seveneightfive magazine

Topeka’s guide to art, entertainment, lifestyle + local flavor

Vol. V Issue IV Dec 1, 2010 - Jan 15, 2011

fashion with meaning Topeka designer gets inspirational

joyland wonderland

there’s no place like the flea market

staying awake

for some, life begins after sundown

free

recycle me to a friend

[ in this issue ]

December 1, 2010 - January 15, 2011 Vol V Issue IV

?? santa story

6 1480o

4 getting cold and dirty

[art]

A local artist is teaching people how to create art using fused glass.

In the sport of cyclo-cross, some of the best live in Topeka.

16 keeping up with gators

Marketing / WEbsite Jay Bachman Rio Cervantes-Reed Ande Davis Alice C. Hunt Kerrice Mapes Erin Leigh Wynkoop

writers Larissa Amundson Robin Cremer Dennis Etzel Jr. Cale Herreman Kerrice Mapes Mike Montano Gary Piland Matt Porubsky Leah Sewell Melissa Sewell Boone Smith Macie Smith Tom Wah Janice Watkins Erin Wynkoop

Bar Wars Jared Hitchens Advertising Kerrice Mapes Rio Cervantes-Reed Business Liz Bell

22 artful dining

High school football takes the limelight one night a week.

Art and food crash head-on

on the cover] [ entertainment [ ] Karl Fundenberger is

Photo by Tiffany Bonnewell Graphics designed by Karl Fundenberger

24 staying awake

seveneightfive writer Matthew Porubsky explores the third shift.

7 the holiday homecoming

[special spread]

A hip hop show kicks off at the Celtic Fox just before Thanksgiving.

14 constellation

A look at the different districts developing around Topeka.

8 5 Q - interior sea

[ local flavor ]

Two guys named Justin prove a guitar and drums are all you need.

13 top city bbq

The Brass Rail means a lot to seveneightfive poetry editor Dennis Etzel.

seveneightfive is a free lifestyle magazine highlighting entertainment, art, local businesses + more in Topeka.

www.seveneightfive.com

photography Lydia Barnhart Tiffany Bonnewell EJ Drake Adam Koger Colin MacMillan Brie Martin Matt Porubsky

An interview with and poetry by Steven Hind

18 friday night stage

P.O. Box 750491 Topeka, KS 66675

Layout & Design Ande Davis Karli Davis Kerrice Mapes

21 poet: steven hind

We hit the trails running with a group of Topekans.

Get seveneightfive direct for $20 a year

EDITOR-In-CHIEF Ande Davis ande@seveneightfive.com

Weekender Editor Alice C. Hunt

[ lifestyle ]

Drive east on 6th Avenue, and you’ll find some Mexican food you won’t soon forget.

Distribution Ryan McClure Rio Cervantes-Reed

Poetry Editor Dennis Etzel Jr. poemslyrical@yahoo.com

XXXX XXXXXX XXXX XXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXX.

2 menu proclamation

Publisher/Owner Kerrice Mapes seveneightfive@gmail.com

Disclaimer: seveneightfive strives for accuracy in all of our materials, regrets errors, but cannot be held responsible. We recommend contacting venues to confirm dates and events (sometimes they change).

a proud Kansan with proclivities for bicycling, bowling, and brainstorming. By day, he’s Social Media Director for FryeAllen Advertising, and by night, he sleeps.

On weekends, he plays music, volunteers at the Topeka Community Cycle Project, or watches zombie movies. He has aspirations for becoming a famous blogger or backwoods survivalist, and his artwork is inspired by his friends and the talented people he knows only from the Internet.

the gates to good food

[ menu proclamation ]

b y E r i n L e i g h Wy n k o o p • p h o t o b y E r i n L e i g h Wy n k o o p

S

eveneightfivers who are in-the-know, know that the best Mexican food in town can be found on East 6th Avenue. Authentic Mexican food can be found up and down East 6th, in some of the most unexpected places. Los Portales is no exception to the delicious eateries littering the East side. Located just past Branner, the bright orange building is the perfect idealization of an old-world Mexican gathering place for food and drink. Friendly staff and even more friendly patrons make the experience one that will keep you coming back for more.

Las Portales 1116 E 6th Ave 10:30 am - 9 pm, Sun - Thur 10:30 am - 10 pm, Fri + Sat

Although all the dishes that have been tried have been incredibly delish, the Bistek ala Mexicana is oh-so amazing. Named in honor of the colors of the Mexican flag, this simple dish is literally steak with onions, green peppers and tomatoes, with jalapeno and cilantro, to add a little heat, grilled to perfection and served with the best tortillas in town, and rice and beans.

Don’t be surprised like I was when your steak comes to you bone-in with chunks of fat still sizzling. As shocked as I was to find bone and fat (I’m more of a kid-sized steak kind of girl, and they don’t have either!) I learned that both components add to the flavor of the meat. Just do as I did and simply cut around it and enjoy the flavor of the seasoned meat and tender veggies wrapped up in perfectly warmed (over an open flame, I’m sure of it) tortillas with as much of their hot salsa as you can handle.

It’s perfection, on a plate.

Sit inside and dream of warmer days, sitting on their gorgeous patio sipping that Dos Equis with friends. Enjoy the food, the atmosphere, the margaritas, and even let your server talk you into taking a shot of tequila with him, because, just as a warning, they always offer. seveneightfive

DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS We offer a different daily special every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.

ASK YOUR SERVER, “WHAT’S THE DAILY SPECIAL?”

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It’s our job to give you good food & drinks, it’s yours to have all the fun.

4005 Gage Center Drive 785.271.8646 • newcityonline.biz

North Topeka’s best sports grill & bar • Over 416 inches of TV • No bad seat in the house • Great appetizers and menu • 14 beers on tap including micro-brews • Steaks and pasta

“The ultimate dining experience.” photo by Amber Farmer

220 Independence / 785-783-3191 3

IntImate I elegant I cool

[ lifestyle ]

Steve Tilford

Fresh Innovative local cuisine Dinner Wednesday thru Saturday

RowHouse RestauRant Dine in part of topeka’shistory

Reservations Recommended

785.235.1700

515 SW Van BuRen St.

WWW.RoWhouSe ReStauRant.net 4

The air is cold, so cold you can see your breath starting to take flight across the quiet park grounds.

The ground is wet and muddy, but cold enough to feel more like a light snow, when you grab a handful and let it seep from your palms.

getting cold and dirty b y J a n i c e Wa t k i n s photos by Colin MacMillan / Nathan Ham Photography

in all sorts of adverse conditions. Then, you have to have a large selection of equipment, something like in golf, a selection of “clubs” that fit each condition. It is way more intellectual than you’d imagine.”

Y

“Cyclo-cross is the fastest growing segment of the sport of cycling,” Tilford says. “We have a lot of guys that ride cyclo-cross fast on a National level. That tends to motivate more local riders and promoters.”

For Catherine Walberg and Steve Tilford, Topeka’s own “warriors of cyclocross”, the familiar feelings of immense adrenaline and intensity when starting a race are their foundation from September through December for the National circuit, as their season - their sport – is in full force and dominating the cycling community.

“The fans are so essential and loud,” states Walberg.

ou take one last glance at the path to victory – a short path that criss-crosses itself multiple times with only ribbon and a few blaring cones that will soon separate you from the possible crash of icy handlebars. You take one last deep breath and can only hear the sound of your own beating heart through the clanking of bells from fans that have started to line the track. This is it. The leg hair standing on end up and down your bare legs becomes an afterthought as you mount your bike and prepare for the crowded start.

Cyclo-cross (pronounced cycle cross and commonly referred to as simply ‘cross’ by enthusiasts) is a sport that embraces the uncertainty of the fall and winter months, with new dips in terrains from the weather a bonus and the possibility of unexpected elements, like rain or ice, an exciting addition to a typical race.

“It’s one of the more intense sports. It’s fast and short and such an adrenaline rush. I mean, it is just a full out effort,” says Catherine Walberg, two-time national champion. “I like putting everything on the line for forty minutes and then you’re done.”

Cross, more of a different discipline of bicycle racing, according to Walberg, was developed in England over a century ago because bicycle enthusiasts wanted to the opportunity to ride their bicycles in winter. Thus, came the idea for quick short races, with the female category races generally lasting around forty minutes and the men’s races closer to an hour. If the addition of the elements and a rough trail was simply not enough, cross also adds a different element – obstacles. Throughout the race, there are two barriers that adorn each lap, causing the riders to have to dismount their bikes, carry their bikes over the obstacles, and remount.

“You’ll see various degrees of skill coming at these barriers, but the best come at them full speed, run off their bike at full stride and then up, over, and on – just like clockwork,” asserts Walberg.

Walberg, a bicycle racer for over twenty years, became a cross rider, due to the really strong cross community in Kansas and what she calls her cheat card – Tilford, a four-time national cross champion, who also hangs his hat in the city of Topeka.

Tilford, who rode his first national championship in 1981, is a professional in the sport and loves the continued competiveness that cross brings.

“Cyclo-cross is interesting because there are a lot of ‘t’s to be crossed and ‘i’s to be dotted. Physically, you have to possess a ton of different qualities to excel,” notes Tilford.

“Riding, you have to have the ability to ride

Walberg also adds that cross is very much a spectator sport, with fans lining the course, ringing bells, much like an Olympic track and tents scattered around the racing grounds for people to seek shelter from the cold at times, as well as music and beer, noting its very much a party atmosphere.

Fans are certainly what helped her get through a rough start in 2008, to pull through and capture her second championship. After a flat coming out of one of the first turns, Walberg had to pit to change bikes and allow her team to fix her flat, despite the mud and flat, she picked up time with each turn and split to come back and emerge victorious.

“Everything has to be spot on. You have to feel good,” notes Walberg of her victory and success in subsequent races. “You could be older, or of average fitness, but if you understand how to get the most out of the course, you could beat people that maybe are going to be physically better than you are.”

Refining the skill sets and facing new challenges in every race with terrain challenges and the uncertainty of the elements at any given moment, Walberg and Tilford are driven to continue in their sport and increase awareness for new riders and youth.

“I think the sport attracts young people on its own,” says Tilford. “It is new, exciting and challenging alternative.

The key is to keep young people involved after they get their taste of it.” continued on the next page>> Tilford, a four-time national cyclo-cross champ

<< continued from the previous page

Although there are several events and races held regionally, with three of the last ten national championships hosted in the area, Tilford notes the challenge as a professional with remaining competitive due to the need for travel.

“The important races are spread throughout the country and it is super energy intensive to try and get to them with all the equipment,” sighs Tilford, additionally noting that the costs of traveling with a bicycle are often prohibitive.

Despite the challenges, whether getting to nationally competitive races, or battling a mud hill on any given race day, Tilford and Walberg are committed to continue to remain competitive in the sport, with the eye on the Masters World Championships, to be held close to home, in Madison, Wisconsin in 2012.

“I think for sure I’ll do Worlds in 2012 in Madison,” says Walberg with a gleam in her eye. seveneightfive

Catherine Walberg Above: Catherine Walberg during a Cyclo-cross race (Courtesy Catherine Walberg)

6

[ lifestyle ]

a black and white affair the night of wine and roses

by Jill Sittenauer • photos provided by Parker Photography

T

he 15th annual “Night of Wine & Roses” is a black and white affair not to be missed. Wine enthusiasts – as well as those wanting to learn more about wine – will enjoy this gala evening that begins with a large selection of wine tastings and wine education. Sure to please both the experienced connoisseur and those hoping to expand their palates, an elegant selection of white and red wines will be featured during the tasting as well as paired with a five-course gourmet meal.

Night of Wine & Roses a benefit for American Cancer Society

1.21.2011

Friday, January 21, 2011, is the date. The Sunflower Ballroom at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, Maner Conference Center, in Topeka is the location for this event to benefit the American Cancer Society. Silent and live auctions will be held, and music will be provided by the Topeka Big Band.

Dawn Bicknell-Reiser is co-chair of the Night of Wine & Roses.

“The black and white theme for this year’s event brings an added flair to the evening,” Dawn says. “We are thrilled with the wine selection and cannot wait to taste Chef Andy’s gourmet creations.”

This year’s featured artist is Kim Casebeer, who has donated an original painting to the auction – “Spring Storm in Hill Country” is a 16x20 pastel created in 2007, framed in a gold frame under glass, retail valued at $1700.

A number of other local artists are also donating auction items.

“We appreciate the Topeka community’s support of this annual event,” Dawn says. “Tickets for last year’s gala nearly sold out and we raised $60,000 for the American Cancer Society, to help in the fight against cancer.” seveneightfive

Presenting sponsor: Stormont-Vail HealthCare.

Host: KSNT TV 27 Anchorwoman Kelli Stegeman Get event news: Facebook / TopekaWineandRoses.

Tickets: $100 [includes wine tasting and groumet dinner] To purchase tickets, call: 438.5607 or visit www.topekawineandroses.org Make a whole evening of it. Special room rates for event attendees at the Capitol Plaza Hotel; call 431.7200.

Party at the Planet!

Call us for your Holiday event needs for 5 to125 people in the Crane room.

110 SE 8th Ave. 783-8883 hours: 6a - 6p Mon-Fri 10a - 4p Sat

Welcome to Our World...

7

[ entertainment ]

D

5Q - dream killer university

by Robin Cremer • photo by Adam Koger

ream Killer University wants to change the world, “one crowd at a time!” With their newest CD release, Bad Luck and Break a Leg, DKU, inspired in part by the late 90s golden era of hip hop, i.e. after the Gangsta and before the Bling, have produced a stunning example of lyrical and musical creativity that will have your speakers begging for more. Their live shows have been gaining legendary status among people in the know, and Anthemous, Spoken Thought, and Nitemare, with drummer Shiflett and DJ One Man Army, show no sign of stopping and every sign of moving ahead.

Who came up with the name, Dream Killer University and what does it mean to you guys?

Spoken Thought: This cat right here.

Anthemous: It’s Kansas, this place, if you’re in hip hop, this place could destroy you, and it has destroyed me already, since I was six. I ran a record label and dead end, after dead end, after dead end. And I lost a lot hair and I lost a lot of money, I lost a lot of my coolness. So, in effect, that dream of mine had died, but the university? It’s a school of thought. A college isn’t just a building—it has nothing to do with tuition, nothing to do with student bodies, nothing to do with faculty; it has to do with the lesson learned. You go through your whole life as a university student, always learning, the college of life.

How did you come up with your stage names?

Anthemous: To be honest, I didn’t want to be Young Little Gangsta Drive-by! (laughter) Spoken Thought: I was chillin’ out in class in college, with this cat, and we’d go to the back when there was nothing else going on and we started trading ideas about hip hop.

It was you rap, okay, you rap. He heard me rap—I just started streaming thought and was just like, running, he was like, dude, you gotta slow down, you’re going all over the place. I said well now, I’m just speaking up here, and he says yeah I know, I call you Spoken Thought because of that. You on a different level of talking, you know, sometimes it don’t even make any sense. And I said, I’ll tell you what, I’ll get better at this hip hop thing, I was sort of new to it. I didn’t really understand you could keep on subject a lot and this cat 8

really helped me out this way. He started calling me ‘Thought’ but it just came back to the class when I was Spoken Thought.

Nitemare: Mine came from high school. They had this place in Topeka High, and we’d all be down there beating on the pop machines and stuff, rapping. This one dude who told me, every time I started spitting, especially when I’m really into it, it’s a completely different tone. I was the youngest one in the group, so everybody was still trying to be hood and everything, but when I came, I came a little differently. It was kind of dark, but I said this one line a long

“Bad Luck and Break a Leg” by Dream Killer University Drops December 7 Upcoming Shows: Sat, Nov 27: Damage Control, Independence, MO Dec 12: Rock and Roll Bar, Hutchinson, KS time ago about killing you in your dreams, something like that, with my lyrics. There was this one upper class dude, he named me Nitemare and ever since then that’s what I’ve been known as.

Do you think being a multi-cultural group gives you a better chance of being accepted in the hip-hop community?

Anthemous: I think it lends us something. Rather then presenting challenges, people are just so intrigued. We come out looking the way we do with as many different styles, as many different looks as we have, we always perplex people by the beginning of the show and by the end of the show they want to see the next show. I think, if anything, that captivates people. Before they hear our lyrics, we have to depend on something visual and we work just fine.

Nitemare: And if you go into the lyrics aspect, what I love about us, is that like, when we spit, I can most definitely tell that’s Anthemous, I can most definitely tell that’s Spoken Thought, I can most definitely tell that’s Nite. We dress different, we sound different, just everything, we even write different.

Spoken Thought: To go back to the question about how that lends us. Here in Topeka especially, there are a lot of cats that come through with their clique, and if they rap, they all dress the same.

If you dress the same you start rapping the same.

Anthemous: You think the same.

Being a hip hop band, have you had difficulty finding venues to play in Topeka, and if so what has DKU done to change the perspective of how people in Topeka think about hip-hop?

Anthemous: You know, again, the proof ’s in the pudding. We have a Reverb Nation page, and on that site it allows us to send press kits to venues we wish to play for. And when we send them out, a lot of them aren’t opened immediately. These venues that actually get to our press kit and open it up and read through the bio and see what we’ve done and see our stats and listen to the music, they’re like, wow this is really good, and we haven’t had anybody who hasn’t liked it.

Spoken Thought: And a lot of the owners around here are older and if they listen to even a little bit of hip hop, they seem to be the ones who say all right, we’ll maybe give you a chance. But a lot of times the owners think about hip hop, and the first thing that comes to mind, they skip all the Run D.M.C. and they skip all the old school stuff, and they go directly to gangsta rap. They just have that solidified in their minds that is what hip hop is.

Nitemare: Most people, hip hop, rap, and gangsta rap is in the same category, and you have the true fan who knows the difference.

When is your album officially out and what would compel me to purchase it?

Anthemous: December 7, 2010. And we’re not going to tell you we got a song for your up times and your down times, but we got an album that you’ll wanna pop in if you’re going somewhere. seveneightfive

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[ art + lifestyle ]

T

he inaugural EcoTrashion Runway, a charity event for Keep America Beautiful of Topeka and Shawnee County, will feature fashionable recycled clothing created by designers and displayed by professional fashion models. The event will promote sustainability from both art and functional views.

The idea for EcoTrashion Runway came to Melissa Wright Powers seven months ago as a way to bring attention to Topeka following the success of Think Big Topeka. Powers teamed up with Elizabeth Vrbanac (EV Models), Lisa Boyd (The Merchant), Erin Wynkoop (seveneightfive), and many others to turn her fashion idea into a reality.

The first step in the project, the call for designers, will be announced on December 1, and close on January 14. Anyone 18 years of age or older is encouraged to submit up to five ideas for trashion pieces.

“We’re not just looking for designers. We’re looking for artists, hobbyists, craftspeople, anybody who has an idea,” said Rio Cervantes-Reed.

The event will be held at Warehouse 414 on March 26, and the EcoTrashion Runway Committee plans to provide swag bags to all attendees. The items provided in these bags will display an attitude of sustainability, including both recycled artwork and tools that can be used every day.

VIP and regular admission tickets will be available, and an after-party will be held at Bosco’s. For anyone who cannot attend the event, the pieces will be on display in Topeka (the location has not yet been determined).

trashionista

by Larissa Amundson photo by Tiffany Bonnewell

Judging will occur at the event in two separate categories: exhibit trashion and functional (wearable) trashion.

“If somebody wants to make a dress out of newspaper that may only be worn on the runway or on a mannequin that’s fine and we’re for that, but we also want to portray pieces that could be worn everyday…that otherwise would have ended up in a landfill,” said Reed.

Whether it is a necklace made from buttons, a skirt made out of your guy’s hole-y jeans, or a dress made out of beer cans and held together with duct tape, get your ideas in to the EcoTrashion Runway committee by January 14 and watch models display them at the charity event on March 26.

For complete information on the call to designers, visit reruntpka.blogspot.com.

jam4dan scholarships make their mark

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b y To m Wa h

mily Hollaway, 15, and Lucas Farmer, 14, have a lot in common. Both are home-schooled. Each plays guitar and takes lessons from Chip Janda at Steam Music. And each was a recipient last year of a $300 Jam4Dan scholarship. And both agree, that without the scholarships, their guitar study would have been interrupted, if not curtailed, due to family circumstances that strained the family budget.

For Hollaway, it was a flooded house. For Farmer, it was an unforeseen move from Topeka. But for both teens, their commitment to their lessons and the boost from the scholarship has allowed them to progress. Hollaway displays her talents during her 4H activities, and Farmer is taking a leadership role in forming a family band with his brothers.

When asked why he likes playing the guitar, Farmer replied, “It relaxes me and brings a sense of calmness.”

“It helps me develop confidence, like when I learned (Topeka 10

seveneightfive

native Kerry Livgren’s) Dust in the Wind for a 4H talent show,” said Hollaway Both are also learning how to incorporate their lessons from Janda into their own musical tastes, which are, in this case very different. Farmer leans more to the heavy metal genre, whereas Hollaway cited country and Christian as the music she most enjoys.

Jam4Dan IV is slated for January 15 and 16 at the Celtic Fox in Downtown Topeka. It is held in honor of long-time Topeka guitar player and teacher Dan Falley, who died in a car accident in January, 2008. The event will feature the performances of 20 local bands that contribute their efforts. Another highlight of the event will be the raffle of a beautiful handmade guitar donated by J. Edison Custom Guitars. Local music stores and other sponsors will donate a number of music-oriented silent auction items.

Last year, Jam4Dan III raised almost $4000 that was used to fund 17 scholarships ranging from $100-$300.

For all the up-to-date Jam4Dan IV information, including the band lineup due out the first week of December and sponsor opportunities, visit www.Jam4Dan.org. Also look for Jam4Dan on Facebook and become a fan. seveneightfive

Prognosticatio

VIRGO Been mulling over yer constant with Ruprecht Roosterdamus, need for slutty sex and I’ve The Psychic Chicken decided it’s probably okay. The Nov-Dec badger costume and bad mitten racket? Not so much.

TM

2010

___________________________

LIBRA CLICK! Here that? My stopwatch.

Dear Rupe, The big mouths who just got Okay, I’ve had it. One minute elected have exactly 2 years to he thinks I’m the best thing fix everything or it’s “Bedtime since cage wrestling, the next minute he’s eyeing the Walmart for Bonzo!” Google it. greeter. What to do? – Ignored SCORPIO Dear Move On, It’s only a matter of time before this bozo strays—probably in the adult diaper aisle. Unwary grandmothers beware! Run away, Bucko. Do it now. — RR ___________________________ ARIES What ya did when ya did it seemed pretty hot at the time.

But those linoleum burns can really make a girl squeak!

TAURUS Sometimes it’s better to not have loved at all than to have loved and need shots. Word.

a north topeka caffeine fix b y E r i n Wy n k o o p p h o t o b y E r i n Wy n k o o p

I keep getting emails about why Scorpio always gets the best Prognosticatios. Well, “snazzy”, “gorgeous” and “fabulous” make me happy! What can I say?

SAGITTARIUS It’s perfectly fine to tear down, shred and burn any Christmas decorations you see on display prior to Thanksgiving. Tell ‘em Rupe sent ya!

CAPRICORN Letting people know yer pillow looks like a glazed doughnut was a little crass. I guess I’m just that kind of chicken, Bucko.

GEMINI So yer working on she who is blonde? Bucko, yer a glutton for punishment. And not the good kind either. *SNAP* Ouch!

AQUARIUS Big woop. Yer date was a flop.

Young Muskrats Gone Wild wasn’t a such great movie choice after all. Not everybody gets small mammal porn.

CANCER Ya work, ya eat, ya sleep. Rinse and repeat. But I’m here to tell ya that good news is just around the corner. No, really—I mean it this time. This is me not joking.

It’s absolutely and totally going to be good. Trust me.

PISCES Holiday season again! Ah, the sweet smell of smoking plastic and the thrill of permanent indentured servitude! ___________________________

LEO Sorry I outed ya on the Denny’s bathroom caper, but the security tape just got posted on YouTube so ya might as well get ready for some totally cranky in-laws and scary autograph signing.

[ local flavor ]

Question for the Blue Guru?

Stop kidding yerself, Bucko. Yer not as big (a loser) as ya think!

Ruprecht@PsychicChicken.com ___________________________ * Astrological predictions are about as convincing as Flea Party logic. Spitting and grunting is not a valid argument.

It’s not easy being a Nib’s coffee addict who’s stuck working a 2525 NW Topeka Blvd. day job north of the 8 am - 4 pm, Sun river. Most days, Java Monsters quenched 6:30 am - 4 pm, Mon - Fri my cravings for 7 am - 4 pm, Sat caffeinated coffeeflavored drinks in a variety of flavors, leaving me a jittery, unsatisfied mess. For months and months, all I day-dreamed of were soy vanilla lattes and café au laits made with two (or five) shots of espresso. So, my never-ending quest for a North Topeka coffee shop came to a halt when I discovered Nib’s Coffee House, better knows as my new favorite place on earth.

Nib’s sits on North Topeka Boulevard, just past Highway 24. Quaint and cozy, this little coffee shop sells more than just my daily fix of caffeine. Items on the menu include homemade pastries, soup, salads, toasted sandwiches and breakfast. Also on the menu are a variety of Juice Stop smoothies. Oh, and they serve PT’s coffee. So, now you’re hooked, right? seveneightfive

785 coffee fix picks by Robin Cremer

W

ith the cold weather upon us, hot caffeinated beverages are almost essential to our day to day activities. We’ve compiled a easilytransportable list of coffee shops in Topeka and their operational hours that you can clip out and tape to your visor, or put in your purse or wallet, so you’ll always know the location nearest you that will accommodate an immediate craving for caffeine.

Editors Note: This is the first time we have EVER encouraged you to cut seveneightfive, but desperate addictions call for desperate actions.

If you’re like us, and can’t bear the thought of clipping your groovy pub - then use the QR code below [and a scanreader ap on your smart phone]. Cheers!

presents

Topeka Writers’ Workshop Matt Porubsky Jeff Fouquet Leah Sewell Ande Davis Shalyn Marsh Stella Robbins Lee Robbins Catherine Ellsworth Melissa Sewell Timothy Volpert Cale Herreman Macie Smith Dennis Etzel Jr.

12/3 6:30 p.m.

Blue Planet Cafe t o p e k a w r i t e r s ’ w o r k s h o p

[ local flavor ] Downtown Kaners - 2601 SW 6th Ave, M - F: 6 am - 6 pm Sat + Sun: 7 am - 4 pm Classic Bean - 722 S Kansas Ave,M - F: 6:30 am - 5 pm The Break Room - 911 S Kansas Ave, M - W: 7:30 am 4 pm, Th - F: 7:30 am - 10 pm Heartland Café - 325 S Kansas Ave M - F: 6:30 am - 2 pm, Sat + Sun: 7 am - 2 pm NORTH Nibs - 2525 NW Topeka Blvd, M-F: 6:30 am - 6 pm, Sat + Sun: 7:30 am - 4 pm Southeast Highland Park - 3627 SE 29th St. M-T-W: 6 am -7: Java Bar - 3627 SE 29th St.

M-T-W: 6 am -7:30 pm, Th-FSat: 6 am - 9 pm, Sun 9 am - 6 pm Midtown World Cup - 1501 SW 21st St, #110, M-F: 6:30 am -9 pm, Sat. 7:30 am - 9 pm, Sun. 7:30 am - 5:00 pm West Lazio’s - 2111 Sw Belle Ave,

#A, M-F 7 am - 8 pm, F + Sat: 7 am -10 pm, Sun: 8 am -2 pm PT Espresso - 5660 SW 29th St, M - F: 6 am - 10 pm, Sat: 7 am - 10 pm, Sun: 7 am - 9 pm Margie’s Java Cafe - 5999 SW 22nd Park, Sun - Thu: 6:30 am - 11 pm, Fri + Sat: 6:30 am - 11 pm

365 Days of Dutch Goose GooDness We know you consider us your second home - we think of you as family, too.

But when you’ve had enough of your first family this holiday season, know we will be here - with a smile and a beer.

established

1938

The DuTch Goose sporTs Bar & Grill 3203 SW 10th I 785-357-8474 Open 365 days a year

Some top locations to find seveneightfive The BreakRoom JE Dunn Fine Line Tattoo Looking Glass Tattoo TSCPL [Library]

Envy Salon Dutch Goose College Hill Sharkey’s Ice & Olives

Visit Topeka Inc. PHOTO CONTEST presented by topeka tourism alliance Share some hoilday cheer and what the first theatrical stage producation from The Break Room and The Gourmet Cabaret www.TheGourmetCabaret.com

A sardonic, merrily subversive tale, David Sedaris’ humorous and acerbic account of working as an elf at Macy’s in Manhattan has become an ‘anti-holiday’ cult classic. ...NPR humorist and best-selling author David Sedaris made his comic debut reading his “Santaland Diaries” on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. Sedaris’ sardonic humor and incisive social critique have since made him one of NPR’s most popular and humorous commentators. He is the author of the bestsellers Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day. Sedaris and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have written several plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York City. In 2001, David Sedaris became the third recipient of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and was named by Time magazine as “Humorist of the Year.”

Starring: Carl Peckham / Directed by: Paul Prece Show Dates: Dinner shows: December 10th and 17th / Cost $29 6:30 cocktail time.. 7:00 pm dinner and 8pm Show Non Dinner Shows: December 11th, 16th, 18th, 23rd / Cost $10 7:30 Santaland Diaries is not recommended for younger audiences

Be selected for the Visit Topeka Art Show Get published in seveneightfive Magazine Win cash and prizes!

Adult Professional $800 Adult Amateur $300 Teen and children Prize Packages

w w w. V i s i t To p e k a . c o m heard + noted

We’re out-and-about eavesdropping on your convos and Tweets #785heardnoted Watch what you say - or they may be the next heard + noted.

“Thanks babe.” “Um, did that dude just call me babe?” @ the Goose “I can’t believe you just spilled my full beer all over me!” @ the Trap “Well, everyone I voted for lost, so let’s just drink.” @ Pigskin’s “Ah, Geez Louise!” @ Sharkey’s “You fell on the floor! Get up off the floor!” @ College Hill “I find selective morality has served me quite well. I just coinded the term ‘selective morality’. It’s just fancy talk for sl@t.” @ Skinny’s 13

[ art]

santasfactual

byMatthew Porubsky • photos contributed by Matthew Porubsky

M

y parents and I never had “The Talk.” It was always a kind of mystery to me and, as a child, I never had the courage and curiosity to ask. It was through sheer personal experience that I learned the lesson that I did. Of course, a friend told me all about it: Santa isn’t real. Did you think I was talking about something else? I didn’t have the feeling that I had been lied to or tricked for a decade plus, but I did feel like I was let in on a big secret. I had the idea that I was part of the age-old story that has the same main character, Santa Claus, but is always a bit different when it comes to the supporting cast: the individual families.

SANTA IS A UNION MAN A Porubsky Christmas is pretty much always the same: a lot of people packed into a small room, cousins passing our presents from a glittery mound of boxes beneath the tree, a true holiday smorgasbord on the dining table, with beer. So, when my Aunt Cecilia brought up a lost tradition I was surprised.

“Santa used to come see us every year on Christmas Eve,” she told me as we watched a DVD conversion of old 8mm footage. You could almost hear the knock at the back door as my six-year-old version of my aunt, her brothers and cousins clambered around the backdoor at my grandparents’ house. My grandma Lydia, with her then jet black hair, opened the back door and Santa walked in. The kids, my aunt included, went crazy with smiles that reached across the room. Santa began to hand out presents to each one of them, the 8mm jumping around as much as the children. Then there was a quick cut to a shot of Santa waving and leaving out the same door.

The room still seemed filled with fantasy-induced adrenaline as the door shut in the mute footage.

“We always had an uncle who came in from out of town on Christmas Eve,” Aunt Cecilia told me. “He would open presents with all of us for a while and then had to leave to go to a union meeting.

While he was gone, Santa came.”

She laughed. “When he (the uncle) would come back, we would tell him what he missed and he was always so upset.” She laughed even harder. “He always had that union meeting.”

I think Santa would be completely opposed to the union, really. Can you image what his life would be like it the elves unionized and started asking for more candy cane breaks and more time off?

Watching the footage and hearing that story made me think even more about what could be called a 14

“lie” that we perpetuate with children. Not only do we tell them this character exists and that he makes anything you want magically appear beneath the tree, but we have people impersonate the man so it seems even more that he really exists. But it makes kids so damn happy!

THE MAN OF THE HOUR Even though Santa wasn’t at the family parties when I was young, I did get to see him at one of my dad’s union meetings. Really it was a Christmas party where everyone there was a member of a union. It was for my dad’s work, the Union Pacific, at the Great Overland Station. This was more than twenty years before the renovations. At that time, it was still the official depot for the UP in Topeka and my dad went to work there every day. I remember Santa gave me an Orco action figure. You know, that little wizard from the He-Man cartoons whose face was completely hidden by a huge hat and an orange scarf. You could put a plastic chord into Orco, pull it out, and then he would spin around. It was just what I wanted.

I found out that the Great Overland Station still has Santa come see the kids so I decided to give the man a call, relive my past a bit, and find out what it feels like to be Santa.

“Well, I start growing my beard around August,” Santa said. This Santa goes by the name of Phil Kennedy. Phil has been a Topeka exclusive for over ten years, appearing at Let’s Help, several banks and church functions, private parties and of course, at the Great Overland Station where his mode of transportation isn’t eight miniature reindeer but the horsepower of a Union Pacific locomotive.

“The kids get a big bang out of it,” he said.

“It is a reality to them.”

Phil said that when he is Santa he realizes he is playing a part and by the end of the season he is ready to get rid of his beard but there is a lot of joy that is had by everyone. There is one experience that has stuck with him through the years.

“I was asked to be Santa for a little girl’s birthday party once. It was around Christmas time and I remember walking up to the door and seeing her face as she opened it. The look on her face was unreal. It was lit up more than you could imagine.”

Santa Phil made sure to add that parents are as willing to give hugs and take photos with him as much as children. That’s really true. It seems like adults love the idea and the fantasy of Santa even though they know it is a complete falsehood. Maybe it is that aspect of the possibility of wishes coming true, while having the knowledge that it probably won’t that sticks with us through the years. I tried to think of a persona I knew who was extremely optimistic and hopeful but at the same time had a vast amount of knowledge in all aspects. Then it hit me: my old buddy Ralph Hipp from WIBW.

SANTA, CAN I HAVE CASH FOR CHRISTMAS? “Oh my goodness! We’ve been doing it at least since the ‘60s,” Ralph told me when I asked him about the WIBW Santa Claus program.

“There aren’t any records of when we started it, that’s how long ago we started it.”

One upon a tine, I sold shoes at J.C. Penney’s. During the Christmas season, part of my normal checkout procedure included: “Thanks again for coming to J.C. Penney’s. Could I interest you in a J.C. Penney’s charge card and you will receive 10% off today’s purchase? No. Would you like your receipt with you or in the bag?

Okay. And, are you the WIBW Santa Claus?” I never won. Ever. For those who don’t know, the WIBW Santa Claus program is basically being able to ask anyone you meet if the are a WIBW Santa Claus and if they are you get some cash…as long as no one before you has already asked them. Not a bad deal.

I thought that perhaps I would be turning the table on Ralph by him being on the receiving end of the questions but he bested me once more. He included Mike Turner, WIBW Operations Manager in on the interview and asked him questions in tandem with mine.

“What do you win if you win?” I asked.

“What do you win if you win?” he asked Mike.

Then came the answer from Mike with Ralph’s own answers interspliced. Kind of like the voice of an amalgamated WIBW. “Well, 150 people carry a 20 dollar gift card and if you ask the right person you come to the station to redeem you card for 20 bucks. You are then entered into a grand prize drawing that will be held on the 20th of December, live on the news, where you can win $1000. It all starts at Miracle on Kansas Avenue.”

“How old do you have to be to win?” I asked.

“How old do you have to be to win?” Ralph asked.

Another combined quote: “Old enough to understand the contest.

We don’t put a stipulation on it. It is the same it has always been, but this year is the first time Facebook and texting has been introduced as new ways to ask if someone is a WIBW Santa Claus.”

When I asked what it gives to the community, Ralph was ready and heartfelt with his response. “There aren’t very many stations in the nation who have this tradition. It is a unifier. It’s the spirit of the community. Santa is in all of us.”

BECOMING THE MYTH I am now half of a Santa and my illustrious holiday companion comprises the other half. The Santa in us has only been around a short while, but we recognize the happiness that we are able to impart. My daughter saw Santa Claus at Hazel Hill last week downtown at a Top City Thursday. She was beyond herself in admiration and excitement. In this fervor, when asked by Santa what she would like for Christmas she said, “A drawing desk.”

This was news to my illustrious holiday companion and I. Thanks, Santa, for helping us out. You know, Ralph is right. He summed up decades of traditions, whether your Santa is a union man, a complete stranger or your mom, Santa, truly, is in all of us. Happy holidays to everyone. seveneightfive

[ special ]

Topeka Community Concert Series

S

by Larissa Amundson photos contributed by TCCA

ix shows, one couple, one hundred dollars. Too good to be true? Not in Topeka!

will not be a typical classical music concert. Nor are most of the concerts the TCCA provides.

The Topeka Community Concert Association seeks out professional musicians to perform at Washburn’s White Concert Hall five to six times a year for a small membership fee. Not only do these musicians perform for the community in a concert format, many also provide outreach programs at area high schools. Dallas Brass, the TCCA’s latest show, rehearsed with the Topeka High School band to perform a song together at White Concert Hall.

This season, the TCCA has hosted shows from Dallas Brass, a brass and percussion ensemble, and Eric Himy, an international awardwinning pianist. The season will conclude with Jim Witter, a pianist who submerges the audience in the 1970s by performing (with a full band) classic hits from Billy Joel, Elton John, and others while displaying images from the decade using rear-screen projection.

This performance, called Piano Men, will be held on April 26, 2011 inside White Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m.

“It’s really neat to see these professional performers and artists relate and communicate with the youth and talk to them at the students’ level. Dallas Brass really took the time to really talk to the youth and they (the students) were on cloud nine for a week,” said Bob DesRuisseaux, TCCA board member.

Celebrating their 80th season, the TCCA promises to provide six diverse performances that will please every crowd. The next show this season is on January 13, and features Pianafiddle, a duo consisting of fiddler Adam DeGraff and pianist Randy Morris.

These two deliver a diverse show, playing bluegrass, rag, classical, and everything in between in an improvisational format. This

For one hundred dollars, you and your family (or fifty for just you) can still attend four great shows at White Concert Hall this season.

The award-winning musicians will certainly provide an evening of entertainment. Hell, maybe they will even convince you to dust off that old tuba (or whatever you were made $50 individual membership fun of for playing in high $55 single-parent membership (no school) to reminisce (or limit on children) maybe just annoy your $100 family membership (no limit neighbors who steal on children)

New Year’s Eve - Opening Night 2011 Doors open at 7 p.m., Fri. Dec. 31, 2010, $75 per person Top of the Tower, 534 S Kansas Ave.,16th Floor, Topeka, KS

Presented by Top of the Tower, Topeka Jazz Workshop Band, Inc. and TV-49

Featuring: An Elegant Buffet Dinner, Live Music, Dancing, Cash Bar, Champagne Toast and the Best View in Topeka!

Black Tie Optional - Jacket Required

A Benefit Gala by the Topeka Jazz Workshop Band, Inc. a non-profit group that promotes Jazz Music and Youth Jazz Programs in Topeka. Seating is limited.

Advanced purchase only (Visa, MC, Amex) Call 785-354-7746 Ext. 15 72 hour cancellation policy for full refund or be charged 50% of the ticket.

16

In many ways, 2010 was a huge year for Topeka. So much excitement came to the surface with so many grassroots efforts around town to make people see Topeka as the place that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always known it was. A lot of great projects got underway, people looked at the city in a brand new light, and the city got plenty of positive national press. It was a great year to be in Topeka, as we look back on

2010 through the

The Topeka Community Cycle Project found a home on Kansas Avenue. The organization is helping promote bicycling in Topeka by providing a space to let riders work on their bikes and providing refurbished ones to those who need them.

lens

17

In a “this is so crazy, it just might work” sort of move, Mayor Bill Bunten symbolically changed Topeka’s name to Google, Kansas for the month of March as part of a bit to bring Google’s highspeed internet to the city. The software giant was so touched, it changed its name to Topeka as part of their annual April Fool’s Day prank.

As of press time, Google had yet to make an announcement on which communities would be piloting their broadband network, but the excitement over the city’s bid spilled over into other activities around town.

Work on the State Capitol building has been underway for several years, and we took you behind the scenes in January to take a sneak peek at some of the new developments at the statehouse. [photo by Colin MacMillan, Nathan Ham Photography] To the dismay of many around the city, one of the key architectural landmarks at the old Topeka State Hospital, the Center Building, met with the wrecking ball. Writer Matthew Porubsky chronicled its destruction on our website as many around the city mourned the loss of one of Topeka’s most storied buildings. [photo by Matt Porubsky] If you hadn’t heard yet about the NOTO Arts District being developed on North Kansas Avenue, then it’s probably about time to move out from that rock you’ve been living under for the past year. From the moment the official announcement came that a community group was trying to foster an art district in North Topeka, much of the community has been buzzing about the possibilities that could come along with it.

Spurred out of the Heartland Visioning community project, NOTO’s organizers are hoping to provide studio space to artists and groups that will help to bolster the arts in Topeka. Some spaces have already seen artists move in, with more to come soon. [photo by ]

18

ReThink Topeka, the brainchild of Justin and Bailey Marable, spurred plenty of excitement about the capital city. With their inaugural festival in April, they generated ideas about what Topeka could be.

With their High Noon event, they gave Topekans a treat downtown, as musicians and poets performed for people on the sidewalks along Kansas Avenue. [photo by Colin MacMillan, Nathan Ham Photography]

seveneightfive joined forces with DTI to bring Top City Thursdays - a weekly showcase of downtown merchantss, Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market vendors and local performers.

Some of our favorite people over at Gizmo Pictures got a brand new home this year, taking over the Thacher Building on Eighth Avenue between Kansas and Quincy. The move brought a lot of excitement about what was to come for downtown, not just because one of Topekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business darlings invested in the revitalization, but also because they brought with them a brand new eatery.

Blue Planet Cafe opened in October to a great deal of fanfare (plenty of which came from our direction). Linda Carson, wife of Gizmo co-owner Jeff Carson, bakes all kinds of goodies every day as the new restaurant has seen a steady stream of bsuiness since their doors opened. [photo by Colin MacMillan, Nathan Ham Photography] 19

[ art ]

enjoying the process more than the process b y D e n n i s E t z e l Jr.

An interview with Thomas Fox Averill

I recently had the pleasure to interview one of my mentors, colleagues, and friends: Tom Averill. He is well-known for his award-winning fiction and depiction of William Jennings Bryan Oleander, but he is also a triple threat with his work in poetry.

are exploration, time, gardens, music, turning points, athletic and other competitions, the relationship between people and place/ landscape, and, of course, food.

Dennis: Thinking about garden poems, what do you think the reasons are for Topeka “growing” so many recent poets--including the well-known ones like Kevin Young, Ben Lerner, Ed Skoog, etc.?

Dennis: Do you have a creative process? How do your poems come “to be?”

Tom: My process comes from any version of “assignment.” In other words, I challenge myself with an idea, a technique, an image, a character, or an assignment (“Pendulum” came from the Kansas City Star asking me for a winter poem). From there, the process becomes the challenge to see what I can do from there, paying close attention to language, to metaphor, from the micro connections that come such matters as word choice, rhythm and sound, to the larger questions of character and narrative. Once I tease something out, I can become more self-conscious and conscientious about what the reader might be experiencing, and I revise accordingly.

Dennis: You’re widely known for your Fiction, but recently worked on prose poems about “The Garden” and have several poems published. Dovetailing from our conversation, how would you describe what each form “does”? (I know this might be a lengthy answer, but feel free to reference poems, etc. I might include follow-up questions, too.)

Tom: Poems are image-based for me, and are about moments of time.

Poems are often written for occasions--as in elegies, love poems, haiku (seasons), inaugurations (Frost/Kennedy, Angelou/Clinton, Alexander/Obama). They capture that moment, that singular time, that one feeling/emotion. Prose extends into other realms, because narrative comes into play--adventure, joke structures, clues and mystery and all the things that rely on the passage of time for their effect/affect. Novels are even more complicated, with multiple sets of characters moving through time--they are nearly always about the effect of time on individuals and societies.

Dennis: You include several flowers and gardens in your work.

What other themes or images do you find yourself returning to?

Tom: I am so interested some large themes that I naturally weave the vocabulary and images of those themes into my writing. They

Tom: I think Midwesterners, Kansans and more specifically Topekans, have a fine sense of language--rhetoric, humor, understatement, bombast, preaching. You’d expect this in a political town. We’re a small town, relatively, too. That means the experiences we might lack are made up for by language: reading, imagining our historical stories, and other ways of satisfying our curiosity about the way the world works. We have good schools, and look at our library--one of the finest in the country for a city our size. Finally, we have one other thing good writers need: a solid grounding and respect for where we come from, as well as a desire to travel, to know what’s beyond ourselves. Topeka can be the center of a universe, but we know it’s not the center of The Universe. To get there, we have to leave, we have to write, we have to imagine.

Dennis: If there is advice you would give to beginning poets, what would it be?

Tom: Write, write, write. And write to be unsatisfied, not satisfied. Write to learn. Do the same with sharing work, whether with other writers or with editors--do it to learn, not to be satisfied. Enjoy the process more than the process. seveneightfive

[ poems ]

From Weekly Garden News, August 1, 2007

by Thomas Fox Averill

PLANT OF THE MONTH: Dahlia “David Howard.”

French bred olive Picholine: with luck our own olive oil!

Veg growing gets more popular.

Gooseberries–Your Problems Solved: Sawflies, American Mildew, Capsid Bugs, Leaf Spot, Rust, Silver Leaf, Grey Mould, Aphids, Viruses, Coral Spot, Scale Insects.

Self-confessed plantaholic, I love the darker colours; Indian dolphin had me in a swim.

WHY, I hear you ask?–a cross between a French and African marigold, “wow factor,” patriotic sweet pea “Flying the Flag,” a small weeping tree, a punchy pink “Harlequin” whose cream-edged leaves, double flowers, Echinacea Purpurum out of the ordinary, visiting butterflies.

HEDGEHOG excretia will not cause lasting damage.

Don’t be afraid of change!

Why not let them grow larger and do “cut-and-come-again?”

Have you got what it takes to look after this rare bloom?

A good choice for smaller, fiddly shoots–the Flexi-Tie. History is littered with summer floods: “Have every pelting river made so proud/ That they have overborne their continents.” (Wm. Shakespeare, Midsummer Night’s Dream).

Good drainage is vital. Feed greedy cucumbers.

Cut old canes to the ground. Check for nesting wasps and birds.

Trim pustemons. Pop in a primula or 20!

Aim for a nice even spread in a fan formation. Shrink Away Thread Veins!

Spread your foxgloves, spike the soil, screw a decorative finial, lift raspberry suckers, grow more climatis.

NEXT WEEK: Summer fruit pudding, other ways of enjoying the tomato glut, 20 free fritillaria bulbs, garden jealousy abounds.

The Woman Who Wore Flowers

Pendulum

In my grandfather’s house, a clock shuddered through each day, clacking seconds, groaning toward the half‑hour chime—a tone so deliberate that when time shuffled to its hours, the twelfth and final in particular, that chain of sound was more sentence than announcement.

Each holiday visit, I would spend my first nights restless, waking each struck hour, before time in those rooms passed unnoticed in its pace.

12.3.10 & 1.7.11 read the full interview with Steven Hind + more poetry at seveneightfive.com

cityarts785.com

With the pulse of time pushed forward by battery, we no longer wake winter mornings to its clattering race, to our own sentences, to our grandfathers.

get a map & all your art news

most galleries open ‘till 8:30 p

A woman wears a flower each day. She grew up in the country and knows the name of every bloom. People note her comings and goings. “There she is,” they say, and they know it is Monday, because she wears blue: an iris, perhaps, or an aster. Sunday is a white lily. Each day a different color, a different flower, for what do they know of names? They do not know that she is also a drier of flowers. Each day she presses a wilting flower into a book, the daily blossom marring the texts of the volumes of county histories her father published, the portraits of the founders of the county streaked by yarrow lace, creating a jaundiced face. Her Bible stores the miracles of rose, dahlia, lily. Even her diary, her son discovers upon her death, is not the language and story of the past, but a journal of days spent carrying beauty.

And what is the past, he thinks, but something that grew each day as we tucked it in? He looks at the withered flowers—stamen, pistil, petal. He breathes in dust, but smells honeysuckle, jasmine, his mother.

21

[ local flavor ]

T

tablespoon of tenderness

by Mike Montano

he feeling of warmth, being able to make oneself comfortable and a variety of organic and delicious one-of-a-kind foods is what the Blue Planet Café offers its customers daily. Their infamous cinnamon rolls are milk and egg-free, which provides for a dense, hearty and flavor-rich treat and included on the menu are gluten-free items.

Linda Carson, owner, says about her food, “There is nothing complicated about what I prepare. It is simple, good cooking.”

The menu is pretty set with items ranging from soups, muffins, cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, coffee, assorted beverages and it goes without saying that anything that comes out of the kitchen is homemade. One aspect that makes this café stand out is their compassion for wanting to satisfy their customers.

“Maybe your mother used to make a special kind of soup or a comfort food that would make you feel better,” says Linda with a smile on her face. “That’s what I try to do. I will whip up something special for a customer if they request it and I have the ingredients in my kitchen.”

It is uncomplicated food that makes this café thrive along with their green-friendly atmosphere. The napkins are made from 100% recyclable material, there are four compartments for sorting out the recyclable material waste on your way out, and their daily practices involve using a compost heap. One can truly feel good about their experience from putting organic and healthy ingredients in their body and disposing of their trash in an environmentally safe and responsible manner.

Andrew Herr, local customer says, “I like walking in on a Saturday afternoon and being welcomed. The café has a big-city feel without being pretentious and I always get great service from baristas who know their coffee.”

Aside from being a new sit-down café in downtown Topeka, the building also houses the Gizmo Pictures, co-owned by Linda’s husband, Jeff. There are more plans for the Carsons to expand their reach in downtown Topeka, but in steps of course. In the meantime, be sure to check out the menu online at blueplanettopeka.com and stay tuned for more great things from Blue Planet Café. seveneightfive

a new kid of jam Wednesday nights are the new Friday at College Hill Tavern since they started their weekly open jam session. The house band, “College Hill Allstars” consist of guitarist/vocalist Riley Voth of “Kadre,” bassist Alan Eisman of “Beans and Cornbread,” on flugelhorn/trumpet/keyboards is the jazz performer Bob Glick, guitarst Aymen Ghali and drummer Gregory Green both of Soul Rebel & the Beast round out the group. The band was put together to entertain listeners but also to provide a comfortable environment for musicians to meet, mingle, and lay together. Wednesday nights have been a success. There is a regular attendance of many great diverse musicians of all different styles which inevitably produces a variety of great music and a great time. Check it out if you interested in hearing some truly local music and some improve magic. seveneightfive 22

[ music ]

Josh Vowell, of Josh Vowell & The Rumble, joins the College Hill Tavern house band during the new Wednesday night jam.

cafe next door w.r.785.ad:w.r.785.ad

11/15/10

7:48 AM

Page 1

Night Of

A Black & White Affair

January 21, 2011 6:30 P.M. � CAPITOL PLAZA HOTEL � TOPEKA, KS Sunflower Ballroom�Maner Conference Center

�� Wine Tasting Silent and Live Auctions Gourmet Dinner Paired with Elegant White and Red Wines

Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TopekaWineAndRoses

Black Tie Preferred $100 per person To Benefit: Stacie Schroeder 1315 SW Arrowhead Rd. � Topeka, KS 66604 785.438.5607 � Fax: 785.273.1503 stacie.schroeder@cancer.org For more information, call 785/438-5607 • www.topekawineandroses.org For hotel accommodations, contact Capitol Plaza Hotel, 785/431-7200.

Ask for the American Cancer Society Night of Wine & Roses $89 room rate.

23

[ local flavor ]

s ’ in k s ig P t a ls a e 'D SmokinEvery DAY of the Week!

bosco’s is back

• $2 Daily Budget Beaters • $1.50 Pabst every day • Seating for 300 for every KU and K-State game • Outdoor patio with TV • Dollar Days – Wednesdays and Thursdays • Trivia Tuesday - $100 prize!

b y E r i n L e i g h Wy n k o o p photo by Lydi a B ar n har t

Be sure to check out our Facebook page for daily food and drink specials on premium cocktails and micro brews! co-owner, Kent Bigham

Oh, you need to hear more to be convinced this is quite possibly the best statement ever?

How about Cosmo’s?

2833 SW 29th | 273.7300 | www.bosshawg.com

perfect

College Hill

Or mix and match bruscetta served on an ohso-hip painter’s palette?

We’re excited to have our favorite underground late-night hang out spot back in business. Bosco’s is open for lunch, Monday through Friday, 11am to 3pm and Thursday through Saturday, 5pm to Midnight. Comedy shows every Thursday at 8 pm and live entertainment on the weekends. seveneightfive

12/4: Jangalang 12/18: Trevor Burgess 12/23: Brody Buster 12/31: Kristie Stremel New Years Eve Party 1/22: Big Woody

every week Wed: College Hill All Star Band & Open Jam Thurs: Kyler Carpenter Fri: Karaoke w/Hobbs

LIVE MUSIC

Or maybe the hearty lunches served to meet your every comfort food need?

THE plaCE To bE

1616 SW 17th St. 785.234.0700 rockinthehillnow.com

Washburn STUDENT DISCOUNT 10% OFF FOOD W/WU ID

Sunday Funday w/the NFl Ticket $1 off appetizers. $3 Bloody Mary Bar. The best place in town to watch all the games.

EvEry 17TH:

ST. praCTiCE Day Practice makes perfect & St. Patrick’s Day is only 3 months away. Practice with $4 Irish Car Bombs.

I ,A ng Jsa] n 20.

T R IHUV ti r ta s Y A RSD Tuesday Every [TKyler will move to

for exclusive specials

[ entertainment ]

365 days of cocktails

by Larissa Amundson

•

photo c ont r ibute d by Mark Vi e r t h a l e r

@seveneightfive quickly found a friend in “writer, photographer, roustabout, raconteur and general good guy” Mark Vierthaler a.k.a. @cocktails_365. His year-long endeavor - to try a new cocktail daily and blog his findings, trying everything from the standard (Sidecar) to the somewhat nauseating (Cement Mixer) to the completely batshit (Monkey Gland).

First of all, how did you get the idea?

It’s kind of funny-it would have been toward the end of January of this year.

For Christmas I got a couple of cocktail books from some friends and family.

My wife and I have always kind of been the bartenders of the family. We do the entertaining and mix the drinks and all that. I was going through one of the books and put a thing on Facebook actually and said tonight’s drink is going to be cappuccino. About 30 seconds later one of my friends popped up and said “what are you going to make a different drink every day for a year?”

I thought ya know what? That would be an excellent idea!

Do you ever try pairing cocktails with food?

Ya I really do. My wife is an amazing cook. It used to be my goal was just to create a good cocktail but she’s the one who really turned me on to “well is the cocktail actually going to go with what we are eating or is it going to be completely awful and you shouldn’t have tried that?”

What did she think of the idea?

She was all for it. She didn’t think I would actually be able to do it. We are 248 days into 365 days!

I have actually been approached by some people who are getting ready for large market releases use my reviews as part of the promotional materials. It kind of grew to “wow people are actually paying attention”. I was pleasantly surprised when I was first approached by a liquor company and they said hey we would love to send you a bottle if you’ll review it. I’m never one to turn down free booze, but just ‘cause you are sending me a bottle isn’t a guarantee of a good review.

Mark Vierthaler, Cocktails, 365 Twitter: @Cocktails_365 Facebook: Cocktails, 365 www.cocktails365.net cocktails365@markvierthaler.com

How often do you get a drink that you take a sip and spit it out?

The further I get into the project the more likely it has been to happen.

Ya know I haven’t covered all the basics but as you get further in and start experimenting with newer cocktails you kind of get into the iffy ground. It’s very rare-usually you can appreciate something about the cocktail. There have only been one or two times I can think of that I wasn’t actually able to finish the cocktail.

Do you have something saved up your sleeve for nights when that does happen?

No. I try to be as authentic with it as possible. A majority of the time I will go in and if it’s a drink I’ve never tried before I’ll write up the review as I’m making it. What I write down is my spot-on as soon as I take a drink that is what I think of it.

In my regular “everyday life” I’m a scotch and bourbon drinker on the rocks nothing mixed. It has really opened my eyes to a lot of different liquors and liqueurs and mixers that are out there.

Liquors Mark recommends: Jim Beam 7 year-solid bourbon Gin - Hendricks from UK Canadian whiskey - Templeton San Germain liqueur Rum - Gosling’s Scotch - House of Stuart excellent for $10

What is your favorite one so far?

That would be a good question… One that I’ve discovered and that has become a fallback drink for my wife and I is the gimlet. It’s really, really simplegin and sweetened lime juice. It’s a classic and its really under-appreciated, but it’s delicious.

Have you had any drinks that you just kept drinking all night because they were really good? Does it happen a lot?

I am what I like to call a professional drinker. I don’t drink to get drunk-I drink to enjoy the drink. When I do drink something that is a little too easy to take down I try to make a note of that in the website.

Do you have plans for after this year for the website? c o n t i n u e d o n t h e n e x t p a g25 e>>

<< continued from the previous page

I’ve got so many readers now and it’s become such a fun hobby - so we have talked about switching over to a drink of the week and then a little more like a liquor news website.

Bartending and mixing cocktails is about the camaraderie of it.

Has all of your knowledge just come from drinking and bartending?

Pretty much, yeah. I was talking to somebody from Cointreau a couple months ago and they asked how old I was. I said 25. Is that surprising?

He said considering your knowledge of liquor, yeah.

Is there anything you really want people to know?

The seveneightfive by Mark Vierthaler So, after my excellent interview with seveneightfive magazine, I decided to sit down and create a drink unique to Top City’s arts and entertainment mag. I racked my brain for quite a while to come up with something before I finally think I happened upon an interesting little ditty that defines such a unique magazine. Use local ingredients where possible, because that will make the drink even more personal to Topeka.

The seveneightfive • 1.5 oz Most Wanted Gin (because it’s produced in Kansas, this is brand-specific) • 1.5 oz white dog (Unaged whiskey. You can choose whichever you like, although I prefer Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1.)

• .5 oz mint syrup • Ginger ale to top •

Fill a rocks glass with ice, then build your drink pouring the gin, white dog and syrup. Stir well. Top with ginger ale. Or, if you’re feeling extra adventurous, try it with ginger beer. Just beware. It will straight up wreck you! I mean that. It’s both very strong but very tasty. Now, normally I’m not a huge fan of mixing base liquors, but sometimes it can work. The marshmallow/bread taste of the white dog is pleasantly accented by the juniper of the gin. The mint tempers both their flavors (crazy hardcore without the syrup), while the ginger ale takes the edge off just a little bit more.

So, much like Topeka’s mix of old west past and metropolitan present, the seveneightfive marries the past and present and future of Topeka. Drink up! But as always, drink responsibly Top City.

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I’d like to emphasize that to appreciate a good cocktail you don’t’ have to be up your own ass about it. I hate to be so crude to say that. I see a lot of what happens nowadays is what people are calling the cocktail renaissance. This idea that to be truly be a cocktail aficionado you need to only buy certain ingredients or only use certain liqueurs or adhere to a specific brand name. What I try to emphasize is that good ingredients make good cocktails and if it tastes good to you, then you’ve succeeded. The goal is to entertain and enjoy it.

Do you measure everything specifically?

Cocktails are a lot like baking. It’s more of a science than an art. If you adjust slightly on one or two things you are going to change the taste of it. I do encourage people to adjust for taste. seveneightfive photos by Matt Porubsky

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[ seen + noted ]

“ a lot of good conversations happen here ... “ A lot of the world’s problems are solved in the back of the cigar room.”

churchills

by Alice C. Hunt •

photos by Adam Koger

As a woman who doesn’t smoke cigars, when I heard cigar shop, I used to picture a dank, musty smoke-filled room with unfriendly faces. Was I ever wrong.

Churchill’s Cigars in the Gage Center Plaza is bright, friendly and surprisingly smoke-free. The warm wood paneling offsets the rows of cigars, tobacco pipes and humidors nicely. One of the few places you can smoke indoors any more, a smoking lounge replete with leather furniture and snacks is tucked away in the back.

Churchill’s holds special cigar tastings about once a month, complete with burgers, hot dogs and drinks.

The friendly staff can help you select the right cigars or pipes for your budget (they run from $6 to $25 per cigar) and teach you how to smoke—an art in and of itself. (In case you don’t want to learn the hard way, first rule is don’t inhale.)

Owner Gary Muza has run the shop for more than 40 years, and has been smoking cigars for 60.

“We’ve got a lot of regulars—a good clientele,” Muza said.

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And the regulars are a friendly bunch. From the moment you walk in, they’re introducing themselves and helping you find the right cigars.

“The guy who comes in here likes craft beer, good steak and a great cigar,” said regular Darin Scott, who started smoking cigars at 30.

But don’t think it’s a boy’s club.

“We have quite a few women who come in to smoke too,” Muza said. “And many of the cigar company reps who run the tastings are women.”

Customers are police officers, assistants, doctors, lawyers and construction workers, Muza and Scott said. The art of a good smoke becomes an equalizer, Scott said. So like a good public house of old, a lot of good conversations happen here.

“A lot of the world’s problems are solved in the back of the cigar room,” Scott said.

And I believe him.

seveneightfive

Churchills Fleming Place, 10th & Gage 4025 SW Gage Center Dr. (785) 273-0102 Open M - F: 9 am - 8:30 pm Sat: 9 am to 6 pm Sun: noon to 5 pm continued on page 27 >>