First Night Out of 2010, to The Well and 75th St Brewery.

Two days into 2010 it was time to go out on the town.  Mrs. Monkey had some friends from high school coming in from out of town, and they planned a get-together at The Waldo Well.  I was pretty excited about going out.  It must be a bit of cabin fever from being cooped up during the Midwest Blizzard of 2009/2010.  We got the baby-sitter squared away and headed out.  About half way there it started to snow again.  Mother Nature, you are not going to ruin my night.

We got down to the Waldo area and the first thing I noticed was the place was packed, even with the snow.  I don't know how normal that is for the area, we don't get out to this part of town often.  We found a place to park and then hiked through the snow drifts to The Well.  The outside had a row of tiki torches lit around the edges of the roof.  That was a real cool effect in the snow.

Inside was crowded, but not to a point of being claustrophobic.  Our group was trying to stake claim at the upstairs deck bar, but it was too freaking cold.  A table cleared out in one of the back dining rooms downstairs, so we had a mass exodus to the warmth.  Once settled it was time to eat.  I went with a French Dip sandwich with a side of fries. That was one of the best French Dip's I've had in a very long time.  The  au-jus was not just beef broth.  Very peppery with chunks of onion.  Thick pile of shredded roast beef with cheese had a cheese-steak consistency.  The thick cut seasoned fries came with a side of horseradish sauce.  I was happy.  Mrs. Monkey went with one of her all time favorites, chicken-fried chicken.  She said the breading was great, and the green beans had a squash/tomato mix that added nice flair.

As far as a beer selection The Well does better than most, but still pretty middle of the road.  When I asked the server what they had a solid list of domestic and premium imports were rattled off.  When she hit the ultra light beers, it went down hill fast.  Luckily the beer menu had a better offering.  They had the KC standard Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat, Pale Ale, and a seasonal taps.  Additionally there were some Schlafly, New Belgium, and Sam Adams taps.  On the bottle list there was a Tripel, but it didn't say whose Tripel it was.  When I asked the server she had to go check at the bar herself.  Turns out it was a New Belgium.  I ended up ordering that because I felt bad for asking so many beer questions to our server.  I'm sure she was used to just serving Bud Light with an occasional Guinness.  To her credit she was working a cramped room with a more people in it than probably should have been.  And she was working the room with a great smile and attitude.  Thanks Mackenzie!

The Well has a great hang-out vibe and I will absolutely come back in the summer to hang out on the deck.  But tonight with it freezing cold and more snow coming down, I was getting in the mood for a bigger beer than what the Well could offer.  With that in mind, we gathered up and a couple of our friends hiked over to 75th St Brewery.  75th St is one of KC's best brew pubs.  If it was any closer to home, I would be in there on a weekly basis.  The crowd that night was thinner, which is more of what I would expect on a snowed in night.  Way more relaxed atmosphere.

First beer here was Dante's Dream, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale.  Served in a 75th St Brewery tulip. Creamy bright white head and a hazy orange body. Great stair step lacing down the glass.

Smell has a nice spicy hops with a biscuit malt backing it up. Taste has an additional mild green herb like coriander. Mild alcohol warmth, but the spicy hops takes center stage.

Mildly chewy in texture with a biting carbonation. That's a good combo, where either one by itself my not work. This had a nice warming effect for a freakishly cold day.

The second beer I had was XXX-Mas Ale.  The server described this as a Dubbel. Poured into a fluted tulip glass, thick egg cream colored head, very slow to recede. I had to drink around the foam for a better part of the glass. Color is a dark mahogany red, dense through the center.

Smell has a mild minty aroma surrounded by a caramel maltiness. Taste has more of the green mint spice with other spices coming in. A little nutmeg and cinnamon.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied from the carbonation, though the texture overall is a little thin. The mint really creates an interesting experience, one I wasn't expecting but enjoyed none the less.

Fun night, even though the weather sucked.  Reminds me I need to make a resolution to get out of the house more.