(Photos: Emily Holbrook)

Park Slope has great Thai, Sushi, Mexican and even Ethiopian restaurants. But where is the BBQ – the great, saucy, southern-inspired staples like collard greens, baked beans, beef brisket and pulled pork? “I live in Park Slope and I realized that the neighborhood lacked a great BBQ joint,” said chef Jacques Gautier, the current kitchen wizard and owner of Palo Santo. “In fact, there is currently not even a bad one!”

And that is the simple reason behind the birth of Fort Reno, created by Gautier, Lia Foreman of Colicchio and Sons and Anthony Laudato.  This tiny, BBQ-centered eatery opened Tuesday, January 24th, at 669 Union Street near the corner of 4th Avenue, but I was lucky enough to attend the press preview the previous night. Sporting reclaimed wood, a bell jar chandelier, chalkboards and food colander light fixtures, this restaurant resembles a modern barnyard that’s almost romantic with its clusters of candles.

With a menu created by Gautier himself and Foreman, it seems the new, meats-and-sides-slinging establishment is destined for success – and the quality of the food and drinks attest to that. Fort Reno uses meats primarily sourced from Heritage Foods and vegetables from local greenmarkets, while the dairy comes from Ronnybrook Farm. Keeping with this theme, the bar offers specialty local beers like Brooklyn Black Ops and classic cocktails with local spirits and bitters.

Cocktails

Bobbito Burns ($10)
This cocktail has both an interesting name and interesting ingredients, including mezcal, averna (an Italian liqueur), Benedictine (a French liqueur) and meat bitters. Yes, I did say meat bitters. This drink contains a few drops of Gangsta Lee’n Bitters (produced by Old Man Bitters of Brooklyn), which incorporates the most common of pork products: bacon. Bobbito Burns is a sweet, smoky masterpiece that goes strong on the bitters and great with BBQ.

Union ($10)
A mingling of apple brandy, Brooklyn’s Bulldog Gin and grapefruit juice, this aptly named cocktail is surprisingly subtle, making it easy to drink 2, 3, or even 5 of these and still be amazed by the casualness of this gentle, unassuming citrus potion.

Meats and Sides

In true southern manner, the meal was served on a piece of butcher paper atop a sheet pan, garnished with bottles of homemade hot sauces. The enormous spare ribs are some of the biggest – and most tender – of BBQ I’ve ever sampled. These fatty, juicy slabs of pork are smoked for a minimum of four hours using hickory wood, giving them a delicious and crispy bark, which goes well with the restaurant’s chunky, tomato-based BBQ sauce.

The slices of brisket were pleasing to the eye, with perfect smoke rings and rivers of juices. An intense, smoky flavor is evident with the first bite, which is followed by a burst of fatty, salty pork sap. This is one cut of meat that can be easily dried out by the beginner brisket slinger, but the meat masters at Fort Reno are doing it right. Meats are served by and cost $16/pound.

As for sides ($4 each), the best of the lot was the collard greens. Served with whole chili peppers, these tender, tangy greens are a true testament to southern soul food. A close second was the baked beans, which were cooked and served with Fort Reno’s delicious pulled pork. The taste was a sweet, saucy success. The mac and cheese could possibly be the cheesiest dish in all of Brooklyn – a rich, creamy dairy delight that uses cheddar, gruyere, and fontina.  Coleslaw is also a side option.

Fort Reno, which also offers take-out, delivery and event catering, will, according to Gautier, “stand out because of the quality of our ingredients.” The North Slope spot will also make meals affordable. “We expect that the average diner will spend around $20 or less,” he said. That sounds more than reasonable for exceptional southern fare and cocktails in an area begging for BBQ.