KC Cheese Blog

My body was yearning for another cheese plate. And KC was yearning for a new cheese plate review. So we took one for the team (with pleasure), and rolled out with our pooch to Westside Local.

Tucked away in one of KC’s cutest and quietest neighborhoods, Westside Local’s food and signature cocktails draw people in any day of the week. Farm to table dining with trendy urban decorations— you can’t not enjoy this place.

We sat on the patio and were immediately greeted with a dog bowl of water and FREE BONES?! Our girl was in heaven. D ordered an Old Fashioned, myself – the house red wine. Cheese plate had been ordered, now we patiently waited.

Laurie delivered our plate in a very timely manner. It… was… stunning! Westside Local gets 5 out of 5 for presentation. The fresh nature-y look of the creamy cheese, fresh fruit, crispy bread, and garnishing all atop a thick dark-wooded platter. Straight outta the Shire y’all.

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Hootie hooooo!!

So we read up on the names of the players in this cheese game going down on the patio. Our tastebuds were ready. Let’s do this.

First up:

Cottonwood Cheddar

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You cheddar believe it was amazing.

Cut into thick cubes, this dry aged white cheddar cheese was like seeing an old friend. With a creamy yellow hue, this cheese was good on or off the cracker chips. Cottonwood cheddar will never get old, thus making it dangerous for people with cheese addictions. My only qualm with this beautiful cube of cheddar was just that, it was a large cube. Making it awkward to eat with the crackers. Nonetheless, it was delicious.

Homemade Ricotta

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My favorite DIY is DIY formaggio.

I did NOT expect to see ricotta this evening, what a surprise! Westside Local makes their own peppered ricotta, shaped like mashed potatoes with a pool of olive oil in the middle. Easy to spread on a cracker, slightly cooled. I’m not the world’s biggest ricotta fan, but DIY stuff is dope. So points for that.

A Green Dirt Farm Brie-Type Cheese

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Just brie yourself.

While we were never able to figure out its exact name, we can confidently say it was a sheep cheese (if its from Green Dirt) and its consistency was that similar to a brie. This cheese desperately needed its honey counterpart, bringing the sweet to the salt from the cracker. The honey was a must— the yin to it’s yang.

Other honorable mentions would definitely have to be the fresh fruit all up in the middle of the board. Delicious, and quickly devoured. The Farm to Market cracker chips were good, but not great. I was hoping they would crumble and crack with every bite, but they weren’t as crispy as I was hoping.

El fin!

We’re always looking for dog friendly patios around KC, and Westside Local set the bar pretty damn high. They even brought out fresh bacon for her while we waited for our check! Westside Local has been my requested birthday spot for the past few years, so my expectations were high for this cheese plater. For $14, you get your money’s worth that is for damn sure. If your looking for a filling snack in a dope atmosphere, Westside Local is where you need to be.

See where it falls on our list of KC’s Best Cheese Plates!

Midi Approved Cheese Platter.

There’s an entire world out there for us to explore. It’s much more vast than the 100-mile radius the majority of us confine ourselves to. You want to see it all, whether that’s in Europe, Asia, or here in US. While how you prepare, what you bring, and how you get there varies from trip to trip, there are some universal tips that all but ensure you have an incredible vacation. Here’s a few we abide by whether we’re camping for one night or leaving home for a few weeks.

1 – Research, plan, prepare, and repeat

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Plan, plan, plan

After finally pinning down the destination, know that the more time you put into the trip before you even hop in the car, plane, or train is time well spent. Locating a home base is best done by figuring out what you want to do first. If you’re aware of a few attractions you know you’ll want to hit, find a spot that’s easily accessible by them all. We always recommend an AirBnb, but there are also great options in hotels, campgrounds, rentable cabins, and more. Your destination can sometimes offer unique living quarters, too, so look for something weird!

2 – Give yourself plenty of time

“Vacation” is defined as “an extended period of recreation.” Although hiccups happen, combining tip #1 with giving yourself plenty of time can pay dividends in enjoyment. If you identify an opportunity to leave earlier, do it. This also helps with visiting those hot spots on your vacation. Most “tourist traps” have high traffic. Look into when those periods take place. By rule of thumb, you should hit your more high-traffic enduring attractions early in the morning and early in the afternoon. Less congested attractions means better pics, better experiences, and more thorough enjoyment.

3 – Bring a journal

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Field Notes, man. This is my favorite edition. Got that clean look and the white cover turns blue in the [enter your destination] sun.

Pick yourself up a small, easy-to-carry journal – I like Field Notes (pictured above) – and at the very least, get some of your experiences down on paper at the end of the day. Sure, you’ll always remember the highlights, but it’s easier than you think to forget about the way your destination sounds, feels, looks, and even smells. We pulled ours out on train rides, bars and restaurants, and park benches. You worked hard to get here – don’t let yourself forget how incredible it was!

-D