FOOD & DRINK (Top) Bryan Arri toasts to Fern Bar’s brick-andmortar in the Crossroads. (Bottom) A Oaxaca Old Fashioned. Jack Hatzfeld
he suffered great hardship—including losing three wives to cancer. I once asked him how he was able to remain so joyful despite all the tragedy, and he told me, ‘First, keep your faith. Secondly, life’s just a party, and I’m there.’” Arri continues: “When I was planning the concept of Fern Bar, I myself suffered a terrible loss: the passing of my little brother. I knew I wanted a spot where you could leave your troubles at the door, a place where everyone felt safe and welcome, and a place where we could remind everyone that life is a party worth being at. If you’re here to chat with a bartender about artisanal mezcal, sip daiquiris with coworkers for happy hour, or take shots with your friends on a Saturday night—those all sound like parties to me. I really hope that every guest feels a bit of my grandfather’s spirit when they spend time at Fern Bar.” When Fern Bar opens their doors (Arri is hoping for mid-December but knows that delays are always a possibility), the first menu will showcase a selection of honed classics that each demonstrate the strengths of their focal spirit. These include rum-based drinks like Daiquiris, Mojitos, and Planter’s Punch. Across the aisle, agave-based spirits shine in refined versions of the Margarita, Paloma, Oaxaca Old Fashioned, and more. Arri also hopes to showcase classics that might fly a little under the standard radar: He highlights the Jungle Bird, Naked & Famous, and El Presidente as classic cocktails that don’t appear on many menus but will be a part of Fern Bar’s offerings on day one. Starting simple is a two-fold process for Fern Bar. On the one hand, Arri knows that people generally aren’t as familiar with agave and sugarcane spirits as they might be with cocktails that utilize whiskey or vodka. He says, “In today’s cocktail landscape, menus continue to get increasingly esoteric and difficult to understand. It’s easy to order a drink where you haven’t heard of half the ingredients and walk away absolutely loving it—but without any idea of why.” By starting basic, he hopes guests are more willing to come on a journey with the bar and the staff, learning about what they like in a drink and why. Of course, that also means he needs
to have an on-point staff. Arri is extremely confident in his team, educating them on the finer points of how these drinks were developed and helping them to understand the nuances of the different spirits they’re using. By starting them on the basic cocktails that use agave and sugarcane spirits, he hopes to create a team that is soon riffing and experimenting on some crazy concoctions. “We are building a team toward becoming the best in the city at menu development,” he says. Once they’ve got their footing, Arri says he can’t wait to see future menus at Fern Bar. Finally, Arri’s previous time at highend cocktail bars around the city has given him some unique connections and insights that he hopes to pass along to patrons. “We really hope to be able to highlight smaller producers—people that are giving back to the communities they work within,” he says. If you’re looking to expand your horizons on these historically varied and unique spirits, Fern Bar sounds like it will be one of the best places to taste and learn about them. In case you couldn’t tell, Fern Bar is a place we’re really looking forward to. Keep up to date with them on social media to stay aware of when their doors are officially opening. Arri seems to have a strong, sustainable vision about how to continue pushing the cocktail scene in Kansas City forward and open a new spot that is welcoming and unpretentious, with plenty of outside-the-box ideas. Just like Grandpa Tom would have wanted: If Fern Bar is always going to be this kind of party, we are there for it.
Baked Mac & Cheese By Sarah Sipple
Cliff’s Taphouse 3044 Gillham Road Kansas City, MO 64108
Winter can bring out a range of feelings, and comfort food is something we turn to in both celebration and loneliness. Cliff’s Taphouse
Sarah Sipple
in Martini Corner is there for you whether you need a welcoming space to dine alone or a reliable spot to bring a group. From the cozy covered patio to the friendly staff, this is a place where you feel like you’re part of the neighborhood. Baked macaroni and cheese is a dish that many people find comforting or nostalgic. While there are differing opinions on the best recipe, the one that you don’t have to make yourself is often appreciated. Cliff’s Taphouse uses a generous portion of penne held together with three cheeses—cheddar, parmesan, and Monterrey jack—and then tops it with toasted garlic breadcrumbs. This is on the lighter side of comparable dishes—not goopy or dripping with unnatural orange “cheese product.” The parmesan adds a noticeable depth. Opting for buffalo chicken on top adds some filling protein and a nice variance of texture. The buffalo chicken is not overly sauced or spicy but brings a slight tang to the creamy pasta. To round out a comfort-food meal, try starting with the Jalapeño Corn Chowder. The soup is warm with a true, natural jalapeño heat and uniformly diced corn and potatoes. It is creamy, hearty, and very popular. If I get sick, this is the first thing I will have delivered. As a finisher, the chocolate cake from Overland Park’s Golden Boy Pies and Cakes is a fantastically classic dessert, boasting a balance between sweet and dark chocolate as well as moist and lightweight. Trust me, you’ll make room in your “dessert stomach” for this. Consider yourself comforted, at least for a few warm moments.
Noble Stout By Sarah Sipple
Rochester Brewing and Roasting Company 2129 Washington St., Kansas City, MO 64108 100 S Main St., Parkville, MO 64152
Rochester’s Original Coffee Stout was nominated by readers as a finalist for “Best Stout” in our Best of KC 2023 contest. A newer release, the Noble Stout, is a coffee stout with an 8.3% ABV. In the brewing process, Sarah Sipple Rochester uses their “Original” coffee blend, chipotle peppers, Madagascar vanilla beans, and cacao. The result is a mild stout with a luscious texture. Coffee is the primary flavor, with beer essence taking a backseat to the notes of chocolate and hickory. With a color between burnt church coffee and black forest cake, the stout is velvety and easily drinkable. This is not a stout that makes you feel like you’ve drunk a loaf of bread after one glass. It’s possible that it’s *too* drinkable–it goes down easy like a cold brew. Rochester is a great spot for beer newbies. Without being bland or flavorless, many of the brews are gentle and pleasant versions of common beer styles. Flights of tasters are available to sample new-to-you beers. Two other stouts are on rotation lately—an imperial stout and a Russian imperial stout—plus sours, IPAs, cream ales, and more. Pair this with a house-made donut for a decadent afternoon treat, or meet friends after work and pair this relatively light stout with an Italian sandwich for a hearty meal. Folks who are caffeine-sensitive can *rest easy* knowing that the caffeine content is negligible in coffee stouts. THE PITCH | December 2023 | THEPITCHKC.COM
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