I Can See Your Dirty Pillows: Blanc Burgers, Roxy Paine and a Screenland Slam

After Friday's monstrous day of working tax-free holiday retail, it was quite gratifying to be part of the crowd on Saturday as opposed to being part of the workforce. We weren't shopping, though; we were meeting up with Ronnie and Jeff for Blanc burgers and a Screenland Slam.

We descended on the Country Club Plaza to hit up Blanc Burgers and Bottles for some beautiful beef and discovered that the tax-free crowds were still huge despite the ever-present humidity. Blanc was crazy busy but I didn't mind; I love seeing some of my fave joints rockin' and rollin'. Yes, Blanc is definitely a favorite. Blanc is a blissful ode to all things beef that puts a beatific grin on my mug every time, so yes, I will wax rhapsodic about them at every opportunity. We kicked off with cocktails based on locally made Soda Vie beverages. Soda Vie's unique beverages are quite the amazing product themselves: naturally handmade, brewed and carbonated beverages all made from real food including cilantro, celery and chilies to name a few. These make for some seriously creative cocktails and there wasn't a false note among any that we tried. Keith ordered the Back In Fashion; a sit-up-and-take-notice concoction of Maker's Mark bourbon, muddled ginger, orange and Ginger Beer Soda Vie. Ronnie enjoyed his clean and refreshing Cucumber Cooler, made from Effen Cucumber Vodka, Cucumber Soda Vie and fresh cuke.....he and I agree that cucumber cocktails are the bomb-ditty. I ordered a bright and cheery Pineapple Polanco made from Patron, Patron Citronge, muddled pineapple, fresh cilantro, house-made sweet and sour and Pineapple/Cilantro Soda Vie.

Upon learning that their Daily Grind featured burger was the product of a partnership Blanc had with Boys Grow; I decided to try it. The burger was simple in its formation: avocado, tomatoes, red onion, greens and a soft cheese and $1.00 from every burger went to support the Boys Grow organization. Boys Grow is a not-for-profit that mentors inner-city 12-15 year old males; utilizing farming and agriculture to instill pride and entrepreneurship. These boys already have a popular salsa called Salsa Orgullo on the market and my burger toppings included some produce grown by these boys. We also got some of those killer onion rings with house-made dipping sauces to munch on, yum...

For dessert, we headed out to Glace Artisan Ice Cream, which is almost becoming predictable for this foursome. Glace falls in that same category as Blanc, though...one of pure devotion. I get excited every time I go to see what's new to try. However, I've become a tad predictable myself at Glace. I always try something different (this time, the fabulous salted pretzel) but inevitably return to my deep cravings....Venezuelan Spiced Dark Chocolate and Fleur De Sel Caramel. Jeff tried the Ginger Beer Ice Cream Float with Strawberry Sour Cream and enjoyed it. Glace, as the website states, "bears the unmistakable signature of Christopher Elbow" and indeed it does. That creativity that shines in his luscious artisanal chocolates certainly flows through the ice cream and that keeps us coming back. Also, I love their catchphrase: When Joy Freezes Over.

We had some time to kill and decided to brave the heat and stroll the Sculpture Garden at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I'd read quite a bit about the Roxy Paine sculpture called Ferment and now I've seen it in person (pictured top of the page at left). The reknowned artist brought this stunning work of stainless steel to the museum and its an absolute Wow in person. Its reflective branches were catching the evening sunlight in so many ways; I found myself taking multiple pics and there wasn't a bad angle in the bunch. Bravo, beloved Nelson!





After photographing a few other pics of the museum grounds, including the mighty Shuttlecocks, we sauntered off to the main event..

This month's Screenland Slam was a tribute to Carrie, the Brian DePalma-directed adaptation of Stephen King's novel. It had been quite awhile since I'd seen this little gem and was all too jazzed to see it Mystery Science Theater-style; complete with local comedians in the front row, riffing on all of the campiness. My first viewing, as a young'un, left a creepy vibe and as I aged, I gained an appreciation for its camp elements; especially when seeing Late Night Theatre's production of Carrie; complete with indescribably hilarious shower scene here in KC. This was a whole new ballgame, and from the dirty pillows to the over-the-top prom scene to my favorite vegetable chopping scene ever, there was an unending stream of comedic invective yielding big laughs. I didn't quite completely choke on laughter the way I did during the last Slam I attended...the Showgirls thrashing pool scene had me in absolute stitches. There was bountiful laughter for Carrie, though and we had a blast.

Lots of delicious food and laughter last night. Just what the doctor ordered.