Pierre Bader to Bring Barbecue Uptown with City Smoke

Several weeks ago local restaurateur Pierre Bader announced plans to opened a new restaurant uptown next door to his popular Aria Tuscan Grille on Trade Street. Now we’ve heard that the new spot will be focused on all things barbecue. Bader says that his newest restaurant will be called City Smoke and set to open in January 2012. It will feature five different kinds of barbecue: Kansas, Memphis, Texas, and eastern and western North Carolina. Bader says there will be plenty of non-barbecue items on the menu too, such as chicken and fish and hearty salads.

In addition to the barbecue you’ll find a large bourbon selection as well as more than twenty beers on tap. While the space is still in the early stages of being developed, Bader plans for it to be casual (think peanut shells on the floor) and feature rustic touches like reclaimed wood. Little and Associates, which designed Aria, is designing the space. The plans also include an open kitchen where restaurant guests can get a glimpse of the ‘cue cooking action.