MySideOfTheBar

Yes it is true that I have at least on other post with the same name, however this seems appropriate for the next few posts. Especially in light of where we are traveling to. Yes it is Key West once again and I am happy to report that we have been most fortuitous to be able to spend so much time on the Rock in the last few years. If  you recall this past March Central Patti  and I visited around 130 different establishments in the Keys. We have set our goal to 150 this year since we have a couple of extra weeks. The title of one of Hemingway's classics and one of my personal favorites as well.  Also  a couple of my favorite quotes are from this book. “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast.”  (I feel the same about the Florida Keys) and “We ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other.”  Central Pa

Best commercial ever!

This is one great series and if you are a fan of Don, it is a must see. Great to binge during a happy hour. We watched a couple of weeks back on a #KCWW

WTH? So last summer I was bragging to a couple of the "Usual Suspects" about O'Dowd's Irish Pub here on the beautiful K.C. Plaza. We have been frequenting this establishment for more years that I care to recall. On this one particular day when I was full of hope for the newbies, I found it to be closed for remodeling. Keep in mind that the original Irish Pub was transported piece by piece from Ireland and at one time rankled as one of the top ten Irish Pubs in the U.S. Well last Saturday Central Patti and I finally went inside to check it out. While the atmosphere was very sterile compared to the old antique look, it was definitely more spacious and warm. We went up to the upstairs deck for a couple of V.T's and to have a cigar. It was a beautiful day so we asked for a menu to look it over. All of the standbys (boxty's, shepherds pie, fish and chips etc.) They also added many new items. We choose a few from the appetizer list: Parmesan zucchini chip

As usual they had me at bacon A couple of weeks back I was in the liquor store and stumbled across Ol' Major Bacon Bloody Mary Mix. So naturally I had to take it back to the lab and give it a try. WOW! Without a doubt this is the best mix I have every stumbled across. Very much bacon! The only thing I could recommend is maybe adding a little hot sauce. However, be careful and not choose a hot sauce that has very defined characteristics. I used just a simple ghost hot sauce to give it a little spice. I also found that this same company has a bacon bourbon that I am going to give a try this weekend. Speaking of a little spice I also tried this Bloody Mary Mix about the same time Hot Pepper Bloody Mary Mix is as advertised, HOT! I recommend using just a splash with other ingredients as shown here. Cheers The Professor

So it is no secret that MySideOfTheBar was on the Rock for the  month of march. I am hoping to recap a few places of interest that we visited. The Gato Village Pocket Park is one such place. You are probably wondering what a Pocket Park is? (I know I did) Well simply put a Pocket Park is a small green space that has been set aside for public enjoyment. We were listening to Pirate Radio one morning and found out they had a fund raiser, coincidentally enough on a Whiskey Wednesday at this Pocket Park. The fund raiser was to raise money to pay for the recently refurbished giant cigar sculpture.  Need I say more? No, but I will anyway :) We arrived a little late for the free cigars but did get to sample some of my favorite rum from the Key West Distillery that produces what I think is the best rum on the island (or anywhere else for that matter), Pappa's Pillar. But I digress: The Gatto Pocket Park is This park has a special history as it was part of a unique commu

After spending 66 days in Key West in the last year I am growing tired of hearing people say, "You have to go to the Blue Heaven!" Yes while it is a cool  place, it simply is not worth going to more than once. The prices and the waiting, not to mention cocktails that are phoned in. So with that in mind here are 5 places worth visiting over the Blue Heaven for fine dining while on the Rock. 5. The Commodore Waterfront Restaurant - While it is true the outside seating is limited the food here is excellent. Service is also a priority at the Commodore. In addition the wharf in Key West provides some excellent scenery. 4. Latrattoria in Old Town - The only reason this establishment was not higher on the list is because we have only visited it once. The bartender recommended the snapper and the hog fish and since she made an excellent Old Fashioned we took her advice. We were NOT disappointed. While you do not have the views here as with the other restaurants, it is cool si

I discovered this Cocktail from a link to another link :) Kind of like I know a guy who knows a guy. But hey, most things you find online are like this, right? Anyway I was very surprised on how great this Cocktail was and would make a great addition to your next A.M. Cocktail Party. Ingredients 1 1/2 oz Tequila (I used Reposado) 1/2 oz Cointreau 1 oz Carrot Juice 1 oz Orange Juice 1/2 oz. Cilantro Simple Syrup* 3 Slices Jalapeno Pepper Rub a lime wedge on the outside of a Collins Glass and coat with kosher salt Add ingredients to a shaker with ice an shake well Strain into Collins Glass Garnish with a lime wedge *Cilantro Simple Syrup. Just make a batch of simple syrup and muddle in a handful of cilantro. I could not find carrot juice and was not really sure I would like it anyway so I used V8 Juice. I also recommend using more V8 and skipping the Cointreau. Otherwise it was a great morning cocktail and will be a great addition to my next book. Cheers The Profes

As most of you know that follow this blog or imbibe at MySideOfTheBar I do not like the use of Bloody Mary Mixes. When I see a bar use them I just think they are being lazy. However, there are times when they make sense. When traveling is the main time I use them and yes they are convenient.  As MySideOfTheBar has been on the road for a large part of the last year I thought it would be a good time to share some of the ones I have found that will do in  your travels. The latest is this Jack's Smokey Marty Mix - Brought to you by Jack Stacks BBQ of Kansas City. This is a mild mix that in my opinion needs more spice. While it does have a nice flavor and a smoke taste it falls a little short in my opinion. Adding a hot sauce to it could be that answer. Powell & Mahoney Cocktail Mixer Bloody Mary Sriracha - This is an excellent mix and as you may expect that a nice spice. Also has other ingredients like Worcester Sauce that would expect in a high end Bloody Mary Mix.