Readers anxious to try out a new food spot are in luck: a barbecue joint on North State Street in Concord is offering previews of its full menus every Friday ahead of its opening day.
Georgia’s Northside BBQ is offering what owner Alan Natkiel is calling “Friday Night Bites” every week until he gets his liquor license. The Southern barbecue restaurant in the former Korner Kupboard building on Route 3 is a few weeks away from opening, he said. Until then, people can pop in with cash in hand to pick up a plate. Food will be offered until it runs out.
Natkiel said the first event, held this past Friday, sold out in an hour with over 100 people. The menu was buttermilk fried chicken or smoked ham, with a choice of three sides including grilled asparagus, collard greens and mashed potatoes.
That option – a base and three sides – will be a staple of Natkiel’s menu. But he’ll also be offering breakfast sandwiches, a few salads and a variety of sandwiches.
A Hill resident originally, Natkiel got his cooking chops at Emory University in Atlanta. He used to run a barbecue spot in New York City with a similar moniker until last year.
Northside will be a take-out and catering business to start. Natkiel said he plans to stock a variety of craft beers when the business opens for real.
If you want more of a foodie take, be sure to check out the Concord Insider’s take on the first Friday foray in this Tuesday’s edition.
For this Friday’s menu, Natkiel said he’s planning on offering smoked brisket and two styles of pulled pork. Side options will include: mashed potatoes; baked beans; brussels sprouts with maple mustard; grilled corn; sweet and spicy coleslaw, and biscuits with honey butter.
Diners with a taste for BBQ now have a few different spots to hit up in the Concord area, including Smokeshow Barbeque on Fort Eddy Road, Arnie’s Place on Loudon Road, Beefside on Manchester Street and Smoke Shack BBQ in Boscawen.
(Caitlin Andrews can be reached at 369-3309, candrews@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @ActualCAndrews.)