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I won't argue about most of the things mentioned in this article, but all i have to say is, you're wrong about the Ribs. The first time I had ribs at Neely's I was so shocked because I had never envisioned ribs to be this good. I will defend their ribs to my grave. Everything else about memphis bbq may be overrated, and hell the pulled pork and brisket at Neely's was below average in my opinion, but damn, those ribs. Can't stop thinking about them. There's no way anything in Chicago comes close, sorry.

I am a Chicago native, but I must say that your claim is ridonkulous. I've spent a significant amount of time in Memphis, and their barbecue outshines ours by miles. It's true that Uncle John's hot links are amazing, but Cozy Corner's cornish game hen puts every other barbecue I've ever eaten to shame. The tourist traps are trash, but that's true here in Chicago as well (hello Pizzeria Uno, I'm talking to you, still have a soft spot for Gino's East though). Plus, Chicago barbecue is a hobby, Memphis barbecue is a lifestyle. BBQ spaghetti, BBQ nachos (BBQ Shop's nachos are worth going to prison for), BBQ bologna, plus ribs that are meaty and spiced perfectly, allowing the meat to shine through. We just don't have that here, the sauce overtakes the meat. Rib tips are the one place where I'll agree Chicago has an edge. Finally, I shall end my rant with perhaps the most important point. Sweet. Tea.

@Michael Nagrant

I'll have to respectfully disagree with the statement. But I am proud of Chicago. It has better barbecue than most large cities, and certainly New York.

What I do love about Chicago barbecue are places like Honey 1 and Uncle John's because they are totally unique. They weren't researched or market driven. For the most part, the pitmasters learned their craft from their fathers who at some point learned it in the South. It feels natural and inevitable. The rib tip and sausage meals are such a brilliant combination.

I think Eastern North Carolina is probably my favorite region, with places like Wilbers, the Pit, and Allen and Son's really sticking out.

In Memphis, I am absolutely smitten with Cozy Corner, which I'm glad you liked. I don't think we have anything in Chicago that can quite compete with it. Smoque is very good, and their sides are beyond any other sides I've had elsewhere. But the barbecue has always just been perfectly solid. I suppose I'm looking for that edge, a little more heart and soul. Maybe Smoque just needs some more time to develop. It is relatively new.

I still need to hit Kansas City and Texas before I can say for sure. But I am no hungry for barbecue...thanks!

I haven't had the good fortune to try Chicago BBQ first hand, but I've eaten extensively at the rest of the nation's BBQ capitals. I'd have to agree with you that Rendezvous and Corky's are not even worth the visit, and Central is underwhelming at best. I'm also curious as to the mythical status of dry ribs anywhere... when I was in Memphis the concept of barbecue as pork sandwiches with slaw and sauce seemed just as valid as it would be in North Carolina (though not as religiously maintained). If there's anything that makes Memphis stand out to me, it's the the healthy blaance of styles (namely, ribs and sandwiches), the availability of BBQ Spaghetti, and the general feel of the city (touchy-feely, perhaps, but extremely important to me).

In any case, the next time you get a chance to go back, I'd recommend three places: The Bar-B-Q Shop, Payne's, and Interstate. The Bar-B-Q-Shop has amazing ribs (and you can order ribs individually with your meal), and Payne's makes the best pork sandwiches I've had this side of Lexington.

@julea
I'm with you - all my friends know that I'll be bringing the "shape of the can" - it has become a minor competition to see who can dump the cranberry sauce out in perfect "can" shape. However, my favorite part is the other thing no one else I know likes but me - mincemeat pie.

My own favorite thing about Thanksgiving is seeing most of the people that I love. As the oldest sister of a family of eight children, it is the one day of the year that almost all of us are together, along with assorted friends and satellite family. We always eat at my youngest sister's house and last year there were forty-eight people there. There was a roast turkey, a deep-fried turkey, a whole ham, and a whole huge brisket, along with side dishes too numerous to mention. My personal favorite(s): GRAVY - made by me, and a strange creamed corn casserole that is very sweet and was actually my grandmother's original recipe. Oh yeah, I almost forget the praline pecan cheesecake. That's not too bad to end a huge meal with. Then we all play "Guitar Hero" after consuming immoderate amounts of wine and beer. Great! My favorite day of the year. PlanetChaos, the dog fart reminder is hilarious. Thanks for making me laugh on a Monday morning.

The crispy part of the stuffing smothered in hot gravey! And the perfect sandwhich after everyone goes home. The part I Don't look forward too is the Dog Farts...what part of "don't feed the dog" do people not understand?

My family's meal is quite versatile; we always have more than one meat. For those not fond of turkey, we may do a ham and have even included barbecued ribs!

I just found a pie crust in my freezer, and the local supermarket has a huge amount of priced-down candies on sale...hmmm, yep, this is going to work for Friday coffee break. :)

I marinate my turkey in soy sauce, sparkling apple cider, season salt, and black pepper so it has this wonderful sweet-savory flavor and the meat is so juicy it falls off the bone. I especially love the skin, neck, and tail.

I also love the stuffing which consists of bread crumbs, dried sage, apple, almonds, and onions.

For dessert my family and I forgo the pies and cakes and have a Filipino-style fruit salad, which is basically canned fruit cocktail mixed with Nestle cream, condensed milk, young coconut, and pineapple gel. It's a light and refreshing way to end a heavy meal.

Stuffing, for sure.

stuffing doused in gravy!

Oh, I am all about the dressing/stuffing and gravy. I add the boiled neck meat to the stuffing and the giblets to the gravy and I am a happy lady. Even though I live in the South, I still make Northern dressing: no cornbread allowed! Though I do like cornbread by itself.

And it is all about the family. I love it when I can cook for mine.

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