Smoky Rose

Every night, Smoky Rose prepares a selection of specials with titles — The Pork Dish, The Fish Dish, The Chicken Dish — which signal both simplicity and pretension. The Fish Dish is a simply seasoned, pan-seared rainbow trout fillet with deliciously crispy skin, set atop an almost too generous heaping of veggie sides. Among the veggies are roasted celery root and sunchokes, a scattering of charred sweet corn and, stealing the show, outrageously good collard greens served with the pot liquor. The price — $28 — is hefty by barbecue-joint standards, but the portion was humongous and those collards are perfect. What about the barbecue basics? They’re pretty solid. The house style places full-on smoke flavors in the backseat behind the rub and inherent flavor of the meat. The sausage links are petite and arrive in a pair on the two-meat plate ($19) with good firmness and, in the jalapeño cheddar link, a satisfying amount of spice. The restaurant’s carrot cake ($7) is something out of the ordinary. It’s not a traditional slice but rather a round, ultramoist cake served hot and garnished with caramel rather than frosting. With the cake, as with the fish, Smoky Rose’s cheffy twists pay off big time.