Versatile, talented Howl at the Moon band makes the crowds go wild

One of the KC Star blogs “Dollars & Sense” just reported that Johnny’s Tavern, a local resturant/bar with 5 locations on the KS side of the state-line is moving to that primo spot at 13th & Grand in the Power & Light district.

This will be a great, local, addition to the P&L to provide an alternative to the national chains that currently dominate the district.  And considering Johnny’s is an iconic establishment in Lawrence, KS, it’s great to see a KU friendly bar come into the area.

Last night we were invited to a blogger event at the brand new AMC Mainstreet Theater.  While the theater doesn’t officially open until May 1st, this was an invitation-only tour that covered the history, the features, and a special screening of Valkyrie The Brothers Bloom (they switched it at the last minute as a surprise sneak preview, great flick!).

AMC Mainstreet initially opened in 1921 and went through various renovations until finally closing in 1984.  It sat closed, abandoned, and crumbling as it awaited it’s eventual demolished fate as a parking lot until AMC came to the rescue in 2005 and began renovations.  If you’ve been to any events at the Midland Theater (another AMC renovation project), you’ll already be familiar with the impressive blend of modern contemporary design while also staying true to the buildings history.  Also, our tour guide emphasized AMC’s focus on “green” architecture from the beginning.  Everything from the carpet, walls, and seats are mostly made out of material that is recycle friendly and the paint is air-quality friendly.

So of my favorite features

• Rumble seats – Every seat in all 6 theaters are “rumble seats”, meaning they actually vibrate with the sound in the movie.  A great scene in Brothers Bloom last night was when Bloom & Penelope are riding in a train during a thunderstorm, and you can actually feel the “clickity clack” of the train rumbling on the tracks as well as every burst of thunder going on outside.  It’s really a remarkable experience.
• Seat reservation – Gone are the days of showing up 45 minutes before an opening just to ensure you don’t have to sit in the front row.  You can now either call or reserve online any seat in any of the theaters that you like.
• Concessions & service – You of course have the standard concession stands, but the neat thing about AMC Mainstreet is the “Flavorwall” which consists of ~30 different types of soft drinks, flavors, and seasonings for your popcorn.  I’ve never seen anything like it outside of a Quicktrip.
• Cinema Suites – These are the 4 theaters upstairs that seat anywhere from 25-65 people.  Every seat is a recliner and a tray on a pivot to place your food & drinks on.  These seats also come with full service from their waiting staff.  Need a refill on your Sam Adams?  push the little red button next to your seat and they’ll be out to take your order within a few moments.  The menu consists of about 40 different items ranging from beer & wine, to appetizers, entrees, desserts (cookies & milk!), and snacks.  Prices were standard for a mid-range restauant ($10 entree, $7 appetizers, etc…)
• Parking – While any downtown area will have issues when it comes to parking, AMC Mainstreet helps us out a little bit by providing 3 hour validation parking in the parking garage 1.5 blocks away in the Constantino’s garage.  Watch out though, it’s $1 for every 20 minutes afterwards.
• Marquee Bar & Grill – At the entrance to the theater you’ll also see the Marquee Bar & Grill, a full service restarant that serves entrees and (adult) beverages and on the weekends will stay open as late as 5am serving food.

I’m certain you’ll find many sources of media out there if you search on flickr, youtube, twitter, etc… under the tag “amcmain”.  Here’s a great video from Ramsey Mohsen.

Many thanks to AMC for hosting an event for us and we’re looking forward to frequenting the new AMC Mainstreet as much as possible!

So, I had a great time in the area yesterday. We weren’t able to find a table to eat and watch the KU game because every place was packed, so we ended up at Minskys in the River Market. Afterwards, we headed up to the Power and Light district to partake in the festivities with what seemed like about 7,000 other people. Every bar had a line to get in, and the Live block was completely packed with KU fans. We first spent some time at the Gordon Biersch Brewery then ended the evening upstairs at Angel’s Rock Bar. Everyone had a great time, and it really proved how both the P&L district and the Sprint Center feed off each other. Maybe Kansas City is now regretting not taking the opportunity for a downtown ballpark when it had the chance. Oh well, maybe it’ll happen in 2030 when the current lease expires. *rolls eyes*

Oh, while upstairs, I did see a new bar called “Big Sky” is opening up next to Angel’s Rock Bar on April 10th, and this appears to be the district’s country bar. I’m hoping for something a little more Coyote Ugly and not another Beaumont Club. I did come across this video on YouTube showing some of the construction going on inside from a few weeks back.

P.S. Tengo sed Cantina is developing quite the reputation as a “spring break” type bar with the bikini pole dancers. Most of the females I’ve talked to who have visited this bar aren’t really impressed. I haven’t had a chance to experience it myself yet though.

I’ve also begun creating individualized pages for each tenant which I hope will contain useful information. So far I’ve added pages for Vinino and Raglan Road. Let me know if there is additional info that you feel should be added to those pages.

My second experience was this afternoon when I went there for dinner. I ordered the chutney burger which was unlike any burger I’ve had before, but it was fantastic. My girfriend ordered the steak strip salad and soup, which was equally as good. The menu is limited for the next month or two until they have a chance to expand it. Dinner for two along with two pints of Guiness was $40 + tip, which is about average for dining downtown.

The only problem I had with Raglan Road was absence of TVs, which unfortunately can be an issue for me considering St Patrick’s Day always falls during the same weekend as the conference basketball tournaments or the opening round of the NCAA tournament. As fun as it would be to celebrate St Patty’s day at Raglan Road, I think my time might be limited there during March because of this.

In all, I thought it was a great atmosphere, good food, very friendly staff, and a decent price. I look forward to going there sometime when the band and dancers are there.

Comments? Share them on the Raglan Road page.

Last night marked the opening for many of the core tenants in the Live! block in Kansas City’s Power & Light district, and here’s a great video that was originally posted in the previous post’s comments, but it absolutely deserves its own post.

Video includes:

• Angels’ Rock Bar
• Howl at the Moon
• Raglan Road Irish Pub
• Tengo sed Cantina
• The Living Room
• Fuego

Update: Here is the original blog post.

I haven’t had a chance yet to go to any of the other new restaurants aside from Famous Dave’s, and wow, the ribs were phenomenal there.  Michael Buble tickets were my present to my girlfriend, so we’ll be heading up to the district tomorrow night, and hoping to check out Vivino for the first time.

The Cordish Co. today announced four additional tenants for the Kansas City Power & Light District: Chefburger, a locally owned burger restaurant; Rum Shack, a Caribbean style nightclub; Sprint Studio, a flagship interactive retail store; and Living Room, a high-end outdoor lounge that will serve as the centerpiece for the Kansas City Live! block.

Nothing too sexy, but always exciting to hear about new tenants.