In the beginning, there was fire. Then somebody tossed a hunk of antelope into the embers, and, lo, there was barbecue. Then a million and a half or so years later, there was the $12,000 Frontgate Deluxe Outdoor Kitchen, with a 48-in. built-in grill, 15,000-BTU dual range-top burner, warming drawer, granite tiles, outlets for an outdoor fridge and barbecue light and the phone number of an on-call barbecue expert, in case you feel you're overdoing the scallops--all shipped to your door with a box of dry, aged steaks from a New York City butcher.
America's culinary taste is going through its...