Presented by:
Barry Sorkin,
Founding partner, Smoque BBQ, Chicago

Podcast courtesy of WBEZ’s Chicago Amplified 

The searing urge was too much for him, so Barry Sorkin just upped and left his safe and comfortable career as an IT professional to pursue his dream of bringing great regional American BBQ to Chicago. Barry spent over a year researching the industry, traveling to the BBQ mecca of Texas, then writing a detailed business plan, finding a location, and fine-tuning recipes. 

The result was SMOQUE BBQ, a little joint that he and his partners opened four years ago on Chicago’s northwest side which quickly developed a saucy reputation for serving some of the City’s best BBQ. In its first two years, SMOQUE was spotlighted in Bon Appetit, Gourmet, The New York Times, and on The Food Network.

Barry will discuss the forces that propelled Smoque’s rise from out-of-the-way startup to Chicago institution and tell why he believes BBQ evokes more passion than any other cuisine. (Warning: Barry is bringing a Smoque sampling that is guaranteed to convert even the strongest stalwart!)

Barry will be introduced by BBQ maven Gary Wiviott, author of “Low and Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons.” Gary will also dish out a small sampling of BBQ history covering such morsels as cavemen’s first BBQ, and the evolution and differences in regional American BBQ.

Program hosted by Kendall College.