« Help New Mothers in Baton Rouge | Main | Disney World Moms Panel - Tips For Family Vacations at the Theme Park »
Award Winning BBQ at American Royal, Kansas City, Missouri
By MudslideMama | September 5, 2008
The Traveling Mamas had fun sampling different types of beer at the Boulevard Brewery (I especially liked Lunar, a moderately dark brew). Our next stop in Kansas City was the American Royal Complex. The American Royal is a not-for-profit, community-based organization that gives scholarships to kids, along with education and competitive learning experiences. American Royal hosts bull riding and horse shows, as well as a world-renowned barbecue competition every fall. And – lucky us – the winner of many BBQ contest throughout the USA was there for a demonstration and samples! Can’t visit Kansas City without at least a little barbeque, after all…or in some of our cases, a lot of barbeque.
Rod Gray, half of the husband-and-wife team Pellet Envy, showed the group how he prepares ribs and brisket. This involves a pretty big, pretty lethal-looking sharp knife Rod called a scimitar. Now, I’m a meat eater, always have been; nevertheless, all that handling of raw meat made me appreciate how much I prefer my beef, well, cooked.
Rod and his wife, Sheri, cooked up the BBQ while MountainMama, DesertMama, the rest of the group and I took a look at the American Royal Museum. It was fun – lots of child-friendly and interactive displays about American agriculture, farming and rodeos, just as Jim McNair (the President of the American Royal) promised. This past year had more than 8,000 school-age kids take part in the American Royal School Tours, and I imagine those must have been pretty fun field trips. But…what’s that great smell? It grew increasingly difficult to concentrate on the exhibits and displays, as the scents of grilling ribs and brisket filled the rooms.
Pellet Envy has won 31 championships, and has been a top nationally ranked barbeque team for six
consecutive years. With credentials like that, along with the sweet smell of basted ribs wafting under your nose, you know you’re going to taste some fine BBQ. And believe me, it didn’t disappoint. The smoky tomato based sauce was just perfect, and the meat fell off the bones. I didn’t use a fork with the brisket, by the way. Why waste that sauce? Licking off my fingers, I smiled happily along with my friends. We knew how lucky we were: We’d just eaten some of the world’s best BBQ, right here in Kansas City, Missouri.
Topics: Budget Travel, Culinary Travel, Destinations, Girlfriend Getaways, The Cookie Jar |
TravelMuse
September 5th, 2008 at
I’m glad you came to KC. I was born, raised, and continue to live in Kansas City…and yes, we have the best BBQ in the country. In addition, KC is known for many elaborate water fountains…in fact, KC has the most water fountains in the country. Additionally, KC headquarters a few large well-known corporations that include AMC Theaters, Sprint, and Hallmark…and Walt Disney began his career in KC while working for the city’s only newspaper, The Kansas City Star. The new American Idolof 2008, David Cook, is from the area and jazz music is a staple within the city. In Oct-Nov every year, the American Royal puts on a huge BBQ fest, a rodeo with famous country music stars, and a parade through the downtown area. On Thanksgiving night, thousands of people flock to The Plaza, which is a ‘mini’ Rodeo Drive, in order to enjoy the flipping of the switch to the Holiday lights that embody the shops, all which has been a tradition for over 75 years. The Chiefs fans are the most loyal football fans in the country, and Arrowhead stadium holds the loudest football fans in the country. Every year, Kansas Citians thousands crowd the downtown area to watch the St. Patrick’s Parade, which is a long-time tradition like the Plaza Lights ceremony. I could go on and on and on, however, as you can see, KC is a great place…in fact, people from St. Louis have been known to agree that KC is a much more fun place than St. Louis. Come back and make another visit!!
September 11th, 2008 at
[...] City, Missouri, USA Jennifer Miner presents Award Winning BBQ at American Royal, Kansas City, Missouri posted at Traveling [...]
September 11th, 2008 at
Looks yummy!!!
November 6th, 2008 at
[...] Kansas City, and most people think of the world’s best barbeque. And it’s true; those of us who travel to this big city in Missouri nearly always enjoy BBQ [...]