Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / George Foster is the owner and chief smoker at Hillbilly Willy's, at 115 Browns Ferry Road in Lookout Valley.Chattanooga is smoking hot with many good barbecue restaurants, but there's something about Hillbilly Willy's Bar-B-Q & Catering that sends smoke signals around Lookout Valley and draws barbecue fans to the small eatery.
There's nothing fancy about it - Hillbilly Willy's is located in an old strip center from the Red Food Store/Bi-Lo era. Today, Hillbilly Willy's finds itself in the company of a discount tobacco mart, storage facility and nail bar, so while its neighbors have changed, the quality of 'cue served here has never changed. Online reviews consistently give it high marks for barbecue smoked perfectly and sides that marry beautifully with the smokiness of pork, chicken and beef that comes out of the smoker.
Owner and chief smoker George Foster says it's all because of a consistency of high standards. And there's something about the sauce - it hasn't changed since Foster and his wife, Angie, opened the doors 16 years ago.
"People like our name, too," Foster says.
Q: Who taught you to grill?
A: My granddad. We called him Cack.
Q: What's the most-unusual food you've ever tried to grill?
A: We stay with the basics - pork, chicken and beef. But we did try to grill salmon once. Does that count?
Q: What wood do you prefer using in your smoker?
A: Hickory.
Q: What's the biggest mistake people make when grilling at home?
A: People try to cook too fast. The key to good barbecue is "low and slow."
Q: Do you ever go to barbecue restaurants in other cities?
A: We used to when we went out of town, but we don't anymore. When we do go out of town, we prefer trying something different - and always local in whatever city we're in.
Q: Do you eat at other barbecue restaurants in Chattanooga to check out the competition, so to speak?
A: No, we've found that after being in business for over 15 years, it's best to stay with and focus on what we do best and look at other barbecue places as friends, not competition. We feel there's enough business to go around for all of us if folks will support local restaurants.
Q: What's your favorite side dish to serve with barbecue?
A: Potato salad - it's my mother's mother's recipe. So it's very old.
Q: What's your favorite meat to cook on the grill - chicken, pork or beef?
A: Angie and I prefer pork, but our chicken and beef are all hickory-smoked and delicious.
Q: What's your secret to great ribs?
A: Slow cooking over a hickory fire where the wood has burned down to just the right temperature. Then flipping them at just the right time so the color is perfect and the ribs fall right off the bones.
Q: Do you compete in barbecue cook-offs?
A: Not anymore. We don't have enough staff to be able to leave the restaurant. But we did win first Grand Champion in the Beast Feast (at Chattanooga Market).
Q: What's your favorite date night for you and Angie?
A: That' simple - a quiet night at home with a movie and my wife.
Q: Complete the sentence: If I hadn't opened a barbecue restaurant, I would have
A: I would have opened a pizza place. We've started serving pizza at Hillbilly Willy's now, and it's very similar to the old Godfather's pizza that we once had in Chattanooga.
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George Foster doesn't grill much at home. Instead, he makes a lot of Italian dinners. Here's one of his favorite recipes that puts an Italian spin on grilled chicken.
Grilled Chicken Tortellini
5 (12- to 14-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Dry basil, to taste
Granulated garlic, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces extra-light olive oil
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 quarts heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed rosemary
1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 egg yolk
8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
32-40 ounces three-cheese tortellini
Shredded mozzarella cheese, as needed
Shredded fresh spinach, for garnish
Season chicken breasts lightly with dry basil, granulated garlic, salt and black pepper. Place on prepared grill, and cook until internal temperature reaches 175-180 degrees. Allow chicken to cool a little, then dice into 1/2-inch cubes.
Drizzle olive oil into a medium saucepan; add diced onion, cooking until translucent. Slowly add 1 1/2 quarts of heavy whipping cream to the onions in the saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic powder. Simmer until garlic turns a light shade of brown.
Add rosemary, pepper and salt to the heavy whipping cream mixture, and bring to a near boil. Remove about 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream sauce into a separate dish, and add egg yolk and Parmesan cheese, stirring well. Return mixture to sauce in medium saucepan, and bring to a soft boil while stirring; reduce heat to a low simmer, stirring every so often.
While sauce simmers and thickens, cook tortellini according to package directions; drain well. Place 8 ounces of tortellini per person into oven-safe pasta bowls or plates, and add cubed seasoned chicken. Pour sauce over chicken and tortellini. Top with shredded mozzarella.
Place pasta bowls in 350-degree oven, and bake until cheese is lightly browned. Garnish with fresh chopped spinach. Makes 6-8 servings.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.