Two well-regarded pitmasters — Wesley Jurena of Pappa Charlie’s Barbecue and Patrick Feges of Feges BBQ — are joining forces with Feges’s fiancée (and recent Chopped winner), Erin Smith, for one night of “elevated 'que” on July 18 at 6:30 p.m. The event will be held at Pappa Charlie’s.
The one-night feast is a four-course, family-style seated dinner with beer and wine pairings. Diners will get a taste of how Smith won Chopped, as her dessert from the show will be served at the end. Other dishes to be served include smoked versions of meatballs, pork prime rib with mostarda greens and apple cherry-glazed duck breast.
This dinner is an evolution of a collaboration that actually started three years ago. Originally, it was a more casual event called “Some Traditional Que, Some Not.” At the time, Jurena didn’t have a brick-and-mortar yet, Smith was executive chef at Main Kitchen at the J.W. Marriott downtown, and Feges was a line cook at Underbelly.
These days, Smith is upping her wine game at Camerata and scouting her next venture (possibly her own restaurant), Feges is pitmaster at acclaimed restaurant Southern Goods, and Jurena has a barbecue restaurant to call his very own. It was rated one of Texas’ Top 25 New BBQ Joints by Texas Monthly in November 2015.
Tickets for the The Collaboration of Smoke are available online and cost $95 each before tax and gratuity.