By George Mahe
Photograph by Katherine Bish
In the saucy world of barbecue, he’s known as “the Legend.” Not a legend—the legend. When St. Louis expat Danny Meyer opened Blue Smoke in New York, Mike Mills was the consultant. He’s won the Grand World Championship Barbecue Cooking title at the Memphis in May festival (a.k.a. the “Super Bowl of Swine”) a record three times and owns a drift of six barbecue joints (three in Illinois, three in Las Vegas). On every table you’ll find his spice rub, the highly addictive “Magic Dust,” a concoction so tempting that the jars remain capless and no more than one-eighth full. Who is this guy?
His current stoop is the months-old 17th Street Bar & Grill, in O’Fallon, Ill. Park your car, lick that airborne spice from your lips, step inside and say hello to the Legend.
I feel like I’m talking to barbecue royalty. How’d it all begin? My father barbecued back in the ’30s—before it was fashionable—but never owned a grill. He used wood, some stones and a grate made from rebar.
What kind of wood do you prefer—or do you use charcoal? Aromatic woods are all good in moderation. Fruitwoods—cherry, plum, peach—are the best, with apple producing the mildest smoke. Mesquite and hickory are strong and abused; smoke should be an ingredient, not the dominant flavor. For straight grilling, charcoal is fine.
You say there are four styles of barbecue. Each style calls for a different meat, but it’s the sauces that are most indicative: Memphis is a dry rub and a thin dipping sauce, K.C. is honey and molasses, Carolina is vinegar and mustard, and Texas is tangy and tomatoey.
No St. Louis style? Sorry. Since barbecue wasn’t started here, the fame and reputation never came. The ketchupy Maull’s-type sauce you see locally is a mix of styles. However, the “St. Louis–style” rib is the best part—the center cut—of the pork rib. See, you’ve got some style!
A hot topic today is food pairings. What goes with barbecue? Bubbles: Champagne or beer. Both clear the way for the next bite. Vinegar’s good, too.
Come again? Vinegar-based coleslaw does the same thing. Chase that barbecue with a little slaw. Mmmm. Bait a trap with that, and you’ll catch Mikey every time.
St. Louisans are fascinated with Danny Meyer. What kind of guy is he? He’s an amazing individual, very high standards—no, perfection is his standard—yet he’s easy to work and deal with. I visit him several times a year.
Is the sauce on the tables at Blue Smoke similar to yours? It is my sauce. Different label.
What special secret are you willing to share today? I was a dental tech for 35 years—still have a lab in Murphysboro. Is that what you mean?
Not exactly. Let’s try again: When are you coming to St. Louis? No plans. Then again, I wasn’t planning this place, either.
1711 W. Highway 50, O’Fallon, Ill., 618-622-1717. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon–Sat, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Sun.
