Kansas City, Here We Come!

Lacie and I were able to visit Kansas City this past weekend to see the Wizards host Manchester United. As you can see from the picture, the stands were packed and the game was intense (and hot!). Kansas City surprisingly won 2-1. The result was a surprise on many levels, but most basically because the Wizards have stunk so far this season in MLS, and Manchester United is one of the biggest and most successful soccer teams in the world.

But you can't read TOO much into the game. United was relying heavily on their backups as many of their normal starters are still resting from World Cup duty or dealing with other ailments during what is for them the offseason. It was a good victory for KC, but nothing more. It doesn't count in the standings.

One exciting part of seeing Manchester United is the opportunity to see some world-famous players live and in-person. Ryan Giggs is a long-time stalwart of the team and has been hailed as a great player for years. He has never been able to make the big splash on the World Cup scene because he plays for Wales, but his achievements with Manchester United are fantastic. Even now at age 37, he plays with skill and flair.

You can see a couple of pictures of him here on the right.

He played for the full 90 minutes against KC. Although he had his moments, Giggs wasn't really a big factor on the day. In fact, the Wizards really annoyed the heck out of him with constant little pushes and bumps. Michael Harrington in particular got under Giggs' skin, leading to this exhange in the box (see picture on the right, look for the two guys tussling in the middle with arms outstretched). Giggs was given a yellow card for this dust-up. He probably thought (and perhaps rightly so) that all the niggling taps and bumps were out of place during an exhibition game. But then the Wizards don't get to play a big team like Manchester United very often, and they wanted to give it everything they had, so.....

After staying overnight in KC, we were able to get some Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbeque for lunch on Monday. If you know the KC barbeque scene, there are three very well-known chains. Arthur Bryant's is the old-school diner-type option. Gates is the fast-food franchise. Fiorella's Jack Stack is the upscale restaraunt version. All three serve good BBQ, and each tend to excel at one specific option or another (Oklahoma Joe's is another BBQ spot in KC that is getting rave reviews, and it's a crime I haven't eaten there yet, but...). My personal favorite is the Jack Stack, and it's mainly for their burnt ends. Here are the burnt ends as they arrived at our table:

And here they are 5 minutes later....


Succulent describes it best. These tasty morsels are just perfect. I've been to different Jack Stack's around KC probably a dozen times. I've never regretted the choice. This time, however, something unusual happened. As it was my first time in the Plaza Jack Stack location, I was looking around at everything like a rubbernecking tourist. A kitchen manager spotted me and invited Lacie and I to come back and take a look at their gear. He gave us a very short but fascinating look behind the scenes of the restaurant. I learned some of their basic techniques that I will be trying out the next time I try to smoke a brisket in my backyard grill. Of course, they have a little more "extensive" smoker.....

This beast was but one of three wood-fired industrial smokers this location employed. A note to the uninitiated: Real BBQ uses wood. Period. There should be no ovens at a BBQ joint, unless they're used for side dishes like cornbread. No gas, no electric... just pure Hickory wood.

So yes, Lacie and I had a great time. 'Til next time.....

SAH