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It all started with Au Feu. Jared Leonard, the chef and restaurateur behind Chicago’s Stone Soup Collective group of eateries, brought the Montreal-style bagelry and pastrami stall to Zeppelin Station earlier this year, with the intention of returning home to the Windy City after its launch. But Leonard ended up falling for Colorado—he’s even moved his family to Evergreen—and now he’s cooking up a slew of new Denver business ventures.
As of this month, Leonard debuted BBQ Supply Co., a casual Overland neighborhood venue for family-style meals. If all goes well, he’ll open a brick-and-mortar location of the Budlong Hot Chicken by the end of the year. (For now, you can track down the Budlong’s truck at breweries across the metro area.)
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But back to the barbecue: BBQ Supply Co. isn’t your typical restaurant. In lieu of daily service, Leonard offers two ways to try his ‘cue: Saturday meals and ticketed Pit-To-Plate dinners, which take place once each month.
Service on Saturdays and at the dinners is loose and casual, inspired by the traditional Texas barbecue spots that Leonard loves, such as Snow’s BBQ near Austin. “We’ll do barbecue coming fresh out of the smoker, nothing reheated or over-held, and [on Saturdays] we’ll sell until we run out.” If there’s enough business, Leonard will eventually expand service to Sundays, and then, possibly Fridays.
Even if you go on a Saturday, you’ll also want to snag tickets to one of the monthly Pit-To-Plate dinners. While past themes have focused on whole hog dinners, the July 27 event will feature a brisket smackdown. Leonard plans to serve two types—one Texas style, the other pastrami style—with a variety of picnic sides (potato salad, cornbread, etc.) and a simple dessert (soft-serve ice cream or berry cobbler). The highlight of these intimate meals is your chance to interact with Leonard and his crew; they’ll serve you your choice of cut and let you pick between fatty or lean, as well as let you (kindly) interrogate them about their smoking method. Here’s a sneak peek: Most of Leonard’s meats are cooked in a 100-percent post oak wood-burning 1,000-gallon Texas offset pit, built by Camelback Smokers.
If you go: BBQ Supply Co. is open from 11 a.m. until they sell out on Saturdays. The next Pit-To-Plate dinner takes place on Friday, July 27 from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased here. 2180 S. Delaware St.
