As the Green Owl on Atwood Avenue prepares to fill a void for vegetarians, The Haze on King Street does likewise for unashamed (but ethical) omnivores. With a source list that includes Black Earth Meats, Willow Creek Farms and Driftless Organics, it's no surprise that the food at The Haze takes barbecue shack fare to a gourmet level.

The simple menu, playfully drawn on a big chalkboard near the door, offers two flavor profiles -- Western or Asian -- on various cuts of meat. The Asian side offers spicy miso brisket, curried chicken and char-siu pork, while the Western half works in rubs. The venture is co-owned by restaurateur and chef Shinji Muramoto, pastry chef Daniel Almquist and Restaurant Muramoto executive chef Justin Carlisle with his wife, Cory.

The concept started as a barbecue joint and the restaurant's name refers to the smoker, so naturally, pork is everywhere on The Haze's menu. Chefs showcase the pig in whole and half racks of ribs (wet mopped with barbecue sauce or prepared with a black vinegar glaze), in the restaurant's fabulous bánh mì sandwich (a Vietnamese meat-based sandwich with vinegary vegetables), in sausage and even in a decadent pork belly vinaigrette.

At $8 including a side dish, lunch specials are a fine reason to visit The Haze. The only shame is that with the exception of that piquant, exceptional bánh mì, choices at lunch are limited to the Western half of the menu.

Pulled chicken ($10 for a big plate) had a light smoky flavor. The Texas toast beneath a chewy, peppery beef brisket ($14/big plate) was crispy on the edges and soaked up the juices in the middle. The brisket got a flavor boost from a tangy, vinegar-based barbecue sauce on the side. It was one of several dipping options provided for diners, including tomato-spiked spicy sauce; a thin, Asian dressing with hoisin sauce; and a sweet barbecue sauce simply called "classic."

At a dinnertime visit, I tried sausages ($11 for two) from both sides of the menu. I drizzled the Asian dressing on my spicy, oniony lemongrass sausage and soaked it up with white rice. Then I devoured a smoky, fennel-spiked link I had asked for on top of more cabbage, a nice contrast of texture. It seems strange to note, but the sausages tasted more truly like pork than any I've had in a long time.

The dinner portion of the crispy half duck ($17) is generous and messy, with flavors of five spice, ginger and soy in the tender breast meat. It came with syrupy plum dipping sauce, not as good as the Asian barbecue but not bad, either.

If you're eating this much meat, it's nice to have some vegetables on the side, and The Haze doesn't disappoint. The big plates include two sides; lunch includes one. Slightly sweet cabbage was topped with toasted sesame seeds, while a crunchy, lightly dressed slaw of cabbage and carrots came with a bright vinegary dressing.

Skin-on fries were sliced thin and perfectly crunchy; for the more virtuous, colorful beets were fork-tender and tasty. Honey-glazed carrots weren't too sweet and had some heft to them. A butternut squash puree, though, tasted simply of brown sugar. With plenty of better options, I left most of it on the plate.

Don't miss the corn bread ($2 a la carte). With big, tender kernels and a texture like a cupcake, it's addictive. One of my dining companions said it would "haunt her dreams." It's that good.

Since The Haze opened on Oct. 20, the sides have changed as frequently as every few days. The Farmhouse Salad ($8), a scrumptious tangle of pea shoots tossed with cilantro and sweet roasted parsnip, wasn't available when we returned later in the week. Other diners had raved about the Brussels sprouts, but they weren't on offer any of the times I went.

Sides are "going to be rotational, seasonal, depending on what produce we can get into the restaurant," explained general manager Christopher Pax, who also cooks on the line. "Whatever we can get, we will play with it and make a side."

The design of the restaurant is much the same as in previous iterations, as Restaurant Muramoto and the short-lived Kushi Bar Muramoto. It's marred slightly by a huge television, but I still love the long, burnished bar, comfortable half-banquette seating and hole-in-the-wall feel.

The Haze has friendly counter service -- you don't have to clear your own table, but you do have to get your own soda. The beer list (no wine or spirits) is imaginative, featuring Three Floyds Gumball Head (an American wheat beer), Sprecher Abbey Tripel, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA and Ale Asylum Big Flick Stout, made in Madison.

"The whole sourcing locally thing is not a gimmick to bring people in," Pax said. "It's our philosophy of how we should be eating. The food ... we know how it's raised, we know how it's treated, we know where it's coming from. We know who we're supporting."

With flavors like these, The Haze can rightfully expect some support of its own.

THE HAZE

thehazebbq.com

3 1/2 stars

Address: 106 King St.

Phone: 260-2680

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, lunch served 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cuisine: Western and Asian barbecue

Price: Lunch, $8; big plates with two sides, $10-22

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