WINDSOR -- This Foodie Friday, we're checking out some BBQ. It started out as a hobby, but now is a smokin' business!
Christian Rakyta owns Nat Hayden's in Windsor, a Pan-American joint that serves up BBQ flavors from all over the country.
"If you like Carolina style pork, we do Carolina style pork," said Rakyta. "If you like the way they do brisket in Texas, we do that here also."
They cook up ribs Memphis-style, dry-rubbed and smoked right inside the restaurant.
Rakyta says the aroma, "adds a nice ambiance to the restaurant, you can smell the smoke inhouse and you can actually see us smoking all of our products."
It's an art form that this chef of nearly 20 years has perfected, with blends of different woods, like apple and cherry, that add to the flavor.
"The fruit woods add a sweeter flavor and a more subtle smoke where the hickory is a little bit powerful," according to Rakyta. "Cooking it for 14 hours on our brisket and pork let's all the flavors meld a little bit."
Opened since 2009, this flavorful palace is named after Nathaniel Hayden, one of the original settlers of Windsor in 1633. His grandson was even a captain in the Revolutionary War. So there's rich history of Windsor and rich tradition of BBQ at Nat Hayden's.
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