Home of the One and Only Kansas City #BBQBible!
Home of the One and Only Kansas City #BBQBible!
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COUNTRY
IS A MYTH
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Devan’s (Double) Dozen: BBQ Edition, Part I
After a year that took me to nearly every barbeque restaurant, joint, stand, pop-up, and concept in the Kansas City metro, a lot of readers were left asking the one question I had failed to answer, “Which is best?” Here in Kansas City, talking about barbeque is as common as discussing the weather or the local sports team, but far more precarious. The BBQ joint one person swears by will be the one another swears they won’t visit again. That didn’t stop me from weighing in with the first-ever double edition of Devan’s Dozen. This part contains a countdown from #24 to #13!
FCS: The Meats
“With great palate comes great responsibility.” Perhaps that was not the line exactly as Ben Parker famously delivered it, but does it not hold true? Oftentimes, my recommendation on what BBQ joint a person should try is simply based on the question of “What do you like?” With that in mind, after a year that took me to every BBQ joint worth visiting, this column names the best BBQ joints in the metro, based on the cuts of meat where each spot excels.
Devan’s Dozen: (Pork) Ribs Edition
When it comes to barbeque, I consider few meats more luxurious than a properly smoked pork rib. Given the wide range of ribs present in KC, from the truly great to the utterly inedible, I decided to rank the 12 best slabs of ribs in the city. But first, I laid out my own 4 C’s as it relates to ribs for explaining what one should look for in a truly great rib. After all, every single great rib has one key characteristic in common.
The Fountain City Foodie’s Guide to the World Capital of BBQ (MO)
Setting out to try every single Kansas City barbeque spot, it can be easy to know where you start, but where does one finish? There’s no set checklist of every BBQ joint in the metro. There’s no order guide of what you must, and mustn’t get! That is, there wasn’t. As I recorded my own decade-long pilgrimage through the Q Capital, one friend joked this was a “BBQ Bible”. Not only did I confirm it, I got a little carried away with the concept.
Part 1 / 2 explores the 9 Missouri counties that comprise KC.
Fit For a King
Tomorrow is a big moment for Kansas City. We are opening an entirely new airport that firmly thrusts this city into the 21st century. By any measure, it seems tired that a brand new airport would keep the boring name of the old one. Especially, when we have an opportunity to name it for an oft-overlooked artisan who is responsible for putting Kansas City on the map.
FCS: Best of 2022
Every year brings its own path of discovery. 2022 was not only a big year for Kansas City but for me and my own attempts to be more of a tourist in my own city. Of all the new places and things I tried this year, these were my favorites. And so once again, I bring you my end of the year Fountain City Superlatives.
Devan’s Dozen: Sauce Edition
Kansas City BBQ is all about the sauce! Or at least, that’s what strangers try to tell us. Our barbeque is so much more than the sauce but there is no denying it has an important role in our city’s history and whether it is robust, smoky, salty, sour, sweet, savory, or spicy - that barbeque sauce is delightful. It’s the cherry on top of the sundae. In honor of National BBQ Month, I ranked the Top 12 Kansas City BBQ Sauce lineups!
Devan’s Dozen: Heartland Edition
Similar to the worldwide sensation, the Cow Parade, that came to our city 20 years ago, the Parade of Hearts is a public art installation of 154 fiberglass “KC hearts” by 123 local artists spread throughout the Metro until the end of May. If you don’t have time to see all 154, no worries! These are the 12 you must be sure to visit!
Herstory of the City, Part III
In celebration of Women’s History Month, I am telling but a handful of the stories of the amazing women who shaped this city, region, and the world. This week I explore the female entrepreneurs of early Kansas City who helped make our city what it is today.