Postcard from Kansas City

We live by certain rules.  One is this: if you are or will be in driving distance of a city with an MLB team, you should try to plan your trip such that the team will be playing at home during your visit. And that's how we ended up in Kansas City on a recent visit to St. Louis.  After being sure to stand in both Missouri and Illinois over on the east side of the state, we headed to Kansas City and promptly planted our feet in Kansas.

Our first stop in KC was Arthur Bryant's.

Arthur Bryant served up the best barbecue I've ever had.  The burnt ends brisket sandwich (open-faced) was more than enough for J and I to share on our particular outing.  We'd stopped at Panera off the highway (boring! But fun fact, closer to St. Louis it's called the St. Louis Bread Company) for breakfast, and we were having an early, pre-Royals game dinner, so that's why we had to share.  There is only room for so many many meals per day, unforch.



This place was hopping on a weekday lunch hour.  You wait in line, order, pay, then sit.  They've got sauces for sale, but don't worry, you can buy online if you're not checking your bag (or are afraid of sauced clothes).  We had yummy (read: worth it) fries with our deeelectable slightly sweet, slightly spicy, tangy sauced brisket. Everything I love in life: barbecue sauce, brisket (and burnt ends at that), and my main squeeze (bottle of sauce).

Look at it up there, all understated on its white bread.

Dinner was a different adventure.  I had thought about making a reservation at Bluestem, with its chef all fancy and nominated for a James Beard for Best Chef - Midwest.  But then I looked at Yelp and the menu.  We figured we'd do the $60 three course option, but then on Yelp the lounge happy hour offerings were all the rage. Sixty smackers for three courses just didn't seem like a good deal when we could pay less than that for a whole dinner for two.  And I didn't want to be too late to the game, but I wouldn't want to rush a drawn out expensive meal.

So we lounged it (again), and I'm glad we did.  First we enjoyed some honey roasted spiced nuts that J is still talking about.  It can be seen below with my wheat beer/ginger beer/limoncello situation.

Hangar steak was on the lounge menu for $14.  Cooked sous vide in an extremely generous portion and served with chimichurri sauce and amazing (once again: worth it) fries, this baby clocked in at $7  because it was half off for happy hour (which lasts until 7). OK, maybe the 3-course would have had an amouse bouche, and a little plate of treats at the end, and a sauteed this or pureed that alongside the steak instead of frites, but $7?!?!?  I'll write it out.  SEVEN DOLLARS?!?!?  Incredible food for that price.  At $14 it would have been a steal.  Look at the portion.

Then there was the pulled pork barbecue sandwich. The same ridonculous fries on the side, a ginger slaw that was refreshing and bright (I'd add more ginger...obviously).  The only disappointment on the plate was the pickle. It just wasn't my type.

I can, without reservations (literally), absolutely recommend the Bluestem lounge.  You don't need to spend a lot of money to have delicious, carefully prepared food in generous portions.  The service was really friendly, everyone around us seemed to be having a great time, and there's a hilarious truck/wagon that looks like a sandwich parked at the joint across the street. 

I highly recommend KC if you are nearby.  The lovely, shiny,spacious Nelson-Atkins museum is somehow free, and the nearby gardens are lovely.

Game time, and we out.

Postcard from St. Louis

I asked you all a while back about St. Louis, remember?  We visited my dear baby cousin (who beeteedubs is almost 20), watched some baseball, checked out some Arch, and ate a ton of delicious food.

First up: Breakfast.  Always. Boosters on the Delmar Loop (hehe, Delmar is near where we live now!) had the quick, inexpensive breakfast we needed before heading to campus. 

Egg sandwich with big fat juicy grape trio?  Pumpkin pancakes?  Check and check.  Delicious, simple, friendly, and inexpensive.  Serve your own coffee and make your own milk and sweetening experience.




So there's actually a block or two (or three?) that has Thai this and Thai that, all owned by the same people.  We stopped at Thai Pizza for a quick lunch, and I was pleasantly surprised.  It was kind of cool and misty out, and pizza fell out of favor with me while giant plate of pad see ew was definitely in. 

 Yum.  Easy, fast, convenient, and exactly what I needed on this day.  If I were a student I'd go back often, and on days where I wasn't totally famished (as I was on this day) I'd eat 1/3 of it cold late at night.



You MUST use Facebook for all it is worth.  And by that I mean staying in touch with old friends and knowing where they live.  That way you can visit with them (and eat with them).  We did just that at Pappy's Smokehouse.  If it's a weekend (or any day, really), remember that they close at 8pm or when they run out of food--whichever happens first.  Apparently on a Saturday this can be mid-afternoon.  You're warned!

Delicious corn, sweet potato fries with cinnamon and sugar, ribs, sweet n' saucy pulled pork, and bare as a baby's bottom sliced brisket.  They were out of chicken and turkey when we got there; you know we'd have preferred to try everything they have.  Peppery green beans and refreshing crunchy slaw round out our haul.  Pappy's is a blast.  It's the kind of place you want to go to with good friends, and you want to laugh, eat, wipe your hands (a lot), and leave in a drunken state of food coma happiness.  I'd say the ribs were the biggest hit at our table.  The corn and sweet potato fries were also somewhat ridiculous. 

 

We visited two frozen custard establishments, and one was the famous (maybe?) Ted Drewes, home of the concrete--it's like a Blizzard, a Blend-In, you know the drill.  But here they turn your cup upside down with the spoon in it to prove how stuck in there your custard is.  This made me nervous, obviously.  It's delicious, it's frozen, it's happy, and I'd have it again 7x per week, whether once per day or twice some days and others off.  J enjoyed the classic chocolate/vanilla twist, while I got crazy with the concrete with raspberries, hot fudge, and macadamia nuts.  Next time I'd get a concrete without hot fudge (which obviously changes the consistency), and I'd remember that macs are perhaps my least favorite nut.  Sidenote, a few of their locations are kosher. 



Last breakfast time....

We rose early to get to the Arch, walk around a downtown garden, and take some pictures.  What a gorgeous day. 

Rooster was plum adorable, from the freshly cut flowers in the mason jar vases to the clear hot bevvie mugs.

My plate isn't colorful (and the globs are unfortunate), but the taste was delicious.  Goat cheese, mushrooms, oven-dried tomatoes in a crepe.  Word.

J had the Rooster Slinger--andouille sausage, potatoes, eggs, and sausage gravy over maybe the thickest toast I've seen ever.  This thing is not joking.  This is not a test.

Beyond the friendly and helpful service, delicious food, and sweet overall vibe, one of my favorite things about Rooster is that it is open 7 (seven) days a week and serves breakfast all day (all day. ALL DAY).  Breakfast All Day.  Also seen in other places as Breakfast: Served All Day.  Music to my ears.



Fly, do not walk or drive (at least not from ALB or DC) to St. Louis.  You can get there on Southwest and get sassed on your way.  Catch a ballgame, take a tour of the Budweiser factory (it's a lot like Wonka), and walk around some of the beautiful tree-lined streets with unbelievable homes.  And eat breakfast (all day).

Postcard from Denver

A while back we hit up Denver and were pretty surprised about how young and hip that town can be.  Every which way you look you'll see a converted warehouse that's now a funky loft, and compared to D.C. prices it's a steal.  Below are some things to eat on your next trip to the Mile High City--we stayed in LoDo, and that's where all these places are!

Lime is a local chain that looked pretty fun, so on our first night we figured it would be a good quick bite.  The freshly made chips were pretty addictive, so be careful not to fill up.  The Southwest Eggrolls were lightly fried and filled with beans, corn, etc.  My salad with shredded beef was good but relatively uneventful, and J had the margarita chicken with beans and rice.  The portions were pretty huge, as was that bowl of chips.  Yikes!

For J's birthday we had reservations at Rioja. Named after a region in Spain, this place doesn't actually specialize in Spanish food--surprise! We enjoyed a half pasta with peas and morels--it was perfect for the season. Peas scream springtime, and we'd been enjoying their presence in our pasta dishes lately. Next, the chorizo flatbread and pickled melon with fresh basil--great flavors and textures, and not too bready (a legitimate fear). Lamb medallions w/tricolored lentils--AMAZING. My exact notes are "Unbelievable. Best ever. Crust/crunch outside, perfectly cooked middle. So tender. So smoky." OK, so now I'm sort of hungry. I loved the pan-roasted halibut with Romesco sauce--it was sitting on asparagus and artichokes, all things green and happy. The chilled smores pot de creme with graham cracker sticks was like a childhood camping trip gone chic. For his birthday, J enjoyed free dessert with a candle and a card signed by the staff. Maybe the real joy was perusing the tea list. The after dinner mints were homemade sugar-coated mint leaves.

Coors Field has a lot to offer you--beers like Blue Moon round out the typical ballfield choices, and "Infield Greens" serves up salads to go with your Rockie Dog (all-beef foot long). And if you want hot chocolate with whipped cream, just ask one of the wandering vendors. YUM.

Last but CERTAINLY not least, we waited a very very very long time to enjoy brunch at Snooze.  I read that it was a must, and besides the fact that it was Mother's Day, it was still a shock to see moms and kids and babies and elderly folks OUTSIDE on this drizzle morning in a huge line.  Where I come from we make reservations for Mother's Day to avoid this kind of mess.  Or make her breakfast in bed.  Something like that!

The 3-egg omelet with spinach, salsa (which they forgot), and chicken sausage was really tasty--the sausage wasn't chunky, it was almost ground up.  The toast seemed grilled, not toasted, which was a huge plus.  Even though I'm a fan of a fruit-filled, chunky jam/preserve/spread, the strawberry jam here was thin but delicious.  Even J dipped his bread in it, and he's not so jammy.  His corned beef hash was AMAZING--super thin and fresh, more shredded than chunky/piecey.  It was almost sweet, and according to him, it tops Good Enough To Eat--CRAZINESS.   On the drink side, the hot chocolate at Snooze isn't too rich--instead, it has a pleasing cinnamon thing going on.

OK, and you cannot and will not (promise?) go to Snooze without getting a pancake.  If you think pancakes are dessert (hi!) and would rather have eggs, then make a friend split ONE with you--you can order single pancakes (they are still huge btw) on the "Ahh...la carte" menu.  We had the caramel cinnamon swirl pancake.  It was thick yet fluffy and light, almost spongy, but in a good way.  It had a little bounce!  This things was the thickest pancake I've ever seen.  It had pecans, cinnamon butter, white chocolate chips...it was insane, and also majorly delicious.  The decor was funky, with round tables and benches, cool lights, and bright colors.  And have I asked you yet, how freakin' cute is that coffee mug?  Seriously???