April 13, 2010
-
Three Meaty New Places
This year National Nutrition Month began just hours after Bacon Fest served its last chocolate bacon martini. My mail box began filling with “exciting opportunities” to interview “medical experts” touting the “health benefits” of various products. A PR agent for the Midwest Dairy Farmers sent a recipe for “healthy” double corn tortilla pork tacos. It included two tablespoons of sugar, a cup and a half of cheese and half a cup of sour cream. Maybe that’s healthy in New York City, where the Midwest Dairy Farmers get their fix of public relations expertise. Out here in Middle America, we swallow the latest nutritional science with a chaser of cynicism. We’ve actually noticed that medical experts were a bit slow figuring out that margarine wasn’t healthier than butter. Cynical Midwesterner Mark Twain derided that claim in “Life on the Mississippi” in 1876! Yet nutritional experts were still slathering their toast with trans fatty margarine 100 years later. Not my grandfather though, despite the nagging of his daughters. He liked to say that “medicine is soft science and nutrition is the melted bacon grease of medical science.”
To honor National Nutrition Month, I visited three new places that Grandpa would have liked. Two Rivers Barbecue Market & Deli is owned by Joe Lyman, a traditionalist of Grandpa‘s ilk. Lyman used to own a Maid Rite, until that corporation changed its process and recipe.
Now he makes “beef burgers” that actually resemble the Maid Rite’s grandpa bought me. Lyman also produces a good pork tenderloin, thick and light crusted. His barbecue is traditional – slow smoked over indirect heat. Some scientists blame direct heat for food-induced carcinoma, so I sampled the health benefits of Two Rivers’ chicken, brisket, pork shoulder and two kinds of ribs.
My half chicken predictably delivered perfect dark meat but dry white meat. Other than that, the fare ranked with the best in town. Meaty baked beans were as good as they get. Slaw came from the southern school, with vinegar instead of mayonnaise. Bargains reigned with sandwiches, sides and soft drinks packaged for around $5.
The new Kansas City BBQ on Douglas is related to the store of the same name on the eastside. That place changed owners twice, survived a fire and sparked a war of nasty accusations on the internet. The new store is free of controversies, other than complaints about flashes of sunlight reflecting off chrome-lined walls. It also offered super bargain prices. Tenderloins, smashed burgers, real Chicago dogs, French dips, pizza, chili, tacos and ribs complemented the smokehouse menu.
None of my smoked meats measured up to those at Two Rivers. Brisket was dry, pork was even dryer, and ribs were served half cold. A half chicken was better but the skin wasn‘t edible. My tenderloin wasn’t as thick as the one at Two Rivers. I liked my burger more than anything else, and barbecue sauces were interesting.
On each occasion I visited, Louis D’s was the busiest place in the Locust Mall. Philadelphia style cheese steaks, or chicken, and Philly style hoagies were lovingly treated to fresh baked buns well suited to their fillings.
In the spirit of the month, I researched the basic cheese steak quandary — Provolone, American or Cheez Whiz? Unless sodium is your bane, Whiz is the healthiest option, with considerably fewer fats and calories than American, or real cheese. Louis D’s pepper option, a few diced bell peppers, just reminded me how good the Chicago style beef sandwiches at Tommy Farrell’s are.
Louis D’s Authentic Philly Steak Sandwiches
700 Locust St. (food mall) 288-3115
Mon. – Fri. 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Kansas City BBQ
5405 Douglas Ave., 270-4919
Daily 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Two Rivers Barbecue Market & Deli
1951 Indianola Ave., 244-0332.
Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
