August 19, 2024
In February of 2011 the Packers beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, Carl Brewer was mayor of Wichita,Kansas and the Wichita flag was relatively unknown. There was no Central Standard Brewing and no Hopping Gnome Brewing Company.
And in February of 2011 Wichita By E.B. started his blog. With just a few followers.
From my perspective, E.B. started it because he was passionate about his community. Passionate about telling people of places they might know nothing about. It was not about the clicks or the reactions or anything else. This was before news organizations wished celebrities “Happy Birthday” everyday.
He was the first (or certainly one of the first) of the millennials that was a “Wichita-pusher.”
I genuinely do not think there is anybody that knows more about Wichita than E.B. He has been to and documented every corner and crevice of Wichita. Frankly, the places that a lot of people would not go, but for him. It’s impossible to state the impact E.B. has had on the Wichita community and adjacent communities. But I know that many would not know about Pho, some random taco shop, a Thai spot or an Indian restaurant because of him. That certainly includes your The Kansas Gastronomist.
I write this as a “thank you” to E.B. He has been giving some shout-outs lately to locals that have made a difference in Wichita. And damn, is there really anyone that has made a bigger difference than him? Maybe, but…I don’t think so.
Without E.B., TKG would not exist. When I moved to Wichita, his blog inspired, or motivated, me to discover new places and expand my horizons.
So, shout out to (now) a good friend, excellent blogger and awesome champion of Wichita.
— TKG
P.S. E.B. still isn’t as good at darts as he’d lead you to believe.
