At Faron’s new Petaluma joint, heaping plates of southern comfort food

Although Faron’s New Orleans BBQ may have quietly open at the end of 2016, it certainly has not gone unnoticed, especially by the legion of fans Faron has gathered over the years. This is in large part because of Faron’s philosophy, which is printed below his alligator and gulf shrimp logo, which reads, “Inclusiveness, Godliness, Quality.” However, the path to his first permanent location has been a long and winding one, which adds character to the delicious food he serves.

Faron Bailey grew up in New Orleans and learned to cook from his mother and auntie. “Both were hard working women,” says Faron with pride. “Mom had three jobs and was raising us five kids so it was natural to help out with the cooking.”

While in his youth, he worked at quintessential NOLA restaurants such as Café Rue Bourbon and Louis XVI Restaurant. It was also in New Orleans where Faron met his wife, Petaluma native Kiri Nielsen. Before long, they both moved to New York City, where Kiri had taken a teaching position. Even in the Big Apple, Faron continued to land at iconic food establishments, including NYC’s Subway Inn and Charlie Palmer’s Aureole.

Like many Petalumans, Kiri and Faron found it hard to stay away, and brought their growing family back to Petaluma roughly 10 years ago. Kiri now works at McDowell school, and the family has grown to six, with their four children ranging from ages 9 through 21.

It did not take long for Faron to start picking up cooking gigs, but his first foray into serving his own food was at Petaluma’s Hideaway bar. Other local bar food gigs included Cotati’s Tradewinds Bar and Petaluma’s now defunct CoCo’s jazz club. Faron quickly gained a cult following, largely because of Faron’s friendly and positive attitude, even when faced with diversity. “I thrive on the smiles my food puts on people’s faces,” says Faron. After stints in the kitchen at Nick’s Cove, and booths at all the local farmers markets, Faron finally landed a semi-permanent spot serving customers at Mario & John’s.

This is where I first heard about Faron and his food and tried it immediately. California barbecue is often a mish-mash of styles from around the country, so it was no surprise that Faron’s food tasted unique. Having honed his skills in Louisiana, New York and California, Faron’s style is unique, although it certainly leans heavily towards his Louisiana roots. Nevertheless, as I found during a six week barbecue road trip around the U.S. last summer, regional cuisine distinctions have become blurred. With the free flow of information, ingredients and chefs, one is just as likely to find great barbecue in New York or California as in one of the four main barbecue regions of Kansas, Tennessee, Texas or the Carolinas. Faron’s BBQ is a perfect example of this.

A short time later, I was invited to judge “Ribs for Kids,” a fundraiser put on by the Petaluma Active 20-30 Club. I was lucky enough to spend some quality time tasting ribs alongside Faron, and even though he outclassed the rest of us judges combined, Faron was not only modest, but was humble, friendly and accommodating.

Having eaten my fair share of ribs, I assumed it would be a simple and straightforward affair. But after watching Faron work through plates and plates of ribs, I realized there was more to judging than merely tasting and rating. Faron considered texture, tenderness, flavor, cut and creativity, along with a dozen other factors.

However, true to his personality, he never went negative. Even though the judges were sequestered, Faron concentrated on pointing out the positives of each entrant, knowing that many were simple backyard chefs who may have never competed before. We could see Faron’s excitement whenever he tasted something new and different, even when it did not quite work out. I was inspired by Faron’s knowledge of and passion for barbecue and shortly thereafter took the time to get certified as an official KCBS BBQ judge.

Sadly, Faron’s time at Mario & John’s came to an end due to licensing issues, but he continued to cater and do pop-ups at locations like Petaluma Hills Brewing Company. As luck would have it, right about that time, Petaluma’s iconic Chef Brenda was closing down Secret Kitchen and contacted Faron specifically, knowing he was looking for a permanent location.

“Chef Brenda was incredible,” says Faron. “She was like a mother to me during this transition and even came to our soft opening to pass the torch. She told me to make her proud, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

It was overcast the day my food crew and I set out to visit Faron’s New Orleans BBQ for the first time. Located at the intersection of Bodega, Skillman and Eucalyptus, Faron’s is tucked in behind Agius Market. Having visited this location many times as Secret Kitchen, we were prepared for a backyard hangout type of environment, which is exactly what we found.

An eclectic mix of donated outdoor furniture greets guests as they arrive, while Louisiana rock, blues and jazz play over the speakers, although never loud enough to hinder conversations. The ping-pong table seemed out of place at first, but as more guests arrived, it was constantly in use.

Seating is communal, similar to many of the backroad barbecue spots one finds across the country. “I’ve always wanted to create a fun and relaxing spot,” says Faron. “That’s what I know, what I love, and what I want to create for others.” Kids and adults alike can be seen covering the pavement with chalk artwork while waiting for their orders, while perfect strangers rotate on and off the ping-pong table. Many a conversation between strangers starts with revelations about how they discovered Faron’s food and often ends with an exchange of email addresses so they can share future dining experiences and advice.

“This isn’t fast food,” continues Faron. “I want to help people enjoy an hour or two away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind.” Clearly, word is spreading fast and diners are taking Faron’s philosophy to heart. In the three months since opening, Faron’s has garnered an impressive 5-Star rating on 31 Yelp reviews. And even when a reviewer mentions waiting for their food, it is simply to assure readers that the wait is worth it.

We started our meal with Gumbo, because it does not get much more Louisiana than that. And although I would have loved to taste the crawfish and Gulf shrimp Gumbo I relished while visiting Louisiana, I was excited that Faron had given his a taste of the season by adding Dungeness crab, along with a heavy dose of Andouille and Italian sausages, and chicken, with gizzards.

Next up was an order to Corn Macque, which is a traditional southern Louisiana dish of corn, peppers, onions and tomatoes, which Faron serves on grilled bread. Both the meat and non-meat-eaters at our table loved this one. Next up was a Cajun BBQ Shrimp Salad with white balsamic passion fruit and roasted garlic dressing, along with some cold corn macque. This dish had a bit more kick than the last two, but as with all of Faron’s food, nothing burned our taste buds.

Although not normally a part of New Orleans BBQ, Faron smokes up some excellent brisket, which along with all the meat entrées, comes with a choice of two sides. Over the years, we have tried all of Faron’s sides, from Spicy Collard Greens to Cajun Baked Beans to Corn Macque to his one-of-a-kind Angel Hair Mac-n-Cheese. We love them all, with the veggies in our group going nuts for the Collard Greens and Mac-n-Cheese. I rarely get excited about rice and beans, but the spices, herbs, and seasonings in Faron’s Red Beans-n-Rice make it one of my favorites.

Other sterling menu items include the Wild Boar Sausage Sandwich, made with Bud’s Custom Meats, the Cajun Grilled Cheese, which comes with Applewood bacon, caramelized onions and tomato, with a side of sautéed green beans, and of course, Faron’s perfectly succulent BBQ ribs. We finished out the meal with a superb Bread Pudding, drizzled in caramel.

As of now, guests get their own drinks from Agius Market, leaving Faron and his crew to concentrate on turning out great food, which they do. Faron still offers catering, and home food delivery is currently available through Road Butler. Road Butler is run by cabby Mark Urenda, a longtime Faron supporter. “Whether moving barbecue gear in his cab or helping us get our kids to school, Mark has always been great to our family,” says Faron.

Faron has plans for an official Grand Opening in the next few months, with live music and plenty of great food and friendship to go around. He is also hoping to include a crawfish boil. “I feel privileged that people want to eat my food,” says Faron, “especially when there are so many great home chefs out there that can do it themselves. I’m truly blessed by the support I’m receiving.”

Filling Chef Brenda’s Secret Kitchen shoes is a tall order, but Faron is well on his way to doing just that. Like many Petaluma restaurateurs, Faron’s passion for his art has devoted customers visiting him as much for his friendly and inclusive demeanor as for his incredible food. Faron’s New Orleans BBQ is exactly the kind of hole-in-the-wall dining spot that diners hunger to discover, and once they do, they seem to get hooked for life.

Faron’s New Orleans BBQ is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 4701 Bodega Ave., Petaluma. The phone number is 774-1332.