Brixey Banter

The Drop

"top notch drinks...swank ambience"

The Drop is one of many bars featured at The Martini Corner - the little slice of cheesy heaven at the corner of 31st and Oak. Their Happy Hour is Monday - Friday from 4 - 7 pm with $5 specialty cocktails. I know only two people who get off before 3 pm. I can't imagine hitting Happy Hour that early...unless it's Saturday...

Colleen and I sat inside because I'm not really sure there IS an outside. It's a quaint little place. Well, not tiny but not huge. I enjoyed the atmosphere. I remember there being some exposed brick and lots of wood. It's been a few months since we went there!

I'll start with the drinks. I had two. Shame on me! I started my Happy Hour off with a Sour Grape Martini. Or as the menu states "Willy Wonka's envy" It was delicious. Extraordinary. If you like grape flavor of course. And I can't remember my second drink but to be honest, I have a feeling it was another Sour Grape Martini. That good, y'all.

Our food is a bit hazy. I do know that we got the Meat & Cheese platter and the Hummus. If you don't like goat cheese (if your name is Colleen) then you will not really enjoy the Meat & Cheese platter very much. It came with a small variety of slimy Italian meats that were fresh and tasty. (Slimy meaning good in this usage.) The cheeses were mostly softer cheeses. The dried fruit (figs is all I can remember) was a nice combination with the grapes, crostini, cheese and meat.

The Hummus was good. I loved the addition of the cumin. I have never made Hummus so I'm not sure if it's customary, but it was quite yummy. I think we got something else, but it's been forever and a day since we went!

The only unfortunate thing about The Drop, specifically The Martini Corner, is that it is owned by my slumlord landlords, Union Hill. I can't stand knowing that I'm giving them even more $$ a month than I do...oh well. Drinks are worth more than rent sometimes.

Overall, The Drop is a keeper. I will go again...and I will feel very fancy doing it.

Nara

"Hold your sake and get ready for some flavor."

Nara has thus far been my favorite Happy Hour. We've been there twice!

Apparently on Thursdays, ALL of their specialty martinis are half price. Otherwise, they have 4 on the menu for $5 during Happy Hour.

Colleen and I sat outside both times. Although the music is a little loud, the atmosphere is perfect. It's completely in the shade by Happy Hour and it's been cool both times we went (cool for June and July) so it was a perfect evening for drinks and food.

Both times we went, I was starving! So I'll start with the food that we ordered (both times):

California Roll - Colleen ordered these and I had one each time. I'm not a huge fan of sushi (because I hate seaweed) but these rolls were super fresh tasting and the seaweed wasn't rubbery or hard like at some sushi places. I enjoyed them immensely. The next time I go, I'lll probably order my own.

Nara Tacos - Fried white fish served with a ton of lettuce in what I believe is a fried wonton "taco" shell - served with some sort of orangy sauce that is to die for dribbled on the top. They aren't the healthiest but the lettuce sure makes you think so! If you like fried fish, these are for you. Very yummy.

Shrimp & Pork Fried Gyoza - I myself am a gyoza fan. I love them. These are no exception. They are drizzled with an eel sauce (that's what the menu says). Don't shy away from them because of the word "eel." They are a nice little treat.

Red Pepper Hummus with Wonton Chips - At first, the chips were weird. Very weird. But they seem to go with the whole Nara experience. And the hummus is pretty darn good.

Yakitori Robata - What is that? Um, basically the same as a chicken satay cooked on an open flame grill. So good.

Yaki Gyu Robata - The beef version. Even better than the chicken.

That's the low down on the food. Nothing has been disappointing to date.

Now the drinks. Last night I just had Cosmos (one of the 4 drinks on the Happy Hour list). They were good. Not very big but that's okay. I was two cosmos to the wind by the time I left. Not the best cosmo. Teller's in CoMo still wins that honor. I'm looking out for the best cosmo in KC...I'll let you know.

The first time we went to Nara, I had two other drinks. Unfortunately, I can only remember one of the drinks, not the second:

Hello Kitty - Yes. That's right. I had a Hello Kitty. I don't see it on the menu and I have no idea what's in it but I liked it. I should probably be thankful I had a drink before this one or I would have indulged in two of them.