17: BBQ is a Little Mystical, with Steven Hollifield of Seismic BBQ

Steven Hollifield walked into a kitchen dish-pit, found it magical, and remained in food service his entire career. He now runs two kitchen-based businesses, Seismic BBQ and South Basin Kitchen, and joins us to discuss how he got his start, shares some sobering realities of owning a catering business in San Francisco, and of course, talks barbecue, from sauces to its place in American history. Learn about the value of a good partner, great suggestions for great meals, and why even the chefs at Michelin-rated restaurants go to... Taco Bell?
Links and Show Notes
Seismic BBQ (https://www.seismicbbq.com)—“BBQ so good, you’ll swear the earth shook”
South Basin Kitchen SF (http://southbasinkitchensf.com)
CCSF (http://www.ccsf.edu/)—City College of San Francisco
Front of house vs. Back of house (https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/5/front-of-house-vs-back-of-house.html)—“The front of the house, also called the FOH, refers to all actions and areas that a customer will be exposed to during their stay at a restaurant, such as the lobby and dining area.” “The back of the house, also known as the BOH, encompasses all the behind-the-scenes areas that customers will not see. This acts as the central command center in a restaurant because it’s where the food is prepared, cooked, and plated before making its way to the customer’s table.”
Greasy spoon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greasy_spoon)—“a small, cheap eatery – either an American diner or coffee shop, or a British cafe – typically specializing in fried foods and/or home-cooked meals.”
Michelin Guide (https://guide.michelin.com/en)
Pastry chef (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastry_chef)
Memphis Minnie’s (https://www.memphisminnies.com/) BBQ, Lower Haight, San Francisco
Stage (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_%28cooking%29) — An unpaid internship when a cook or chef works briefly, for free, in another chef's kitchen to learn and be exposed to new techniques and cuisines.
Sole Proprietor vs. Partnership vs. LLC (https://www.legalzoom.com/knowledge/limited-liability-company/topic/llc-sole-proprietor-partnership-comparison)
Right of First Refusal (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/rightoffirstrefusal.asp)—“a contractual right, but not obligation, to enter into a business transaction with a person or company before anyone else can. If the entity with the right of first refusal declines to enter into a transaction, the owner of the asset who offered the right is free to open the bidding up to other interested parties.”
Sweat Equity (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sweatequity.asp)
Profit Sharing (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/profitsharingplan.asp)
Craig’s List (https://craigslist.org)
Poached Jobs (https://poachedjobs.com)—Food, Drinks, Jobs
Sous Chef (https://jobs.morningadvertiser.co.uk/article/kitchen-hierarchy-different-chef-titles-explained/)—“The sous-chef de cuisine is second in command, and translated it literally means ‘under chef’. The role will typically overlap with the head chef’s, but the sous chef will tend to be more hands on and actively involved in the day-to-day running of the kitchen; the sous chef will also fill in for the head chef when they are off....”
401(k) (https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/08/401k-info.asp)—“a retirement savings account that allows an employee to divert a portion of his or her salary into a long-term investment account. The employer may match the employee's contribution up to a limit.”
The Gig Economy (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gig-economy.asp)—“In a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend toward hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. A gig economy undermines the traditional economy of full-time workers who rarely change positions and instead focus on a lifetime career.”
Pared (https://www.pared.com/)—Making restaurant life easier
A Guide to American Barbecue Sauce Styles (https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/05/barbecue-sauce-regional-styles-mustard-vinegar-tomato-white-sauce.html)
A Comprehensive Guide to Barbecue Sauce Across the Country (https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/201302/regional-barbecue-sauce-styles-from-kansas-city-to-the-carolinas/)
Restaurant Gary Danko (http://garydanko.com/)—“award-winning combination of classic French cooking, thoughtful and inventive use of local ingredients and personable yet impeccable service.”
Brisket (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisket)
Pork shoulder (aka Boston butt) (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_butt)
Cultural appropriation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation)
The Soul of Food, Slavery’s Influence on Southern Cuisine (http://ushistoryscene.com/article/slavery-southern-cuisine/)
Franklin’s BBQ, Austin TX (https://franklinbbq.com/)
Pecan Lodge (http://pecanlodge.com)
The List: The Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas, Texas Monthly (https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/the-list-the-top-50-barbecue-joints-in-texas/)
J&R Manufacturing (https://www.jrmanufacturing.com)
Steven’s smoker: J&R Little Red Smokehouse (https://www.jrmanufacturing.com/products/smokers/the-little-red-smokehouse/)
Big Green Egg (https://biggreenegg.com/)
Prime vs. Choice vs. Select cuts (http://www.primesteakhouses.com/how-usda-grades-beef.html)
https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/slaughter-cattle-grades-and-standards
Taco Bell (https://www.tacobell.com/)
Maison Baume (https://www.maisonbaume.com) Palo Alto, Michelin 2 star
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS) (Please consider making a donation (https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate))
Pig in a Pickle (https://piginapickle.com/), Corte Madeira, CA, first in Bay Area (https://kcbsradio.radio.com/blogs/jeffrey-schaub/pig-pickle-corte-madera-restaurant-named-michelin-bib-gourmand) to be named Michelin Bib Gourmand (https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/news-and-views/michelin-guide-california-2019-bib-gourmand-selection)
Boulevard (https://www.boulevardrestaurant.com/), San Francisco, CA
Farallon (https://www.farallonrestaurant.com/), San Francisco, CA
Perko’s Cafe Grill (http://perkos.com/), Redding CA
Nom Nom Now (https://www.nomnomnow.com/)—“Fresh food for healthy pets”
Easy Caterer (https://www.ezcater.com/catering/pvt/seismic-bbq-3)
Our thanks to Steven for joining us. You can find Steven at Seismic BBQ (https://www.seismicbbq.com) and South Basin Kitchen SF (http://southbasinkitchensf.com).
Thank you for listening. You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram:
Lettuce Wrap: @lettucewrappod (https://twitter.com/lettucewrappod)
/ @lettucewrappod (https://instagram.com/lettucewrappod)
Christine Doerr: @christinedoerr (https://twitter.com/christinedoerr) / @neococoaconfections (https://www.instagram.com/neococoaconfections/)
Tammy Tan: @spicehound (http://twitter.com/spicehound) / @spicehound (https://www.instagram.com/spicehound/)
or email us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]).
That’s a wrap!
Amazon (https://amzn.to/2DBzg5j) and other links may be affiliates. Purchases help support the show. Special Guest: Steven Hollifield, Seismic BBQ.

Steven Hollifield walked into a kitchen dish-pit, found it magical, and remained in food service his entire career. He now runs two kitchen-based businesses, Seismic BBQ and South Basin Kitchen, and joins us to discuss how he got his start, shares some sobering realities of owning a catering business in San Francisco, and of course, talks barbecue, from sauces to its place in American history. Learn about the value of a good partner, great suggestions for great meals, and why even the chefs at Michelin-rated restaurants go to... Taco Bell?

Links and Show Notes

Seismic BBQ—“BBQ so good, you’ll swear the earth shook”
South Basin Kitchen SF
CCSF—City College of San Francisco
Front of house vs. Back of house—“The front of the house, also called the FOH, refers to all actions and areas that a customer will be exposed to during their stay at a restaurant, such as the lobby and dining area.” “The back of the house, also known as the BOH, encompasses all the behind-the-scenes areas that customers will not see. This acts as the central command center in a restaurant because it’s where the food is prepared, cooked, and plated before making its way to the customer’s table.”
Greasy spoon—“a small, cheap eatery – either an American diner or coffee shop, or a British cafe – typically specializing in fried foods and/or home-cooked meals.”
Michelin Guide
Pastry chef
Memphis Minnie’s BBQ, Lower Haight, San Francisco
Stage — An unpaid internship when a cook or chef works briefly, for free, in another chef's kitchen to learn and be exposed to new techniques and cuisines.
Sole Proprietor vs. Partnership vs. LLC
Right of First Refusal—“a contractual right, but not obligation, to enter into a business transaction with a person or company before anyone else can. If the entity with the right of first refusal declines to enter into a transaction, the owner of the asset who offered the right is free to open the bidding up to other interested parties.”
Sweat Equity
Profit Sharing
Craig’s List
Poached Jobs—Food, Drinks, Jobs
Sous Chef—“The sous-chef de cuisine is second in command, and translated it literally means ‘under chef’. The role will typically overlap with the head chef’s, but the sous chef will tend to be more hands on and actively involved in the day-to-day running of the kitchen; the sous chef will also fill in for the head chef when they are off....”
401(k)—“a retirement savings account that allows an employee to divert a portion of his or her salary into a long-term investment account. The employer may match the employee's contribution up to a limit.”
The Gig Economy—“In a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend toward hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. A gig economy undermines the traditional economy of full-time workers who rarely change positions and instead focus on a lifetime career.”
Pared—Making restaurant life easier
A Guide to American Barbecue Sauce Styles
A Comprehensive Guide to Barbecue Sauce Across the Country
Restaurant Gary Danko—“award-winning combination of classic French cooking, thoughtful and inventive use of local ingredients and personable yet impeccable service.”
Brisket
Pork shoulder (aka Boston butt)
Cultural appropriation
The Soul of Food, Slavery’s Influence on Southern Cuisine
Franklin’s BBQ, Austin TX
Pecan Lodge
The List: The Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas, Texas Monthly
J&R Manufacturing
Steven’s smoker: J&R Little Red Smokehouse
Big Green Egg
Prime vs. Choice vs. Select cuts
https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/slaughter-cattle-grades-and-standards
Taco Bell
Maison Baume Palo Alto, Michelin 2 star
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (Please consider making a donation)
Pig in a Pickle, Corte Madeira, CA, first in Bay Area to be named Michelin Bib Gourmand
Boulevard, San Francisco, CA
Farallon, San Francisco, CA
Perko’s Cafe Grill, Redding CA
Nom Nom Now—“Fresh food for healthy pets”
Easy Caterer

Our thanks to Steven for joining us. You can find Steven at Seismic BBQ and South Basin Kitchen SF.

Thank you for listening. You can follow us on Twitter and Instagram:

Lettuce Wrap: @lettucewrappod
/ @lettucewrappod
Christine Doerr: @christinedoerr / @neococoaconfections
Tammy Tan: @spicehound / @spicehound

or email us at [email protected].

That’s a wrap!

Amazon and other links may be affiliates. Purchases help support the show.

Special Guest: Steven Hollifield, Seismic BBQ.