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IRVING PARK — The first year Bib Gourmand awards were handed out in Chicago, the Michelin Guide deployed a street team to covertly stencil images of the dining award on the pavement outside each honored restaurant.
"It was this big, 'Oh my God' moment," recalled Barry Sorkin, co-owner of Smoque BBQ.
On Wednesday, Sorkin received word that Smoque is now a five-time Bib Gourmand recipient in far less dramatic fashion — via email from friends.
But that doesn't make the recognition any less sweet, he said.
"The restaurant business is fun, but it can be a grind," said Sorkin, who opened Smoque, 3800 N. Pulaski Road, eight years ago with friends and family members.
"This sort of re-energizes us and breathes new life in the day-to-day," he said. "It's just sort of a reminder that what we do matters."
The Bib Gourmand honors affordable dining spots tailored to locals. To qualify, each restaurant has to offer two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less, excluding tax and tip. The 2015 list acknowledged 59 Chicago restaurants, including 11 newcomers.
Smoque has made the cut every year that Michelin has awarded the Bib Gourmand in Chicago, a tribute to the restaurant's consistency, according to Sorkin.
"We've kind of stuck to what got us here ... and do it as well as we can," he said.
The food has always been front and center at Smoque, said Sorkin, who noted, "Nobody comes here for the ambiance."
To maintain a high level of quality, "You've got to be a maniac," he said. "In eight years, there's never been a moment a partner wasn't on site."
Given Chicago's increasingly competitive barbecue scene, Smoque isn't about to rest on its laurels, or take its success for granted, Sorkin said.
"I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop," he said. "I genuinely believe we do some things really well, but we've also had a lot of dumb luck. Every day that people come in the door, we feel grateful."
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