Smoque

What prompted my diatribe on the word barbecue? The Chicagoist posted a glowing review of a restaurant with an absolutely ridiculous name. Nevertheless, the picture of that chicken has me intrigued. I've traveled to Chicago often over the years and eaten many great meals there. I never once considered ordering BBQ. Looking at the map, it's doubtful that I'll make it to Smoque the next time I visit the windy city, but you never know.

Unlike the Chicagoist, I really appreciate the "intensity" of the 2000-word Smoque BBQ Manifesto and could find very little to disagree with while reading through it. More businesses should put that much thought into what they're trying to accomplish. Of course its title, Our View on Q – An Essay on BBQ, made me throw up in my mouth a little. Still, while reading the section on BBQ sauce it occurred to me that I should clarify something. I describe Bar-B-Log as a quest for the perfect BBQ sauce, which is true insofar as it pertains to pork. That's what I'm looking to create first and foremost. I too believe that the perfect sauce for one smoked meat is not the perfect sauce for another. In fact at this stage in the development of The Sauce, I might be closer to the perfect sauce for chicken. I need to get to work.