Westport Cafe and Bar (WCB) Steak Night

It has been a while, but I am back with another amazing steak night here is Cowtown.

Steak Soirée

• Where: Westport Cafe and Bar (WCB) 419 Westport Road, Kansas City MO 64111
  
• What: Steak, Bearnaise Sauce, &Unlimited Fries
  
• When: Every Tuesday Night
  
• Cost: $15.00
  
• Satisfaction Level: Awesome

It has been a while since my last review, but I was in the mood for a nice steak last Tuesday and happened upon the WCB's Instgram feed, and they had a delicious looking steak. Plus I had never taken my wife (yes I have gotten married since the last post so I really need to step up my game here) to WCB, which was a tragedy in itself.  

Westport Cafe and Bar is one of my favorite places in Kansas City, whether it is for a relaxing brunch, a cocktail and great happy hour, or a wonderful french dinner there are very few places in town that are as consistently excellent as WCB (I'll abbreviate it from here on out because I'm lazy). Apparently this steak night has been happening for some time, and I am way late to the game.

What a way to come back.  This steak was amazing. This was a wonderful little mid-week date night for my wife and I, who also likes steaks as much as I do.  She often asks for steak with a side of steak for dinner.

The deal here is you get the Steak Frites, which would normally run you 23 bucks, for $15 dollars. Added bonus you can have unlimited fries. I will go on record and say I could not eat more than the gave me. I asked our server how many people actually get refills and he said it was generally people who came had a steak, then stayed for a few more drinks. So if you wanted to have a few cocktails, and a bottle of wine on a random Tuesday night, you would have as many fries as you could eat with it.

We got in around 7:30, so we missed out on happy hour, but if you get there between 4-6 this can be paired with any of their amazing happy hour specials.  WCB has a wonderful cocktail selection, as well as a great, but not overwhelming or inaccessible wine list. I ordered a really nice bold and dry Malbec and my wife ordered an extremely tasty cocktail called the Charlie Sour. If you have not had the pleasure of sampling some cocktails at WCB I would highly recommend checking out their bar program.

I ordered my steak medium rare, as did my wife (we probably wouldn't be together if she liked her steak well done, luckily that's not something I need to worry about). They came out perfectly medium rare. Much better than most of the places we order these at. The crust around the outside was perfect with large lumps of rock salt crusted all around. Normally I like my steak with salt and nothing else, but because this is a french restaurant and the Bearnaise sauce came as part of the dish I decided to go full steam ahead.  This did not disappoint, the citrus lemon and buttery fatty flavors of the Bearnaise were an excellent complement to a wonderfully cooked cut of beef. The steak also comes with an herb butter on top. I am sad to say I could not pick out the exact herb combo, but I know there was some parsley in there. It was good, but not as great as the Bearnaise sauce.  I'd recommend trying both and seeing which one you like more.  

The service was impeccable as always at WCB, and the understated classy yet casual vibe of the place never ceases to impress me. If you are craving a steak on a Tuesday night you will be happy your stopped by Westport Cafe and Bar.      

The Drop

Deal: Tuesday nights $15.00 for a Ribeye and a Pint or 2 Steaks and a bottle of wine for $30.00

The Drop Bistro may have just added the best steak night in town. A long time Union Hill and Martini Corner Establishment, the Drop announced last week their new Tuesday night Steak Night.  For 15 dollars you get a Ribeye, with Veggies and Mashed potatoes and a Pint of beer if you are solo, or if you have a dining companion and both get a steak you get a bottle of wine along with the steak. That's 2 ribeye's and a bottle of wine for $30.00. Seriously.

As this is in my backyard (quite literally, Martini Corner is right behind my house) I decided to give this a go. I was very glad I did.  If you want something fun to do on a Tuesday night I would highly recommend going

The Drop has excellent cocktails, the best selection of bruschetta in town, one of my personal favorite charcuterie spreads, plus a nice accessible wine list.  So I was pleasantly surprised to see them advertising this However the Drop consistently has some of the best specials in town on the weekdays, so perhaps this will last.  On Thursday's they have a $25.00 bottle of wine and bruschetta special.

While I do love the bruschetta at the drop I am here to discuss the steak night. I brought a dining companion along because, beyond enjoying her company, the real deal here is the steak plus bottle of wine.

Granted the picture here is not great, but you get the idea. They actually give you a decent bottle of wine. It will not be winning any awards, but it did not taste like vinegar and feet. This was a nice dry but fruity with nice plum and cherry notes Crane Lake Malbec that paired perfectly with the steak.

This is about a 7-10 dollar bottle of wine at the grocery store.

I am partial to a good Malbec with a steak from my time in Argentina, however they also offer a bottle of Crane Lake Cabernet-sauvignon as well if you are not a huge fan of Malbec.

As always I ordered my steak medium rare as did my date.  It came out fairly quickly, but looked quite tasty.  It was a big, but not terribly thick cut of Ribeye with a lot of fat.  A lot of fat was good here, it infused the juicy fatty savory flavor throughout that makes steak so good.

The steak itself was well seasoned.  I did not even use any additional salt, which is rare for me. It tasted like they probably used some butter when cooking this as well.  The steak was for certain not cooked on a grill, but a steak on a skillet can be good if done property.

My only complain about the steak was that because it was thin, the chef probably left it on for an extra 30 seconds or so and it went from medium rate to medium by the time I revived the steak.  The flavor, fat and tenderness of the cut made up for a little overcooking.

One of the best things about the Drop is their dedication to solid fresh ingrediants. The steak was tasty, but the sides were really the standout here. The mashed potatoes were perfectly whipped with a smoth and rich buttery garlic flavor I could not get enough of. The zuccini and squash were perfectly cooked to be slightly hard still, but had a nice simple salt and pepper crust to them that went wonderfully with the steak.  I would highly reccomoned this as a perfect steak night for 2.

To Sum it up:

Martini Corner

• The Drop Bistro:
  409 E 31st St
  Kansas City, MO 64108 
• Steak - flavorful
• Sides - ridiculously good
• Drink specials - you get a bottle of wine
• When: Tuesday Nights
  
  

 

More steak nights to come

I haven't been ignoring this blog, I've just been broke as hell.  I would like to report that after passing the bar and being sworn in before of the Missouri Supreme Court, I am now gainfully employed and will start receiving a paycheck soon.  Money will lead to more steak night adventures.

Preview of steak nights to come - P'Ott's, Flea Market, Makers Mark to name a few.

Talk of the Town Bar & Grill: Overland Park (the original)

Deal: $10.99 12 oz KC Strip 2 sides and a side salad

Talk of the town holds a special place in my heart. I grew up on the other side of Stoll Park where Talk of the Town is located. So I was ecstatic to learn they had a steak night. I called up two dinning partners, who happen to live in my childhood home, and we headed up to Talk of the Town. 

Talk of the Town is a classic neighborhood sports bar and grill that has been serving some of the best burgers in town for more than 20 years (personal favorite is the surfin' burger). From your little league celebrations to your night out with friends this place has something for people of all ages, and an appropriate time to have fun for all ages as well. Unfortunately when I was there they had a sign up saying they were about to remodel, hence the lack of pictures of the ambiance. 

We arrived and were seated very quickly. I was surprised at the small crowd as the chiefs game was 15 minutes from starting, but that allowed us more attention from an excellent server. It should be noted that the entire staff at Talk of the Town was friendly and helpful. I know that later on in the evening there were lots of people there for the night-life and revelry.  

They had a number of great drink specials for a Saturday night. I ordered a Free State Storm Chaser IPA. Free State is one of the better breweries we have in the metro area, if you haven't tried one I'd suggest stopping into your local store and picking up a 6 pack. They also had a Goose Island Honker's Ale and Flying Monkey on sale for $3.  They also had 5 dollar bomb shots for later on in the evening.  

Talk of the Town has an excellent beer selection. They have to try and compete with their neighbor Barley's Brew house next door.  For those who haven't been Barley's has one of the best beer selections in town. Yards in the Legends and the Flying Saucer in P&L are the only other places that come to my mind that have a similar level of selection. Here is Talk of the Town's beer menu. 

Everyone at the table decided that they would order the steak. The steak came with a side salad, and two sides. I got the mashed potatoes and green beans.    

Talk of the Town has an excellent number of awesome dressings. I stuck with the classic Ranch, but wished I had tried something else. One of my dining companions got a pear gorgonzola vinaigrette that was excellent.  

This was a fairly standard salad, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, croutons  tomatoes and bacon.      

Onto the steak!  

This was easily the largest steak I've had so far in my steak night adventures. I ordered my steak medium rare as always, and this steak came out nice and pink in the middle.   

  

As for the flavor, I would have liked a little more salt and pepper on the outside, but it wasn't terrible. The cut was pretty good for a bar's steak night. This was a choice cut of beef.  The mashed potatoes were pretty dry on their own, I'd suggest getting the gravy with it. The green beans were excellent, not a ton of flavor but very crispy and well cooked just the way I like my green beans to be.  

Overall this is a pretty good steak night and it is on a Saturday night.  If you are out in Johnson County and want a steak on a Saturday head to Talk of the Town.  

To sum up this Steak Night adventure: 

• Restaurant: Talk of the Town Bar & Grill 
• Location: South Johnson County - 11922 W 119th St, Overland Park, KS 66213 
• Ambiance: Classic sports bar
• Steak: Huge, well cooked, and needed more salt 
• Sides: Ok 
• Salad: Great dressings 
• Service: Excellent 

Pierpont's Lounge - Always Steak Night

Deal: Applewood bacon wrapped mini tenderloin's stuffed w/ blue cream cheese, and fries - $10.95 

Entering into Union Station always fills me with a sense of awe. The building is such a beautiful treasure here in town. I am always impressed and inspired by the intricate detail and magnitude of the building when I enter. I believe the concept is to inspire under the city beautiful movement so well done Jarvis Hunt (architect).

This steak night became a pretty funny story. I had been studying from about 9 AM to 10PM every day for 3 weeks prior to this evening. I was going a little crazy and hadn't left my house except to go to the grocery for about 2 weeks. So on a Friday night I decided to have a steak at one of my favorite places in town - Pierpont's Lounge. I arrived at the Pierpont's lounge in Union Station around 7:30 PM. It was strangely dead. I sat down and asked the bartender why it was so dead for a Friday. He looked at me with a big smile and informed me it was in-fact only Thursday. Time does not fly when you're studying for the bar.    

Story time aside I am now unemployed and not studying for the bar, so I have time to write about steak again. Pierpont's has one of the best lounge menu's in town where you can get a great steak. It also happens to be one of the better steak houses in town if you venture past the lounge/bar area. For an excellent review of other items on the menu read around the block's review of the lounge.  A few items have been added since the review, but it is an excellent overview. I'm here to talk about red meat.

Pierpont's has a classy old world elegance that is captured throughout the restaurant. Between the location in Union Station the "library style" liquor cabinet, or the ornate decoration Pierpont's is a gem. If you have not been it is a great place to go to impress a client/date, a special event, or a wonderful happy hour in the lounge. They have two great steak deals, later on I will do another review (don't throw me into the briar patch)!

I arrived and ordered my first drink a classic gin martini, which in the lounge is only five bucks. The bar tenders and servers are professionals who mean businesses. This is one of the few places I can order a gin martini and know that the bar tenders will get it perfect every time. I got my martini took the first sip, and enjoyed my ability to relax a little even though I had lost track of what day it was.

I decided to look over the lounge menu to see if any changes had been made.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had added many new items tasty looking items. One of which will be discussed shortly. After looking over the menu I sat back for a few minutes to enjoy my martini and take in the atmosphere. After I realized I was being a bit of a nerd I got the bar tenders attention and ordered myself an appetizer.  I ordered pountine, which is very difficult to find in Kansas City.

Pountine??? What does the delicious Canadian dish of gravy, cheese and french fries have to do with steak? Pierpont's added steak to it! Yes they found a way to make the perfection of pountine even better. Pierpont's has a braised beef poutine with a Gruyere cheese sauce and a Cabernet jus. Pountine happens to be one of my favorite things on earth, and I didn't know that it could be improved upon. But what isn't made better with some steak added to it?
Sorry about the picture I ate a bit before taking it. I was hungry and excited to have poutine. 

After the poutine I decided it was time for a glass of red wine. A glass of red wine in the lounge is only $4 (as is white wine). You can also get a host of other martini's for $5.25 and boulevard beers are $3.50. The lounge operates during usual Pierpont's business hours M-F and from 4-6 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Not only is this a great place to get a steak, but you can go any day of the week.

Onto the Steak!

I ordered the applewood smoked bacon wrapped mini tenderloin's that are stuffed with a small amount of blue cream cheese in the middle, and a balsamic-fig reduction on top. It also comes with fries. Needless to say this was a taste explosion of awesomeness in my mouth. The blue cream cheese was not overpowering, and did not distract from the flavor of the steak.  The bacon was smokey and sweet.  The balsamic glaze added another hint of sweetness to the overall flavor, but nothing was so overwhelming of a flavor that the excellent cut of meat that they used was unable to be tasted. This is truly the best place to get a reasonably priced steak that is always quality and delicious.

This is one of my favorite steak nights in town, and one of my favorite bars in town. It happens every night, and I'm looking forward to going back for part 2 - the KC Strip.

So to wrap up -

• Restaruant - Pierpont's at Union Station
• Location - 30 West Pershing Rd, Ste 900, Kansas City, Missouri 64108 
• Ambiance - old world classy 
• Steak - Oh so good 
• Service - consummate professionals

If you want to have a great relaxing time in a classy atmosphere that won't break the bank check out Pierpont's lounge.  

My House: Saturday Steak Night - Ribeye

After a long week of studying for the Bar I took a partial simulated exam to see where I stand. I found out I still have a lot of studying to do. To deal with my sorrows I decided nothing would be better than having a nice steak at home with a decent class of wine.

I went up to Marsh's Sunfresh and looked at what they had in their bargain bin. I was delighted to find 2 excellent looking Certified Angus Ribeye's waiting there for me. At a price of $8.99 for 2 large juicy 1.5 inch thick steaks I was beginning to forget the fact that this was going to be the most exciting Saturday Night that I've had in some time.

I have been eating a lot of lower quality steaks on these steak nights at bars. There is something fun about going out and grabbing a steak while not dropping a ton of money. But sometimes the best steak is the one you make at home. With some Certified Angus Beef to grill I was a very happy camper. Certified Angus Beef is a step above a choice cut, but is not to the high standard of the Prime Cut. For someone who wants a good steak, but doesn't have $15-$20 to spend per steak, Certified Angus Beef is a great way to go. Yes, That is an awesome penguin martini shaker in the background! 


Here (click on here) is an excellent article from askmen.com on Certified Angus Beef for anyone who wants to learn a little bit more about this great cut.


I like to use a little bit of Worcestershire sauce on the steak, but some people go crazy with it. I just use a shake or two on each side. Tonight I actually added a few splashes of Whiskey to the steak when I was marinading the steak. Not really sure it added anything.

After applying the marinade, for those who have yet to read my previous steak night at home article, here is the drill. I let the steak sit out for an hour or so to get near room temperature before I put it on the Grill. During that time I use kosher salt to salt the outside of the steak. I salt one side and let it sit for 30 minutes, then flip and repeat. It important to use kosher or large flakes of sea salt here! I realize there is controversy on whether to do this or not. I've tried it both ways and I end up with a better steak every time when I do it this way. The other side argues by pre-salting while the meat is warming to room temperature you pull some of the juice out of the steak.

Because a Ribeye is so juicy and fatty I like to switch it up every now and then. Instead of just adding kosher salt and cracked pepper to the outside for a crust, I added a bit of red pepper flakes too. The light amount of extra spice goes great with the wine, but again, don't go overboard here or you'll lose the natural awesomeness of the steak flavor. In the picture above, only one steak had the red pepper flakes.



I also like to let my grill get very hot, I wish I could tell you how hot, but I can't as the thermometer is busted on my grill. I normally let 2 burners run for about 15 minutes before putting them on when using propane. If using charcoal you'll need to feel it out, look for the coals to be white hot. 


Once the grill is hot enough I throw the steak on the grill. I use my phone's stop watch feature to allow 1 minute and 40 seconds of cook time (lid shut).  I then do a quarter turn of the steak on the same side and let it sit for another minute and 40 seconds. Next I flip the steak and let it cook for another minute 40, do a final quarter turn on the grill, and let it go another minute 40.   Then the steak is done and you'll have an excellent juicy steak that should be medium rare. 


Onto the steak! 


It was soooooo nice to have a good cut of beef!

It reminded me of how much better a good cut like a Certified Angus Steak can be over a choice cut of beef that most restaurants use for their steak nights. 


This steak had a wonderful amount of fat that kept the juices in the steak. There was the perfect amount of salt and pepper crusting the outside, and was cooked perfectly to my liking. My compliments to the chef!  


To accompany this steak I had a simple baked sweet potato and an iceberg salad, with ranch and red bell peppers. I topped it off with some Pinot Noir and was in heaven. Quite a pleasant way to spend Saturday night!     

Mike Kelly's Westsider: Tuesday Steak Night

Deal: 10.95 12 oz. KC strip and two sides


Forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been 14 days since my last steak. This is pretty serious for me. I rarely go 2 weeks without having a steak, whether I report about it on here or not. When I came to the frightening realization that it had really been two weeks since I had a steak I decided to go grab a steak.

This Kansas City Steak Night adventure was in the West Plaza area. I went to Mike Kelly's Westsider. This bar has been around for a long time. I bet most people have driven by it on multiple occasions and said "I really should go there." And you should! Mike Kelly's is an unassuming bar with a friendly atmosphere that is classy yet not pretentious. Low key, but not dull. You'll love the high tin ceilings, and the retro decor. The bar was established over 30 years ago, and continues to be a great neighborhood/local bar. It sits on Westport Road in-between State Line and Southwest Trafficway. They have live music most every night of the week.  Check out their website to see what they have playing. 


I arrived around 8:00 to get a steak, so I was too late for happy hour. They have a happy hour. Unfortunately I didn't ask what the deals were so you will have to forgive me. I have no ability to tell you what drink specials you may be able to get with the steak if you arrive at happy hour.   

I had the Flying Monkey Amber Ale they had on tap. I always enjoy that beer, even when it is full priced. I was highly impressed that they had the a Flying Monkey pint glass for my beer. Most of the beers they have on tap here are local beers, with the exception of bud light for the beer drinker who cares more about calories than flavor.


I observed that "local" is a theme they have going on here. They are a local pub for the West Plaza, they support local music by promoting local musicians nightly, and they serve local beer. Quite cool if you ask me. I like to keep money in our economy here in KC when possible.


Onto the steak!!

The steak night deal at Mike Kelly's Westsider is a 12 oz KC strip steak with 2 sides. I ordered my steak medium rare as always. The standard sides they have here are garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. You can get steamed veggies, fries or sweet potato fries if you want (but you shouldn't).

This steak came out looking excellent.  It had the grill marks that I love with the quarter turn. There was a nice layer of fat on the top of the strip that wasn't too big. I then cut into the steak and it was perfectly cooked medium rare all the way through as you can see.  

When I bit into the steak my first thought was this is a decent cut of meat, but they didn't really season it. It was obviously a choice cut of beef, and was sufficiently marbled. In some places it was a bit fatty with the hard fat you cannot eat. My dinning companion, who likes less fat than I do, thought it was too much fat. In a few bites I would agree, but overall for a 12 oz steak at a bar with a steak night this was actually a pretty good cut of meat. But like I said there was very little crusting (seasoning) to it. They would be well served to get some kosher or sea salt and cracked fresh pepper to put on the steak. I hate to admit this but I actually used a bit of A-1 toward the end to give the steak a bit more flavor. I realize that is a cardinal sin. But the steak needed something, and dumping the salt on wasn't really doing much for it.  

The sides here were phenomenal.  The garlic mashed potatoes were seriously the second best I've had in town, and that is including some of the finer steak house establishments in town. The grean beans as well were top notch. These weren't some green beans out of a can, they were at minimum fresh flash frozen, and the bacon and onion that was chopped up in the green beans was all very fresh.  The sides took this place over the top, and made up for the lack of flavor in the steak.  


The service was great. I was obviously not one of the regulars, as I sat down at a table (all the cool people were gathered around the bar). There was a bartender who was doubling as a server, but it didn't matter much because he was quite able to handle both duties with diligence and skill.

To sum it up this KC Steak Night adventure: 

• Restaurant: Mike Kelly's Westsider
• Location - West Plaza - 1515 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO 64111
• Ambiance - casual classy meets local pub
• Steak - Decent cut, needs more flavor 
• Sides - Holy shit are they awesome  
• Service - Excellent  

If you want to try a new place out (that has been around for a while), and are in the West Plaza area on a Tuesday stop by Mike Kelly's Westsider for a steak.