Paris of the Plains

Time: Sometime July 2004.

Scene: Hot muggy evening.  Characters are standing outside of The Point on their ample patio, drinking Miller Lite.

Friend: "Hey, Kelly.  How do you like living in Kansas City?"
Me: "It's cool and all, but I'll be moving in the next year or so."

That EXACT interaction happened pretty much every other day for 2 years.  I moved to Kansas City, Westport specifically, during the summer of 2003, and I was convinced that I didn't want anything to do with it.  I always thought that I was destined for somewhere else.

As fate would have it, I never went anywhere due to a commitment that I made, and with each year I stayed, I became more and more fond of the place I was calling home.  Slowly the fountains made me smile instead of cringe.  I began exploring all the little details that Kansas City hides in its random collection of new development, Deco, and Modern buildings.  I started appreciating all the different neighborhoods and communities each with its own bars, restaurants, history, events, and activities.  It's true, I don't really want to live anywhere else now.  I LOVE being a part of and exploring Kansas City.

Its architecture, urban planning, and history has become a subject of interest and inspiration. Lucky for me, I have a job were I'm not strapped to one location/desk all day.  Throughout the week I get to visit different businesses and offices.  Sometimes my job will take me as far out as Lexington, MO or Topeka, KS, but most of the time, I am in the Downtown and Plaza areas.  I often find myself feeling compelled to take pictures of the stuff I run into during the course of my day.  The following collection of pictures is just that, images I've collected usually using my blackberry or iphone of Kansas City and the surrounding areas.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Bloch Addition

2 West 39th St, KCMO

Jackson County Courthouse - 415 East 12th St KCMO

Livestock Exchange Building - 1600 Genessee St KCMO

2119 Tracy Ave, KCMO

3161 Wyandotte St., KCMO

it's here

Tearing down Hereford House - 100 East 20th, KCMO

View of downtown from the Hyatt Regency - 2345 McGee St, KCMO

Looking South on Baltimore towards 9th St, KCMO

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

View of downtown from Waterworks Park

Backside of the Livestock Exchange Building - 1600 Genessee St KCMO

View of the New Paseo Bridge from Case Park

View of the Broadway Bridge from 2nd and Delaware St (click me)

On the Broadway bridge headed south into downtown (click this too)

Between 4th and 3rd just to the East of Broadway...Nothing there now

909 Walnut from the 30th floor of the Commerce Bank Building

Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums

brettanomyces

Last Saturday night was spent at The Foundry.  I've really come to love this bar, and it has become a regular in my rotation.  Their food is good, and they have a great beer selection.  Not to mention one of the most awesome patios in Westport!

I tried a few different beers that night, and it's official I've fallen in love with one of them!  Now please be reminded that this was my 4th different beer of the evening so my opinion might be slightly skewed by the other 3 beers that I consumed first (It was SATURDAY).

What beer has spurred this sort of reaction?  It's the Mikkeller Brettanomyces from the Yeast Series that they have ON TAP.  Yes, they have the whole series ON TAP!  While I was talking with the bartender, I got just enough info that I felt compelled to find out more.  So...the following is a brief educational journey which I'm sharing with you:

-Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, the one man brew team behind Mikkeller, is a "nomad" or "gypsy" brewer.  This means he doesn't always brew at his brewery in Denmark.  He can be found brewing for brief amounts of time at other breweries in Europe and in the US.

-Yeast Series? Each of the beers starts as a strong pale ale – 8%.  In the series the Malt, hops, and water quantities are identical.  The only thing that changes is the yeast that is used.  The series also includes a Hefeweizen, Lager,  American Style Ale and Belgian Ale.

-Brettanomyces, the yeast that is used in this particular beer, that has stolen my heart, helps to explain why I loved it so much.  The same yeast is found in most sour and farmhouse ales, lambics, and locally in the Saison Brett (brett like both brettanomyces and George) from the Boulevard Smokestack Series.  It produces a noticeable "FUNK" taste similar to cheese.  Mmmm who doesn't like it when things get a little funky.

In my humble beer opinion this is a really well rounded beer similar in flavor to some of my favorite pale ales by including a sufficient amount of hops.  The best part is when it hits you with that fruity funky flavor produced by the yeast.  I say thumbs up! FYI: the beeradvocate guys agree.  :)

If you get really curious to do some of your own research you might run across this picture that is located on the Mikkeller Fan Club facebook page.  It totally cracks me up.  I think it's the shoes...