The Foundry

I'm already on board with loving McCoy's and one80, so I kind of figured that when some of the folks behind the scenes at those two places said they were opening another spot in Westport I'd be pretty pleased with what they came up with. Well, they came up with The Foundry: a "Retro, DJ, Dive Bar." It's too nice to be a dive bar, and too modern-esque to be retro, and though I've never seen a DJ there I admittedly am no longer much of a night owl. Semantics aside, I love The Foundry. They have a beer nerds beer selection and a pretty impressive menu of delicious food, along with a nice big outdoor area and really excellent wait staff. The patio overlooks the parking lot but somehow manages to make you feel as though you're not sitting right in a parking lot - and though the inside is fairly industrial looking, it is still a comfortable place to have a leisurely meal and a beer or three.

On our latest visit, we stuffed ourselves on an embarrassingly large Atomic Chili Dog, an Elwood pizza, and a Mean Joe Green vegan burger served with crispy thin french fries. The pizza had a delicious crust topped with a zippy sauce, onions and bacon and could have only been improved had the onions on top been carmelized rather than just sauteed. There is no substitute for a good carmelized onion, especially when paired with bacon. I kind of had to order the Mean Joe Green, as I have a weakness for veggie burgers and when a restaurant makes their own, I'm always game to try it. This was a good one - it was a delicious mess. With white beans, black beans, and a fresh pico de gallo and avocado on top, it was a good sandwich on a really soft roll. The Atomic Chili Dog kind of speaks for itself. Look at the photo. Yum.

I've had a lot of fun drinking my way through their beer menu. I still have a long way to go, but I've tried something new on every visit. They carry some of my favorite Belgian-style beers, including the Delirium Tremens and La Fin du Monde. On our last visit, our waitress recommended the Goose Island Matilda, which was really hoppy and outstanding. They also carry all the McCoy's beers, which just makes your decision-making that much more difficult. Currently on tap is the McCoy's Anniversary Ale from last year, which has aged into a delicious and dangerous ale, at 13%. I'm not going to tell you not to have one, but maybe you should split it with someone. And call a cab.

The Foundry at McCoy's
424 Westport Road
816*960*0866

Free State Fireside Imperial Pils

Just a little Tasting Note at Present Magazine about one of Free State's Seasonal offerings...
click here to read more.

Boulevard's Smokestack Series

I'm going to be doing a little more writing for Present Magazine, which you should read, if you don't already.
Here's my latest - a piece on the limited edition Smokestack series from Boulevard.

Yay Beer!

Boulevard has released their Smokestack series beers today! We've picked up a bottle of each...they're chilling as we speak. Check out their MySpace page for more info on each beer. I hear that the Sixth Glass Quadruple and the Saison were early favorites (at least according to my liquor store guy).
Go local beer!

The Free-est State

We're full in to college basketball season now, so our season tickets give us lots of opportunities to dine in Lawrence before games. I love going up to Lawrence to eat. It's a whole untapped resource of yummy things right down I-70.
The bad thing about eating in Lawrence is that I have my favorites and I find it hard to deviate from those. Sometimes you just get a craving for the sweet salsa or the mushroom empanadas at La Familia and nothing else will do. And sometimes you're in the mood for a Wheat State beer and some Cheddar Ale Soup, and you just have to go to Free State. I'm really never not in the mood for their Cheddar Ale Soup.
I've had bad service at Free State before, but I've never had a bad meal. I like their daily specials and I feel like they do a great job of updating the menu on a pretty regular basis. Wednesday night the special was a Ad Astra Ale-battered chile relleno stuffed with three different cheeses, served with beans and rice. The chile relleno was lightly battered and not at all overcooked. The sauce was sharp and flavorful and it was especially good with the Saison beer. My butternut ravioli had a cream sauce, a dollop of pesto, and was sprinkled with dried cranberries; the toasted focaccia slice was perfect for sopping up the rest of the sauce.
Our dining companions had the Fish & Chips (you can never go wrong with their Fish & Chips, mainly because they have awesome fries) and the Hot Pastrami Baguette, served with a mixed greens salad.

Free State Brewing Company
636 Massachusetts in Lawrence, KS
785*843*4555

Monday night = McCoy's

I've been in something of a food rut as of late. I find myself seeking out old favorites or eating at home more often than not. On Sunday I was guilty of baking a tater tot casserole. No lie. I come from a long line of casserole people, and nothing is more comforting than a casserole. Especially one made with miniature tater tots.
When not indulging in the food of my childhood, I've been eating at places I know I like. My adventurous side has been napping.
Take last night for example. Monday nights = McCoy's Public House. I know they have excellent specials on other nights of the week, but the Monday night special is my favorite. $6 pizzas. $6 burgers. $6 pitchers of their most excellent beer. It makes cooking at home seem silly when you can indulge in a Big Cheese burger with Merkt's Sharp Cheddar spread. Or a Tuscan Chicken Pizza with gorgonzola, bacon, and mushrooms. It helps take the sting out of Mondays.

McCoy's Public House
4057 Pennsylvania in Westport
816*960*0866

KC Brewers Festival

Just a quick note before we head out for our long weekend.
Mark your calendars now! Next Saturday is the Kansas City Craft Brewers Festival at Grinder's. It's from 1 to 5 in the Sculpture Park and will feature food, live music, and, of course, beer. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the gate - but it's a benefit for the Free Health Clinic and the KC AIDS Walk, so you can drink beer to benefit something other than your beer belly, which is actually kinda cute on you.

Present

If you haven't signed up yet for Present Magazine to be delivered to you via email, this is as good an opportunity as any to do so.

psssst....while you're there, check out my contribution to the September issue! it's beeriffic!