Places to grub

Arthur Bryant’s, 1727 Brooklyn Ave.- The ultimate Kansas City classic. It’s the best barbecue in a city where people take their ribs, brisket and burnt ends seriously.

Fritz’s, 250 N. 18th St, - OK, so it’s not in Kansas City proper, but trust us, you can’t skip this place, where the crumbling walls go unnoticed while you wolf down a greasy Poor Dan Sr. and a creamy chocolate shake. Order your food on a phone then wait until a train brings it right to your table. Remember to grab a cardboard engineer’s hat on your way out. Choo-Choo!

Minsky’s Pizza, 427 Main St.- It’s not flat and big like New York pizza, deep like Chicago’s crust or disgusting like St. Louis’s awkward, thin contraption. Minsky’s is just good, classic pizza.

Town Topic, 2121 Broadway and 1900 Baltimore- The burgers are small, greasy and filled with tiny grilled onions. Order at least two, or maybe three if you’re really hungry, and saddle up on a stool in this old-fashioned diner.

Kona Grill, 444 Ward Parkway- A Country Club Plaza staple. The food can be exotic and the atmosphere is relaxing. Plus, what’s KC without a walk on the Plaza.

Places to drink and dance

Granfalloon, 608 Ward Parkway – The ‘Falloon has 18 High Defintion TVs for great sports viewing and the place gets hopping around midnight. But watch out: the crowds might be a little intense this weekend, and you might have to throw some elbows to make room for yourself.

810 Sports Zone, 4686 Broadway- Sports bar that features great food and a great place to watch games. You might even see a few Chiefs players knocking back a few beers. But if you see Jared Allen, make sure he sticks to the sodas.

Brooksider, 6330 Brookside Plaza- The ‘Sider is what it is: A classic neighborhood bar. Grab a drink, shoot some pool, and if you get bored, you can always walk down the street to Charlie Hooper’s.

Blonde, 1000 Ward Parkway- Girls, put the Prada bag over your shoulder. Guys, switch your Birkenstocks for the Gucci loafers. Seriously, this is high society at its finest or most obnoxious depending on how you look at it. If you can stomach the long lines and expensive beverages, you’ll be rewarded with the most upscale crowd in town. Word is that Christina Aguilera even once stopped in for a drink.

McFadden’s, 1330 Grand Blvd.- It’s right across the street from the Sprint Center. Even if the only drink they serve is Strawberry Nestle Quik, this place is still too convenient to pass up.

Places to tour

KC Scout Statue, 2698 Main St.- This one flies way under the radar, perhaps unfairly. Trek up to Penn Valley Park to look at this statue of a Sioux Indian on horseback pointing east. It’s a beautiful statue with an even prettier view of downtown.

Liberty Memorial, 100 West 26th St.- Great monument and great museum next to it. Just be careful if you go there at night – not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Negro Leagues Museum, 1616 East 18th St.- Rest in peace Buck O’Neil. Kansas City misses you.

Nelson Atkins Museum- After dragging the girlfriend or wife to the basketball tournament all day, reward her by taking her to see the exhibit “In the Public Eye: Photography and Fame.”

The Country Club Plaza- When people think Kansas City, people think of this iconic shopping area. Eat your heart out, Michigan Avenue, the Plaza is the place to shop in the Midwest.

Places to sleep

Westin Crown Center, 1 Pershing Road- There’s a tennis court on the roof, ‘nuff said.

Downtown Marriott, 200 W. 12th St.- Jersey chasers of the world unite. Some of the Big 12 basketball teams usually stay here.

Holiday Inn Express Westport, 801 Westport Road- Got tickets to the tournament? Nope, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

A friend’s house – Do you have an annoying friend from Johnson County? Well, drop in unexpectedly on his Mission Hills Mansion and save some serious ‘scrill. Just remember to tip the butler.

Royale Inn, 600 Paseo Blvd.- Great highway access to I-29, I-70 and I-35. You might want to bring your own sheets though. Reviews range from “not all that negative” to “preferred to pay $60 not to stay here.”

Places to visit at the Sprint Center

QuikTrip- No gasoline for sale, but they do have about 19 frozen mocha machines.

College Basketball Experience- Shoot threes, dunk, make free throws and even appear on SportsCenter. This exhibit is as interactive as it gets.

The top row- Don’t sit here the whole game if you can help it but at least take a journey to the upper deck and be wowed by the size and spaciousness of this beautiful arena.

Restrooms- Actually, these are the worst. None of the toilets feature automatic flushers. What is this, Cuba?

Metro Sports Zone- You can sip on a beer – if you’re of age – and watch tournament games from this bar on the concourse. Great view.

Places to watch in Lawrence if you can’t get tickets

Jefferson’s, 743 Massachusetts St.- Sometimes the fries are too cold when they reach your table, but only sometimes. This is the best place to watch a game on Mass.

Johnny’s Tavern, 401 N. Second St.- From the wooden floors and walls to the location just outside of downtown’s hustle and bustle, this place just screams classic.

23rd Street Brewery 3512 Clinton Parkway- Call it the modern day Johnny’s. The restaurant has more TV’s than you’ll know what to do with and a beer list that includes 20 home-brewed lagers per year.

Bigg’s Barbecue, 2429 Iowa St.- If you can’t make it to Arthur Bryant’s or any other barbecue in Kansas City, this is the best you’ll find in Lawrence. Sixteen TV screens also make it a solid game-viewing environment.

The Wagon Wheel, 507 W. 14th St.- Get a head start on Friday night by going here for the afternoon games. In addition to making great ‘za, the Wheel serves Scott Van Pelt’s favorite – the “Wangburger.”

Players who excite

Curtis Jerrells, Baylor- He can score any time he wants to, period. Jerrells can shoot, drive and handle the ball as the primary guard.

Michael Beasley, Kansas State- It’s not everyday you get an opportunity to watch the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft in person.

Sherron Collins, Kansas- He’s quick, he’s exciting and, finally, he’s healthy.

Cookie Miller, Nebraska- Little guys are just more fun to watch. At 5-foot-7, he is one of the most electric players around. Too bad, his Nebraska squad might be bounced early.

A.J. Abrams, Texas- Abrams loves Allen Iverson and even wears the sleeve on his arm to show his devotion. Abrams doesn’t slash like Iverson, but boy can he shoot.

Possible Matchups to Watch

Kansas, Texas on Sunday- The Longhorns outclassed the Jayhawks in Austin a month ago. If these teams meet in the championship, the winner might get a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

Baylor, Oklahoma on Friday- If the Bears win in the first round, they’ll play the Sooners at 2 p.m. Whoever wins this will go from bubble team to lock. Whoever loses will have to sweat for another 48 hours.

Kansas, Missouri on Friday- This matchup will happen if the Tigers beat Nebraska on Thursday. Kansas City’s two most popular schools would make for a great environment at the Sprint Center.

Kansas State, Texas A&M on Friday – See Baylor, Oklahoma above. If Texas A&M wins on Thursday, this becomes a de facto elimination game for the NCAA tournament. Both teams might still make it if they lose, but it would be smart to snatch this game up.

Kansas, Kansas State on Saturday – Will Kansas City work for Michael Beasley? The Sprint Center would be a great venue for the rubber match between the Hawks and Cats.