After nearly three years at Adam’s Smokehouse apron, Alex Cupp is firing up his own pit, The Stellar Hog in the current Super’s Bungalow, as reported by the Riverfront Times. Cupp said he is in the process of buying the business at 5623 Leona St., and is currently helping to manage the bar. “I was just in the right place and this was the right time,” he said.
While he develops the menu and completes both cosmetic and systems renovations, Super’s Bungalow will remain open. Cupp hopes to unveil The Stellar Hog in June.
Having studied under barbecue legends Mike Emerson and Skip Steele of Pappy’s Smokehouse, Cupp looks to combine his pit experience with his earlier years in classical cooking to create a menu featuring traditional and nontraditional barbecue fare. Look for pork steaks along with chicken skin nachos and cassoulet with smoked meats. “Lunch will be more barbecue focused,” Cupp said. “Dinner will be certainly barbecue focused but fancied up a little bit.”
Cupp has been working with chef Ben Grupe on some menu items, as well as a side project called St. Louis Sammiches, a pop-up concept that will offer sandwiches at area farmers markets.
This article appears in March 2016.