Trying out some places in the Heartland - Part 3 (Food and Airplanes; What could be better!)

I had one last day had a few more places to check out.  The day before, I passed the old Kansas City Municipal Airport (MKC)  downtown and I noticed there were a few museums and historic places around the airport. Although most air service is at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) north of the city, MKC is still a working airport.  I noticed that the Direct TV blimp was moored there for FOX TV and their coverage of the Major League Baseball American League Championship series that was ongoing with the hometown Royals playing the Toronto Blue Jays, in fact I had seen an Air Canada Airbus A321 parked at MKC which had brought the Blue Jays into town for the games.  On this day I think that everyone on the Kansas City area was wearing some sort of Kansas City Royals shirt or hat, I didn't think that that many Royals shirts and hats were in existence!  I was planning to get to the Triple D places and also take in one of the sites at MKC.

I left the hotel and headed into the downtown area to try an eclectic café called "Succotash Catering and Bruncheonette" an unusual name for a place that specializes in breakfast and lunch.  The restaurant seemed to be a former neighborhood bar with a large bar area that has been transformed into a coffee counter.  The restaurant is decorated in eclectic art, posters and pastel colors.

Succotash Café and Brunchonette

Succotash Café the former bar is now a coffee counter

Since I am not a huge fan of eggs I decided to try the Pancakes with Wild Blueberries.  After a short wait the pancakes arrived.  I am used to getting pancakes, usually there's two or three and arranged on the plate so the plate is covered.  Those pancakes are usually a few inches in diameter and that is a good and fair meal.  The pancakes at Succotash were larger than the plate they were served on and this was a normal meal sized plate.  I was served two pancakes loaded with blueberries and they hung over the sides of the plate.  there were a few small pieces of bacon, that looked like bacon bits when compared to the cakes.  A bottle of Maple Syrup was on each table.  These pancakes were really good and so filling that I couldn't finish them!  Fresh Blueberries were in every bite!

Succotash's Man Hole Cover sized Pancakes

Fresh Blueberries in each bite

As I was waiting for the bill the owner came in and I was able to get her to sign my book.  One of the servers saw the book and was really excited to not only see the book but thank me for coming in.  The friendliness of all the people I met on this trip was great, not what I am used to being in the DC area.  As I left I noticed a big factory nearby, it is the home of Hallmark Cards!

My next place was about an hour's drive south of Kansas City.  In the town of Paola is a place that Guy visited in an early season of Triple D.  "The BBQ Shack" moved from the shack it had been in when Guy visited to a nice store front in a strip mall.  The big smokers are out back so they still do it the old fashioned way.  I walked in and I knew I would like this place!  That great barbecue aroma filled the air and decorating the walls were all kinds of memorabilia of my all time favorite TV show, "The Andy Griffith Show" (TAGS)!  I know what you're thinking, I do love Triple D but I have always loved TAGS, in fact I have been to a few Mayberry Days in Andy's real hometown of Mt. Airy, North Carolina.  The owner greeted me as I sat down along with the server and we chatted about his love of the show and I told him about Mt. Airy and Mayberry Days.  All of the sandwiches have TAGS names.

The BBQ Shack in Paola, Kansas

Triple D and TAGS memorabilia all over the walls

I love the logo on the BBQ sauce bottle

I chose "Old Man Kelsey's" Sandwich which is a small one meat BBQ sandwich.  I asked the server which meat would be best and she recommended the pork, GREAT CHOICE!  While I waited the owner came over and signed my book.  When the sandwich arrived, I could see that my opinion of small and theirs was different, it was pretty big and loaded with a lot of bark.  Bark is that black coating of seasoning rubbed onto the meat.  It was delicious!

Old Man Kelsey's Pork Sandwich at The BBQ Shack

Sandwich and house sauce

I said goodbye to the staff and as I was leaving he lunch crowd was starting to arrive, the people of Paola have a great place to eat!  I headed out for the hour drive back to the Kansas City area.

My next stop would be the most unusual place on this trip.  When you think of Kansas City, Barbecue and down home hearty American fare is what comes to mind, not Chinese Noodles and Dumplings.  "Blue Koi - Noodles and Dumplings" is in an upscale office and shopping area of Leawood, Kansas.  They were doing a big lunch business when I arrived and the place was crowded and loud with the patrons enjoying the food and atmosphere. 

Blue Koi in Leawood, Kansas

As I looked over the menu, I noticed the noodle dishes could have easily fed two or three and then remembered that Guy had said on the show that Pan Fried Dumplings was one of his favorites, so I decided to try the Seafood Dumplings.  The plate of 8 dumplings came out with soy sauce on the side.  They were very tasty with a mild fish and shrimp stuffing.

Blue Koi's Seafood Dumplings

Seafood Dumplings stuffing

Blue Koi is owned and operated by two sisters from China and Guy had a lot of fun with them on their episode.  As I was eating one of the sisters came over as she was visiting with every table.  When she came to say hello I was able to get her to sign my book and she signed in both English and Chinese!  I headed out, pretty full and ready for a food break!

I headed back into the downtown area t check out one of the museums around the MKC airport.  I knew there was an airline museum there but as I approached the airport I was surprised to the TWA Heritage Museum.  I knew that I wanted to see that, TWA's headquarters here until. MCI was built in the early 1970's.   TWA was very important to Kansas City, it was the hometown airline until they were taken over by American Airlines in the early 2000s. 

I have fond memories of TWA, I took my first solo transcontinental flight in 1977 on a TWA Lockheed L1011 from Dulles to Los Angeles.  I also got to know a number of TWA ramp guys in the early part of my United career, they were all great guys, I remember those guy's fondly.  Another TWA memory is that of the tragic end of TWA 514.  The flight was scheduled to operate between Columbus, Ohio and Washington National, and on that December Sunday in 1974 the DC area was being pounded by torrential rain  The flight was diverted to Dulles, but it never made it and crashed into Mt. Weather west of Dulles.  I was in 6th Grade at the time and one of the passengers who died on that flight was Mrs. Gwen Garwood, my second grade teacher.  In the memorial room is a statue in tribute to that flight and Mrs. Garwood and her husbands name is on that statue.

The place is filled with models, memorabilia, technical postings, and movies.  I was brought into the hangar area by he grand daughter of one of the co-founders of TWA.  I really enjoyed the visit and hope that someday United might build something like it.

TWA Museum at MKC Airport 

Plaque commemorating TWA's Lockheed Constellation operating - The famous Connie!

Seat from a 1920's Ford Trimotor

707 cockpit training panels

These were from the 1950s and 1960s - replaced  by computers

 

Flap Setting panels

Memorial Statue to TWA 514

After finishing up at the museum I headed to the last two places. The first was a very interesting place, I was surprised to find no lawn or even grass, but a gravel parking lot at "BB's Lawnside Bar-B-Q".  This place is an homage to Jazz and Blues music clubs, decorated with posters, record jackets and pictures of musicians with a real Blues flair. 

BB's Bar-B-Q in Kansas City, Missouri

That great smoky aroma filled the air as I arrived and one of the things I really like when going to a place is notations in the menu to remind diners which items were prepared on the show.  I decided to try one of the unusual items that they prepared, the Barbecue Sundae.  The "Sundae" comes in a mason jar filled with barbecue beans, Cole slaw, and shredded pork barbecue. 

BB's Barbecue Sundae

That's good!

They also brought a plate to make it easier to eat.  The beans were good, Cole slaw really good and the pork awesome!  BB's has live music just about every night but the staff was not planning a big night of music, they were doing a huge carry out business and planned to have a watching party for the Royals playoff baseball game.  While there I saw at least four different groups come in to get take-out for tailgating at the game.

Enjoying some BB's 'cue

I met the manager and we chatted for a short time about the show and my travels and then I headed out to my last place in the KC area.  My last stop was about 15 minutes away in Shawnee Mission, Kansas.  "Johnny's Bar-B-Q" is a very nice place.  As you enter you pass a huge wood pile at the ready for the pit master and then there is a wall of sauces from all over the world, sort of a sauce dedication wall and then a Guy Tribute Wall, from his visit and then the dining room area.

Johnny's Bar-B-Q in Shawnee Mission, Kansas

Johnny's Sauce Tribute Wall

Guy's Tribute Wall

Johnny's also has menu reminders to promote the food cooked on the show.  I knew I wanted something small and I decided to try the barbecue wrap.  The wrap is a Honey Wheat tortilla filled with Barbecue Pork, sauce and Cole Slaw.  It was really good, I must admit that I am not a big fan of the tortilla, I guess I am just plain tortilla kind of guy!  I asked my server if someone could sign my book and she went and got Johnny, himself!  I recognized him immediately from the episode and I was honored that he left the kitchen to come and visit with me.  He told me that the show has been great for his place and that on this night sit down business would be slow but the carry out was going crazy with the game coming on.

Johnny's Barbecue Wrap

The goodness inside

This had been a great trip, everyone I encountered were so nice, this is an area where I could live!   I even got First Class on the flight home, how cool is that!  My Triple D count now sits at 434!