Lunch

Cedar Hill Launches Lunch; Owner Jon Rietz Says ‘Southern Food Gets a Bad Rap’

See that wood? It's for the smoker.
See that wood? It’s for the smoker. Photo: Courtesy of Cedar Hill

Cedar Hill Kitchen & Smokehouse (3242 Scott Street), the new barbecue place in the Marina, is already doing a brisk evening business with their mesquite-smoked brisket and house-made sausages, and this week they launched lunch. They’re now open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 11 p.m. on weekends. (Check out the menus here, on their site.) And you know how every other restaurant opening in S.F. this year is Southern-themed or Southern-influenced — including Southpaw BBQ, opening tonight? Zagat sat down with Cedar Hill owner Jon Rietz — a Texas native and Memphis Minnie’s vet — to discuss the trend, which isn’t exactly in keeping with the national trend of trying to be a little less obese.

“Not everything has pork in it,” Rietz insists. “It can be done right. I’m not telling people to eat a pound of brisket. But I’m a believer in everything in moderation. Everyone wants to enjoy a good fatty, filling meal every once in a while. Who doesn’t like a little fried food now and again?”

Also of note, coming to the menu in the near future: livermush. What is livermush? It’s found in the Carolinas, Rietz tells us. “It’s basically a baked liver pudding that’s sliced and griddled and served like scrapple. It’s traditionally served with mayo, mustard and grape jelly. We’re going to make our own mayo and mustard and serve it with a housemade Concord grape gastrique.” Whoa.

Will SF Embrace the Coming Southern-Food Boom?
[Zagat Buzz]
Earlier: The Marina Gets a New BBQ Joint This Week: Cedar Hill

Cedar Hill Launches Lunch; Owner Jon Rietz Says ‘Southern Food Gets a Bad