Blanc Burger + Bottles - King of kings

Hey fella, how do you feel about gourmet burgers? Young, respectful lady, do you enjoy many micro brews featured prominently? If you answered coherently, your answers were most likely “I feel good, I tend to like them better than room temperature UV + Pink Lemonade drank at my local house party”. In that case, we are recommending a gathering spot for you – Blanc Burgers + Bottles.

This is the very first of our reviews featuring local watering holes and rightfully so since Blanc has been anointed King over the Burger and Bottle fiefdom (if you don’t believe us, fine…just check the articles below). Sometimes we tend to be a bit biased, but even our non-beer friends love the food, atmosphere, and beers we’ve introduced them to at this glorious place. Here are some highlights:

• 110 beers in bottle (if you can find Hitachino beers you know you’ve hit the sweet spot) featuring such personal favorite breweries as Avery, Lagunitas, Bells, Boulevard, Left Hand, Dogfish Head
• Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout – nothing more needs to be said
• Burgers that include Au Poivre, $100 (think deliciousness + awesomeness), mahi mahi, kobe, bison, kangaroo (had it once, sans boxing gloves and bad attitude)
• A giant black board that details the daily specials
• A fry selection that includes truffle fries, sweet potato fries, and onions rings the size of your best friend’s bulbous head, all in mini shopping carts
• Local ingredients and businesses used for mustard, cheese, etc (extra points for repping their “hood”)
• Manager named Brian, an overall high quality dude who isn’t afraid to kiss babies and dole out free apps to get you to come back, and who mysteriously ends up with cases of awesome beers incorrectly
• Bar Manager named Ryan who is lead singer in a pretty sweet band named “Heroes + Villians”, who indirectly got us not sober with Dallas at the Riot Room

In all seriousness, we’ve drank at some pretty sweet establishments in both KC and Chicago and most lack the rare quadfecta of overall quality, selection, atmosphere, and humility (don’t fret Map Room, Villians Bar and Grill, or Riot Room – we’ve got reviews coming soon and you all graduated at the top of your class). If you enjoy a great bottle beer selection, some very knowledgeable folks in terms of beer and food pairings, manners, and hot skanks (I made up the last part), then please check out Blanc – I’ll bet the deed to Imbibilicious's place that you aren’t disappointed.

Don’t believe me? Why don’t you take a look at some of the hot publicity heaped on this place as of late:

http://tags.draftmag.com/?s=blanc+burger (Draft magazine – also named one of “the best beer and burger spots” in the May/June issue of the mag)

http://www.kctv5.com/video/23068181/index.html

http://www.burgerbusiness.com/?p=4147 (the Duke University of the 2010 Burger Bracket)

Our advice – grab your sack o nickels and order a $100 burger + a Rogue Hazelnut Brown. Wolf it down and then tell Brian and Ryan that we should get free beers for being “right”.

Blanc Burger can be found at two locations, but our favorite is the Country Club Plaza location at:

4710 Jefferson St.
Kansas City, MO 64112
816.931.6200

Overall grade: A