The Summer Beer Project

One of my favorite pastimes of the summer (well, any season really) is the consumption of beer. Each year, I get hooked on a particular beer or other recreational beverage (mojitos come to mind) and am always on the lookout for something to both quench my thirst and lighten my mood.

I was thinking about this summer's drink du jour as the sun decided to visit Misery today. What will be this summer's drink? Will it be an old stand-by or something new. I've decided to explore the possibilities throughout the summer. But before this project begins, let me cover a few favorites or possible winners for the summer.


Cream Ales
This is a style that I barely knew existed. Then my mom delivered some New Glarus this evening, including some of their cream ale Spotted Cow. Cream ales are top-fermented beers that go through an extended period of cold-conditioning or lagering. The Spotted Cow I had tonight was light and refreshing, perfect for summer.


Summer Beer
This one will have beer purists gagging, but it's a good option if you want refreshment and alcohol without the heaviness of several beers. First, you fill a typical pint glass about 2/3 full with an unfiltered wheat beer. Boulevard Wheat works the best for this. Then, pour in a shot of vodka and top it off with lemonade. My friend TJ introduced me to the summer beer a summer or two back. Apparently, it's a big thing in Lawrence, but I won't tell if you won't.


Stout Float
I love ice cream. I love stouts. However, until I came to COMO, I would have never put the two together. Somehow, it makes sense. This is a drink with which I may have to experiment. Should I use dry stouts or over-the-top imperial stouts (like the Dogfish Head World Wide Stout that nearly knocked me on my ass this evening)? This could be either the most fun of the summer drinks or the most disappointing.


Oberon with Orange Slice
Here's another drink that makes beer purists gag, but I swear by this combination. It was customary in Columbus to toss a slice of orange into a wheat beer, but none compare to Bell's Oberon. The best part might be eating the orange slice at the end.


Dogfish Head Festina Pêche
This is the first beer that cannot be had in Misery, but a quick trip to Illinois will make this terrible reality go away. This is one of the few beers I've had that is light enough, low enough on the alcohol (4.5% ABV), and features just the right amount of fruit to be a one-and-done summer drink. It has rather complex layers of flavoring with a touch of sourness that satisfies after one bottle. I still have three of my four-pack, waiting for warmer weather.


Negra Modelo with Lime
Mexican drinks are often synonymous with summer. I prefer the darker Negra Modelo with a slice of lime. The trick is to see whether you can properly get your lime from the neck of the bottle to the bottom without spilling it all over the place.

I realize that these drinks are beer-specific, but I write about beer. What are you willing to try? What do you think will be this summer's drink du jour? Let me know if you try any of these suggestions. Leave me something in the comments.

Bells Makes Misery Tolerable

When we moved to Misery, I was afraid I had left everything I loved about the Great Lakes region behind. In many ways, I had. However, one favorite from my days in Ohio followed us to Misery: Bell's Beers.

We moved here in the summer of 2005. As a beer drinker, I appreciated the Boulevard Wheat (with a slice of lemon) available at nearly every bar and restaurant, filling my need for a suitable summer beer. This made me hopeful for the beer in this town, but I still missed some of my favorites from back home. The best was Bell's Oberon, a seasonable wheat ale best served with an orange slice.

Luckily, Bell's Brewery out of Kalamazoo, Michigan ships to Misery. It's not available everywhere, but almost. I live off Two-Hearted Ale throughout the year. The beer is a welcome reminder of from where I come.Flash forward to the present. Last night, R and I enjoyed our first real night out together since Lucia's arrival. Lucia joined us of course for her very first beer event, the Bell's beer pairing dinner at The Wine Cellar and Bistro. The menu looked like this (my notes are in italics)...

Winter White Ale (Reception Beer)

Caramel Popcorn with Parmesan & Lavender

Was the caramel simply infused with lavender? Either way, it reminded me of my grandmother's homemade caramel corn. I once had this ale in a bottle which did it very few favors. The beer paired perfectly with our starter, meaning good things were to come.

Amber Ale

“Fresh baked pretzel” stuffed with shrimp, caraway Greystone pork sausage, spicy white cheddar emulsion and wasabi-whole grain mustard

This was actually a stuffed pretzel, believe it or not. I was afraid that the spices in the sausage and wasabi would clash terribly, but they actually complimented each other well. The amber is, according to the Bell's rep, the brewery's signature beer. It's light on the hops and alcohol, making it an ideal session beer (read: drink it all night long without getting sick).

Pale Ale

Smoked Patchwork ribs with roasted red pepper oatmeal, crispy sweet potatoes and ale reduction

Again, this was an excellent pairing. Pale ale just works with the smoked pork and sweet potatoes. The oatmeal was sort of a risotto-type of thing. The pale ale, like the white winter, definitely tastes better when allowed to breath from a glass.

Two-Hearted Ale

Pan seared scallops, saffron poached potatoes, kafir lime beer blanc, roasted carrots and fried leeks

This was going to be my favorite course before we even began. The food actually cut some of the bitterness of the IPA and pulled out some of the more aromatic aspects. Excellent.

Consecrator Doppelbock

Chestnut stuffed grilled quail and grilled duck, wilted local greens, topped with green tomato chutney and cilantro

I didn't remember this doppelbock as chocolaty as it was when I tasted it at the lager night for the beer club. Of course, I probably tasted 20 or so lagers prior to trying this one. Then I wasn't sure if such a flavor would go with the dish. I was wrong. These two paried very nicely.

Third Coast Old Ale (Barley wine)

Baked Missouri caramel apple soufflé with rosemary and bay infused anglaise and caramelized apples

I was a little disappointed to get such a fresh barley wine (a few weeks old). The rep suggested buying a six-pack, drinking one, and storing the rest for the future. Now that I had some at the dinner, I purchased a six-pack today to store the whole thing. What saved this beer was the dessert. The infusion of bay and rosemary matched the apple perfectly with the beer really pulling out the carmal flavor.

Bell’s Stout

Crater Lake blue cheese crème brûlée with blackberries and espresso syrup

I think I counted no more than four different Bells stouts on the Hyvee shelves this evening. Interestingly, the basic stout was served with our final course last night. Instead of the beer providing all the coffee flavor, the dessert's syrup filled the need for an afterdinner coffee. Surprisingly, the blue cheese fit in nicely.

All in all, it was a great night of beer and food. The pairings were both unique and well-matched. It is easy to see why we choose the bistro as our celebratory restaurant over and over. Although the beer was not as intense or varied as the event I missed at Sycamore, it was all as good as American craft beer gets. I highly recommend both The Wine Cellar and Bistro as well as my favorite brewery, Bell's.

Filling Our Grocery Needs

From time to time, I like to fit in a post that actually addresses my living in Misery. In between the beer tastings, rock shows, and intolerant rants, I feel the need to address an issue that is uniquely COMO. Today, that issue has to do with the grocery choices in this town.

The Good
Since I rarely say anything positive about this place, I decided start with the good stuff. For a relatively small "city" in the middle of a state that could be seen as the buckle of the Bible Belt, COMO has decent variety. There are local and not-so-local outlets that provide for most of our culinary needs. Here are a few highlights...

The Columbia Farmers Market opens every Saturday (April-November), Monday, and Wednesday (May-October). From friends who have been to several farmers markets, they tell me ours is their favorite. There are delicious tomatoes and peaches available right now, as well as plenty of organic meat from April to November. In fact, we usually buy our Thanksgiving turkey at the market. Soon, there will be a new pavilion built to make our market permanent.

For all your specialty food and cheese needs, head to World Harvest Foods. Despite some bad press a few years back (Let's just say it's not easy being Muslim in the Midwest since 9/11.), the store enjoys steady patronage from COMO's cheese lovers. Besides the crazy variety of cheeses, one can stock up on aged balsamic vinegars and gourmet chocolate.

COMO is the land of big box chain stores. It's a fact with which we have to live. Since we have to look to these monstrous stores for some of our nutrition, it's important to keep in mind that some evils are more necessary than others. The Hy-Vee is one of those necessary evils. They are the only grocery stores that can take on Super Wal-Mart (more on them later). Plus, they have a decent health foods section and liquor store.

The Bad
I know that I will get death-threats for this, but I feel we in COMO need to come to terms with our health food store situation. Right now, people who like to spend their grocery money at locally-owned health food stores have two options: Clover's and the Root Cellar. Clover's now has two very nice locations, but their selection is limited and their prices are ridiculously high, too high to make this a weekly stop. Then there's the Root Cellar. I honestly have not been there in a long time. There's something about getting sick from eating a chicken that was questionably refrigerated that makes one think twice about stopping in again. I know people love these places, I just don't see their worth.
Our closest Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are two hours away. With gas prices what they are, it's just not feasible to make that trip very often anymore. With that said, there are regular caravans of COMO-ians to STL for their Trader Joe fix. I'd guarantee that if a Trader Joe's set up shop in COMO, the shelves would never stay full. Of course, a Whole Foods would be just as welcome in filling those spots in our stomachs reserved for exotic fruits, organic meats, and hard-to-find microbrews, which leads me to my next point...

We need a decent beer shop. I know that beer does not fall under the category of necessary grocery items, but we are in desperate need of some good brews in this town. Of course, it is getting better, but I'd still love to have something like Seattle's Bottleworks on Ninth Street to swing by for an IPA craving or a hoppy barley wine. Actually, if I had a million dollars, I'd start my own shop (or brew pub), but that isn't happening any time soon.

The Ugly
We have a little, but certainly not a lot of choice when it comes to groceries in COMO. What we do have is Wal-Mart. Our little town of 90K or so has a whopping three Super Wal-Marts, plus one Sam's Club. It should also be noted that a good portion of the Wal-Mart brood live in our town (or, more accurately, south of town in their mansions). This strangle-hold on the local economy might be why a store like Whole Foods hasn't set up shop. R and I may own our home, but Wal-Mart owns the rest of COMO.

Change
I feel like COMO is ready for a grocery revolution! Or there are some changes around the corner. Hy-Vee is taking Wal-Mart head-on. Shortly after the evil empire built a new Super across the street from the lone Hy-Vee, the Iowa chain announced they would take over two abandoned buildings from previous Wal-Mart wars, bringing them even in COMO stores.

If this isn't enough, we all can do our part by begging Trader Joe's to build a store in COMO. Just go here and leave a message that begs and pleads with TJ to come our way. Even if you don't live here, you could request a TJ for COMO and tell them I sent you, or not.

Hopefully as COMO passes the 100K plateau, someone will realize that all of our grocery needs are not met and something new is needed. Until then, we'll make do with our farmers market, Hy-Vee, and cheese shop.

Back from Seattle

Shot from the Bainbridge ferry.

We made it back from Seattle last night. Besides some souvenirs, I brought back a cold...that's why I'm up at 5:20 AM posting on my blog. Luckily, the trip itself was free of illness. I plan to post some details of the trip, but thought I'd post an overview for now.

I knew this Seattle visit would be one of certain decadence when my first Stone Ruination IPA was handed to me almost as soon as we settled into our friends' apartment. I polished off three of those beers and many, many wings. (I know, I know. I left the home of barbecue only to eat wings in the Pacific Northwest.)

We slept in the next morning and made our way to the Bainbridge Island ferry. Bainbrindge Island is one of those little yuppie towns with quaint shops and 500K+ cottages. The only difference between this town and others is that it overlooks all of Seattle, keeping it in close proximity to an urban center. We had some delicious omelets and undercooked potatoes for brunch, wandered through the overpriced shops, and I had an amazingly rich milkshake before returning to the mainland.

Once downtown, R and I walked (a long walk) to the sculpture garden and back to Pike Place Market. We bought a woodcut print and saw a fish get tossed while people cheered and cameras flashed. But the real reason we stopped was to pick up a bag of donuts. Unfortunately, the Daily Dozen was closing up shop for the day and only had full bags for a reduced cost. This means there were no fresh donuts. Oh well.

The only picture I've been allowed to take of R since she became preggers.

After buying some cool Nikki McClure prints and numerous progressive publications at Left Banks, we headed up Capitol Hill to meet our host, M. We did some more shopping before landing in Elysian Brewing for a sampler of beers. I plan on writing more extensively about my the beer consumption on my trip, so that topic will have to wait.

M, knowing me very well, took us over to Sonic Boom Records for me to get my reckid fill. I left the store with some nice finds. There was an Elliott Smith 7-inch ("Needle in the Hay") I did not expect to find. I also bought the last Final Fantasy album that does not seem to exist in COMO. St. Vincent made my list, but I could have purchased that anywhere. The store had an extensive collection of books from the 33 1/3 series. I bought the book on Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. But the discovery of the night came when the store's staff played Port O'Brien's All We Could Do Was Sing. There will definitely be more written on this band in lim. You can be sure of that.

M's other half, A, took us out for a day of gluttony the following morning. First there was Salumi where we waited in a line down the street for a spot in the tiny storefront to swallow our meaty, Italian sandwiches. Then, after a brief stop at a fancy cheese shop, we visited a boutique where R could have a new purse custom-built for here. Since neither A nor I were interested in purses, we walked down to The Viking for a couple of IPA's.

Once R was done, the decadence continued as we drove over to Theo Chocolate. Unfortunately, we were unable to slip in for a tour, but trying the samples and loading up on chocolates to take home was rewarding enough. Besides that, no tour allowed us to head across the street for yet even more beer at the incredibly well-stocked Brouwer's Cafe. Never before have I seen more unique selections of beer in my lifetime. Again, there will be a beer post with more details to come.

We then made our way to Bottleworks. This shop was the beer-equivalent of a good, independent record store. The kid in the candy shop metaphor just does not do this store justice. I was able to limit myself to just a few items, some to have before we left and some to take home. The pic to the right sort of gives you an idea.

That evening we all went out with an old YMCA camping buddy of mine, Russ. We hit a Thai restaurant that was decent but provided terrible service. Russ wanted to continue the night elsewhere, so M took my pregnant better half home and we hit Linda's Tavern for some pints of the good stuff before stumbling home (or, more accurately, taking a cab).

Saturday was as packed as the previous two. We started out with brunch at the incredibly delicious and highly recommended Portage Bay Cafe. I then got my opportunity to explore the Experience Music Project at the Seattle Center. The EMP had some interesting exhibits on Seattle music and Jimi Hendrix. Plus, the fact that it's one of Frank Gehry's more notorious buildings is a bonus. However, the museum was sort of lacking in its size and scope.

I followed up my EMP experience with two more local music stores, Silver Platters and Easy Street. Silver Platters was overrun with new and used DVD's, but it did provide me with a Bill Callahan CD and Grand Archives' new disc. Easy Street was more my kind of record store. They had an extensive vinyl selection, but I realized the limitations of my packing situation and stuck to CD's and 7-inches. The store had the Cap'n Jazz anthology plus 7-inches from a COMO band (White Rabbits) and a group from C-bus (Times New Viking).

We then hit West Seattle for some more browsing and refreshments before returning to M's apartment and our myriad of leftovers.

This was maybe my most varied trip to what is my favorite city. We did so much that I will surely write more about the beer, restaurants and record stores. Plus, I have some reviews to catch up on. Now, if I could just get over this cold.

Blogroll

Some of you have figured out that this is not my only blog. I write about and for my job, my interpretations of Pavement songs, memories of encounters with rock stars and memorable shows I've seen, and a few other things. The idea was to keep this blog somewhat focused, which has worked to varying degrees.

For those of you who can't get enough comoprozac ramblings, you should check out my other blogs. Here's a brief rundown of the blogs I write. The new goal is to post at least once a week on each blog in order to make them worth the read.

living in misery - This is the one that started it all. I'm over 240 posts in and I'm still not sure what it's all about. I complain about my home, ramble endlessly about music, and write about life in general. I guess it makes sense. To date, this is also my most popular blog. When I post, my numbers go up. When I post something really good, they really go up. (Although, I suspect a drop with this run-on of a mess.) This may be my pride and joy. I even have a few items at CafePress, not to mention a whole store at CP.

Mr. E. - This blog has now been started three times. It was originally on Edublogs, but they were going through some transitions and I grew impatient before bolting to the friendly confines of Blogger. The resulting blog was supposed to be a way for me to give my thoughts on my work in education, but it soon spiraled out of control as I walked a thin line between personal and professional feelings. The general tone and feel of the blog was way more negative than originally intended, so I deleted it. Although the original version still exists over on Edublogs, I have once again revived Mr. E. on Blogger. Now, my hope is to post weekly on an educational topic that's on my mind. This time it will be constructive and not cross lines of professionalism.

Suppl_eMINTS - Keeping with the educational blogs, I post periodically on topics and resources I think can help the teachers I train. This blog will really only interest those in education, but I invite everyone to check it out. Again, my new goal is to post weekly, which should be easier with the summer months approaching.

I can't sing it strong enough. - I discovered My Impression Now after reading about it on fellow Guided by Voices fanatic John Sellers' blog, Angry John Sellers. The idea of writing an interpretation for every GBV song stuck with me. It was ingenious. I wondered if anyone had started a similar blog about Pavement. After extensive research (aka a Google search), I discovered that no one had yet started an oeuvre blog for my favorite band. So, ICSISE was born. Again, this blog needs some posts. I've barely made a dent into Pavement's discography in comparison to other similar blogs, but I'm determined to post one a week until I'm through. I wonder which song I should interpret next...

Anecdotal - I noticed that I was spending too much time reminiscing about back in the day at all the rock clubs and such of my youth. This didn't jive with the "now" aspect of lim. So, Anecdotal was born. This has been the most fun blog to write. The posts are either too brief or too rambling, but that's how my memory works. Sometimes I run out of good stories, but I think that a weekly rehash of my indie rock lifestyle would stir up some good stories I've forgotten.

Besides the blogs I write on my own, I also contribute to several collaborative efforts. MMEET (or as I pronounce it, "mmmmmmmmeet") stands for Mizzou Men for Excellence in Elementary Teaching...or something like that. Our group is primarily made up of area elementary school teachers who happen to be male. The funny thing is that maybe two of us are actually teachers in elementary schools. The rest of us are either attending MU in order to teach, teach other grade levels, or are grad students. It's a hodgepodge of guys, but we are all interested in how gender affects teaching.

Digital Vittles may be the first blog that I knew the people who were posting. It's a foodie blog based out of Columbus, but has since spread due to so many of us getting jobs in other locales. When I say that it's a "foodie blog", what I mean is that we write about all things edible. There are restaurant reviews, recipes, shopping highlights, and general food-related discourse.

Famille à la Maison (or Family Home, I believe) was my attempt to bring my family into the 21st century. It has worked to some degree with my mom occasionally posting, but I have been the biggest contributor. Someday, I'll get them all to post something...maybe.

The final blog is dieta estúpida (stupid diet). This blog was started by my blogging friends Lovey and Pizza Cottontail. They and their friends were struggling with their waistlines and decided to support each other with a blog. What resulted is sometimes humorous, sometimes disgusting, but always self-affirming. I have never struggled with my weight until I started aging, became less active, and have suffered from too much stress...and probably drank too much beer. So, to struggle in a group of like-minded individuals has been great. Now, if we could all get back to blogging so that the weight loss can continue...

Why do I blog so much? Well, I suppose it's out of loneliness, but I prefer to see it as a way for me to make my own community where there is little. Sure, we have friends in COMO. I have made several new connections in recent weeks. The only problem is that I'm not around these people all the time. Additionally, my job has me isolated in my home office or on the road. I need more community, and the blogoshpere is giving me that community.

As part of my community, you should feel free to read the other blogs and leave some comments. You may also want to keep an eye out for the blog I will undoubtedly publish about my kid. I will try to keep up with all these blogs as best I can. Of course, living in misery will always be updated. I mean, it's the state I'm in.

Dolsot Bibim Bap! Dolsot Bibim Bap!

Usually when I write about food, it's here. However, I feel it is my duty to support a restaurant that I believe needs the support.

When we used to live in Columbus, Ohio, there were days when nothing was going right. It would rain with 30-40 degree temperatures. Our jobs were not treating us well. It was Monday, etc.

Without hesitation, someone would suggest that we go get some Korean (food). And that's what we did. It was never hard to make a choice from the menu. We always chose Dolsot Bibim Bap.This particular Korean delicacy is served in a piping hot stone bowl that comes sizzling with flavor. Immediately, you cut into the egg in order to allow the yolk to spread. Slowly, you mix the contents of beef, various vegetables, spicy red sauce, and the rice. Oh that rice!

The stone bowl burns the rice slightly, causing it to have a delicious crunch.

Since we've lived in COMO, we have only enjoyed this Korean treat while traveling...that is, until last night.

Next to the MO-X headquarters, in the Parkade shopping center off the loop is Kojaba. The rest of the menu included both Japanese and Korean dishes (including some sushi). The feelings were mixed as far as the tastes, but the quality was good. I don't know that I'd eat everything on the menu, but I am tempted to go back once a week just for the Dolsot Bibim Bap.

Funerals, Flights, and Films*, Part One

Our long and eventful weekend of funerals, flights, and films began Thursday morning with a flight to Detroit Rock City. While traveling to major cities with real ethnic food and culture usually gets us excited, this trip was for a not-so-joyous reason. As mentioned in previous posts, R's grandmother passed earlier in the week and we were doing what family does which is pay our respects no matter the distance.

That evening with some family, we were able to enjoy some of the tastiest of that ethnic food at Priya's. Everyone ordered their dish Thali style which includes naan, various side dishes, and rice served in metal bowls and tray. Since no one ever orders vegetables in this group, R and I volunteered to order the palak paneer and okra fry. We passed the veggie, lamb, and chicken dishes around in order to enjoy an assortment of flavors. The food was excellent and made me long for better Indian food to come to COMO, like we had in Columbus. The mango lassi was among the best I've had.

The following day found us spending our time at a wake. It's one thing to attend someone's wake/viewing and it's another thing being a part of the family. When you're part of the family, you spend the day at the funeral home, awkwardly navigating through conversations with people you see once or twice a year. For much of the day, I was on nephew watch as my brother-in-law visited with family.

The most intriguing part of the funeral home was this very odd lounge in the basement. Just past the two-story waterfall and goldfish pool, was what can only be described as a sort of green room. Now, when I write "green room" I don't mean the space where performers await their turn on stage. I'm talking about a room with lawn furniture, green carpeting between brick walkways, and vine-covered trellises painted on the walls. Personally, I would not find this very comforting in a time of loss.

We were able to take a break from the green room and wake with some family across the street at Kirby's Coney Island. I won't go into great detail except to say that it is never a good idea to eat two Coney dogs in one sitting. Although, R's uncle ate three and was bugging a three-year-old for his hot dog.

The following morning we were right back at the funeral home for the actual funeral. It was a nice ceremony. It was short, sweet, and to the point, unusual for a Catholic anything. We quickly said our good-byes and made a break for the airport and a noon take-off.

The flight was delayed about twenty minutes when we arrived at the airport. It seems that four inches of snow only slows down some cities instead of completely shutting them down...like some places I know. So, we had time to breath and to consider what our return to COMO had in store for us...

To be continued.

*Title Credit: My partner, R, wanted me to be sure to give her credit for this post title.

Back from Vacation

In case you hadn't noticed, I took a few days off from the blogging. It became too much of a chore, so I thought a few days away would help re-energize my blogger-self. I think it has.

Genocide Celebration Day went off without a hitch this past Thursday. You can check out some pics at Digital Vittles. While there, be sure to check out the "Gobble Gobble, Y'all" post.

I bought nothing on Buy Nothing Day...wait...we did buy some furniture. Damn! Maybe next year.

We finally have a fully functional basement/family room. Some tables and a chair (Thanks, Mom.) have really made the space livable. Plus, my dad and I put up some closet doors to help cover up that gigantic mirror. (Some of you know what I'm talking about.)

I haven't showered in two days, but that will change as I have to get back to work. This will probably mean a continued stoppage in the blogging, but I will try to post every other day. Besides, with the end of the year coming, I have to complete all my end-of-the-year lists.

December 9th is coming up and that means I am still selling raffle tickets for Prism, the LGBT youth group for which I volunteer. Thanks to those who have already purchased tickets or made donations. The tickets are $1 for each, $5 for six.

Misery is #1...for now. I'm a big Sooners fan this week. If OU wins, the Buckeyes are in the championship game for the second straight year and third time this decade.

I'm currently listening to Jose Gonzales and am impressed for the most part. His style of folk lies in that place where Elliott Smith and Nick Drake meet. We'll have to see where he lands on the end-of-year list.

That's all for now. I've got some ideas for more focused posts.

Coffee and Dreams for the District

The "District", the partially nameless moniker arbitrarily given to COMO's downtown area, is constantly witnessing changes in storefronts and eateries - for better and worse. It often occurs to me that this part of COMO is both the reason this place is livable and the source of much of my misery. This contradictory feeling is mainly due the potential of the downtown that never feels fulfilled.

I know that it's already been reviewed by "real" journalists, but I have to express my pleasure in discovering the District's newest coffee shop, Kaldi's. From what I've heard, Kaldi's is based out of St. Louis and actually supplies much of the coffee for some Columbia coffee joints. So, it's not completely new to Misery, but it is a welcome new member of the District.

Kaldi's took over the nice corner space on 9th and Cherry, once occupied by one of those crappy noodle chains. I have to say that the space is way more appropriate for a coffee shop than it was for soup and noodles. The interior is sleek, trademarked with Kaldi's logo, and provides a variety of seating.

The coffee has been fine. Actually, I've liked most of the coffee in COMO. None of it is spectacular, but it's all well-roasted and brewed. The latte' at Kaldi's is a little heavy on the milkiness and light on the coffee taste. The coffee doesn't stick out which is fine - it's neither spectacular nor bitter.

What I like is that Kaldi's provides another coffee space that isn't hippie-dippy (Lakota), hipster-Christian (Artisan), or loaded with local yokels (Coffee Zone). It's an alternative that diversifies the coffee scene in downtown COMO without being Starbuck's.

The menu is varied and interesting, similar to Artisan. R and I enjoyed our savory crepes (salmon in one, turkey sausage and bacon in the other). The crepes were interesting, but a little on the Misery-bland side.

Over breakfast, we got to talking about the changes that are happening in the district.

First of all, there is an actual tapas restaurant. We're not talking about a place that serves Horsd'œuvres on little plates. No. We're talking about real Spanish-influenced tapas. Throw in some Rioja and I might forget I'm in Misery.

Secondly, there is word that Cucina Sorella and/or Trattoria Strada Nova will be returning upon the arrival of its founder. This would be a welcome return of one of COMO's best breakfast spots. Without Cucina, the quality of breakfast in this town dropped dramatically.

Third, it appears that the Ragtag/Uprise move to Hitt Street is making serious progress. I, for one, will be eager to attend films at the Ragtag knowing that there will be two to choose from. Rumor has it that one theater will have seats similar to the thrift store throw-aways like the current location and the other will have more traditional theater seating. Whichever is fine with me. I'm just exited to have choices of indie films in this town.

As far as the dreams I have for the District, I wish some stores would fill the empty space. I'd even be fine with some chain stores like Urban Outfitters or Banana Republic. These kinds of stores would be better than no stores and might bring additional traffic downtown to help support the existing businesses. Also, the rumor of Trader Joe's coming to COMO has to come to fruition. A downtown location would be ideal and this town could easily support the discount natural/organic/international food store.

Then, there are the businesses in COMO that should be downtown and not in a strip mall. JinaYoo's Asian Bistro has been the happiest addition to COMO's dismal dining scene in the last three years and should be downtown. Speaking of great Asian food, why hasn't Osaka made the move to the District? Besides the sheer entertainment of the hibachi, their sushi is far superior to Sake, downtown's current sushi joint.

These improvements and the return of hotels to downtown might even be enough to give the District a real name. (The Doc[umentary] District? The Mizzou District? The District of Columbia?) The hotels could be a big piece. There is talk of the Tiger returning to its golden era as a grand hotel. Then there's the project by the university to create a downtown hotel that can host conferences. (However, can this really happen when the university is in such dire economic straights?) Hotels would provide the District with the population and life it needs to be a viable downtown.

I'm coming to terms with the possibility that I may be here for quite awhile, so I want the place to improve as much as possible. A lot of that improvement can happen downtown to make this an exciting place to live. It could give me a reason to forget that we're two-hours from any major city with real restaurants and entertainment.

In the meantime, I'll attend the Modest Mouse show on Thursday (after a burger at Booche's), catch a flick at the Ragtag, and stay at home Saturday to watch The Game (OSU/Michigan-for all of you who aren't familiar with college football). That should do for now.

Loading Up On Some Columbus

I had one day to spend in Columbus before returning to Misery. I tried to make the most of my last day home. I arrived around noon with some ideas of what to do. Here was my list...

1. Load up on OSU paraphernalia. I have been in need of some fresh OSU garb. Of course, I wouldn't have been caught dead in Columbus wearing as much OSU stuff as I wear in Misery, but I have to represent. Universi-T's had a "buy one, get two free" deal. I couldn't resist.

2. Load up on local music. I was able to take care of half of this when I stopped by Used Kids six days before when I bought the latest release by Times New Viking. On this day, I was able to hunt down the latest by my longtime favs Earwig. The album is well-produced (compared to earlier releases). However, the passion and songwriting that made them such a popular local act seems long gone. I'll give it a few more listens, but I don't have my hopes up.


3. Load up on Jeni's ice cream. This turned out to be the trickiest task of the day, but it was a task I had to complete or R may never speak to me again. The manager said that they were waiting on a shipment of dry ice around five. So, I agreed to return later for my order. However, when I returned just before five, the shop had not received their shipment of dry ice. The guy behind the counter asked if I would mind driving over to their kitchen in Grandview to pick up some ice. I did not mind since this was my sole reason for even being in Columbus this early before my flight.

After almost getting lost (due to my forgetting where Kenny Road is), I successfully found the Jeni's kitchen. The manager wrapped up my dry ice and ice cream (to be reviewed on Digital Vittles in the near future) and offered me the "five-cent tour" for my troubles. Jeni's ice cream is amazingly created in a half-empty room with only two machines not much smaller than my own refrigerator. He then showed me the freezer that is cleaned out every two days. The ice cream solidifies in this freezer after being stirred by the machines. He then offered me an ice cream sandwich for the road. Nice guy, that Jeni.

4. Load up on local cuisine. Besides the Jeni's ice cream sandwich, I had to eat several local favorites before leaving town. After being turned down the first time at Jeni's in the North Market, I enjoyed a delicious Vietnamese sandwich - bar-b-q chicken. For dessert, I headed over to Graeter's (Columbus' other ice cream mecca) for a chocolate chip milkshake. There's something about a milkshake made with premium vanilla ice cream and large, dark chocolate chips that get stuck in your straw. Later in the day, I slurped down a Monkey Business at Columbus mainstay Cup O' Joe. (Actually, the drink was from COJ's younger brother, Mo' Joe Lounge.) The day was finished off with dinner at North Star. Their chicken wraps are so good and filling. The sandwich helped hold me over when my plane was delayed by an hour. (Skybus!)


5. Load up on some culture. I didn't have a lot of time for the culture. I considered attending a cool art house flick at the beloved Drexel Theaters. However, waiting around for a decent movie showing is risky when you have limited time and all these other tasks to complete. I then remembered that the Wexner Center for the Arts was free and usually featured some great contemporary artwork. I picked up a nice gift for R and a cool t-shirt for myself in the gift shop before checking out the current exhibits. The featured exhibit was the same show that the Wex is putting on at this year's state fair. (The Ohio State Fair just got cooler!) Three Ohio artists demonstrated a diversity I haven't seen in a gallery the size of the Wexner in...well...ever. Mark Harris' intriguing video installations were way more compelling than any reality TV crap. The oddball, mixed-media sculptures of Tracy Featherstone reminded me of the junkyard dreams of my youth. I've never felt that porcelain was a viable artistic medium until I saw the work of Rain Harris. In addition to these excellent Ohio artists, the Wex also featured work by "dusty" visual artist Robert Beck, French filmmaker Chris Marker, and the photos of Zoe Leonard.

6. Load up on tattoos. OK, so I didn't load up on tattoos, but I did get one. I returned to the place where I got my first tat about four years ago, Evolved. Matt was able to take me in as a walk-in and worked very quickly. I highly recommend anyone looking to get some ink while in Columbus to see the folks at Evolved. They are super professional and very friendly. I have two somewhat lame tattoos, and the artists there have never made me feel stupid for my choice. What did I get? I got the state of Ohio inked on my forearm. Let me just say that Sandusky Bay was rather painful. (I know that the image is a mirror image. The tattoo is not backwards!)

I certainly made the most of my visit to Ohio. Maybe I should go back...

Sedalia!

R and I were looking for something to do in Misery last weekend and happened to stumble upon Sedalia(!). (It's way more exciting with the exclamation point after it, don't you think?) Apparently, Sedalia(!) is the home of rails, trails and ragtime. We had heard that there was good Mexican food and art in this town that is also the home of Misery's state fair. Anyway, we decided to check it out for ourselves.

The road leading into Sedalia(!) contains no signs that tell you anything. We did see a sign mention an art museum on I-70, but that was the last word on that. We actually drove a couple of miles outside of town before turning around to ask for directions.

R ran into the closest Shell station and asked where the contemporary art museum was located. The (East) Indian couple behind the counter had no idea there was a museum of any kind in their little town, neither did the other locals in the convenience store.

After conferring with the Yellow Pages, we headed toward the 16th where the museum was located. As we drove by the state fair grounds, I joked that it was probably located on the fair grounds itself. Well, I was close. The museum was hidden on the campus of State Fair Community College which sits adjacent to the fairgrounds.

The lot was empty. Not only are the folks of Sedalia(!) ignorant about their very own contemporary art museum, but they also don't park anywhere near it. (Maybe they wait to go after church on Sunday.) Regardless, we could tell right away that this little art space was an oasis in the desert that is Misery. The exterior reminded us of our beloved Wexner Center in Columbus, OH, and we hoped the interior would provide the same comforts.The Daum Museum of Contemporary Art is a cool art space that provides a wide array of contemporary pieces by some of today's most known and unknown artists. The museum is currently featuring two artists.

The first is New York sculptor Jeffrey Mongrain. His juxtaposing of large iconic sculptures in traditionally religious settings was interesting, but sort of odd. I guess it would mean more to me if I were Catholic. He did have some interesting pieces featuring a moose and one that enlarged the eye of the guy who created those eye scanner things you see in sci-fi movies.



We found the other visiting exhibit to be both interesting and entertaining. Tom Huck's wood prints in his Two Weeks in August and the Bloody Bucket focused and the legends and folklore that emanate from America's small towns. His bizarre characters, scene depictions, and accompanying stories filled our hunger for Missouri weirdness. There were stories of crash-up derbies gone awry, strange fold having sex in outhouses, and NRA squirrel barbeque's. It definitely made the insanity that is Misery seem OK for the moment.


After visiting with a very lonely docent, we headed out to her recommendation for good Mexican food, El Tapatio. The restaurant was a spacious but typically-decorated Mexican restaurant. The one unique piece of the interior was the smallish, raised, wooden dance floor. we quickly dove into some tasty chips and salsa accompanied by two Negra Modelos.

I had the Chimi Del Mar which featured shrimp and a topping of a delicious guacamole. R chose the Birria, the "most authentic dish, straight from Jalisco, Mexico," according to the menu. While mine was a pretty standard chimichanga, R's was this bowl of shredded lamb and pork goodness soaking in a pool of its own juices and spices. The tortillas that came with her dish were so authentic (insert extremely offensive visual of Mexican culture in order to demonstrate said authenticity here). Needless to say, this was some the best Mexican we've had this side of Mexico (MO).
To top off the evening, some of the local girls (brown and white-skinned) performed traditional Mexican folk dances on the restaurants previously mentioned dance floor. I have to say that it was an unexpected treat. Some of the girls had no clue what they were doing, and some were quite good. I'm sure this is no different from any other youth dance troupe.

All in all, Sedalia(!) was quite a pleasant surprise. It made me feel like there is something not-so-miserable in between St. Louis and Kansas City. We'll definitely return. I would love to try the famous Guber Burger next time...

Digital Vittles

Digital Vittles

Digital Vittles is the brainchild of our friend J. He and a few other Columbus, OH foodies have put together some great recipes and insider info on great eats.

I planned on joining the fun, but have yet to hear from J. It seems that they are a little slow to allowing others to join or even to put up their own posts.

Instead of waiting around any longer, I'm going to blog here about my first entry for DV...

Each year, my partner, R, wants a cake for her b-day. Now, we're not talking some Betty Crocker crap from the box. Oh no. I made her a cherry-nut cake. You can see what's left of it below and even make your own.



Cherry-Nut Cake
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Maraschino cherries
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

1. Mix sugar, shortening, salt.
2. Add eggs, one at a time.
3. Mix and sift flour and baking soda in separate bowl.
4. Alterante sour cream and flour mix to first two ingredients.
5. Add vanilla.
6. Fold in cherries and nuts.
7. Divide into three pans.
8. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Butter Cream Frosting
1. Cream 2/3 cup shortening and 1 cup butter.
2. Add 1 cup white sugar and BEAT.
3. Add two egg whites and 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract.
4. BEAT. BEAT. BEAT. BEAT...(You get the idea.) until fluffy.