Barney Allis Plaza and KC's Famous Dish Pizza

Tucked in between the Convention Center and Power and Light is a one-block green space called Barney Allis Plaza. There are some beautiful benches to sit and have lunch and of course, a spectacular fountain. This fountain was documented early on in my fountain hunting adventure. In fact, it was my very first documented fountain!

The Barney Allis Plaza Fountain at 12th and Wyandotte:

The park has a tennis court right in the middle, which is home to the Kansas City Explorers World TeamTennis. Did you know this even existed???

And apparently they are the 2010 WORLD CHAMPIONS! I am ashamed to say I did not even know about this!

Looks like their season is in July. I may have to check it out!

Find out more about the Kansas City Explorers: http://www.kcexplorers.com/teams/index.aspx.

Here's a short little time lapse video of the fountain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pl8j-BvLKY.

Anyways, on the south side of the plaza was a picture of the first municipal building in Kansas City and its story:

In 1899, Kansas City built its first convention center. It was very proud of this achievement. They even had John Phillip Sousa come and conduct the opening ceremony. The convention center was going to be the host of the Democratic Convention but three months before the convention, the center was burned to the ground. Everyone assumed the Convention would have to be moved to another city but the city and people rallied and built a new center in less than 90 days in time! This building stood until the 1970's when the current larger Bartle Hall was constructed.

KC's Municipal Auditorium

Right across the street is the Convention Center

A view of the iconic spears of the convention center



So, it was pretty awesome to discover this neat park downtown,  and learn some more history about the convention center. Tonight, I discovered another wonderful Kansas City treasure: The Dish Famous Deep Dish Pizza.

I saw this pizza at Cosentino's and tried it out. It was delicious!! You have to like deep dish pizza to like it but the best part is it boasts to be the only locally handmade frozen pizza in KC.

Delicious!

Thanks for reading. I would love to hear if anyone else has been to the Barney Allis Plaza or tried the Dish Famous Deep Dish Pizza!

Til next time...Laura

Catching Up and Looking Forward

Tomorrow is Fountains Day. That means is Fountain Hunting Season again! I am going to be posting more frequently but lately I just wasn't in the mood. It's tough because I have a very busy schedule with school and work but I will make time to fill you in on exciting adventures.

So, I'm just going to show you a few pictures from the last three months and here we go...

Back in January, I took a tour of Kansas City's local brewery, Boulevard Brewery, located just southwest of downtown on Southwest Boulevard. The name Boulevard comes from all the beautiful boulevards and parkways that the city has. I love Boulevard because they are local, hugely successful and are very environmentally aware. They do some pretty innovative things when it comes to their business and being green. They said they are a zero landfill company.

Melissa and Josie on her first beer tour! She's starting early.

An overview of the bottling line. Unfortunately, no one was working that Saturday!

Got some samples after the tour. Boulevard makes a few different kinds that I'll actually drink and enjoy.

Bree and Melissa

Adam, Drew, Melissa, Dan and Bree

So over the past couple months, I also got pretty obsessed with Mizzou Tigers basketball. This is Dan and Jessica celebrating after MU beat KU in February.

I discovered an awesome urban garden at 18th and Broadway. It demonstrates how cities can be green. It's awesome!

Because I have one of the greatest roommates ever, I also got to see Mizzou win their final Big 12 men's basketball tournament! So awesome!

I'm going to wrap it because I'm tired. But thanks for reading!
til next time...Laura

KC Food Wars: Burgers Part 4

It's the final stop in finding KC's Best Burger!

Restaurant: Martin City Brewery

Location: 135th St in south KC

Just a couple years old, the Martin City Brewery was the brainchild of two buddies who dreamt up a microbrewery in this location. Martin City's other well know restaurants (Jack Stack and Jess & Jim) are just down the street. Right away, we all thought this was more of a burger joint. Friendly staff, a split-level bar and just the right decor for a great burger!

The burger was a 7-oz. beef patty on Brioche bun, served with fries. 

MCB got a lot of brownie points. First was the staff was excited we were there for the burger contest and even gave us a little button to help us to remember to vote for them. Second, they served RC Cola and Diet Dr Pepper. That's right, RC Cola, that's hilarious! Third, we got to keep the cups as souvenirs. Next, the tables were really cool unique wood table tops. Also, they had a lot of Sporting KC memorabilia so they support the local teams. Finally, they make their own ketchup. 

Now, those were just brownie points. As far as the burger goes, it was pretty good. What set is apart is they served it with a garlic aioli sauce which gave it a unique extra flavor. The fries were standard, but good. 

Scoring: Four judges give a score of 1-5, 5 being the best.

Meat- 12

Toppings- 18

Sides- 15.5

Bun- 14.5

Ambiance of restaurant- 18

Overall flavor- 13.5

Value- 19

Grand total: 110.5 out of 140

Scoring notes: This burger had a unique flavor to it which was refreshing after having two other burgers that were average. But some judges knocked some points out because their burgers were overcooked. 

We liked the ambiance of the restaurant because it was local and casual but Jessica did notice it was very smokey from the kitchen. 

As I mentioned the fries were good but normal but they did get points for having their own homemade ketchup.

At $8 a meal, MCB was the cheapest option.

Our judges for this round:

Angie, Jessica and Bree

Laura, Angie and Jessica

Martin City Brewery was Angie's favorite. "I liked the atmosphere. You would definitely come here for the burgers. I want this place to win!"

Jessica really liked that it was a local place where "two guys just decided to make their dreams come true and open up a restaurant."

FINAL RESULTS:

The winner of our Best Burger in KC....

Tannin Wine Bar! with a score of 111.5.  Jessica and I agreed on this. Tannin's had the BEST, juiciest, most flavorful burger. I still think about this burger! It was so good!!! The meat was cooked to perfection, it was juicy, soooo much flavor. The fries were amazing. The only negative is it's not a typical burger joint, it's a wine bar. But the staff was good, the restaurant was cool looking and hey, it works. We tried this one first so I feel like my scoring was conservative.  If it had been last I would have scored it even higher.

In a close second, Martin City Brewery with 110.5 points! Good, solid burger with decent flavor and great atmosphere.

Third, Dodge City Distillery with 91 points. Average but not memorable.

Fourth, Nick and Jake's with 88.5 points. A blah burger.

Fifth, Room 39 with ZERO points. Wouldn't even extend the promotion for the burger contest. Way too fancy and pretentious anyways.

We had such a fun time doing this contest. Thanks for reading!

Til next time...Laura

KC Food Wars: Burgers Part 3

Today was our third stop in the quest to find KC's best burger!

Resturant: Dodge City Distillery

Location: 119th and Black Bob Rd, Olathe KS

The Dodge City Distillery is a fairly new establishment in the suburb of Olathe. The theme is the old west and supposedly they distill something there but we never found out what. I like themed restaurants, and Dodge City has quite the interesting history. But did the restaurant live up to its theme? Our group was divided. I thought it was a good effort thanks to the map on the wall of the old forts and stops along the Santa Fe Trail that went through Dodge City. But another judge, Jason, thought it was too modernized to be the old west. The blaring pop music didn't help.

On to the burger. The burger was an 8 oz. beef Whiskey Burger on a toasted sesame Kaiser roll, served with your choice of side. There were a couple other of burger options available on the menu, but not for this promotion. Overall, we all thought that the burger was standard- slightly above average taste. Much like Nick and Jake's it's good and you're satisfied when you're done, but not very memorable. 

Scoring: Again, it's a 1-5 scale, 5 being the best.

Meat- 14

Toppings- 13

Sides- 12

Bun- 12.5

Ambiance of restaurant- 12

Overall flavor- 14

Value- 13.5

Grand Total: 91 out of 140 possible points

Scoring Notes:

The burger meal was $9 but did not come with bacon or anything else extra. 

I opted for the whipped garlic potatoes instead of fries. They were excellent. The other judges thought the fries were just ok.

Bree thought that she would like to try the other variety of burgers they had on the menu (such as one with chili) but she probably wouldn't come back for this standard burger.

We then discussed our disappointment that the burger was called a "Whiskey" burger but there really was no reason for that- nothing about the burger was special or had anything to do with a whiskey flavor.

"The burger was too focused on the name [whiskey burger] but failed in trying to connect it to the theme and identity of the restaurant. The product didn't deliver anything beyond average," Jason noted.

We tried out the fried pickle spears, not bad. The sauce was good.

Introducing our very special guest judge...Josephine!

Judges Laura and Bree

Judges Jason, (Josie), and Jessica- the "J" Judges

We're got one more official stop to make!! I can't wait to try it!

Til next time...Laura

KC Food Wars: Burgers Part 2

Tonight our judges were myself, Jessica, Angie and Bree. We planned on going to the next burger stop: Room 39. There is a location on 39th street but we had called ahead and they said they didn't serve the burger for dinner at that location, but we could go to the location in Leawood. The Leawood location was pretty fancy- tablecloths, reservations, the whole nine yards and not your typical burger place. We get seated only to find out they do not offer the contest promotion at dinnertime!

We decided to go ahead and cross Room 39 off the list. If they are not even going to honor their promotion, forget it!

Instead, we drove to the next stop: Nick and Jake's
Location: 135th and Metcalf, Overland Park, KS

Right away, this seemed like a more casual, friendly place, definitely somewhere you would go to get a good burger. (I did notice they had a hockey game on, which is brownie points from me).

So here it is!

This was a classic, 8 oz beef patty on egg bun, served with fries. Toppings included cheese, tomatoes, pickles, lettuce and onion.

Overall, it's easy to summarize this burger. Good, but average. Tasty but nothing special. This is a classic burger that you could have at hundreds of restaurants but nothing about it stands apart. It's not memorable.

Angie summed it up best: "I don't see how this could be in the running for the best burger in KC."

Bree agreed, "I'm satisfied with the burger but I wouldn't go out and tell my friends about it."

Nick & Jake's scoring:

(Scoring is from four judges who score each category 1-5, 5 being the best. Scores are added up and totaled. Also, we judged this on its own merit and tried not to base our score on comparisons to our last burger. For example, a score of 5 by a judge would mean there's nothing better out there, a 3 would be average, etc.)

Meat- 12
Toppings- 14
Sides- 12
Bun- 13
Ambiance of restaurant- 12
Overall flavor- 10
Value- 15.5

Grand Total- 88.5 out of 140


Scoring Notes- All judges agreed the cheese was very good but the burger itself didn't have a distinct flavor or seasoning.

It's a nice restaurant with good seating areas and a big bar for watching games. The worst part about it is it's way out in south OP. Why would I ever be out that way? Our server was fine but she didn't know anything about the magazine promotion at first. I liked that the menu explained that Nick and Jake were friends that grew up on either side of State Line Road.

Cost of meal was $8.50. Again, a good burger but not worthy enough to be considered the very best in KC.

We're tacking Burger Spot Number 3 this weekend!

Til next time...Laura

KC Food Wars: Burgers Part 1

It's time to find the Best Burger in KC! We are accepting the challenge done through KC Mag where they've found their top 5 burgers and it's now up to us to decide who should be the winner.

First stop: Tannin wine bar & kitchen
Location: 1526 Walnut (Crossroads District)

The style of the restaurant was very cool and modern. Loved the light fixtures. Had a great feel for encouraging conversation.

The Burger: a 8 oz Wagyu beef patty on a toasted onion Kaiser roll, toppings included Smoker cheddar and bacon. Served with parmesan fries.

The burger was fantastic!!!! So juicy, full of flavor. The bacon was cooked to perfection: crispy without being too greasy. The fries were also amazing. The parmesan was perfect and you could dip them in some type of mayo sauce which was delicious. Just right portions.

Here's the Burger Club aka judges:

Julie, Laura, Angie and Jessica

Thanks to Justina's blog (michigansbestburger.blogspot.com) about finding the best burger in Michigan we have incorporated the same scoring system. We have 7 catagories: meat, toppings, sides, bun, ambiance (of restaurant), overall flavor and value. Each judge gives their score (5 being the best, 1 being the worst). The best score for each category is 20, and the sum will be the grand total. There are five burgers in all to choose from so the highest score wins!

Tannin burger results:

Meat- 18
Toppings- 17
Sides- 15
Bun- 17
Ambiance- 15
Overall flavor- 17.5
Value- 12

Grand total- 111.5 out of 140

Scoring Notes: Angie opted out of the fries and got a side salad. She really did not like the vinaigrette dressing and gave her sides score a 1.

Angie and I thought the burgers were a little greasy, but Jessica and Julie did not.

We all pretty much liked the ambiance of the restaurant but it's not your typical "burger joint." It's pretty nice. We thought that if you're in the mood for a burger you may not necessarily feel like going to such a nice place.

The price for the meal was $12. While not a terrible price, Julie summed it up best by pointing out that it's hard to pay over $10 for a meal as simple as a burger, which you can also get on the dollar menu.

Jessica's overall thoughts were that "the quality of meat balanced with the cheddar and bacon makes a very well seasoned combination."

I would definitely recommend this burger. It was delicious and the flavor was excellent.

Next Tuesday- Part 2! Can't Wait!

Til next time...Laura Lane

I'm a Miracle

I'm now into the Speedbuilding portion of Court Reporting school. It's extremely difficult but I feel like I make a little progress each day. Our instructor sent us this story and it's such an encouragement to me to keep going, keep working and soon I'll get there! I wanted to share this because it's pretty darn cool.


A federal court report was taking the testimony of a neuropsychologist who was discussing the complexity of the human brain.


This is what he said:


Neuropsychologist: "May I give an example of this?"
Counsel: "Sure."
Neuropsychologist: "Okay. If you look--and the example is this: Our brains are a miracle. Okay? They're a miracle that needs to be protected. And if you look at the court reporter right now, as an example, okay, this is a miracle in progress happening right before your eyes.


Let me explain what she needs to do. I am speaking, so the information has to come in through her ear into her temporal lobe, and it has to go log itself into the language center. She has to be able to comprehend what I'm saying.


Then it has to get rerouted to the prefrontal cortex where it has to hold--she has to be able to hold the information, because, you know, I continuously talk so she has to hold it. Right? Then she has to analyze it, integrate it, and synthesize it. Then it has to go back to the cerebellum and she has to be able to execute this, and she has to be able to then convert my words into those little squiggly marks. Have you ever seen court reporters have little squiggly language things?


So she has to convert it into a different language, and the white matter tracks allow her to reroute all of this information simultaneously without effort. Okay.


We take our brains for granted. She's sitting here. I'm probably talking too fast for her, but she's able to do this simultaneously. Seamlessly. Okay? No animal on the planet can do this. All right? That's why I believe court reporters will never be replaced. Because no technical--no technology could replace the beauty of that brain and the miracle of that brain. And that's why you brain should always be protected and you should take care of it."


Wow! How awesome is that! Think of all the miracles our brains perform for us every day...every minute!