Williams-Sonoma and the Voltaggio Brothers Collaborate on a Fire, Smoke & Flavor Tour

Williams-Sonoma, a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands, and Chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio of Bravo TV’s Emmy-winning season of Top Chef, today announced a collaboration producing original content and recipes to bring authentic regional BBQ into homes across America. Via a virtual “Fire, Smoke & Flavor” tour, watch Bryan and Michael visit four regions that put American BBQ on the map: Texas, Kansas City, Memphis and North Carolina. Through original recipes and content inspired by the brothers’ trip, viewers can experience regional classics first-hand and learn the secrets of legendary local pitmasters.

“Fire, Smoke & Flavor was a tremendous opportunity to work with Williams-Sonoma to bring authentic American BBQ, grilling and smoking into people’s homes,” said Michael Voltaggio. “Inspired by the passion, and the unique flavors and techniques of each region, we are excited to bring customers and fans BBQ recipes that they can easily re-create. No one can duplicate what the pitmasters have done, but we think people will love what we’ve come up with.”
“Fire, Smoke & Flavor, as interpreted by the Voltaggios, gives our customers a unique perspective on BBQ that they won’t find anywhere else,” said Richard Harvey, President of Williams-Sonoma. “We are thrilled to be able to offer such exciting and original content to our customers.”
Fire, Smoke & Flavor

The Tour

Day 1:
Smitty’s Market, Lockhart Texas
Owner/pitmaster, John Fullilove
“We try to stay about 25 years behind the times – it seems to work well.”

Day 2:
Danny Edwards BLVD BBQ, Kansas City, MO
Owner/pitmaster, Danny Edwards
“Just takin’ a lot of time and a lot of love and patience with our product is where our flavor comes from.”

Day 3:
Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous, Memphis, TN
Co-owner, John Vergos; pitmaster, Bobby Ellis
“Our ribs are handcooked by the same people who have been cooking them forever.”

Day 4:
Wilber’s Barbecue & Restaurant, Goldsboro, NC
Owner, Wilber Shirley
“We’ve got the best barbecue there is in North Carolina – and probably the world.”

The Recipes

Texas Short Ribs
Related products:
- Williams-Sonoma BBQ Seasoning
- Fagor Futuro 10-Qt. Stovetop
- Stainless-Steel Smoker Box

Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Related products:
- All-Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker
- The Smoking Gun™
- The Pit - Carolina BBQ Sauce Regional BBQ Sauces

One-hour Memphis-style Ribs
Related products:
- Williams-Sonoma Spice, Smoked Paprika
- Minden Outdoor Gas Grill
- Steel Grill Roaster Steel Grill Roaster
- Fagor Futuro 10-Qt. Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Banana Parfait
Related products:
- Vitamix Professional Series 500 Blender
- iSi Gourmet Whip iSi Gourmet Whip
- Kitchen Torch
- Wüsthof Classic 3" Serrated Paring Knife

For more information, please visit williams-sonoma.com or a store near you.

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Twitter: @WilliamsSonoma
ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA:
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products, representing six distinct merchandise strategies – Williams-Sonoma (kitchen decor and cookware), Pottery Barn (home furnishings and duvet covers), Pottery Barn Kids (kid’s furniture and kid’s bedding), PBteen (teen bedding and teen furniture), west elm (contemporary furniture and media storage) and Williams-Sonoma Home (luxury furniture and cashmere throws) – are marketed through 589 stores, seven direct mail catalogs and six e-commerce websites.

williams-sonoma.com

ABOUT BRYAN VOLTAGGIO:
Highly accomplished, innovative, and talented 35-year old Chef Bryan Voltaggio is among the new generation of chefs who are reinventing American cooking. A graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Chef's pedigree includes almost a decade working as protégé under celebrated culinary notable, Charlie Palmer. Through his three-star reviewed restaurant VOLT in his native Frederick, Maryland, Voltaggio exercises his cooking philosophies and signature preparation of New American cuisine offering menus driven by the fresh, seasonal offerings of local farmers – he characterizes his cuisine as “sophisticated dishes offering classic flavor combinations that are created using fundamental and innovative cooking techniques.” Voltaggio is a James Beard Best Mid-Atlantic Chef nominee and was named Chef of the Year by both the non-profit Share Our Strength and the Restaurant Association of Maryland in 2010 He was awarded the Seafood Ambassador Award in 2011 by the Monterey Bay Aquarium for his sustainable seafood practices.

ABOUT MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO:
Michael Voltaggio has spent more than half of his life in the kitchen, since the age of 15. Over the years he has helmed kitchens for esteemed chefs such as Jose Andres and Charlie Palmer. He is Michelin-starred and was a finalist for the James Beard “Best New Restaurant” award in 2009, the same year he famously won the honor of becoming Top Chef on Bravo TV’s Emmy-winning season (Season 6 – Las Vegas). Voltaggio will soon be opening his first signature restaurant, ink. in Los Angeles, at which he describes his food as “modern Los Angeles” – distinguished by inspired flavor profiles, elevated by classic disciplines of cooking which continue to evolve with new resources and technology.