Kansas City vs. Baltimore in sights, song and food
In our tale of two cities vying for the American League Championship title, we compare food, music, celebrities and icons.
BALTIMORE
Beer: It’s all about that guy with the wink and the mustache. National Bohemian beer, fondly known as Natty Boh, is no longer brewed in Baltimore, but 90 percent of its sales are here. Though Baltimore has wonderful craft beers, order a Natty Boh if you want to go native.
Foods: Crabs, crab cakes, crab soup. And all of it seasoned with Old Bay. That’s what you order when you come to Baltimore. Just about every restaurant has crab on the menu, and everybody in Baltimore has their favorite spot from Faidleys in Lexington Market to Cantler’s on the water near Annapolis. For dessert, have a Berger’s cookie – so sweet and chocolate, your teeth will ache.
Celebs: Baltimore has more than its share of famous sons and daughters. Filmmakers John Waters and Barry Levinson. Actors Josh Charles, Edward Norton, Julie Bowen, Mo’Nique, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tracie Thoms and Anna Deavere Smith. Literary heavyweights Anne Tyler, Taylor Branch, Ogden Nash, Tom Clancy and H.L. Mencken. And of course, the poet Edgar Allan Poe. Iron Man Cal Ripken and Olympian Michael Phelps are Baltimore-bred.
City sights: You know you are in Baltimore when you look up and see the Domino Sugars sign or the Bromo-Seltzer Tower or when catch a glimpse of the gleaming Inner Harbor pavillions. Federal Hill offers a spectacular view of the city and the harbor.
Songs: Just about any of the tunes from Hairspray, the John Waters musical, will do, but the best one is the opening number, “Good Morning Baltimore.” “I love you Baltimore; Every day’s like an open door; Every night is a fantasy; Every sound’s like a symphony.” And don’t forget, the Star Spangled Banner was composed here.
KANSAS CITY
Food: It’s all about the barbecue. KC is home to the American Royal, considered the Super Bowl of barbecue, and the Kansas City Barbeque Society, a membership of 15,000 enthusiasts worldwide and the sanctioning body for more than 400 contests in the U.S. each year. Here are some of the best of our barbecue (from brisket to ribs to burnt ends) scene: LC’s Bar-B-Q; Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que (formerly Oklahoma Joe’s); Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue; Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque; and Gates Bar-B-Q.
Celebs: If Kansas City took a giant class picture of all the celebrities who have hailed from here — including those who have passed on to the great movie studio in the sky — here are some of the faces you would see. Front row: Ed Asner. Don Cheadle. Jean Harlow. Chris Cooper. Dianne Wiest. Charlie Parker. “Gone Girl” author Gillian Flynn. All born in Kansas City. Second row: Walt Disney. Joan Crawford. Walter Cronkite. All spent their formative years in Kansas City. Our most high-profile homegrown stars who often return for visits: Janelle Monae, Jason Sudeikis, Paul Rudd, Rob Riggle, Eric Stonestreet and fashion icon Kate Spade.
Beer: Since the first keg of Pale Ale was tapped in 1989, Boulevard Brewing Co. has been a point of pride for Kansas Citians. You can find it on tap at most Kansas City-area bars. Though a majority stake in the company was sold to Belgian brewer Duvel Moortgat last year, Duvel hasn’t messed with the KC operation and within five years, Boulevard beers could be sold in every state and in Europe.
Songs: First the oldie: “Going to Kansas City/Kansas City here I come.” Written in 1952 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, “Kansas City,” sung by Wilbert Harrison, became a No. 1 hit in 1959. Kauffman Stadium plays The Beatles’ version after every Royals win at home. Now the newbie: KC takes special pride in having a role in Lorde’s monstrous hit “Royals.” The teen chanteuse from New Zealand — real name Ella Yelich-O'Connor — told VH1 last year that a photo of Royals legend George Brett on the cover of a 1976 National Geographic was the inspiration for her song. The revelation eventually led Brett and Lorde to meet in Las Vegas.
City sights: The Country Club Plaza, south of downtown, was modeled after Seville, Spain, and considered the first suburban shopping center when it opened in 1922. The National World War I Museum is also home to Liberty Memorial, which affords a great view of the city from the top. And yes, KC is the city of fountains.
This story was originally published October 10, 2014 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Kansas City vs. Baltimore in sights, song and food."