Smokey Bones recently released a new menu for the fall with notes of Oktoberfest going all the way to October 25.

We recently spoke with Peter Farrand, Chief Food and Beverage Innovation Office of Smokey Bones about their project and sampled some really delicious new items.

Smokey Bones – New Fall 2021 Menu

Spiced Pork Rinds – Housemade pork rinds dusted with our sweet and spicy dry rub A great shareable bar snack!

FALL SAMPLER
Bavarian-inspired seasonal sampler with smoked sausage, jalapeno cheddar sausage, pretzel bones and Sam Adams Octoberfest Beer Cheese Dip served with our new housemade spiced pork rinds.

USDA PRIME BONE-IN NEW YORK STRIP
Allen Brothers hand cut USDA Prime Bone-In NY Strip Steak served with your choice of two regular sides.

SMOKED MUSHROOM SHAREABLE SIDE
Nothing pairs with steaks better than these new smoked mushrooms. Hickory smoked and saute‘ed with onions and garlic and finished with fresh herbs and garlic butter.

Jager Wings – Try our seasonal Jager Wings, doused in the classic liquor and seasoned with herbs and spices. Yeah, we’re doin shots over here: come try our Jager Wings, doused in the classic liquor you remember from college. Add in some grown up herbs and spices: this might be the nirvana of wing flavors.

Stag Killer Cocktail – Our German take on a classic tiki cocktail. Jägermeister + Orange Juice + Coconut Re`al + Red Bull

Interview with Peter Farrand of Smokey Bones

Tasty Chomps: We love the new menus that have been coming out – please tell us more about the inspiration behind them and the latest menu

Peter Farrand: We were looking to expand on the idea of “what does BBQ mean to you”. Global/World BBQ was a great addition to the core of what we do: traditional low and slow Southern Style BBQ.
We also wanted to lean into and expand upon our steak business and feature a USDA Prime Bone-In Strip, which no other group in the casual dining segment has done.

Tell us about your culinary background – what inspired you to become a chef?

I grew up in the Hyde Park/Poughkeepsie area in NY’s Hudson Valley, only about 10 minutes from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Neighbors and friends either went, taught at, or did business with CIA. We had a lot of farms, wineries, and other food-related business in the area; some people call the Hudson Valley the East Coast Napa Valley. And my grandmother was a really good cook. So I was surrounded by great food and the food industry from a very early age.

What is your goal and mission for the food at Smokey Bones? What do you want guests to come away saying?

We strive for consistency day in and day out.
I’m always looking to bring big, bold flavors.
We want to round out the menu to appeal to more guests, and increase frequency by offering even more global flavors and further reinforcing our “Meat is What We Do” positioning. We want our guests to see us as a Protein Candy Store, with something for everyone’s tastes.

Tell us about some or your favorite childhood memories around food

The Holidays bring back great memories, especially Thanksgiving; the majority of my family on both my Mother’s and Father’s sides were in the area, so it was not uncommon to have at least 2 meals that day if not 3… we would start at my Grandmother’s and then head over to my Aunt’s or Uncle’s house.

What are some must tries on the new menu at Smokey Bones?

The smoked wings are great, and we have a large variety of sauces…Our ribs are must-tries, for sure. An item that I think is underrated is our Smoked Turkey Breast.
On the seasonal menu, the USDA Prime Bone-in NY Strip is the star, and it pairs really nicely with our new sliced smoked mushrooms. We also have a Bavarian-inspired Fall Sampler with two types of sausage (smoked and jalapeno cheddar), pretzel bones with Sam Adams beer cheese and seasoned pork rinds; it’s a great Octoberfest-y treat, perfect for sharing and makes an ideal football snack.

What are some upcoming plans for the restaurant in the near future?

We have a killer slow-braised Pork Shank item hitting in late October. And pork rind “Not-Chos” in which we will top crispy pork skins with pork, crispy onions, spicy mayo and BBQ with a mix of cilantro, basil, and green onions for a Southeast Asian flavored item instead of a traditional Nacho flavor profile.

What is one thing you learned during this pandemic?

To be even more flexible than ever. I’ve always enjoyed being resourceful and able to find solutions to challenges, but even more so during and post-pandemic. Hospitality people in general tend to just figure things out, and for sure we all had to during Covid.

What is a challenge you faced in your career that you eventually overcame?

When you strive for consistency and perfection day in and day out, it is difficult at times to delegate and give up that control…but eventually you learn to teach, mentor, and hold people accountable and let them take over when needed.

For guests that have never tried Smokey Bones before, what would you tell them? What would you recommend them to try?

We are a fun, energetic, casual restaurant where you can get of course expect some great classic low and slow BBQ, but we also have several items you may not expect: the Prime Strip, Pork Belly Pops, Fire Grilled Shrimp. Many of our guests don’t know – and I don’t think we get credit for it – that we do real deal, low and slow BBQ 7 days a week; we run Southern Pride units with real Hickory wood and do legitimate BBQ onsite daily.