James Beard-nominated KC chef bringing his heralded barbecue to Wichita for one night
A well-regarded — and James Beard-nominated — chef from Kansas City whose specialty is barbecue will be in Wichita soon for a pop-up at Public at the Brickyard, and local foodies in the know say it’s a not-to-be-missed event.
Vaughn Good, the owner/operator at Fox and Pearl restaurant at 2143 Summit Street in Kansas City, Missouri, will be cooking at Public starting at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3, which is over Labor Day weekend. He’ll be serving a menu that includes several of his famous dishes, including smoked ribs, smoked tri-tip tacos, andouille po’boys and some fresh sides. His culinary creations will be paired with beers from Surly Brewing Co.
Good, who is a personal friend of Public owners Travis and Brooke Russell, opened Fox & Pearl in 2019, and in 2020, it was named one of Esquire Magazine’s 10 Best New Restaurants in America. That same year, Vaughn was a James Beard nominee for Best Chef Midwest.
The chef, who trained at the French Culinary Institute, also has a flair for barbecue, and every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., he serves ‘cue at Fox and Pearl under the name Night Goat Barbecue. The food he’ll serve at Public is the same low-and-slow cooked specialties he’s known for at Night Goat.
“He’s doing a lot to elevate the KC food scene, and we’ve become friends with him over the years,” Brooke Russell said. “We’re super excited to host him and throw a party for him.”
Public also will be putting on a free concert that coincides with the popup that will feature Zac Crow & the No Shows starting at 5:30 pm. followed by Rudy Love Jr. at 7 p.m.
People who want to try Good’s barbecue can enjoy it on Public’s patio or get it to go. Brooke Russell said she expects the food will last until around 8 p.m. The bar will be open until 9 p.m.
One local foodie who said he’ll be there (unless he decides to flee the Kansas heat for Colorado) is Reverie Coffee Roasters owner Andrew Gough, who took a trip to Kansas City to try Night Goat Barbecue a year ago.
“Night Goat is the kind of restaurant a committed Wichita food enthusiast seeks out for an authentic foodie experience,” Gough said. “You don’t just tack it onto the tail end of a Kansas City trip. It’s the reason you go to Kansas City.”
For more details about the Sept. 3 pop-up, visit the event page.
