Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for August 19, 2007 BON APPETIT

From the Southern Illinoisan...

17th Street ribs receive top honor from Food Network

By Bethany Krajelis, The Southern

MURPHYSBORO - It's official: Southern Illinois is home to the best ribs in the nation.

Dozens of patrons of 17th Street Bar & Grill in Murphysboro crowded around the bar's television sets Saturday night to learn owner Mike "The Legend" Mills' slow- and low-cooked ribs beat out two well-known barbecue joints to earn the title of the best.

"It's awesome. I'm truly honored," Mills said Saturday night after the announcement was made on the Food Network special, "Top American Restaurants: Bon Appetit Picks the Best."

Food and entertainment magazine Bon Appetit traveled across the nation to find the best pizza, steak, tacos, hamburgers, fried chicken and ribs. There were three finalists in each category. In the rib category, 17th Street beat out Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous in Memphis, Tenn., and Jaspar's in Plano, Texas.

The television special's host, Alton Brown, referred to Mills' ribs as "positively evangelical." He also said Mills' Magic Dust, which consists of 18 spices that are sprinkled on the barbecue, was his "top secret weapon."

While Southern Illinois residents may have known it all along, most said they were excited to see their hometown make it on the big screen. Pomona residents Mike and Cathy Schmidt and their 13-year-old son, Robert, sat at the bar waiting to hear the news and enjoy the free ribs.

"We've eaten at Rendezvous, and 17th Street is way better," Cathy Schmidt said. The Schmidts have been enjoying Mills' barbecue for nearly two decades. Mike Schmidt said the reason why he keeps coming back is because the ribs are consistently great. He also said he enjoys the camaraderie the local restaurant provides.

Their son, Robert, said after eating Mills' barbecue, he has gotten spoiled.

"I've grown up on this barbecue. I eat other barbecue and it's just not as good," he said. "I love the Magic Dust. I put it on everything: eggs, cottage cheese. It's really pretty good."

Mills' daughter, Amy Mills Tunnicliffe, made the trip from Boston with her daughter Faye for the big announcement. She said she couldn't be more thrilled, but after all, she knew her father's nationally acclaimed ribs were winners all along.

Mills opened the Murphysboro restaraunt in 1985 as a bar and made a business out of barbecue in 1994. Since then, he has opened up three other locations in Marion, O'Fallon and Sparta.

Mills, who was the co-captain of the Apple City Barbecue team in the early 1990s, was named a four-time World Champion and a three-time Grand World Champion of Memphis, also known as the Superbowl of Swine.

Details

In case you missed Saturday night's Food Network special, it will be shown again on August 19, 25 and 26.