Deck on Smokin' Guns Barbeque - Kansas City Food Review

There are not many things to be looking forward to when 4 days after you get married, you are on a 6 a.m. flight from Cedar Rapids to Kansas City.  Especially when neither is your hometown.  But, thanks to the new food blog, and my excitement around the opportunity to not only eat but write about great Kansas City BBQ, I wasn't completely down on the opportunity.  Oh, and there was a work presentation mixed in there that not only went really well, but gave me a chance expand out of my comfort zone and present on something completely new.  But enough about work...on to the food!!!

After we finished our presentation, we wanted to try and find a barbeque place that was between where we were and the airport since one of the guys was flying out tonight.  I was in the seconod car, and due to the fact that I had tragically lost my iPhone early in th etrip, I was at their mercy.  So after many twists and turns, breaking a couple of rules of the road, and getting honked at once, we wound up in North Kansas City, and pulled up to a firehouse.  I was a little confused until I noticed that next to the firehouse was a non-descript place with the name "Smokin' Guns BBQ".  It seemed like exactly the type of place that I was looking for.

Walking in, I noticed two things.  First, it was completely empty which I found a little odd.  Second, the walls were covered with framed ribbons, and there was a stack of trophies by the front door.  At first, I thought that these were the ribbons of local sports teams sponsored by the BBQ joint or something like that (we see that a lot where I'm from, though not so usually so many ribbons).  That was until I noticed the sign that said "Grand Champion, 11th Annual Jack Daniels BBQ Championship, 1999".  Upon closer inspection I was shocked to notice that all of the ribbons were for BBQ awards over the past 15 years.  Needless to say, I was now super excited to eat dinner.

I went up to the counter, and quickly scanned the menu.  Not knowing what to do, I did what any sane person would do; I ordered the combo.  That meant ribs, pork, brisket and two sides.  I asked what the most popular sides were, and wound up getting a baked potato casserole and baked beans.  Add to that a beer, and I was ready to go.  When the food arrived, it wasn't what I would call a HUGE portion, but it was definitely good sized.  The other thing that I noticed, and which I was surprised by, was that there was no sauce on any of the meat.  Rather it was on the table to be applied as each individual saw fit.

Looking down at my food, I wasn't sure where to start.  Everything looked delicious.  I decided to pick up my fork, and start with the beans (simply because they were closest to the fork).  It was a good choice.  The baked beans were exactly what I was hoping for; perfectly cooked with a hint of brown sugar sweetness that wasn't too overpowering.  With the second bite, I caught a bit of bacon, and that was just perfect.  Moving through the plate, I next came to the pulled pork.  Before adding the BBQ sauce, I thought I would taste the meat to see how it was cooked.  In a word, it was perfect.  The pork was so juicy and so flavorful that I didn't even think it needed the BBQ sauce (not that it stopped me, I'm just sayin...).  From there it was on to the brisket which was good, but not great.  It was a little drier and I didn't see the smoke ring penetrating as far into the meat as I had hoped. 

That left only the potato casserole and the ribs left.  Since I still had my fork in my hand, the potato casserole seemed like the logical choice.  After one bite, I could tell why it was one of the most popular sides.  I had expected it to be cheesy, and was actually surprised when it wasn't.  But that didn't mean it wasn't fantastic.  The potatoes were so perfectly cooked and seasoned with butter and other spices, and prepared almost like a twice baked potato (I'm guessing sauteed then baked) that I took three bites before I even thought to take a breath.  Now on to the ribs.  Ribs are absolutely one of my favorite foods.  Everything from baby back to pork shoulder.  And here in front of me were 3 pork ribs.  I set the fork down, rubbed my hands together, and grabbed the first one.  Biting in, the flavor just exploded in my mouth (again, no sauce, just the dry rub and smoking).  The meet was incredibly tender and flavorful.  The rub had a little bit of a kick to it, but it wasn't overly spicy.  I now added some sauce to the pork and brisket (not the ribs) to finish my meal.  The sauce was very good, what I think was a traditional Kansas City style sauce, a little more sweet than savory, and not a whole lot of spice in it.  It was a very good sauce, and a perfect accompaniement to the very flavorful pork. 

It took about 15 minutes for me to fully savor and finish my meal.  At the end, I was definitely stuffed, but if another plate of ribs had arrived, I would have definitely finished them.  The ribs were quite possibly the best ribs that I've ever had, and will be the rib by which all others are measured at this point (even without the sauce!).  The atmosphere was very pleasant, and the employees very amiable.  We found out that because of their location they actually get most of their business during the lunch time.  The only possible negative was the brisket (I was hoping for a little more), and the two pieces of white bread that were on my tray that really seemed out of place.  Overall, it was an excellent barbeque place, and I can see why they have won the awards that they have.  It was exactly what I was hoping for on my trip to KC.  And, if my write up isn't enough to convince you, check them out on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri.  They filmed not two weeks ago for an episode schedule to air on the Food Network in July.

Final Verdict - 4.25 Stars

A Comforting Meal that sent me down this path.

So far this week I've spent a bit of time experimenting with cuisine, ranging from redoing a simple staple (fajitas) to trying something new (potato soup).  I guess that's what happens when you are home by yourself all weekend with nothing but cookbooks from 3 awesome chefs and the Food Network going.  Well, I guess I could have been watching basketball, but after the Huskies were eliminated, food seemed far more interesting.  But I digress...

I usually like to intersperse my experimenting/learning meals with a few of my comfort classics.  These are meals that are simple, easy to put together and reliable.  With my experimenting there is sometimes the risk of a flop followed by tuna melts for dinner.  Today's default was actually to one of the new entrants to the comfort food menu, one that actually started as an experiment, my risotto.

Prior to making my first risotto, the meals that I made for us were good.  They were pretty simple, and pretty basic.  I could grill a steak, bake some pork chops, things like that, and put together decent, palatable meals.  Stretching was when I learned how to steam salmon, or put pre-made mango salsa on halibut.  When I first made the risotto, it was shortly after I returned from my work trip to Vegas, and my first meal at the Mesa Grill.  I had purchased the cookbook, and was flipping through it trying to figure out what should be the first thing to cook.  When I got to the risotto, I decided to give it a try.  It looked simple, something I figured I wouldn't screw up too badly.  It also would allow me to cook with things that I hadn't used before like chicken stock and arborio rice, not to mention use the blender for something other than smoothies and margaritas.

All in all, it turned out well.  I followed directions well enough.  The risotto was a little al dente, and stuck to the bottom of the pan, but it was good.  I topped it with a seared diver scallop and a little tropical salsa from Whole Foods, and we had a nice dinner.  But, most importantly, it gave me confidence to keep trying new things, stretching myself a little more, experimenting with different things in the cookbook.  And, it was good enough that I could try it again, slowly perfecting then adapting the recipe to my personal tastes.

The base of the risotto is always the same.  Saute some onions, add the arborio, then white wine, then chicken stock until it is all absorbed.  But from there, that's where the experimentation starts.  I've done red pepper puree, green peas, or just cheese.  I've added bacon and fresh tomatoes, and different types of cheese.  I usually serve it is a bowl with some sort of seafood on top (tonight was shrimp), and then something sweet to balance the savory.

It's a hearty, healthy dinner, full of grains, vegetables, and proteins, but low on fats.  And it's something that just always seems to hit the spot.  But most of all, when I cook a risotto it puts a smile on my face because not only does it feel like I'm cooking something a little more fancy, but it reminds me that this simple recipe really helped set me off down the path that I'm currently on.  Who knew all of that would come from 7 ingredients?

From Dislike to Like; Opening my eyes to Avocado

In the previous post, I wrote a restaurant review on one of my favorite restaurants. These type of reviews will definitely be a staple of this blog as they are fun and relatively easy to write. The thing is, when I'm not traveling, I don't go out to eat that often, I cook. And it's the stories of my cooking adventures, learning new techniques, experimenting with flavors, that I think will really make this into an interesting and fun blog about my "food journey". But, before diving into the first of this type of post, I have to give thanks where thanks is due. This wouldn't be nearly as interesting and fun if it wasn't for my soon-to-be-wife Jennifer, and her willingness to be the primary taste tester for whatever I end up creating. So far it has been mostly good which I suppose meakes it a little easier to tolerate.

Yesterday actually featured a lot of new and different things (as tends to happen when I have all day to cook).  I decided to do fajitas which up until this point usually consisted of sauteing some peppers and onions, adding chicken and a few pre-packaged spices, and serving on a tortilla with cheese and sour cream.  Good, but not super exciting, and definitely ripe for experimentation.  In the end I did something different with nearly every component, except the cheese (who messes with cheese?), but it was using an ingredient that I am not particularly fond of and never cook with that actually ended up being my biggest success.

If Jennifer has one gripe about my cooking (other than sometimes experimenting too much), it's that she doesn't get things that she likes because I don't like them, and therefore don't cook them.  The top 3 on her list; Avocado, Mushroom, Tofu.  So, feeling adventurous, I decided that this was as good a time as any to experiment with Avocado.   And for those of you going "WTF, who doesn't like avocado?", the answer was "This guy".  There has always been something about the texture that never worked for me, and the flavor was just not that appealing.  But, in the spirit of trying new things, I thought I might as well give it a try.

Previously, while watching Food Network, I remember Bobby Flay doing an Avocado Crema (yes, I like and watch other chefs, leave me alone...).  By smoothing it out into more of a sour cream texture, I thought it might be more palatable to me.  So, I took an avocado and added some lime, honey cilantro, a dash of oil and vinegar, and a little bit of water, many of the primary ingredients of a good guacamole, and blended it right up.  I debated adding a bit of sour cream, but thought I could always go back and mix that in later if I wanted to.  After a couple minutes I pulled the lid off for the moment of truth.  I dipped in the spoon, took a bite, and was pleasantly surprised.  I couldn't believe that what I had just tasted.  It was this nice, sweet, almost silky like Yoplait yogurt texture.  I decided to forgo the sour cream and simply serve it as is.  I can definitely see adding some chopped red onion and tomato to the crema and making a creamy, slightly sweet guacamole.  This may not be something for the guacamole purists, but I know it is something I would sit down and eat with a big bag of blue corn chips.

Being able to take something that I was never a huge fan of in avocado, and turning it into something that I enjoy to eat is the essence of what I love about cooking, and also why this made a great first post.  The avocado crema was an absolute success.  The pickled green and red roasted peppers on the other hand still have a little work, but that's a story for another time.

If you are interested in the recipe I used, feel free to send me an e-mail.  It should be noted that the base recipe is not mine, though I did adjust some ingredients (namely honey and cilantro) to my liking.  I'm still at the point of adapting existing recipes, or trying different tangents as opposed to creating from scratch.  All in due time though.

Restaurant Review: Deck on The Mesa Grill, Las Vegas

For my first restaurant review, it only seemed natural to go back to the place where it all started for me, The Mesa Grill by Bobby Flay at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.  The first time I went there was about a year and a half ago.  I was in Las Vegas for work, attending a small conference.  Not really wanting to venture out of the hotel as I had just wrapped up a day at the show and still had a bit of work to do that evening, I decided to just head down to one of the casino restaurants.  The Mesa Grill was close to my elevators, and looked interesting, so I headed in.  I recognized the chef from a Food Network show that I had seen as a barbeque guy, but really didn't know anything beyond that.

When I walked in, I headed to the bar.  I figured I was dining by myself, no need to get a table.  I ordered myself a beer, and asked for a dinner menu.  While looking over the menu, trying to find an entree that would allow me to stay close to my dinner per diem, I reached out and grabbed one of the bread sticks sitting up there.  As I took that first bite, the flavor just exploded in my mouth.  This was no ordinary breadstick.  Firm on the outside, but soft on the inside, with a hint of spice, and a dash of cornmeal.  I quickly polished that off and reached for another.

Now, with my taste buds alive, I quickly made a decision on the menu; the New Mexican Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon-Ancho Sauce.  When I asked how I'd like it prepared, I hesitated.  No one had asked me that on pork before.  The bartender, noticing my slight bit of confusion, said that the chef recommends medium.  So, I went with it.

About 15 minutes (and probably a half dozen breadsticks) later, I saw the plate making its way toward me.  At this point, I was almost giddy with anticipation.  The first thing I noticed was the aroma, a spice with a hint of sweet.  I cut into the first piece of tenderloin and took a bite.  Instantly, I knew this was like nothing I had tasted before.  The pork was so juicy, the spice blends just right, and the sauce just pulled it all together.  I quickly devoured the first piece of tenderloin before noticing that there was a tamale on my plate.  Thinking back, I think it was one of the sage butter tamales.  It tasted like a perfect piece of cornbread, but had this just creamy, melt in your mouth texture that was unlike any tamale I had ever eaten before.

When I finished every last bite on my plate, cleaned up the sauce, and had one last breadstick, I felt like I was in food heaven.  Now don't get me wrong.  It's not like this is the first time I'd ever been to a nice restaurant and had delicious food.  But for some reason, it was this experience that really seemed to bring everything together for me.  Food and flavor took on a new meaning.  I knew that when I walked out of there, I wanted to start trying new things, creating sauces to accompany my food, exploring different cooking techniques.  Why it was Mesa Grill, I couldn't tell you.  Maybe because the flavors were uniquely different and appealed to me.   Maybe because it took things that seemed so basic, and transformed them to something so much more.

The memory was so great that I had to revisit during my trip to Las Vegas last week.  This time, I dragged my friends with me.  I was a little worried because I had set such a high expectation in my mind, and in theirs as well.  Could Mesa Grill deliver the goods again?  In a word, Absolutely!  I recommend the pork to Nick, and ordered the Lamb Porterhouse for myself.  This time when I asked how I wanted it prepared, I remembered to ask, "How does the chef recommend?"  Again, I was blown away.  I've never had lamb cooked so perfectly, and flavored so wonderfully, with that perfect blend of spice with just a little sweet.  I don't know any other way to describe it.  But, the biggest telling point was when my friend Cliff took his first bite.  Before he had even finished chewing he said it was probably the best lamb chop he had ever eaten.  High praise for someone that has spent his entire life on a sheep ranch in Wyoming.

I know that this post has gone on for awhile, but, I think that the back story is important, and the Mesa Grill deserves it.  It opened my eyes, and my palette, to food in a different way, both in my own cooking, and when I go out to restaurants.  If you ever find yourself in Las Vegas, there are many fantastic places to eat (and I know that there will be more chronicled in this blog), but the Mesa Grill is one place that is absolutely worth visiting.  The food is superb, and is very reasonably priced ($25-$40/entree).  My only regret from that first trip is that I didn't eat there every single night.