Best BBQ in the country?

It's quite possible I've eaten the best BBQ in America. Or at least one of the top five, and it just happens to be 15 minutes away from where I'm living. Who knew that southern Illinois was the BBQ capital of the world? There's a little place called the 17th Street Bar and Grill in Murphysboro, IL, run by a man who is the only three time Grand Champion of the Memphis World Barbecue Championship. In BBQ circles, he's known strictly as "The Legend."

I've eaten there four times, and it's absolutely fantastic, and I plan to go back a few times before I leave. The ribs have the perfect amount of bite, which gives way to the tenderest of meats, with a pinkish hue that shows the care with which they were smoked. And when you taste it, you taste the perfect amount of smoky flavor--not overdone, just right. When I ate there last, I was by myself, enjoying my meal in happy solitude, without the distraction of conversation, and I heard someone say behind me, "how can these by so good?" No one leaves that place without uttering those same words. These are the best, and they have opened my eyes to what ribs can be.

To give you an idea of what the culinary world thinks of "The Legend's" ribs, you need to turn to Blue Smoke. This is the first ribs restaurant to open up in Manhattan in years, where the ribs are actually smoked on the premises. It was the brainchild of Danny Meyers, a big time New York restaurateur, (who happens to run the restaurant Eleven Madison Park, where my friends and I received a slew of free desserts when we went to Carnegie Hall, if you happen to remember that story). He grew up in the south, and so did one of his partners. They often found themselves itching for a taste of the south, in the form of good ole southern BBQ, the one food that couldn't be found in New York. They tossed around the idea of opening a rib joint for a few years, and then went on a rib tour throughout the south. When they tried Mike Miles's ribs, they knew they had found their rib guru. The restaurant opened in 2002, and I remember hearing the buzz back then in all of the food magazines. I was excited when I realized that the ribs I was eating here in Illinois are from the guy behind the rib wizardry that every reviewer in New York was raving about.

He's written a book that I just purchased, called Peace, Love and BBQ. It really looks like a great read, and I can't wait to get home and try some of the ideas, recipes and tips that are strewn throughout the book. I'll be on a mission when I return, to get as close to this level of perfection as I can. This summer's going to be the summer of The Rib. I can't wait to get back and fire up the smoker!