What’s on the menu at Cherry Street Bar-B-Que, a massive new smokehouse
By Renée Suen| Photography by Renée Suen
| July 26, 2016
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Name: Cherry Street Bar-B-Que
Neighbourhood: Port Lands
Contact: 275 Cherry St., 416-461-5111, cherrystbbq.com, @CherryStBBQ Previously: Cherry Street Restaurant
Owner and pitmaster: Lawrence La Pianta (Aft Kitchen and Bar)
The food
With over a decade dedicated to the craft, La Pianta spent the last four years on the competitive circuit, working with many American barbecue giants. His menu’s made up of the classics—brisket, pulled pork, chicken, sausage, ribs—seasoned simply with salt, sugar and pepper. There are also a few sandwiches, a burger and sides, including LaPianta’s hugely popular beans which are smoked under brisket (to collect the drippings) and studded with the meat’s burnt ends.
The sides include beans, mac and cheese (cavatappi noodles in a Velveeta sauce), oil-and-vinegar dressed potato salad or slaw, smashed potatoes with a Big Mac-inspired sauce, and a smoked broccoli and quinoa salad. $4.50 each.
All of the meat is priced by the pound, and smoked using oak sourced from neighbouring Firewood Solutions.
The 14-hour smoked brisket is seasoned with a four-to-one ratio of pepper to salt ($13/half pound). Side ribs come from 280-pound hogs and are $10 for a half-pound.
Chinese spice–cured baby back ribs. $17/half rack.
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Chicken is spatchcocked, brined and then smoked. 7.50/quarter and $14.50/half.
The griddle-smashed brisket burger on a potato bun is an homage to the Big Mac, complete with La Pianta’s version of special sauce. $11.
The drinks
Draught beer, tallboys, bar rail booze and a short list of fun Mason-jar cocktails, like the Broadview Jimmy, a bourbon-and-cherry number named after a friend (who lives on Broadview, of course).
The mango-habenero margarita is made with tequila, fresh orange and lime juices, and a smoked-honey simple syrup. It’s finished with a mole-chocolate rim. $9.
Broadview Jimmy: house-made bourbon simple syurp, bourbon cherries and mint (from their friend Jimmy’s garden). $13.
The Larry Colada is made with house-infused mango rum, orange juice and orangecello liqueur. $9.
The cherry bourbon root beer float is made with bourbon, soda from Ottawa-based Harvey & Vern, cherry simple syrup and coconut milk. $13.
The space
The 60-seat restaurant more than doubles in size during the summer, thanks to its huge patio. Starting this September, La Pianta will host Sunday pig roasts (using a custom-built, double-door hog cooker) with guest pitmasters from across North America.
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Here’s the dining room. Guests place their orders at the counter.
The Cherry Street location was ideal, not just because of the view, but also because there aren’t many neighbours to disturb with the smell of smoke.
The patio has its own bar.
La Pianta cooks about 300 pounds of meat every night.
This mosaic at the entrance is from the restaurant’s former life.
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