Some recent press mentions, reviews, and profiles of Smoque BBQ: o November 2007 Smoque was profiled on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives as part of a show called “Real Deal BBQ”. Here are the details and showtimes. o October 2007 Smoque’s Brisket Sandwich was named by Chicago Magazine as one of the 124 Best Dishes in Chicago. Check it out here. Smoque was presented with a coveted Great Neighborhood Restaurant (GNR) Award by the members of LTHFORUM.com, Chicago’s leading food and culinary chat and discussion forum. Smoque was nominated for the award by Louisa Chu, chef, correspondent for Gourmet Magazine, and host of the PBS Series Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie. Details here. o July 2007 Smoque was the subject of a review by WBBM Radio’s news anchor and restaurant critic, Sherman Kaplan. Read the text here. o June 2007 Smoque’s Brisket Sandwich was selected as one of the best sandwiches in Chicago by TimeOut Chicago. Read it here. o May 2007 Smoque was the focus of a piece by Jodi Robbins on wine and beer selection and pairing at BYO restaurants in May’s UR Chicago Magazine. Robbins was joined at the tasting by Belinda Chang, sommelier and corporate director of wine and spirits for Cenitare Restaurant Development and Management Company, and Justin Leone, sommelier at Alinea (Number 1 in Gourmet Magazine’s Top 50 Restaurants in the US for 2006). Check out their tasting notes here. Smoque was extensively profiled in the Pioneer Press Newspapers. Read it here. Smoque was profiled in a BBQ feature in the May issue of Today’s Chicago Woman Magazine, and the recipe for Smoque’s vinegar-based cole slaw was divulged. Read it here. Chicago Magazine’s Michael Nagrant interviewed Smoque partner Barry Sorkin. Highlights, as well as access to the full podcast, can be found here. In the endorsements we’ll gladly take category: Homaru Cantu, chef/owner of the celebrated Moto and recent winner of Food Network’s Iron Chef, concluded a recent interview with Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Magazine with a plug for Smoque as his go-to place for cheap eats. Check out the last question in the interview here. o April 2007 Smoque was one of five restaurants worldwide to be highlighted in the April issue of Gourmet Magazine. Readers have been calling for “Reservations” ever since. We’ll post a scanned image of the notice here soon. Smoque was the winner of a Critic’s Choice Award at the first annual TimeOut Chicago Eat Out Awards. Smoque’s pulled pork was cited as the “Best Butt in Town”. Chicago Magazine named Smoque the third hottest restaurant in Chicago. For April, they upped Smoque to second! Check out the HotList here and the notice that appeared in the magazine here. Smoque was the restaurant chosen for the Weekend “Where 2 Go” segment on the CBS 2 Chicago Weekend News on April 21. Check out the video here. o March 2007 Smoque was reviewed by Robin Mather Jenkins of the Chicago Tribune Smoque was the subject of Steve Dolinsky’s Hungry Hound segment on the WLS-7 TV 10PM News. Watch the video clip and read the companion article here. The turnout as a result of this piece (with its gorgeous close-ups on our ribs, brisket, mac and cheese and BBQ beans) was unprecedented. Smoque sold out of food every day for two weeks running! o February 2007 Leah Zeldes reviewed Smoque for the Chicago/Suburban Daily Herald, and even compared Smoque’s ownership to Martin Luther! A PDF can be found here. o January 2007 Smoque was briefly profiled as one of 5 Chicago BBQ spots to try by Pat Bruno, longtime food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. Smoque was also reviewed by the Chicago Reader’s Mike Sula. Check out the photos. Smoque was reviewed in TimeOut Chicago Smoque was profiled on the Chicagoland TV (CLTV) program, Metromix TV. Smoque was reviewed by food writer Laura Oppenheimer on the Chicagoist blog. o December 2006 YoChicago Irving Park expert diarist Erica Gunderson was one of the first to review Smoque. She followed up with a YouTube video about Smoque and on general developments in the Irving Park neighborhood. Smoque was featured on its opening day in Chicago’s edition of the Daily Candy Web Site / e-mail newsletter