One of the most hard-working and talented chefs in our area has been churning out vats of the real BBQ deal at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, MA. Chef Neil Penley hails from North Carolina which means that on occasion, we all benefit from his deep appreciation for North Carolina BBQ - vinegary, mustardy and potent. Neil has been leading a terrific team at Formaggio as they held their weekend BBQ fests under the tent just outside the store on Huron Ave. Sadly, last weekend was the last for the season (poor you if you missed it), but Neil assures me he’ll be cooking in the Formaggio kitchen throughout the fall and winter, so keep looking for his BBQ there.
Among the meaty goodness he puts out are: smoked brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, fried chicken, possibly the BEST collards in the county, plus a plethora of other sides like yams, mac and cheese, cold potato salad, coleslaw, cornbread, banana pudding, and the richest (and not too sticky sweet) baked beans.
Most of us can barely imagine the long hours and days it takes to put out this quality and volume of BBQ. Kudos to Formaggio for recognizing that there is a lively market for Chef Neil’s food and supporting both him and his talented team. (I wish I could name them, but their photo on Formaggio’s website doesn’t give their names. Cred where credit is due, people!)
Bald, bearded, burley and multi-tattooed, Neil is happy to chat with customers – letting us in on how he crafts his magic. He’s a generous chef and we look forward to his return under the tent and to some of his work available inside Formaggio at the meat counter.
