THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Smoke Restaurant

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED NAMES Smoke Restaurant Restaurant Review:

Barbecue purists may snub Smoke’s sophisticated setting --- there are no decades-old calendars or beer signs, for example. But the rest of us will be more than happy to relax and revel in chef Brian West’s personal take on Texas’s primary claim to fame. It’s a take that includes braised pork belly with apple butter, a “snack” that’s a first-rate starter. The same goes for the moonshine-pickled shrimp, a Southern dish with a convincing twist. Many other plates are outside the canon, too, like smoked trout and the Urban Cowboy BBQ burger, a brisket number that makes for a juicy, lofty patty with melty cheddar and crispy onion rings that add texture; the house-cut fries are good as well. Meats by the half pound include brisket, pulled pork and Shiner Bock-brined turkey; ribs on the bone are either beef or pork soaked in Dr. Pepper; and house-made selections feature maple bacon, beef sausage and bratwurst. The brisket is tender, moist and nicely smoky but comes across more polite than profound, which means that the six-pack of inventive sauces can be employed to its fullest advantage. A tablet-delivered wine list almost rises to the occasion of the barbecue. After all the upscale smoke, you may want the chile-laced brownie with a side of house-churned vanilla ice cream; it only sounds traditional.