{"id":8885,"date":"2018-09-19T17:21:46","date_gmt":"2018-09-19T21:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=8885"},"modified":"2018-09-19T17:21:46","modified_gmt":"2018-09-19T21:21:46","slug":"hog-wild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/hog-wild\/","title":{"rendered":"Hog Wild"},"content":{"rendered":"

Divine Swine BBQ grilling tasty fun<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s unusual for an entrepreneur to go from ashes\u2026.to ashes. It also highlights a business trait centric to becoming successful: keep on keepin\u2019.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what Todd Eisenhauer is doing. His latest passion is southern styled barbecue produced in concert with long time grill master Tim Marcus.<\/p>\n

Eisenhauer, owner of the successful Black Bear Bistro & Brick Oven, opened an upscale butcher shop in 2017 called Black Bear Mercantile at 19 Culpeper Street. For a number of reasons, it didn\u2019t get traction and when an opportunity arose to convert the shop to a barbeque haven, Eisenhauer jumped.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe shop didn\u2019t work out because I think it was a little bit too high end. It was hard to get people to come down Culpeper Street for something like that. It was disheartening it didn\u2019t work. I was sad to close it down,\u201d said Eisenhauer.<\/p>\n

But out of the ashes of the past have come ashes from Apple and Hickory woods used to slow cook the new eatery\u2019s meats. And why is foot traffic better than the butcher shop days? \u201cFor one thing, they call smell those ribs,\u201d said Eisenhauer.<\/p>\n

Ahh. The old olfactory marketing ploy. Works every time.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Todd Eisenhauer Tim Marcus<\/p><\/div>\n

Another key to the restaurant\u2019s early success is the man behind the smoker, Tim Marcus. Marcus is an experienced barbecue man with years of grilling under his apron. Prior to linking up with Eisenhauer he ran a successful catering business called\u2026Divine Swine.<\/p>\n

Weekends still see him on the road cooking ribs and more for party crowds throughout the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cTim is a great guy. He\u2019s definitely coming into his own as part of a brick and mortar operation instead of just an outside business. He\u2019s making a big difference here. We work well together. We\u2019re having fun and I think it shows in the food we\u2019re doing,\u201d said Eisenhauer.<\/p>\n

While the business is just a few months old, the owners are hitting the numbers they projected. With Marcus\u2019 experience in catering it\u2019s also seeing a surge in that segment of the operation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be doing a lot more catering. I know there are several barbecue shops in town but we\u2019re not trying to be them. We have barbecue burritos, barbecue tacos. I\u2019ve even done a barbecue \u2018sushi\u2019 roll with brisket inside with wasabi sauce. There\u2019s going to be a lot of stuff you\u2019re not going to see elsewhere,\u201d said Eisenhauer.<\/p>\n

Catering is not limited to nearby offices. Weddings and special events throughout the area are calling on the restaurant to tend to their guests\u2019 needs. Menus can be designed to match a customer\u2019s desires. \u201cAnd we can drop the food off, or they can pick it up. The chafing dishes can be returned by them or we\u2019ll pick them up. It\u2019s completely up to the customer,\u201d said Eisenhauer.<\/p>\n

The shop is also developing an increasing amount of foot traffic from the town\u2019s office denizens. The restaurant seats 15 people but many hungry workers simply pop in, order a carry out lunch and head back to their offices. \u201cIf you\u2019re in our place 10 minutes, you\u2019ve been in too long,\u201d said Eisenhauer.<\/p>\n

One example of a unique dish created by the entrepreneurs is a ramen bowl prepared with rib broth and fresh vegetables. Customers select grilled pork or chicken to top it off or some even get it with baby back ribs. \u201cIt\u2019s dishes like that that are the fusion aspect of our food preparation,\u201d said Eisenhauer.<\/p>\n

In the near future, the restaurant will receive its ABC license to sell beer and wine. In addition to featuring Virginia wines, a selection of craft beers will also grace the menu. Pricing will be below what is typically charged for alcohol.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to serve craft beer for $3 or $4. Anywhere else it\u2019s going to be $5 or more. We want to be a relaxed, funky little place where you can grab a couple of beers, get a good sandwich or some ribs, leave happy and you\u2019re not broke,\u201d said Eisenhauer.<\/p>\n

Since sauce is the heart of any barbecue operation, a selection is available to slather on the meats to your heart\u2019s delight, including a South Carolina mustard sauce and a jerk sauce. They\u2019ve even got a wasabi sauce. \u201cEventually will have those items for sale so you can take a bottle with you,\u201d said Eisenhauer.<\/p>\n

On Labor Day a new fan was pushing away from the counter with a satisfied look of his face and said, \u201cIt\u2019s my first time here and that pulled pork was delicious.\u201d It\u2019s a common refrain heard by the barbecue mavens.<\/p>\n

For now the hours of the restaurant will remain Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but may expand to evening service in the future.<\/p>\n

For a full menu and fun facts on how the latest barbecue in town is prepared, drop by http:\/\/www.divine-swine-bbq.com<\/p>\n

Published in the September 19, 2018 edition of the Fauquier Times.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Divine Swine BBQ grilling tasty fun It\u2019s unusual for an entrepreneur to go from ashes\u2026.to ashes. It also highlights a business trait centric to becoming successful: keep on keepin\u2019. That\u2019s exactly what Todd Eisenhauer is doing. His latest passion is southern styled barbecue produced in concert with long time grill master Tim Marcus. Eisenhauer, owner […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[959,961,960],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n