You can teach a man to smoke meat properly. But when it comes to barbecue sides, you've either got the chops or you don't. Danny Edward's Blvd. Barbecue (2900 Southwest Blvd.) gets plenty of praise for its baked beans -- The Pitch named them the best in Kansas City in 2008 -- but it's about time we gave them some love for their sweet-potato fries.
Chocolate balls, that is. Chocolates filled with whiskey. It's more than a confection and less than a cocktail: It's a head-spinning way to end a meal at the Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange, the two-month-old restaurant located in the old Rieger Hotel at 1924 Main.
It's not just a dessert, but a potently sweet homage to the history of the building.
I ended last week with my fork twisting through a huge bowl of spaghetti and meatballs from Niecie's (6441 Troost). And for the better part of a half-hour, the only thing I was thinking about was how to make more room for the delectable bowl of pasta.
Because great comfort food is like a hug. You never know you needed it until you've wrapped your arms around it.
The parking lot at Fritz's Smoked Meats (10326 State Line Road, Leawood) is rich with the smells and sounds of tailgaiting -- the sharp sting of smoke, the light crackle of sizzling fat. The black smoker sits chugging on the concrete only feet from the front door. While your instinct is to simply grab a sausage off the grill, you'll have to head inside to buy your lunch.
Goodbye, cinnamon rolls. I'm sorry, breakfast cereal. I never really liked you, oatmeal -- I just ate you because everyone said I should. There's a new way to make breakfast amazing -- it's not you, Quaker -- and it's at the Broadway Cafe. Allow me to introduce to you the gooey pumpkin butter bar.
Since winter doesn't officially start this year until December 21, we're in for a nice long autumn (if only Mother Nature would cooperate). A glorious autumn dessert that's good enough for breakfast -- which is, in fact, exactly when I ate it -- is the smooth, creamy and spicy pumpkin creme caramel offered at the WheatFields Bakery Cafe at 904 Vermont in Lawrence, Kansas.
A man probably can't live on pumpkin alone, but Dolce Baking Company (6974 Mission Road) makes me want to try. The Prairie Village bakery has a new line of pumpkin pastries that you'll intend to serve to guests but likely eat before the box even makes it home. And topping the list is a bourbon pumpkin parfait that is simply a cup above the rest.
Earlier this month, readers at pitch.com voted B.R.G.R. Kitchen + Bar their favorite new restaurant. And who can blame them? An open, spacious dining room, approximately 7,000 cans of beer and an amazing selection of inventive, well-constructed burgers -- what else does a diner need?
Truffle tater tots, that's what. And as of last week, you can get those at B.R.G.R., too.
The Bishop family took its annual trip to the Louisburg Cider Mill for apple cider and cider doughnuts Saturday. It's a fun place to take the kid for a morning activity -- she can look at the cider-making apparatus and jump around on hay bales. That's really about all it takes for a good time when you're 3 years old.
We love the doughnuts. One is 75 cents, a half-dozen can be had for $3.50, and a full dozen goes for $5.95. There's not much to them, but they're delicious, and I could eat them all day. They're nice and cakey with big cider flavor and a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Every year, we're barely able to resist the temptation of getting more for an impromptu doughnut-off.
Start spreading the news. Santora's Pizza (3834 Main Street) has brought a little bit of New York City to midtown. Not the Jeter-jersey-wearing, incessantly talking hordes that can suck the joy out of a ballgame at Kauffman Stadium; I'm talking the crackly, thin-crust slice that will help start your night at 5 p.m. or end it at 3 a.m.
Boulevard's Saison-Brett hits store shelves and taps Tuesday
Giovanni's Deli goes big in the Northland
Big Rip Brewing Co. opens to the world Sunday
Rob Schamberger shows his paintings and sells prints of wrestling champions tonight with 100 percent of proceeds going to Make-A-Wish
Cody Rhodes keeps his family's tradition alive on WWE's Monday Night Raw
KC Pride Festival 2013? Yes, it's still on
The Humdinger: Stand in line to get in, baby
The Pitch's Taste of KC is ready for eaters this Sunday