| NETFLIX’S "HIGH ON THE HOG" SOUL FOOD SCHOLAR, JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNING AUTHOR ADRIAN MILLER IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS AND TO PROVIDE EXPERT COMMENTARY ON GRILLING SEASON, BARBECUE, AND BLACK CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN CUISINE |
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| For centuries, the creations and innovations of Blacks in America have been culturally appropriated — case in point, the true history of barbecue’s culinary origins. In his new book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, James Beard Award-winning author and star of the hit Netflix series High On The Hog, Adrian Miller reclaims a celebrated African American tradition and reinforces barbecue as an important Black cultural contribution to American cuisine.
A James Beard Award recipient for Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, Miller is also the author of The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas.
Miller is a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society judge and also serves as a consultant on the popular Netflix series Chef’s Table BBQ. |
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Adrian Miller chronicles how Black barbecuers, pitmasters, and restauranteurs helped develop a cornerstone of American foodways and how they are coming into their own today
Across the nation, the pure love and popularity of barbecue cookery have gone through the roof. Prepared in one regional style or another, in the South and beyond, barbecue is one of the nation’s most distinctive culinary arts. And people aren’t just eating it; they’re also reading books and articles and watching TV shows about it. But why is it, asks Adrian Miller—admitted ’cuehead and longtime certified barbecue judge—that in today’s barbecue culture African Americans don’t get much love?
In Black Smoke, Miller celebrates and restores the faces and stories of the men and women who have influenced this American cuisine. It’s a smoke-filled story of Black perseverance, culinary innovation, and entrepreneurship. Though often pushed to the margins, African Americans have enriched a barbecue culture that has come to be embraced by all. This beautifully illustrated chronicle also features 22 barbecue recipes collected just for this book. |
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| MEDIA COVERAGE AND CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR BLACK SMOKE |
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| ADRIAN’S TOP 20 BBQ RESTAURANTS FEATURED IN NEW BOOK BLACK SMOKE
Mid-Atlantic: Texas 202 Barbeque of Maryland (Brandywine, MD)
Midwest: Ashley’s Bar-B-Que (Milwaukee, WI); Gates Bar-B-Q (Kansas City, MO); LC’s Bar-B-Q (Kansas City, MO); Q’s Tips and Wings (Chicago, IL)
South: Backyard BBQ Pit (Durham, NC); The Bar-B-Q Shop (Memphis, TN); Cozy Corner Restaurant (Memphis, TN); Dreamland Bar-B-Que (throughout Alabama); Grady’s BBQ (Dudley, NC); Jenkins Quality (Jacksonville, FL); Payne’s Bar-B-Que (Memphis, TN); Rodney Scott’s BBQ (Charleston, SC)
Texas: Burns Original BBQ (Houston, TX); Fargo’s Pit BBQ (Bryan, TX); Patillo’s Bar-B-Q (Beaumont, TX); Ray’s BBQ Shack (Houston, TX)
West: Bludso’s Bar & Que (Los Angeles, CA); Lil’ Red Takeout and Catering (Seattle, WA); West Alley BBQ and Smokehouse (Chandler, AZ) |
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| In preparation to write Black Smoke, Miller visited over 200 black-owned barbecue restaurants. He lists his favorite Top 20 in the book. Understanding the deep-seated passions of barbecue lovers and the people "who Que,"Miller invites challenges to his list of favorites.
Black Smoke Que is a fan-voting challenge to establish bragging rights and to claim the title as the local best in barbecue! Submissions will be accepted in four categories: Best Que Joint, Best Que Truck, Best Que Cookout, and Best Backyard Que. For more information on the categories and how to submit nominees for consideration please follow Miller on Instagram @SoulFoodScholar and/or @BlackSmokeQue. |
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