Taking Triple D back to the Mile High City

After I returned from Chicago with my Triple D count at 390 I really wanted to get 9 more in so I could plan a special visit for #400.  I am on a couple of Facebook sites devoted to "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" (in fact I am the admin for one of them) and one of Guy's crew is also on it and he will sometimes posts the places that they have shot.  Recently Guy did 5 or 6 places in Baltimore and I have been to all but one and I am saving that for #400 so I can get friends and family come out and celebrate that with me.  I had nothing planned over my usual days off and thought that maybe I could go off somewhere and get a few spots in.  I started looking at flights to different cities that have DDD spots that I have not been to and when I looked into going to Denver (I still had 5 places to try there) and my eyes almost popped out of their sockets, not only were the flights open but they were REALLY open!  I could leave after work and stay a couple of nights and then fly home all on my two days off!

After a day of work I got on the 230p nonstop from Dulles to Denver and it was great having an empty seat next to me so I could spread out and enjoy the 3 hour 40 minute flight.  The aircraft was an Airbus A320 and these are one of the few types of aircraft that has streaming videos for Apple IOS tablets.  It really does make the flight go a lot faster.  For any one interested I watched "Saving Mr. Banks".  On arrival I turned my phone on and it read 11 degrees, that bad part of that was that was the high of the day.  The day before it had snowed and the side roads were all covered but the mains were ok.  I got my car (of course they want you to upgrade to a larger car, so they gave me the doom and gloom about how much snow was expected, but I knew better, I had been watching the Denver weather all week, because if snow was forecasted I probably would not have made the trip!) and made my way to the hotel about 13 miles away and next to the old Stapleton Airport, now it seems to be a bunch of houses and shopping areas.  The hotel I stayed at looks a lot like the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World, I wonder f it was built around the same time.

After checking in I headed out to my first and only place of the night.  I drove into the downtown area and ffound the place.  It is on the corner of East Colfax and Pennsylvannia Streets across the street from a huge Catholic Church.  "Prohibition" is mainly a bar that serves good food.  They seem to cater to a "20 something" crowd, at least during my visit.  the entrance is two huge thick wood doors that would make you think of a "speak easy" during the 1920's, but that was about it for the theme.

Prohibition in Denver

The crowd was pretty lively and it was pretty loud and everyone seemed to be enjoying the drinks.  I decided to try an appetizer and the one that jumped out at me was the Crispy Polenta with Shaved Parmesan and 6 Hour Balsamic Ketchup sauce.  The name alone made it intriguing and I am not usually a fan of Polenta in my travels I have found it usually not very tasty, but this was not the case, it had a very good cheese flavor and I found the sauce was really not necessary, it was great all by itself. 

Crispy Polenta with Balsamic Ketchup Sauce at Prohibition

I had a very busy but friendly server and she signed my book and headed back to the hotel to call  it a night.  I think by this time it was down to about 7 degrees, thank goodness for car heaters!

The next morning I headed out to the same area to a very unusual place.  It wasn't really one restaurant but two!  I was pretty lucky and found some side street parking right next to the place and headed in to the "Atomic Cowboy".   I noticed that it was really two places.  There is a big bar in the center with over 25 beers on tap and I took a seat there, it seems that they like singles to go to the bar.  Inside there were actually two separate kitchens and menus on the walls,  One is called "Fat Sully's New York Pizza" and the other is the "Denver Biscuit Company" which is the main place during the morning hours.

Atomic Cowboy in Denver

Fat Sully's one of the restaurants in the Atomic Cowboy

The Crossed Rolling Pins to indicate the Denver Biscuit Company

I decided that all I really wanted to try was something small. I decided on the Chicken Biscuit with cheddar cheese.  I wish I hadn't gotten the chees because it was thick and way too gooey to my liking.  So I took some of the cheese off and tried the chicken patty the cheese really covered up the spice, the chicken had a pretty big bite.  The biscuit was fantastic, flaky and full of flavor.

Two views of my Atomic Café Chicken Biscuit (Denver Biscuit Company)

Next time I am in Denver I would like to go back and try some of the other items at both of the kitchens at Atomic Cowboy.  They feature their biscuits in most of the food choices there and it all sounded delicious.

I headed out to my next stop which was about 15 minutes away in an area of Denver called Highland Park.  This seems to be an older neighborhood with large homes that look to be from around the turn of the 20th Century

Some of the very cool houses in the Highland Park area of Denver

I arrived at "The Highland Tavern" and it was a very unique setting.  The tavern is in a neighborhood, but on the corner that it sits on there is the tavern, a coffee bar and a nightclub, those are the only business establishments in the general area.

Highland Tavern (paying homage to the local popular beer)

I walked in as it opened and sat at the big bar, the staff was getting ready for what would be a busy day. 

Highland Tavern bar area

I looked over the menu and asked the server to remind me what was featured on their episode of DDD.  They had featured a huge burger, tater tots, and house made pork rinds.  I remembered the episode and seeing the pork rinds, which is something I have never tried (nor really wanted to) but I knew that if I didn't try them I would say "what if" so that's what I got.  The bowl of Pork Rinds came out crackling and popping.  I took a bite and knew instantly what I hadn't tried them before.  There is something about the texture that I didn't care for.  They were also very spicy (at least for me) topped with a chili-lime salt. 

Pork Rinds at Highland Tavern

After getting my book signed I decided to head off to my next stop, just a few miles away in a pretty neat small neighborhood that features a lot of small restaurants and shops.  I really lucked out finding a parking spot right in front of the place.  "Hops and Pies" sticks very close to it's name.  They feature a rotating menu of microbrews on tap, a full bar and pizza.  The name really is appropriate here.  I arrived about 20 minutes after it opened and it was pretty busy, by the time I left the place was packed, with people waiting!

Hops and Pies

Hops and Pies Specials Board

I took a seat at the bar and really just took the place all in.  This is a real beer bar. 

Hops and Pies Bar and Beer Listing

They have special glasses for the different types beers.  I decided to try their "Slice of the Day" which featured Pulled Pork, Pineapples and Jalapenos, 

Hops and Pies Slice of the Day

The slice was very good with a bit of a bite.  The crust was thin and crispy, very good.  I think this place would be great for a group to go and try the different beers and pizzas.  They have a special on Saturdays that includes 2 slices and 3 draft beers,  the price was very reasonable.  After taking off I decided to take a small road trip to the town of Brighton about 20 miles away.  When I posted my trip on one of the Triple D Facebook pages, the owner of the place I was headed asked if I planned to visit them and I said that I would try but I had been there on my last Denver visit.  "Lauer Krauts" is one of my favorite Triple D places.  They feature a very unique sandwich that is an old family recipe. 

Lauer Krauts in Brighton Colorado

Lauer Krauts is not a huge place they have three tables inside and a patio area, but being as it was in the 30's the patio was not much of an option.  Everyone sis together in a communal setting.  I ordered one of their namesake burgers.  It is a roll that is baked with the filled inside, in this case, ground beef, onions and cabbage.  The owner, Robin, came out and I was able to visit with her and the other diners there.  The reasons I like and recommend Lauer Krauts to anyone visiting the Denver area are twofold; one is the food, delicious and very reasonably priced and the other is Robin and her staff, they make everyone who enters feel like a special friend or a member of the family, and you don't see that very much anymore!

Robin and I

This picture doesn't do justice to the Kraut Burger, it was delicious

Robin, Guy and I!

After a nice visit, Robin presented me with one of their new T-shirts, what a wonderful gift and surprise!  I am so glad that I was able to get back and I know it won't be my last visit there!

I headed back to the hotel for a few hours of R and R before going to my last place in the Denver area.  I was really looking forward this because I was going to meet a good friend of mine from Oakton High School, whom I had classes with back in the day.  We planned to meet about 430p for a dinner at a place that is known for it's down home southern cooking.  Welcome to "Cora Faye's Café"!  My friend Kim, just moved to the Denver area after spending 3 years in London and she brought her daughter, Kara who was visiting from Guam and Kara's three young children.  We were seated at a big table, as you enter you are transported from Denver to a Sunday afternoon table in the deep south.  There are family photos and old time heirlooms adorning the walls.

Cora Faye's Café - A bit of the deep south in Denver

They feature a changing menu everyday and since it was a Friday, seafood was the special for the day.  They also have the southern basics of Fried Chicken and all the trimmings.  I chose the Fried Catfish and Kim chose the Fried Chicken plate which she shared with Kara.  The kids got sides and also tried my fish and the chicken.  After we ordered the kitchen sent out small plates of sides for the kids to try, that was really a great thing.

Kim and I and her grandson Jonathan

We got the meals and I am not sure that they know anything about the word "small" at Cora Faye's!  My plate was huge with two filets and greens and mashed potatoes with chicken gravy.  The fish was delicious, the gravy on the mashed potatoes had pieces of shredded chicken and the greens were sweet and very good! 

Enjoying my Cora Faye's Catfish dinner

The kids were awesome!  They seemed to love the food and behaved great, Kim has awesome grandchildren!  Funniest thing was everyone was getting full, but when dessert was mentioned the kids seemed to get their appetite back!  They ordered a dish of house made Banana Pudding, and I was mostly bananas with some pudding to hold it together!  About that time the owner came out to sign my book and we had a very nice conversation about the place, her history and the Triple D filming.  Cora was the owner's mother and Faye was her aunt, so it's an homage to them. 

The Owner and Chef of Cora Faye's with me and a young photo bomber

What a great place and a great night!  I enjoyed my short visit with Kim and her family and hope that we can get together again very soon.  I highly recommend Cora Faye's Café and I want to go back so I can try their Sunday Specialty - Rabbit or maybe a rack of Frog Legs! 

My wonderful dinner companions!

Well, my trio to Denver was done and my Triple D count was now 395!  400 is getting closer and closer!

Returning to the Windy City (and America's Dairyland) Day2

After a full first day in Chicago and dealing with the fun traffic, I had some thinking to do.  The weather forecast for the next day didn't look great; wind gusts with snow flurries throughout the day, all of that coupled with the fact that it was a Friday and Halloween made me rethink my plans.  I had planned to get to a few places in he morning that were not too far from the hotel and then go into Chicago to try a few places in the evening.  I decided to scrap those plans and try to get to all of the places in the morning and early afternoon and not head into town, but head north to a place in Wisconsin and one in a small town just south of the Illinois-Wisconsin border. 

I left the hotel pretty early and headed north on the Tri-State Thruway, a toll highway that connects Illinois with Indiana and Wisconsin.  The ride was pretty fast as most of the traffic was headed south into the Chicago area.  I passed a town called Gurnee, which is home to big mall and the Six Flags Great America amusement park.  I was headed to the town of Kenosha, which is just over the state line.  The place I was headed was in the older downtown area of Kenosha.  This place, although I hadn't planned to visit on this trip, is one I have always wanted to visit from the time I saw it featured on an episode from the first season of "Diner's Drive-ins and Dives".  I arrived at "Frank's Diner" about 9am and entered a place that reminded me of the small diners in Massachusetts, that I had visited several years ago.  One think I noticed as soon as I entered the diner was that the people (especially the staff at Frank's) take Halloween very seriously!  The staff was dressed as zombies, with the two owners dressed as Cheerleader zombies!

Frank's Diner in Kenosha, Wisconsin - It's not as big as it looks!

Frank's is a pretty small place with a small area of tables and a counter of about 20 seats.  The place was very busy, but I got a counter seat almost immediately, a great seat right in front of the grill, where all the cooking action takes place.  Frank's is only open from 6a to 130p and specializes in breakfasts and their signature dish is the Garbage Plate.  The pancakes and French Toast looked pretty awesome, too.  Thankfully they also have 1/2 sized Garbage Plate (I am pretty sure the full size could feed a couple of NFL offensive linemen!)  I chose the 1/2 Garbage Plate.  The plate consisted of 3 eggs scrambled into Hash Brown potatoes, peppers, and onions with the choice of meats (or meats) and choice of cheese.  The meat choices were bacon, sausage, ham, corned beef hash, and spam and the cheese choices were Swiss, American, and Cheddar.  I chose sausage and Cheddar.  by the way, the full Garbage Plate has more of everything and 5 eggs!  As I waited I was able to watch the two owners work the grill (they call themselves "The Grill Girls").  It was quite a show! 

Frank's Grill at work!

I watched the first group of meals being made and those ladies really can cook!  It was sort of cool watching the process, it seemed like they could make about 7 or 8 meals on the grill and do the Fried and Poached eggs on the nearby stove.  I really didn't have to wait that long to get my meal and although I don't really like eggs, this Garbage Plate was really good, I think all the other stuff made the eggs go down easier!

The HALF Garbage Plate at Frank's

 The meal had two huge slices of homemade bread alongside and it really complimented the meal, the bread was crusty and soft in the middle.  As I finished I waited to get the owners to sign my book, but I wasn't sure if it would be possible as they were really busy and there was a line of about 10 people waiting.  As I was about to give up, the owner and cook looked over and asked me f I wanted to get the book signed?  They were great and both of the owners signed and commented to each other that they looked the same as they did when their pictures were taken during filming over 7 years ago.  The other cool thing I noticed was that they have a lot of regulars, the staff knows them by name and what they want, not menu or order needed!  This place is a must if you are in the area!

From Frank's I headed south back to the Chicago area.  I stopped at a place that was really in the middle of nowhere, I am still not sure how Guy found this one!  It is in the town of Wadsworth, Illinois, but all I know of Wadsworth is a traffic light along the Skokie Highway with a gas station and a restaurant!  "The Shanty" is a nice looking place that unfortunately was closed at the time I got there and it didn't look like it was gong to open anytime soon, so after waiting for a few minutes I decided to head back to the Chicago area.

The Shanty in Wadsworth, Illinois

It took a good hour to drive back into the Chicago area and I must say that the traffic was really good!  I had three more places that I wanted to get to and decided to go to a place that looked very fun on the DDD episode.  I arrived at this building that looked like a Gothic style house from the  early 20th century but was home to a very cool place, "Kuma's Corner".  Kuma's features burgers that are named after Heavy Metal Rock bands.  The Black Sabbath Burger is one of their most popular.  It opens at 1130a and I got there a few minutes early.  I was standing outside and saw some other walk in and they said they were open and the place already had about 15 people!  I was told to take any seat at the bar. 

Kuma's Corner

I looked over their menu and saw that are a real burger joint, with a full bar and about 20 beers on tap.  I was thankful that they had special smaller lunch burgers and I decided on a Greek inspired burger with Goat Cheese, Taziki sauce and Kalamata Olives.  the burger was delicious, cooked medium and as Guy would describe "down your arms juicy".  While I was there, the place got packed and really loud, the local 20 something's really like their burgers!

My Kuma's Corner Burger

Kuma's hard working kitchen staff

I also tried the Root Beer they had on tap and it was pretty good.  If you like a good burger Kuma's is the place, and the prices were pretty reasonable.  Most of the burgers are very hot and spicy!

I headed to a place just a few minutes away, "90 Miles Cuban Café".  This place is very small and very popular!  They have mostly "stand up" seating and the place was packed.  I looked over the menu and it was filled with specialties from Cuba, but I looked on the counter and they had a glass display of Cuban Sweets, so I decided to get two Guava Pastelito's which are like Fruit Turnovers and got them to go, I figured I would eat them later and maybe on the flight home!

90 Miles Cuban Café on Clybourn Avenue in Chicago

I continued on to my last planned stop on the trip about a 15 minute drive away and my first time to try a place that specializes in the cuisine of Costa Rica, welcome to "Irazu".  The first thing I noticed was that they advertise that they are a BYOB restaurant, they don't sell it but allow it.  It is sort of a strange layout.  You walk into an almost tent like structure with tables and space heaters.  Then there is a large indoor carry-out area and they were doing a big carry-out lunch business!  As I walked further on there was an indoor dining area with pictures and memorabilia of Costa Rica.  Irazu sponsors a Costa Rican neighborhood festival each year. 

Irazu - A Chicago Restaurant celebrating Costa Rica

The sign to good Costa Rican food!

I looked over the menu and wanted something traditional and light.  They feature both savory and sweet empanadas so I decided to try a Sweet Plantain Empanada and a Pineapple Empanada.  They came out very fast and they both had a unique flavor.  They weren't as sweet as I thought they would be but they were both very tasty, I don't think they could have been any better!

My Empanada  Plate

On the top is the Plantain Empanada and on the bottom is the Pineapple Empanada

As I was about to head out, I asked my server if she could sign or get someone to sign my book and she went and got the owner.  He had a big smile on his face and we chatted for a moment and then he went back in.  When the server returned she brought me their specialty drink, the Oatmeal Milk Shake.  It was delicious and I really appreciated the gift.  It tasted to me almost like a shake made from Rice Pudding and had a ground cinnamon garnish.  My official visit was over and as I got back to the car I checked one thing on the GPS and decided to go back to Rex to see Joey and Anthony and their Halloween costumes.  I arrived and the place was pretty busy and as I walked around I heard, "Hey Bill, you're back!"  Anthony, although born and raised in Chicago, was dressed as the Quarterback of his favorite team, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.  We chatted more about his background and the restaurant.  Then they called Joey out and he was in full Guy Fieri gear!  He gave me his card and we got a few more photos taken.  They are great guys and really welcoming to everyone who enter their shop!

Pretty uncanny ain't it!

Joey "That Guy" and me

I was now done with the DDD trip and although it looked like the trip home might be another long adventure, the Gods of Standby smiled on me and I got home earlier than expected and my Triple D count is now 390!

Returning to the Windy City (and America's Dairyland)! Day 1

Fall traditionally is one of the better times to travel as an airline employee.  I had just come back from the Arizona trip and I really wanted to get back out there and get to some more places, but I really didn't have too much time to go on a long trip.  When I was stuck in Chicago on the way to Phoenix and it looked like I might not get out, I made a list of the places in Chicago just in case.  Well, I did  make it to Phoenix, so I figured that Chicago might be doable on my days off.  I looked at the Chicago list and started to plan out the places I would like to get to. 

The flights looked pretty good, so I decided to make a go of it.  I left work a few hours early to catch the 8 am flight to Chicago and get my adventure started.  After a very uneventful flight (the best kind of flight) I arrived in to O'Hare and went to get the rental car and start going.

I headed in towards the city and drove to the nearby suburb of Norridge to a place in a small strip mall called "Rex Italian Foods".  I entered thinking that it was more of a Italian shop than a restaurant, but it is more of a restaurant that has specialty Italian items for sale.  They make all types of Italian specialties on premises and also have deli meats and prepared salads and frozen foods and desserts.  I sort of felt like I was in a Italian food wonderland, it all looked so good. 

Rex Italian Foods

I walked around just gazing at all of the great stuff.  I met the owner Anthony Pinello and talked to him about my travels and he told me about the place and Guy's visit.  There was just so much to choose from, but the Sausage Calzone looked great and the price was incredibly low only $3.95. Anthony delivered the extremely hot calzone and then told me that his chef was someone I had to meet.  Walking out from the kitchen area was a shorter guy that looked exactly like Guy! 

My Sausage Calzone

He introduced himself, Joey "That Guy" Kornatowski.  He has had the "Guy" look for about 20 years which was even before Guy made a name for himself.  Joey has been a chef for years and also has been in a band.  When the real Guy met him he asked Joey not to sue him as he has had the look for a shorter amount of time.  Joey opened for Guy when his "Guy Fieri Roadshow" came to Chicago in 2009 (I attended the roadshow in Norfolk).

I am with Joey and Anthony at Rex Italian Foods

After finishing off the calzone, I said my goodbyes to the staff and headed off.  By the way the Calzone was fantastic.  They encouraged me to come back the next day as it was Halloween and they would be all dressed up. 

I drove towards the city as the next few places I wanted to try were on the south side of the city.  traffic was not too bad, it was heavy, but steady so I made my way to my next stop.  This was and older neighborhood and as I arrived the place was just opening.  This is the first time I have been to a restaurant that features the cuisine of Belize.  "Garifuna Flava" is a place that serves the neighborhood as both a restaurant and on the weekends a nightclub.  They also sponsor a yearly festival to celebrate the heritage of Belize.  I looked over the menu and the thing that really jumped out at me was the 321 Appetizer plate.  The plate consists of 3 Panades, 2 Jerk Wings and 1 Garnache, 

The plate came and it was awesome.  The Panades are a empanada like turnover that is filled with hashed Buffalo Fish and the Garnache is a tostada like flat corn tortilla topped with refried beans, lettuce, cheese and ketchup.  The wings were excellent with a bit of spice but not too much and in Belize they serve them with the sauce on the side.  I was too excited about the Panades as they were a bit dry and not too flavorful, the biggest surprise was the Garnache, this was awesome, I was a bit scared with the ketchup sauce, but it tasted great! 

The 321 Appetizer plate at Garifuna Flava

As I finished I told the waitress about my journeys and asked if I could get the book signed so she went and got the owner to sign it.  He then told me that I had to get a picture taken for their books, so we traded photos of myself with the waitress in front of the map of Belize.  I really enjoyed  both the food and the staff. 

My waitress at Garifuna Flava with the map of Belize

I headed out to my next stop and the one that I was really looking forward to.  Let me first say that my past history on Triple D places that I was really looking forward to going to has not been that great, I am not sure if my expectations are too high, but in many cases they haven't lived up to what I saw on the episode.  I drove into a classic Chicago South Side neighborhood and arrived at "The Original Vito and Nick's Pizzeria"  This place has been in business for over 50 years and features what they say is the true Chicago pizza, not deep dish, but thin crust pizza.  It is the epitome of the classic neighborhood bar with a big bar and a big room.  I was really hoping that they had a small version of their pizza, but they didn't and I found that the price was a bit steep, so I chose the Meatball sandwich.  I was very surprised that they place was very slow, only two or three others and very quiet.  The server was very friendly and very nice to all of us in the restaurant.  The sandwich came and I thought the meatballs were quite good, although I found the sauce to be a bit on the bland side.  They served it with a side of sweet peppers which made it better.  The bread was the best, chewy and tasty!

The Original Vito and Nick's Pizzeria

My Meatball Sandwich with Sweet Peppers on the side

I asked the waitress to get my book signed and she signed it and I asked about the place and the filming.  She told me that the owner who had been a big part of the episode was sick and in the hospital and that since it was so slow they didn't need the full crew there and that it was pretty unusual for them to be so slow.  On the episode they showed the pizza makers at work which features the throwing of the pizza boards and I guess that's why I was a bit disappointed, but next time I get to Chicago I want to go on a busy time to see the full show!  From there it was time to get ot the hotel for the night and take a brief rest before heading out to the next places

After a short break I headed out to two places that would end my day and (at least on the map) were not too far from where I was staying out by O'Hare.  My GPS showed that as the crow flies my next stop was less than 10 miles from the hotel and that even n the traffic it should take about 20 minutes.  Well, let me tell you, the GPS lied!  It took over an hour to drive that 10 miles and it wasn't the highway traffic that was the problem, yes it was heavy, but it took almost 15 minutes to get off the highway and then had to stop at every light along the surface streets!  I guess Chicago doesn't like to synchronize traffic lights.  It was very frustrating! 

After the long ride I arrived at "Cemitas Puebla" a small restaurant tat does a huge carry-out business to the neighborhood.  They have a few tables so they do some eat-in business like me, but all in all carry-out is their business.  The restaurant is family owned and features a sandwich that is unique to the families hometown of Puebla, Mexico.  The Cemitas are sandwiches made on homemade sesame seed rolls with the meat of choice and avocado spread, house made sauce, and Oaxacan cheese.  I chose the Milanesa which is a breaded pork loin.

The Milanesa Cemitas

The cheese, which is Mexican is very much like Mozzarella and is very chewy when melted.  I thought the pork was very tasty, but I didn't like the cheese it was very stringy and I did  like the softness of the inner roll. 

The goodies inside the Milanesa Cemitas

When I approached the staff so I could get my book signed I explained what I wanted and got the stare of "I have no idea what you are talking about"  This is a family run place so a few of the staff didn't understand what I was talking about, but the young guy did and was very happy to sign.  I think that if you are in the area, it is worth a visit since this type of sandwich is very different.

From there I headed to my last stop of the day, a place that is very famous due to the show, it was featured on one of the first episodes of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and has become somewhat of a Chicago institution.  I have had several people ask me if I had been to this place and when I answere they asked me "why!".  I had finally made it to "Smoque"! 

This restaurant is not that big, but they do big business!  Most of the tables are communal and they feature just about every type of barbecue, but they best known for their brisket.  I decided on the half brisket sandwich with Cole slaw and Mac and Cheese.

 

Smoque Barbecue - Low and Slow!

I also got a fountain drink and I know I might be offending some with this next statement, but even though they make great southern style barbecue, they can't make good Sweet Tea in Chicago!  They called my number and I went up to get my meal.  They gave me 2 types off sauce; one was a Carolina style vinegar based sauce and the other was a Memphis style thick sweet sauce, both were excellent but really unnecessary!  The sliced brisket was unreal!  It reminded me of the great brisket at the Pecan Lodge in Dallas.  It was juicy, with great bark and no knives were needed!  I used the bread to taste the sauce!  The Cole slaw was very good too, with a vinegar base and a tad of sweet to offset the vinegar.  Last but not least the Mac and Cheese, baked in a small container and very cheesy with a nice crust.

My Smoque meal

Beef Brisket

The sauces on the left is the Carolina Style Vinegar base on the right is the Memphis style sweet sauce

Smoque's Mac and Cheese

This was a great meal, Smoque had definitely lived up to their well deserved reputation!  I will return here, actually I wish they would expand to the DC area, I'm sorry but I wish we had some good barbecue joints!  I headed back to the hotel and really had to think about the next day, the places I was planning togo towere more in the city and with the traffic as bad as it was on this day it would be worse as it would be Halloween and the weather reports were not good!  So there were some maps to look at and decisions to be made!