Kansas City Barbecue 101

Some of you may have heard that we took a little family vacation to Kansas City recently. Why KC you may ask? One reason...the Barbecue!!! We had heard the eatin was good in Kansas City, so we found some cheap flights along with a cheap but very nice hotel (gotta love Priceline) and we were on our way. We also got to visit with some good friends and see some church history, and the food did not disappoint! At each restaurant we had one rule, we could not order the same thing as each other. At the end of the day we had a little survey we each filled out about the restaurants with scores in several different categories. We did our research and visited the most award-winning and notorious places we could find. By the end of the trip we were confident we could recommend the best BBQ in all of Kansas City and were probably 5-10 lbs fatter! So without further ado, here is the full report!

Rating Scale 1-5: 1= lame 5=best ever!

Day 1 dinner: Smokehouse BBQ, Kansas City, MO

ordered: pulled pork sandwich with fries and burnt ends platter with fries and cole slaw

meat flavor: 3.5

meat texture: 3

sauce: 2

sides: 3

atmosphere: 3

service: 3.5

x-factor: 2.5

0verall: 3

This was a nice sit down restaurant. So nice that we didn't feel like we could take pictures inside. The prices were about the same as everywhere else though. The sauce was nothing that great, glorified ketchup, and it was on everything. The fries were good, the slaw not so much. The service was great. This was a good first stop for us, good but not great, and it only got better from here.

Day 2 lunch: Arthur Bryant's Kansas City, MO

ordered: beef brisket sandwich and fries, sliced pork sandwich and baked beans

meat flavor: 4

meat texture: 4.5

sauce: 3.5

sides: 4

atmosphere: 4

service: 2

x-factor: 4

overall: 4

Arthur Bryant was the creator of Kansas City BBQ back in the 1930's, so naturally a stop at the original Arthur Bryant's was a must. This was an old brick building in a deserted part of town that I would not feel comfortable in after dark, but we were there for lunch and it was good! Notice the line out the door. This was not a fast moving line, but no one seemed to mind. Once you got to the counter at the back of the restaurant it was a very Soup-Nazi-like experience as you had to quickly give your order with no hesitation or stuttering of any sort. We learned that the "authentic" way to do things was to put meat between two pieces of wonder bread with some dill pickle chips on the side. Pour on a little sauce and you're good to go. The meat here was worth the wait, and the atmosphere was priceless. The baked beans were heavenly, but the french fries average. I could have eaten another huge sandwich and a gallon of those beans. Arthur Bryant knew what he was doing.

Day 2 dinner: Gate's BBQ Kansas City, MO

ordered: we were a little full from lunch so we split a rack of ribs and a side of baked beans

meat flavor: 5

meat texture: 3.5

sauce: 2.5

sides: 4

atmosphere: 2.5

service: 4

x-factor: 4

overall: 4

Gates and Arthur Bryant's are pretty much rivals. They've both been around a really long time and they both claim to be the best. Gate's was slightly less scary than Arthur Bryant's but the food was just as good. We weren't crazy about the sauce, but the ribs were so good there was no need for sauce. In fact I dipped my wonder bread in the sauce just so I could taste it for the survey. The beans were fantastic as well. The atmosphere felt like a franchise, but the service at Gate's was great! My mouth still waters when I think about the baked beans. As a side note, we were the only white people in the entire building which tells me that black people know good BBQ, because it was good!

Day 3 lunch: Oklahoma Joe's, Kansas City, KS

ordered: beef brisket sandwich Carolina style (with cole slaw on top), pulled pork sandwich, fries, onion rings, Texas style chili

meat flavor: 5

meat texture: 4.5

sauce: 3.5

sides: 4

atmosphere: 5

service: 3.5

x-factor: 4

overall: 4.5

Oklahoma Joe's was located in a gas station. Notice the line. We were at the end, it snaked to the left and around to the counter in the back right of the photo. Once again, not a fast moving line, but no one seemed to mind. Unfortunately we have no pictures of the food because it disappeared too quickly. The best meat was found here. I don't normally like cole slaw, but when I heard this was a spicy cole slaw I had to try it...best ever! The chili was award winning, but we discovered we don't really care for the all meat style of Texas chili. The fries were the some of the best I've ever had, and I know my fries. Some quotes from the lunch "If I had one last meal before I died, this would probably have to be it." "I could eat this all day, every day, for the rest of my life." I contemplated getting in my car and driving across Kansas last weekend to satisfy a craving. Yes, it was that good!

Day 3 dinner: BBQ shack, Paola (Pay-oh-la), KS

ordered: slab of ribs, burnt ends, hot wings, potato salad, fries, baked beans (there was 4 of us sharing)

meat flavor: 4

meat texture: 3.5

sauce: 3.5

sides: 4

atmosphere: 3

service: 3.5

x-factor: 3

overall: 3.5

The BBQ shack was recommended on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and it happened to be in the new home town of our good friends Mike and Sarah, so naturally we had to make the one hour drive down to Paola. The BBQ shack used to literally be in a shack until it was on DDD. Then it became too popular and they upgraded to this cute little restaurant. The ribs here were scrumptious, the burnt ends tasty, and my eyes are still watering from the hot wings. The baked beans were good, but the star of the meal was the potato salad. I don't usually like potato salad unless it's home made, but this was some of the best potato salad I have ever had. Good food, coupled with great company made this the perfect end to our barbecue journey! Thanks to Mike and Sarah and their cute kids Maggie and Kate for showing us the town.

I think you could probably tell at this point that the clear winner was Oklahoma Joe's. If you're ever in Kansas City, give it a try, you won't regret it. All the other places offered their own charms and culinary delights. You would not be amiss to try any one of them. I think we might need to make this an annual tradition. What next? Philly cheese steaks? New York Pizza? Wisconsin Cheese? Any suggestions?

P.S. An honorable mention goes out to Grinders, another DDD recommendation. This was not a BBQ place so I don't have a full report, but Nate claims it was the best BLT he's ever had, and he's eaten his fair share of BLTs. The pear, cranberry, walnut salad and curry chicken salad sandwich I had were pretty darn good as well.

Help Needed

My cousin Brock has created an awesome new comic called Monsterplex. He entered a contest in order to get a one year contract with DC Comics. It's a pretty big deal, but he needs our help. The winner is determined on popularity. You can visit his blog to get the details on how to vote on the site www.zuda.com It only takes a couple of minutes. Trust me, I'm not a comic book person, but this is good stuff! The comic is called Monsterplex and just the first few pages had me hooked. Follow this link http://monsterplex.blogspot.com/2010/02/big-announcement.html for more details on the comic and how to vote. Thanks!

Thank you!

A loud thank you goes out to all who commented on my previous post. I'm glad the problem was so simple to fix, yet I am embarassed the problem was so simple to fix. I guess I can hide my technological ineptitude no longer...what can I say, I take after my mother! Another loud thank you goes out to my cousin Becky. I won the giveaway on her blog last week and the package arrived today. So excited!

Here's what we've been up to lately:

Three days after getting home from Boise, Clara and I headed out to California for my cousin Ashley's wedding. Here she is with her hubby Andrew...aren't they cute?

We got to see lots of family while we were there including Grandpa and here's our four generation shot to prove it.

This smiley girl loved getting spoiled every minute by Grandma, Grandpa, and Alex.

This little chickadee started rice cereal soon after arriving home from Cali.

I think she likes it. What do you think?

Help! Calling all Bloggers

Every time I try to upload photos I get a bunch of lame html jargon junk instead of the photo. This didn't used to happen. Can anyone enlighten me as to how to fix this? Anyone? Bueller? Thanks!

Coincidence?

So you may or may not have noticed our new blog background. I had decided it was time for a change. While perusing the plethora of available backgrounds this one caught my eye (if you know anything about my history with red and white polka dots this will not surprise you.) However, imagine my delight when I saw that the name of the background was Clara! Coincidence, I think not.

Oh, and I will blog for real once my computer decides to start letting me upload photos again...darn technology!

Holiday Adventures

We went to Nate's company Christmas party. It was a casino theme so we got to show off our mad poker and craps skills.

We spent Christmas in Boise. This is a shot of all the Great-grannkids on the Nelson side, and nobody's crying...it's a miracle!

Christmas morning in all its glory

Nate's favorite gift...the drill was a close second

Princess Ella with her matching baby...I can't wait until Clara's that age! (please ignore the fat cow in the background...)

4 generations!

The boys on their snow shoeing expedition

4 generations again!

Clara's favorite spot. We thought this was a funny shot because she is clearly too big for the sink. She didn't complain, just curled right up and got cozy.

Clara had her 4 month check-up yesterday. She measured in at 15 lbs. 12.5 oz., 27 inches long, adn 17.25 inches around the head. That's the 90th, upper 97th, and upper 97th percentiles respectively. The doctor said she's right on track with her milestones. We think she will roll over any day now. Some of her favorite things at this stage are laughing at daddy, chewing her fingers, holding and shaking her rattle, switching said rattle to the other hand, pulling her shirt or dress up over her face, playing peek a boo. It's amazing how fast she is learning and growing!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I have always loved the Christmas season, but it seems like it is especially fun with a house to decorate and a sweet baby and hubby to spend it with. Most of these pictures are just to tease the grandparent's before we come visit...she's just too cute!

The above pictures were taken on Clara's 3 month birthday and I think they capture this age perfectly. Her latest tricks include:

-loving her hands--She loves to clasp them together, grasp things, and especially eat them!

-taking in the world around her--she loves to be in a sitting position where she can see all the world around her

-"talking"--my current favorite thing is when she starts babbling. She will just babble and babble all day long. We definitely have a chatter box on our hands.

-smiling--she continues to be a generally happy baby. It doesn't take much to get her to smile these days, talk, sing, smile, or look at her and you're pretty certain to get a big smile!

I can't believe how fast she is growing up. I know that's what everyone says, but it's true! We sure are excited to celebrate her first Christmas with her!

We went in the woods and cut down our own Christmas tree. While Clara only tolerated the adventure, Nate and I loved it! Thanks Monica for the baby koala suit to keep her toasty warm!

Thanks to Andi and Spencer for hosting a beautiful and delicious Thanksgiving dinner. It was great to not have to travel but still get to spend the holiday with family. I made the pies. While I'm still perfecting the presentation, they sure were yummy!

We've had fun getting our home all decked out for the holidays. We have lots to be grateful for this holiday season. 2009 was a monumental year for us with a house and a baby. We are expecially grateful for the love of family and our knowledge of the Gospel. I love the feeling and pizzazz of the holidays, but I also love reflecting on the life of our Savior and all He has done for us. We are truly blessed!

Oh, and this was the only picture we took of my birthday festivities. Nate took me to PF Changs for dinner. They were having a big holiday spectacular at the mall where the restaurant was. There were ice sculptors, yummy food, live music, carriage rides, and fireworks! The next day we went to our friends' the Crocketts for dinner. It was great to have the day off, out of the kitchen for my birthday. 24 was a great year, but I think 25 will be even better!

Clara got to meet Santa at the ward party. She doesn't look too happy, and this was before she even looked at him!