5835 Lamar Avenue

This was not the only A Previous Article BBQ place we'd decided was worth a visit based on our very in depth research of local area 'joints' before we got on the plane.  It's actually pretty hard to pick a couple of the many many that the TV hosts / chefs / faces think are their favorite and ultimately they're all doing pretty much the same thing (certainly to our non BBQ-connoisseur musings) with personal tweaks to rubs and sauces being the obvious differences. 

We only found reference to this joint in one place, but it caught our eye because it was clearly doing BBQ differently to all the others - technically they're doing the BBQ part just about the same as everyone else, but what they put in the smoker, and what they do with it when it comes out is clearly different. 

We had to hike all the way across the border, ultimately an easy drive if you follow the directions provided by google correctly (yes, we zigged when we should have zagged...), but it's nowhere near any tourist places that our guide books told us about.  Once the zigging was sorted out you can't miss it with a big sign, but only a few parking spaces out front.  Not knowing the place, we didn't know the real parking is out the back until later, so it's possibleprobable that we were parked 'illegally' in one of the spots reserved for the to-go crowd.  Sorry!

We got there about 11:3012:00 (remember the zigging and zagging?) and they were still serving breakfast; yep BBQ breakfast.  We were curious, but we had our heart set on a couple of non-breakfast dishes we'd seen on the TV.  The place was never jamm'n but it had a steady flow, both in the Restaurant and through Carry Out.  Inside it's a simple enough room with a bar right in the door and tables all around.  Nothing particularly memorable decor wise, just about what you would expect from a BBQ 'joint'.  One end has a small Carry Out section and we learned later they have a patio type area (that perhaps has more seats than the restaurant?) downstairs and out the back they open up most evenings and have live music there from time to time.

We wonder if Bob has his kids and their friends working the floor - politely of course?  Our Server was fine, and he was perhaps a little bit above the average age (by our observations and interpretations only) of College Freshman.  He got us everything we needed, he answered all our questions, he helped with a kitchen negotiation and he was patient while waiting for us to come up with a replacement for something that was not available (alligator eggroll - drat!).  He also seemed very rehearsed in what he said to people, particularly as they sat down, but if that's the worst thing we can find clearly he did a good job.

There's plenty to choose from on the menu, it's easy enough to navigate.  If we didn't have a couple of things mostly pre-selected it might have taken a bit longer with takes on the 'regularly' expected dishes, great sounding sandwiches and fun BBQ type salads to keep you amused, and it would have gotten a bit harder had we considered the breakfast options.  And, as far as we can tell consitant with the KC BBQ philosophy, it's sauce on the side.  There's their regular and their spicy versions.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Lemonade
• Soda
  
• Bison Empanadas - a different way to start a BBQ meal, but no regrets, no complaints.
• RJ's Signature Brisket Soup - yes, you read that correctly!  When push comes to shove, I think you could argue it's closer to a stew than a soup, but I'm not pushing or shoving!  By serving as a soup it's so much easier to grab up a cup and not feel too guilty about eating soooo much food for lunch, and more people would miss out.  Really good!  Really Really good!
• Denver Lamb Ribs - Not sure what makes them Denver, but RJ's sure makes them good.  Maybe the best ribs I've ever had, any where, any style.  You shouldn't compare them directly to 'normal' ribs, but you should try them.
• Burnt Ends - you can have beef or pork, but a quick negotiation got us about half and half.  Perhaps liked the beef ones a bit better.  Every thing we saw on KC BBQ before we came mentioned the Burnt Ends.  I probably don't need to have them again, but I'm glad we had a successful hunt.
  
  • Cheesy Corn Bake - not sure exactly what we expected, but it's probably in the mac and cheese family. Definitely cheesy, definitely corny.
  • Sweet Potato Fries - crunchy and piled high.

Again, happy with the place and would return (if for no other reason that to try the brunch, but really there are many reasons) if the opportunity presents, but realistically not a lot of chance that opportunity will present.  We congratulate Bob on his creativity, execution and fun menu and will do our best to mention him to anyone we know is visiting KC.

Stay JOLLY!
D 

900 Westport

When we knew we had a weekend in KC coming up we started to explore our 'fancy' Date Night options.  Bluestem made the shortlist pretty quick and almost certainly would have won out in the end due to the style of menu offered (it's pretty much a 5 or 10 course tasting), even though it was only 2 blocks from our Hotel.  We're also pretty sure we would have had a grand time at the runners up too...

Unassuming from outside in an almost beat up looking building.  Fortunately the bright blue colors used as part of their logo are obvious from outside so it's easy enough to find.  Inside there's a very casual lounge area with the 'fancy' restaurant bit off to the side and clearly segregated (although we thought it a little odd that the lounge people came through 'our' restaurant to get to the bathrooms - normally it's the other way around).  It's a sort of odd shape due to the shape of the building, but also because it needs a couple of steps down from the lounge.  Perhaps seats 40?  Simple decor, white table cloths, some fun antique type mirrors (that could easily be argued look out of place - but I'm not arguing that at all) made up a good portion of the wall closest to us.

We had a Primary Server (if that's fair) but the rest of the gang all contributed and answered questions as needed.  They were all polite and staid, but not snooty.  If you wanted to chat, they would chat, but they didn't seem to try to come across as chatty.  Although we'd seen the menu we still needed help understanding what was in front of us each time. Who ever was serving gave us the dissertation and although technically accurate it felt a bit like they had learned what to say more than learning the dish - just a feeling, apologies if I'm wrong.  A couple of times we had to ask for a bit of further clarification and anyone who we asked could help out.  We also got a quick chat with half the chef team.  She was walking back to the kitchen (not sure how she got out with out us seeing...), so we just said thanks with no expectation of a chat, but she stopped and did the sociable thing with us.  Thanks chef!  It's always pleasing to know that the chef (or chefs in this case) were actually out the back doing their cheffing best for us!

The designated Wine Server is actually the General Manager - makes sense in a place of this size.  I really like the way he handles the wine, and presented the wine (glasses appear on the table, he comes back with the bottle, pours, plonks it down on the table for your admiration - he doesn't leave the bottle, of course, when you're doing the tasting) and talked about the wine (but we did hear the exact same spiel for a couple of wines a couple of times around the room).  I double really like that when we congratulated him on pairing a red with a fish dish, and then returning to white for the next course that his response was that he pairs the dish with whatever is appropriate (and therefore, I interpret to mean the 'correct' pairing) and sometimes it comes out differently to what most of us have been taught to expect - I'm quite happy having unexpected wines come my way!

I love the way the menu is presented.  4 courses of 2 choices each, and a fifth with 5 choices.  It's offered as 5 courses (pick one from each), or 10 (everything but 1 dessert - perhaps my only gripe (and it's a very very very small gripe) is that we left something on the table) with a quite small note down the bottom that everything can be done À la carte if you prefer.  The wine list is relatively short, but the offer of a paired wine with each course makes the list pretty much irrelevant, and doubly so when the pairings turn out to be so great.

Our meal went a little like this:

• 10 Course Tasting Menu - not hard to argue it was really 14 courses if you count amouse bouches and that we each got a different dessert for each dessert course
  • goat cheese puff - simple and refreshing to get things started
  • salmon mousse - creamy & quite rich and almost the opposite of the puff - opposite in a good way!
  • crispy purple artichoke, asparagus, barigoule aioli, soil - one: purple artichoke was something new, two: crispy was another.  Just a fun dish that surprised us and made us smile.
    
    • Leitz Dragonstone Riesling (Germany) - of the style I look for in a Riesling - not sweet, rounded, a little bit of bite at the front of the mouth.
  • roasted beet, buttermilk lemon, pineapple, champagne vinaigrette - I guess my aversion to beets comes from those canned ones the parents would produce at just about any sort of family picnic / bbq arrangement. But when they come out like this, aversion all gone!
    
    • Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) - really good.  Our 'guy' spoke highly of it, and we have no reason to disagree.  It's everything you'd want from a Marlborough Sauv Blanc.
  • torchon of foie gras, strawberry mostarda, rhubarb, peanut, brioche - maaannnn, there wasn't enough brioche... Well, there probably was, but it was so good I may have distributed the foie gras inappropriately...  Fortunately we had some extra bread on the table (requested for random sauce mopping requirements) which still let the foie shine.  It was fun to combine it with all the little 'sides', but just the brioche would have caused no complaints.
    
    • Dr Loosen Barren Auslese Mosel (German) - a quite sweet wine that cut perfectly through the richness of the foie.  A clever pairing, bringing out a traditionally dessert type wine so early in the meal.
  • spring pea soup, crème fraiche gelee, lemon, pink peppercorn - a bit of a show to serve it, but better than any pea soup that's ever come my way before.  Something sneaky good having the peppercorns to 'play' with.
    • Scarpetta Pinot Grigio Friuli (Italy) - a funny dissertation from our 'guy' in that he said this is about the only Pinot Grigio he wants anything to do with.  We kind of like it in general, but this one was definitely up the top of the scale.  Crisp, yet full with a long finish.
  • diver scallops, fennel, cipollini, rock shrimp, mussels, smoked tomato sauce - the sauce may have been the star, but a great grouping of treats to go with it.
    • Adelsheim Pinot Noir (Oregon) - perhaps the best pairing of the meal.  No objections to red with my seafood at all, but this wine matched up with the smokey sauce perfectly.
  • escolar, braised bacon, green garlic, aji amarillo, brown butter - you could have just served the fish on it's own and everyone would be happy (perhaps confused, but happy), but when you put it with everything else everyone gets extra happy.
    
    • Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc (Alsace) - I admit it sort of a fake highlight, but I really like that they served us a red and then went back to a white.  I think the wine benefited from having the fish around.  A big nose, a gentle even finish.
  • glazed duroc pork, baby bok choy, scallion, wonton noodle, lemongrass broth - we ate some good BBQ while in town, but this was easily the best pork we saw.  The noodle was different, and got our attention as a texture contrast rather than flavor compliment.  The broth was awesome!
    
    • La Garrigue Vacqueyras (Rhone Valley) - no specific memory of this.  I think that means it was a nice safe pairing and that it didn't distract from the yumminess of the pork.
  • duo of vintage beef, asparagus, fava bean, roasted garlic potato, black garlic - two melt in your mouth cuts that would make any meat eater grin.  A fun combination of goodies to go with them.
    
    • Marques De Murietta Reserva (Rioja) - perhaps my favorite wine of the evening.  A little bit spicy in the finish, lots of nice tannins up front.  Probably don't want it without something beefy.
  • selection of artisan cheeses with accoutrements - the cheeses them self were nothing super memorable, but paired up with non-standard cheese pairing devices (one was pickled fennel, the other 2 were equally as surprising) made the plate a treat.
    • Ramos Pinto 10 Year Tawny - it's been awhile since I've done the Port / Cheese thing and I might be a little bummed I let it get away from me.  If the Pinot Noir wasn't the best pairing, this was.
  • milk chocolate & black tea pot de crème, almond madeleines, rose water, cream - what?  A lot going on that turned out to all work nicely together.
    
    • Moscato d'Asti (Italy) - nice and refreshing.  Almost sad we didn't get a go at this when the amuse bouche came our way.
  • dark chocolate ice cream float, birch beer, mint whip, fried brownie - for the trivia inclined of us, this would be called a 'spider' back home, but don't ask why.  It may just be the perfect way to unwind after all that came before.
    
    • Strega Cocktail - who said my wine pairings have to be all wines?  I have no idea what Strega is, but I'm glad I got to try it.  I probably should have asked, but I got a sort of pine tree feel about it, but it was a cocktail and not a shot so other fun stuff may have been the reason.
  • lemon chiffon, strawberry, milk jam, rhubarb, candied orange, ginger - fun and light and sweet and it comes with rhubarb.
    
    • Ramos Pinto 10 Year Tawny (Oregon) - sneaky serving it again, technically a sensible pairing, but the least favorite pairing we saw - but that might have been cocktail envy from across the table...

As always we don't really want to rank the dishes, but we all do...  There was no loser, just a couple of slightly better winners.  The Escolar was an easy (and agreeable) #1.  We're not quite agreed on the next couple, but a pretty good compromise is the Pork & Scallop a tie for #2, the Beef and Pea Soup at #4 and everything else pretty much equal at #6 (including the amouse bouches).  An honorable mention to the Artichoke for surprising us so nicely - which probably means it gets the #6 spot on its own.

We're definitely better off for having visited with Bluestem.  A wonderful, relaxed and tasty meal!  We're glad we went the 10 course option and not the 5 option with differing dishes.  Yes we would have seen everything, but not got the full experience by 'stealing' bits and pieces across the table.

We're perhaps a bit worse off for knowing that even though they met in Chicago, they decided to move back to his home and set up the show in KC - we bare them no grudge for making family decisions, but we're sad that it's unlikely we'll get to visit with them again.

Stay JOLLY!
D

2450 Grand Avenue (Crown Center)

On a day where we found ourselves in a Mall as we got hungry and with the goal of avoiding Fast Food type stuff as much as possible while traveling, we lucked into the Streetcar only seconds before we caved and lined up with the masses.  Ultimately a simple meal where we got to sit down, watch the tourists and relax a bit before heading off on our next adventure.

No idea the validity of the story, but apparently the section we sat in was an actual Streetcar from times past that had been relocated a couple of times before ending up as the front of a Mall Restaurant.  Perhaps it really was called Desire?  The rest of the place is just a restaurant, nothing special, nothing bad to look at.  A couple of TVs around the place, a large 'patio' out in the Mall and an arrangement of tables (most of which are designed for rearranging to meet the size needs of various parties) and booths.

Nothing complicated about the menu especially when we were barely looking past the salad and sandwich section.  It does have to be noted that we blinked more than once when our Server went through the list of Sides to join our Sandwiches and one of them was Cottage Cheese.  Umm?

Our meal went a little like this:

• Boulevard Bully Porter
• Boulevard Pale Ale
  
• Ham & Cheese - optional dressings, went with the Honey Mustard but more for French Fry dipping...
• Tuna Salad Sandwich - some of the previously mentioned Honey Mustard Dressing found it's way on to the Sandwich and everyone was happy.

It served our needs, and we sure could have done worse had we been just a little more hungry and less patient...

Stay JOLLY!
D

3002 West 47th Avenue

Although technically not on our to-do list The List... we did arrive in KC knowing we'd be stopping by.  I think everyone knows that you have to do some Barbecue whilst in town so we spent some time with the TV chefs / food hosts looking for their opinions and more than one rates this as the best BBQ ever - one even put it on his list of 13 places you must eat before you die.

It is a place you'd be exceptionally lucky to find by driving by.  The building certainly won't catch your attention - it's a gas station and not a converted gas station, but a working fill up your tank one.  It's not out of the way, but it's certainly not in a tourist part of town and even if you noticed the sign mentioning BBQ you probably wouldn't put 2 and 2 together.  Oh, and you need to be a little bit creative and / or brave to find a spot in the parking lot.  The smells may get your attention, I guess depending on how the wind is blowing. 

What is most likely to get your attention though, is the line out the door.  We arrived a little before 11:30, and not because we knew the line can be out the door, but because we had an early flight and were hungry.  The place was packed, the line was to the door (perhaps 40 people in line?) and growing.  Normally, lines annoy us but based on a low stress schedule for the day and recomendations from TV and beyond we joined in.  On the plus side everyone in line was happy and patient and mostly followed the rule of not finding a table until you had your food in your hand (the bigger the group, the more likely to cheat...).  And on the double plus side it moves pretty quick.  When we left a little after 1pm there were perhaps 20 people in line outside the door too where it had hovered at least the whole time we were seated.

If you want to be pedantic, it's not really a restaurant.  It's a takeout place with some figure-it-out-yourself seating.  While we were in line, I'd guesstimate 75% of the people ahead of us did carry out (which is kind of odd because they have a call ahead for carry out section and that line was mostly empty) meaning the panic we had relating to not being able to dine in was unnecessary and once we had our trays in hand we went straight to a table, even having a choice of a couple.

In terms of getting your meal, it's cafeteria like.  Get in line, change your mind 5 or 8 times as you move through the line, order with the order taking dude, listen to a whole bunch of holler'n as the order gets disseminated to the people who do each part (ok that part might not happen in a cafeteria), shuffle down to the cashier, select a beverage, confirm that all the holler'n was holler'd correctly, pay (and not a whole lot, really!), muddle through the soda machine and then find a table (which already noted was no drama).  In general, tourists inside, locals back to the office...

The menu is easy enough to navigate, easy enough to understand and certainly has enough options to choose from if you decided to make this a regular haunt.  It looks like there's a daily lunch special (perhaps a dinner special too?) and it seems that the people who looked like the regulars tended to gravitate towards.

Our meal went a little like this:

• Boulevard Wheat - The local brew, not all that wheaty but fine with my lunch.
• Boulevard Pilsner - Another of the many from this brewery.  Probably our favorite of the 2.
• Side of Smoked Chicken Gumbo - It comes in 4 sizes.  We got the smallest (called a side) and if we had have gotten the biggest there's no way we could have had our other stuff.  It's rich, and Gumbo like, and rich, and smokey and meaty.  And good!
• Hog Heaven (Pulled Pork and Sausage Sandwich) - Don't eat this wearing a white shirt.  It's a little messy, but a lot tasty.
• 2 Meat Dinner - a nice way to increase the variety and not so much the waist line
  • Brisket - dry rub only, sauce added at service time.  It looks the way it should with that smoke ring everyone wants to see.  Cut thin, but not too thin, tender and juicy and yummy.
  • Sausage - definitely smoked sausage, but not too rich.  Goes well with the sauce.  Might be fun to eat in a brat sort of way, rather than with a fork and knife?
  • Fries - seasoned heavily with something secret.  Quite rich and almost hard to finish the whole bag when combined with everything else we had.

So, would I put it on my list of 13 places to dine before I die?  Probably not.  I'm certainly glad we got to try it out, but I don't think I'd feel a life unfulfilled without it.  I do get that not all 13 places should be / need to be crazy expensive and crazy particular and crazy snooty and crazy exclusive and crazy hard to get in to so I'm quite happy to agree to say that a BBQ Joint should be on that kind of list.  You can decide on your own which one, but you probably should get Oklahoma Joe's on your short list of BBQ Joints as you work towards that final 1 (perhaps 2) that makes your ultimate 13...

Would we go back?  Sure.  Will we?  Unlikely - that whole being in a different State thing causes a problem.

Stay JOLLY!
D