Kansas City Snapshots

This week, Tina and I were out earlier than usual for The Employee Lounge to catch up with some brunch places for the blog. That left us driving around the city on a busy Friday lunch hour unable to shoot or talk to any more employees. It was cold and gray, but the cloudy skies provided great light. We turned the lens around to the city and I snuck out my camera too.

As an amateur photographer, I am always intimidated by real photographers, their knowledge, their backgrounds and especially their big, fancy cameras. I bought and love my DSLR but for me, it's just a bigger point and shoot. My list of things to learn grows by the day and one of them is definitely grasping F-stops and other photography lingo to really understand my camera and what it can do.

Thankfully, Tina graciously offered to teach me some tricks and pumped me up with flattery. I am excited to see what she captured that day and I'll link to her as soon as she posts. Click here to see Tina's view of KC.

Top to Bottom: 

(1) Top of Building and gray skies taken on Jefferson off Summit. (2) Really raw almonds at the spice store in City Market (3) Railroad tracks from Beardsley Road (4+5) My muddy, then semi-clean wellies (6) Ceiling art at Spool in the Crossroads (7) Birdies' bikinis seen from the outside (8) A graffti art wall on 18th Street (9) A plane attached to the telephone pole in the Crossroads All photos taken by Linh Trieu ©Fresh Fish Creative

KC from Kaw Point

Yesterday, after a week of cold, dreary weather, we had a record 86°F spring day. However, George and I were glued to our computers ignoring the sunshine. Then thankfully, our friends Tim and Lynn called to suggest a walk along the river at Kaw Point Park with our dogs. It's a riverfront park situated behind an industrial park that is not easy to get to and one that we had no idea existed. It was a great chance to see downtown from another perspective. Click on any of the images for a larger view. All photos by Linh Trieu ©Fresh Fish Creative

kc on d*s

©Fresh Fish Creative

There were TWO Kansas City shout outs on design*sponge today. I love my city; it gets more amazing all the time and I think it's finally getting some recognition for all there is to see, do and best of all eat here.

First up was an updated city guide by Jessie Artigue for Kansas City. She definitely hit a lot of my favorite places in town. Check, check, check it out.

And then we got to peek into Tad and Jessica Carpenter's home. They have a new feature on d*s called What I Love About My Home. Even though I enjoy the home stuff, I think my favorite picture from Tad and Jessica's sneak peek is what he loved about his home. I am a fool for love and romance. See the rest here!

By the way, I'm nosy as hell and usually I only get a glimpse inside people's windows as I slowly walk past, trying to see as much as possible without being a total creep. If you see me walking by and staring intently, please don't be scared. Invite me in, won't you? :)

Extra Virgin

My first time at Extra Virgin was during the day. I was immediately mesmerized by the beautifully designed space, the witty t-shirts worn by the servers, even the bathroom. But four small plates, one cup of tea and a cup of coffee later and we had spent a hefty $50. Although the food was great, I was still hungry, my wallet hurt and I was officially unmesmerized. For lunch, it felt a little extravagant. I wasn't that impressed.

But we gave it another go after hearing about their "new" Happy Hour. It's from 11 am to 6 pm. Select plates are half off, wine and cocktails are $2 off and beers are $2.50. Now that I could manage. Click here to see their menu.

We had an excellent server named Steffan (newly imported from Chicago) who overheard that it was our anniversary and offered the wine discount that didn't actually start until later. He put our napkins in our laps, cleared our table in a timely manner, made drink suggestions and was friendly and engaging. If you stop by, you should definitely ask for him.

I'm glad someone is paying attention to the economic climate and is flexible enough to make the necessary changes to build the business and make it thrive. A price slash for lunch through regular happy hour times? Definitely a good move in my book. I will be back!

photos from Extra Virgin

Happy Hour at Nara

This is a quick design I did for an informational happy hour at Nara. I'm also on the committee planning the art event for Sheffield Place, a long-term transitional shelter for homeless women and their families. So who's with me?

Click on the image to see it larger. Try to make it if you can!

Shout Out

Just a shout out to fellow local Kansas City blogger and animator, KC Food Guy and his blog Food, K.C. and Other Things. Some of my favorite links (all Asian-related but I'm biased) from his posts are...

{+}  The United States of Sirircha / New York Times, Dine & Wine, May 17, 2009

{+} F*ck Yeah Cilantro / a site dedicated to cilantro, my absolute all time favorite herb

{+} Twitter + Kogi = One Hot Taco / Newsweek, video / Drool-worthy Korean BBQ Tacos- Kogi founder Mark Manguera talks about how Twitter changed his business

Oyster Royster

Oyster Royster is an annual KCPT (Kansas City Public Television) benefit sponsored by City Tavern and local intimates favorite Birdies. A fashion show, oysters and wine for $45? A great steal. When your friends invite you and you get to go for free? Even better.

If you haven't had oysters at City Tavern before, then go! Dollar oysters all day on Mondays and 4-6 pm, Tuesday through Friday. Get there early if you want a seat.

Some highlights of the fashion off the runway...

Love the colors on this great tie. The best part? It's a clip on!

Martha and Linda were perfectly matched in black and white. Martha (left) was stunning in her zebra print jacket, checked shorts and chunky bracelets. She's also wearing the perfect purse, over your shoulder, flat and hands-free. 

Karin and Heather B. some seriously gorgeous legs and the vertical striping on the stockings...let's just say wow.

Shoes that caught my eye.

Check out these convertible sunglasses. So much fun. I'd probably fold them in half and sit on them.

From his pinstriped trouser to the orange flower in his shirt, Todd's mix of pattern, color and detail were impeccable. I love it when guys pay attention to the details.

Fresh Bread

photos by Fresh Fish

Local bread artisan, Fervere, has the cutest little spot next door to Blue Bird Bistro on 17th and Summit. They only sell their fresh, wood-fire baked breads three days a week (Thur, Fri, Sat), and only stay open until the bread runs out, which is fairly quickly. This particular Saturday morning, I actually made it in time - barely - to grab a couple of loaves that were left, the Pain de Campagne and the Ciabatta. Check out their site for a 360-degree view of their rustic bakery and a full list of all the breads they offer, complete with photos for each. 

Snow Cones!

photo by Sarah Farrar

Local snow cone gourmets, Fresher Than Fresh Snow Cones, made it into this month's issue of Food Network Magazine. A full page at that. Woo hoo! I haven't had one of their delectable sounding snow cones yet (Lemon Prickly Pear, Watermelon Basil, Blackberry Lavender), but am definitely trying it this weekend. You can find a full list of flavors and times and locations on their blog. The illustrations made for each flavor are adorable. Here are some of my favorites, but you can see all of them here.

The 3/50 Project

Click on image for larger view.

I have been a long-time supporter of local, independent restaurants, but I don't think about retail the same way. The 3/50 Project™ made me take a second look about how I spend my money and most importantly where. For those of us on a budget, it doesn't have to be $50, start with $10 or $20 and you'd be surprised at how quickly things add up.

I haven't seen this movement started in Kansas City yet, but let's get the word out. Restaurants, retailers and companies that support this cause can register on the site. Individual supporters can help spread the word through their own blogs and social networking sites. For more information and resources, visit The 3/50 Project website. {via housemartin}

My top three retailers mix the old with the new...

{+}  Donna's Dress Shop on 39th Street - new and vintage clothing, very girly and fun.

{+}  Good Juju in the West Bottoms - my favorite new place to shop, only open the first weekend of the every month.

{+}  Pryde's in Wesport - all the kitchen stuff you could ever dream of

My goal for May: spend local. I'm confident I can make this happen. What are your favorite, local places to shop? Let's meet back at the end of the month and see how we all did. Ready, set, go!

Hello, Let's Do Brunch

Cafe Europa Desserts
{Chocolate Strawberry Cupcake, Apple Pie, Honey Pie}

photo by Fresh Fish Creative

Welcome to my first post for Bristow Fresh. Since it's Sunday, I want to share my favorite indulgence at the end of the week - brunch! Today, we were off to Cafe Europa in Crestwood. I love this place, but the pastry display at the front is unforgiving. I get hypnotized by those gorgeous desserts, nose pressed to the glass, drool spilling copiously from my mouth. These sweet treats are small when you expect them to be big (pies) and big when they are usually smaller (cupcakes). I started with a chocolate cupcake topped with strawberry frosting that had the taste and texture of neapolitan ice cream. And finished by ordering two more cupcakes (same kind), a honey almond cookie, a honey pie, a mini apple pie, and a soft, moist slice of apple bread to take home. In between, it was a hearty steak and eggs, hold the Bloody Mary. Happiness sandwiched within happiness. Yum.

My Top Five Favorite Brunch Spots....

{+} re:Verse - Fantastic brunch choices and the perfect seat for people watching.

{+} Café Europa - See above.

{+} Happy Gillis - With only five tables, it's small and quaint but the friendly reception and attention to detail is what makes me love this place. {Below} their Bloody Mary presentation: Garnished with a plastic mermaid, roasted red pepper, olives, lime and a Slim Jim. Vodka on the side. photo by Fresh Fish Creative

{+} Benton's - Two words. Champagne Brunch.

{+} Corner Cafe - The giant cinnamon rolls are ooey-gooey goodness that I need to revisit soon.

So what are your favorite places for brunch?