Sugarfire Smokehouse

Sugarfire began as a deal between two people who wanted different things: Mike Johnson wanted to cook barbecue, and Carolyn Downs — a pastry chef out of Cyrano's — wanted to make pies. They did both, and Sugarfire was the result. The downtown location on Washington Avenue is chef-driven, fast-casual barbecue: ribs, pulled pork, and brisket off the smoker, a board of rotating specials that's run to smoked duck and lamb, and — thanks to Downs — a dessert case worth saving room for. Order at the counter; the specials are where the kitchen shows off.