2Q23: Year of the Pit
With the permanent closing of Smokin’ Guns BBQ & Catering last month, I lost my favorite place for beef burnt ends in the city.
Published December 29, 2022
An Open Letter To All of My Readers
“Stick to food!”
Would you believe that I get this a couple times per month? Any time that I dare to switch things up and write about anything that does not involve food, there is always someone who cannot wait to deliver the well-traveled, and ill-intentioned, wish of “stay in your lane!” While the logic is incredibly flawed and the clapback is beyond tired, every single time I hear it, I give thanks. Really, it’s kind of funny to think about. It’s a testament to how far I’ve come. Who would have ever thought that writing about food would be so widely accepted as “MY lane”?
Don’t get me wrong. I love to write! Seriously, I love it. The compulsory need to take an absolutely blank page and turn it into something, anything; I can’t quite describe it. It’s as natural as breathing. I like to think of myself as a storyteller. (Whether I am a good one, bad one, or otherwise is up to you.) It can be a lot of work to craft a narrative and hope that at the end of the day I will tell a story that I can be proud of; one that does the subject justice. I am definitely my toughest critic, which makes any pride I feel when something I write meets, or very rarely exceeds, my own expectations, most rewarding. Ironically, as someone who prides myself in my ability to convey my thoughts in writing, I find it difficult to adequately write about the joy it brings me. Suffice to say, I love to write.
And of course, I love food! But then again, who doesn’t? At multiple times, I mulled over writing in a professional capacity but ultimately, did not pursue it. Had you asked me at those points in my life what I thought I would write about, I would have likely told you sports. Or maybe, on the right day, I would have told you politics, current events, film, literature, or even as a copywriter for marketing or ad campaigns. So while I have long loved to write and do love to eat, the notion of actually writing about food was long off my radar.
“Who would have ever thought that writing about food would be so widely accepted as ‘MY lane’? ”
Why would it have been? You could EASILY argue that I lack the qualifications. My only culinary education came in the kitchen, with my mom or my dad, and a few other influences along the way. My only real experience in food service was a summertime stint at a small town drive-in when I was in high school. When it comes to cooking, eating, or drinking, I am very much a hobbyist. My initial awareness of many regional delicacies first came through the Food Network or Travel Channel eons ago. While I lack professional restaurant experience, I make up for that in passion. Whether it be for this city, for local eateries, for exploration, or for storytelling; passion is something that I have in spades. Passion has a tendency to give its bearer experience. Every once in a while, passion can even qualify the novice.
When I first moved to Kansas City in 2012, I was so excited. I could not believe that I would finally get to call this city home! Eager to feel like a local, and barbeque-deprived after a few years out east, I embarked on the most Kansas City of pilgrimages. At one point, nearly every Kansas Citian has said, “I’m going to visit every barbeque place in town and find the best one”, but I doubt they fully understand the full scope of that journey when they do so. It’s one that never ends. And while I felt I understood what I was setting myself up for, I chased it. I had to find that favorite BBQ joint. I wanted to know if the most well-known spots were actually the best ones. I had to dine at the places that only a local would know. I needed to know who had the best burnt ends, the best ribs, and where I could find the best sides. Still, I was not prepared for the enormity of that task.
Ten BBQ joints dined at quickly became 20, and then next thing I knew, it was over 40. As my belt gained more figurative notches (and likely a few literal ones as well!), I had to start taking notes and making lists just to keep track. I started leaving a few Yelp! reviews to help myself recall my own experiences. Soon enough, it was no longer a matter of me asking myself the questions. Others were now asking me, “What’s the best place in town?” or “What’s the best place on the Kansas side to get some really good pulled pork?” and “Who has the best mac ‘n cheese?”. Around the four or five year mark, as I talked with others about Kansas City barbeque, I began to realize that, quite organically, my passion had driven me to become a bit of an expert on the local scene. Sporadically, I began to do what came most naturally to me. I wrote.
Ultimately, a few likes on a few notes, and my passion in general, led to the creation of disKCovery at the beginning of 2021. At a time when our city, and the world, had been shut down, and local businesses needed us more than ever - the time just felt right to shine a light on these places.
Now, to be clear, disKCovery is not a food review site. Or more accurately, it is not only that. Regardless of the buckets that others try to contain this page to, I am not just a “food critic”. disKCovery is a passion project dedicated to a wholistic exploration of Kansas City. It is driven by my belief in the importance of being a tourist in my own city. It satisfies my need to write. I am constantly grateful to have an outlet to share my thoughts, and for those who take the time to read them. I am thankful to be able to write in a variety of styles about a diversity of topics. disKCovery holds me accountable, to make sure I never lose that passion for exploring my own backyard.
However, when the backyard of which I’m so passionate has been called “Cowtown”, the “World Capital of BBQ”, and even, “Taco Town, USA” (I see you KCK!), food is going to come up. This city was built on the business of agriculture. In this age of gastro-tourism, it seems we explore cities, towns, and regions as much through our taste buds, as we do through our eyes and ears; maybe even more so. It would be untrue to say that food has not been pivotal to my exploration of this city. It would be dishonest to disregard the driving force that barbeque was for the creation of this site. Hell, if you look at the first seven pieces I published, four of them are about barbeque!
What can I say? KC is my muse. And what is more Kansas City than barbeque?
There is just something about this time of year that lends itself to reflection, while also pushing us to look ahead. Lately, I have been doing a bit of both. As this year draws to a close, and the coming one begins anew, my mind is abuzz. I have been thinking a lot about the past two years of disKCovery. What am I most proud of? What do I regret? Where do I want to go from here?
And lately, it feels that where I began is the very place I want to go. These past few months, I cannot stop thinking about KCQ.
It’s been such a strange time for the local scene. I won’t sugarcoat it, there’s been a lot to be sad about. In the past year or two, we have lost a handful of legendary pitmasters. LC Richardson (LC’s Bar-B-Q), Rob Magee (Q39), and Danny Edwards (Danny Edwards’ BLVD BBQ) immediately come to mind. The contributions of these three men, and others we have lost, to this city cannot possibly be overstated. While the institutions these three each built have continued, others have not been so fortunate.
“In this age of gastro-tourism, it seems we explore cities, towns, and regions as much through our taste buds, as we do through our eyes and ears”
Recently, a number of iconic Kansas City BBQ joints have permanently closed their doors. Since August, both Plowboys Barbeque and Smokin’ Guns BBQ bid us all farewell. For those who have read my list of the Top 12 BBQ joints in Kansas City, you likely recognize these two as they both made the cut. Another on that list, Arthur Bryant’s, just recently announced that they have been sold to new ownership. This past summer, it was widely reported that Jones Bar-B-Q, of Queer Eye fame, had gone up for sale so it’s not crazy to think that this spot could soon meet a similar fate. If that were to happen, 25% of my top local sauce line-ups would be from restaurants that are no longer open. Nearly 20% of the Kansas City BBQ restaurants I have visited since moving here, are now, forever closed.
And when I break it down, there’s no other way to put it. It bums me out! Most of the disappointment that I feel is targeted at myself. There are so many tales of Kansas City barbeque that I wanted to tell, that I never told. There are stories I could have told, maybe should have told, and ones that I will never get a chance to tell. Like I said, I am my own toughest critic.
While it can be easy to get swept up in “what might have been”, there is no value in that. It would be a shame to lose sight of what is going on right now because I am preoccupied with what was. And believe me, there is so much to be excited about right now in the world of Kansas City barbeque!
Much like society as a whole, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the restaurant industry. And yet, while the local barbeque scene was not without its casualties, that community has found a way to overall thrive! It seems that when there is a BBQ joint that must close its doors, two more open up to take their place. (It’s like a delicious version of HYDRA that I can totally get behind!) The sudden infusion of craft barbeque places into the scene even has longtime favorites offering new meats and sides. We have seen new styles, more restaurants, more concepts, and new dishes. As food trucks and pop-ups become more common, great barbeque is more available than ever in a variety of ways! In the past few years, this city has seen a number of, now, beloved brands open their doors. Some of them have even expanded their reach. Others have popped up in the parts of the metro that previously had no local BBQ joints to call their own. The list of KC neighborhoods that could be considered “BBQ Deserts” is rapidly shrinking.
All of these developments push Kansas City barbeque forward. The community is thriving! If my experience at Party in the Pit, just a couple months ago, taught me anything, it’s that KC BBQ is a community, and a very special one at that. That community is bursting with stories that are begging to be told. There is a movement happening in BBQ and it’s all around us.
With that in mind, I know where disKCovery has to go in the coming year. I want to spend next year telling the barbeque stories that I have been meaning to tell, and still have time to. I want to share the barbeque advice, insights, and tips that I have not yet shared. I am eager to put the breadth of my self-proclaimed KCQ expertise on paper, so to speak. I want to give all of my readers a front row seat to the incoming wave of future Kansas City barbeque legends. I want to aid those who dare embark on the same pilgrimage that I have and assist those weekend visitors who are just looking for a plate of really great ‘que. We are currently living through the World Capital of BBQ’s renaissance and I feel impelled to capture it!
On the other side of the world, they will ring in the Year of the Rabbit in 2023. But what of Kansas City? Will it be the Year of the Pig? The Rooster? Perhaps it will be the Year of the Lamb, the Turkey, or even the Steer? I tell you that for disKCovery that it will be a year for all of these, and any animal, cut, or plant that Kansas City pitmasters dare to smoke. Here in Kansas City, I proudly declare 2Q23 to be the Year of the Pit!
Now, you might be reading this and thinking that I am giving into the same Internet trolls that hardly read my essays, who beg me to “stick to food”. If you are thinking that, do not be alarmed! You could not be further from the truth. disKCovery has never been just a site for food reviews, and in the coming year it will not be just a site for barbeque. How could it be? We are hosting the NFL Draft and opening a new airport! We are building the first soccer-specific stadium for a professional women’s team. The KC Streetcar line grows longer every day! There is so much going on in our city. While there’s a lot going on in barbeque that I plan to capture, do you really think I am going to pass up a golden opportunity for NFL Draft-related content?
“We are currently living through the World Capital of BBQ’s renaissance and I feel impelled to capture it! ”
What 2Q23 does represent is an emphasis on this city’s barbeque community. It is a collection that celebrates our most heralded culinary tradition as I push to accomplish the writing goals I set for myself when I created this site. It is a project that will push me to realize the most sacred of Kansas City pilgrimages in the coming year. It is an explanation of why almost any food content I put out in the coming year, as well as some non-food content, will likely be BBQ-related. So I write this letter to give you, my readers, a hint of what’s to come. I draft it as a public declaration of intent that will hold me accountable to see this campaign through.
Under no circumstances will I, or this website, ever just “stick to food”. However, I do plan to spend a lot of time in the coming year talking about it. I intend to do a lot of things that make barbeque, and its stories, more accessible. I plan to connect barbeque to other things happening in this city when I can.
In fact, if you did click on that 2Q23 link (here it is again!), you would realize that this chow train has already left the station. This renewal of a decade-long journey began at Party in the Pit when it truly sunk in how transformative of a time this is for Kansas City and our barbeque. It began when I realized that I had spent so many years engrossed with the barbeque scene, that I had lost sight of its community. And in some ways it began when I realized I cannot do anything about the stories I failed to tell but can do everything I can not to make the same mistakes twice.
So for me, and by extension this page, my journey has already begun. And now? I hope you’ll join me. I hope that you will consider observing the Year of the Pit. Perhaps, you will decide to more regularly support your favorite BBQ joints? Maybe you will get a little more intentional and commit to trying one new local barbeque restaurant per month in the coming year? (If that’s the case, I have a great list to start with right HERE.)
Regardless of what you choose to do, I hope that you will come along for the ride. I hope that a new and exciting KC chapter is in the cards for you in 2023. At the end of the day, that is what disKCovery is all about, and will always be about. Never stop being a tourist in your own city! That is something I am proud to “stick to”. Every year marks a sojourn unique from the ones before it. So as your journey begins, and my 2Q23 journey continues, I leave you with the only logical wish before one embarks on a new adventure:
Godspeed!
Devan Dignan
CBO, disKCovery
A very special thank you to those who read disKCovery in 2022. I hope you will continue to read, and engage, in 2Q23!
