Big 12 at The Power & Light. The Best Thing--EVER!

My pals, Chambord and Weston invited me to walk over to the P&L a couple nights ago. Ward Parkway would have come with us to experience the all of the excitement, but he was out of town on bidness. It was the first night of the Big XII tournament, and downtown was completely and utterly packed to the hilt! What a sight!

Across the street from the Sprint Center, we showed our IDs to the security staff at the entrance to KC Live's "Living Room" area and were shocked at how many people had come to experience the new downtown! All were socializing and lounging with friends, watching the game on the huge outdoor TV screen. Every Big 12 college game shirt was visible amongst the crowd. People were milling about, buying beers from the many different vendors set up around the central courtyard area.

Weston instantly eyed the Boulevard booth and said, "Follow my lead. I've got a plan!" Chambord and I had no idea what he had up his sleeve, but we played along, just for fun.

Walking up to the Boulevard beer booth, Weston curiously asked the beer girl, "What is Boulevard? Is it a local beer? I've never heard of it. I'm from out of town." Yeah--he fibbed, but it was fun to see the look on the beer girl's face. "No way," she said. "You've really never heard of Boulevard?!" Weston shook his head and asked if they'd let us sample the beer before buying. Sadly, the beer girl told us that the cups were counted, and that she was responsible for any cups that came up missing. It was a no-go. She could not give us a sample… "That's ok," Weston told her. "How much for one of your plastic cups of Boulevard?" The answer knocked us off our feet. "Seven dollars," she said. We stepped back in complete shock, and told her that it was too expensive, and then headed over to the window bar at Raglan Road. Yes, I said window bar. It is the coolest thing--EVER! The pub has a "secret window" that rolls up and exposes a hidden bar so they can serve to people outdoors. And what's better? Their Boulevard (only six steps away from the Boulevard cart) cost $5 per beer. Still pricey, but a steal compared to what the beer girl was selling her wayyy less-appealing Boulevard for…

I did not partake in having a Boulevard with my friends, because I was excited to check out the new Gordon-Biersch Brewery just around the corner. "Follow me," I told Weston and Chambord. "I need to sample me some Biersch."

There were so many sports fans and tourists, it was hard to reach the bar. I salmoned my way upstream, and ordered a Schwarzbier, which means "black beer" in German. I was hooked. It may give Guinness (my all time favorite--EVER, er, besides St. Pauli Girl, Yuengling, Foster's, and Kronenbourg 1664) a run for its money. I guess you can also order their beers in a boot?! I went to their website to find out more...

The Legend of the Boot: 16th-century German students enjoyed having a few drafts, then dueling it out. As midnight neared, revelers laid down their swords and filled their boots with their favorite lagers for a toast. Before long, health-minded craftsmen began producing boots made of glass. Now Gordon Biersch carries the glass boot tradition forward, but sharp wits preferred to swords. Part of the tradition involves the correct way to drink from the boot without wearing it home. If you are a good little guest and ask your server nicely, you might even learn the secret...

Chambord, Weston, and I continued on with our journey through the new P&L. We explored all over the lower level and also poked around a bit upstairs where we discovered an intriguing Angel's Rock Bar. Not really my scene, per se, but very, very cool indeed! It was decorated in chains and everyone that worked there seemed to be required to have tattoos and/or piercings. The best part, however, was the D.J. He had probably the tallest mohawk I'd ever seen--EVER! It was the focal point of the bar and is totally worth it to at least go check out. Just don't stare.

Weston then said that we should walk over to the new Lucky Strike bowling alley. Glad we did! It was the greatest bowling alley in the world--EVER! Coolest lounge-bar in the city, hands down--if you like dark, swanky spaces. But expensive... We decided to bowl, but for just one frame. Shoe rental was like $4, and the game was around $6-7 per person. And that was on a Thursday! Friday and Saturdays are even more. So, don't forget to take your MasterCard.

All-in-all, we have given this new, hip, urban scene a big thumbs UP! And when we say "big thumbs up," we mean the biggest thumbs--EVER!