I tell everyone that you can get almost any kind of food you want in NYC - almost. Chinese - we got it. Italian - fagetaboutit. French - oui! But BBQ, sorry, you need to go south. The ban against... More

I tell everyone that you can get almost any kind of food you want in NYC - almost. Chinese - we got it. Italian - fagetaboutit. French - oui! But BBQ, sorry, you need to go south. The ban against open pit BBQing in the City is mostly to blame. But that dismal situation was changed a couple of years ago when Danny Meyer (owner of a NY food empire) announced the opening of Blue Smoke. Quick take - This is the best BBQ I have had in NYC. Not the best I have had, mind you, but the best in these parts. Even the owner admits that he's still working on it but a recent visit showed that he's damn close. I had really good brisket - not the Jewish Deli kind, the Southern BBQ kind. A few weeks after my visit I had brisket at Dickies in Dallas and Blue Smoke held its own pretty well. I have not tried the ribs or BBQ bologna - both supposed to be dandy. I will visit again and let you know. So it's official - BBQ is here and getting better all the time. Rejoice !
Less