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No, I'm going for work twice in the next few months though- for a few days each. So I'll be able to better judge Houston then. It has good reviews in general. But I cant place it.
Location: Midwesterner living in California (previously East Coast)
296 posts, read 438,060 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarketStEl
I will tip my hat to St. Louis' food scene, which also includes a unique local bit of "ordinary" fare — St. Louis-style pizza, which features a processed cheese called Provel — a blend of Cheddar, Swiss and Provolone that was created there and is pretty much unique to it, though the Wikipedia article I linked states that it can be found in Hy-Vee supermarkets throughout the Midwest.
I would say that, even with the recent improvement in what Kansas City offers beyond barbecue, St. Louis' food scene remains broader and deeper than Kansas City's. (The city is also home to the oldest farmers' market west of the Mississippi, the Soulard Farmers Market in that section of St. Louis' south side. I believe it's also the second-oldest public farmers' market in the country, surpassed only by the Central Market in Lancaster, Pa.)
But I do chafe at those who speak of "St. Louis-style ribs" as though there was a style of barbecue unique to that city. "St. Louis-style" refers to the way the ribs are cut and trimmed before smoking. Generally speaking, St. Louis-style ribs are more uniform in shape than untrimmed ribs are. This makes them especially well suited for Q places that don't actually slow-smoke their ribs but grill them or (worse still) parboil them before finishing them on a grill, for St. Louis-style ribs will be more evenly cooked than untrimmed ones will.
But, of course, grilling isn't barbecuing. And parboiling ribs to save time is anathema to purists like me.
Incoming rant + disagreement.
1.)
Generally speaking, STL gets an unfair rap nationally. It's a better city than most people give it credit for being. KC on the other hand simply doesn't get any meaningful attention (beyond NFL conversations).
2.)
With that out of the way. KC's depth in BBQ is one of kind. Arguably the single best location on earth to enjoy American-style BBQ.
3.)
As of me writing this, STL doesn't have that kind of depth in any food category. And while the breadth of food options in STL is better than KC, it's not as large of a gap as KC's lead over STL on depth.
And yes, I'm intimately familiar with STL style pizza, BBQ, pork steaks, and t-rav. Those are nice local things, but only t-ravs are any good. STL style pizza should not be described as pizza. It's really more like loaded nachos.
Last edited by MrIndependent; 05-09-2022 at 11:35 AM..
Reason: Edited for missing part of my explanation.
Austin and DFW deserve higher rankings. I would say Houston in the south is best overall for VARIETY not necessarily for THE best food which I lean towards New Orleans but Houston's resident diversity gives its the extra kick.
I don't see it that way. We are in a bubble on this website, most people don't think of more than a handful of cities when it comes to food. Denver isn't known for food, neither are 95% of American cities. There's still good food here, just like 95% of American cities. It may not make the Michelin list or whatever but that's not a realistic list.
What a.....surprise to find this:
"It’s Official: Denver, Colorado Is Being Called One Of The Best Foodie Cities In America"
1.)
Generally speaking, STL gets an unfair rap nationally. It's a better city than most people give it credit for being. KC on the other hand simply doesn't get any meaningful attention (beyond NFL conversations).
2.)
With that out of the way. KC's depth in BBQ is one of kind. Arguably the single best location on earth to enjoy American-style BBQ.
3.)
As of me writing this, STL doesn't have that kind of depth in any food category. And while the breadth of food options in STL is better than KC, it's not as large of a gap as KC's lead over STL on depth.
And yes, I'm intimately familiar with STL style pizza, BBQ, pork steaks, and t-rav. Those are nice local things, but only t-ravs are any good. STL style pizza should not be described as pizza. It's really more like loaded nachos.
Your point 2 actually contradicts your point 1 regarding Kansas City. It does get meaningful attention when it comes to barbecue — which, you may recall, was the sole reason 2foodtrippers put it in their list of top 20 food cities. And I'd say that many Q aficionados agree with your last sentence in point 2, though Texans will argue it to death.
Jazz buffs also know Kansas City and its significance in the development of the musical form, but there aren't enough jazz buffs in the country anymore to make a real difference.
There's such a thing as "St. Louis-style BBQ"? I know StL has plenty of Q joints, but what gets served there doesn't differ enough from KC or Memphis IMO to make it distinctive. (And as I've mentioned before, KC and Memphis Q are related.)
Had an *awesome* steak at some restaurant in Houston I forgot to post here when I got back, my fault.. Also was taken to some Italian place, think it’s was the “original” Carrabas and it was surprisingly good, not like CT Italian but pretty good for sure. I should’ve made it a point to try some viet-Cajun.
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