Omahan visiting KC - need advice

[Big E]

Hi friends.  At the spur of the moment, I and the other half are spending the coming weekend (3/11-12) in KC, from Sat AM through Sun PM, strictly 4S&G.  A handful of you may be familiar with my ramblings from eomaha.com, so bear with me.   The last time I was in KC was 20+ years ago, and all I remember was Bo Jackson. 

What we are looking for this weekend:

1) Urban contemporary UNIQUE home furnishings.  For those familiar with Omaha: think Elan, Eclipse, and Niche.

2) We are NOT interested in the suburbs, or a manufactured urban utopia.  Please feel free to point us towards the "heart" of KC.  Thirteen yrs ago I interviewd at KCAI, and that is what I am looking for.

3) Name a GOOD restaurant in or near DTKC.  We want 4+ stars (for guidance) and as unique as we can get, but if something insanely great stands out, we'll go there.  Please no good BBQ.  I love BBQ, but NOT what we are looking for this weekend.

4) We are both VEHEMENTLY ANTI-SMOKING.  We can tolerate a smoking section, but it had better be small and reclusive in the venue.

5) Advice on lodging.  Need comfortable but not pampering, and see #4. 

6) Once we get there, we would prefer to park the car and walk and/or cab/pub tran so we can...   um....  "have a good time".

7)  Anyone wants to meet for a beer/wine/scotch/martini...  I'm there.  But NO SMOKING. 

Love to hear advice.

Thanks
-Big E

[Paintfumes]

The President Hotel just opened up . After you stay there you can tell us about your experience there....www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=MCIPRHF

[KCPowercat]

Hi friends.  At the spur of the moment, I and the other half are spending the coming weekend (3/11-12) in KC, from Sat AM through Sun PM, strictly 4S&G.  A handful of you may be familiar with my ramblings from eomaha.com, so bear with me.   The last time I was in KC was 20+ years ago, and all I remember was Bo Jackson. 

Nothing like a good weekend trip...just wish we had more cities like Omaha and KC close to visit....good to have you down.  I'll try and answer some questions.

1) Urban contemporary UNIQUE home furnishings.  For those familiar with Omaha: think Elan, Eclipse, and Niche.

Downtown:  Hudson Home, Black Bamboo, Museo, Retro Inferno, Abdiana (still open?), Aesthetica, Oggi.

2) We are NOT interested in the suburbs, or a manufactured urban utopia.  Please feel free to point us towards the "heart" of KC.  Thirteen yrs ago I interviewd at KCAI, and that is what I am looking for.

39th St, Westport, Crossroads, River Market....NE area, Hyde Park for more strictly residential areas....also Art museum area by the KCAI

3) Name a GOOD restaurant in or near DTKC.  We want 4+ stars (for guidance) and as unique as we can get, but if something insanely great stands out, we'll go there.  Please no good BBQ.  I love BBQ, but NOT what we are looking for this weekend.

- Bluestem in Westport is probably one of the top 3 restaurants in KC right now.  1924 Main is great.  Zin is pretty good.  Those are all more contemporary...old school would be places like Majestic, Plaza II on the plaza, the Amercian, Peppercorn Duck Club.

4) We are both VEHEMENTLY ANTI-SMOKING.  We can tolerate a smoking section, but it had better be small and reclusive in the venue.

- all of those don't seem to have a smoking section problem.

5) Advice on lodging.  Need comfortable but not pampering, and see #4. 

- Hyatt, Downtown Marriott, Hotel President, Hotel Phillips Westin...all those are downtown.  Marriott on the Plaza, Raphael on the plaza.

6) Once we get there, we would prefer to park the car and walk and/or cab/pub tran so we can...  um....  "have a good time".

Get familiar with the MAX line...it will run almost everywhere you want to go from river market to plaza/brookside/waldo.  It's no light rail but it's an improvement.  You should easily be able to park it and leave it.

Some suggestions, not knowing what you are really into.

- Auto Show is this weekend at Bartle
- Liberty Memorial tower and museum is cool....the tower for the view.
- Skies for a drink...nothing better than sipping a cocktail and watching the city go by.
- Negro League Baseball Museum if you are into sports....I consider it the best attraction in the city.


If you guys need any more bar/restaurant suggestions, just tell us what kind of stuff you are looking for and we'll try to point you in the right direction.  Everything mentioned above should be easily googled for official sites.

7)  Anyone wants to meet for a beer/wine/scotch/martini...  I'm there.  But NO SMOKING. 

Love to hear advice.

Thanks
-Big E

[Deleted User]

The Blue Room @ 18th & Vine Saturday night for live music.
Afterward walk a block and a-half to 1823 Highland to the Mutual Musician's Foundation for the late night jam...
starts around 1am Sunday.

[Paintfumes]

To eat, try this, http://www.visitkc.com/visitor_info/din ... m?ID=31617 .

[chrizow]

to follow up on KCPowercat's suggestions:

food:
* Bluestem is one of the best in the city, and is non-smoking.  www.bluestemkc.com .   if you want unique, contemporary food this might be a good place.
* Zin is great too.  www.zinkc.com
* 1924 Main is good.  it is a prix fixe experience.  good place for a drink too.
* Cafe Sebastienne, the restaurant inside the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, is perenially hailed as one of the best places to eat in town.  http://www.kemperart.org/cafe/index.asp

drinks:
* Bar Natasha is a fun bar that has cabaret at night. just across from 1924 Main (at 1911 Main). not sure how smoky i would say it is.  http://www.barnatasha.com/default.htm
* The Cashew is a solid bar.  2000 Grand.
* The Bulldog, 1715 Main, is a pretty standard, classy bar.  www.kcbulldog.com
* Harry's Bar and Tables in Westport is a KC classic, and has a good outdoor patio if it's nice.  501 westport road.  it sounds like you are trying to have a "classy" weekend, though, so you'd probably want to avoid the Westport area past 10pm.
* 12 Baltimore is a quiet, classy, old school bar.  106 w. 12th.
* Vivace in the River Market has martinis and an ice bar.  the crowd can be a bit Botoxed out, but you might dig it anyway.  http://www.kansascitymenus.com/vivace/
* if you want to dance to house music, go to Kabal on Saturday night.  D:FUSE (prog/trance dj from texas) is playing downstairs.  www.kabalkc.com

[tat2kc]

restaurants: try SORedux. Good review in today's star. Furnishings: check out DEN, on the second floor above Retro Inferno. (1500 Grand). 

[KCRealtor]

Vivace and 1924 are an absolute must for dinner!  Although I really like 1924, there is more elbow room at Vivace.  As for furnishings...you can't beat High Cotton on SW Blvd, Crossroads.  Ben prides himself on quality and originality...and he is one of the best contemporary designers in the midwest.  While there you have to get some chocolates from Christopher Elbow...delicious.

[cityscape]

Lidia's in the freight district is a great italian restaurant.  I would suggest staying at the Hotel Phillips or Hotel President downtown. 

[chrizow]

right on, tat2kc and KCRealtor.  i forgot about SORedux, DEN, and High Cotton.  you'll definitely want to check those out, Big E.

[bahua]

The Mango Room(12th & Main) and Sienna Bistro(10th, between Broadway and Central) are both fantastic, and are both smoke-free.

[Big E]

Wow...thanks for all the info folks.  Give me a minute to process some of this and we'll figure out an itinerary.  I'll be sure to report back with th results.  Keep the ideas coming, though!

Hopefully I can point you all in the right direction in Omaha sometime.

Peace and chicken grease.
-Big E

[shinatoo]

Don't get your hopes up about being smoke free and being drunk.

[staubio]

There are very few options for a completely smoke free bar, but I've found Bar Natasha and Vivace to be pretty light on the smoke, of the choices given above. 

Keep in mind that 18th and Vine and Columbus Park locations are going to require a cab if you plan on being there into the later evening.  Transit should be reliable for you along the MAX corridor until service ends around midnight.

[KCPowercat]

somebody should go read DTO's comments at eomaha.com about this very topic.  Dude is feeling so inferior it's almost sad.

[chrizow]

somebody should go read DTO's comments at eomaha.com about this very topic.  Dude is feeling so inferior it's almost sad.

post a link.

edit: i found it.  wtf?  he got robbed therefore KC is overrated, O is better, and Old Market is better than KC.  mmmmkay. 

Big E, please don't let DTO ruin your impression of KC.  he just has a chip on his shoulder.

[Big E]

My 100% smoke free stance usually means "as long as I don't have to be around it".  If there's a definite delineation between the smoking and the non-smoking sections, I'm all good.  I refuse to eat in a smoky area, at all.  I can live without going to bars, especially full of drunk college kids.  I outgrew it about 10 years ago.

-Big E

[DTO]

somebody should go read DTO's comments at eomaha.com about this very topic.  Dude is feeling so inferior it's almost sad.

I do not feel Omaha is inferior to Kansas City. What bugs me is that people (including many Omahans) feel KC is so vastly superior to Omaha and it's not. But I also have to keep in mind that most of you have probably never been to Omaha.

I might even be passing through KC again this weekend on my way to handle some family stuff.

[chrizow]

What bugs me is that people (including many Omahans) feel KC is so vastly superior to Omaha and it's not.

error.

Big E:  given our suggestions, do you have any other requests?

[Paintfumes]

error.

Big E:  given our suggestions, do you have any other requests?

I think he's gone.