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Kobe Bryant’s Culinary Farewell Tour rolls on, and in this installment, Kobe gets some hearty Midwest meat, some perfectly smoked southern barbecue, and the best sandwich on the planet.
Milwaukee (Lakers vs. Bucks 2/22)
(Ed Note: we weren’t able to publish this last night, but Kobe should still check these spots out if he’s ever back in Milwaukee.)
What made Milwaukee famous? Why, the food, of course. Since the late 1800s, Milwaukee has had a large German population. As a result, German cuisine has been a staple of the city for quite some time. Kobe’s been to Germany as his perpetually broken down knee can attest, so we wanted to give him as authentic of an experience as possible.
Mader’s
#pretzel #maders You can't imagine how huge this is
A photo posted by Wisfoodtalk (@wisfoodtalk) on
Feb 4, 2016 at 4:30pm PST
A staple of Milwaukee, Mader’s is German in both cuisine and atmosphere. It sports a $3 million suits of armor collection, the largest collection of Hummel tchotchkes in the United States, and countless beer steins. As for the food, well, we hope Kobe loves schnitzel, sauerbraten and rippchen, because Mader’s has all of them to spare. You know what, Kobe? You’re retiring. Have a ball. Order the Bavarian sampler and just go nuts.
Karl’s Country Market
One of the perks of working in the middle of Wisconsin- the brat fry. #foodlove #wisconsin
A photo posted by erinerlandson (@erinerlandson) on
Jun 10, 2014 at 10:15am PDT
We know you’re on a tight schedule, Kobe, but because the Lakers have made it clear that this season is all about you and not about developing their young talent, which absolutely makes sense, I’m sure they’ll have no problem with you taking the team bus on a quick detour to Karl’s Country Market, home to some of Wisconsin’s finest sausages. If you want to go true Milwaukee, then grab some bratwurst. If you’re not feeling brats, don’t worry, Karl’s has such a wide range of sausages – from blood sausages to kielbasa – and you’re sure to find one that’ll sate your sausage starvation.
Memphis (Lakers vs. Grizzlies, 2/24)
Hey, Kobe, did you have enough barbecue in San Antonio? Don’t bother answering, we already know you’re craving more. Luckily for you, you’re about to stop off in another one of the nation’s barbecue capitals. Memphis BBQ is slow-cooked in a pit with either a dry or wet rub. The dry rub is a mix of salt and various spices rubbed onto the meat before cooking, while the wet rub is sauce spread on the ribs (or other meat) before, after, and during the cooking process.
Rendezvous
Slicing the beef brisket!
A photo posted by Charlie Vergos Rendezvous (@rendezvousmemphis) on
Feb 20, 2016 at 12:01pm PST
So, remember when we told you all about what defines Memphis BBQ? Well, Rendezvous, despite being one of the most famous (if not a bit tourist-y) barbecue joints in Memphis, doesn’t actually fulfill those requirements. Their ribs are cooked over charcoal, not pit-smoked. Still, there’s a reason it’s a BBQ landmark in a city full of barbecue choices. Presidents and celebrities alike have graced the halls of Rendezvous, so Kobe will feel right at home. Pig out on some ribs, Bean.
Payne’s Original Bar-B-Q
Thursday was so great. #paynesbbq #choose901 #memphis
A photo posted by Steve Selvidge