Barbecue Pop Up Opens At Garden Catering In Old Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — After the success of a pop up Clam Shack offering fried seafood proved to be wildly successful this summer, the owners of Garden Catering knew they wanted do something similarly unique at their Old Greenwich restaurant for the fall and winter.

According to Tina Carpenteri, who co-owns Garden Catering with her brother and father, the family knew the Clam Shack would inevitably need to end when summer was over due to the nature of the menu.

"We knew that we needed to follow [the Clam Shack] up with something pretty amazing," Carpenteri said, "because it was so well-received."

That's why they decided to partner with Mike Partridge, a self-taught barbecue pit master who owns and operates Houndstooth Barbecue. Offering items such as barbecue wings, ribs, pulled pork and a selection of "amazing" southern sides, the new pop up hopes to replicate the success of the Clam Shack and offer customers something new and exciting.

According to Carpenteri, she and her brother knew Houndstooth was the perfect fit for a new pop up the minute they sampled Partridge's food.

"It was some of the best barbecue I had ever had," Carpenteri said. "We all loved it and knew this would definitely be a hit."

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After sampling a lot of barbecue, the owners and Partridge crafted a small and focused menu, which also includes a BBQ banh mi and banana pudding. The pop up is open on Saturdays and Sundays, and pre-ordering by Friday for a weekend pickup is encouraged.

According to Partridge, the pop up is a great opportunity to introduce Houndstooth's food to residents.

"There are not too many options for barbecue left in Fairfield County," Partridge said. "We are happy to bring this food to the area."

Partridge said he and his partner, Judd Nieman, both went to school at the University of Alabama and spent a lot of that time "running around the deep south eating," giving his menu a real sense of southern authenticity.

"We love the food, and these recipes are as authentic west Alabama barbecue as we can get in Fairfield County," Partridge said. "A few other options on the menu, such as the BBQ banh mi and the Asian wings, shake it up a bit."

The pop up initially launched in mid-November and proved to be an immediate hit, according to Carpenteri. In particular, customers have been "going crazy" for the wings, both barbecue and Asian, and sides like baked beans and mac and cheese.

"It's all been very exciting to see go out the door," Carpenteri said. "People are really into it and are pre-ordering."

Though similar in nature, Carpenteri noted the barbecue pop up has taken a lot more time and effort to execute than the Clam Shack, as "timing is everything" when it comes to smoking and preparing the food.

"With the Clam Shack, that was something we could easily execute with the staff we had in our store," Carpenteri said. "Mike is the smoker, and he's here for hours in the evening overnight just making sure everything is turned around and cooked the right way in the smoker...it's definitely a lot more work."

The extra work is certainly worth it, as the Garden Catering team enjoys bringing new items to customers that are as exciting for them as they are for the owners.

Carpenteri also noted the success of both the Clam Shack and the Houndstooth partnership this year means customers may see more pop ups in Old Greenwich in 2021.

“We have a few other ideas that we're playing with...we definitely have some ideas," Carpenteri said, "and we're looking forward to putting them into play in the new year."

The Houndstooth pop up will be open for the next couple of weekends, then resume daily weekend service starting Jan. 9 after a two-week holiday break. Pre-orders can be placed through the Garden Catering website.

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