THE VALLEY IS BBQ COUNTRY.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic Kansas City Kansas City, two adjacent cities of the same name, one (1990 pop. 149,767), seat of Wyandotte co., NE Kansas (inc. 1859), the other (1990 pop. 435,146), Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties, NW Mo. (inc. 1850). barbecue sauce is described in Smokin' Jack's menu as possessing the best ingredients of both Carolina and Texas (vinegar, mustard, hot peppers, tomato, Worcestershire sauce) and adding molasses molasses, sugar byproduct, the brownish liquid residue left after heat crystallization of sucrose (commercial sugar) in the process of refining. Molasses contains chiefly the uncrystallizable sugars as well as some remnant sucrose. ``for character and body, not just sweetness.'' And with meat from the stockyards of Kansas City, plus the availability of hickory, oak, pecan, apple and other woods for smoking those meats, a distinctive barbecue region has been added to American food lore. Smokin' Jack's Kansas City Barbeque recently opened in Burbank, and the Kansas City BBQ BBQ barbecue Company is a few weeks old in North Hollywood. The former is a large, full-service restaurant building in the heart of downtown Burbank, previously a Tony Roma's Tony Roma's is a casual dining chain restaurant specializing in baby back ribs. The first location was established in 1972 in North Miami, Florida, by the eponymous founder, and today there are roughly 260 locations in 27 countries comprising 32 territories. . The latter is a small, counter service spot without frills Frills see frilled. , holding nine tables inside and two or three on the sidewalk outside. Noting the differences Comparing the two isn't that easy, although in their most basic form, the ribs, chicken and sliced meats of the little North Hollywood kitchen appear to be cooked slightly better. That's because Smokin' Jack's kitchen has a tendency to overcook overcook Verb to spoil food by cooking it for too long Verb 1. overcook - cook too long; "The vegetables were completely overcooked" , sending out drier, less tender meats. But its appetizers and sides possess significantly more appeal. A party of two or three first timers can quickly assess the merits of seven of Smokin' Jack's starters by ordering the cattleman's sampler ($16), a platter filled with fractional portions of crunchy jalapeno hush puppies Hush puppies may refer to:
At dinnertime, this would follow a relish tray of vegetables and peppers. Conversely, the little BBQ Company doesn't even list appetizers on its limited two-page menu. It offers babyback and St. Louis ribs, sliced pork or brisket brisket the mass of connective tissue and fat covering the anterior part of the chest in ruminants. Lies at the most ventral part of the neck, between the front legs and covering the anterior end of the sternum. of beef, chicken and smoked sausage. That's it for the main stuff. Sides mainly consist of potato salad, beans, coleslaw cole·slaw also cole slaw n. A salad of finely shredded raw cabbage and sometimes shredded carrots, dressed with mayonnaise or a vinaigrette. , fries and fried sweet potatoes. None of the sides could be called distinguished. Merely passable pass·a·ble adj. 1. That can be passed, traversed, or crossed; navigable: a passable road. 2. Acceptable for general circulation: passable currency. 3. , I'd say. Disposable dinnerware With its prices several dollars lower, the BBQ Company presents all of its fare on, in and with disposable ware. On the other hand, Smokin' Jack's has complete table service, a full bar, a small wine list and even pours its own refreshing microbrews (blond, redhead and brunet) on draft. I'd heard from two sources that the grilled 2-pound pork chop Pork Chop An arrangement on the floor of the NYSE whereby clerks cover the booth of a floor broker and accept orders, phone calls, and associated tasks. Notes: The clerks in charge of maintaining the booths are directly compensated by the floor brokers who own them. ($24), Smokin' Jack's signature dish, was outstanding. But the hefty version on my plate one evening disappointed, being dry, rather tasteless and not particularly tender. But I loved Jack's barbecued beans, laced with pork, full of flavor. As the song goes, ``Goin' to Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, Kansas (KCK) is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Wyandotte County (WyCo); it is part of the "Unified Government"[2] which also includes the cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville. City here I come. They got some crazy li'l women there, And I'm gonna get me one.'' Now, if the pork chops were consistently as good as the women ... and the beans. Larry Lipson, (818) 713-3668 larry.lipson@dailynews.com KANSAS CITY BBQ COMPANY Food: - Two and one half stars - Value: Three stars Where: 4141 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Phone: (818) 754-0030. Meals/hours: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Food type: Kansas City barbecue. Cost: Sandwiches $7 and $8 each, entrees from $9.50 to $22.50, desserts $3.99 each. Credit cards: MC, V. Patio dining: Two or three sidewalk tables. Parking/valet: Free in rear lot. Full bar: No alcohol. Music/entertainment: Jukebox. Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout, no on delivery. Reservations: Not taken, first-come, first-served policy. SMOKIN' JACK'S KANSAS CITY BARBEQUE Food: Two stars - Service: Three stars - Wine: Two and one half stars Where: 220 N. San Fernando Blvd., Burbank. (Also in San Dimas and Carpinteria.) Phone: (818) 842-7427. Meals/hours: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. daily, to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, to midnight Friday and Saturday, to 9 p.m. Sunday. Food type: Kansas City barbecue. Cost: Starters and sandwiches from $4 to $16, pastas and pizzas from $9 to $12, entrees from $13 to $27, desserts $7 each. Credit cards: All major. Patio dining: No. Parking/valet: In rear lot. Full bar: Yes. Wine/corkage: Limited, but some respected labels; corkage cork·age n. A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises. corkage Noun a charge made at a restaurant for serving wine bought elsewhere : $2.50. Music/entertainment: Live music from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout, no on delivery. Reservations: Taken for parties of six or more. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Nabeel Kort, left, and chef Mike Oxley operate the casual Kansas City BBQ Company in North Hollywood, where the food is served on disposable ware. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
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