The weather outside is frightful...

Due to the weather, Beer Kitchen and the Foundry will both be closed today, and both will reopen at 11 tomorrow for lunch. McCoy's is closed as scheduled for some minor kitchen remodeling, and should reopen on Thursday for lunch.

Unfortunately since the Foundry is closed today, Big Ass Stout Night will have to be postponed. But, you'll only have to wait a week. March 5 is the new date, still from 4-close. Just think of it as another week of aging for those stouts.

Be safe today! Stay in and have your own beer tasting from the comfort of your own homes. What beers will you be having for the snow day?

Servers in Service

This Sunday, February 24, servers at the Foundry and McCoy's will be donating a portion of their tips to benefit servers impacted by Tuesday's fire at JJ's. Your server will be wearing a button saying what percentage is going towards the fund. Get out and grab some lunch or dinner and a couple beers (or just a couple beers) for a great cause. Spread the word, share our Facebook event with your friends!!

If you're unable to make it out on Sunday but still want to help, you can donate at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fundraiser-for-the-employee-s-and-staff-of-jj-s-restaurant.

We hope to see everyone there supporting friends and family and our brothers and sisters in the service industry!

Take a Shift at the Foundry

Tuesday, February 19 (tomorrow!), New Belgium Beer Ranger Adam Satz will be at the Foundry to join in the fun as we tap a keg of Shift Pale Lager! If you haven't had this one, WHY NOT??!?!?! Tomorrow will be a great opportunity to have this crisp, easy-drinking lager. To sweeten the deal, you'll be able to take home a New Belgium globe, if you're there while the supplies last. The party starts at 8, so come say hello to Adam, get a beer, get a new glass to add to your collection, and have a tasty lager.

Then don't forget next Tuesday (the 26th) is the Foundry's Big Ass Stout Night! 10 big ass stouts will be tapped at 4 pm. You can get 6 oz pours if you want to try a few different ones, or full pours if you find one you love. Here's a look at what we'll have -

• Bell's Java Stout
• Bell's Expedition 
• Deschutes Abyss 2012 
• Deschutes Black Butte Porter XXIV 
• Founders Imperial Stout 
• Founders Breakfast Stout 
• Goose Island Night Stalker 
• Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 
• Goose Island Big John 
• Southern Tier Choklat

Yes yes. Price will very depending on which beer you get, but there's no charge to get in, no tickets or anything like that. Just great beers. The next two Tuesdays look to be shaping up quite nicely.

Grain vs. Grape: Round 3

Coming up on March 4, Cellar Rat's Jarrod Finn will be coming to Beer Kitchen with some wine! The popular Grain Versus Grape dinner is back, this time pitting French wines against Belgian (style) beers in a five-course showdown. Take a look at this menu -

There's a lot there, and while I'm not familiar with the specific wines, the beers are all great. There are a couple beers on the sour side, a couple maltier beers, and a very nice saison. And the food sounds like it will be fantastic. I'm looking forward to learning about the wines, and seeing how each pairing works for both the wine and the beer. And how the wine compares with the beer. And the food.

Book your spot now by coming into Beer Kitchen, or call (816) 389-4180 and make a reservation! $65 per person, or $120 for a couple. Price includes five courses, each with a wine and a beer pairing, tax, and gratuity.

Tomorrow forecast calls for a 98% chance of Grainstorm

New beers are always exciting, especially when they're from our hometown friends! Tomorrow (Tuesday [February 5]), the Foundry will be tapping the newest beer from Boulevard, a Black Rye IPA that goes by the name of Grainstorm. I tried some of a test batch at the Boulevard Taproom, and it's dang good. Come on over after work and have a glass! 

Sunny in KC now that they Rye front has passed

While you're there, check out some of the new items on the menu. I'll vouch for the carnitas tacos. They're delicious. And I've heard great things about the other items, like the zucchini fries, a turkey burger, chicken tinga tacos, and basically all of it. Try them all.

Then you might want to start thinking of excuses for missing work on February 27th, or at least coming in late, so you can fully enjoy our Big Ass Stout Night on the 26th! From 4 - close, the Foundry will have some amazing (and big) stouts on tap. Here's a taste of some of the beers that will be tapped -

Bell's Java Stout
Bell's Expedition
Deschutes Abyss 2012
Deschutes Black Butte Porter XXIV
Founders Imperial Stout
Founders Breakfast Stout
Goose Island Night Stalker
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Goose Island Big John
Southern Tier Choklat

YUUUUM. You'll be able to get a full or 6 oz. pour of the beers. And they're all Big Ass Stouts that will get the job done. Should be a fun night!

Beer Dinner With Celina Tio!

Fresh from her appearance on Sunday's Iron Chef America, Julian chef Celina Tio stopped in at Beer Kitchen Monday for a night of delicious foods and beers.

We had a new photographer tonight. He wanted to go a more artistic route with this one.

The first course of Trumpet Royale with foie gras butter, toasted brioche, and watercress & lemon paired with Orval was a strong start to the meal.

I LOOOOOOVE mushrooms. Yes, all caps and like six O's worth. These had a lovely earthy flavor, and meaty, that complimented the foie gras butter and watercress. The house-made brioche tied it all together. And the Brett  in the Orval lent some more earthiness. Orval's a really good beer. One of the hoppier Trappist Ales. This was all so good.

Up next a nice, light salad - baby wild arugula, grapefruit, olio verde, celery root, and brazil nuts - and a Stillwater Beer Table - Table Beer. 

The Stillwater is a light, effervescent farmhouse ale, coming in at just under 5% ABV. The hops in the beer add citrus notes that tied in with the grapefruit, and there was a bitterness that went throughout everything in the course. Sweet from the grapefruit, more earthy in the arugula, and funky in the beer. A light course all around. 

Now some meat. Crispy trout "almondine," wild rice pancakes, and bacon-y mustard greens. Boulevard Harvest Dance.

This is not just some trite statement. I don't like fish (well, cooked fish. Sushi is amazing and I really, really like shellfish). But this was great. The trout was tender and the skin was tasty, the greens were full of flavor, and the beer is one of my favorites from Boulevard. It was picked for this course to kind of mimic a Sauvignon Blanc that would be traditionally paired with the dish. If all fish is this good, maybe this dish will get me into eating fish.

The fourth course paired Emelisse Russian Imperial Stout with a lamb shepherd's pie. 

This was so good. Mashed potatoes and lamb and fantastic stout, what's not to love? Everything was rich and delicious. I would eat this every day forever. Some sweetness in the stout and smooth mashed potatoes provided a counterpoint to the for the lamb. 

Ahh dessert. I like desserts. As does my official photographer.

Thank you to Mr. Jeremy Danner for taking photos and this video. He actually was sideways by this point. Luckily, technology is amazing and things like that can be fixed.

Orange-almond cake, orange caramel, and whipped vanilla bean mascarpone, with some New Belgium Trippel.

A warm cake and mascarpone is a fantastic combination. This was a light and delicious dessert, perfect for the end of this meal. Sometimes a dessert can be too much (not really, dessert is usually awesome), but this hit the spot. The Trippel wasn't too much for the cake, and the orange flavor was muted and didn't overpower the whole course. 

Another successful beer dinner! A heartfelt thank you to Celina Tio, the food was wonderful! 

Now, if you'd like to have an opportunity to have some of Chef Tio's food for yourself, visit her at Julian in Brookside soon. In fact, on February 12, she'll be having a special meal, preparing the same courses from her episode of Iron Chef America. Contact Julian at 816.214.8454 for more details on what will be a unique experience!

As for the next beer dinner at Beer Kitchen, keep March 4th free for the annual Grain vs. Grape Dinner. French food, French wines, and Belgian beers. Yes, we'll be skipping February, but luckily it's not a leap year, so it won't be too long. Check back here, Facebook, and Twitter for more details when they're released. And we'll have some cool stuff coming up over the next couple of weeks! 

A new friend comes to Kansas City - Perennial Artisan Ales

Though the NFL may be taking the week off (unless you count the Pro Bowl, which technically counts as football, but... yeah), Beer KC never has a bye weekend. Especially when we have a special guest in town!

On Saturday, January 26th, come help us welcome Perennial Artisan Ales to Kansas City! Our friends from St. Louis will be having a launch party at The Foundry from 4-6 pm, with Perennial owner and brewmaster Phil Wymore on hand. Phil will be around drinking some of his fine beers and mingling, available to talk about the beer, the brewery, or anything else that might come up. 

There will be four of their beers on tap - Hommel Bier, Saison de Lis, Aria, and Abraxas. Aria is the only one of the four I haven't tried, but if it's anything like the other three I'll want to have all of it. It's a Belgian Pale Ale with Brettanomyces. Oh my that sounds wonderful. The Hommel Bier is a dry-hopped Belgian Pale Ale, Saison de Lis is a saison with chamomile, and Abraxas is a big stout, with a Mexican twist of Ancho chilies, cinnamon sticks, cocoa nibs, and vanilla beans. And if all of those somehow aren't enough for you, we'll be offering a special flight of the beers with a cheese pairing for each for $18. So you can get the flight with the pairings, or you can order each beer as a full or 6 oz pour. Or a combination thereof. AND chat with the founder of the brewery. 

So that's Saturday. Sunday, why not take it easy with brunch at McCoy's or Beer Kitchen? That night, don't forget to tune to Food Network at 10 pm to watch KC's own Celina Tio as she takes on Michael Symon on Iron Chef America! Then Monday, head to Beer Kitchen for the next beer dinner, featuring Chef Tio. Sounds like the weekend is pretty much set. 

Restaurant Week with Beer KC!

Starting tomorrow (January 18), Kansas City will enter Restaurant Week! All sorts of great restaurants around the town are going to have prix-fixe lunch ($15) and dinner ($30) specials. The best part? It's actually like 10 days long. The best best part? McCoy's and Beer Kitchen will both be participating! Now, here's what's on the menu at each establishment. Of course, you'll still have the option of the regular menu items at each spot. And wonderful beers. Obviously.

Check out our menus, and take the opportunity to check out some other great restaurants in town!

McCoy's Public House

For the lunch special, you can pick two of the following courses. Dinner gets three.

Starters

Maple Leaf Duck Confit

With Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Herb Polenta and Balsamic Jus

Warm Chard Salad

With Roasted Beets, Goat Cheese, Spiced Almonds and Red Wine Vinaigrette

Pancetta-Wrapped Gulf Shrimp (lunch)/Sea Scallops (dinner)

With Savory Brioche Pudding and Charred Tomato Butter

Entrees

Cherry Ale-Braised Short Rib

With Cheesy Risotto and Horseradish Peppercorn Demi

Turkey Meatloaf

With Roasted Red Potatoes, Smashed Cauliflower and Cranberry Gravy

Winter Vegetable Lasagne

With Smoked Tomato Cream and Farm to Market Baguette

Dessert

Triple Berry Cobbler

With Caramel-Cashew Crust and Vanilla Ice Cream

Mini Chocolate Stout Cheesecake

With Salted Beer Nut Brittle

Beer Kitchen

Your choice of two courses for lunch, three for dinner

Starters

Roasted Tomato Soup

With Grilled Triple Cheese “Crouton” 

Pair of Crispy Root Veggie Cakes

With Sun-Dried Tomato Drizzle and Creamed Leeks

House-Cured Salmon Salad

With Fried Capers, Lemon Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese Crouton

Entrees

Chicken Schnitzel Burger

With Fontina, Onion Jam and Lemon Aioli on Brioche Bun

Homemade Gnocchi

With Blackened Cauliflower, Wilted Spinach and Toasted Almond Butter

Porcini-Dusted Scallops

With Port Wine Reduction, Fried Leeks and Whipped Chevre Potatoes

Dessert

Chocolate Basket

with Dark Chocolate Mousse and Fresh Berries

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

With Honey Sour Cream and Almond Brittle