Boy, there is thankfully a lot of barbecue that is making appearances on the scene, from The Rib Whip truck parking in SoMa to CatHead’s Barbecue (see my next post) to this wonderful-sounding brand-new addition, SMOKE. Mark Furr—who grew up in Kansas City (“I’ve been doing barbecue since I was a kid—it’s what we do out there.”)—was the opening chef for The Sycamore, and has also worked in fine dining. With Smoke, he’s serving some delicious-sounding ‘cue out of a little bright red 1966 Land Commander trailer that he converted into a mini-kitchen in Bayview. He said he cooks the barbecue overnight at a production kitchen in Bernal, and then serves it from the trailer in Bayview the next day. He said the difference is his meats aren’t reheated, which means you’re getting it practically right out of the smoker.
On the menu: competition-style barbecue, like slow-cooked brisket, spareribs, pulled pork, hot links, (excuse me, just slobbered on my keyboard, hang on, one second, ok), along with sides like cheesy grits, cornbread, greens, potato salad, coleslaw, and barbecue beans with brisket that are cooked “the proper way,” which is in the smoker (duh). You can choose from plates ($10-$14) or sandwiches ($6-$8), or by the pound ($10)—you can also get a chicken for $10, and a slab of ribs for $20. He said he’s cooking with quality, hormone-free meats. His cohort, Angela Chavez, is also making some tasty desserts, from chocolate cream pie to banana cream pie to tarts.
Furr said they just started last Thursday, and will be serving from Mon-Fri 11:30am-4pm at 1439 Davidson at Evans. He mentioned that he likes the off-the-beaten-path location (“It reminds me a bit of Kansas City”), but they are scouting a second location to launch in February. You can keep track on their Twitter feed. I can’t wait to head over. And do it quick before Thrillist most likely picks this up and lobs it to their audience of dudes (without crediting where they got the story, of course).
Mark Furr, Angela Chavez, and the red Land Commander! (Photo from Smoke.)
