The Strand Smokehouse (CLOSED)

Get hickory-smoked brisket at this Astoria 'cue joint from chef Eric Milley (Jeffrey's Grocery, Joseph Leonard). In addition to BBQ standards, the meatcentric kitchen dishes out charcuterie (such as duck pastrami, chicken liver mousse) and upscale plates (like a duck-leg confit). White tiled walls and a cement floor lend the room a spare, industrial feel. Bartenders dispatch bourbon and Scotch nips straight from aged-wooden barrels.