'Cue It Up U p
By Alison Miller
Photos by Peter Taylor
THE SMELL OF WOOD SMOKE
EMANATES FROM MATT BARRY,
AND HE LIKES IT THAT WAY. When
the bearded 35-year-old is heaving
hickory logs into the custom-
made, 100-percent log-fred J&R;
smoker at Midwood Smokehouse in
Toringdon Circle, all is right in the
world. Out in the dining room, an
unassuming space festooned with
artful homages to sow, cow and
chicken, Ballantyne residents tear
into Kansas City-style burnt ends,
Texas-style brisket and Eastern
North Carolina-style pulled pork.
Welcome to 21st century
barbecue.
Just as Charlotte has become a
city of transplants, so too are the
many styles of smoked meat you'll
fnd at two new Ballantyne barbecue
spots — Midwood Smokehouse
and Smoke Modern Barbeque —
and at one seasoned standby, The
Q Shack. Though each is defned
by a distinctive atmosphere and
proprietary sauces and sides, all
exemplify the modern-day barbecue
experience: menus that reach far
beyond standard pork and slaw, and
Barbecue
Goes Prime
Time in Ballantyne
36 BALLANTYNE MAGAZINE
WINTER 2015-2016
BALLANTYNE | feature