1 week ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - From a backyard successful southwest Fresno to the nationalist stage, an award-winning cook is coming backmost to the Central Valley, and he’s bringing his critically acclaimed barbecue with him.
Matt Horn, a postgraduate of Edison High School, is preparing to unfastened a caller Horn Barbecue determination successful Fresno aboriginal this year. Known for his devotion to craft, community, and culture, Horn reveals that this opening is profoundly personal.
“The Central Valley made maine who I am,” Horn said. “I grew up here, played shot and ran way astatine Edison. Coming backmost location means everything to me. I get chills conscionable reasoning astir it."
Horn’s culinary travel began successful his grandmother’s backyard successful Fresno. He taught himself to barbecue done proceedings and mistake — sometimes burning the meat, sometimes undercooking it — but ever learning.
“That backyard was my classroom,” helium said.
Horn yet moved to Tracy, wherever helium started selling barbecue astatine a section farmers marketplace earlier relocating to the Bay Area. There, a bid of pop-ups led to the 2020 opening of his archetypal brick-and-mortar edifice successful Oakland, close successful the mediate of the pandemic.
Since then, Horn Barbecue has earned nationalist acclaim, including designation from the Michelin Guide, James Beard Foundation, and Food & Wine Magazine. Horn Barbecue is besides the archetypal and lone Black-owned barbecue edifice successful the Michelin Guide.
“Barbecue isn’t often seen arsenic high-end cuisine, but the magnitude of attraction and item we enactment into it — it deserves that respect,” Horn said. “Some of our briskets are cooked for 14 to 16 hours. Every rub, sauce, and sausage is made from scratch. Nothing is rushed.”
The caller Fresno determination volition beryllium astatine the erstwhile Yosemite Falls Cafe spot successful Granite Park connected Cedar Avenue. The edifice volition diagnostic a ample patio that wraps astir the building, a backstage lawsuit space, and unrecorded euphony programming with artists from astir the country. It volition travel a “fine casual” eating format, wherever guests bid astatine the antagonistic and take their meats and sides with assistance from the staff.
Horn says the Fresno edifice volition reflector the size and benignant of his Elk Grove location, with immoderate other touches to bespeak the emotion helium has for his hometown.
“This is astir much than food,” helium said. “We’re readying assemblage initiatives, partnerships with section organizations, and uncovering ways to springiness backmost to the spot that raised me.”
The absorption from the community, helium says, has been overwhelming.
“I’ve been getting messages and calls from aged teammates, classmates — radical I haven’t seen successful years. It’s emotional,” Horn said. “At each different opening, it’s been ‘Welcome to town.’ But here, radical are saying, ‘Welcome home.’”
Horn’s instrumentality to Fresno comes conscionable successful clip for his 20-year precocious schoolhouse reunion; helium says it feels similar things person travel afloat circle. Though helium present operates restaurants crossed the authorities — including locations successful Oakland, Lafayette, and Elk Grove — helium plans to walk a batch of clip successful the Fresno location.
“This is my life’s work,” Horn said. “If I person to enactment 7 days a week, I will. Because this is wherever it each started. And now, we’re bringing thing beauteous backmost to the Valley.”
Horn Barbecue successful Fresno is expected to unfastened aboriginal this year.
