alberto s.

Alberto S. | Head Barman / Bar Manager

Extra Virgin » Crossroads

Years of Industry Service: 16

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Alberto moved to Kansas City when he was 18. He bartended at P.F. Chang's for eight years, been a server and bar manager, but says, "Bartending is definitely the coolest thing I've done work wise." He has been raised in the restaurant business since he was a little kid. He bussed tables at his dad's restaurant in New Jersey and his mom, who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a sommelier. However, he doesn't think his parents wanted the service industry life for him, but says it's their fault! With all the fanfare he gets from the local press, Alberto says, "My grandma is really proud of me."

Over the years, with all the great information gleaned from his experience, Alberto said all of sudden, he knew the answers people kept asking. That confidence and knowledge has led him to playing with some fun things behind the bar at Extra Virgin, like infusing Samogon with golden delicious apples, bartlett pears, all spice, berries, nutmeg and cinnamon sticks so he can make a punch. Or barrel-aging rye whiskey for Manhattans and Negronis. He continues to hone his drink-making and service skills by reading cocktail books, experimenting with infusions and barrel-aging, and working with all the fresh, seasonal ingredients that he gets to rifle through at Extra Virgin. There's always something fun and delicious going on.

When he's not playing mad scientist with his cocktails, he's playing video games and watching movies. Plus he reads a lot, autobiographies, some Eastern philosophy and of course, cocktail recipe books. 

  Make KC Better » Have a chapter of the United States 

 Bartender's Guild in Kansas City. 

brian t.

Brian T. | Bartender/Manager

Kennedy's

Years of Industry Service: 2 months

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Brian somehow managed to work his way behind the bar with management responsibilities without any experience in the service industry. He was recommended for the job by a family member who already worked there, proof positive that it helps when you know someone. Brian enjoys the work atmosphere and says about his experience, "I think it's a thing that gets better with time." In addition to bartending, Brian is also a deejay, another career he got into by chance. Hired by his former baseball coach when he was in college, DJ Body Spray as he is known, has worked a wide variety of events, including wedding and bar mitzvahs. His deejay name is actually a nickname he picked up from his frat brothers in college.

Brian likes watching sports and is big on athletics. This summer he picked up tennis again. His previous attempt at the sport, Brian said "was one of the ugliest things you've ever seen." But playing with a buddy this summer, his game has vastly improved. He also likes to spend time on the other side of the bar in his free time. Although he's not a regular at any one bar, Brian ends up with friends at the Gran Falloon quite a bit. 

  Make KC Better » I would like to see better public transportation - monorail, 

 to get people around in an easier fashion. 

holly

Holly | Server/Bartender

Pizzabella

Years of Industry Service: 10

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Holly has been in the service industry for "a million years" it seems and although it has been good to her, soon she will be on a new career path: nursing. She originally studied communications; now she's back in school to pursue a career in the health field. "I like taking care of people," Holly says. "I like being active." Between school and work, Holly's free time is limited, but she does enjoy reading. Learning Portuguese is on her list of things to do. Holly's best friend recently moved to Germany and international travel is hopefully in her future. If she could live anywhere in the world, it would be Spain. "I love everything I know about it."

Go see Holly for Happy Hour at Pizzabella!
Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3-6 pm.
Halfsies on draw beer and select pizzas. Prosciutto is her favorite.
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Did that sound like a paid ad above? Well, it isn't!
Just spreading the love and wishing our independently run restos the best.


  Make KC Better » Make more bike paths. 

craig k.

Craig K. | Bartender

Pot Pie

Years of Industry Service: 15

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Craig got married, bought a house and had a baby in the space of one year, something that he probably didn't foresee happening when he was "going out nine nights a week" and living the bartender bachelor life. His daughter is now 16-months-old and he said, "We ended up buying a house with the biggest yard I've ever seen." With a big yard comes great responsibility. To become the master of his land, Craig is now back in school to learn horticulture, carting around books the size of bibles from the 1800s (massive) and pouring hundreds of dollars into said books.

In addition to bartending, Craig has his own greeting card company, Coffee Stain Cards, that he started ten years ago. As he stood in line at Hallmark, he realized that their cards weren't for him. So he went home and started writing. With some encouragement from a friend, he was able to turn that into a business. His cards are full of naughty "adult" humor along the lines of someecards.com (which he doesn't read lest it influence his own writing). His first sale was to Middlebirds Gift Shop, formerly on Johnson Drive. They bought all 24 of his cards and he thought he was going to be an instant millionaire. He's not quite there yet, but Coffee Stain cards are sold across the United States. You can buy them on-line or locally at Cellar Rat. Even though Craig has quit drinking and is now a dad, he doesn't think his sense of humor has changed. "But my surroundings have changed and it's changed me."

Craig went on a trip to Africa with his mother and brother a few years ago. After their father had passed away, their mom quietly saved money to take her sons on a trip of a lifetime. She had asked Craig what he thought about Africa, but he said no, it wasn't something he could afford to do. She surprised them both by saying that it was pretty much a done deal. "I could basically swing a camera around (my head) and get a good shot," he said. "When I went there, I thought the animals would be the focus, but it was the landscape." One day, Craig would like to be able to take his daughter to Africa.

  Make KC Better » To really compete with other cities, we need light rail. 

 Every time I travel, other cities have this great transportation systems. 

dustin h.

Dustin H. | Bartender

Jalapenos

Years of Industry Service: 15

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Dustin is Mexican, Italian, German and Irish, and quarter of each. He went to school for civil engineering, but realized he didn't want to sit behind a desk. "I was more a of a people person than I realized at the time," he said. Fifteen years after he started bussing tables at the Jalapenos in Stanley, Kansas, he is still in the service industry, but now he's behind the bar. With a one year-old-son and a wife who stays at home to take care of their family (she was formerly a 2nd grade teacher), Dustin says of his job, "I'm here all the time time it feels like."

When Dustin and his wife got married in Lake Tahoe three years ago, they went on one of the best vacations. He said Tahoe was beautiful, with mountains and a body of water that felt like an ocean. And the weather was perfect. They rented a house for a week during their wedding and then traveled north to explore the Pacific Northwest for their honeymoon, all the way up to Seattle.

If Dustin wasn't a bartender, he thinks he would like to be a radio dj. "I've got a buddy who works in radio," he says. "and when I listen to him, I think I would love to do that."

  Make KC Better » Kansas City has a small man mentality. I think we need to own it more. There's more to do in the city than people know. 

lindsay w.

Lindsay W. | Bartender

Esquina

Years of Industry Service: 2

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Lindsay, a natural ginger, doesn't remember when her hair wasn't big. "It's always big," she says, except if it's recently been washed. A former Kansas Citian, Lindsay attended and graduated from The University of Kansas and has lived in Lawrence for the last eight years. She says, "I love living here, it's a fun, little town."

When Lindsay turned 21, her friend told her she needed to be a bartender. Without any experience, it was tough getting behind the bar in Lawrence, so she headed to Topeka to get her foot in the door. She took a break from bartending after she had her baby, but now she's back, drawing in customers into corner bar Esquina with her big, colorful hair, equally colorful tattoos and beautiful smile.

In addition to bartending, Lindsay has a day job at Arizona Trading Company, a vintage and clothing consignment shop that started in Lawrence and for several years now, has had a second location in Westport. For the last year, Lindsay has also been part of burlesque group, Foxy by Proxy. A self-taught dancer, she says, "I've always loved dancing and being silly." For Lindsay, it's fun being on stage and being in character. "It's kind of like bartending, putting on a show." Her best job, however, is being a  mom. "That's my favorite out of all of them," she says, "it's not a job, it's the funnest thing ever."

Lindsay also enjoys crafting, making her own costumes, jewelry and hair pieces. Her tattoos are by local artist Carlos Ransom and by Andrew Milko who owns Liquid Courage in Omaha, Nebraska. 

  Make Lawrence Better » I wish there was more fun stuff to do 

 than go to bars, like roller skating or mini golf. 

ryan m.

Ryan M. | Server/Bartender/Day Manager

The Drop

Years of Industry Service: 4

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From behind the bar, Ryan's voice was a bit low and we had to strain to hear what he was saying. We were asking him about the cat button he had pinned to his left chest and with a dead-pan delivery, he said, "It's just a little cat wearing a sweater. I think it's pretty cute. There are a lot of ladies in here. I think they like it." Ryan has a hard time wearing solid colors, especially black, so he likes to add a bit of something to keep things interesting.

When Ryan isn't working, he goes to other bars, sees live music and takes long, sweaty walks around town from bus stop to bus stop. He lives in Midtown and doesn't own a car, walking or bussing to wherever he needs to be. He'd like to see Kansas City adopt a car share program like zipcar. Some of his favorite bands are Sons of Great Dane, Cherokee Rock Rifle, Hot Dog Skeletons and Various Blonde, but his favorite band of all time is John Nash. 

In the future, Ryan said, "I'd like one of these (a bar), of my own." He's already in the right path towards his dream. His drinking establishment would be somewhere between Le Fou Frog and Harry's Country Club, his favorite classy joint and neighborhood bar. He would open his bar in a neighborhood-area, within walking distance of people's homes, "preferably my own house."

Ryan is also a big Royals fan.

  Make KC Better » Gotta fix the transportation, it's terrible. 

nick r.

Nick R. | Bartender/Bar Manger

Tower Tavern

Years of Industry Service: 38

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Nick moved to Kansas City from Cincinnati, Ohio in 1972 when his dad taught at Johnson County Community College. One year later, he started his first job at Andre's on Main doing dishes, cleaning the chocolate table and raiding the broken candy bucket. Since then, he's worked just about every job in the service industry, including being a general manager at The Granfalloon. Now he works Monday through Friday lunches at Tower, and he has evenings and weekends free to take care of his 10-year-old daughter. He says, "She kind of grew up in this industry." She has already tried her hand at making (non-alcoholic) drinks, everything from grenadine and tabasco gets mixed in together, and her dad is the lucky guy who gets to try them.

Nick goes to a lot of Royals games and sporting events in general, but his favorite sport is baseball and his favorite team is the Cincinnati Reds. He coaches his daughter's soccer and baseball teams. "It's fun to watch your daughter play the same sports as you did," Nick says. He has also has passed on his love for baseball to his offspring. When she was eight years old, his daughter had a broken arm and a blue cast. Together, they would go to Royals games, each game is a 10-hour event which includes waiting for autographs. That year, they went to 35 games and now, she has 54 baseballs, all signed. She's even precocious enough to know that when the team is having a bad season and a bad game, that it might not be worthwhile to wait for autographs, saying to him once, "Dad, they're not going to be in a very good mood....we can go."

Working lunches and being in the industry for so long, Nick has learned to anticipate what his regulars want. "Usually when a guest comes in, I know what they're going to drink and have it on the table before they even sit down." He says of his regulars, one who was sitting at the bar giving him a hard time during our chat, "I have a lot of guests like this, smart asses, but I give it right back." You can become one of Nick's regulars too; he started a punch card program for lunch at Tower...get nine lunches and get a $10 gift card.

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Side story: when we stopped in, Nick said his friend had just sent him a link to our Supper Club post the day before. Although they haven't gotten together in a quite a while, Nick says he also was part of a supper club. His friends? Steven Malloy of the Classic Cup and Ray Comiskey of The Capital Grille. I asked if there was a lot of drinking involved, like at ours. Dumb question maybe, but he said, "Oh, yeah." If you guys do get together again, ahem, we'd like to be invited.

  Make KC Better » Since I have a daughter, I really wish she could run around the neighborhood and not to have worry about her. 

ryan r.

Ryan R. | Bartender/Bar Manager

Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen

Years of Industry Service: 15

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Ryan was born in Kansas City but raised in Jefferson City, Missouri. He's lived in Boston, Denver three times and had a four-month stretch camping out at Yellowstone. Although he's back in Kansas City now, he travels frequently and has made his way through most of Western Europe, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and in four short weeks, he will be in Nicaragua. "It's a great job, if you want to take two months off to go traveling, you can and your job will be there when you get back," he says. "I like to get away about 3-4 times a year, whether it's three hours a way or seventeen, it doesn't really matter." Being in the service industry affords him the time and luxury to travel as often as he does, but those days might be fewer and further between now that he's on the management side. 

He started in the kitchen when he was sixteen and made his behind the bar at Vinny Testa's, a restaurant outside of Boston when he was 20-years-old. "When I started, it was fruity and daiquiris, now they want Manhattans and Aviations. Definitely, the cocktail culture has shifted, for sure." For a while he was mostly a beertender, and then he got into wine. "The reason I like wine is the same reason I like craft beer. It's a quest for knowledge. Wine will never get boring because it always changes."

Ryan used to live across the street from me, during my first stint at working from home. We'd have similar late night hours; anytime I was sitting on my front porch drinking, so was Ryan. We'd shout over to each other and/or end up merging onto one porch to shoot the shit and play neighborhood watch. Some nights we saw raccoons wreaking havoc on our garbage cans. Other nights we'd be saving our totally drunk nursing-student neighbors from falling face-first down our hill and propping them back up against their own doors. Mostly, Ryan and George liked to gab on (and on and on and on and on and on) about wine.

Ryan likes to disc golf and travel (of course); he spends his free time cooking and having people over for dinner. We were the lucky recipients of his most current meal: curry chicken and rice. I know for a fact, he also likes to drink. He looks kinda funny without a beard. He loves Katy Perry and wearing flip flops. And although I question his choice of footwear, he was a good neighbor and is still definitely a great friend and drinking buddy.

  Make KC Better » Public transportation. 

raymond c.

Raymond C. | Bartender

Carmen's Cafe

Years of Industry Service: 5

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Raymond, a transplant from Dallas, Texas, didn't start his service industry career until he came to Kansas City. He actually moved north for college, first arriving Atchison, Kansas to attend Benedictine College. But coming from big city Dallas to itty bitty city Atchison was a tough transition for Raymond, so he hightailed it to Kansas City. Now, a resident of Waldo and recent graduate of the University of Missouri, Kansas City, he is getting ready for grad school. "I'm not ready for a real job," he says. 

Raymond just started bartending a year ago. "I was serving for four years and drinking heavily in between and that's what got me into this." Now, he has a huge bar at home and he wants to enter this year's GKCBC. "I went last year and said, that's what I want to do." At Carmen's however, he doesn't have the luxury of making time-intensive cocktails. "I'm not in that industry. I gotta make them delicious and pump them out quick." Raymond's liquor of choice is bourbon, neat or on the rocks. 

School and eventually his "real job" will all be a means to an end for Raymond. One day, he'd like to own his own restaurant. "I'm a good cook and make even better cocktails," he says. Confidence and a clear goal for the future, that sounds like a good start to us.

  Make KC Better » I would like to see a light rail here.