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“Shaken, not stirred.”
— James Bond
Welcome, {{secret_name | Secret Reader}}
Editor’s Note
Kansas City warmly welcomes March with one of its most beloved traditions — First Friday in the Crossroads. Galleries stay open late, sidewalks buzz with activity, and the entire district becomes a delightful maze of art galleries, cozy bars, and inviting patios. For me, it’s about exploring and enjoying the moment rather than rushing to a specific spot — starting somewhere and letting the evening flow naturally.
If the night takes you west, The Ship offers a nostalgic trip with Ultimate 80s Night. Expect a lively dance floor filled with everyone’s favorite hits from INXS and Duran Duran — those songs that everyone instantly recognizes the moment they hear the intro.
Just around the corner, Kansas City’s most exciting social weekend of the season is on the horizon. While St. Patrick’s Day draws crowds to Westport and Brookside, the clever plan is to enjoy the days leading up to it…pregame!
I’ll see you at the bar.
—Jay, SecretKC editor
🎪 First Fridays
Kansas City Bier Company · Fri | Evening
First Friday Musikshow — long tables, house lagers, and live music drifting through the bier hall. → Details
Crossroads Arts District · Fri | Evening
First Friday Art Walk — the neighborhood opens up with galleries, street energy, and the usual Crossroads wander between rooms. → Details
🥃 The Short List
Rooms that always understand the assignment.
The Lobby Bar of KC · Evening
Bar Stillwell
Grown Ass Bar Energy
Best place to begin and end adventures.
Cocktail-first lounge · Evening
The 1909 Club
Deep seats, serious drinks.
A room built for staying longer than planned.
Personal Favorites · Evening
The Monarch Bar
Serious cocktails, intentional energy.
A clean handoff between dinner and night.
This Could Be the ‘Starbucks of Flowers’
Starbucks brought the premium coffee experience to every street corner and grew to a $110B market cap. The Bouqs Co. is using the same playbook, but for the floral industry.
While they are already a dominant force in e-commerce, the company is now launching 70+ retail stores nationwide. This expansion is designed to capture the $18 billion U.S. flower market through a first-of-its-kind national chain of floral studios.
In counties where Bouqs stores have already opened, the brand has seen a staggering 100% year-over-year growth. That’s because each retail location acts as a profit-driving billboard and a high-efficiency fulfillment center. These shops also unlock high-margin event services and same-day delivery that traditional online-only competitors simply cannot match.
With individual store revenues reaching up to $1.2 million annually, the "Bouqs Flywheel" is in full effect. The company is already EBITDA positive and inviting the public to join their national scale-up.
Now is your opportunity to join Bouqs and invest in this floral retail revolution.
This is a paid advertisement for The Bouq’s Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.bouqs.com/
🎶 Can’t-Miss Weekend Plans
The Mercury Room · Late Evening · Downtown
Skyline cocktails and a room that naturally slows the pace of the night.
→ Details
Swordfish Tom’s · Late Night · Crossroads
Hidden alley entrance and one of the tightest cocktail programs in the city.
→ Details
Hammers Dueling Piano Bar · Thu | Evening
Two pianos, crowd requests, and a room that rarely calls it a night early. → Details
The Phoenix Jazz Club · Fri | 8:30 PM – 1 AM
Carlton Rashad takes the late set in a room that’s been holding KC jazz together for decades. → Details
Sherri's Executive Lounge · Fri | 8–11 PM
The Jackie Myers Trio brings straight-ahead Kansas City jazz to one of the city’s more intimate listening rooms.→ Details
Nighthawk · Fri | Night · Hotel KC
DJ Joe McGuire sets the tone with a downtown listening-bar approach to the dance floor.→ Details
The Ship · Sat | Evening · West Bottoms
Ultimate 80s Night — basement dance floor nostalgia and a crowd that leans into it.
→ Details
Frost Frozen Bar · Sun | Afternoon
Upside Down Bar Experience — a playful frozen cocktail stop if Sunday needs a reset.
→ Details
🥂 Date Night Picks
Midwest Trust Center · Sat | Evening
Winterlude Jazz Festival — a polished listening room for regional jazz artists.
→ Details
Union Station · Sat | Evening
Uncorked Wine Festival — walkable tastings inside one of Kansas City’s grandest rooms.
→ Details
Tom’s Town Distilling Co. · Evening · Downtown
Art deco bar energy with a strong whiskey lineup and space to settle in.→ Details
Whiskey Dynamite · Fri–Sat | Evening · West Bottoms
Live music and whiskey-bar atmosphere tucked into the Bottoms.→ Details
💗 Family-Friendly Picks
Powell Gardens · Mar 5–8
Orchid Delirium — seasonal orchid installations filling the conservatory with color and scent.→ Details
Union Station · Mar 5–8
Titanic: An Immersive Voyage — a large-scale exhibit exploring the ship’s story through immersive displays.→ Details
Midwest Trust Center · Daytime Performances
Secrets of Space — a stage production exploring space science for younger audiences.
→ Details
Last Call
A classic olive martini is one of those drinks that shows up in nearly every serious cocktail bar — simple, cold, and a little severe for me.
The recipe for the martini dates back to the late 1800s, during the drink's early days. It traditionally consists of gin and dry vermouth, which are stirred over ice and then strained into a chilled glass, finished off with olives. At some point, bartenders began adding a splash of olive brine to create the dirty martini, giving the drink a savory flavor and a faint, cloudy appearance that some people love and others dislike.
The basic ingredients for a martini are simple: gin (or vodka, depending on personal preference), dry vermouth, and olives. Variations come down to the ratios of these ingredients and the type of garnish used. A dirty martini includes olive brine, while a filthy martini contains even more brine. Some bars opt for Castelvetrano olives, which offer a softer, buttery flavor, while others prefer the sharper taste of Spanish queen olives. Occasionally, a twist of lemon is added for a hint of brightness.
Truth — it’s never been my drink.
Except once.
Years ago, a bartender slid one across the bar that was somehow perfect — colder than the Arctic with olives that tasted almost sweet. I never asked what he used, and I’ve been chasing that version ever since.
Every so often, I order another, hoping it’ll show up again.
Stay sharp, KC ☾