Kansas City

This is an easy post to write because it's only about two things: barbeque and Wilbert Harrison.

When I was 8, I had box set of 50s music that I used to play constantly.  Happy Days was the show of the day, and all I wanted to listen to was 50s music all the time.

One of my favorites was Kansas City by Wilbert Harrison.  I could not wait to grow up so I could go to Kansas City and find my own beautiful Kansas City baby, as if beautiful women grew on trees there.  I loved the locomotive beat of the song, and thought it was spectacular that a guy would go all the way to Kansas! for one of these special women, and would do anything to get there.

They got some crazy little women there
And I'm gonna get me one.

You can bet I was humming this tune all day.






On this trip, however, my Kansas City baby was barbeque.  I made a quick stop at Arthur Bryant's on Brooklyn Avenue on my way through town.

Many choices.  I kept it simple and ordered pork ribs.

Oh boy, what do I say?  As I've said before in these pages, I don't think it's right to criticize food when we should just be thankful that we're able to waltz right in and order some.  That's an unimaginable luxury in much of the world.

So let me say it this way: I've now had the opportunity to have barbecue all over this great country of ours.  Memphis, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas City.  Let me give you my favorites.  Jim Neely's Interstate Barbecue in Memphis, Smitty's in Lockhart, Texas, and believe it or not, there is a place in Rincon, Puerto Rico, that is incredible.  I just can't recall the name because there were cervezas involved.

As for my beautiful Kansas City baby, next time I'll go just for her, because I saw a girl in Arthur Bryant's that took my breath away, which is rare because barbecue doesn't usually attract the slim hotties that I like. But this was Kansas City, and she was absolutely crazy looking.

And her boyfriend looked like a pro basketball player and probably had no idea who Wilbert Harrison was.

So I had that going for me.