Archives: April 2009
Cuba: Are we there yet?
I want to go to Cuba — and not just because this Kansas City winter won’t end. I’ve always wanted to go to Cuba. I want to see for myself what the big deal is about the place that’s tormented our politicians all these years. I want to see the crumbling architecture that once looked so cool. I want to…
Nuts to this! Black pepper, spices recalled
Flickr: sikh_kaur_lioness First peanuts, then pistachios, now…pepper? Black and white pepper products manufactured by California-based Union International Food have been voluntarily recalled by the company. These products were primarily sold in the California and Oregon regions; they have been associated with an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened people in four states, including 33 people in California. Categories: Dining, Food…
Cordish suing Bice Bistro
Over on our sister blog Fat City, David Martin reports that the Cordish Co. is suing the operators of Bice Bistro for not paying rent and failing to pay its share of the costs to build the restaurant and adjoining cafe. Cordish wants $4.4 million, which includes rent through 2018 (the end of Bice’s lease with the Power & Light…
Kansas City’s Health Department gives awards!
Flickr: Nikki1810 A week after the Kansas City Health Department suspended business at the New York Bakery & Delicatessen for numerous health violations, they announced — whew! — some good news! Yes, there are clean restaurants in the River City! Today the City of Kansas City, Missouri Health Department announced the recipients of its Fifth Annual Grade A Food Excellence…
Info on the Victoria Williams’ Sweet Relief benefit concert next weekend.
I’m scooping myself a bit here as I’m focusing on the story behind this event for my Wayward Son column next week, but I wanted to give you some early word regarding the Victoria Williams concert and Sweet Relief benefit show next Friday, April 10, at Liberty Hall in hopes that, frankly, you might buy tickets and go. Pertinent Info-byte…
Josephine Collective posts some new, raw material online
It’s been more than a year since Josephine Collective released a full-length album on Warner Bros. Since then, the band has parted ways with the major label and appears to possibly be dropping the Collective from its name, as well. Along the lines of change, a “mixtape” that the band recently posted online suggests that whatever music comes next in…
An actual conversation on Mix 93.3
This conversation* took place just before 1:15 today on Mix 93.3**. Swank, a Mix staffer, on the phone: I’m on the Plaza, in that park with the fountains with the horses that spit water — I don’t know what it’s called! Jenny Matthews: I don’t know what it’s called either!*** You’re handing out free Vitamin Water, is that right? Swank:…
Kansas City illustrator Nathan Fox in Entertainment Weekly
I love this illustration from this week’s issues of Entertainment Weekly. The epic showdown is from Nathan Fox, one of Kansas City’s most amazing illustrators/artists, and appears on a story titled “Heroes & Villains” about how the battle of good and evil rules pop culture. We’re big fans of Fox’s work and this is obviously why. Categories: News Tags: Entertainment…
Keep up with chopsticks
Silly me for thinking that all chopsticks were the same. As an American who’s never been to Asia, my chopsticks experience consists solely of the cheap wooden ones that come with Chinese takeout. Unsurprisingly, these waribashi chopsticks are the lowest form. My interest piqued on the subject after I saw this video on how to improve your form. The man…
KU filmmaker debuts Baghdad, Kansas
Ranjit Arab had already read a story in the Lawrence Journal-World about Mike Sanger when he saw news footage of the Iraq war veteran returning his medals to Congressman Dennis Moore’s office. He’d never met the guy, but the media portrayal of the anti-war activist rubbed Arab, pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at the University of Kansas, the wrong…
HOK is now Populous. Fabulous? Or ridiculous?
I’m no marketing expert, so when I read that our highly regarded sports architecture firm, HOK Sport Venue Event, changed its name to Populous, I was confused. Why ditch a well-known name for one that sounds like a pharmaceutical-grade acne medication? The name change was necessary after the local firm’s management bought itself out from under St. Louis-based HOK Group…
Liquid olives and other chemical tales
Flickr: Darwin Bell In this interesting article from today’s Los Angeles Times, we meet food scientist Ted Russin of CP Kelco, who is working with famous chefs to “dream up new ideas.” If there seems to be a slight Frankenstein-ish component to the story, read on as the article explains how scientist Russin is helping chefs who are “looking for ways…
Recession Relief: Bluestem
Lately, I’ve written a lot about Bluestem. The fine-dining restaurant just celebrated its fifth anniversary and last week owner Colby Garrelts was announced as a finalist for a James Beard Award. Even with all the accolades in the world, though, the restaurant’s high prices keep some people away. “That’s why we created the lounge,” Garrelts told me. Bluestem’s lounge is…
Cordish sues Bice Bistro
David Martin reports: The Cordish Co. says the operator of Bice Bistro has violated the terms of its Power & Light District lease. A lawsuit filed yesterday in U.S. Court says the Ruggeri family has missed rent payments and failed to pay its share of the costs necessary to finish the restaurant and an adjoining cafe. The suit seeks $4.4…
Tips on drink tipping
Tipping a dollar per drink is not one of the Ten Commandments at restaurants, it just seems like it. That number was the standard when I first started frequenting bars, and it’s still a standard. Few people really questioned it until New York Times food critic Frank Bruni raised controversy by asking if it should be raised. Not to $2…
Stock versus Scotch
Yesterday I blogged about whiskey as an investment, and today I discovered World Whiskey Index, a stock market for all your whiskey-trading needs. World Whiskey Index (better known by the unfortunate acronym WWI) was founded on simple supply and demand. New markets, especially China, have developed a taste for single-malt scotches. But there’s a limited amount of fine scotch. Most…
Daily Briefs 3: Tokyo Drift
%{}% Nothing gold can stay, Ponyboy: As a novel alternative to just cold vetoin’ the new city budget, Mayor Mark Funkhouser will let it become law without his signature, a level of political subtlety we haven’t experienced, ever, from the Funkhouser administration. So I’m attributing that whole thing to professional political consultant Mark Seittman, as opposed to Funkhouser’s previous advisor,…
The best of yesterday’s April Fool’s jokes
Any April Fool’s Day that NASA gets involved in needs a round-up. It was a day of false stories involving organic food and the green movement. The best one was on Civil Eats, which claimed food guru Alice Waters would be releasing a line of frozen entrees at Dean & Deluca. Although the story was outrageous — the entrees are…
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