Reviews

March 10, 2011

http://detnews.com/article/20110310/OPINION03/103100310

Lazybones offers succulent barbecue at second location

MOLLY ABRAHAM

Deni Smiljanovski had no idea that barbecue would become the Next Big Thing when he opened his first Lazybones Smokehouse in 2004 in a former truck stop just off the I-696 freeway in Roseville.

But much to his surprise, it happened, as one by one, barbecue joints opened across the metro area, following him in turning out slow-smoked meats and down-to-earth sides that complement the ribs, brisket and pulled pork.

None of them, however, does it any better than the classically trained chef turned pit master whose resume includes five years in the kitchen at the now-shuttered Golden Mushroom.

Now there's a second Lazybones in a Clinton Township strip mall just north of 19 Mile, about twice the size of the original carryout at 27475 Groesbeck. The new spot seats 40 inside and a few more on the patio when weather permits.

It is a bare-bones (no pun intended) kind of place, with paper and plastic disposables except for the silverware. Patrons order at the counter, pick up their own utensils and fountain drinks, and the food is brought to the tables by one of the friendly and helpful staff.

The lack of frills is made up for by the fare that includes pulled pork, beef brisket, rib tips and notable St. Louis pork spareribs, the ribs trimmed of their ends. The tender meat is easily detached from the bone, and it has plenty of flavor without further embellishment.

There are, however, several house-made barbecue sauces, including a sweet candied apple, a chipotle pepper-sparked Texas Spitfire, spicy Screaming Inferno and a tangy mustard-based Honey Gold.

Smiljanovski is as meticulous with his sides as he is with the dry-rubbed meats smoked for 12 hours. Coleslaw, a mix of red and green cabbage and julienned carrots, is enlivened with celery seeds and vinaigrette dressing, and it has a refreshingly tart flavor that's just right as a counterpart to the meat-centric fare.

Nicely chopped and braised greens have a subtle kick (it's a touch of jalapeno juice) and they also get a boost from the bits of smoked turkey, brisket and pork scattered throughout.

Another of the appealing sides — sidekicks in the Lazybones vernacular — is Yukon gold potato salad with a touch of mustard in its creamy dressing.

In addition to the platters of meat, there is a list of sandwiches from pulled pork with slaw on an onion roll to a burger made with Angus beef ground in-house and served with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and cheddar, Swiss or pepper jack cheese.

The price structure at Lazybones is remarkably gentle. Most mains are in the $9-$15 range, including a choice of two sides and squares of firm, honey-buttered cornbread.

Some local barbecue spots may have fancier settings and more amenities, but in terms of quality, Lazybones doesn't take a back seat to anyone.

Abraham67@comcast.net

(313) 222-1475

Additional Facts

Lazybones Smokehouse

42303 Garfield Road,Clinton Twp. 48038 (586) 247-7427
Rating: 3 stars
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-6 p.m. Sun.
Prices: Sandwiches $7.49, salads $3.99-$7.49, barbecue plates $8.99-$12.99, combination plates $13.99-$22.99, including two sides and cornbread
Credit cards: All major
Liquor: No
Parking: Attached lot
Wheelchair access: No barriers

© Copyright 2011 The Detroit News. All rights reserved.

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Sylvia Rector
July 8, 2010

Bright new Lazybones

With colorful walls and graphics, big windows, plenty of seating and a patio, the new Lazybones Smokehouse in Clinton Township, on Garfield north of 19 Mile, is a far different facility than the tiny original location in Roseville.

But the menu needed no improvement, and chef Deni Smiljanovski is still featuring great smoked meats, including the pulled pork sandwich on an onion roll with slaw and broasted ranch fries for $7.49.

Lazybones Smokehouse II
43203 Garfield Road, Clinton, MI, 48038
(586) 247-7427 - www.lazybonessmokehouse.net
Molly Abraham, Detroit News Restaurant Critic:

Deni Smiljanovski's original spot in Roseville has spawned this sibling, with more seating and a patio. It serves the same menu of wood-smoked ribs, pulled pork and chicken, along with excellent, housemade sides.

Molly Abraham, Detroit News Restaurant Critic: Deni Smiljanovski's original spot in Roseville has spawned this sibling, with more seating and a patio. It serves the same menu of wood-smoked ribs, pulled pork and chicken, along with excellent, housemade sides.

Lazybones Smokehouse
27475 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville, MI, 48066
(586) 775-7427

Molly Abraham: The little building in an industrial area of Roseville, a former truck stop, may look pretty much like any modest carry-out, but there's a definite difference. Virtually everything, from the cornbread biscuits and Yukon Gold potato salad to the three barbecue sauces, is made in-house. \n And the beef, pork and chicken is all smoked over Michigan applewood from Blake's Apple Orchard by Deni Smilanjovski, a member of the American Culinary Federation and a trained chef, who gave up working for others to take over space. The little building, done up in bright, upbeat oranges and reds reflects the cuisine. Pulled pork, smoked spareribs and chicken and housemade side dishes of chicken gumbo and pit-smoked beans all add up to a find. Specialty pizzas, topped with pulled pork, smoked chicken or beef and Cajun sausage are also available.

Creator: Detroit News

By Ric Bohy

Some finds, some tips and a little bit of news:

Lazybones Smokehouse
If you're going to the 2005 Comerica TasteFest, Thursday through July 4 in the shadow of the Fisher Building, make a point — I mean it — to stop by Lazybones' booth and try a plateful of some true, Southern- and Western-style barbecue. The downside is that, unless you live within bone-flinging distance of Roseville, you'll have to drive there to get more — I don't and I do.

Young chef-owner Deni Smiljanovski has a heritage and a professional background that would seem to argue against understanding true American smoked 'cue — his family is Macedonian, and his résumé includes a silver medal in the Culinary Olympics and stints at the tony Golden Mushroom, Bloomfield Open Hunt and Orchard Lake Country Club. But when it came time to decide what, if anything, to do with his family's longtime truck-stop diner on industrial Groesbeck Highway just north of I-696, he saw a niche and decided to fill it. He traveled and studied and tasted and experimented, learned well from his mistakes, and produced a menu that will captivate Southern transplants and surprise those who know only Detroit barbecue.

Be warned — if you expect Lazybones ribs to be the sauce-soaked, fall-off-the-bone sort that rules in Detroit and southeastern Michigan, you may be disappointed. But free your mind — these are the dry-rubbed, mopped and slow-smoked ribs that give ol' boys fits down yonder, and there's no good reason to restrict yourself to one style of barbecue. The ribs are sauced by you, from a cup on the side, and are already well-seasoned by an herb-and-spice rub and Michigan-grown applewood smoke. When you take a bite, it pulls just enough, with a satisfying zip when it comes off the bone, to remind you this is atavistic eating at its bone-gnawing best. Another point often misunderstood around here — that rosy pink ring just under the surface of the smoked meats doesn't mean they're undercooked. It's the highly prized "smoke ring" produced when somebody knows what they're doing while feeding wood to their fire.

The ribs are St. Louie-style, Kansas City is well-represented with "burnt ends," the beef is fine Texas smoked brisket, and the chicken has a sweet Kentucky sauce very similar to Detroit's. My favorite, as it usually is if prepared as it should be, is Carolina pulled pork — also sauced on the side.

Everything — the chipotle-smoky red sauce and other sauces, broasted ranch fries, sturdy mashed potatoes, sweet-tart slaw, pit-smoked beans, dense Cajun sausage, pies, everything — is made in-house. Make a special point, too, of trying the smoky chicken gumbo, made traditionally with okra. Don't shuck it for that reason — the slimy pods thicken the gumbo and add great flavor, losing the slime in the cooking process.

All of it's for carry-out (I'd like to see Chef Deni put in three or four tables so you can cop a squat and get good and messy eating his smokehouse goods), delivery and party catering. 27475 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville; 586-775-7427; lazybonessmokehouse.net.

Hours of Smokin'
Mon-Sat 11am - 9pm Sun Closed 586-775-RIBS (7427) 27475 Groesbeck Hwy. Roseville, MI 48066	Mon-Sat 11am - 9pm Sun Noon - 7pm 586-247-RIBS (7427)43 43203 Garfield Rd. Clinton Twp., MI 48038