Foodies, step up and rep on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

[KCMax]

especially since OK Joe's is on his "13 places to eat before you die" list.  that said, i don't really know where else he would go in KC other than BBQ places.  maybe justus drugstore.

Like I wrote earlier in this thread, I can see him going to Grinders and Jerry's Woodswether Cafe. He'd also probably hit some soul food place none of us white boys knows about and a Mexican place gringos don't venture into. Maybe one of those Vietnamese places in Northeast.

[IraGlacialis]

especially since OK Joe's is on his "13 places to eat before you die" list.  that said, i don't really know where else he would go in KC other than BBQ places.  maybe justus drugstore.

Maybe he can do a Missouri stint.
Main focus being on the two cities, with stuff between them on the Missouri River corridor. KC cuisine focus being on BBQ/steak, St. Louis on Italian, as well as some contemporary spot and/or soul food restaurants in either city.
Culturally, for KC, I can see First Fridays being shown with a stop at one of the restaurants there (Grinders, Micheal Smith, etc).

[chrizow]

Like I wrote earlier in this thread, I can see him going to Grinders and Jerry's Woodswether Cafe. He'd also probably hit some soul food place none of us white boys knows about and a Mexican place gringos don't venture into. Maybe one of those Vietnamese places in Northeast.

good point, i guess i didn't re-read this thread.  AB typically goes to places that are either
(a) very "authentic" (however you define that) - a place that illustrates something interesting about the local culture,
(b) very very forward-thinking haute cuisine (i.e. his spain and chicago shows), or
(c) a place owned by a "character." 

for (a) i could see a soul food place or BBQ place.  justus drugstore probably isn't creative or high-achieving enough for (b) but its steadfast emphasis on regional ingredients could help it make the cut for (a).  krause dining is probably lofty enough, and the "husband/wife team moving back to KS after stint in CA" would be a fair enough angle.  grinders satisfies (c), though i can't really see AB being that impressed with NY style pizza and philly cheese steaks in KC - maybe hungarian night, though. 

a vietnamese place or mexican place would be cool, but he could find this in any city in america - not to mention the shows he has done in mexico and vietnam.  AB is about trying to find the essence of a place through the food, and i think BBQ is really the only KC-specific food. 

maybe stroud's, but while the food is tasty there, i am not sure it's anything particularly "special."  every city has its requisite "awesome fried chicken and fixins" place.  especially now that the shack on troost is no longer.

but really, he could/would spend 2/3 of the episode on bbq.  OK Joes, maybe bryant's, LC's, whatever. 

[TheBigChuckbowski]

(d) locally sourced organic rabbit food place.

Blue Bird or The Farmhouse if it gains any kind of reputation. Or, he could go to the Shatto farm.

He also might go to City Market on a Saturday but I don't think it's at a high enough level.

(e) hot dogs

River Dogs if it was still open.

(f) some out-of-the-way-middle-of-nowhere place next to train tracks

River Dogs if it was still open.

I do think he would spend most of the show on BBQ, he might even spend the entire show on BBQ. There's definitely enough to do an entire show in KC though, no reason to lump in St. Louis. He did freaking Cleveland.

[trailerkid]

He did freaking Cleveland.

?

It has nothing to do with "our city is more sophisticated than your city"...read chrizow's post.

[KCPowercat]

it seems bourdain is much more about going places where he is tight with a chef in that city.....but as much BBQ shows as travel channel does, they will probaby force him here....if he goes to Justus that will be a shame.

[bbqboy]

 



maybe stroud's, but while the food is tasty there, i am not sure it's anything particularly "special."  every city has its requisite "awesome fried chicken and fixins" place.  especially now that the shack on troost is no longer.

but really, he could/would spend 2/3 of the episode on bbq.  OK Joes, maybe bryant's, LC's, whatever. 

Most cities do not have a fried chicken place or a fried chicken culture That's why folks from everywhere make pilgrimages to Stroud's.

[KCMax]

a vietnamese place or mexican place would be cool, but he could find this in any city in america - not to mention the shows he has done in mexico and vietnam.  AB is about trying to find the essence of a place through the food, and i think BBQ is really the only KC-specific food. 

I can see the angle "who woulda thought you could get great Vietnamese food in Kansas City?" After all, he went to a sushi place in Arizona! We have a couple of really good Vietnamese places and a decent sized Vietnamese population. Seeing as how its his favorite food, that wouldn't surprise me at all.

Michael Smith is a Beard nominee, isn't he? I can see Bourdain swinging by his new place.

[chrizow]

Most cities do not have a fried chicken place or a fried chicken culture That's why folks from everywhere make pilgrimages to Stroud's.

i'd imagine every city not on a coast has this, and i bet the coastal cities have soul food joints that serve a lot of the same food.  st. louis has hodak's, and i can only imagine that every other city in the interior of the country, particularly the south, has a place just like stroud's.  it's tasty, but there isn't anything special about it other than the hype.

....if he goes to Justus that will be a shame.

why is that?  it's one of the best restaurants in the metro and it has an interesting angle (located in old family-run drugstore, uses exclusively regional ingredients, focus on mixology at the bar, etc).

[LenexatoKCMO]

You guys are leaving out another frequent component of his show - a traditional family style meal prepared in some average schmo/amateur culinarian's house.  If he wanted to do a full-fledged, hour long bbq theme for KC he could devote a significant chunk of time to a back yard bbq hosted by some local competition team.  

[chrizow]

You guys are leaving out another frequent component of his show - a traditional family style meal prepared in some average schmo/amateur culinarian's house.  If he wanted to do a full-fledged, hour long bbq theme for KC he could devote a significant chunk of time to a back yard bbq hosted by some local competition team.  

good point.  he could even schedule his visit during the american royal bbq contest. 

[KCPowercat]

Chriz....I just think we have more than enough in the city to fill his show to not have him ship up to smithville....

[chrizow]

Chriz....I just think we have more than enough in the city to fill his show to not have him ship up to smithville....

maybe so, but it's pretty common in "no reservations" for him to go out of town to find something interesting.  it's not a slight on KC - he has done this in cities/regions with 100x the culinary attractions as KC. 

[TheBigChuckbowski]

?

It has nothing to do with "our city is more sophisticated than your city"...read chrizow's post.

My point was that we have more than enough in KC to fill an hour show.

[IraGlacialis]

My point was that we have more than enough in KC to fill an hour show.

Yeah, I noticed that in my own post the moment I mentioned First Friday and thought of some other cultural sights/events.
Though I was too lazy to go back and fix that.

[chrizow]

My point was that we have more than enough in KC to fill an hour show.

last night's show covered detroit, baltimore, and buffalo - a "rust belt" show.  it really felt like they gave each city short shrift.  one could easily fill an hour with detroit, and probably b-more and buffalo as well. 

i really, really doubt AB will be coming to KC anytime soon, unless the show goes for 15 seasons and they are really digging deep for a new location.  it's fun to think about though.

[RiverMarketDweller]

Maybe if he does a three city barbecue episode going to Kansas City, Memphis and North Carolina. (he has been to Texas several times)

Bourdain made a disparaging comment about barbecue themed shows done on other shows. So even though he likes Oklahoma Joe's and barbecue in general he would consider a barbecue show jumping the shark.

[AJoD]

There is plenty to do that is interesting here and good TV, though I'm not sure of the selection criteria for his show.

It would be a shame if he came here and did only BBQ.  I really don't see that happening.

El Camino Real would make good TV.  What about a pig snoot sandwich from Tenderloin Grill?

He was just here last fall, not shooting for TV, though.

[KCMax]

Tonight's episode is "The Heartland" showcasing food in the Midwest. Livonia, MI, Columbus, OH, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Franklin, WI, Denver all featured. No KC though.

[nilsson1941]

Tonight's episode is "The Heartland" showcasing food in the Midwest. Livonia, MI, Columbus, OH, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Franklin, WI, Denver all featured. No KC though.

I'm glad he didn't go to KC on this episode. It might misrepresent and simplify the city.