The journey so far…..

I am not doing a full review this week.  Why, you ask?  Since this is a blog about me getting to know Kansas City through its food, I thought this would be a good time to reflect back on what I have learned thus far.  So, what have I learned, you ask?  You sure are full of questions today.  Anyway, here are some things I have learned.

Kansas City has a rich history.  From prohibition era gangsters to jazz and the Negro Baseball League, there are a lot of influences on KC culture that still are reflected in its food today.  There are plenty of speakeasies, some of which, like Manifesto, share a direct link to the likes of Al Capone and other famous mobsters.  I am not sure if the link between KC’s jazz roots and the number of Louisiana style kitchens is a one to one connection, but nonetheless there is plenty of Cajun fare to be found here.  One of my favorites so far is Mudbug Cajun Po’ Boys, a fantastic little dine in or take out spot in Claycomo, MO.  This is only what I have observed from a very surface level.  I would love to dive deeper into the city’s history and start to learn how that past is manifesting in its present food scene.  I plan to start a series where I look into this.

KC has no shortage of varieties of pizza.  While the cracker thin crust seems to be a popular one here (no doubt due to the proximity to St Louis), KC also has good deep dish, New York style and my personal new favorite, the Neapolitan pizza.  The absolute pinnacle of this last style is, of course, Ill Lazzarone.  I will be doing a full write up of them soon, so stay tuned for that.  I still have much to learn about KC’s pizza, though.  I would like to pinpoint what really is the KC style pizza, if there is one.  I have heard rumblings of such a thing.

Kansas City’s BBQ is probably more varied than any other city in the country.  While there is a KC style, it does not seem to be as defined as Georgia BBQ, or Texas BBQ.  However, as far as I can tell, all varieties are represented here and represented very well.  Though, what I learned very early on is that brisket just is not as much of a staple as what I am used to.  Now, keep in mind, I am from Rapid City, SD so what I am used to is exactly one BBQ joint, albeit an amazing one: JR’s Roadhouse BBQ Pit.  Their brisket is to die for (yes, I am being overly dramatic and cliche, but JR’s does that to me).  Upon moving to Kansas City, I knew I had to try the BBQ and while I found some great stuff, I could not find a good brisket.  Some places (I won’t name names, but you know who you are) do not even serve brisket. Thankfully, a joint opened up in Liberty called Jousting Pigs and finally I found a brisket that rivaled what I was used to.  It was then that I realized my mistake with KC BBQ.  To me, a good brisket not only does not require sauce, it actively resists it.  KC Q’, however, is all about the sauce.  This conflict was at the heart of my initial misunderstanding of this city’s BBQ scene.  I look forward to remedying this in the future, but until then, I always have Jousting Pigs.

These are just a few things I have learned so far.  While I know this only scratches the most upper layer of the surface only, I can already see a pattern forming and it is a pattern that I love.  Each of the points above have one distinct characteristic in common: variety.  Kansas City is full of it and I believe in a way that might be considered a little surprising for a Midwestern town.  I know this goes back to the city’s history as being a crossroads of sorts but I also know I only have an inkling of that history.  So, I guess, what I have really learned is that I want to learn so much more.  I want to really start to look at KC’s past in hopes of better understanding its present.  It’s a little ironic, I think.  I thought that simply by eating its food, I could get to know Kansas City.  Now, I see that I must learn of its history to better get to know its food.