After an “aha” moment Chef Rick Mace left the white tablecloth life behind to make regional barbecue in West Palm Beach his “life’s work.”
His Tropical Smokehouse weaves together the flavors and histories of the local Cuban, Jamaican and Latin cultures into his food. “It’s a collection of ideas that makes Florida unique and not stereotypical barbecue,” he said.
Chef Rick also researched indigenous cooking methods and custom-built a smokehouse on-site for his specialty dishes, which include smoked fish and Caribbean-influenced sides such as black beans and yucca. He also brings together other regional elements: Cuban coffee to his meat rubs; jerk rub on turkey breasts; and a mango hot sauce laced with habaneros.
The signature barbecue trays feature all those elements, plus alligator sausage. “A great restaurant is a small percent of creativity and a large percentage of curation, observing traditions and things that make something have this special sense of place and a life of its own,” he said.
