Smoke is not where “meat meets west.” Instead, it celebrates Modern American cooking on old American wood-fired equipment: smokers, ovens—even stoves. Located in the funky 1940s-era Belmont Hotel—a boutique sleep with a Mad Men vibe—this restaurant stakes its claim on house-made sausages, house-smoked meats, and cocktail formulations featuring fresh juices garnished with house-pickled anything and everything.

“Big Rib,” a Flintstones-sized beef rib, is satisfyingly smoky, but with a tender pull that is anything but reticent. There’s North Carolina pulled hog, fire-baked oysters, and side dishes typical of this ilk including house-cured pork belly and rabbit sausage. Because of the unpredictable nature of old-fashioned cooking, meats can dry out. It’s a risk.

Smoke also offers behemoth brunches that include tasty blueberry ricotta pancakes and barbecue eggs Benedict—nice twists on what are often tired mainstays. Smoke’s mezcal and key lime meringue pie is a delicate and refreshing respite.