Archives: March 2011
Kansas lawmakers debate whether to require prescriptions for cold meds with pseudoephedrine
Meth addicts could be screwing over Kansas allergy sufferers. Kansas lawmakers are debating whether to require a prescription for allergy meds such as Claritin-D and Zyrtec-D as well as Advil Cold & Sinus, according to the Wichita Eagle. All of this is an effort to stop Kansas’ meth cooks from getting the key ingredient pseudoephedrine. Thanks a lot, you toothless…
Missouri Senate proves voters’ voices don’t count, moves to gut puppy mill bill
The Missouri Senate cares more about dog breeders than dogs. We’ve established that. But Tuesday, the Missouri Senate pushed forward on gutting the voter-approved Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Just because you voted for it doesn’t mean Missouri lawmakers are going to let it happen. What do you think this is, a democracy? Even…
The five reasons science can’t take the five-second rule from me
It’s one of the last great questions faced by humankind: Do you eat something that has just fallen on the floor if you can get it back to your mouth in five seconds? The New York Times will tell you that it’s the “Zero-Second Rule.” That scientific data suggests that once it’s on the floor, it’s gone because bacteria transfer…
There’s a show at El Torreon — yes, El Torreon! — tomorrow night
These days, many people know El Torreon — formerly the Cowtown Ballroom — as the Cowtown Mallroom, a gathering of vintage oddities that’s hosted every Sunday afternoon. But it looks like El Torreon is still hosting concerts. In fact, there’s one this Thursday. We caught up with R.L. Brooks of Maps for Travelers about the show. The Pitch: Hasn’t it…
Bierocks for everyone, Runza will open in Mission
Get ready to bierock, Mission. Runza — a bierock and hamburger chain founded in Lincoln, Nebraska — will open its second location in Kansas. The Star’s Joyce Smith reports that the fast-food chain, which currently has a franchise in Lawrence (2700 Iowa), is in the process of renovating the former Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen space (6751 Johnson Drive). The new…
Zack Greinke hurts ribs playing basketball, could miss start of the season
If Kansas City Royals fans have any remaining feelings of missing Zack Greinke, they shouldn’t. The former Royal is probably going to start the season on the disabled list because he fractured a rib — playing basketball. The 2009 AL Cy Young winner jumped for a rebound and fell on his side. The Round Mound of Rebound he is not….
Poll: McDonald’s or Subway, which is No. 1 in your book?
Update your Trivial Pursuit sets because the answer to the question of which restaurant is the largest fast-food chain in the world has changed. Subway has officially passed McDonald’s for the most restaurants, although McDonald’s still retains the crown for highest overall revenue ($24 billion to $15.2 billion). Subway now has 33,749 locations, compared with the 32,737 McDonald’s in the…
Cyclones in a stunner? Missouri cruising? Big 12 men’s basketball tournament predictions: Day 1
The Big 12 men’s basketball tournament tips off this morning, and I have a TV on my desk ready to watch all of the first-round action. Kansas and Kansas State fans get to take the day off and, I’m hoping, are going to sell their first-round passes to schleps like me without tickets. We’re still a week away from filling…
Slideshow: Top of the Bottom’s Fat Tuesday Parade
A bunch of Mardi Gras die-hards woke early on Tuesday morning in Kansas City. They were part of the Fat Tuesday parade that began at 5:45 a.m. and ended at YJ’s Snack Bar. “There were a few leaders yelling and singing Mardi Gras songs into a microphone, and everyone was dancing to the beats of the drums. I left at…
Grunauer Restaurant starts Sunday brunch this month
Nicholas Grunauer says that his father, chef Peter Grunauer, was ready to start serving a Sunday brunch soon after the Viennese restaurant opened in the Crossroads last year. “But we needed to get a Sunday liquor license first,” Nicholas says. “Once we had that, we had the menu ready and just needed to finalize our plans.” Categories: Dining, Food &…
Kevin Smith invites Fred Phelps and his kin to see Red State in Kansas City
Filmmaker Kevin Smith is bringing his latest film, the Westboro Baptist Church-inspired Red State, to Kansas City Saturday night. But the directer behind Clerks may be able to avoid the inevitable “God hates ” picket: Smith says the Phelps family has an “open invitation” anytime to see his latest film, including Saturday at the Midland. “Just get in touch with us,”…
The Atlantic talks ambition, new music and how age can be deceiving
The Atlantic is a fresh-faced band out of Overland Park, but you wouldn’t suspect it from the way they rock. We caught up with the young band about the Atlantic’s ambitions, its forthcoming EP, and how they think underage kids can still slay the bar scene. Who are some of the musicians you try to emulate? We all listen to…
Sluggerrr, Royals mascot, takes stand in Case of the Errant Wiener
With the costume he used to wear on the floor by his feet, the man who played Sluggerrr for 13 years testified about the arcs and velocities of the hot dogs that he tossed to fans at Kauffman Stadium. Byron Shores estimated that he threw thousands of foil-wrapped hot dogs into the crowd in his time as the Royals mascot….
Fat Tuesday Parade
The annual mardi gras parade on Fat Tuesday brought out plenty of characters. Photos by Brooke Vandever.
Win an autographed Blue Valentine poster from Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen, and more!
The Pitch’s Nick Spacek spoke with Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear last week about the Oscar-nominated film Blue Valentine. (Grizzly Bear provided the score for the film, which stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams.) We have an autographed poster and a soundtrack to the film, for y’all to win. Who wants it? Categories: Music Tags: Blue Valentine, Grizzly Bear
Stretch, owner of Grinders, gets to host a Spike TV show
The restaurateur, artist and unlikely TIF commissioner known as Stretch has a deal to host a show on cable channel Spike TV, according to the Kansas City Business Journal. Stretch, or (as his birth certificate knows him), Jeff Rumaner, didn’t elaborate on the deal. “I can’t say anything about the concept, only that I’ve signed a deal,” Stretch told the…
Red Riding Hood
In a wintry woodland in an unspecified time long, long ago, teen beauty Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is arranged to marry brooding, hunky, rich dude Henry (Max Irons), but she’s plotting to run away with brooding, hunky peasant Peter (Shiloh Fernandez). Then — bummer! — Valerie’s sister is eaten by the werewolf that besieges their village, thus forcing our heroine to…
Battle: Los Angeles
The shaky cam is coming, the shaky cam is coming! Jonathan Liebesman directs his alien-invasion saga Battle: Los Angeles as if he were having a violent seizure, wedding whiplash faux-war-documentary aesthetics to a Michael Bay cocktail of ooh-rah military romanticism, quick-stroke melodrama and seesawing CG mayhem. Called into duty after news reports of extraterrestrial warfare devour the airwaves, a John…
We finally sort of figure out what’s going on with the Plaza’s Zocalo Restaurant
No, it was just a strange coincidence that the owners of the still-unopened Zocalo Mexican Cuisine and Tequileria on the Country Club Plaza chose this name — the word Zocalo is used to describe the main square, or plaza, in the heart of Mexico — for their new venue. It’s also the name of a Cleveland restaurant connected with Food…
Cafe Up Close: Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange
It’s a mix of modern and nostalgic touches at the Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange. Photography by Chris Mullins.
