Before the Intervention: A Wine Walk in Westport

Here is a recipe for a delicious fall day: Start with a sky full of sunshine, add crisp, fresh air, mix with a 12-stop walking wine tour, then blend with Cutest by my side.  It was delicious.

Westport’s third annual Wine Walk commenced on a blue sky Saturday afternoon. Most locals before leaving their thirties probably have tales to tell of their adventures in Westport. Except for the Labor Day weekend art show or a Sunday brunch, Cutest and I now typically give Westport a pass. But here was an opportunity to wander among these historic 1800s buildings and discover what new-to-us food and beverage providers we could unearth. Glad we did!

Repeated at each stop were small shots of wine and most often a complimentary bite of cheese and crackers or salsa and dip.  Char Bar was our stop number one, a large indoor/ outdoor establishment whose food we've enjoyed (fried chicken!). In the outdoor patio area, kids and pets are welcome. A smattering of games, ping pong, corn hole and others test your skills.  Cutest is still attempting to fine-tune her mostly vertical bean bag toss.

Just around the corner is the Green Room, where everybody knows your name, or at least that’s the vibe you get when you walk in. Neighbors were engaged in a card game in one corner while other regulars chatted over beers about the college football games on the TVs above them. Space was tight but down-home comfy.

Next we walked a couple of blocks south to long time liquid retailer Harry's Bar and Tables (just behind the only red English phone booths left in KC) which still has their elevated patio. On to Brix, a much larger all-things-Mexican place than you would imagine, with a quite cool speakeasy in the back.  Their affable bartender convinced us to relax at a table and sample their ceviche. Cutest gave it a five star review.

A brunch bar, Holy Brunch, we didn't even know was there, a frozen concoction bar aptly named Frost, an electronic games bar with pool tables and old time favs (that's Westport Bar & Rec) rounded out our day of discovery.

We definitely didn't go to all the locations and the wine portions were very small, thankfully, and we learned something since the hosts told us all about their selected wine or sparkly.

This day only reconfirmed why Cutest and I write our blogs. We want people to get out and about and either experience something new or rediscover places you have not visited in quite some time. Waldo, Brookside, Crestwood, old Overland Park, the river bottoms, or so many others. Leisurely stroll about, glancing down alleyways, peeking in past doorways you’ve never opened.

Become Dora or David the explorer in your own backyard!  You won’t regret it.