The offerings at Frontier BBQ so perfectly capture what early pioneers hunted and ate on the trail that Davy Crockett himself would be impressed. We sat down with Chef Brian Jupiter to get the scoop on how Frontier’s ingenious food menu is shaking up the Chicago lunch scene and the surprising inspiration behind his most adventurous dishes.

Why do you think consumers voted Frontier as Best New Lunch Restaurant in Chicago?

We have options that are different than what people are used to seeing. Lunch shouldn’t be boring, so we try to make it as exciting as we can! One of our best sellers is our Bison Lasagna, which really shocks people at first.

What has inspired your best masterpiece?

My grandmother is always the inspiration for my best dishes. She taught me how to cook, and to this day some of my favorite things to make are my interpretations of her recipes.

What is your favorite dish to make, and what is your favorite food to have someone else make for you?

I love making soul food, particularly baked chicken with collard greens. My favorite thing to eat is my grandma’s gumbo.

What’s the easiest recipe you have? Any recipes we can share?

My Shrimp & Corn Grits is a long-time favorite, and people are always surprised at how easy it is to make!

Shrimp & Corn Grits by Chef Brian Jupiter

Ingredients:

• 3 ½ cups heavy cream
• 3 ¼ cups water
• 1 ½ Tbsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1 ½ cups stone ground grits
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup corn, fresh
• ½ pound shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbsp. chives, cut fine
• 2 Tbsp. thyme leaves, fresh

Instructions:

In a 1-gallon stockpot, combine heavy cream, water, salt, pepper and butter. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Add grits and stir well into the liquid. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook 12-14 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened. Add shrimp and corn. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add cheese, chives and thyme. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

What are some food trends that you are seeing in Chicago or specific to your cuisine?

At Frontier we’ve always been focused on wild and big game. Large groups come to us for our whole animal service, where one of our chefs carves the animal of your choice tableside and serves it family-style. It seems like more and more people are starting to warm up to adventurous eating.

Speaking of wild game, does Frontier have any Thanksgiving specials we should know about?

We do! We’re offering smoked Thanksgiving turkeys to go, which can be pre-ordered and picked up on Thanksgiving Day. We’ll have sides available, too, including our five-cheese mac, potato salad, sweet potato mash and string beans.

What are your future plans for Frontier?

We just launched our catering service to bring the unique Frontier dining experience to our customers’ offices, homes and off-site events. We’re really excited to see where this new endeavor leads!

Chicagoans voted Frontier BBQ the Best New Lunch Restaurant in Chicago. Think they deserve to take home the title of Single Best Lunch in Chicago?