IMAGES: ALAMY; PILSEN PHOTO CO-OP
EAT
City Market has been running since 1857
Right: Housemade charcuterie with pickles and Filipino jam at the Fox and Pearl
A TASTE OF Kansas City
TOWN TOPIC HAMBURGERS This no-fuss burger joint, which dates from 1937, is pure Americana with its red neon sign. Open 24 hours, its patties hiss on the griddle, beef and onion smells swirling across the diner countertop. Come at night after a few beers and order a double cheeseburger and fries for the most authentic experience. Burgers from $4.85 (£3.80).
towntopic.com
on, and eventually led to the opening of the iconic Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue on the same spot in 1949, whose guests have since included the likes of Jack Nicholson and Barack Obama. Almost a century after the so-called ‘father of Kansas City barbecue’ began serving smoked meats, there are more than 100 barbecue restaurants scattered across KC. It’s likely that the freewheeling nature of the
city’s past allowed it to be more laissez-faire with its definition of barbecue, too. To put it simply — these days, pretty much anything goes. Smokehouses across Texas traditionally fire up beef briskets that are light on sauces or marinades, while over in the Carolinas, you’ll find pork shoulder, pulled pork and whole hogs coated in thinner vinegar marinades or spicy mustard sauces. But in Kansas, everything is on the table and everyone is invited to the party. Especially newcomers. Opened in 2014 in Midtown, Q39’s exposed
brick walls host sepia photos, newspaper clippings, sauce jars for sale and trophies won by its late founder and local barbecue legend Rob Magee. TVs line the space above the bar, though few customers pay attention to them, instead metronomically lifting their heads between food and conversation. “I’d led kitchens, I’d opened hotels, but I’d
never run a barbecue restaurant before,” says executive chef Philip Thompson, about his journey to Q39 as we sit at a table near the bar. For a cuisine so quintessentially American, it’s a surreal experience to be talking with a
fellow Brit as he explains, in a mid-Atlantic drawl, how he became a barbecue convert. Wide-eyed and raising his hands for emphasis when speaking, Philip tells me he’s lived in the US for almost 20 years and displays a student- like reverence for the world he’s adopted. “Burnt ends is what KC barbecue is all
about,” he says, slicing off a crispy end of brisket during a meandering tour through Q39’s warren of kitchen corridors, where huge smokers burn hickory wood for up to 16 hours at a time. I chew slowly to savour every last second of this heavenly square, where the charred end contrasts deliriously well with the succulent pink interior, and I can see why Philip playfully refers to them as ‘meat marshmallows’. Amazingly, such was the disdain with which burnt ends were treated during barbecue’s infancy, they were once handed out for free at counters while orders were taken. “At the time, they were called burnt edges,”
Philip explains. “After a while, the chefs realised that this part of the brisket has a really nice marbling of fat, so they’d separate that from the brisket, dice it into cubes and call it burnt ends.” Back at the table, I’m treated to some tender
pork belly, a thicker, juicier cut of brisket and some magnificent chicken wings tossed in chipotle barbecue sauce and grilled for extra caramelisation. I’m being bludgeoned by barbecue in its most naked form, but this town — especially in old-school joints like
VINE STREET BREWING Missouri’s first Black-owned brewery brings a renewed energy to the trad dining scene along 18th and Vine. Visit on Tuesdays for tasting sessions of everything from the citrussy American pale ale Maris to the vanilla-infused Bass Lady stout. Brainchild of musician Kemet Coleman, the brewery hosts regular live jazz sessions. From $8 (£6.25) per 14oz draught.
vinestbrewing.com
SEVEN SWANS CRÊPERIE Get great views of Downtown from this hilltop perch. There are separate menus of savoury, sweet and vegan crepes; the KC Classic is a good place to start, its honey ham, Jarlsberg cheese and rocket centre is topped by a rich kick of wholegrain mustard. Weekends get busy, so expect a wait. Crepes from $12 (£9.35).
sevenswanscreperie.com
FOX AND PEARL This snug Westside spot serves fine Midwestern food by chef Vaughn Good. Produce is local with seasonal menu changes; winter visitors should try the unctuous rabbit pot pie, served in a cast iron skillet with lightly charred pastry. Thursday barbecue sessions include smoked pork sandwiches and beef cheek quesadillas. Two courses from $30 (£23).
foxandpearlkc.com
NOVEMBER 2024 57
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