If butchers were rock stars, chef David T. Mills III would have his name in lights.
Smoke & Pickles is half butcher shop, half restaurant, with ambiance supplied by rock music and Mills’ larger-than-life personality playing a starring role. Standing 6 feet, 5 inches, the chef/owner dons his trademark bowtie and flat cap every day, set off by another trademark—his handlebar mustache.
Mills’ butchering skills are showcased in the shop’s cases; his chef skills are on display throughout the BBQ-style menu and attached farmhouse-style restaurant.
“I want to bring an Old World-style, hometown butcher shop to Mechanicsburg but add my own culinary twist,” says Mills. Not only can customers stop by for fresh cuts of meat, but they can also pick up Mills’ preparation and cooking tips, along with a meal if they choose.
The 41-year-old Philadelphia native has called Mechanicsburg home for 10 years. Mills launched his career at the age of 17 by working in restaurants and country clubs; by 20 he was an executive chef. He earned his culinary degree at HACC; the very next week he returned to HACC as an instructor—a position he’s held for the past five years. He takes culinary students abroad every year, and it was on one of those trips that he was inspired to open Smoke & Pickles.
“Italy rocked my world as far as the way Europeans eat compared to the way we eat. It’s much more healthy, with no added preservatives,” Mills says. He describes a life-changing stop in a small Italian town. “There was a butcher shop with a restaurant, a tiny shop smaller than mine, with AC/DC blasting. A larger-than-life butcher came out and I was hooked. That butcher was [the world renowned] Dario Cecchini.”
Smoke & Pickles opened its doors earlier this year, with a commitment to local, pasture-raised meat, from beef dry-aged for 21 days to heritage pork, lamb and poultry, plus artisan-style sausage made on-site—on the day we visited, the case contained sweet Italian, apricot Habanero and jalapeño with red onion.
“I visited every single farm I’m getting any animals from,” says Mills. “It’s important to me that the animals are being treated humanely and [are] 100% pasture-raised.”
Additionally, Mills practices “whole animal utilization.” After butchering, the bones are used to make bone broth (sold by the quart), then the bones are smoked and sold as dog treats. Beef tallow is rendered down and used for fries; there’s zero waste.
“Convenience” is why Mills says the American lifestyle has moved toward grocery stores and away from traditional butcher shops. “But if you look at the food system and how animals are raised for grocery stores, people would change their minds,” he says.
“If you look at the food system and how animals are raised for grocery stores, people would change their minds”
Everything on Smoke & Pickles’ American BBQ-style menu is made from scratch, from the in-house rolls to the beef—ground with bacon—that goes into Mills’ signature Mechanicsburger, topped with garlic aioli, a fried green tomato and house-made pickle.
“People constantly say the Mechanicsburger is the best burger they’ve had,” says Mills.
Smoke & Pickles’ crisp, flavorful fries are dressed with smoked pulled pork or chicken and topped with pickled red onion, jalapeño and house-made BBQ sauce.
A trio of sliders includes the Smoker, which combines smoked pulled pork with house-made BBQ sauce contrasted with the crunch of vinegar-based slaw. Even the accompanying chips are house-made.
Additional unique menu items include a smoked portobello sandwich and a smoked fruit salad. Mills whipped up a plate of top-notch fried green tomatoes for us; all tomatoes are grown on Mechanicsburg’s Threefold Farm.
Mills directs a staff of 18 part-time employees; some are fellow HACC graduates or students from the LEAF Project, a non-profit “Leadership Education and Farming” program. Mills currently serves as a LEAF board member.
Teaching is one of Mills’ passions—he regularly holds classes at Smoke & Pickles, including sausage making and date night cooking classes.
Smoke & Pickles recently received a grant from Downtown Mechanicsburg to install a mural designed by local artist Ryan Spahr. It colorfully depicts heritage steer within the design; a pig sculpture on the sidewalk will playfully peek inside the shop window.
A tattoo on his forearm, “mise en place,” summarizes his life. “It’s a French cooking term that means ‘everything in place,’ meaning that you’re set up and ready for the day,” Mills says. “With culinary in my life, everything is finally in place.”
Smoke & Pickles Artisan Butcher Shop
30 S. Market St., Mechanicsburg PA
October 10:
See Chef Mills in action at the 2019 Central PA Signature Chefs Auction to benefit the March of Dimes. Chef Mills also serves on the committee for this charity event, set for The Central Hotel & Conference Center, 800 East Park Dr., Harrisburg, PA, 6-9 p.m.
