New York's Next Barbecue Spot

While everyone I know is still obsessing about Hill Country's smoked brisket and cafeteria-style service, I'm thinking ahead to what the next place will be in this already barbecue-packed town. And the answer seems to be Anita Lo's Asian barbecue spot, which will open on Bleecker Street just west of Seventh Avenue South in the next six months. Lo, owner of the beloved Annisa and an F&W Best New Chef 2001, hasn't settled on a name, but it will probably be a riff on the word 'barbecue': "I think a lot of people in the South would object if this restaurant's name had the actual word 'barbecue' in it," says Lo. That's because she'll be doing a spin on traditional American preparations, stuffing spareribs with lemongrass, tea-smoking chicken and duck, and grilling hanger steak Seoul-style. But that doesn't mean this will be a Korean-style situation with grills at each table: "I'll do the cooking and plating," Lo says. She'll also break with most classic barbecue joints by having an extensive raw bar and a daily selection of sashimi and raw vegetables, for a "nice, clean start before you get to all that sweet grilled stuff."