#projectkc

Tomorrow marks the start of the 5th annual Kansas City Restaurant Week. This year, the event is bigger than ever and features dozens of locals on the list! Participants will be offering up $15 lunches and/or $33 multi-course dinners. Not only that, but 10% of all sales will be donated to charity!

I teamed up with the lovely Ariel Eve to check out a few of this year's choices. Here's the rundown... Blue Bird Bistro

Blue Bird is located in the heart of KC's Westside, at the corner of 17th and Summit. They opened their doors 13 years ago and quickly established themselves as a pretty unique destination. While many establishments are working to make their entrees more healthy and incorporate "superfoods" into their menus, Blue Bird has been following this philosophy since day one.

All ingredients are made from scratch and obtained directly from the farm. Depending on seasonal availability, menu items will vary. In addition to Blue Bird was one of the first restaurants in Kansas City to have viable choices for both vegetarian and vegan guests.

Their Restaurant Week menu includes lunch and dinner. Both menus includes a starter, entree, and dessert. Lunch choices include the house cured salmon crostini, hummus and pita, Two Sisters farm salad, Thane Palmberg Farm squash soup, meatballs, Bahn mi on a baguette, smoked tofu barbecue on a vegan bun, and a sweet potato pancake or vegan orange cake for dessert. Dinner offers up similar starters and adds pastrami made from oat-fed brisket, tagliatelle pasta, shrimp and grits, sweet potato bread pudding, and pear cake. By the way, there's a story behind that oat-fed brisket... Dallas, the resident farmer at the Oatie Ranch had received strict orders from his doctor to cut down his intake of beef to avoid adverse health effects. The doctor suggested enriching his diet with foods like oats. Dallas had the thought that perhaps if he fed his cattle oats and, in turn, ate the beef from his cattle, he may kill two birds with one stone: continue eating what he loves and also improve his health. The family contacted researchers at Kansas State University to put his idea to the test. It turns out that the oat-fed beef indeed had lower cholesterol and an impressive 3.17 to 1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 balance! 

If you can't make it for restaurant week, I'd suggest trying one of their Wednesday Night communal dinners or the monthly Farmer's Table, a five-course meal featuring locally raised food! Regardless of your Restaurant Week plans, Blue Bird Bistro is a must try!

Nara NeoJapanese

Nara is a pretty sentimental place for me with a lot of memories tied to it; many fond, some slightly embarrassing, but they were all in good fun. On more than one occasion, I had made the drive from North Kansas City to downtown while on my lunch break to get their delicious Vegetable and Tofu Tempura. It was usually enough for two meals.

As you may have guessed, most of my experiences occurred at the bar. Nara is one of the few places I can always count on to have a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label on the shelf. If you aren't in the mood for scotch, they have a wide range of unique cocktails, including a pomegranate cosmo, the wasabi-infused "Blood Nara," and sake bombs! Also, if you are a college girl or just not ashamed to admit that you like Rumchata, definitely order "The Yakuza" while you're there.

Nara has lunch and dinner options for restaurant week. Their lunch menu includes a choose of the Crab Crunch Salad or Temari Sushi to start things off, and finishes things with an entree choice of either Mongolian Beef or Crispy Cashew Chicken. For dinner, you get an appetizer of chicken and veggie Potstickers, Crab Crunch Salad, or Albacore Tuna Salad. The second course is either a Sushi Bento Box, the Trio Green Tea Soba Noodles, or Orange Flavored Beef. For dessert, they are offering Chocolate Creme Brûlée, Chocolate "Lava" Cake, or Pumpkin Cheese Cake.

I may be a bit biased here, but I can't think of another place I'd rather get sushi at in KC. Located just south of Power & Light, it is right in the middle of all the action. They also have an event space, so keep them in mind for your next get together or celebration!

Cafe Trio

Cafe Trio has been stacking accolades since 2006, among them being named as one of KC's "Top Ten" Businesses. They offer live music five nights a week, mostly jazz acts consisting of a pianist sometimes accompanied by a standup bass player. The low key music is a perfect companion to the ritzy and modern decor. They have a rotating art program that boats some of Kansas City's best local paintings. For a more laid-back feel, the heated back patio allows guests to admire some of the best views of the Country Club Plaza. 

As for the food, it is largely New and Traditional American Cuisine, but their diverse range of chefs has helped introduce Italian, French, and Asian cuisines as a complement. They have an interesting selection of signature cocktails, which are all named after celebrities and prepared to match. For example, the Ricky Martin is made with Malibu Mango Rum, Strawberry-Mango Puree, muddled mint, and a splash of soda. 

Cafe Trio has been involved in Restaurant Week since it started; this marks the fifth year of restaurant week and the fifth year they have participated. This year, the lunch is a two course meal with such choices as Crispy Calamari, Apple Nut Salad, Mac Daddy (voted best Mac & Cheese in KC, and I can vouch for that!), Catfish Po' Boy, Back Bean Veggie Burger, and Warm Chocolate Truffle or Lemon Icebox cakes for dessert! Their dinner adds a course and offers more choices, including the Brussels Sprouts with pan-roastsd bacon, braised Vintage Beef Short Rib, or the rolled and loaded Stuffed Catfish.

If you are looking for a classy dining experience with a good amount of variety, you will be in good hands at Cafe Trio. In addition to their Restaurant Week selections, they have a full lunch and dinner menu, wine list, seasonal cocktails, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options. Needless to say, there is something for everyone.

Tannin Winebar-Kitchen

Love wine? Love food? You're in luck! Just a block east of Nara, Tannin stands at the corner of 16th and Walnut in the Crossroads Arts District. They serve up a sessional menu of contemporary American food with a fierce wine menu to boot! If you were raised in the Napa valley, you will have no trouble finding something to suit your taste. Conversely, if you're like me and have an experience limited to finding the best-looking bottle of red wine for $4, you will be pleasantly surprised.

If you are unsure what type of grapes you are looking for, they offer two ounce glasses for sampling. Once you've decided on something good, the five ounce glass should suit you well. Either that, or get a whole bottle. In fact, I recommend it! BOGO bottles are available all day Sunday and Monday, and if you are not opposed to day-drinking, wine by the glass is 50% off during the week between 11:30 and 4. Nice!

Next Wednesday, Tannin will be featuring Jann Forth of Forth Vineyards to pair her wines with their Restaurant Week offerings. Connoisseurs, take note and plan accordingly. Their dinner is a three course meal. Start off with a Beet & Pear Salad, Jumbo Lump Crab Dip, or the Braised Burgers' Bacon with creamy polenta. The main course is a choice of Roasted Scottish Salmon, Crispy Confit Chicken, or Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs. Hopefully you've made room for dessert, which comes in the form of an Espresso Molten Chocolate Cake, a freshly baked Fudge Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookie, or a Hazelnut Custard Napoleon puff pastry. Vegetarian options are also available!

Tannin also has their own selection of wine clubs that gives customers access to special discounts and events at great values. Whether you are the budding enthusiastic or a heavyweight Dean Martin, there is a program to suit your needs! They also have options for private dining, ranging from rooms with seating for around 20 all the way up to large scale parties that can reserve the whole restaurant! Or you can just swing by to enjoy a Chardonnay and decide the rest later.

For more information on Kansas City Restaurant Week, check out the official site here: http://www.visitkc.com/kc-restaurant-week-14/index.aspx Be sure to check out more of Ariel on her website and follow her on Facebook: http://www.arieleve.com

The Brick was always a place I had known about, but for the longest time I had been too young to enter its doors. Even with a beard, I stood no chance slipping past the door guy with my unforgiving learner's permit. I didn't even drink back then! All I could do was sit and cry about it like emo kids were supposed to.

Well, I've gotten much older and had several more drinks and don't cry nearly as much. I also finally saw a few shows at The Brick. For this Throwback Thursday, I thought I'd give my account of one particular show from this past Halloween. The lineup were three locals: Lazy Motel, Real Sugar, and Jib Jab Jones & the Indigo Circus.

While waiting for the show to start, I decided to hit the bar and get my usual glass of Templeton Rye, neat. For some reason, this is about the only thing I'll order when I'm at The Brick and The Brick is generally the only place where I'll order it. Call me crazy but something about the stark contrast between fine Prohibition whiskey and a KC dive bar just sits so well with me. 

As I took the first sip of my drink, I quickly scanned my environment. If it weren't for the familiar Día de Muertos decorations, and the occasional costume (but who can tell what is and is not a costume these days?) I would have totally forgotten it was Halloween. That was fine by me… Otherwise, everything was business as usual. I could smell a chili dog being delivered to another customer at the bar and I even glanced at a plate full of baked goods. Too bad I wasn't hungry. Speaking of food, The Brick has a lot of it. Their full-size menu includes a whole slew of hot dogs, burgers, chicken wings, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers. Go ahead and try the fish and chips... And vegetarians, rejoice! There are plenty of options for you, too...

Kicking off the show was one-man act Lazy Motel, fronted by KC resident Brad Peknik. With just an acoustic guitar and a microphone, Brad was able to captivate the crowd with his slow and eerie folk rock (think more on the folk side). Brad's stripped down style was a perfect method for delivering each chilling ballad and his calm yet grounded voice had just the right amount of twang. This candid performance proved to be a good guide to introduce the evening's festivities.

Next up was Real Sugar. I had never heard of this band before but I knew their drummer. His name is Meatball. That alone was sufficient reason to pay close attention. I'll also mention that their guitarist was wearing a bright Hawaiian floral shirt, which amused me greatly. My excitement only grew as they went through some quick jazz fills and scales during soundcheck. Not only was the sugar real, but so was everything else about this band. Imagine a fusion of jazz with funk, R&B, and even some metal undertones. Take notice: this band may be a suitable replacement for bedroom music if you ever lose your Isley Brothers Greatest Hits cd.

Closing the show out was none other than Jib Jab Jones & the Indigo Circus. This trio packed quite a punch with their fast-paced and fun breed of folk punk. If I had only had a few more whiskeys, I surely would have torn up the dance floor and possibly have been asked to leave. Their songs were catchy and made you want to sing along, though I probably would have gotten strange stares reciting lines like "So who are you to tell me I'm not black enough?" Their set consisted of plenty of pop culture references, as well as political and social commentary. This all reminded me that you really can rock out with an acoustic guitar!

Located at 17th and McGee, The Brick has always been a convenient spot to catch a great local show, and from the looks of it, this hasn't changed at all. They open by 11 am most days (9 am on Saturday, so feel to come by for breakfast!) They stay open until 1:30 am Tuesday through Thursday or 3:00 am Monday, Friday and Saturday. Expect to see live music most nights. Also, if you are an aspiring singer or just drunk and overconfident, be sure to check out karaoke on Mondays!

The food truck has long been a godsend for satiating relentless hunger worked up after long nights of drinking, as well as a means to avoid horrendous drive-thru windows and even worse drive-thru food. Depending on the street corner or event, you may have access to a decent variety of choices, from hot dogs and hamburgers to gyros to jambalaya, just to name a few. Our nocturnal selves are grateful for such establishments, and rejoice in their convenience. However, one can rarely reflect back upon the previous night and think, "That Los Pollos Hermanos food truck we went to was superb! I do believe I will be returning at my nearest convenience."

As I said, such an occasion is rarely, if ever encountered. Unless you happened to be referring to the food truck run by Patrick Ryan. His four-wheeled mobile Mexican powerhouse was the exception to this rule. Ryan's truck was such a magnificent and well-received fixture that it was possible to "dine in" - there was actually a single table in the back of truck. Moreover, I was told that it was the hardest table to get in Kansas and, possibly the entire midwest.

In light of such distinguished successes, a space will eventually reach its carrying capacity and must therefore expand into a bigger arena. Enter, Westport's own Port Fonda. This is not your run of the mill Mexican restaurant; it is not the place you grab a quick taco and side of rice - though these things are certainly available. Port Fonda is a much more gourmet experience.

I've never been much of a "soup guy." Sure, it's a perfect remedy for my occasional sinus infections and has proven to be a cheap way to dodge starvation while in college. Otherwise, it's not my overwhelming first choice when deciding on what to eat when I'm out. The Sopa Port Fonda is a selection that turned that mentality completely on its head. I read the description and was sold. You see, my Spanish is limited to "tequila," "banyo," and well.. that's about it. So when a steaming bowl of pork belly, pork shoulder, masa dumplings, corn cobs and other veggies, all in a thick bacon broth was placed in front of me, I was surprised and delighted at the same time. I must have had dreams about this soup, because I can't seem to keep the taste of it out of my mouth. And I have no complaints about that, whatsoever.

In addition to their premium cuisine, Port Fonda can also be a great place to have a drink and shoot the breeze. Their tequila and mezcal selection puts those of most liquor stores to shame, but they still have tons of wines, whiskeys, cervezas, and plenty of other spirits to fit anyone's palate. Step up to the bar and your bartender - who may or may not be stylishly repping Kansas City with a Baldwin baseball cap - will gladly help you pick your poison, should you have any uncertainty. They offer a first rate selection of unique craft cocktails that are presented to you shaken or stirred by a first class staff, which includes past participants in Kansas City's famed Paris of the Plains bartending competition.

Port Fonda has also been known to host live music and feature DJ's of various genres. My favorite time to come is hip hop night: there is nothing quite like eating a chimichanga and taking shots of mezcal as the soothing voices of Dr. Dre and Eazy E serenade you. If that isn't enough, you can always join the Tecate Social Club on Thursdays and Friday between 3:30 and 6pm for some 24oz cans for $3.