the heartland of america

every year I take a trip with a friend of mine to visit a few baseball stadiums. Not only is it a fun way to see the parks of America's favorite pastime, but it's a great way to see cities that I would not normally visit. This year is Kansas City, MO and St. Louis. Our first stop KC - home to KC BBQ, KC jazz, historic fountains (who knew!) and of course the Royals. There has been quite a bit of eating and drinking (did you expect anything less?). We arrived around dinner time and decided to head down to Westport, one of KC's historic districts touted for quaint shops, bars and restaurants. It was a small nook butted up against State Line, Kansas, with about 3 blocks of businesses along Westport Avenue. We choose a cajun / creole place called Jazz - a Louisiana Kitchen.

As I entered the place, I was a little confused because while the awning said "Jazz...", the door said something else (Jimmy's something or other). Anyway, it was perfectly our speed. Full of historic charm, the lights are dim and the walls are hung with Mardi Gras memorabilia. This little hole in the wall on the Kansas / Missouri stateline had ice cold beers, suprisingly scrumptious food, a relaxed atmosphere, and live music 7 nights a week. The onion rings are gianormous, beer battered, thick cuts of onion. The Po' Boys are served with a heaping order of the best cole slaw I have ever had, and a few, ever so slightly sweet, but perfectly crispy hush puppies. I ordered the blackened Catfish Po' Boy - a stick to your ribs meal that left me satisfied for the rest of the night.

From there, we went in search of a place to watch the Yankees / Royals game, George Bretts. George Brett was a KC Royal and is considered one of the greatest third baseman in baseball history. The bar is located in Country Club Plaza in the southern portion of KC. This neighborhood was quite different from Westport that we just came from. Packed with hip and trendy restaurants and designer stores, this area is a little more upscale. This bar / restaurant maintained a relaxed atmosphere with a little more of a trendy feel. One of the best features was late night happy hour - how fun is that?!

our adventures in the midwest will continue...

*k*