It must have been a few years ago when I heard that there was a “boxing themed restaurant” coming to 50th street in what I now consider the new “little Italy” of Kansas City. At the time, I took a moment to consider whether I had ever been in or even heard of a boxing themed establishment. I had not. When Bell Ringers Pub and Grub opened in the Crossroads, I thought that it must be the place and the proprietor had decided to change locations before opening. Apparently, I was wrong. There’s now a Jack Gage American Tavern open at 5031 Main. Previously, I had never heard of a boxing themed bar or restaurant. Now we have two in KCMO. The demand for this type of venue must be overwhelming.

Naturally, I cruised over there recently to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised by the place. It’s not awkwardly modern, stuffed full of hipsters, covered in mass-produced kitsch, or any of the other qualities that would send me into a beer-fueled rant. Instead, I found dark wood, helpful staff, and tolerable patrons. I won’t pretend to be able to tell you much about the food other than the fact that it’s more restaurant than bar. I’ll let folks like Mr. Ferruzza handle that.

Instead, I noticed two things about their beer selection. The first was that they had Boulvard’s Tank 7 on tap. It’s nice to see a place that offers more than Wheat and Pale from our local brewer. I love a good glass of Tank 7 occasionally. It’s pretty sweet, so I won’t drink it all night, but one glass is fun.

The other thing I noticed about their beer on tap is that they had Boulevard’s Irish on tap. Am I the only one who thinks it’s too early to bring out Irish? It’s my understanding that it’s their best selling seasonal, so I guess that’s why it gets three months instead of two. That aside, it feels like when I walk into target in August and they have their Halloween candy out. It’s too early for this!

I look forward to heading back to Jack Gage’s. It seems like a great, neighborhood spot for a date. They have great food, great staff, and plenty of local beers on tap. I wonder where the next boxing themed place will open?

January in Kansas City brings cold weather, but also some events geared toward the warmer weather we’ll get in a few months. The Plaza Lights will be on until the middle of the month, so be sure to enjoy them one more time before they’re off for another year.

The Kansas City Boat and Sport show returns to Kansas City’s Bartle Hall for January 7-10, 2010. In the past, the “Sport Show” was a huge production with tons of exhibits and activities. Last year, it was reduced in size drastically, probably due to the economic difficulties that were becoming so evident at the time. I’m curious to see how it changes this year. I’m hopeful that it will be a bit better attended. I’ll be there not only to check out all of the exhibits, but it’s where I get my “free” subscription to Field and Stream. You can get a subscription to one of about 4 magazines with your $9 admission.

During these winter storms, it’s both fun and useful to keep up on the weather forecasts, weather reports, and the road conditions. I’ve updated the Kansas City weather page in the directory. You can use it to stay safe or to enjoy the excitement of the winter storms.

Greetings, readers (both of you). If you’ve been to thekcguy.com before, you may be familiar with the old site, which served as a sort of directory of events and locations around Kansas City. I also used to keep regular updates on the front page, sort of like a blog. But, it wasn’t a real blog and it was rather awkward. I tried to make that site into the best of both worlds, both a directory and a blog. It turned out to be a jack of two trades, but a master of neither. I’ve decided to rectify that by running an actual, bona fide blog and keeping the Kansas City directory alive. I’m hopeful that while I can add regular postings here, I can also update pages in the directory in order to serve as a valuable resource of Kansas City events and venues.