Elwood: What kind of music do you usually have here?
Claire: Oh, we got both kinds. We got country *and* western.
***From the movie The Blues Brothers.
Recently I traveled to Melvern, KS., with the man who is known as The Oracle in some outer limits of the blogosphere.
The main purpose of the trip was to hear The Oracle's brother's band -- The Barnyard Boys -- perform. The band's name makes me think of Akroyd and Belushi in The Blues Brothers posing as The Good Ol' Boys and performing in some backwater bar with only chicken wire to protect them from a barrage of beer bottles.
Even though our ultimate goal was hearing The Barnyard Boys harmonize, strum, and pick, we had another purpose, eat ribs at Guy and Mae's Tavern in Williamsburg, Kansas.
They're known for their barbecue ribs, and other than the pitchers of beer, I can't really recommend anything else there. I'm not going to sit here and tell you these are the greatest ribs in the world, but when you visit Guy and Mae's Tavern, you'll receive friendly service and very good ribs with tender meat that gently pulls from the bones. They're stripped-down, unassuming ribs. There's just a hint of smoke and they're served dry, seasoned with just salt and pepper, and the sauce is served the side. The ribs are much like Kansans: hearty, simple, plain, and sincere. They don't try to be something they aren't, and that's what I love about Guy and Mae's ribs. This is probably why Guy and Mae's is one of 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine.
(If I was a dog, I'd hang around in front of Guy & Mae's also. Does anyone have a doggie bag?
keep the sauce on the side,
muddy
PS. . . It was a good evening, complete with the 3 b's: barbecue, beer, and The Barnyard Boys' version of "The Blue Moon Over Kentucky." The Oracle reveled in the 4 b's by adding beans to the tri-fecta. The only thing missing was bacon and maybe, bourbon.
2 comments:
Guy & Mae's is my most favorite place for ribs. Wendell did an essay on it for one of his classes and we really learned alot about the place. Next time you go ask to see their guest books. People from all over the world have been there... plus you might find a few people you know!
JoAnna: I didn't know that they had a guest book. Thanks for the heads up.
I remember, when Doc Severinsen played a show at Ottawa's Municipal Auditorium, he ate at Guy and Mae's and sent a few slabs of ribs back to Johnny Carson.
It's good to see them honored as one of the eight culinary wonders.
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