Nearly 100 meals and beverage professionals from all around the nation descended on Houston for this yr’s Southern Smoke Competition. Held at Discovery Inexperienced on Saturday, October 4, the occasion drew about 3,100 food-obsessed Houstonians.
The occasion raised $1.7 million for the Southern Smoke Basis — up from $1.5 million in 2024. That cash helps Southern Smoke present monetary help and psychological well being care companies to hospitality staff. Based by James Beard Award winner (and CultureMap wine columnist) Chris Shepherd and his spouse, Lindsey Brown, the inspiration’s help is offered to restaurant, bar, and cafe staff; farmers and ranchers; winemakers, distillers, and brewers; and anybody within the trade confronted with monetary hardship due to a pure catastrophe, medical emergency, accident, or different unexpected incident, per the inspiration.
For sure, Brown, who serves because the group’s government director, continues to be driving excessive after this yr’s success.
“This was positively our greatest expertise yr ever. We had round 85 cooks and 15 beverage professionals. It was large,” she tells CultureMap.
For attendees, having so many choices for consuming and ingesting stored traces to a minimal — aside from the annual look ahead to famous person pitmaster Aaron Franklin’s world well-known smoked brisket. In between bites, they might watching cooking demonstrations, get cookbooks signed by a few of the members, or expertise an set up from one of many occasion’s sponsors, The Resort at Paws Up. Different sponsors included presenting sponsor, Sysco; VIP and vehicle supporter, Lexus; lodge accomplice, the 4 Seasons Resort Houston; and others.
As Brown notes, bringing that many cooks collectively has one other goal. It builds a neighborhood of advocates who unfold Southern Smoke’s missions to their hometowns.
“We had cooks from each state the place we’ve got packages,” Brown notes. “We had the chef from Michigan who helped us carry the Behind You program to Michigan, Bob Bennett.”
One of many day’s extra whimsical moments befell on the sales space occupied by Johnny’s Gold Brick and Winnie’s. Along with meals and drinks, they arrange a karaoke sales space and invited attendees to sing the tune of their selection for 30 seconds. None aside from Houston hip hop legend and Trill Burgers co-owner Bun B took to the microphone to sing his iconic hit “Int’l Gamers Anthem.”
When it comes to the meals, attendees have a spread of barbecue choices. Along with Franklin’s brisket, Houston’s Reality BBQ (ranked No. 10 within the state by Texas Month-to-month) served its brisket. Rodney Scott served his signature Carolina-style entire hog. Different tasty bites included smoked lamb ribs from Pat Martin, fried smoked quail from Houston’s Feges BBQ, barbacoa by Adrian Torres (Maximo in Houston), and a boudin croissant from New Orleans chef Kelly Jacques.
Vegetarians and pescetarians had loads to get pleasure from as nicely. Ryan Lachaine, representing his new function as State of Grace’s government chef, served poutine with the restaurant’s three-day french fries. Paul Carmichael, chef of buzzy New York Metropolis newcomer Kabawa, served cassava dumplings. Chicago cooks Sarah Grueneberg and Bailey Sullivan supplied seared scamorza with eggplant agrodulce. Different favorites embody a tuna hand roll from Maine chef Jordan Rubin, candy corn sheet cake from Austin chef Mariela Camacho, and scallop crudo with curry mole from Phila Lorn (Mawn in Philadelphia).
VIPs loved a lot of unique bites, together with a dry-aged beef burger from Brookyln’s Crimson Hook Tavern, halibut with caviar from chef Kevin Fink of Austin’s Michelin-starred Hestia, the celebrated collard inexperienced soften from Turkey & the Wolf (New Orleans), and a bison meatball from chef Cassidee Dabney of Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. Additionally they loved libations from James Beard Award winner Alba Huerta of Houston’s Southern-inspired cocktail bar Julep.
Brown is already fascinated by methods to enhance subsequent yr. For the primary time, Southern Smoke labored with a manufacturing firm on sure elements of executing the occasion. It went so nicely she’s able to broaden the corporate’s function for SSF 2026.
“We all the time can enhance yearly,” she says. “There’s all the time methods to dial it in additional.”
We will’t wait.
