Some things are worth waiting for. Barrel-aged beer, for instance, or Kobe beef. But Camden native Aaron McCargo, winner of Season 4 of “The Next Food Network Star,” who went onto host his own show on that network, “Big Daddy’s House,” for six seasons, is a patient man.
Most of his life, the chef and family man has dreamed of making his culinary mark in the heart of this troubled city on the rise. Now, as new development alters the city’s landscape, it seems McCargo is poised to do just that in a partnership with developer Damon Pennington in a Market Street venture called Camden Arts Yard.
Camden Arts Yard features new patio hardscaping, a dramatic “ceiling” of rusty industrial piping, plenty of seating at picnic-style tables with umbrellas, high tops and even inside a reclaimed boat. Three repurposed shipping containers house more seating, the commissary and a stage.
On Friday at noon, funk music played from the stage’s sound system, its speakers raised against a backdrop of Rutgers-Camden student housing at the rear of the yard. Pennington is fond of the word “eclectic,” and he promises when the stage is empty, the sound system might offer anything from Miles Davis to Clint Black to Nas. Pennington was planning a DJ on Saturday, and Camden Arts Yard is set to feature area musicians, jazz ensembles and wide variety of bands.