served up some authentic fare but then they would go out of business and then the chain places everyone seems to like/accept that, in my humble 'que opinion, were not even close to the previously mentioned idealistic vision I had splayed in my wet and/or dry rubbed deprived mind. The seemingly one game in town, that for some reason always wins best BBQ in Tucson (which I wont mention here by name), is a constant disappointment, along with being really over priced. So what's a big BBQ fan living in the Old Pueblo supposed to do?

Because of my constant disappointment, one morning I went out and bought us a way-too-big-for-our-patio grill/smoker and we just did it ourselves. But...it wasn't the same. Our grilling was good but not like the miracles I have had in Texas or the deep south or a small place in some ramshackle strip mall just off Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles, owned and operated by some southern transplants that brought ma and pa's secret chicken rub to the big city, a recipe that's been handed down from generation to generation. 

THAT is the kind of BBQ realness we have been craving. 

Are you ready Tucson? Because here it comes...

So when I heard about a food truck going by the name of Mr. Cookman's, claiming to offer up "real New Orleans style BBQ" I just had to find out for myself if this outfit was the actual deal. 

It didn't take long, just a bite or two mind you, for me to render this fact as law:

Yes. Yes, this is the BBQ I have been looking for. 

The ribs were coated in a sweet and zesty sauce and the meat peeled its way from the bone without even asking it to. The chicken had this smoky appeal and was seasoned with a definite southern influenced spice rub. And the sausage. Oh, the sausage had this hearty snap when you bit into it and was by far the best I have had in quite some time, probably since my travels through the south. And don't even get me started on the pulled pork sliders. Holy nards...

All I could say at that point, after much 'que carnage, was "Thank you Mr. Cookman's. You my only friend..."

Small menu, big decisions

Mr. Cookman's is owned and operated by a New Orleans, LA native Jonathan Hebert who runs the bright orange truck only on weekends since he has so much going on outside of cooking and keeping the lights on. 

"I'm actually in school right now working on a Ph.D in Business Administration," he informs as the works the line in his truck and the hungry line forming outside. "In fact, I'm actually an Electrical Engineer, which brought me to Tucson in the first place back in 2007 working for a defense company. I'm more on the management side now but I still have a passion for the technical aspects as well."

Mr Cookman's devotees lining up

With that knowledge thrown at me I had to know how it came about for him owning a food truck. 

"It's crazy", he mentions with a grin. "I was attending a conference for a fraternity in Baton Rouge and some friends and I were discussing business moves and such. I told them I saw this guy selling food out of a truck in Tucson and thought that would be a good idea. The next day we see this old grill in a field of grass, all rusty and huge, and thought it was funny because we were just talking about starting a food business. Around this time my fraternity was hosting a large block party in downtown Baton Rouge serving all kinds of food for the people. On our way to the party my friend just slams on the brakes of his car because the car in front of him, that we were following to the party, did the same. Turns out there was this old van parked in a field next to a barber shop and my friend says 'Y'all have to try this man's food'.

"There was this guy next to the van selling food plates. I bought a plate and I said to myself as I'm eating this man's food it was no coincidence that I would start selling food myself. Two weeks later I sold my first two lunch plates to some friends outside of the Tucson mall. At first I sold food out of my old Cadillac but business started to grow so I had to buy a truck. The rest is history!"

Jonathan first takes the orders then makes the orders

Now that Jonathan had the truck, he now had to come up with a name for his new and expanding business. 

"I was doing a Vlog for one of my social media sites at the time to let them know I was selling food," Hebert explains on the origin of Mr. Cookman's. "I was just saying stuff off the cuff and out came Mr. Cookman's. The name has been with me ever since and I'm always surprised at how many people address me as such when I'm out in public."

Slow cooked to perfection

Busy with school, busy with life and now busy with the truck, I asked what a typical day for him looks like.

"I'm usually up at  6am," says Jonathan lifting ribs out of the warmer. "I check emails, my calendar, social media and then I'm off. After work I usually write a few pages of dissertation for school and I'm hopefully asleep by midnight or even 1am. Food selling days, I am only focused on the business. Once I'm dressed I hit my commissary to start cooking. I load the truck and head out to the site and start setting up. 

"This is when I am in 'my space'; every problem in the world disappears when I am selling food. Time dissolves, nothing distracts me - just me, my food and my customers. I am so blessed that I always sell out."

Winner, winner

"Mr. Cookman's was not my first business," he mentions with a bit of a sly smile. "I guess you could say I've always had that "hustler" spirit since I was young. Believe it or not I have about two decades worth of selling things and I'm only 34 now. 

"In grade school and high school I always sold snacks to my fellow classmates. If I needed something I worked hard and saved to get it. In college I used my experience of selling snack foods into selling computers. Now I'm back to selling food. 

"I guess I've come full circle."  

Jonathan coming full circle with flavor

Here's the thing: outside of all the 'business' aspects, the 'hustling' and selling, Jonathan knows how to cook food. Like I said earlier, his BBQ was some of the best I have had anywhere. So he had to have gotten those skills somehow.

But how?

Smoker doing work

"I think it grew out of being in the Boy Scouts,"  Jonathan muses with a grin about what got him into cooking. "We were on a camping trip and we all cooked this simple dish, 'chicken in foil', which was seasoned chicken, with onions, wrapped in foil and cooked over hot coals. For some reason that flavor always stuck with me. I tried to do it in the oven years later but it just wasn't the same. I realized that it was the coals that gave it all the flavor. Since then I have been a fan of anything BBQ related. And I watch a lot of cooking shows."

Servin' it up to another lucky customer

It seems that Jonathan and I have a lot in common: we obsess over real BBQ and watch way too much Food Network. We chatted about some of the BBQ cook-off shows that we both love and I had to ask what makes New Orleans style BBQ its own trait and technique?

The snap and texture on these things was insane!

"To me," he says gesticulating wildly over a grill sizzling with sausages, "New Orleans style can be described the same way you describe New Orleans food in general - savory, spicy with a hint of Creole and Cajun flavor. The key to New Orleans style cooking is the use of cayenne pepper, Louisiana sugar cane, and a special blend of hardwoods which I use to for infusing smoke flavor into the meats."

Amen to that my man!

Sausage, beer and mac 'n cheese: in repose

Now flushed with knowledge of Louisiana style BBQ, I had to ask what he considers his signature dish. 

"Oh man, it's hard to pick out a signature dish," Jonathan admits as he rubs his gloved hands together. "I must say it's got to be my best seller which is the pulled pork sliders. However the ribs and fried chicken do have a cult following. Honestly I treat every dish like a signature dish. If it does not pass my taste buds," he proudly proclaims, "the public will not see it!"

Having tried all of the above, yes, it would be difficult to pin down a signature dish from this man. All of them distinct, all of them tasty and succulent in their own way. I would have a hard time picking one out. But I don't have to. 

I'm just the eater and writer here...

Handsome boy modeling school ordering it up

"Actually, I'd have to say the fried chicken, but I say this with a grain of salt!", chimes Hebert lifting a stern finger in the air when I asked what his favorite item to cook was. 

"I like the fried chicken because it's not easy to cook. You have to watch it and make sure the temperature is constantly under control. It requires the most attention and love...and I believe you call that 'soul food'." 

I just used that roll to sop up my tears of joy

With the growing population of food trucks happening here in Tucson, the competition is getting fierce. Not that Jonathan has much to worry about because his food is simply incredible and he is basically one of the only real mobile BBQ options in the area. But running a food truck is hard work and he had this to say on what drives him to do it. 

"It's the challenge," he concedes. "It's the pride of ownership but most importantly it's the ability to give more. The challenge of being a small business owner is to figure out how to be one of the small businesses that can help drive the economy and help provide opportunities to others."

Good words from a very good man. 

You can taste the joy Jonathan puts into his food

Now that he's been in Tucson for a while, and this being the Tucson Homeskillet, I had to know what Jonathan thought about the food culture here in the Old Pueblo. 

"Believe it or not," he says dishing up a pile of beans, ribs and his seven cheese mac 'n cheese for a patron, "the amount of restaurants here in Tucson is comparable to the amount of restaurants in New Orleans. I seem to find new spots every month or so. You could go somewhere new everyday and get a taste of foods from different cultures. However, I do see some voids in the marketplace and, well, some of which I plan to capitalize on in the future."

That hustler spirit will never diminish. 

Bow before rib mecca

Speaking of the future, here's what Jonathan had to say about his upcoming plans, projections and prospects in times to come. 

"I would like to get my products in high schools, universities and grocery stores," he claims. "My plans outside of cooking is to open another business that is focused on personal finance and savings. I get asked all the time: 'How do you do it? How do you open a business that makes money?' 

"My philosophy on business is a more "down to Earth" approach than anything you can read in a textbook. So it seems only right that I provide my service into those interested in learning business. Overcoming the low points is the only way to grow a business. But I have many repeat customers that swing by the truck then go home to spend time with their families. People are actually creating moments with my food!

"And that...is a definite high to me."

With that, and me on a meat and food high, all I could do at that point was thank him, thank the Boy Scouts, thank his friends for pulling over and eating mystery grub from some dude in a van and thank his ever present hustler mentality. Jonathan and Mr. Cookman's may have different plans for the future, but as far as the present is concerned, we can all appreciate his gift of BBQ right now. 

Cheers!
 

Metal Mark in his natural habitat: a food mess

Camera and Typing
"Metal" Mark Whittaker
Late Second Week of October 2015


Metal Influence

Down

"NOLA"