Midwest
Kansas City home to America's best barbecue, chefs claim: 'Our variety makes us unique'
Kansas City, Missouri, is home to the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs — who open their season Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens.
Outside Arrowhead Stadium, Chiefs fans are sure to be serving barbecue at the tailgates. But not just any barbecue. Specifically, Kansas City barbecue.
“For Kansas City, ‘barbecue’ is a noun. It’s not a verb,” Rod Gray, chief executive officer of the Kansas City Barbeque Society, told Fox News Digital via email.
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Kansas City, he said, has one of the highest numbers of barbecue restaurants per capita in the United States.
“If it can be cooked indirectly, with low heat and smoke, we do it,” Gray said. “Our variety of barbecue makes us unique.”
Kansas City Chiefs fans make the city’s renowned barbecue a staple of any tailgate outside Arrowhead Stadium. (Kansas City Barbeque Society; David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Barbecue was brought to Kansas City a little over a century ago by a man named Henry Perry, Philip Thompson told Fox News Digital in an email.
Thompson is the executive chef at Q39, a championship barbecue restaurant in Kansas City.
After Perry’s arrival, “the city became a melting pot of barbecue flavors from around the country,” he said.
KANSAS CITY IS CHIEF AMONG BARBECUE CITIES: HERE’S WHY TAILGATE TOWN CROWNS CULINARY CHAMPS
Eventually, Kansas City barbecue became known for “a signature tomato-and-molasses-based barbecue sauce,” Thompson said, and something called “burnt ends.”
“Burnt ‘edges’ were initially discarded,” he said.
Now, these “burnt ends” are “a staple of Kansas City barbecue, combining the bark from the top of the brisket with the marbled, juicy meat underneath.”
While burnt ends were initially discarded, now they’re emblematic of Kansas City barbecue. (Kansas City Barbecue Society)
Brisket, Thompson said, “is made up of two muscles – the flat and the point.”
“The point is the heavily marbled muscle on top that has rich fat running through it,” he said. When future Barbecue Hall of Famer Arthur Bryant would smoke brisket, he “would trim off the burnt edges from the top and hand them out to customers.”
PITMASTERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD SWAP TIPS AND TECHNIQUES AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BARBECUE COOKING CONTEST
“They became so popular, they were added to his menu and renamed burnt ends,” Thompson said.
At Q39, burnt ends are “finished over a wood-fired grill, which gives them a wonderful, crispy, caramelized finish and a last kiss of smoke.”
One of the best things about Kansas City barbecue is the variety of meats, Rod Gray, chief executive officer of the Kansas City Barbeque Society, told Fox News Digital. (Kansas City Barbeque Society)
At its core, “Kansas City barbecue is really a combination of great meat, a beautiful, flavorful rub combined with sweet and tangy barbecue sauce,” Thompson said.
But, Gray insists, there is much more to it than just the sauce that makes Kansas City barbecue stand out.
TOP TAILGATING FOODS AND TIPS TO SATISFY HUNGRY COLLEGE FOOTBALL FANS THIS SEASON
“Our sauce is as varied as our barbecue offerings,” he said.
“Beyond sauce, we offer poultry, pork and beef – where, until recently, the other cities didn’t, and some still don’t.”
Kansas City barbecue, shown here, is known for its tomato-based sauce. (Kansas City Barbeque Society)
Beyond briskets and sauce, Gray and Thompson spoke highly of another aspect of Kansas City barbecue: the people.
“Barbecue is about friends and family, it’s about hopes and it’s about dreams,” Gray said.
“I love barbecue because everyone I’ve ever met loves something about it, and that’s undeniable.”
Barbecue, Thompson said, “is really the ultimate gathering food.”
“We obsess about it. We work hard to perfect it.”
“You hang out and cook for hours, sharing stories around the smoker, and then you sit down and enjoy a delicious meal together,” he said.
For Thompson, “barbecue is essentially America’s cuisine, and we see travelers from around the globe flock to Kansas City to try our famous brand of barbecue.”
In Kansas City, “barbecue is a noun,” Gray told Fox News Digital. (Kansas City Barbeque Society)
“Barbecue is very competitive,” Thompson said, “and everyone always says their city or state has the best.”
People come to Thompson’s restaurant to find out just what makes it so different, he said.
“I love giving tours of our kitchen and pits. Everyone wants to know your secrets – find out what wood you are using or what you use in your dry rub. All of those details make a big impact,” Thompson added.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle
For people in Kansas City, “barbecue is a way of life,” Gray said.
“We obsess about it. We work hard to perfect it.”
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Frey, Klobuchar condemn ICE presence in Minnesota after shooting
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar called for ICE to leave Minneapolis after another fatal shooting.
After eight years as the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey has a well-tested recipe for his State of the City speech.
Start with a healthy base of events that tested the city in the past year, but also drew out its strengths. Next, mix in updates about pet projects – Stable Homes Stable Schools, efforts to end exclusionary zoning, an uptick in police recruitment numbers – before sprinkling with some shout-outs to local businesses. Finally, add in the secret ingredient: the applause line about the Timberwolves.
Tuesday morning’s State of the City speech – the first of Frey’s third term – had all of that. But there was a little more bite than usual to the optimism that often shines through the annual address.
The mayor, who has taken some heat locally for his national notoriety, said that local government leaders needed to refocus on their core responsibilities before the city’s strong standing takes a downward trajectory, referencing discord between his administration and the Minneapolis City Council, though never saying exactly where he’d assign the blame.
“We tried to do everything – things that aren’t always a local government’s job – and in the process we didn’t always do the most important things well enough,” Frey said. “We’ve spent time debating things that are not the most critical parts of our job.”
Those critical parts, Frey said, start with public safety. He cited the police response to the Annunciation shooting and 911 operators’ work during Operation Metro Surge as core reasons to invest in public safety before proudly sharing that in 2025, 2,328 people had applied to become officers with the Minneapolis Police Department.
He also focused on some ground-level efforts, including the now-completed backlog of streetlight replacements and the upcoming implementation of the Community Safety Ambassador program in Uptown.
Not directly mentioned was his controversial veto of a Council ordinance that would have decriminalized the possession of drug paraphernalia. Supporters say the ordinance would’ve aligned the city with Minnesota state law and the principles of harm reduction – the idea that reducing the negative consequences of illegal drug use is an effective way to get users on a path to recovery.
“Continued open (drug) use on our streets is devastating: for residents, for families, and for businesses, large and small,” Frey said in his speech. “Compassion matters but it doesn’t mean anything goes.”
Switching to affordable housing, the mayor praised the transformation of commercial spaces into housing, citing examples like Opportunity Crossing and Groove Lofts. He also pushed for the city to cut the red tape keeping more properties from being built, including controversial accessory dwelling units.
The speech also marked a change in his rhetoric on one specific topic: Minneapolis’ return to office work, especially downtown.
In his 2023 speech, he said he didn’t really “get” remote or hybrid work, though he understood the appeal of “sweatpants on Mondays” and encouraged a commitment to in-person work in downtown Tuesday through Thursday.
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” he said, “to have everyone back downtown for three whole days each week?”
He was a little more blunt in 2024, expressing growing concern from “residents having to pick up the tab because less taxes are generated from downtown buildings.”
Last year, he noted that “nearly 70% of downtown workers are back at least once a week – by the way, please keep it coming.”
In Tuesday’s speech, though? A note that COVID-19 had “expedited a necessary transition away from full-time, in-person work” and a push for businesses to consider changes to how they use their buildings.
“If you’re willing to invest in a big vision for a building where the basis has been lowered, come talk to us,” said Frey, calling out the use of tax increment financing to support redevelopment. “If you’ve got one gigantic retail space on Nicollet Mall, and you want to change it to a bunch of smaller ones, come talk to us.”
As he closed, he made another call for city leaders to get serious about results, foreshadowing a challenging budget process ahead and “hard conversations” about programs and investments that weren’t delivering for residents.
Minneapolis Council members respond to Frey
Council president Elliott Payne (Ward 1), vice-president Jamal Osman (Ward 6) and member Robin Wonsley (Ward 2) spoke briefly with press after the speech, expressing a general appreciation for Frey’s remarks and a hope that they could collaborate.
“Governance is not an individual sport,” Payne said. “We govern collectively and we move our city forward together. And so we’re looking forward to a four year term where we have deeper collaboration with the mayor and can actually advance a working class agenda that really puts the people first.”
Wonsley called for additional revenue options to reduce the burden of property taxes on residents, saying that things like income taxes or taxes on empty homes could raise millions “so that we can make sure we’re preserving the programs that actually help our residents have a good quality of life.”
And asked about the recent vetoes, Payne said he was open to discussions about solutions that could make it past the mayor’s desk.
“We would like the mayor to set his veto pen down and meet me at the whiteboard so that we can actually come up with the solutions to a lot of those intractable problems,” he said.
Indianapolis, IN
IndyCar Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis start time, qualifying, race, how to watch
It’s May, so the IndyCar Series is camped out in Indianapolis, starting with the Sonsio Grand Prix, an 85-lap race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Alex Palou has three race wins this season, including the last two. Kyle Kirkwood is trying to keep up.
Here’s what you should know about the race:
When does the IndyCar Series race in Indianapolis? When is the Sonsio Grand Prix? IndyCar Series schedule for the Indianapolis Grand Prix
(All times ET; all IndyCar sessions are on IndyCar Live, IndyCar Radio and Sirius XM Channel 218)
Friday, May 8
- 8 a.m.: Indy NXT practice, FS2
- 9 a.m.: IndyCar practice, FS1
- Noon: Indy NXT qualifying, Fox Sports app
- 1 p.m.: IndyCar practice, FS2
- 4 p.m.: Indy NXT race, FS2
- 5:30 p.m.: IndyCar qualifying, FS2
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Saturday, May 9
- 11:30 a.m.: IndyCar warm-up, FS1
- 2:30 p.m.: Indy NXT race, FS1
- 4:30 p.m.: IndyCar race, Fox (green flag scheduled for 4:57 p.m.)
Watch IndyCar with a free Fubo trial
Where to watch the IndyCar race at Indianapolis? How to watch the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis?
TV: Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 9, 2026, on Fox. Green flag is scheduled for 4:57 p.m. Will Buxton is the play-by-play voice, with analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
IndyCar predictions for the Sonsio Grand Prix in Indianapolis from IndyStar’s Zion Brown
- Is Alex Palou inevitable? “It seems that he is. I think he wins his fourth straight race on the IMS road course.”
- Who will give Palou his biggest challenge? “Pato O’Ward. He finished second behind Palou in 2023 and ’25, and I think O’Ward has the best chance of spoiling Palou’s chance at a four-peat.”
- Who wins pole position? “I think Scott Dixon will be on the pole here for the third time.”
How much are Sonsio Grand Prix tickets? How much are tickets for Indianapolis grand prix?
Practice and qualifying tickets are $25; race tickets start at $45.
Sonsio Grand Prix tickets
Who won the IndyCar race at Indianapolis in 2025? Who won the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis last year?
Pole-sitter Alex Palou won by 6+ seconds over Pato O’Ward, with Will Power completing the podium. Palou has won three straight races on the Indianapolis road course. He won the Indianapolis 500 two weeks later on his march to a third consecutive series championship.
Who is leading IndyCar? 2026 IndyCar results
Alex Palou (three), Josef Newgarden and Kyle Kirkwood have won races.
- Alex Palou, 205 points
- Kyle Kirkwood, 188
- David Malukas, 142
- Pato O’Ward, 136
- Christian Lundgaard, 131
- Josef Newgarden, 130
- Scott McLaughlin, 127
- Scott Dixon, 120
- Felix Rosenqvist, 109
- Graham Rahal, 106
- Alexander Rossi, 105
- Marcus Ericsson, 104
- Marcus Armstrong, 104
- Will Power, 89
- Rinus VeeKay, 79
- Dennis Hauger, 76
- Kyffin Simpson, 75
- Santino Ferrucci, 74
- Louis Foster, 60
- Romain Grosjean, 60
- Christian Rasmussen, 59
- Caio Collet, 59
- Nolan Siegel, 56
- Mick Schumacher, 44
- Sting Ray Robb, 42
How can I stream the IndyCar race at Indianapolis? How to stream the Sonsio Grand Prix in Indianapolis?
FoxSports.com, Fox Sports app
Watch IndyCar action on Fubo
How can I listen to IndyCar race at Indianapolis?
IndyCar Nation is on SiriusXM Channel 218, IndyCar Live and the IndyCar Radio Network (check affiliates for each race). Mark Jaynes is the anchor, with driver analyst Davey Hamilton.
Will it rain during the IndyCar race in Indianapolis? Indianapolis weather forecast for IndyCar race
- Friday: Cloudy with rain likely. High in the mid 60s.
- Saturday: Sunny with highs in the low 70s.
IndyCar tire allocation, push-to-pass for Sonsio Grand Prix in Indianapolis
- Tires: Five sets primary and five sets alternate are available during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires for the first practice. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
- Push-to-pass: 200 total seconds are available in increments of up to 20 seconds per activation.
IndyCar schedule 2026
(*-street course; ^-road course; #-oval; all races on Fox, SiriusXM Channel 218; times are start of TV coverage, ET)
- March 1: St. Petersburg, Fla. * (Winner: Alex Palou)
- Saturday, March 7: Phoenix # (Winner: Josef Newgarden)
- Sunday, March 15: Arlington, Texas * (Winner: Kyle Kirkwood)
- Sunday, March 29: Birmingham, Alabama ^ (Winner: Alex Palou)
- Sunday, April 19: Long Beach, California *, (Winner: Alex Palou)
- Saturday, May 9: Indianapolis road course ^, 4:30 p.m. (4:57 p.m. green flag)
- Sunday, May 24: Indianapolis 500 #, 12:45 p.m.
- Sunday, May 31: Detroit *, 12:30 p.m.
- Sunday, June 7: Madison, Illinois #, 9 p.m.
- Sunday, June 21: Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin ^, 2 p.m.
- Sunday, July 5: Lexington, Ohio ^, 12:30 p.m.
- Sunday, July 19: Lebanon, Tennessee #, TBD
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Portland ^, 4 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 16: Markham, Ontario *, noon
- Sunday, Aug. 23: Washington, D.C. *, TBD
- Saturday, Aug. 29: Milwaukee #, 2:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 30: Milwaukee #, 1 p.m.
- Sunday, Sept. 6: Monterey, California ^, 2:30 p.m.
IndyCar Series teams, drivers in 2026
(with team, car number and driver; *-Indianapolis 500 only)
- Abel Motorsports: 51, Jacob Abel *
- A.J. Foyt Racing: 4, Caio Collet; 11, Katherine Legge * (with HMD Motorsports); 14, Santino Ferrucci
- Andretti Global: 26, Will Power; 27, Kyle Kirkwood; 28, Marcus Ericsson
- Arrow McLaren: 5, Pato O’Ward; 6, Nolan Siegel; 7, Christian Lundgaard; 31, Ryan Hunter-Reay *
- Chip Ganassi Racing: 8, Kyffin Simpson; 9, Scott Dixon; 10, Alex Palou
- Dale Coyne Racing: 18, Romain Grosjean; 19, Dennis Hauger
- Dreyer & Reinbold Racing: 23, Conor Daly *; 24, Jack Harvey *
- Ed Carpenter Racing: 20, Alexander Rossi; 21, Christian Rasmussen; 33, Ed Carpenter *
- Juncos Hollinger: 76, Rinus VeeKay; 77, Sting Ray Robb
- Meyer Shank Racing: 60, Felix Rosenqvist; 66, Marcus Armstrong; 06, Helio Castroneves *
- Rahal Letterman Lanigan: 15, Graham Rahal; 45, Louis Foster; 47, Mick Schumacher; 75, Takuma Sato *; reserve driver, Toby Sowery
- Team Penske: 2, Josef Newgarden; 3, Scott McLaughlin; 12, David Malukas
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter.
Cleveland, OH
The Movie Nerd Report: What’s playing at Cleveland cinemas on Mother’s Day Weekend 2026 – The Land
Hello Dear Readers of The Land! My name is Mike Wendt, I am a filmmaker and I am also the production coordinator for the Greater Cleveland Film Commission! A few years ago, I started making a weekly post on my social media dubbed the Movie Nerd Report, in which I round up the week’s offerings in the movie theaters in Northeast Ohio, as coverage from some of the local media outlets started to dwindle. We are so fortunate to have so many offerings in our region and I want to use this platform to help get the word out and now I am glad to be writing about them right here!
So for your Mother’s Day weekend, here is your Movie Nerd Report:
This Saturday at the Atlas Cinemas Lakeshore 7 (22624 Lakeshore Blvd Euclid, OH 44123) will be the “21 Days of Horror Screening and Awards Ceremony.” This annual event gives teams the opportunity to create a horror short film in 21 days, and now you get to see the results. Screening Group 1 is at 4:30 p.m. and Screening Group 2 is at 7:00 p.m., tickets are $15 for each screening group or $20 for a full day pass!
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Over at the Cleveland Cinematheque (11610 Euclid Ave Cleveland, OH 44118) :
Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9 p.m. they will present the Japanese film “Bushido.”
Thursday at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 6:40 p.m. they will present a 4K Restoration of another Japanese film in “The Taste of Tea.”
Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. they will present the road trip drama featuring Akron native John Magaro in “Omaha.” The film will also be playing starting this Friday at The Nightlight Cinema in Akron.
Friday at 8:45 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. brings a double feature from acclaimed Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa in “Chime & Cure.”
Sunday at 4:45 p.m. they will present a documentary about sculptor and woodcutter Jimmy Grashow in “Jimmy & The Demons,”
More information about the films and ticket prices are at: cinematheque.cia.edu
At the Nightlight Cinema (30 N High Street Akron, OH 44308):
Thursday at 7:45pm and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., they will present a documentary about the recent (and long overdue) inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, “Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition!”
They will be opening a prison set drama from the executive producer of Netflix’s Adolescence in “Wasteman” with the talented actor David Jonsson.
Friday through Sunday they will present the 25th Anniversary restoration of the award winning drama “Daughters of The Dust.”
Just in time for Mother’s Day this Sunday and Wednesday, they (and a handful of other theaters in the area) will also be showing 35th Anniversary Screenings of “Fried Green Tomatoes,” so perhaps take your mom for a good cry.
More information about the films and ticket prices are at nightlightcinema.com
This weekend there is a trio of new films opening in wide release: The first is the sequel to the 2021 original in “Mortal Kombat II.” The film is expected to do quite well, but as of this writing reviews have remained embargoed.
Opening for families and featuring an all-star cast including Hugh Jackman is “The Sheep Detectives,” The plot revolves around a shepherd that is found dead and the group of sheep that aim to solve the mystery. It currently stands at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Finally, a film that I got to see early is the unlikely pairing of James Cameron and Billie Eilish in “Billie Eilish-Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour 3D” While I cannot say I am a Billie Eilish expert, I did find this film to be a unique showcase for her talent and paired with James Cameron’s flair for visuals, this was pretty good! Plus it’s good to see Cameron make something other than Avatar films for once.
So, I hope this has been a helpful guideline to all the offerings you could enjoy this upcoming week, stay tuned for more next week!
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