Restaurants

Lots going on as we've got less than a week to go until the wedding, but here are some restaurant recommendations broken out by type and location... All of these are favorites, but we'll mark the best of the best with a "*"

Downtown:
Jack Stack (BBQ - Simply the best in a city of great barbeque restaurants) *
Arthur Bryant's (BBQ)
Lidia's (Italian)
Manny's (Mexican)
Lulu's Noodle Shop (Thai)
Thai Place (Thai) *
Hereford House (Steak)
The Mango Room (Caribbean Southern)
La Bodega (Tapas) *
The Peanut (Dive/Pub)

Westport:
Westport Flea Market (Dive/Pub - Great burgers!)
Thai Place (Thai) *
Matsu (Sushi) *
Jerusalem Cafe (Vegetarian)
Lamar's (Donuts!) * ("extraordinary... fit for a king" - Zagat's guide)
McCoy's - (Pub food)

Plaza:
Kona Grill (Asian/Sushi)
Baja 600 (Upscale Mexican)
Classic Cup (Euro bistro) *
Frondizi's (Italian) *

South:
Jack Stack (BBQ) *
Thai Place (Thai) *
Hereford House (Steak)
Lamar's (Donuts!) *
Johnny's Tavern (Sports bar) *
La Cocina Del Puerco (Mexican) *
The Peanut (Dive/Pub)

North:
Swagat (Indian) *

Entertainment Options

Those of you coming to KC from out of town might be looking for other things to do while you're here. Of course, as you've likely read already, NASCAR's in town so you might be able to scalp tickets to the Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. If auto racing's not your style, here are a few other events scheduled for next weekend...

Friday:
Paul Oakenfold at nightspot NV
North Mississippi All-Stars at Liberty Hall in Lawrence

Saturday:
Negro League Baseball Museum (open daily)

Sunday:
Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers @ Arrowhead Stadium
The Rolling Stones are playing Cessna Stadium 3 hours south of KC in Wichita
The Strokes at Memorial Hall in KC

Some other interesting things to do in the KC area...

• Worlds of Fun Amusement Park
• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
• Kansas City Zoo & IMAX
• Science City/Union Station
• Liberty Memorial (the only US museum dedicated solely to WWI)
• Arabia Steamboat Museum
• Oktoberfest (9/29 to 10/1)
• Kansas City Renaissance Festival
• The Truman Library

Maps & Directions

Here are some links to maps and directions from the hotels to Unity Temple on the Plaza and from their to the Uptown Theater...

Hotels:
Holiday Inn Country Club Plaza
1 E. 45th St.
(816) 753-7400

Holiday Inn Express Westport
801 Westport Rd.
(816) 931-1000

Ceremony:
6:30 PM Saturday @ Unity Temple on the Plaza
707 W. 47th St. (47th and Jefferson)
(816) 561-4466
Plenty of free parking is available in the public garage behind the church

Driving Directions from Holiday Inn on the Plaza to Unity Temple On the Plaza

Driving Directions from Holiday Inn Westport to Unity Temple On the Plaza

Reception:
7:30 PM Saturday at the Uptown Theater
3700 Broadway (Broadway and Valentine)
(816) 753-8665
Free, secured parking is available across Valentine in the Apple Market lot.

Driving Directions from Unity Temple On the Plaza to Uptown Theater

You've Been Invited...

If you're reading this website for the first time, it's probably because you just received our wedding invitation. This is the place to check for the latest news updates and details about our wedding. Along the right hand side of the page under "Wedding Links", you'll find quick links to important pieces of information like where the church or reception is as well as some local travel information for our out-of-town guests. Speaking of out-of-towners, if you haven't made your hotel reservations, please do so ASAP. Our wedding weekend is also NASCAR weekend here in KC and hotel rooms are tighter than Joan Rivers' face (bah-dum!). For more details about the room shortages and possible solutions, click here.

Check back here as the event gets closer for maps and directions as well as other travel details like restaurant recommendations and other entertainment options that weekend.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you in September!

Change of Address

Yesterday, Laurie and I closed on a house. During the month of August, we'll be cleaning, painting and updating it before we move out of our places and merge the cats into one big happy (hopefully!) family. In case you want to update your address book, our new address is:

12141 Craig Street
Overland Park, KS 66213

Pictures of the new place to follow...

Nightlife in KC

While an outsider might have the notion that Kansas City is a cowtown where the streets get rolled up early, that's not really true. Lots of bars on the Missouri side don't have last call until almost 3 AM and there are plenty of places on both sides of the state line that are jumpin' until the wee hours...

First of all, there are 3 big entertainment/shopping districts where you can eat, drink and shop until your hearts content. They are:

The Country Club Plaza* - A true Kansas City landmark and by many accounts, the real heart of the city... Plaza hotspots include:

• Blonde - Probably the hottest nightspot in town these days with long lines and well-dressed beautiful people...
• Reverse - Trendy eatery/lounge which serves Mediterranean food with a Beatnik flair.
• Kona Grill* - Rub elbows with others in the packed bar area or sit down for great food.
• O'Dowd's Little Dublin - Feels so much like Ireland that you expect Bono to walk around the corner... (The Pitch's Best Pub, 2005)
• The Peanut - Just off the Plaza, this is the original location for what is now one of KC's top dive franchises with seven locations including downtown and in OP. Probably the most memorable chicken wings you'll ever have but you gotta like 'em hot and BIG. (The Pitch's Best Wings, 2005)

Zona Rosa - One of those planned, packaged outdoor malls & entertainment zones between downtown and the airport. It's big and fun to walk around in and the home to one of our favorite Indian restaurants, Swagat*.

Legends - See Zona Rosa. This one's out by the Kansas Speedway and likely to be swamped with NASCAR in town but if you're looking for Dave and Buster's, this is the place.

In addition to these areas, another neighborhood which has more of an emphasis on food and drink is Westport.

• McCoy's Public House* - Good food and drink at this microbrewery but it's most memorable to us as the place we met initially for a drink on our first date before heading down the street to Matsu for sushi...
• Kelly's Westport Inn* - Great Irish dive bar housed in one of KC's oldest buildings. Joe's Pizza in the back serves by the slice for late night munchies.
• The Beaumont Club - When there's no concert scheduled, you'll find the boot scootin' crowd drinkin' Bud and line dancing their asses off here.
• The Hurricane - A great place to catch a band, have a drink and dance.
• Buzzard Beach - Another great dive bar that's open late. (The Pitch's "Best Place to Find a Party After Hours, 2005)
• Harry's Bar and Tables - If the other joints and dives scare you off, here's a bit more upscale place that also has a great patio to sit, drink and watch people. In fact, the patio was picked as "best patio" by The Pitch this year.

The more artistic folks might enjoy spending time in KC's burgeoning arts district known as The Crossroads:

• Bar Natasha* - A piano bar with... uh... a cross-dressing twist.
• The Brick* - More of a dive bar with cheap beer and loud rock bands playing original music.
• The Cashew - Picked by The Pitch as the best new bar in 2005.

In addition to these hotspots, if you're feeling like a high roller, the Kansas City area has several fine casinos:

• Harrah's
• Ameristar
• Isle of Capri
• Argosy

Other nightspots that don't fit neatly into a neighborhood or category...

• Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club* - A bit of a dive to be sure, but without a doubt it's the best venue in town for live music
• Velvet Dog * - Probably the best place in town to sit outside and have a drink and also one of our favorite places for a nightcap. If you like to dance, the Empire Room is right across the street. It's off the beaten path a bit, but look for the big lighted 'eiffel tower'-like structure and it'll lead you to Martini Corner. Highly recommended.
• The Lava Room* - Another great place for a nightcap located between downtown and Westport.
• Raoul's Velvet Room/Fuel * - If you find yourself out in the Overland Park area, these two side-by-side bars are definite hotspots for the good-looking crowd.
• Johnny's Tavern on 119th* - Also in OP, this is my favorite hangout and a great place to watch a game.

* Laurie & Jeff's Top Picks & Favorites

Shopping in KC

Ok, I was going to write up a post about some of the best places to go on a shopping spree here in Kansas City. But as I was researching and looking for links to include, I found this article and their top 3 places were the same as mine (Country Club Plaza, Oak Park Mall, Zona Rosa) so I figure that I might as well just let you read it instead...

Here's the top 3 from the article:

Kansas City truly is a shopaholics paradise--even the first outdoor shopping mall started here! These top shopping areas showcase some of Kansas City's most fabulous stores. From quaint boutiques, awesome shops and department stores, to discount outlets and vintage retailers--you'll find it all are here in Kansas City.

1) The Country Club Plaza
The Country Club Plaza is Kansas City's legendary shopping, dining and entertaining district that has everything you need. From high fashion retailers including Anthropologie, St. John, BCBG, and Tiffany to Urban Outfitters, and Armani Exchange--all love to call the Plaza home. Don't miss local faves like Halls, N. Valentino and Hemline to find designer labels like no place else in the city. See why over 170 shops and restuarants make it KC's top place to shop.

2) The Oak Park Mall
One of Kansas City's largest indoor shopping centers, Oak Park Mall offers 187 specialty stores and major department retailers including Dillard's and Nordstrom. The Oak Park Mall pretty much has everything under one roof-including Sephora, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Nine West, Rainforest Cafe and a host of other great stores.

3) The Zona Rosa
The Zona Rosa--Kansas City's premier outdoor shopping, dining and nightlife district has something for everyone. Here you'll find Forever 21, Gap, Baby Gap and Gap Maternity, DSW and Ann Taylor Loft just to name a few. They've also got a great array of restaurants and bars like O'doud's, Tomfooleries, Bravo Italian Cucina, and Abuelo's which are great for a post day-of-shopping feast.

Golf Courses in KC

Because I know that several of the out-of-towners might want to tee it up, here are some of the top public courses in the Kansas City metro area:

Prairie Highlands in Olathe: This public course was the home of the 2005 Kansas Open, the mens NAIA National Championship and was rated as one of the top 30 courses with a greens fee of under $50 by Golf Magazine in 2004.

Shoal Creek Golf Club in KCMO: Another top-ranked public course which hosted the PGA Midwest Championship in 2003 and 2004 and was ranked the #2 public course in Missouri by Golfweek in 2006.

Dub's Dread in KCK: Originally built in 1964 with the goal of being the world's longest course, this top-rated course has hosted the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and others.

Falcon Ridge in Lenexa: Golf Digest recently rated this as one of the top 2 public courses in Kansas. Tee times at this popular course go fast, so book 'em early.

Welcome Save-The-Daters!

Hello to everyone who's checking out the website for the first time. This is the place to go for the latest information on the upcoming event. The Wedding Links section to the right will connect you with important details about the wedding. As the date gets closer, check back here for maps and directions as well as our recommendations on restaurants, nightspots and other activities.

Feel free to post questions in the Comments section or email them directly to Laurie or me.

Our Photos

We'll be sharing our pictures at our new Flickr account here. Keep checking for updates!

Registries

Hey everyone... we're registered at the following locations:

Williams-Sonoma

Bed Bath & Beyond

The Home Depot

Both Williams-Sonoma and Bed Bath & Beyond have kiosks in most stores where you can print a copy of the registry. I don't think Home Depot has that option, but you can also access the registries for each location online at the corresponding website. Each website is set up a bit differently, but if you do a search on either of our names (Laurie Ellinghausen, Jeff Callan) you should be able to get to our registry. Please let us know if you have any technical problems!