Ed and Ryan Mitchell are a prolific duo in the North Carolina barbecue scene. Ed is an expert pitmaster, specializing in traditional whole-hog smoking. In 2009, Ed was invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City. A year later, notable food advocate and author Michael Pollan shadowed Ed in preparation for his The New York Times best-selling book, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. Ed’s network of passionate culinary experts who are at the forefront of the food movement, as well as a rising fan base, helped support his transition from his family’s restaurant to an upscale barbecue concept, The Pit, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 2014, Ed left The Pit to team up with his son Ryan at Ed Mitchell’s Que in Durham.