Every once in a great while, something really good comes along -- something that's just unbeatable -- and the Magic is undeniable.  (I've talked about Magic before)  Like the '84-85 Chicago Bears... from the first play from scrimmage in the first game of the season, you just knew that they would dominate the entire season; they had The Magic.  And I am certain that you can undoubtedly come up with numerous additional examples, but you know what I mean.  In the world of barbecue -- at least in the one I know -- Sweet Baby Ray's is that once-in-a-great-while restaurant.  The Magic is just as undeniable; one can almost feel it as one walks through the front door.

It was just about a year ago that Lauren and I had the pleasure of attending a media diner at Sweet Baby Ray's in Elk Grove Village; I was extremely impressed by what I experienced that evening.  When I had an opportunity to visit the other -- original -- store in Wood Dale, I jumped at the chance; I also wanted to see if there were any differences in the two restaurants.

The real story starts back in 1985, when the original Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce got some major notice, achieving 2nd place (out of about 700 entries) at the Mike Royko Rib-off in Chicago.  Perfected from an old family recipe, the sauce became the hottest selling and perhaps the most-recognized sauce in the country in a relatively short period of time.  Dave Raymond, aka Sweet Baby Ray, eventually sold the sauce business but... negotiated a deal to open four restaurants under the Sweet Baby Ray's name.  The Wood Dale store opened in June of 2005; now that was truly sweet... for the rest of us!  Why?  Because now we could not only get the great flavor of the Sweet sauce, we could enjoy it on some of the most exquisitely-prepared and finely-smoked meats to be had!

I mentioned it in my previous article about Dave Raymond, but the thoughts bear repeating.  Raymond has traveled all over the country -- from Texas to Carolina and from east coast to west -- just to learn about the various methods of smoking meats and "barbecuing".  I put that in quotes because of the myriad ways in which the process may actually take place; certainly they are vastly different from what we here in the Midwest normally call barbecuing in the warmer months of the year.  And it is my firm belief that the attention to detail in his restaurants is what makes the real difference.

With a capacity of only about 30-35 diners, the Wood Dale location is smaller than I had expected.  But the space reveals much about the man and his attention to every aspect of the business.  Booths are hand-carved out of solid blocks of wood; the cherry red floor comes from a plantation in Louisiana. The tables are covered with galvanized tin, imitating décor in Chicago-style barbecue restaurants from the 1950s and 1960s, and a bookcase by the door is brimming with books on the subject of barbecue.  One shelf displays a historical collection series of Sweet Baby Ray's Sauce bottles; sports memorabilia on the walls includes a Chicago Cubs banner.  Like a young boy's room, the place feels like it is a piece of Dave himself.

We had come to the Wood Dale location after hearing of the launch of new and special regional and international BBQ offerings created by chef and catering culinary manager Duce Raymond, his uncle Dave Raymond, and restaurant chef Elton Cummings after a recent and inspirational trip to the Texas barbecue belt.  The new menu selections would enhance an already incredible and authentic barbecue menu that is well-known for its southern influence and Cajun flair.  Rather than list them all here, I have included a link to a .pdf file where you can read about both the regional and international selections. 

Our evening started with a small plate of homemade BBQ potato chips; in the words of WGN's Mica Matere: dee-lish!  Chef Duce Raymond (nephew of Sweet Baby Ray) introduced himself to us as he brought out some of the Eastern Carolina BBQ: served on Mondays, this style is produced by using a whole smoked pig.  All cuts from the pig are chopped and blended together; a sandwich of the mix is served on a soft bun with Eastern Carolina barbecue sauce (an incredibly good, vinegar-based sauce made with no tomato or sugar) and accompanied by a vinegar-based, finely diced slaw.  Double thumbs up for this one!!

Next came Blackened Catfish, topped with a mildly spicy fruit salsa and finished with herb oil, served with Caribbean Red Beans and rice.  Chefs Prudhomme and Lagasse would be truly jealous of this well-plated and tasty presentation.  We also were treated to palate pleasing selections from Memphis  -- served on Tuesdays -- (baby back ribs with dry rub, and a mini Duce: a unique signature sandwich with grilled all beef bologna sandwich topped with pulled pork), New Orleans (Pan-seared BBQ shrimp with a brown BBQ sauce, and crispy garlic bread), Kansas City -- served on Thursdays -- (sliced from the top of the brisket and then re-smoked to give the pieces an almost campfire-smoky flavor) and of course, Texas -- served on Fridays -- (a trio consisting of beef brisket, smoked sausage and mustard-glazed spar ribs).  On Saturdays, the special is from our own Chicago region: rib tips and hot links served with French fries and coleslaw.  Whew -- all fit for a king and served to the masses!!

While Lauren was able to identify the Eastern Carolina BBQ as her personal favorite -- she really liked the tomato-less sauce and the vinegar-based slaw -- I would be hard-put to select a #1 choice of my own.  I really liked the Carolina too, but the dry-rub of the Memphis version was incredibly tasty, the Kansas City offering -- although a bit heavy on the smoke -- was fall-apart tender and rich with flavor. The piquant shrimp done with New Orleans flair would make anyone's taste buds jump.  Like I said, hard to choose...

But perhaps what impresses me most about Sweet Baby Ray's -- both this one in Wood Dale and its newer version in Elk Grove Village -- is that the overall experience is more than just the great food.  It is the result of pride and of passion for excellence and authenticity.  There is also the attention to detail that I mentioned, and then there is the sense that everyone at SBR's genuinely cares about you and the quality of your dining experience.  This is The Magic, and it doesn't just stumble into your place of business by accident. 

You may never dress in a suit and tie to eat barbecue at Sweet Baby Ray's, but who cares?  I can promise you one thing for certain: this is some of the best food available, and I hope that Sweet Baby Ray won't mind if I steal a quote from his website that pretty well sums up why his restaurants do so well:

"Our business is committed to serving only the very best quality products, providing great service, and warm friendly hospitality - the kind that you would offer to someone in your own home. Our core values are to always do the do the right things for the right reasons." To that end, Sweet Baby Ray's has a very highly talented staff of employees from top to bottom that differentiates them from other typical restaurant businesses you might be familiar with. "How many barbecue restaurants do you know that have a whole staff of professionally trained chefs?" asks Dave Raymond.

(Emphasis added by me...)

So, no matter where you live in the Chicago area, you definitely owe it to yourself and your family to enjoy some of the best, most authentic barbecue you'll ever taste, at really affordable prices.  Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Restaurant is an authentic Four Zins!