Pub crawl at Kansas City's Power & Light District turns into an illuminating experience

Friday, July 18, 2008

By Tom Uhlenbrock, McClatchy Newspapers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- An Irish lass jigged on a tabletop. A cowgirl in a black bra danced on a bar. At the club next door, guys and girls with spiked hair and inked bodies writhed to a pulsating techno beat.

Around the plaza outside, formations of motorcycle riders bikers roared in for a "Bike Night" promotion, and listened to the warm-up band while waiting for the headliner, Seven Mary Three, to take the outdoor stage. A security guy counted 581 motorcycles.

Kansas City tore down eight square blocks and built the $850 million Kansas City Power & Light District in an attempt to pump life into its slumbering downtown.

So far, so good.

The district has shopping, but the nighttime action is on two levels of bars and restaurants that surround KC Live!, a covered plaza with a stage for free entertainment, Wednesdays through Saturdays. The district had its grand opening in March, after four years in the making, and is entering its first full summer season.

To taste the fruits of all that labor, I proposed a pub crawl and sought out Laren Mahoney of the city's Convention & Visitors Association for company. "Well, I think that 25 bars should be open by then, but, hey, no problem," she said.

Mahoney, 32, had assisted several years ago in a similar taste testing of KC's barbecue joints. While I nibbled at each stop, she wolfed down the sandwich, the fries and the pickles, and was ready for the next round.

We met at 6:15 on a balmy Wednesday evening, appropriately, at the Drum Room of the Hilton President Hotel, which was shuttered for 25 years before being restored to its elegance. At one time the top drinking spot for the city's social and political elite, the Drum Room also is enjoying a rebirth as the senior statesman among the district's bars.

Pam the bartender suggested the Ultimate Preztini, which consisted of Grey Goose vodka, Cointreau and white cranberry juice with "Grand Marnier-infused craisins." The tab was $16.46, and the taste was a bit sweet for a guy who likes vodka, straight up, flavored only by a lemon twist.

Mahoney gave an update: Five bars had not yet opened for business, so we were looking at 20. We devised a game plan -- one signature drink at each bar, with two glasses for sharing.

The Bristol Seafood Grill was sleek and contemporary, with lots of black granite. Henri whipped up a "Pink Pop," which had premium French vodka, fruit juices and Domaine Ste. Michelle cuvee brut champagne, for $9.50. "Tastes like a lemonade fizz," Mahoney said.

Henri sensed we weren't impressed and offered a second choice, but we stuck to our one-drink-per-bar rule. Across the street was the Chipotle Mexican Grill, where we chugged a Negra Modelo beer for three bucks. We were joined by Jon Stephens, marketing director for the Baltimore-based Cordish development company, which built the Kansas City Power & Light District.

Cordish also is the developer for the Ballpark Village project in St. Louis, and Stephens was ready for my first question. When will we see some action, other than ducks swimming, in the mudhole next to Busch Stadium?

"We're very confident it will be developed in time," Stephens offered in his best PR-ese. "The key there is to look at the track record of success -- what's been built on the western side of the state."

Stephens was an amiable addition and an important cog in our crawl because lines were forming at the doors to the district's trendier clubs. Stephens could get us through the crowds of bikers and their babes with a wave of his hand.

First, we strolled into Lucky Strike Lanes, a retro bowling alley where you could toss a ball down neon-lit lanes or gather in the lounge with drinks in glowing cups that looked radioactive. The signature mojito was sweetly tart and sold for just $4 during happy hour and $9 after that. "Last Thursday, we made like 400 of them in three hours," the bartender said.

At 7:30 p.m. Tengo Sed Cantina became our fifth stop. A top-shelf margarita, with Padron tequila, was $8.50 and excellent, but reminded us we had not eaten dinner. We went for the El Guapa, which was $25 and billed as "the most bueno party platter of all time." The bar also serves a "hubcap margarita," which is a real vintage chrome hubcap filled to the brim.

Bar No. 6 was Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge, where we got a perfect Manhattan, a golden-hued drink with a cherry resting at the bottom. We had been joined early on by a writer for Southern Living magazine, but she bolted the crawl after the Manhattan. "You newspaper guys are hard core," she muttered, before disappearing into the mass of bikers.

Raglan Road, an Irish pub, was a real treat. The entire wood interior came from old pubs around Dublin, seven shipping containers full. I was heading for a Boddington's Cream Ale before Mahoney announced that she had a favorite here, a "Black Velvet" made from Magner's Irish Cider beer and Guinness. It was so good we broke our vow and ordered another. Suddenly, a young costumed dancer climbed on the table in front of me and did a spirited jig while the two-man band played. "That's Danielle," Stephens said. "Every man in Kansas City who sees her dance is in love with her."

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que may have good barbecue, but the "Sweet Momma's Punch" was meant for sorority girls. The Montana Margarita at Ted's Montana Grill, that's Ted as in Turner, was much better. Maybe it was the hand-squeezed lemons, or the Jose Cuervo 1800.

The bartender noticed me taking notes and asked about the crawl. A biker was drinking with his lady at the bar and eavesdropped. "You guys are getting paid to get drunk -- that's awesome!" he yelled. "But you're gonna be hurting in the morning."

My notes, by the way, were starting to look like I was writing with the wrong hand.

At 9:54 p.m., we took a breather at stop No. 10, a fast-food place called chefBurger that made spiked milk shakes. The Grasshopper was mint ice cream, chocolate sauce, a mashed Oreo cookie and Creme de Menthe, and sold for $8.85.

The PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Big Sky Cowboy Bar was my most momentous stop. I was watching the guys fall off the mechanical bull, when a roar indicated a better show was starting at the bar. Three female bartenders in cowboy hats jumped on the bar to dance, removing their cowboy shirts to reveal black bras, but keeping on the hats.

I got the attention of one, and she said the signature serving was a can of Monster energy drink that had to be "shotgunned." When I looked puzzled, she jumped down and came around front to demonstrate. Using a can opener to puncture the bottom of the sideways can, she popped the top, and the contents sprayed all over her front. She gave what was left to me.

The scene was even more lively next door at Angels Rock Bar, a high-intensity club with strobe lights, heavy chains for curtains, and bartenders in fish-net stockings. "We don't have signature drinks, we have signature shots," said one. She poured a shot, with a chaser, but neither Mahoney nor I could choke it down. The main ingredient was Jagermeister, and the concoction was called "liquid cocaine."

At 10:44, we could see light at the end of the tunnel, finding an ultra chic respite at Mosaic, which specializes in "bottle service" at its tables. Bartender Katie Garcia made a "watermelon wine cooler," which had vodka over muddled fresh watermelon, topped off with white wine and sugar on the rim. Delicious, and $10.

No. 14 was Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, where we ordered a flight of beer samplers. Flying Saucer Draught Emporium also specialized in beer, offering 75 on tap and a total of 225. A computer kept score for the bar's leading beer drinkers and the top spot was claimed by one Michael Krueger, who had sampled 111. Hah, he should spend a night or two with Mahoney and me.

Fuego was a walk-up bar, serving draft beer. No. 17 was supposed to be Vinino Wine Bar & Bistro, but it had closed early. A glass of wine didn't sound too appealing, anyway. We headed to McFadden's Sports Saloon, where the signature drink was Three Olives grape vodka and Sprite for $5.75. Ten TVs were going, and Nate Bagby and Seasonal Labor were playing.

We finished at No. 18, an open-air seating area called the Living Room in the middle of the outdoor plaza. The last of the bikers was straggling about, and we relaxed after a hard night's work on the comfy seats. The signature drink was a KC Crush, made with Bombora vodka, fresh squeezed lemon and lime, simple syrup and Sprite for $7. It was so refreshing I considered ordering another one, for a brief moment.

Perusing my notes at midnight to clarify the jumbled entries, I asked Mahoney, "Do you realize what we drank tonight?"

"No," she replied. "And please don't tell me."

PIZZA CONES WILL GET YOU FUELED ON YOUR TOUR OF KANSAS CITY

There is plenty else new in Kansas City besides the eight-block Power & Light District. Like pizza cones.

Kornet Pizza is an Italian company that markets the innovative way to eat pizza, and its first U.S. franchise is in the food court of the Oak Park Mall in suburban Overland Park, Kan. The idea behind pizza-in-a-cone is to provide the convenience for shoppers eating on the go. The company says it uses all-natural ingredients and "original Italian recipes in line with Neapolitan tradition."

We tried one and, indeed, it was easy to eat. The crusty cone was full of cheese and meat and didn't drip as we walked through the mall.

On a larger scale, the new $200 million Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City opened to the public last month and is a dazzler, inside and out. The exterior of the 14-story building is clad in limestone quarried in Kansas and curved to complement the sweep of the base of the Liberty Memorial, which stands on the other side of Penn Valley Park.

Inside, visitors can stroll through the free Money Museum and check out the 450 rare coins on display, heft a gold bar worth $361,000 (at the current market rate), try to pick out the phonies in an exhibit of counterfeit bills and see one of the few remaining $100,000 bills.

You can design your own money at a rubbing station, where you pick from mottoes that say "Trust Me," "Show Me the Money" and "Not Worth Much."

Equally dazzling is the new Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, which is 13 miles from downtown Kansas City in Kansas. Designed by Kyu Sung Woo, the 38,000-square-foot museum has four changing exhibition galleries, three permanent collection galleries, a museum store and an excellent restaurant, Cafe Tempo.

The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial has a new addition to its vast artifact collection. Put on display in May was a Renault FT17 WWI tank, with a gaping hole in its side, original camouflage paint and a 37-mm gun protruding from its turret.

The Kansas City area also can boast Missouri's largest indoor water park, with the opening of CoCo Key Water Resort at the Sheraton Hotel, across Interstate 70 from Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums. The park has three water slides, a lazy river, indoor and outdoor whirlpools, a dip-in-theater children's pool and Parrot's Perch, with a huge dumping bucket.

"There's also a full-service bar, so there's something here for adults as well," spokeswoman Sandy Vivian said.

A pass is $20 Monday through Friday and $25 on weekends. A hotel-and-water resort package for four is $149 and includes lodging and four passes. The resort and hotel are teaming with various packages to see the Kansas City Royals and visit the Worlds of Fun amusement park. Call 1-877-425-2746, or visit www.cocokeywaterresort.com for details.

THE PUB CRAWL: 18 BARS, ROUND BY ROUND

Four years in the making, the new $850-million Kansas City Power & Light District is open for its first summer season. The eight-square-block entertainment district eventually will have some 25 bars and restaurants. A one-night pub crawl found 18 open for business, offering a wide array of signature drinks.

6:15 PM

Drum Room

Ultimate Preztini (Grey Goose vodka, Cointreau, white cranberry juice, Grand Marnier-infused craisins)

6:39 PM

Bristol Seafood Grill

Pink Pop (premium French vodka, fruit juices, Domaine Ste. Michelle champagne)

7:02 PM

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Negra Modelo beer

7:39 PM

Lucky Strike Lanes

Mojito