Blue Smoke celebrates the evolving American South and honors its culinary traditions. Inspired by the many regions of the South, from the Carolina coast to the hills of central Texas, the food is soulful with a selection of smoked meats, fresh produce, and thoughtfully sourced ingredients. Classic and specialty cocktails, an extensive American craft beer list, American wines and whiskey served by a welcoming team complete the experience.
Founded by Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) in 2002 and named after the curl of blue smoke that rises out of perfectly smoked meat, Blue Smoke was the fruit of restaurateur Danny Meyer’s vision of creating a casual restaurant that would combine the soulful cuisine of America’s South with the fine dining DNA of his other USHG restaurants. In early 2001, Danny tapped two Union Square Cafe veterans, General Manager Mark Maynard-Parisi and Chef Kenny Callaghan, to lead the new restaurant. Since then, Danny, Mark, and a rotating cast of travel companions have eaten their way through Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas to research and understand the South’s diverse culinary traditions.
A year after opening the restaurant, Danny and the Blue Smoke team created the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, inviting the country’s top pitmasters to cook their regional specialties on the streets of Manhattan for a giant celebration that today draws over 125,000 visitors, while raising funds to support the Madison Square Park Conservancy.
In 2014, Jean-Paul Bourgeois was named Executive Chef of Blue Smoke. Hailing from Louisiana and having cooked in fine dining kitchens across the country, including USHG’s Maialino, Jean-Paul shares his story and Southern culture through the menu at Blue Smoke.
The flagship Blue Smoke, with the club Jazz Standard, is located on East 27th Street in New York City, and a second location opened in 2012 in NYC’s Battery Park City. Blue Smoke also has two premium Blue Smoke on the Road baseball concessions at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, and the Washington Nationals ballpark. In 2013, Blue Smoke on the Road opened at Delta Terminal 4 in John F. Kennedy International Airport.
