Three Stop Hop: West Bottoms
Three Stop Hop is a series from Recommended Daily and Visit KC that lets you experience a neighborhood or corner of the city in three unique stops. Today, take a trip through Kansas City's historic Stockyards District for a few drinks and diversions in an irresistibly charming setting.
Stop 1: Blip Coffee Roasters & Fetch
The West Bottoms, Kansas City’s Stockyards District, still has the spirit of the Old West.
Fierce independence is at the heart of a pair of shops -- Blip Coffee Roasters and Fetch -- sharing a cement patio that was once a loading dock. Owner Ian Davis launched Blip in 2015 with the idea of blending his love of coffee and motorcycles. The result is the kind of cool you get by association. The barista bar is a few feet inside the door, but stop by the fridge first and grab a Blip Blast -- a Pop art bottle of vanilla cold brew. Helmets make their way onto everything, hanging on the exposed brick walls and stamped on the side of the to-go cups. Let yourself say the words, “latte,” and “Twinkie,” (assuming they are not sold out of the house version of the lunchbox classic). Sit down in the sleek concrete space that still feels warm or make your way to the row of folding chairs out front, which are a beacon for conversation and dogs.
A few doors down is Fetch, the shop that celebrates American makers who are underrepresented in Kansas City. The reimagined gift shop that opened in 2017 finds ways to talk about gender and identity through good design. Walk through, Blip Blast in hand, and check out Beer + Cigarettes Soap (made with tobacco leaves and Pabst Blue Ribbon), cheeky banners, and local jewelry from Whiskey & Bone. At night, Fetch gathers people around a long table for classes with calligraphy and cocktails.
Blip Coffee Roasters | 1101 Mulberry St. | bliproasters.com
Fetch | 1101 Mulberry St. | fetchkcmo.com
Stop 2: Amigoni
A short cattle drive away is a sign in the shape of a wine bottle that lets you know you’ve arrived at Amigoni Urban Winery. The building, constructed in 1909, formerly housed the Daily Drovers Telegram Newspaper. Step inside to the wide open tasting room (the former newsroom) and mosey up to the marble-topped bar where local beer is on tap and reds and whites are ready to be doled out in flights.
Michael and Kerry Amigoni started making wine in 2000, planting Cabernet Franc vines in their backyard. In time and through many harsh Missouri winters, the couple unlocked the formula for creating blends of dry wine that still surprise with stone fruit and lavender notes.
Ask for a crisp Sauvignon Blanc and a plate of Green Dirt Farm cheese from Weston, Missouri. Take a glass of the rose, which has berry on the nose, but a lovely dry finish, to the second floor of the octagonal tasting room. Discover why Cabernet Franc started it all with a pour of the peppery red that is a willing companion to a collection of charcuterie.
A second bar awaits just inside the barrel room, where wine like the Cab Franc (which ages for 18 months) is resting in Missouri white oak barrels behind a glass wall. Michael is often found here, leading tours about blending and aging. Let the new wines you discover start a conversation. Just make sure you save room for dinner.
Amigoni | 1505 Genessee St., #100 | amigoni.com
Stop 3: The Campground
The Campground is on the same block in a former filling station. As it turns out, backyards are not just for making wine. The smartly appointed cocktail bar began in a backyard shed behind the house of Christopher Ciesiel and his wife Cristin Llewellyn.
The Campground’s interior is a state park run by West Elm. Framed landscapes and greenery adorn a space that’s made intimate by the smoke that pulls you over to the copper-topped bar. There, you’ll want a Gimlet (a pink-hued wonder made with gin that’s been infused with tea made from fir tree pine needles) or a Garibaldi that has a bright punch from freshly squeezed blood orange juice.
The kitchen kicks out elevated country fare. Sweet potato biscuits arrive alongside a luscious cheeseburger that requires two hands and a willing tablemate to finish. And since you’re glamping, order the S’mores, a pie cousin that is a plate of comfort dessert.
After dinner, pop out to the patio in front where you can rest your Gimlet or feet on tree stumps and sit back and take in the wide open charm of the Stockyards District.
The Campground | 1531 Genessee St. | thecampgroundkc.com
