MySideOfTheBar

A couple of weeks back we were supposed to have a reunion of the Moberly Rat Pack here in Kansas City. You may remember the Moberly Rat Pack from other posts, but if not it is comprised of four of us that used to hang out when we lived in Moberly. The Doctor, The Professor (me), Central Patti and Mr. Bill. Well Central Patti, The Doc and I did manage to get together and while we missed Mr. Bill we had one great day. No one in our trio had every been to the Power and Light District here in K.C. despite the fact that Central Patti and I have lived here a little over two years. We started at the afternoon at the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium. This is one unique bar with 76 beers on tap and dozens and dozens of other beers from all over the world. The unique thing about the Flying Saucer (yes it is a chain) is the U.F.O. Club. To become a member you pay 18:00 and you receive a free T-Shirt and a swipe club which tracks your beer consumption. Once you reach 200 beers consumed you get yo...

Recently I had the privilege of attending the 50th Anniversary Party of Central Patti’s parents, O and K. V in Alton Iowa. The weekend started with a quick stop at the Ameristar Casino in Omaha and some drinks in the Ameristar Sports Brew Pub . This is a great little secret in Omaha with a great view of all the people that enter the Casino. If you are more into people watching than gambling (like we are) this is a great place to hang out for an evening. The food is very good and as expected has all the pub food you normally find in a sports bar. The next evening we had dinner and drinks at the 4 Brothers Bar and Grill in La Mars Iowa. This bar and grill was very well laid out with a very cozy bar. The menu was very broad and the steak salad, while a little tough had a great flavor. The people in small town America are very, very friendly and provide some great hospitality. The main event was held on Saturday and started with Bloody Marys around 8:30 while decorating the Alton Country...

While sitting at MySideOfTheBar last weekend the discussion of vacations was a very hot topic. This reminded me of a vacation that Central Patti and I had taken many a few years earlier... The Reluctant Hero Part I I never considered myself a brave person or a risk taker, much less a hero. But here I am, 12 gauge shotgun in hand, some type of revolver stuck in my belt hoping not to shoot myself, or to loose any vital body parts, preparing to go and confront what I can only describe as pirates! Terrell and Nicki had invited us to one of their many houses, this one on the North Carolina coast. It being winter in the Midwest we did not need much convincing to leave the cold and snow behind. Central Patti and I arrived early on a Friday afternoon and caught a cab to the address provided by Nicki. Patti and I had met Terrell and Nicki several years earlier through friends of friends and it had not taken long for the four of us to become fast friends. We have often said that it se...

While it is not official summer we have been having some great summer time weather here. So naturally we have been making lots of summer time drinks. Here are a few of our favorites that we have either made or tried. Nantucket Lemonade We ran across this years ago on the Food Network and it has been a staple of our summer time drinks at MySideOfTheBar ever since 2 and 1/2 Cups Lemonade 1 Cup Cranberry Juice 1 and 1/2 tbs Fresh Lime Juice (or more if you really like lime) 1 and 1/2 Cups Vodka (Svedka is the official Vodka of MySideOfTheBar) 1 Cup Chilled Ginger Ale (or Diet Ginger Ale) 2 Cups Ice Garnish with Frozen Berries. White Wine Spritzers We really love this drink and it is so easy to make. Take a favorite (or maybe not your favorite) white wine and chill. We have been using either Maui Blanc or Maui Splash from the Tedeschi Vineyards which as you might expect has a hint of pineapple. Then simply add club soda and you have a very refreshing summer drink. You can also use any whi...

While the simple things in life are not always free, we often do not stop and realize how to enjoy them. That was not the case this weekend as MySideOfTheBar was out on the water at the Lake of the Ozarks courtesy of our friends S. and C. O. and their boat (Cheers S.O.) :) the Happy Hourz. We spent a great day in a cove just relaxing and of course have a few adult beverages. An absolutely great way to spend a day joined by a couple of the Usual Suspects from Baypoint, L. and D. S. and some new friends, T. and S. M. We want to wish everyone very Happy Memorial Day Holiday and we would also be remiss if we did not say a big thanks to all of the Men and Women in the military who have served and are serving our nation.

We had a great weekend which started on Thursday evening at Fidels enjoying fine Kristoff Cigars at the Kristoff Event. Kristoff Cigars are the official cigar of MySideOfTheBar, especially the Matador Maduro. We then took MySideOfTheBar on the road as is customary for the summer months to the Lake of the Ozarks. One of our favorite hangouts is Bobbers Restaurant and Bar located at the beautiful Alhonna resort . Alhonna’s is one of the few family owned and operated resorts still on the lake and will remind you a resort from Grumpy Old Men. As is our tradition we generally walk to Alhonnas as it is just a little over a mile. On Friday evening they feature all you can eat Catfish or Pango. Pango is a Vietnamese white fish and very tasty. Both are very lightly breaded and fried and come with choice of Potato, Cole Slaw, sautéed vegetables and a roll. On Saturday Morning as customary we made the hike back to Alhonnas for brunch. We were short on the gang of usual suspects, but expect the...

A couple of weeks back I decided to give pipe smoking a try. I was at one of my usual Friday night spots, Fidels in Westport. (Also see Fidel's Cigar Shop on Facebook). Seth the Tobacconist on Friday evenings and an expert in both cigars and pipes showed me several pipes, but recommended a Peterson Pipe . As I had never tried pipe smoking I took his advice and bought a starter pipe kit that contained a very nice pipe, a tamper, some pipe cleaners (very essential as I would find out) and an ounce of pipe tobacco of my choice from their many house blends. As Seth explained how to pack and light a Pipe I quickly deduced that this process was key to pipe smoking and would probably take me some time to master. Packing the pipe is a very essential step to successfully enjoying a pipe and I am still working to get the hang of it. The tobacco that I tried was a little to sweet for me as when I smoke a cigar I prefer to have one that is very dark and rich. Seth explained that pipe tobacco ...