Former Tee Pee Records executive Tony Presedo has learned a few valuable lessons from playing soccer (which he does quite often at Crossroads in Santa Monica). He found that injuries resulted when he was passive on the field. Yet when he was aggressive, he got hurt less. Maybe this is an attitude the newly single, recent New York transplant carries with him in his just-opened venture, Territory Barbecue & Records.

In a time when stores/restaurants/venues seem to be closing, Presedo and his partner, former Bad Wizard frontman Curtis Brown (also a recent NY transplant), are contagiously optimistic about their project – a barbecue joint with an adjacent record store.

Brown is one of the brains behind Endless Summer Tacos, a Williamsburg taco truck that’s still operating today. Similar to this innovative epiphany (bring the “flavor of downtown L.A. straight to the heart of Brooklyn”), Brown had another brilliant idea: offer up finger-lickin’ Southern barbecue to hipster Los Angeles.

On the corner of Hoover Street and Bellevue Avenue stands the combo restaurant/store with their newly spray painted name (by a graffiti writer named Max, who did it freehand in only minutes) across the front and side. Seating capacity is not very large, capping at about 40 for now, with plans to expand the outdoor patio.

The menu includes Carolina-style pulled pork sandwiches served on Wonder Bread, Memphis-style sliced brisket, Texan ribs, fried chicken, fried catfish and sides like macaroni and cheese, collard greens and freshly-made biscuits. For dessert, try Curtis’ signature 7 Up cake.

Here, the food is Curtis’ territory, his cooking skills inspired and encouraged by his grandma in North Carolina. But leave the conversation to Presedo. Warm, welcoming and down-to-earth, Presedo is the friendly guy who makes the rounds.

Boasting a blended New York meets L.A. atmosphere, barbecue cool has come to (south) Silver Lake.