Foodie Panel: Sugarfire Smoke House does barbecue like a (pit) boss

When a new restaurant opens its doors, I like to give it a month or two before I visit -- let them get their feet under them and figure things out. Waiting also helps me to avoid those crazy rushes of people eager to try something new. Sugarfire Smoke House opened in Cape Girardeau in September, and now, after finally visiting, I'm not sure why I waited so long to try it.

Normally, I don't like writing about chain restaurants. I like to find the place off the beaten path, somewhere small and sparkly the world needs to know about. I would like to suggest though Sugarfire is indeed a chain located in thirteen different locations according to the website, it doesn't feel like a chain restaurant. The people are friendly to a fault and seem to enjoy being there, the food is handmade and varied, and the meat is juicy and tender, a wonderful example of St. Louis-style barbecue.

Like so many of the other great barbecue places, they are only open until they sell out, which leads one to believe they do, indeed, sell out of their smoked meats. Their soda fountain machine is full of unique local sodas, so you won't find Coke or Pepsi here. Try something new, and enjoy the experience.

The first thing I tried was a sandwich called the Big Muddy. It is exactly as messy as it sounds. A towering monster of a sandwich, it contained some of Sugarfire's famous brisket stacked on top of a split smoked sausage link. Add some lettuce, pickles, BBQ sauce, and absolutely amazing horseradish sauce, and you have one messy, sloppy, delicious sandwich. They held this thing together with a wooden skewer because a toothpick just wouldn't have done the job.

My daughter ordered a cheeseburger, and though I didn't try it, she said the meat was good. She did, however, get a side of Mac 'n' Rack. This is homemade macaroni and cheese with some rib meat mixed in. She wasn't sure about it because she's a mac and cheese purist, but when she took her first bite, her eyes widened, and I knew it must be good. She let me try it, and, whoa -- this mac and cheese was awesome. Lots of cheese, soft noodles, and they were generous with the meat, which lent a smooth smoky texture to the whole dish. I think I could go again, order just that and be happy. She also tried a chocolate shake which she said was "sexy." Trying this, I found it rich, creamy, obviously made with real ice cream, and with some tiny little chocolate pieces throughout. Not enough to have to chew, but enough to chew if you wanted that extra chocolate blast.

Mac 'n Rack, a cleverly named mac and cheese with rib meat, with a cheeseburger and chocolate shake from Sugarfire.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

And, if you find yourself in a place where you can't have delicious barbecue or sweet tangy sauce, Sugarfire offers a killer smoked salmon. I ordered this, and was pleased with the portion. But the taste! It took me back to Michigan, where in my childhood we would order a whole smoked whitefish, head to tail, and pick the flaky meat from the bones, all smoke and mild meat with texture that wasn't dry or oily. This smoked salmon was very similar: smoky, not dried out, browned attractively, and served with my chosen sides of mixed fruit and green beans. The green beans are worth mentioning. Besides the mac and cheese, this was my favorite side. A huge helping of fresh green beans, cooked with bacon, some little crumbles that I think may have been Parmesan cheese, and coated with just enough fat to flavor them wonderfully. They weren't cooked to death, and they still had a little tiny bit of crunch when I bit into them. The texture was perfect.

The next time I go, I would love to try the Smoked Fried Artichokes served with lemon aioli, or perhaps the Pork Belly hush puppies served with a jalapeno jelly. These both sounded intriguing to me, but we just ran out of room to try everything that looked good to us.

As for our meal, nothing was off, nothing was done halfway, and everything was cooked the way that flattered it the best. Like I said, I'm not sure why I waited so long to visit Sugarfire, but I will be returning and sampling some more smoky goodness, clever sauces and new flavor combinations.