Off to Kansas City!

It's my Monday today. Yesterday was a company holiday so it made for a nice 3 day weekend with my wife and daughter. We had a ton of fun that included hanging out with friends and introducing my daughter to the Nintendo Wii system. I hope that wasn't a mistake. We tipped it off with my wife's (and her mother's) famous pot roast and potato pancakes. Since I don't make it, I cannot provide the recipe. Let's just say it is nothing short of the best thing my wife makes. It takes a lot of work (well... the potato pancakes do anyway) but as my wife posted on Facebook yesterday, "It's sooo worth it!"

Moving on, today I restart my travels with a business trip to KC. I am having dinner with my now ex-boss who quit last week. I'm guessing this is sort of a goodbye dinner but it will no doubt be at a good restaurant. There are so many good eateries in KC that I cannot name them all here on this page. Still, since I never can seem to keep my mouth shut when it comes to food (and I mean that in every sense of the phrase) here's my two cents on KC:

If you like BBQ, KC is the city for you. There are several top notch joints here that will please even the most decerning of smoke enthusiasts. Which one is best is a matter of opinion and really just depends on what you like. If you like an old fashioned, saw dust on the floor, rude cashier but good BBQ, you're looking for a place like Gates Barbeque. This place has the best Burnt Ends I have ever tasted. Burnt Ends are essentially the charred end pieces of a brisket that aren't burnt at all. They're full of smokey flavor and are quite tender. Order the Burnt End on Bun with some cole slaw and baked beans and you will be very happy. My favorite place in KC for BBQ though is a high end establishment called Jack Stack BBQ. Picture a high end steak house but replace the steaks with ribs, pulled pork and sliced meats. This place is PHENOMINAL. If you go, get what I call the "Dinosaur Bone". It is essentially a bone in smoked prime rib that will knock your socks off. Get baked beans as a side and add a side of the Cheesy Corn Bake. I have said this many times about the Cheesy Corn Bake --- it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE! This wonderful side is like creamed corn only replace the cream with melted cheese and add some house smoked sausage. Outstanding! Being a smoke enthusiast myself, I can go on for hours about BBQ so I'll stop here and move on...

Here are a few other restaurants that I love in KC. Like I said, there are literally hundreds of great places so these are just a few:

1) Blanc Burger --- high end gourmet burger joint
2) Nick and Jake's --- Order the shrimp and jalapeno grits
3) Blue Koi --- Asian fusion
4) Ra --- Trendy Sushi
5) Dean and Deluca --- Grocery Store and Gourmet Cafe
6) Jaspers --- Great Italian
7) La Peep --- Awesome breakfast joint

That's all for now because I've gotta go. Four hour drive so I can grab a hotel and then go to 2 hour meeting. The things I do for work! Cheers!