According to the immutable laws of physics, the basic elements of barbecue are as follows: Wood. Fire. Smoke. Meat. Sauce. Bourbon.
And a little romance.
Welcome to Ole Hardwood, a glitzy smokehouse opening tonight in the South Loop, ready to meet your oak-, apple-, cherry-, mesquite-, cedar- and/or hickory-smoked meat needs.
Yes, there’s formality in the form of grand chandeliers and black tablecloths. But it’s not so stuffy that you'll have to shy away from licking your fingers—or anyone else’s. But first let’s start with a drink.
As soon as you grab a chair in the joint’s snug lounge, you’ll be knocking back old fashioneds with blood oranges and cherries muddled into some obscure bourbon usually just whispered about in the backrooms of Kentucky. If not, there’s the Tamarind-lemongrass Peppercorn Martini with a black pepper rim and garnished with lardon—the pork version of an olive.
After an evening of oak-smoked baby backs, mopped with a bourbon-vinegar sauce—or perhaps some plank-cooked Wagyu steaks or pork belly ’n’ beans—you’ll have one last trick up your sleeve: Making a warm peach cobbler served with vanilla ice cream shake and an edible chocolate cookie straw appear.
Then making it disappear.
And a little romance.
Welcome to Ole Hardwood, a glitzy smokehouse opening tonight in the South Loop, ready to meet your oak-, apple-, cherry-, mesquite-, cedar- and/or hickory-smoked meat needs.
Yes, there’s formality in the form of grand chandeliers and black tablecloths. But it’s not so stuffy that you'll have to shy away from licking your fingers—or anyone else’s. But first let’s start with a drink.
As soon as you grab a chair in the joint’s snug lounge, you’ll be knocking back old fashioneds with blood oranges and cherries muddled into some obscure bourbon usually just whispered about in the backrooms of Kentucky. If not, there’s the Tamarind-lemongrass Peppercorn Martini with a black pepper rim and garnished with lardon—the pork version of an olive.
After an evening of oak-smoked baby backs, mopped with a bourbon-vinegar sauce—or perhaps some plank-cooked Wagyu steaks or pork belly ’n’ beans—you’ll have one last trick up your sleeve: Making a warm peach cobbler served with vanilla ice cream shake and an edible chocolate cookie straw appear.
Then making it disappear.
