Yet another exciting place to enjoy your favorite classic Texas foods has recently opened. The new Hill Country Food Park brings together a number of different food vendors selling a variety of Texas favorites—including barbecue, tacos and fried chicken—in both traditional preparations and exciting, inspired variations. Sounds like a great addition to the Austin culinary scene, right? But there’s one minor catch … it’s in BROOKLYN, NEW YORK!!
That’s right, Texas cuisine has made major inroads, this time into the Big Apple. According to its website, the inspiration for the Hill Country Food Park came from Austin’s bustling food truck culture, which grew organically in our city. And while the food truck culture has taken root all over the country and redefined the concept of American street food, Austin remains a hotbed, with the second highest number of food trucks per capita in the U.S.
Not surprisingly, the roots of this new establishment in New York City are right here in Central Texas’ own Lockhart, the self-proclaimed “Barbecue Capital of Texas.” According to the food park’s Facebook page, owner Marc Glosserman’s grandfather was the mayor of Lockhart, and during his childhood visits to Texas, Glosserman savored Kreuz Market’s legendary meats and enjoyed Big Red and Blue Bell.
Glosserman had a successful career as a telecom executive, but he left it behind to launch Hill Country Barbecue Market in Manhattan in 2007. Since then, he has expanded to Washington D.C., opened a Hill Country Chicken restaurant, and after renovating the Hill Country location in Brooklyn, has now opened the Hill Country Food Park there. And if you were worried about Glosserman’s bona fides as Central Texophile, the Hill Country restaurants also serve as live music venues, with future plans for the Brooklyn location to include a honky-tonk on the building’s second floor. Plus, Glosserman’s oldest son is named Austin!
If you’re visiting the Big Apple and start longing for the tastes of home in a fun and casual atmosphere, head for Brooklyn’s downtown and grab some South Congress coffee, breakfast tacos, Hill Country brisket and even a salad from a stall called Bluebonnets. Just don’t forget that the Hill Country Food Park only takes credit cards!