AlwaysInformed: Blue Smoke’s Peanut Butter & Belly

The Gluttoness — November 05, 2009

Peanut Butter & Belly: Berkshire Pork Belly on Raisin Toast w/Poblano Jelly and Peanut Sauce, ($11.95).

One of Blue Smoke’s (view) latest lunch additions, Peanut Butter & Belly, may employ a cute play on words and dainty tea sandwich proportions, but it’s actually nothing to scoff at. It features a complex combination of textures, flavors and temperatures: slices of crisped pork belly portioned to the size of small raisin bread rectangles. The toast is warm, the pork is soft and the golden raisins add surprising bursts of chewy sweetness.

The accoutrements are where you’ll find the classic combination of peanut butter and jelly. There’s a sticky peanut glaze and a salty crunch from a pile of chopped nuts. Poblano jelly acts more like a decorative hot sauce, delivering subtle heat. The sweet and spicy accents are the perfect finishing touches.

Peanut Butter & Belly is an inventive new appetizer— a tasty bite with which to begin a barbeque binge at Blue Smoke. After all, no meal there is complete without running the gluttonous gamut from wings, ribs, and burgers, to pulled pork, fried chicken, and of course, one of Manhattan’s best renditions of macaroni and cheese.