To Market, to Market

Last summer, KC was given quite a scare when word spread that the Westport Flea Market’s owner, Mel Kleb, was in talks to sell the midtown landmark’s property to none other than the implant-and-nylon-shorts-lovin’ Hooters chain (C.J. Janovy’s Nip It, July 21, 2005). The negotiations for the sale moved at a snail’s pace before Hooters decided in December to take a year to re-evaluate the bid. Thankfully, last month a new local hero rose up in Joe Zwillenberg, owner of two other midtown spots: Joe’s Burger Joint and Joe Joe’s Italian Eatery. In a surprise move, Zwillenberg bought the Flea Market from Kleb and has promised to keep it as is, apart from a new awning, a coat of paint, and some activities to keep us busy (and in the green) during the week.

For those yearning to work their useless knowledge for profit, tonight the Flea (817 Westport Road, 816-931-1986) debuts a weekly trivia night. Not to be confused with Trivia Riot at the Brick, it follows a similar format — $5 a head and a maximum of six people to a team. Registration begins at 7 p.m., and the game begins an hour later. The team with the most smarty-pants answers nets 75 percent of the buy-in; second place takes the rest. And on Tuesdays, the Flea offers free, no-limit Texas hold-’em, which begins at 8 p.m. The tournaments are intended to allow players the opportunity to hone their skills in a relaxed atmosphere before heading off to the casinos to lose their hard-earned money. Count us in — no matter how much World Series of Poker we watch, our odds on the boats have yet to improve.

For information on the events, see www.bigleaguepoker.com or e-mail Nate Herron at nate@bigleaguepoker.com or Scott Levison at scott@bigleaguepoker.com.
Wednesdays, 2006