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"After a brief closure and an April announcement, I saw Seven Beef transformed into Central Smoke, an Asian-influenced smokehouse that melds Asian flavors with slow-cooked meats and Southern dishes in the Central District. The menu leans heavily on a new custom-built smoker and includes smoked oysters with kimchi, pork-and-squid sausage with barbecue sauce, green papaya salad with tea-smoked chicken, bavette steak with creamed corn, collard greens with bacon, and cornbread with honey crème fraîche; on Friday and Saturday there’s a limited supply of 20-hour smoked brisket. Mike Whisenhunt, formerly of Brimmer and Heeltap, oversees the menu, and Brandon Addicks teamed with Jon Christiansen to remake a cocktail list that incorporates smoke. The interior is slightly more casual—tablecloths removed and a colorful art installation added—while the restaurant’s large patio remains, and the restaurant is open Monday–Thursday 4–10 p.m. and Friday–Saturday 4–11 p.m., with new dishes being added daily or sometimes hourly." - Megan Hill