The Smoke Joint is passing the taste test–and the smell test–among New York’s notoriously picky barbecue hounds. Fort Greene’s new ‘cue house has a smoker built in the South and is turning out worthy... (By C. Thi Nguyen)

A tour through the barbecue meccas of Chapel Hill, Memphis, Austin, and Kansas City, plus music.

Can vegetarians demand meat-free environments? (By Helena Echlin)

Without your fellow Thanksgiving guests noticing. (By Brian Abrams)

Butchers can do all kinds of things for you— just ask. (By Melissa Wagenberg Lasher)

Gumbo is the ultimate improvisational dish. (By Lessley Anderson)

From down-and-out to up-and-coming— the city’s next Mission District. (By Lessley Anderson)

Kingpin food on a volunteer budget at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. (By Ruth Tobias)

A gastronomic adventure in Xalapa, Mexico. (By Mick Vann)

Get the most out of your wedding caterer. (By Roxanne Webber)

From Tex-Mex to high-end, CHOW brings you the best eating and drinking locations in Austin. (By CHOW staff)

A guide to New York City speakeasies. (By Kara Zuaro)

Well fed and hung over at the 2008 Republican National Convention. (By James Norton)

What’s worth doing in the Napa Valley: a travel guide to the wine country. (By Ella Lawrence)

Learn the local lingo. (By Jason Horn)