Chris Spagnoli and his business partner and father, Craig, opened Q Smokin’ Good Food in June of 2014. Read about the inspiration for the restaurant, the menu chock full of hickory smoked Southern comfort food and the reason for the rotating display of Indian Motorcycles.
Q: Where did the idea for the restaurant come from?
A: My wife, Sarah Anne. She’s from South Carolina and worked as a sous chef and baker for a long time. She said we needed good barbecue in this area. It’s like daily food down South and, since she’s living up here with our family, we went with that.
Q: The history of Springfield has made for a unique interior design for this place. Why was that choice important?
A: People hardly ever talk about the history of Springfield and we wanted a comfortable, industrial feel to reflect what was built here. Craig and I have been invested in Springfield since 2006, developing residential and commercial properties, so we’re not in it to just do the same old thing. We wanted something that would benefit the neighborhood. The Indian Motorcycle factory is across the street so we decided to play off of that and we have been lucky enough to have different collectors bring their bikes here to show off.
Q: What kind of bikes have you had here so far?
A: We had an Indian Scout from the late 1930s. Before that, we had a 1946 Chief and a 1949 Arrow. We had a custom-built Chief from Mike Bear, a local collector, that was in boxes and totally had to be restored. It’s fun to see the different bikes that were once produced right across the street and the collectors are excited because they get to show off.
Q: Are there any family recipes on the menu?
A: Many of the recipes come from my wife. She grew up and worked down South so she knows the food. A sauce called “Mom’s Red” is my mother’s sauce, it’s a tomato based barbecue sauce. We’re used to having red sauce on everything up here but I never knew there were others, like mustard-based sauce or a vinegar-based, until I lived down there.
Q: There are Southern staples on the menu, like hush puppies, baked sweet potato and collards. What are some customer favorites?
A: A novelty item that people like is the cornbread sundae with pulled pork, cheddar, sour cream and scallions. Brisket and fried chicken platters are popular as is the baked mac & cheese and biscuits and sausage gravy. There are salads for folks who want those and a kids’ menu. We wanted a simple menu instead of one with like 30 pages that you flip through and don’t know if what you’re getting is frozen.
Q: What type of drinks can customers enjoy here?
A: Craft beer is very big here and we currently have twelve taps with draft craft. We don’t serve hard alcohol so we’re a restaurant with really good beer and wine. We make in-house sangria. It all pairs well with the food.
Q: How do you make the hummingbird cake on the dessert menu?
A: Hummingbird cake is my wife’s recipe and the biggest sweets seller. It’s a spice cake with pineapple and bananas, cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans.
Q: Tell a little about the crew you have working with you.
A: We have close to twenty staff. Dylan Middleton is my kitchen manager. I used to work with him out in Albany. He created a couple of menu items and does the daily specials. The meats are primarily me. My wife bought me a smoker when we used to live in North Carolina. I really got into it, times, temperature, smoke, all that stuff. Most of the other recipes, the rubs, sauces and side dishes, are all my wife.
Q: Any final words on barbecue?
A: Barbecue works well with all different pockets of people. It’s something that takes a long time to cook. It can be a quick lunch or an upscale dinner. It’s big portions of comfort food and delicious!
For more information about Q Smokin’ Good Food, visit qsmokingoodfood.com.
Chris Spagnoli of Q Smokin" Good Food talks barbecue and Indian Motorcycles
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