Here’s the lowdown on Scotty’s Whole Hog Barbecue: the Northfield-based bbq operation has moved to the Lowdown, the basement space in Northfield’s Armory, smack in the middle of downtown.
Local barbecue master Scott Barvir has made the commercial kitchen there his command center, from which he will serve his unique wood-fired whole hog slow-roasted meats and sides once per month.
Since 2019, Barvir has been rotating his barbecue operation from Northfield’s spirits and suds establishments: Keepsake Cidery, Loon Liquors Distillery and Imminent Brewing.
“I was moving around a lot, and for a while I teamed up with Loon Liquors,” he said. That partnership, which lasted over two summers and included a few winter pop ups, allowed him to park his Texas-style smoker, his North Carolina hog cooker and his trailer for wood on the adjacent parking lot to the south of Loon Liquors, 1325 Armstrong Road, Suite 165.
“I invested in more equipment and grew a lot during my time with Loon Liquors,” he said.
As a native Northfielder, Barvir also likes to give back to his community. For the last four years he’s offered his bbq during the annual Defeat of Jesse James Days. He’s cooked for Earth Day, the Heywood bike ride, Laura Baker’s annual gala, to name just a few of the community events held each year in Northfield.
“Scotty is amazing,” said Andrei Sivanich, Director of Community Relations, Laura Baker Services Association. “I really admire all he does and has done for the community.”
Sivanich said he first heard of Scotty’s BBQ when he went to his BBQ stand out by Loon Liquors. “When I got there he was almost sold out of food but when I learned that he was donating proceeds from that day to a local nonprofit (maybe the CAC?) I got some scraps of what was remaining to help out. That made an impression on me, cause I really admire businesses that give back to the community.”
That initial meeting has been beneficial to both parties, he explained. For the last four years, Scotty’s Backyard BBQ has been a popular auction item at LBSA’s annual gala. In addition, Barvir was the food vendor for LBSA’s Flannel Gala last year.
“Now these events have become super popular and go for big bucks at our Gala. In fact, his BBQ events at our Gala have raised $39,740 for LBSA,” said Sivanich. “Not only is he charitable but his BBQ is some of the best I have ever had.”
A quirky commodity
“Barbeque is quirky, it’s unlike anything else in the food world,” Barvir explained sitting outside the Lowdown’s commercial kitchen.
He has learned that to properly cook a whole hog brisket using the unique all-wood method — a 14 hour process — takes persistence and perseverance.
Barbeque is popular, he said, but not in Minnesota. Foodies in places like Texas, Kansas City and North Carolina appreciate the time, patience and hard work that goes into the process of cooking a whole hog on an open fire pit using all-wood.
“We have to build a culture for barbeque here,” he said. “The process is slow, which means long wait times and long lines. But the process is meant to be slow. That’s why I’m excited for the partnership with the Armory to create a place where we can come together.”
Over the winter, Barvir said he had time to think and reconfigure the logistics for his business which he’s very passionate about expanding. That’s when he reached out to John and Liz Reppe, owners of the Armory Square Events Center, about renting the commercial kitchen in the Lowdown once a month.
“We’re excited to have Scotty providing BBQ at our space,” said Liz Reppe. “He’s really dedicated to the barbeque craft and always turns out really excellent food. It’s wonderful that we have access to this amazing barbeque in Northfield. The bonus for us is we get to pre-order before everyone else, so we don’t miss out on our favorites!”
Barvir said he’s looking forward to better weather this spring and summer when he can provide his wood-fired, slow-cooked barbecues to Armory Square patrons who might be attending an event or a concert, as well as to his broad range of loyal customers he stays in contact with through social media posts.
He said he is even considering starting a lunch service so that he might be able to capture some of the noontime foot traffic. “I have a unique set up that is so centralized,” he said. “I might as well keep doing it and keep tweaking it.”
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