A GRANT CITY BBQ FAN FAVORITE PLANS A WEST BRIGHTON EXPANSION

BY JENNIFER VIKSE PHOTOS BY AMANDA DOMENECH

If you live on Staten Island and are a foodie, you no doubt know who Peter Botros is: the man behind the concepts and winning fare at both  The Stone House and Violette’s Cellar. Most recently, Botros decided to try his hand at barbecue.

His discovery path took a bit of a circuitous route; Botros was asked to barbecue meats for a fundraiser for the charity Michael’s Cause (its mission to advance awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and to raise research and treatment funding), and was happy to do so. But, as the number of people coming to the event continued to climb, he knew he would need help.

“I intended to smoke all the meats myself, but then we had 400 people and I didn’t have the capacity,” he explained. He knew Anthony Valois, who owned the Smoke Exchange catering company, and reached out to him for help. Valois agreed to smoke the meat at no charge. “He was very supportive,” said Botros. “You could tell that he was a fantastic guy, and that was before I knew his food was great. I was blown away by his barbecue, so I asked him, ‘Why don’t you have a restaurant?’ He replied, ‘Making that dream come to fruition is not easy.’  Then I said, ‘We’re going to have a restaurant together one day.’”

That day has arrived. Partners Botros, Valois, and Phil Farinacci opened Corner House BBQ earlier this year and managed to win the People’s Choice First Place Award in the 2018 NYC BBQ
Cookoff before they even officially opened the doors. But where to site the operation?  The old Corner House had been a staple at its Grant City location for some 70 years, but closed several years ago. When Farinacci came across the property, he and his partners knew the time was right. They reached out to the previous owner of the Corner House and asked to use the name.

The team decided to design the atmosphere of the new restaurant themselves. “We did that with the help of [artist] Scott Lobaido,” Botros said. He painted the exterior of the building—a distressed  pig mural on the second floor and a blend of cow prints [on the  first  floor].”

Inside, Lobaido retouched a mural that had been in the bar area for over 60 years. (“We were
able to preserve it. He remastered it.”) A high-gloss bar, “original” Corner House memorabilia, and some pig and cow decor complete the casual look.

Beyond the unique charm of the space, its menu has been a hit with customers.

“The BEC Burger is something that has been very popular,” Botros said. “That’s our own blend of short rib and brisket, bacon onion jam, smoked gouda béchamel, and fried egg. Amazing.” He added that the beef rib is “outrageous,” and a customer favorite. Appetizers include Buffalo Cauliflower and Smoked Wings, while entrees include Prime Rib, Southern Fish & Chips, and Cedar Plank Salmon. There are also sandwiches on board, including pulled pork and burgers, as well as barbecue platters.

For stock broker-turned-restauranteur Valois, all this means a dream has come true, and he’s savoring every moment.

“Other than playing with fire and the ‘toys’ that go along with owning my own barbecue restaurant, I would say the thing I enjoy the most is connecting with patrons,” said Valois. Shy by nature, it’s a novel appetite for him. “Customers request to meet me, and that’s very cool. I love it when I’m told my food invokes memories of a past meal or experience…maybe a place they once visited with someone special. It makes their day, which then makes mine. And showing people the smokers…that never gets old. Like I said, the toys are cool.”

“People flock on Wednesdays for Chicken & Waffle Wednesdays, and for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, which is super unique,” Botros explained. “Not many barbecue places do brunch.” The restaurant is doing so well that the partners have decided to open a second location on Forest Avenue.

“I would really love to put Staten Island on the map for barbecue,” Valois said. “It’s probably the last place you think of when someone says the word, which is why I am excited about our space on Forest Avenue. That’s such an amazing neighborhood… so many great restaurants and bars, so much positive energy.”

The location will be open in several months after a total gut renovation job, he said.

“At least once a day, the reality of this sets in and I’ll say, ‘I can’t believe I barbecue for a living,’” Valois said. “Now I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve been blessed from the first fire I lit.”

Corner House BBQ
100 Lincoln Avenue / 718.987.1227
cornerhousebbq.com