Go West, Part III: Les Miz and Westport Café
On Sunday, we embarked on the final leg of the Kiko Birthday
Tour: a matinee of the national touring production of Les Miserables at the
venerable Music Hall and an early dinner at Westport Café. The combination of the two made for a
French tickler of an afternoon.
At the risk of having my gay membership card revoked, I will
first offer full disclosure…I had never seen Les Miz before this. Often touted as the greatest musical of all
time, it has somehow managed to elude me all of these years. Apropos that I would finally make a show just
as the film version 
was about to descend.
Kiko, on the other hand, had seen the production some 17 times and her
brother, twice that. Kiko and Deb were
so excited to see it again; it was a struggle for them to keep from loudly
singing along. The production took place
at the Music Hall, a still-stunning Art Deco theater built in 1936 in the Municipal
Auditorium. 
While we’ve been enjoying
the new state-of-the-art luxury of the Kauffman Center, it was 
good to get back
to this historic jewel and once again take in that amazing Grand Staircase and
those way-cool lighting fixtures that inspired the Sky Stations atop Bartle
Hall’s giant pylons. As for the
production itself, I was moved and mesmerized and made a new fan by this
breathtaking show that more than made up for the hype. I’m now anticipating the flick even more!
was about to descend.
Kiko, on the other hand, had seen the production some 17 times and her
brother, twice that. Kiko and Deb were
so excited to see it again; it was a struggle for them to keep from loudly
singing along. The production took place
at the Music Hall, a still-stunning Art Deco theater built in 1936 in the Municipal
Auditorium. 
While we’ve been enjoying
the new state-of-the-art luxury of the Kauffman Center, it was 
good to get back
to this historic jewel and once again take in that amazing Grand Staircase and
those way-cool lighting fixtures that inspired the Sky Stations atop Bartle
Hall’s giant pylons. As for the
production itself, I was moved and mesmerized and made a new fan by this
breathtaking show that more than made up for the hype. I’m now anticipating the flick even more!
What better way to follow up this little slice of
theatrical magic than with a little Parisian-style café that weaves a certain
spell itself? Westport Café and Bar is a cozy little bistro in the former Blanc Burgers spot on Westport Road. I was told prior to our visit to hit up the
cocktail list, and after one sip of my Winter Smash (Buffalo Trace Bourbon,
peach, lemon juice and spiced honey syrup), I was 
so pleased that I did. Kiko sipped on a steaming mug of hot buttered
rum and I will admit that I was relatively dubious about this drink before and
after one sip of this one, quickly realized I hadn’t tasted one made correctly
before. This one had just the right
touch of buttery richness and was very satisfying. Andrea’s cocktail was also quite nice…the Yellow House consisted of Maison Rouge VSOP cognac, honey, lemon, baked apple bitters...How does one get those?....and egg white. A lovely sip.
The French- influenced American grub was most assuredly the
highlight, though. Many of the entrees
eaten were simple sandwiches and salads, prepared with delicious elegance. Keith and Deb enjoyed their tasty chicken sandwiches
(Chicken Paillard –paillard meaning pounded thin and grilled) with arugula, spinach and
tomato dressing). I was positively
romanced by the mussels with bacon and bleu cheese hors d’ouerve and my
sumptuous Croque Monsieur with arugula and parmesan salad with fresh lemon on
the side. The light and airy salad was
the perfect pairing with that filling and fabulous inside-out grilled ham and
cheese sandwich. Made with thick slices
of ham, melted gruyere, delectable béchamel sauce and hearty, flavorful bread, it’s
one of the most deeply satisfying sandwiches I’ve had in an age. And those mussels were not only perfectly
delicious, we lapped up the remaining sauce with our crusty bread afterward. As the day faded to dark outside, the WCB was
lovingly lit with twinkle lights and I felt utterly enchanted by Westport Cafe. I could’ve leaned back, ordered
another cocktail and hung out for the duration, 
but alas, Monday still marches
in. Still, what a charmer of a day.
tomato dressing). I was positively
romanced by the mussels with bacon and bleu cheese hors d’ouerve and my
sumptuous Croque Monsieur with arugula and parmesan salad with fresh lemon on
the side. The light and airy salad was
the perfect pairing with that filling and fabulous inside-out grilled ham and
cheese sandwich. Made with thick slices
of ham, melted gruyere, delectable béchamel sauce and hearty, flavorful bread, it’s
one of the most deeply satisfying sandwiches I’ve had in an age. And those mussels were not only perfectly
delicious, we lapped up the remaining sauce with our crusty bread afterward. As the day faded to dark outside, the WCB was
lovingly lit with twinkle lights and I felt utterly enchanted by Westport Cafe. I could’ve leaned back, ordered
another cocktail and hung out for the duration, 
but alas, Monday still marches
in. Still, what a charmer of a day.
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