December 2022

Expert Care for a Woman’s Whole Life

We’re moving women’s care forward in Kansas City by delivering a comprehensive network of services for every stage of life. From minimally invasive heart surgeries and innovative cancer treatments to personalized OB care including a level III NICU, we’re here for you every step of the way. It’s all designed to help you feel whole for your whole life.

Learn more at WomensCareKC.com.

PUBLISHER Kathy Boos k athy@ kansascitymag.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF Martin Cizmar martin@ kansascitymag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, STYLE & EVENTS Molly Higgins m olly@ kansascitymag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dawyna Bartsch dawyna@ kansascitymag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, FOOD Tyler Shane tyler@ kansascitymag.com

EDITORIAL INTERNS Taylor Drummond Isabella Ferrentino

ART DIRECTOR Kevin Goodbar kevin@ kansascitymag.com

CONTRIBUTING GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alex Povis

COPY EDITOR Kelsie Schrader

WEB COORDINATOR Madison Russell SALES Angie Henshaw angie@kansascitymag.com

WRITERS

Katy Baldwin, Nicole Bradley, Lisa Chism, Nina Cherry, Natalie Torres Gallagher, Andee LaMonica, Patrick Moore, Hampton Stevens, Thomas White

PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

Zach Bauman, Caleb Condit, Steve Gibson, Joanna Gorham, Jeremey Theron Kirby, Samantha Levi, Vicente Martí, Rebecca Norden, Nate Sheets

Keeping kids as healthy as possible is about more than ER visits and diagnosing rare diseases. Our commitment to do more for kids is at the heart of everything we do. Because when we partner together, we can clear new paths for every child’s potential. Learn how you can help at childrensmercy.org/give.

Imagine the Potential

Great Day

These homeowners let HGTV’s Tamara Day take her time.

74

Snail Speed

How a man they call “Snail” revolutionized competitive ’Q.

TOP 40 HITS

For the first time since the pandemic, we’ve updated our list of KC’s best restaurants.

104

Farm Feast

Lawrence ramen makers started a supper club at their home.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Herre Holistic Dental KC has provided dental care to the Kansas City area since 1953, and we want to help your family thrive today. We are a family-focused office that provides holistic, biological care. As functional dentists, we believe in preventative treatments to help take care of your oral health and overall wellness.

Our approach connects the dots of your whole body health to identify the root cause of disease and provide personalized treatment. We believe that movement, nutrition, sleep, laughter, and caring relationships are all essential to becoming the best versions of ourselves.

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TMJ

Salted Well

Football School

College

Photography by Caleb Condit and Rebecca

That’s why our ER experts stand ready 24/7 to care for you.

Unexpected moments happen. When they do, you can trust that AdventHealth’s ER experts are ready to safely care for you at four locations throughout Johnson County. And, we’ve made it easy to schedule a non-life-threatening emergency room visit online so you can wait in the comfort of home and arrive at a time convenient for you.

Ireally should drink more Champagne. I’m generally a beer guy, but I’ve always liked bubbles. I tend to think of them as something to save for special occasions, though. There’s really no good reason for that—and even if there were, aren’t we supposed to “celebrate everything?”

That’s a phrase I first heard during the pandemic and didn’t take seriously at the time, but it turns out there’s expert support for it. According to Psychology Today, “when we stop to savor the good stuff, we buffer ourselves against the bad and build resilience... even mini-celebrations can plump up the positive emotions which make it easier to manage the daily challenges that cause major stress.”

I’ve been trying to live this philosophy over the past month, noticing the small moments and giving them a little toast. One of my friends who did the same called it her “Champagne Campaign.” I’ve found it’s a great way to ride out the end of this year and barrel into the next.

It helps that this is a time of real celebration for me and the magazine.

For the first time since December 2019, we’re presenting a full update to our list of the forty best restaurants in Kansas City. The last version of this list, which dropped just before the pandemic, is the most read and discussed article we’ve ever done. We’ve done minor updates since, but we didn’t want to do a full refresh until we felt we could execute it to the same standard. This is not a list we just rattle off by whim some afternoon based on Yelp reviews. It’s the product of fresh visits to notable restaurants around the city, paired with extensive internal debate, to provide a snapshot of the city’s best places to have a special experience with food.

That December 2019 issue also happened to be our first issue under the Kansas City magazine nameplate. It was a special time for us—a moment of rebirth. That’s how this issue feels, too. We’ve had some longtime contributors move along over the past three months and brought on some fresh faces.

This month’s feature package on the best restaurants was designed by Alex Povis, art director of Feast, which, until recently, included coverage of Kansas City. She’s a great designer and fun to work with. You’ll see the handiwork of our new art director, Kevin Goodbar, in this month’s feature on the man who invented the barrel smoker. Goodbar is a steady hand and absolute pro who has run the show at 5280 in Denver and D in Dallas, two titles we very much admire. We feel so lucky to be working with him.

This is also the last issue for longtime food critic Natalie Torres-Gallagher, who started at our magazine years before me and who has done a lot of great work here. You’ll get a sample-size taste of her successor, Tyler Shane, throughout our top forty feature and especially in Shane’s profile of our restaurant of the year on page 60.

Tyler Shane

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

We’re excited to debut writing from Tyler Shane, our new contributing editor for food. Shane is a KC native and a graduate of the culinary program at Johnson County Community College.

Natalie Torres-Gallagher WRITER

With this issue, we say goodbye to our longtime food critic Natalie Torres-Gallagher. You can read her last review, of Saltwell Farm Kitchen, in the food section.

Martin Cizmar EDITOR IN CHIEF MARTIN@KANSASCITYMAG.COM

This issue has a real “KCM 2.0” feel to it, and we hope you’re as excited about it as we are. Like I said, I’ve found myself sipping sparklers a lot over the past month—toasting former collaborators off to new adventures and welcoming new people I’m excited to work with. I gotta say, bubbles at lunch is a good way to live. Grab a glass!

Thomas White WRITER

This month’s feature on the best restaurant in Kansas City also includes contributions from Thomas White, an MFA Candidate at UMKC.

BY JOANNA GORHAM AND VICENTE MARTÍ

NUMBERS FROM THIS ISSUE

Cost of attending UMKC, for full credit, while in high school in the KCMO and North KC school districts.

PAGE 26

The pink Pantone hue that’s at the center of the Barbiecore trend you’ll be seeing everywhere this year.

PAGE 38

The population of the tiny Kansas town of Overbrook, where you’ll find the subject of this month’s food review.

PAGE 104

BEHIND THE SCENES

GEOGRAPHY LESSONS

November’s cover package, Kansas City Geographic, got an intense amount of feedback via both social media and oldfashioned correspondence. Of particular interest to readers was our annotated 1962 map of Country Club Plaza, and our story about KC’s many murals was liked and shared thousands of times on social media.

I was a frequent customer of [Putsch’s 210] from 1964 until about around 1970-71. It was by far the best dining venue in the KC metro during those years, with all entrees finished from a rolling cart tableside. They also served flaming desserts (crepes suzette, cherries jubilee, and bananas foster), and there was nightly live music provided by a pianist and a strolling violinist. The curried shrimp was my favorite entree, followed by shrimp creole. Even dinner salads were prepared tableside.

I still have a couple of postcards showing the interior of the 210 venue, which by today’s standards would likely be considered a bit “cheesy.” Love your magazine!

—Charles Ballew

My dad was a janitor in [the Western Auto] building in the 60s and 70s. You could ride

Santa’s train on the top floor at Xmas time. They had [an] old wood elevator in it. The best was watching the Super Bowl parade from there. —Tracy Locke

I miss how the KCTV 5 tower’s top section would blink if there was precipitation or there was a severe weather warning issued for the area. —Christopher Moult

ALL charity runs should be held in the caves. There’s no reason to shut down city streets & inconvenience citizens for all the runs that happen.

—Steve Walters

I have noticed some of these murals and loved them. Didn’t know there are so many. Definitely need to go on a mural-hunting trip. —Ada Korra

Editor-in-chief Martin Cizmar spent a fun Friday morning smoking ribs with Jay “Snail” Vantuyl for this month’s feature on the invention of the barrel smoker.

Thanks to Alex Povis, a graphic designer who tackled our Best Restaurants cover package. Povis is the former art director of Feast magazine, so she knew the territory well!

CONTACT US Kansas City P.O. Box 26823

Overland Park, KS 66225-6823 (913) 469-6700

EMAIL: editor@kansascitymag.com

“You turn into a rink rat. You’ve got to go every time the rink opens. It’s such a niche community, and once you’re in, you start feeding off of other people’s love for what you’re doing.”

— LUKE POWELL, CO-OWNER OF LEGACY SKATES

SHOUT OUT

CONFLICT ZONING

Johnson County residents are forming opposing groups to battle over zoning changes.

BY TAYLOR DRUMMOND

AFAMILIAR DISPUTE CONTINUES to rage in Johnson County. The conflict? The building of apartments and other multi-family housing options. This year, the battle’s intensity grew following a new push to diversify housing options. Residents are forming groups with opposing positions on proposed residential rezoning.

Arguments about apartments and so-called affordable housing are not new anywhere, especially Johnson County, but they have seemingly reached a boiling point in JoCo in recent months. In Prairie Village, an ad hoc council committee started discussing amendments to zoning regulations. When city council meetings opened this topic to public comment, opposing groups packed the floor to push for their favored plans. It’s not uncommon to see signs for opposing groups on the same street in the normally tranquil suburb.

Lauren Martin is one of the leaders of a group called Prairie Village for All. Martin is a renter in Prairie Village, having moved there in 2018. The group wants to “recognize that single-family home ownership is

not a thing everyone can afford, nor is it a thing that everyone wants,” Martin says. “We can be smart about it. We can put reasonable restrictions in place, but we should ultimately always be on the side of giving people places to live.”

On the other side of the argument is a group of Prairie Village residents called Stop Rezoning PV. The group’s leaders say they’re concerned that the process of rezoning isn’t transparent and that new recommendations could decrease

their rights as homeowners. A Facebook group for the organization has comments about “keeping the Village feel.” The rival groups do not neatly align with party politics. The Stop Rezoning group, which is public, is rife with posts accusing rivals of sign theft and spreading “lies and viterol” [sic].

In Overland Park, a similar issue arose earlier this year with a plan to put apartments on land that had been the Deer Creek golf course. We asked residents about the plan on the NextDoor

app. Michelle Reinig was one resident who shared her opinion: “Most of the frustration has been with zoning changes. Often, zoning changes are against the municipal codes. I don’t have a problem at all with apartments. It is about building the right development in the right spaces.”

Nickie Lee, a staffer for the Prairie Village city council, says the city wants to create various options for the community. She says the “overarching goal with housing is to diversify the size, type and price point of the housing portfolio and to maintain the integrity.”

Apartments not only are helpful to younger people who can’t afford a single family home but also allow older residents to stay in their neighborhood as they age, supporters say.

The plans for building further affordable and diverse options look as far out as 2030, according to the 2021 Johnson County Municipalities Community Housing Study. The study looks primarily at the overall statistics to address what is needed in the county and to implement them over the coming years.

Yet many wonder what these apartments will be like in twenty or thirty years— whether they will remain well-maintained or become a blemish. Longtime residents like Stuart Storrs, who has lived in Johnson County for over fifty years, spoke on the changing landscape of Johnson County as a whole.

“When I see new apartments being built, I describe them as the ‘slums of the future,’” he says. “The owners are so focused on the ‘bottom line’ that they fail to maintain the property to the point the properties become eyesores and cease to be an asset for the community.”

Johnson County governments grapple with tense battles over zoning for apartments.

BETTER FOOTING

BY HAMPTON STEVENS

REMEMBER SOCIAL DISTORTION? In the mid-’90s, the post-punk band had a monster hit with “I Was Wrong,” a muscular, grunge anthem about the sheer, cathartic joy of admitting your mistakes. After seeing what happened with Kansas football this year, it’s time for me to sing about mine.

Last year, yours truly wrote that KU didn’t care about football—that they didn’t actually want to win. “Winning in the age of FBS means ruthless recruiting, shimmering new stadiums and gyms that look like a billionaire's playpen,” and the Jayhawks, I argued, simply weren’t committed to making those kinds of upgrades.

Whoopsie.

Kansas is getting all of that. This fall, in the midst of the team’s best season in years, including a dreamt-of visit by ESPN’s College GameDay, the university announced a gigantic slate of facility upgrades. That includes modernizing, at long last, century-old David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. They will also build a new north gateway to campus, transforming the area around 11th and Mississippi into a multi-use concourse replete with entertainment and retail space. They’ll be upgrading the Anderson Family Football Complex, too, which is huge for recruiting. That’s all on top of a newly announced, comprehensive initiative to boost student athletes, including programs for everything from wellness to name, image and likeness (NIL).

Granted, you can’t buy tradition, nor can you buy the sorts of long-term relationships with high school coaches that more established football programs have. Still, this is huge. It represents an absolutely fundamental sea change in how Kansas football competes on the national stage. Simply consider that you are reading an entire column about KU athletics with absolutely zero discussion of jumpshots.

Football fans can expect new everything when the work is complete: concessions, bathrooms, luxury seating—the whole panoply of modern stadium amenities. They can also expect more winning, especially if this innovative coach sticks around for a few

years, a prospect these renovations make far more likely.

Great, right? Everybody likes victory, and there’s no doubt the project will pay off economically for the university, Lawrence and beyond. But we can still take time to think about what we’re about to leave behind.

This football glow-up feels a little like seeing your favorite indie band find mainstream success. Of course you’re happy for them. But you still lament the loss of intimacy and access that comes when they jump from cheap dives to overpriced arenas.

With a few notable exceptions, KU football of recent decades has always been sort of quaint, with the charm of a lovable loser. Tickets were cheap, if you had to pay at all. The stadium, and the entire gameday experience, had a kind of rickety appeal. On a crisp, fall Saturday afternoon, you could meet at The Crossing (which no longer exists), walk down to Memorial and sit in almost any seat or just goof around on the hill, drink beer, throw frisbees and barely pay attention to the game. It was idyllic. The scene was completely slack and chill. Like Lawrence itself.

All of that is likely gone. The new football experience will no doubt be more exciting. And obviously, nobody gets mad about a stadium with better bathrooms and more comfortable seating. But what good are comfortable seats if you can’t afford to sit there?

Game day of the future is going to be slicker, louder, more crowded and more corporate. Expect the requisite overpriced merch and concessions. Expect guys who wear jackets and ties to the stadium so they can network in luxury suites instead of watching the game. Expect KU Karens behind you, complaining when you stand up for a big third down.

Progress is great. Winning beats losing, and these changes are long overdue. We can and should celebrate the dawn of a new era of Kansas football. I’m genuinely psyched, believe it or not. But it’s still okay to think about what we’ll lose along the way. Lawrence is a unique, famously chill and funky spot. On Saturdays, it’s about to get a little less idiosyncratic—a little less craft beer-and-weed and a little more corporate wine-and-cheese. There’s not much to celebrate in that.

I was skeptical of KU football’s long-term prospects— and I was wrong.

IMAGINE Game DayOUTSIDE

Create a game plan for your backyard at DECKORATORS.COM

HEADING THE CLASS

BY ISABELLA FERRENTINO

ANSAS CITY PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLERS are in for a ride—to college, for free. The University of Missouri-Kansas City is implementing an early college program that allows every student attending high school in the Kansas City and North Kansas City districts to take college classes and receive college credit.

Students, likely juniors and seniors, can now take UMKC’s college courses on campus. The majority of the classes are in-person only, and the school districts are paying the tuition. A partnership between the university and the public high schools ensures free college credit for students while they earn credit for their high school and college diplomas. “One of our missions as Kansas City’s University is to serve the

students who are here and provide them access to college,” says Kristi Holsinger, a UMKC faculty member who works in the provost’s office. “We want to increase college attainment for them. It’s good for the students, it’s good for their families, it’s good for our community and for our state.”

Not only can students jump ahead in their studies and career, but any Kansas City public high school graduate can also receive an additional scholarship for five years if they enroll at UMKC. The scholarship is $1,500 a year. Students and their families can save at least $6,000 with the scholarship and could save even more by graduating early with the help of the early college program.

The program has advantages for both UMKC and the two local districts, and it could help enrollment in KCMO public high school, a subject that is always top of mind for Show Me KC Schools, a nonprofit that promotes the district.

“The number one reason is that most of the parents and kids that we’re talking to, right now, who are of high school age, are really worried about incurring debt, says Show Me KC Schools executive director Leslie Kohlmeyer. “I think that we’ve all seen a decline in enrollment post-Covid. This is a way to bring back kids and give them that on-ramp to college that they’re looking for.”

So far, only two students are part of the program. “We had hoped to have a lot more students by fall, but just because of the timing, we have a pretty small group right now,” Holsinger says. “We are really excited about that number being a lot higher in the spring and next fall.” UMKC’s largest selling point is that students have a better chance of earning a college degree if they participate in early college programs such as this one.

Early College Program students can enroll in any degree program and have access to all student services. “Before I got into anything career-wise, I wanted to have the knowledge about it,” says Jayla Williams, one of the participants. “Just know the different methods and skills and how to perfect them before I do anything with theater or acting.” Williams, a junior at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, got into the early college program after showing interest in theater arts.

Through the program, Williams has already realized new things about herself, including reevaluating her study habits. “It’s giving you the accountability part because no one is going to ask, ‘Did you do this?’ Either you do it or you don’t,” Williams says. “So it’s all about having that decision-making.”

PHOTO BY JON MOHR, PROVIDED BY UMKC

A new program at UMKC offers free college classes to high schoolers.

Before I got into anything career-wise, I wanted to have the knowledge about it.”

“

BY JEFF STEAD

December 01

GO: Gate opens at Frank White Jr. Sports Complex, 3901 S.W. Longview Road, Lee’s Summit. Sunday through Thursday, 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm, and Friday to Saturday, 5:30 pm to 11 pm.

WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN DECEMBER

LONG NIGHTS, VIEW LIGHTS

Pile in the family truckster, flip off the headlights, and crank the Mannheim Steamroller for a spectacular holiday light display experienced from the warmth of your car. Christmas in the Park—which is displayed in the Longview Lake Campground—lights up again this year to celebrate its thirty-fifth anniversary, and it continues to be one of the most beloved light display traditions in the city. “Our goal is that the last car that goes through Christmas in the Park on New Years’ Eve will have the same magical experience as the first car that went through Thanksgiving eve,” says Michele Newman, director of Jackson County Parks and Recreation. “It truly is a Jackson County gift to the community.”

Donations are accepted at the end of the experience, which will benefit thirty-nine local charities. Christmas in the Park opened its gates on November 23 and runs through December 31. TAYLOR DRUMMOND

PHOTOGRAPHY

WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS MONTH

Soul of Santa

December, 6 pm

The Soul of Santa “Do Good” Foundation is holding their fourth holiday celebration in the Jazz District. It will feature talks from local officials, including Mayor Quinton Lucas, along with the Christmas tree lighting and a holiday concert at the Gem Theater. December 2. 6 pm. 18th & Vine.

18th Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

December 2, 7:30 pm

This long-running ironic holiday party features hip-hop trio Sugarhill Gang, whose 1979 hit “Rapper’s Delight” was the first rap single to become a top forty hit. Local Quite Frankly the Band will also play, and the event will have holiday-themed games, a photo booth, a best costume contest and raffle prizes, all benefiting Operation Breakthrough. December 2. 7:30 pm. The Truman.

Amahl and the Night Visitors

December 2–4 and 9–11

Pairing live singing and music with puppetry, this original Lyric Opera of Kansas City production was created with master puppeteer Paul Mesner. Based on Italian folktales of the Nativity and the Epiphany, this unique show retells the story of three kings—the Magi—as they make their journey to Bethlehem and meet an impoverished, disabled boy and his mother, who change the trajectory of their miraculous journey. December 2–4 and 9–11. Times vary. The Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building.

The Doo Wop Project Christmas

December 2, 8 pm

The classic barbershop quartet-esque group brings audiences on a journey of sound, starting with street-corner singing to doo-wopified versions of today’s hits. They are bringing that same energy to Christmas, promising a nostalgic take on classic favorites. December 2. 8 pm. Kauffman Center.

Luminary Walk

December 2–3, 8–10 and 15–17, 5 pm

The gardens are transformed bright with color as thousands of lights glow on trees, buildings and bridges. Candle-lined pathways lead to magical gnome and fairy villages and the colorful children’s garden. There are musical performances to enhance the holiday ambiance and even the opportunity to visit with Santa in his Woodland Depot. December 2–3, 8–10 and 15–17. 5 pm. Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.

The Nutcracker

December 7–24

Kansas City Ballet’s annual tradition continues to be a wintertime favorite. The classic Victorian-era story of imagination is brought to life with opulent costumes, magical sets and enchanting choreography. December 7–24. Times Vary. Kauffman Center.

Switchfoot

December 9, 7 pm

The San Diego-based rock band has distanced themselves from their former Christian rock sound that skyrocketed them to fame with “Dare You to Move” over two decades ago. In a completely counterintuitive move, they are touring over the holidays for their newest LP, This Is Our Christmas Album December 9. 7 pm. Uptown Theater.

Messiah December 9–10,

pm and December 11, 2 pm

7

One of the Kansas City Symphony’s most beloved holiday traditions, Handel’s Messiah is regarded as a choral masterpiece and includes the iconic “Hallelujah Chorus,” sure to inspire some holiday spirit. December 9–10, 7 pm and December 11, 2 pm. Kauffman Center.

08The 1975 December 8. 7 pm

The English indie band has been on the scene for nearly two decades, but it wasn’t until 2013 that they became a radio favorite with their hit “Chocolate.” Their newest album, Being Funny In a Foreign Language, gets help from powerhouse producer Jack Antonoff and stands at a short forty-four minutes, with focus on eighties-esque synth guitars, sentimental jazz beats and catchy hooks heralding the power of love. December 8. 7 pm. Cable Dahmer Arena.

Trampled by Turtles

December 10, 7 pm

Trampled by Turtles hails from Duluth, Minnesota, like fellow folkie Bob Dylan. The group has a contemporary bluegrass sound that relies heavily on banjo and fiddle with harmonious vocals, a formula that has served bands like The Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show well in the last decade. December 10. 7 pm. Uptown Theater.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

December 13, 8 pm

The North Carolina-based alternative rock indie band has been quietly building a following over the past decade with hummable melodies and surprising instrumentals on songs like “Cocaine Jesus” and “Its Called: Freefall.” December 13. 8 pm. The Midland.

Christmas Festival

December 15–18

The Kansas City Symphony and Symphony Chorus, with surprise guests, perform carols

and other holiday songs. A family sing-along and an early visit from Santa are also promised to usher in the Christmas spirit for everyone. December 15–18. Times vary. Kauffman Center.

CoComelon

December 17, 3 pm

The show so annoying to parents and so beloved by tots that it was tested for hyper-stimulating effects is coming to KC. So bring your earplugs and tantrum-prone tikes to this immersive world of bright dinosaurs and giant babies. Or don’t. December 17. 3 pm. Kansas City Music Hall.

Martina McBride

December 17, 8 pm

Country pop queen Martina McBride has been on the scene since the early nineties, most notably giving us the soulful anthem, “This One’s for the Girls.” McBride’s bringing back nostalgic holiday feels with her The Joy of Christmas Tour, which features classic Christmas songs with her downhome country twist.December 17. 8 pm. The Midland.

A Drag Queen Christmas

December 20, 8 pm

Nothing says the holidays like chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose and Drag Queens. Now in its eighth consecutive year, Murray & Peter present A Drag Queen Christmas, with favorites from uber-popular RuPaul’s Drag Race like Nina West and Trinity Taylor hosting. December 20. 8 pm. The Midland.

Elf in Concert

December 21–23, 7 pm and December 24, 11 am

A giant big screen shows the now-Christmas classic film featuring the hilarious Will Ferrell in the iconic role of Buddy the Elf, a grown man who finds out he is human and embarks on a quest in New York City to find his real dad. John Debney’s score is played live by the KC Symphony along with the screening. December 21–23, 7 pm and December 24, 11 am. Kauffman Center.

Chiefs vs. Seattle Seahawks

December 24, noon

While Russell Wilson is riding in Broncos Country, the Seattle Seahawks have emerged from the post-Russ era stronger than almost anyone assumed. This should be a great matchup of two elite coaches and teams that have opposing strengths. Plus, what’s better or more festive than Arrowhead on Christmas Eve? December 24. Noon. GEHA at Arrowhead Stadium.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

December 26, 3pm and 8 pm

This ultimate winter rock band has dominated the super-niche Holiday-progressive metal genre for almost thirty years. With their unassuming instruments like guitar, drums and strings, the huge powerhouse group is an anomaly. TSO is the first major rock band to go straight to theaters and arenas—they have never played at a club, have never had an opening act and have never been an opening act. December 26. 3pm and 8 pm. T-Mobile Center.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Through December 31

The beloved cartoon comes to life as a live jazz trio plays the original Vince Guaraldi arrangements along with the holiday classic. Charlie Brown tries to direct the school Christmas pageant and tries to remind others of the season’s true meaning with a droopy, small fir tree. There will also be shows interpreted in ASL and sensory-friendly performances offered to include the whole community. November 15–December 31. Times vary. The Coterie.

LATER SKATER

BY ISABELLA FERRENTINO

EFORE THE PANDEMIC, there was often tension in skate parks as skateboarders, roller skaters and inline skaters all competed for space.

“The skateboarders didn’t like the roller skaters going into the skate park, inline skaters didn’t like roller skaters, and roller skaters didn’t like the inline skaters,” says Legacy Skates co-owner Luke Powell.

Those attitudes changed quickly amid the global pandemic, as roller skating had a resurgence that just kept rolling. The sport’s on-trend retro aesthetic has brought skaters from all generations back together. “We’re not just seeing people throw away their skates in their garage,” Powell says. “We’re seeing them go to the rinks, we’re seeing them continue to create content for social media, and we’re seeing the excitement, the love and that passion.”

Legacy, which is a block from Boulevard Brewing in the Westside neighborhood, bills itself as the city’s only roller skate shop. It opened in 2019 and found customers who were looking to be correctly fitted for skates—too many were buying online and only discovering that their skates didn’t fit properly when it was too late. The base of the business is the local roller derby community.

Inside the shop, you’re met with nostalgic bright colors. The atmosphere encompasses an open space to hang out, pick up skates, watch videos and listen to music. “You’ll just see people talking about what they’re going to do at the skatepark, what new routine they’re going to put together at the rink,” says Legacy Skates designer Maranda Davies. “We’re just seeing such a melting pot here.”

However, there’s been a new shift in the business. “We are going back to core skating styles, whether it be roller derby, rhythm skaters, skate park skaters or indoor skaters going to the local rinks,” Powell says.

The company has had the opportunity to buy a roller rink and a women’s skate center. “You turn into a rink rat,” Powell says. “You’ve got to go every time the rink opens. It’s such a niche community, and once you’re in, you start feeding off of other people’s love for what you’re doing.”

The Kansas City community has five vastly different rinks and two skateparks. “We want you to come back to relive that nostalgia,” Powell says. “Embrace it and give it to your child or your friend.” Break out those old skates or break in some new ones. Whatever you decide, please skate at your discretion in becoming a rink rat and joining the colony.

WHERE TO ROLL

Winnwood Skate Center

Powell: “Honestly, there is not one bad rink within the KC metro. Each one has its own image along with fantastic features for anyone looking to roller skate. I am going to be slightly biased, but Winnwood is the biggest skating center in the metro, with a beginner rink for the littles or adults looking to practice their moves.”

Skate City

Davies: “I personally grew up skating at what used to be Skateland South and is now Skate City Overland Park, so I have a big soft spot for that location. It actually sparked my love for skating. My elementary school had skate parties for us there and that evolved into my friends and I going every Friday and Saturday night.”

Pierson Park

Powell: “The best outdoor skatepark for beginners. This is where every beginner park skater gets their feet wet, as it’s always clean, easily accessible and very accommodating for all skill levels.”

Legacy Skates in the Crossroads aims to unite the city’s roller skating community—and put it in skates that fit.

Picks from Luke Powell’ and Maranda Davies on where to roller skate around KC

FUSION FLOW

BY NINA CHERRY

N JANUARY 2017, Marcus Lewis Big Band took the stage at The Blue Room. For this set, bandleader Marcus Lewis invited special guest Ryan Davis, also known as Kadesh Flow, to the stage for a surprise: to rap. “Everyone went crazy,” says Lewis, a Kansas City-based composer, arranger and trombonist.

“As an arranger, when I’m listening to music, I’m always adding things to the music in my head,” Lewis says. “I had been listening to Kendrick Lamar’s album, To Pimp a Butterfly, and the song ‘Alright’ just really resonated with me. I could just hear a big band arrangement,” Lewis says.

After the set, Lewis and Davis got to talking at the bar; they were onto something. Nearby, fellow friend and rapper Kemet Coleman overheard and was immediately brought into the fold as well. “I asked both of them to send me four of their songs to arrange,” Lewis says.

From there, Brass and Boujee was born, fusing Lewis’ ultra-modern bigband arrangements with bars from Coleman and Davis. “It was so organic,” Lewis says.

The group’s first self-titled album made waves upon its release in 2018, charting No. 15 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and peaking at No. 1 on the iTunes Jazz Chart. Now, Lewis is hard at work on the group’s second, full-length studio album.

This month, Lewis, Coleman, Davis and the eighteen-piece band will be back in the studio to record the final half of Brass and Boujee II, on track to release in Spring 2023. The album is composed entirely of original music, a collaborative effort between Lewis, Davis and Coleman.

The first single of the album, “You’re Very Special,” which dropped in late September, showcases an organic yet commanding interplay between the measured and fervent flows of Coleman and Kadesh Flow, dynamic horn lines and the powerhouse vocals of Kevin “Church” Johnson.

The next single from Brass and Boujee II, “Wavy Days,” will drop this February. “It’s a very positive, uplifting song,” Lewis says. “A lot of our content is socially conscious. We were kind of joking about it, like, all of this stuff is really heavy and we need to give our audience a break. We’re coming out with some more positive songs to add to the mix.”

Brass and Boujee is pushing the mold—and not just in Kansas City. They’re the first group to record big band jazz and hip-hop. “You know, when people think of Kansas City jazz, they often think of traditional swing,” Lewis says.

But KC’s jazz scene has continually been home to innovators who advance the ever-evolving genre further. Today, Lewis is one of the strongest representatives of this KC legacy, an integral voice in modern big band music alongside emcees Kadesh Flow and Kemet Coleman.

LISTEN: “You’re Very Special” by Marcus Lewis Big Band featuring Kemet Coleman, Kadesh Flow and Kevin “Church” Johnson is out now.

Marcus Lewis makes waves with his big band and hip-hop cross-over group Brass and Boujee.

Friends, Family & Topsy’s Popcorn

Nothing says “Happy Holidays” quite like delicious Topsy’s popcorn. Pick up a tin for your next gathering or as the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop-for someone.

Then pop the top and enjoy those classic flavors: classic butter, savory cheese, spicy cinnamon and sweet caramel. Order now at TopsysPopcorn.com

CURATING A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

THE STRONG, SILENT TYPE

Don’t mosey into the new Tecovas store in Leawood looking for jeans with rhinestones on the pockets. The Texas-based brand, founded by born-andraised Texan Paul Hedrick, specializes in ostrich boots and plaid pearl button shirts but tends to take an understated approach.

Hedrick founded the brand in late 2015 as an online-only store before opening his first retail shop in Austin in March 2019. From the start, he “saw a pretty big gap in the marketplace” for a high-end Western wear brand that bore no resemblance to Nudie Suits.

“We were pretty disciplined—our first five or six years especially—in building an understated Western line of things that don’t go out of style,” Hedrick says. “If you’re going to buy one cowboy boot and keep it in your closet for a long time, what would that look like and feel like? That’s definitely where my instincts were guiding me.”

That’s changing a bit as the brand has grown, which visitors to the line’s twenty-first retail shop in Town Center Crossing (4419 W. 119th St., A128, Leawood) will see.

“If you look at some of the stuff we’re releasing now, we’re really starting to fill more of those gaps with things that will add more interest to people’s wardrobe,” Hedrick says.

“If you’re going to buy apparel from a Western brand, you want it to be truly Western. If you’re going to wear a pearl snap, it should look like a pearl snap.”

—MARTIN CIZMAR

CORE COLOR

C’mon, Barbie, Let’s Go Party

NICOLE KINNING

PMS 219, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS Pantone Pink 219C, is a color you’ll be seeing everywhere in 2023. The trend’s name, Barbiecore, is inspired by the titular doll created sixty years ago.

This fad, which follows the Y2K style revival, could be picking up steam for a few reasons. Last spring, Italian fashion empire Valentino debuted its Pink PP Collection for Autumn/Winter 2022-2023 at Paris Fashion Week. The monochromatic line, produced by creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, stripped “the palette down to a single hue, relentlessly.” The upcoming Barbie movie, to be released in 2023, also might have something to do with it. Over the summer, we got a glimpse of Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken riding in a pink corvette and rollerblading at Venice Beach.

“I also think that it’s a completely nostalgic thing,” says local personal stylist Abby Wood. “It might also be a product of Covid—people want home cooking and nostalgic things that are going to make them remember good times. Bringing back some of this nostalgic stuff is what people are gonna grab on to.” She also says that bold pops of colors have been seen in Scandinavian fashion for a few years now, so it was only a matter of time before the trend made its way over here.

Fashion has also been in a neutralcolored state for the last decade or so, and while there’s nothing wrong with wearing greige, Barbiecore hot pink might be the dopamine boost that people need, Wood says. “It’s really something that can kind of pump them up.”

If the thought of walking down the sidewalk at the Plaza in a hot pink outfit makes you sweat, we get it: It’s not easy to fully commit to a bold monochromatic outfit (especially one that’s the color of bubble gum). If you want to dip your toe into the Barbiecore trend, Wood suggests starting small by incorporating pink nail polish into your rotation, then moving onto bolder accessories like a hot pink crossbody or a pair of sparkly statement shoes.

Another way to tastefully tackle the trend is to mix different shades of pink in one outfit. What’s important here, Wood says, is to keep the pinks within the same tone (avoid mixing a peachy pink with a purple pink, for example) and to play around with different textures.

Barbiecore doesn’t end at hot pink, either: Turn-of-the-millenium accessories like platform shoes, chunky plastic sunglasses and holographics are also making a comeback. What’s next, Juicy Couture tracksuits?

BARBIE THROUGH THE YEARS

The original Barbie that was released in 1959 was starkly different from the bubble-gum Barbie we know today. We spoke with Amy McKune, curator of collections at Kansas City’s National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, about Barbie’s evolution through the twentieth century.

1959 Barbie is born!

The first Barbie wore a black-and-white striped swimsuit. “By the end of the year, there were twenty-two outfits for the doll,” McKune says.

1960s Sixties Barbie was very Jackie O-inspired: Barbie had bubble-cut hair and colorful Mod-era clothing reminiscent of the time. In 1968, Barbie’s first Black friend, Christie, was introduced.

1970s According to McKune, this decade is when Barbie fashion and affluence spiked in popularity. “By this time, Barbie had her own clothes line at Sears,” McKune says. The legendary Malibu Barbie was released in 1971, and it was the first doll with a pearly white smile and forward-facing blue eyes.

1980s-90s “The dolls made in these years didn’t come with just the swimsuit,” McKune says. “They had more themes for the different Barbies.” For example, Astronaut Barbie, Great Shape Barbie and Fountain Mermaid Barbie were best-sellers during this time.

These decades are when Barbie became affiliated with the iconic hot pink color— everything from the packaging for Barbie products to accessories like Barbie’s Dream House turned pink.

Pink jackets currently on stock at Halls department store at Crown Center.

PANTONE 219 C

All of us. For all of you.

We’re here to focus health care where it belongs: on you.

You deserve the kind of care that goes beyond a chart or a prescription. It’s the kind of care that covers everything you need to live your healthiest life, including support from a whole team of doctors, nurses, and specialists to keep you feeling good. And it’s care that gives you all the benefits of a nationally recognized health care company—including the latest science and technology—with a hometown, personal touch.

Count on all of us to care for all of you, in all the ways you need.

optumKC.com

COOKED TO PERFECTION

A stunning Overland Park kitchen received national recognition in this year’s HGTV Designer of the Year Awards.

BY NICOLE KINNING

THIS OVERLAND PARK HOME’S KITCHEN will make you lose your marbles—or, rather, make you want to cover your own kitchen in marble.

The space, which was nominated for the 2022 HGTV Designer of the Year Awards in the Kitchen and Dining category, was designed by local group McCroskey Interiors, helmed by Laura McCroskey.

HGTV’s annual awards feature world-class designs selected by the home and garden giant’s audience and editors. More categories in the annual contest include Living Large in Small Spaces, Color and Pattern, and Waterside Retreats.

“[The client] had one request: to have a well-organized gathering place perfect for her family’s needs,” McCroskey says. “We leaned into a French modern aesthetic to govern the remaining kitchen design.” McCroskey’s passion for cooking also helps tremendously in her kitchen designs. “I’m always walking a recipe out in a kitchen to make sure the design flows as one’s cooking should.”

Although the dreamy OP kitchen didn’t win in its category, it—and McCroskey Interiors—has received national attention, and McCroskey says to stay tuned because the firm’s national reach is only growing.

That reach will also grow thanks to McCroskey’s just-launched line of quality, in-home art pieces curated, printed and framed by professional designers. “We noticed there was a high demand for quality in-home art,” McCroskey says. “Access was limited, and prints from retailers couldn’t offer the level of refinement needed to meet the standards for quality art.”

Tucked-Away Pantry The hidden pantry is tucked behind the kitchen. Its cabinets are embedded with mirror-paneled doors and a wood finish, and black-and-white checkered floor covers the ground. “[The pantry] gives the client plenty of room to make a mess behind the scenes when hosting,” McCroskey says.

Island The counter stools complement the waterfall kitchen island—the room’s focal point—where the client’s children sit and do homework or arts and crafts. The island’s marble is a greige-veined Calacatta Vagli marble sourced from Italy, which adds warmth against the kitchen’s contemporary white cabinetry.

Sliding Panels Sliding panels, made from the same Calacatta Vagli marble as the island, offer easy access to a trove of spices and other cooking essentials. McCroskey spotted this panel idea, which originated with German kitchen manufacturer SieMatic, during her travels. It’s become a staple in her designed kitchens.

Coffered Ceiling “The original construction documents for this kitchen showed a fourteen-foot vaulted ceiling, which is extremely hard to design a kitchen around,” McCroskey says. She decided to replace the original concept with a coffered ceiling. The result is a classic, timeless design that ties in the French details of the space.

ANOTHER DAY

Local celeb Tamara Day brings drama and her signature ‘laid-back luxe’ style to a Tudor in the Sunset Hills neighborhood.

BY DAWNYA BARTSCH PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL VERSLUIS

WHEN PAM BESHEER eyed this vintage Tudor-style house on Zillow, she had a strong inkling it would be exactly what she and her husband, Jay, had been looking for.

Set back from the street and close to their current home, the home in the Sunset Hills West neighborhood, due east of Mission Hills, was also exactly where the Besheers wanted to live. “We love this neighborhood,” says Pam, who, along with her husband, grew up in the area.

The dated, 4,200-square-foot-house was hidden behind an unkempt and overgrown yard, but the Besheers weren’t deterred. “Once we went inside, we saw great opportunity,” Pam says. They also thought it would be a great project for nationally known Kansas City-based designer Tamara Day.

The Besheers have long been fans of Day’s Magnolia Network television show, Bargain Mansions. When Day saw the Besheers’ new house, she knew she could create the space they craved.

Although the Besheers are now empty-nesters, they still wanted space to host visits by extended family. They also like to entertain. But they weren’t actively looking to move from their long-time family home.

“We decided to move when we saw the house,” Pam says. “It’s in a beautiful location.” The house already had “so much personality,” Day says. She knew it would be a perfect house to showcase on Bargain Mansions. The episode featuring this house aired for the first time on November 11.

“I love a Tudor-style home,” Day says. Despite its “choppy” floor plan and mid-eighties kitchen remodel that included green appliances, Day thought the 1955 house had lots of potential. She has always been drawn to renovating older homes. “I like things that have meaning and story behind them,” Day says.

Day was not able to start work on the house right away, but the Besheers, who bought the house mid-pandemic and didn’t have to move, were patient. When renovations did begin, they went fast. Day and her team started the project in March of 2022 and finished it about eight months later. Here’s a look at the details.

1

LIVING ROOM

The living room’s original soaring ceiling, beams and stone fireplace gave Day and her team a great canvas to work from. To create a modern look, the house’s original French doors were replaced with sleek black sliders, and the entire room was given a fresh coat of white paint. The ceiling beams were painted black, contrasting with the white ceiling, and simple, modern burled maple oak cabinets and open shelving were built on each side of the fireplace.

2 MODERN FARMHOUSE The house’s exterior was transformed from a butterscotch-colored Tudor into a modern-ish farmhouse. Day achieved this look by painting everything but the home’s original limestone work a dark, dusty charcoal black. The original brown roof was also replaced with a dark metal roof, creating a modern aesthetic.

3

3 MASTER BEDROOM Day, a huge fan of wallpaper, used the master bedroom as an opportunity to showcase an unusual paper that reminds the Besheers of geodes. The master is another example of a layered and eclectic space, where furniture from a variety of genres has been mixed. Day used soft, neutral colors to pull everything together.

4 KITCHEN Another area that was completely reconfigured was the kitchen and breakfast nook. Day created several kitchen spaces to accommodate entertaining and living.

Facing the large living area is a sleek, modern and glamorous kitchen area with bleached white oak cabinets and refrigerators to match. The range hood matches the marble backsplash, so much so that it is almost imperceptible. This is where people gather, almost as if in an open restaurant kitchen. The space connects to the informal eating area.

Around the corner, slightly hidden, is another sink and oven. This workspace is a bit less glamorous but completely functional.

5 DINING ROOM Day chose to make a statement in the dining room with a wallpapered landscape mural on one wall in soft blush tones and dusty grays. Her inspiration to install a mural came from murals she saw in a historic home in New York’s Hyde Park years ago. “They were so stunning, old world and timeless,” she says.

With its soft brush strokes, the wallpaper has a Chinoiserie look, and Day upped the drama by adding a pair of beaded chandeliers reminiscent of festive lanterns, giving the space an exotic feel. The entire room, which combines a traditional rug and dining chairs with a modern sleek table, speaks to Day’s “layered and intentional” design aesthetic.

THE

Senior Scene A Guide to Aging Well

It’s time to embrace a new outlook on aging. Embark on a fresh adventure. Take care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. Now is the time to live on your terms. Our all-encompassing Guide to Aging Well has plenty of resources and tips to help you navigate this chapter.

NOWOPEN!

Santa Fe Ridge at Tallgrass Creek

The newest residence building at Tallgrass Creek,® Overland Park’s premier senior living community, is now open! Santa Fe Ridge boasts a variety of brand-new apartment homes with high-end standard finishes, many of which feature patios, balconies, or screened-in porches.

The new building brings an array of brand-new amenities to our already bustling campus, including a new restaurant with outdoor seating, a pickleball court, and more!

Overland Park TallgrassCreek.com

Celebrate the Season!

Shopping for holiday gifts is no easy task , especially when you ’ ve got a long list of names and limited time w hile it might seem the simplest answer is to buy from an online megaretailer , why not be just a little more thoughtful and support local businesses ?

t his year we encourage you to consider keeping your money in the community by buying your holiday gifts from k ansas c ity companies great merchants who are also your neighbors

Sips for the Season

Seasonal beers, wines,

and

1. Mike’s Wine & Spirits

MIKESKC.COM

Experience the Top Shelf Room with exceptional high-end wine and spirits for extra special gifts this holiday season. The experts at Mike’s carefully stock this secured-access, private room for collectors and tastemakers. Only at the Westport location of Mike’s Wine and Spirits.

2. Finley Farms & The Ozark Mill

FINLEYFARMSMO.COM

drink recipes celebrate the season

The Cookie Butter Cider Steamer from The Workshop at Finley Farms in Ozark, Missouri, is a wintertime favorite. Combine 1 tablespoon of cookie butter drizzle *, 10 ounces of warm Louisburg cider and 1 ounce of steamed heavy cream. Before sipping, sprinkle it with spices and whipped cream or a splash of bourbon.

3. Cinder Block Brewery

CINDERBLOCKBREWERY.COM

Cinder Block Brewery is back again with the new release of their holiday beer, Cinder Noel. It was first introduced in 2014, so it’s been a holiday favorite for nearly a decade. This year’s version is a Belgian-style winter ale aged in apple brandy barrels that is 10.5% ABV, that’s alcohol by volume, making it a stronger ale than most. Cozy up with the flavors of roasted malt, toasted sugars, light citrus and a touch of spice to make everything nice.

* for the cookie butter drizzle, Combine 2 cups of Biscoff cookie butter and 3/4 cup of water.

Gift Guide

Tips and inspiration for gift giving

4. K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel

K9RESORTS.COM

At K9 Resorts, they realize that few things are more important than the health and happiness of your pets. When you leave your four-legged friend in the care of their highly trained and certified professionals, you can rest assured they will receive the ultimate experience. The luxury boarding and dog daycare services combine familiar homelike amenities with recreational fun to create a resort-style vacation for your dog. Give the gift of doggie daycare this holiday season with a gift certificate from K9 Resorts. Call 913-348-7500 for details.

5. Georgous Aesthetic Bar

GEORGOUSKC.COM

Gift your friend, family or yourself a DiamondGlow® Facial at Georgous Aesthetic Bar. Exfoliate dry, dull skin to expose renewed and hydrated skin while extracting debris from pores and infusing the skin with customized serums.  The six DiamondGlow® diamond tips allow for a customized treatment to suit your skin. Each tip is specifically designed for maximum efficacy and exfoliation for specific skin concerns. There’s no downtime, so you can schedule it between the holidays (or after) and also makes it the perfect gift for anyone!

6. Helzberg Diamonds

HELZBERG.COM

There’s no time like the present to pop the question! Your lasting symbol of love awaits at Helzberg Diamonds, where you’ll find a gorgeous assortment of dazzling diamonds rings and bands, all at prices Santa would approve of.

7. aNu Aesthetics and Optimal Wellness

ANUAESTHETICS.COM

aNu Aesthetics™ and Optimal Wellness gift cards are perfect for the holidays. You can give your loved one the gift of wellness, relaxation, healing and radiant skin. Gift cards can be used to purchase any treatment or service, as well as any of the supplements or skin care products. You’ll save more with the more you buy in the December Gift Card Promotion *. Available at all three locations or purchase online.

Celebrate the Season!

Shopping for holiday gifts is no easy task , especially when you ’ ve got a long list of names and limited time w hile it might seem the simplest answer is to buy from an online megaretailer , why not be just a little more thoughtful and support local businesses ?

t his year we encourage you to consider keeping your money in the community by buying your holiday gifts from k ansas c ity companies great merchants who are also your neighbors

Sips for the Season

1. Mike’s Wine & Spirits

MIKESKC.COM

Experience the Top Shelf Room with exceptional high-end wine and spirits for extra special gifts this holiday season. The experts at Mike’s carefully stock this secured-access, private room for collectors and tastemakers. Only at the Westport location of Mike’s Wine and Spirits.

2. Finley Farms & The Ozark Mill

FINLEYFARMSMO.COM

The Cookie Butter Cider Steamer from The Workshop at Finley Farms in Ozark, Missouri, is a wintertime favorite. Combine 1 tablespoon of cookie butter drizzle *, 10 ounces of warm Louisburg cider and 1 ounce of steamed heavy cream. Before sipping, sprinkle it with spices and whipped cream or a splash of bourbon.

Seasonal beers, wines, and drink recipes celebrate the season

3. Cinder Block Brewery

CINDERBLOCKBREWERY.COM

Cinder Block Brewery is back again with the new release of their holiday beer, Cinder Noel. It was first introduced in 2014, so it’s been a holiday favorite for nearly a decade. This year’s version is a Belgian-style winter ale aged in apple brandy barrels that is 10.5% ABV, that’s alcohol by volume, making it a stronger ale than most. Cozy up with the flavors of roasted malt, toasted sugars, light citrus and a touch of spice to make everything nice.

2

* for the cookie butter drizzle, Combine 2 cups of Biscoff cookie butter and 3/4 cup of water.

Gift Guide

Tips and inspiration for gift giving

4. K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel

K9RESORTS.COM

At K9 Resorts, they realize that few things are more important than the health and happiness of your pets. When you leave your four-legged friend in the care of their highly trained and certified professionals, you can rest assured they will receive the ultimate experience. The luxury boarding and dog daycare services combine familiar homelike amenities with recreational fun to create a resort-style vacation for your dog. Give the gift of doggie daycare this holiday season with a gift certificate from K9 Resorts. Call 913-348-7500 for details.

5. Georgous Aesthetic Bar

GEORGOUSKC.COM

Gift your friend, family or yourself a DiamondGlow® Facial at Georgous Aesthetic Bar. Exfoliate dry, dull skin to expose renewed and hydrated skin while extracting debris from pores and infusing the skin with customized serums.  The six DiamondGlow® diamond tips allow for a customized treatment to suit your skin. Each tip is specifically designed for maximum efficacy and exfoliation for specific skin concerns. There’s no downtime, so you can schedule it between the holidays (or after) and also makes it the perfect gift for anyone!

6. Helzberg Diamonds

HELZBERG.COM

There’s no time like the present to pop the question! Your lasting symbol of love awaits at Helzberg Diamonds, where you’ll find a gorgeous assortment of dazzling diamonds rings and bands, all at prices Santa would approve of.

7. aNu Aesthetics and Optimal Wellness

ANUAESTHETICS.COM

aNu Aesthetics™ and Optimal Wellness gift cards are perfect for the holidays. You can give your loved one the gift of wellness, relaxation, healing and radiant skin. Gift cards can be used to purchase any treatment or service, as well as any of the supplements or skin care products. You’ll save more with the more you buy in the December Gift Card Promotion *. Available at all three locations or purchase online.

the best places to eat and drink in kc right now

HOW WE MADE THIS LIST

WE WENT. Our team visited hundreds of restaurants over the past year to pick the top forty. We did not announce our presence, and we paid for our own food. All listings are based on experiences within the last year.

WE FOCUS ON FOOD. We aim to recognize extraordinary food, whatever the format of the restaurant. Service and atmosphere are important, but we’ll overlook hiccups if we’re blown away by the food.

WE PREFER CHEF-DRIVEN SPOTS. Plenty of successful restaurants are bastions of consistency and tradition. In our rankings, we admit a preference for restaurants that showcase personal touches and a cook’s unique perspective.

WE JUDGE EACH RESTAURANT ON ITS OWN MERITS We look for restaurants that are good at what they are trying to be, whether that is fine dining or a quick lunch spot. We seek to celebrate the city’s worldly cuisines over very good steakhouses.

Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room

1830 Walnut St., KCMO. corvino.com $$$$

There are a handful of Kansas City restaurants that can, on any given night, serve up the best meal you’ll eat all year. Why elevate the six-year-old Corvino above all others?

It’s not that Corvino has changed all that much since our last list, where it was number two. Owners Michael and Christina Corvino took over the five-thousandsquare-foot space on the ground floor of a mixed-use building in the West Crossroads with a firm vision. They wanted Corvino’s Supper Club side to be a place where you could grab a burger at the murdered-out black bar while watching live jazz. The more intimate and rarified Tasting Room would be a place to spend a few hours seated in a padded chair while chatting over a blur of small plates, starting with escargot and continuing through a modern take on a beef rib with a beef fat tamale. Corvino has all that—plus takeout. Yes, they’ll happily package up their famous seaweed donuts with trout roe or a whole branzino.

So what’s changed to allow Corvino to claim the top spot? We have. Coming out of the pandemic, we’ve developed a deeper appreciation for both Corvino’s lively late nights and its elegance during an evening out with dressy clothes and caviar. Corvino’s duality—and its reliable excellence—make it our favorite spot in Kansas City right now. —MC

Town Company

1228 Baltimore Ave., KCMO. hotelkc.com/dine/the-town-company

$$$$

The Town Company is a stylish restaurant nestled in the swanky Hotel Kansas City that opened soon after the pandemic and has been generating buzz since. The spot is helmed by executive chef Johnny Leach, whose resume consists of powerhouse spots like Del Posto, Momofuku and Má Pêche, along with his wife, pastry chef Helen Jo Leach, who has an equally impressive background in places like Eleven Madison Park, Milk Bar and Le Pigeon. The resumes are long, but the menu is short, consisting of only about a dozen items that rotate seasonally. The kitchen revolves around Leach’s hearth, which is powered by Missouri white oak. On a recent visit, we started with the Arctic Char crudo, the fish finely sliced and sprinkled with coarse salt. It lays in a vinegar-horseradish base with pickled celery that cuts in with fresh acidity. The fish is topped with seasonal pear, which brings a perfect balance to the dish with a crisp sweetness. The menu moves to warm dishes from the hearth, like the beef bacon skewers, an inventive take on a Korean Ssam. The fatty beef is slow smoked and then seared, giving it the flavors of a beef-pork belly with a buttery inside and a crunchy caramelized crust. Bib lettuce on the side adds a bit of freshness, and a tomato compote adds a sweet smokiness. Mains include halibut with fresh vegetables that add brightness and a rich lobster cream. The desserts deserve a section of their own, with a buttermilk cheesecake that uses Yoli masa for the shortbread and a passionfruit and tomato sorbet with a pear and sweet shaved ice. —MH

#3

Extra Virgin

1900 Main St., KCMO. extravirginkc.com $$

Consider Extra Virgin the edgy, casual sibling of its more upscale sister restaurant, Farina. Chef Michael Smith imprinted his legacy on the Kansas City dining scene long ago, and Extra Virgin offers the opportunity to enjoy his talent without the big bill.

Both of Smith’s restaurants sit side by side in the Crossroads, but you’ll recognize Extra Virgin by its bustling patio and swanky yet unpretentious atmosphere. The menu is full of Mediterranean-inspired tapas fresh out the wood-fired hearth. The unassuming starter of marinated olives is a great representation of Smith’s ability to execute dishes that are simultaneously uncomplicated and infused with depth.

You can trust that your grilled octopus and bay scallop ceviche are cooked to coastal perfection, but you’re also welcome to indulge in the comforts of a grilled ribeye or trout. The shareable plates remain casual, with a weekly happy hour that features half-priced menu items along with a stellar wine list. —TS

#4

Antler Room

2506 Holmes St., KCMO. theantlerroomkc. com $$$$

Antler Room is a family affair. Husband and wife co-owners Nick Goellner and Leslie Newsam Goellner handle the kitchen and front of the house while Nick’s sister Natasha Goellner devises desserts. The globe-trotting Goellners acquired bona fides elsewhere— Nick worked at Noma, the Danish restaurant named the best in the world multiple times— before opening Antler Room in 2016. The small-plate menu changes often but invariably showcases locally sourced ingredients infused with international flavors. Look for the shrimp mousse shokupan, saffron cavatelli with braised lamb and the pork cheek ravioli. The waitstaff suggests four to six plates per couple and can complement dishes with a pairing from the ample list of natural wines. —TW

#5

Westport Cafe

419 Westport Road, KCMO. westportcafeandbar.com

$$$

I’ve taken multiple first dates to Westport Cafe. I think this French bistro in the heart of Westport is the best date night spot in Kansas City. But I’m also single and alone, so take that with a big grain of salt. It’s a dimly lit cafe with checkerboard tile floors and a really great bar. The ambiance is off the charts. Their steak and frites are the best in town—I order them every single time I’m there because I’m a creature of habit. There are, of course, veal chops, escargot and oysters with various preparations. For an appetizer, you can’t go wrong with their cheese plate or the cordon bleu croquettes. And if you have one too many milk punches, you’re right next to the Taco Bell Cantina, where your fourth meal awaits. —PM

#6

Waldo Thai

8431 Wornall Road, KCMO. waldothai.com $$

The debate about the city's best Thai restaurant ended with the opening of Waldo Thai. Chef Pam Liberda’s menu is headlined by the Lanna cuisine she grew up with in northern Thailand, which tends to be more earthy and rustic than the fiery southern curries that are more familiar to most Americans.

Among those dishes you’ll find an herby pork sausage with lemongrass, makrut lime leaf and turmeric and Liberda’s take on laab, which blends ground pork and shredded pork skin with herbs like cilantro, fried shallot and dried Thai chilis.

The restaurant is also probably the best place in town to take a vegan if you’re not also a vegan—and those menu markings are also helpful for those of us with shellfish allergies. —MC

#7

Baba’s Pantry and Deli

1019 E. 63rd St., KCMO. babaspantrykc.com $

Yahia Kamal (better known as Baba) brings Middle Eastern hospitality to the heart of the Midwest with his bodega-style PalestinianAmerican restaurant. The family-run deli at the corner of 63rd and Troost got a big lift when it was named among the best new restaurants in the country by Bon Appetit magazine. The restaurant is a proud display of the family’s roots, with its charming interior and traditional kebabs, shawarma and falafel. Although the menu relies heavily on fresh vegetables and tender meats, the silky hummus is some of the best in the city. Welcoming and warm, the space’s walls are scattered with colorful mosaic-inspired patterns and pictures of Palestinian icons, providing the quintessential backdrop for indulging in the beloved pairing of Turkish coffee and baklava. —TS

Clay & Fire

815 W. 17th St., KCMO. $$$$

If you’re looking for a bit of adventure, journey to Clay & Fire. Travel to the Westside neighborhood and make your way up the narrow granite steps into a little old house adorned with the restaurant’s name in neon signage. Your senses will awaken—your ears from the funky tunes, your eyes from the ornate interior and your nose tingling from smoke wafting off the wood-fired oven.

Chef Brent Gunnels and owner Adam Jones have collaborated on a Near Eastern menu filled with delights such as guajillo hummus, tender kabob platters and plenty of charred veggies. Most dishes come straight from the open fire to your table—including the Grandma pizza we named “pie of the year” back in March. With its minimal ingredients of white cheese, robust and acidic homemade tomato sauce, basil and olive oil, the pie is truly unparalleled. —TS

#9 Verbena

4901 Meadowbrook Parkway, Prairie Village verbenakc.com $$$

Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village aims for “East Coast beach resort vibes.” You’ll see that in Verbena's menu, which includes lobster bisque, raw oysters and fried crab. Those who aren’t in the mood for seafood will be very happy with the Royale with cheese, a smashburger on a bun covered with so many seeds you could use it to start your own farm. The interior of this upscale restaurant is lovely, but on a nice day, the shaded patio offers views of the nearby pond and an eightyacre public park. —MFH #10

Fox and Pearl

2143 Summit St., KCMO. foxandpearlkc.com $$$$

While Fox and Pearl has the finer touches expected of a place that calls its mashed potatoes “pomme purée,” this hip Westside spot’s music encourages a fun time. It’s upscale but not stuffy, and its unique layout features a lower level that gives an intimate speakeasy feel. Chef Vaughn Good is the man pulling smoked porchetta and a Denver steak off the wood-fired hearth, but Good doesn’t ignore the meatless with entrees like a mushroom ravioli with a root vegetable ragu. Reservations are highly recommended. —LMC

Chewology

900 Westport Road, KCMO. chewologykc.com $$

Kansas City was in desperate need of quality dumplings, and Katie Liu answered the bat signal. Liu was born in Taiwan, and her youth was filled with multiple cross-continent moves that left her on a constant search for the feeling of home. The childhood ritual of gathering around a table and making dumplings with family became a source of comfort and familiarity. Those dumplings eventually led her to open Chewology as a vendor at the Lenexa Public Market. In late October of 2021, she moved to the Westport space that had previously housed notable fine dining restaurant Bluestem. She kept the menu short and sweet, focusing on Taiwanese street food where dumplings are the star of the show, but dishes like dan dan noodles and Taiwanese fried chicken play a supporting role.

“Chewology hits that spot of something different but familiar,” Liu says.

We agree, which is why we’re naming it the best new spot in Kansas City—an honor that we call the Restaurant of the Year.

In almost all aspects, Chewology is simultaneously diverse and comforting. With a gentle dining room makeover of bright floral tablecloths and lights strung along the ceiling, the vibrant ambiance and open kitchen begs for you to bask in the comradery of friends and family while fighting over shareable plates. Brothy ramen is dressed to the nines with marinated eggs and crisp vegetables. The vegan three cup mushroom ramen is an endless pool of umami flavor.

Then there are the dumplings. You need to experience them yourself, starting with the pork and cabbage that come alive thanks to the timeless blend of fresh ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil.

According to Liu, authenticity is difficult to define with Taiwanese cuisine since the country has a long history of cultural influences from its neighbors. She enjoys playing with regional flavors such as a drizzle of chili mayo to accompany the crispy Taiwanese fried chicken. The menu of craft cocktails was created specifically for the restaurant and includes drinks made with ingredients like mochi, oolong palm sugar syrup, purple taro, bee pollen and green peach.

To get an even deeper and more unique experience, consider Chewology's monthly family-style dinner called Stray Kat. The dinners feature a tasting menu inspired by “memories that bring joy,” which is exactly how we think of this wonderful new restaurant. —TS

Housewife

801 Main St., Suite 104, Grandview. housewifekc.com $

Sleepy downtown Grandview is home to the DMV, a barber shop, a model train store and an amazing and thoroughly unexpected scratch-made breakfast and lunch spot. That’s Housewife, where owner-chef Anna Sorge’s enthusiastically Midwestern menu includes memorable daily soups and croissants that shatter into buttery shards upon impact.

The menu is full of humble-sounding dishes made special by Sorge’s touch. Witness the avocado toast: Ubiquitous for the last decade now, here it’s special thanks to seasoned smashed avocado, roasted chipotle-tomato jam, cilantro-pepita pesto, pickled red onion and cotija cheese. —NTG

GREAT NON RESTAURA NTS

Our definition of a restaurant is a place where you can sit and eat comfortably that maintains regular hours at least a few days per week. Here are a few spots that have great food but didn’t meet that criteria.

• THE ITALIAN SAUSAGE CO.

Some of the city’s best sandwiches reside in a strip mall in Gladstone (7315 N. Oak Trafficway, Gladstone).

The Brancato family’s Italian heritage and Kansas City roots are both honored with their small deli counter that serves hefty, layered subs and juicy homemade sausages smothered in house-made condiments such as red wine olives and creamy, tangy aiolis.

Acre

6325 Lewis St., Parkville. acrekc.com

$$$$

Acre’s chef-owner Andrew Longres bills his menu as “modern Midwestern cuisine,” with most produce grown locally and most meat coming from the Midwest. If Acre has gotten a surprising amount of attention since opening in a blandly commercial stretch of Parkville, that’s likely due to Longres's resume, which includes three years at Napa Valley’s renowned French Laundry before moving back to KC to head up Bluestem and The American.

The cooking is precise and occasionally theatrical but Acre is not a fine dining restaurant (note the burlap and fried cheese curds). Longres’ aim was upscale-casual, which means that as long as you’re down to pay seventy dollars for a dry-aged ribeye, you’re welcome to wear flipflops. —NTG

• KITTY’S CAFE

Kitty’s Café (810 1/2 E. 31st St., KCMO) may have been recognized by the New York Times recently, but the beloved hole-in-thewall’s renowned three-piece pork tenderloin sandwich remains an indulgent crispy delight. This humble joint opened in 1951 and is straightforward: cash only and limited seating.

#14

Lula Southern Cookhouse

1617 Main St., KCMO. lulakc.com $$

Lula Southern Cookhouse is a personal endeavor, named for co-owner and co-chef Bradley Gilmore’s granny, Lula Mae Bryant. It is, Gilmore says, a restaurant for “real Southern food—not Midwestern Southern food.”

What does that look like? Here, grits are cooked down with heavy cream and whisked with white cheddar and lots of butter. They are dreamier than any truffle risotto, silkier than any fairytale porridge and soothing enough to drown out the sounds of your conscience telling you that it would be rude not to share.

Not everything is straight out of Pittsboro, North Carolina—take the sous vide pigtails, which slow-cook for a full twenty-four hours before being breaded with rice flour, flash-fried and plated with sarsaparilla barbecue sauce. —NTG

• BLACKHOLE BAKERY

There’s nowhere to sit at this amazing bakery on Troost (5531 Troost Ave., KCMO), so you’ll just have to buy

• EL POLLO GUASAVE

#15 Niecie’s

6441 Troost Ave., KCMO. nieciesrestaurant.com $

There’s nothing stopping you from ordering hot wings and a waffle at Niecie’s, the long-running soul food spot on Troost. There are plenty of other things to pull your attention on the menu and specials board—oxtails, soft and rich mac and cheese, delightfully salty country ham cut a half-inch thick, batter-fried catfish, grits, a pig ear sandwich—but if you want to get one of their double-thick waffles with a butter scoop the size of a ping pong ball and hot wings smothered in Buffalo sauce, they’ll let you do it. —MC

#16

Sichuan Dynasty

7206 W. 119th St., Overland Park. sichuandynastyop.com $

Sichuan food comes from southwestern China and tends toward blast-zone spice levels thanks to its namesake peppercorn, which numbs the tongue and mouth. If you’re here and can handle some spice, you’ll be tickled (literally) by the mapo tofu and the dry hot pot chicken.

The Chung king spicy beef at Szechuan Dynasty—this humble strip mall restaurant uses both Anglicizations of its name interchangeably, but fret not, it’s the same place—is likewise alive with fire. —MC

• SALTWELL FARM KITCHEN

The best chicken in the city comes from a little yellow shack in KCK (1600 Central Ave., KCK). The owner is originally from the Sinaloan town of Guasave, which is famed for its chicken. The birds are marinated in a vibrant orange-garlic marinade before landing on a fiery grill.

The Saltwell Farm Kitchen pop-up dinner series in the tiny Kansas town of Overbrook comes from Shantel Grace and Rozz Petrozz, the people behind Lawrence mainstay Ramen Bowls. With the exception of olive oil, spices and a few cheeses, everything on the menu and in the kitchen at Saltwell (saltwellfarmkitchen.com) is sourced from within six miles. See page 104

#17 Café Provence

3936 W. 69th Terrace, Prairie Village. cafeprovencekc.com

$$$

To get a feel for Prairie Village’s Café Provence, consider the onion soup. Chef Philip Quillec has had it on his menu every day since the restaurant opened twenty years ago. It’s mostly traditional, made from beef broth and caramelized yellow onions. But Quillec does add bacon in what he calls “an Americanized touch,” and he doesn’t skimp on the layer of Emmentaler and Gruyère cheeses. The menu makes a few such overtures to Midwestern sensibilities (lightly smoked duck breast, a very rich gratin), which has helped make this homey French bistro a staple. —MC

#18 Earl’s Premier

651 E. 59th St., KCMO

$$$

There’s something deeply familiar about Earl’s Premier, and not because there are any remnants of previous tenant Chai Shai left at this corner space in Brookside.

Todd Schulte and his business partner Cory Dannehl opened Earl’s in May 2022 with intentions of making it “a neighborhood American bar and grill.” And it is. But Earl’s also has oysters flown in daily from Maine and the West Coast and a classic shrimp cocktail with plump black tiger prawns poached until soft and dusted with Old Bay.

The menu at Earl’s Premier is not large, and while it emphasizes shellfish, there is a roasted half-chicken with a peppery piri-piri sauce, a classic cheeseburger and a handful of pretty salads. —NTG

#19

Carniceria y Tortilleria San Antonio

830 Kansas Ave., KCK

$

Seemingly everyone in these parts has a favorite KCK taco spot, usually recommended with a hushed enthusiasm as though you’re being let in on a secret. Most of those recommendations (Taqueria 7 Leguas, El Camino Real, Tacos El Guero) are solid picks. But allow us to whisper about our own: Carniceria y Tortilleria San Antonio, a little taqueria and market with a butcher counter in the back, pinatas by the coolers and sturdy log furniture that looks like it was salvaged from the set of Ponderosa

The perfect order is a burrito on the freshly pressed flour tortillas stuffed with the shredded beef known as deshebrada. Grab a Mineragua and splash on salsa from the bar. —MC

#21

Cosmo Burger

8750 Penrose Lane, Lenexa, and 7438 Wornall Road, KCMO. cosmoburgerkc.com

$

When Cosmo Burger owner Jacob Kruger was laid off from his job at a notable beer bar during the pandemic, he started plotting a new path. Kruger was a longtime burger snob and thought he might be able to build a better mousetrap. So he set about trying with an intense focus on every detail. At Cosmo, it’s not just about the choice of potato roll (softer than other buns) but the way it’s toasted (on a separate flat-top from the meat) and even how it’s served (wrapped in paper for a steamy finish.) It is, in our opinion, the best burger ever served in the city. —MC

Mesob

3601 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. mesobkc.com

$$

Mesob’s name is derived from an elaborate Ethiopian breadbasket symbolizing prosperity, unity and creativity. These notions permeate the new Broadway location, a place of warmth, vibrancy and joy.

Mesob highlights both Caribbean and Ethiopian cuisine—the respective birth countries of coowners Cherven Desauguste and Mehret Tesfamariam. Utilizing fine-dining techniques, Desauguste presents alluringly red wine-braised oxtail, red lentil misir wot and a sapid array of tibs served with spongy injera. The bar features an unrivaled rum list. —TW

Taco Naco

8220 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park. taconacokc.com $

$$$$

Savoy chef Brandon Brumback is a native Kansas Citian returning to his roots after stints at two high-profile Napa Valley eateries, Bouchon and the French Laundry, as well as Chicago's Grace and Ria, both of which were named the city’s best by Chicago magazine. Brumback brings French technique to an inventive menu that puts heavy emphasis on seasonal fare like the butternut squash tortellini served with pecan, shallot and sage or porcini-dusted pig ears with a Dijon-spiked cold egg sauce. —KB

Affäre

Taco Naco is a casual, quick-service restaurant that looks unassuming. But step inside this Overland Park taqueria and market and you’ll find it’s so much more. Chef Fernanda Reyes started Taco Naco as a farmers market booth before opening as a brick-and-mortar store in 2021. The shop still has a full-service mercado with limes, spices, canned El Pato sauce and bottles of Mexican Coke. The fridge is stocked with handmade products to take home, including a vast array of beautiful salsas, tamales and hearty pozole that’re perfect for colder months. The tacos steal the show. A favorite is Reyes’ pork al pastor, which is marinated in adobo and topped with a creamy cilantro aioli that is cut by an acidic, fresh pineapple-onion relish on top of local favorite white-corn Yoli tortilla. The slow-cooked barbacoa brisket taco is perfectly balanced thanks to a chipotle aioli. Reyes also serves up breakfast tacos and now has a bar specializing in margaritas and other agave-based cocktails. -MH #25

1911 Main St., KCMO. affarekc.com

$$$$

When the pandemic hit, Affäre’s owners, husband-wife duo Martin and Katrin Heuser, began training their children to be part of their kitchen staff, making the restaurant a true family affair. But there is no mistaking this modern German restaurant in the Crossroads for your run-of-the-mill ma and pa shop. Martin is a master chef, having worked in multiple Michelin-starred establishments in Europe, while Katrin is a certified sommelier with a global background. Their ever-changing seasonal menu pays homage to their German heritage with rustic old-world flavors of gamey meats and rich sauces. European comforts range from mushroom terrines to lobster poutine, and, of course, the classic Wiener schnitzel. With Katrin’s expertise in wine and spirits, you can confidently venture out of your comfort zone with an orange wine or Vermouth flight, and the cozy outdoor courtyard, nestled between two buildings, offers a quick getaway from the bustling Crossroads neighborhood. —TS

The Peanut on Main

5000 Main St., KCMO. peanutkc.com $

Why is a dive bar where you enter through a back door that passes through the kitchen on this list? Because that dive bar is the original location of the Peanut—with different owners than the suburban locations—and it has the best chicken wings on the planet. Take it from this wing snob who’s been through Gabriel’s Gate and the other meccas of western New York: The Peanut reigns supreme. The BLT is also notable and has a massive cult following, but I’ve only not ordered “three wings with cheese fries” once, and all I could think about was wings. —MC

Shagan’s Chicken & Paranthas

14521 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, and 8436 Ward Parkway, KCMO. instagram.com/shagansrestaurant $

Most local Indian restaurants have menus that are large and fairly similar, offering a smattering of greatest hits from the subcontinent’s varied cuisine. Shagan’s Chicken & Paranthas is the opposite. Shagan Bajwa’s restaurant focuses on the foods of her native Punjab region in Northern India, where bread and curry take center stage. The menus at both the original location in south Overland Park and the new location on south Ward Parkway are written on a white dry-erase board every day and are based on what Bajwa feels like cooking. Rich butter chicken with a deep cumin flavor and an earthy chicken curry are typically offered along with several specials. Both locations are sparsely decorated and do brisk carryout business. —MC.

801 Chophouse

11616 Ash St., Leawood, and 71 E. 14th St., KCMO. 801chophouse.com

801 Chophouse has perfected a specific brand of luxury to the extent that there’s a strong case to be made for it being the best special-occasion dining experience in the city. The woody dining room is a sanctum where the world feels far away for a few hours. The menu is familiar fare of surf and turf. The former is headlined by a two-pluspound live lobster, crab legs by the pound and various preparations of oysters.

On the steak side, there’s Wagyu, wetaged steaks and dry-aged steaks—some of those cuts spent the entirety of the Game of Thrones spin-off series in the cooler. All are better than they need to be and can be embellished according to taste with cognac cream, bone marrow butter and the like. At the end of the meal, the server will give you his business card and you’ll hope to see him again the next time you’ve got something to celebrate. —MC

Pizza Tascio

Various locations. pizzatascio.com

At Erik Borger’s new project, Pizza Tascio, even the logo is D.O.P. The “Uncle Tascio” character seen on the sign of the rapidly expanding New York-style pizza chain was given to him by the Palermo Visitors Bureau. Pizza Tascio is a passion project for Borger, who founded the Neapolitan-style spot Il Lazzarone before selling it to employees. The native New Yorker's new spot started with testing dozens of tomatoes before settling on California-grown San Marzanos from a farm run by Phoenix pizza king Chris Bianco. After starting with 00 flour, Tascio now uses “some super old-school bagel flour.” Borger is a tinkerer whose stated goal is making the best New York-style pie—not in KC, which he did opening day—but anywhere. He’s on his way. —MC

#29 Q39

11051 Antioch Road, Overland Park, and 1000 W. 39th St., KCMO. q39kc.com

$$

Q39’s Philip Thompson has a resume unlike any other local pitmaster. The British-born culinary school grad spent a decade in fine dining, including heading the kitchen at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.—better known as the “Hinckley Hilton” because it’s the hotel where Reagan was shot—where he cooked for high-profile events like the famed White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He did a lot of sous vide there—which he says is basically just barbecuing in water.

Thompson took over Q39 after the passing of legendary founder Rob Magee, who rewrote the book on running a barbecue restaurant, cooking meat hotter and faster to keep it fresher. Thompson is adding his own stamp, too, as we saw with the achingly tender beef ribs served at a recent chef’s dinner. You can argue there’s better barbecue in KC, but when it comes to a full restaurant experience, Q39 stands alone.—MC

#30

Hummus and Pita

8039 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park. hummusnpita.com

$

Baba ganoush is made from roasted eggplant, but it tends to be creamy and beige. The “real baba’’ at the new Hummus and Pita in downtown Overland Park is a different beast altogether. It’s darker and chunkier, but it retains some of the purple fruit’s original form after being smoked, mashed and blended with pomegranate sauce, lemon, olive oil, walnuts and tomatoes. What’s difference? “I made it,” says Dhiaa Eid, a Palestinian raised in Jordan who owns and operates this bustling Middle Eastern spot in the former Snack Shack. Shawarma is served alongside an earthy and rich avocado shake, a specialty of Jordan, and chicken tikka that’s brightened with a creamy yellow sauce. Everything other than the pita is scratch-made, which has catapulted it above some of our old favorites. —MC

Sayachi

6322 Brookside Plaza, KCMO. sayachikc.com

$$

Sayachi made a splashy entrance when it opened just before the pandemic. Jarocho owners Carlos Falcon and Sayaka Gushi Falcon tapped a pedigree Japanese chef for the space in the heart of Brookside, putting an emphasis on high-end Edomae-style (soycured) sushi. That chef was gone in a matter of months, and while the pretty murals of cherry blossom and maple still grace the walls, the restaurant has become a more casual neighborhood spot with a conspicuous lobster tank and a very nice lunch menu headlined by a bento box and ramen. The sushi was among the best we’ve had in KC on a recent visit, which was soundtracked by the sound of knives being sharpened from the open kitchen and a Japanese indie pop act called Aiko. —MC

#32

Lotus Hot Pot

6591A N. Oak Trafficway, Gladstone

$$

As the name implies, hot pots are hot. How hot? My server at Lotis Hot Pot can’t tell the exact temperature of the rich broth tossing dried chiles around at a rolling boil on the induction burner in front of me, but she points to a recent battle scar on her chin. “I bent over and got too close,” she says. “So, yes, they are very hot.” There are a few places offering Chinese DIY soups in the city, but this spot deep in the Northland stands out for its massive menu and flavor-packed broths. The Lotus menu includes more than a hundred ingredients—the meats alone include everything from Spam to pig heart and mushrooms. Meatballs and tofu get their own sections. —MC

#33

Wah Gwan

6228 Troost Ave., KCMO. wahgwantan.com $

Tanyech Yarbrough’s Wah Gwan opened just before the pandemic hit. The Brooklyn-raised Yarbrough was born in Jamaica and has always loved cooking and entertaining. But when she opened her restaurant on Troost, she wanted to expand the menu beyond traditional Jamaican food staples and offer Nigerian dishes, too. Yarbrough’s partner is Nigerian and helped inspire the restaurant’s unique fusion of flavors and influences. Part of that Nigerian influence includes egusi, which is similar to gumbo and made with melon seeds, African spices and chicken or goat and typically served with fufu, a dough-like ball of cassava. —MFH

6737 W. 75th St., Overland Park. bucktuibbq.com $$

Smoke dominates the menu at Teddy Liberda’s Thai barbecue spot at 75th and Metcalf, but the brines and rubs go a long way in setting the flavors apart. Buck Tui’s house rub—a combination that includes coriander, garlic and palm sugar—is generously applied to pork butts, pork ribs and shrimp. The ribs are particularly good: A combination of smoke, sweet fat and ruby-red meat is barely contained by the sticky sheen of a tangy ripe cherry glaze.

Of the smoked meats, the Amish Gerber chicken is the greatest accomplishment. After its extended brine, the chicken is smoked for up to five hours before being flash fried to order, rendering the skin crispy and shiny. It is seasoned to the bone, so when you break through that sleek casing, you are rewarded with meat so delicate that its journey to your mouth is blissfully weightless. —NTG

Buck Tui BBQ

#35 Grünauer

101 W. 22nd St., KCMO. grunauerkc.com

$$$$

If you are craving authentic Austrian-German style fare, Grünauer’s ornate dining room in the Crossroads’ Freight House will not disappoint. The ambiance here feels like you’ve been transported to Vienna, and the restaurant delivers refined versions of truly delectable dishes like classic Wiener schnitzel and an assortment of traditional cucumber, tomato, cabbage and carrot salads. The sausage sampler is highly recommended, as is the Schweinebraten—pork loin and shoulder roasted until tender and plated with bread dumplings and red cabbage. The Bavarianborn executive chef, Matthias Seyfrid, changes the menu seasonally. Grünauer’s drink menu features some very fine German beers and pleasing but rarely seen Central European wines. The gluten-free menu is also extensive. —LMC

#36

Garozzo's

9950 College Blvd., Overland Park, and 526 Harrison St., KCMO. garozzos.com $$

Is Garozzo’s the best Italian food in Kansas City? Probably not. But it is my favorite. The pasta isn’t handmade, the chicken isn’t organic or free range, and you’re gonna hear Tony Bennett or someone from the Rat Pack over the speakers every time. That’s a beautiful thing. It’s dimly lit, and the servers wear puffy tuxedo shirts and dark pants. They also give you free chicken spiedini on your birthday—I get a Spiedini Samantha-style over fettuccine alfredo every year. I usually only go to the downtown location on Harrison Street. The tables are uncomfortable and too close together, but it’s all part of the experience. If you’re out to dinner with a boring date, eavesdropping on other tables is very easy to do. It’s actually unavoidable. Their Sicilian Stuffed Artichoke is the move for the appetizer—stuffed with shrimp, prosciutto, bread crumbs, garlic butter and melted provolone cheese. Those are all good things. —PM.

#37

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar

4814 Roanoke Parkway, KCMO. jaxfishhouse.com

$$$$

From the abundance of fresh seafood displayed on ice inside the front door to the beautiful aquariums with colorful fish dancing around, Jax is as enjoyable for your eyes as it is for your palate. This Country Club Plaza restaurant has the sophistication and menu of a fine dining experience, but it's family friendly and has a daily happy hour. It can be difficult to find good fresh seafood in the landlocked Midwest, but Jax has fresh choices flown in daily. —LMC

#38

The Restaurant at 1900

1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods. therestaurantat1900.com

$$$$

Our crew had mixed experiences at this fine dining restaurant at the old Lee Jeans headquarters in Mission Woods over the past year, so the solemn obligation of ducking in for a glass of Champagne and a quick bite at the bar fell to me.

The mid-century modern building is striking, and the beverage program is directed by Doug Frost, the city’s best-known somm. Frost picks very nice but budget-friendly wines from around the world with confidence (a bottle of Lubanzi Chenin Blanc can be had for $35). That high-low theme continues through a dinner menu that opens with potato chips (with salmon roe and Dungeness crab) and an obscenely rich grilled cheese sandwich with braised short rib, pickled giardiniera and rosemary dijonnaise on sourdough. —MC #39

Ça Va

4149 Pennsylvania Ave., KCMO. cavakc.com

$$

Ça Va is a gem in the heart of Westport. Along with the city’s most extensive selections of grower Champagnes—that is, Champagne produced by the estate that also owns the vineyards where the grapes are grown—you’ll find a seasonal menu of small plates and creative appetizers imagined by chef Howard Hanna. A tin ceiling weathered to perfection, marble bistro tables and low mood lighting are the perfect backdrop for a celebratory glass and nibbling on duck fat kettle corn or the bar’s signature deviled eggs. A delightful brick patio serves as the perfect backdrop for a Sunday mimosa with fresh squeezed juice and an apple butter and Chantilly crème crepe. —DB

Café des Amis

112 Main St., Second floor, Parkville. cafedesamiskc.com

$$$

Tucked away on the second floor of an old brick building in quaint downtown Parkville, French restaurant Café des Amis makes you feel like you’ve made an incredible culinary discovery. This restaurant, which fashions itself as an authentic French bistro, has been around for years. Part of its charm is its frontman and owner, the very French Guillaume Hanriot, who has curated an extensive wine list that pairs nicely with its traditional menu. On a warm day, sit on the outdoor patio surrounded by trees, sip a glass of Champagne, and nibble away at the cafe’s signature salad, a small plate of baby greens topped with roasted red bell pepper, portabella mushroom, bleu cheese, candied spiced walnuts and a dijon vinaigrette. Menu highlights are the pan-seared wild scallops served with fennel, cherry tomato and shallot confit, and of course, the crème brulee. —DB

LEFT: A barrel drum smoker with a sticker designed by Jay “Snail” Vantuyl. Vantuyl attended the KC Art Institute and was a pinstriper by trade. Most of his creations have homemade stickers on them.

RIGHT: Vantuyl is a proud Army veteran and counts himself lucky to have been stationed stateside in 1968. He’s an outspoken advocate of the Veterans Affairs department and credits doctors there with saving his life.

By Martin Cizmar Photography by Jeremey Theron Kirby

HE PONTIAC AZTEK is maybe the most maligned automobile of all time. “Deformed and scary,” (Time), the boxy modernist crossover contraption was the “ugliest car of all time” (Daily Telegraph) and single-handedly “destroyed an eighty-four-yearold automaker” (Edmunds). Don’t slander the Aztek to Jay “Snail” Vantuyl. His Galaxy Silver 2002 Aztek is proudly parked in the front yard, in the shadow of the silos of the ready-mix concrete plant across the street.

“This is a badass car,” Snail says. “It’s got a tailgate, it’s a truck. The back here is exactly four foot and one-quarter inch. You put a four-foot piece of plywood in the back and it’ll stick out exactly fourteen inches.”

The car is a clue that Vantuyl is one of those rare individuals who sees the world from a unique angle. He’s a lifelong tinkerer: A boy who built his own toys turned into a man who raced his Chevelle (“one humble sumbitch,” Snail says) on the figure-eight track at the old Riverside Stadium. The man they call Snail raced for twenty-two years and went fast enough to win a championship each of the last six years he ran through the mud at that flood-prone bottomland track, where racers had to swerve to miss other drivers crossing the center twice per lap.

Right around the time Snail put away his helmet for the last time, he started another competitive hobby: barbecue.

Thirty-odd years later, it’s arguable that no one has done more to shape competitive barbecue than Vantuyl. That’s because one of his inventions, the can cooker, changed competitive barbecue in much the same way Knute Rockne’s forward pass changed football. The can is cheaper and faster than other popular styles of smoker, and it has become the dominant platform for serious competition teams. Cans—also known as drums—are not only ubiquitous but also overrepresented among teams taking home ribbons.

“The can has changed barbecue in the last ten years, so much that it would make your head spin if everyone had to go back to 2006,” says Dan Hathaway, manager of the Kansas City BBQ Store and a veteran of the competition scene. “No one would know how to cook. It’s a completely different thing now.”

Ardie Davis, the prolific barbecue author and insider based in KC, says that Vantuyl hasn’t got enough attention for his contributions to the “sport” of barbecue. “Snail is more motivated by the process and the product than getting the recognition and the pay for it,” Davis says. “Slow and low has its perks because the socialization that you get at night is valued by a lot of the old-time cookers, but the convenience of the barrel smoker and hot and fast is going to be hard to beat.”

AROUND HIS HOME WORKSHOP IN THE TINY Northland burg of Pleasant Valley, Vantuyl has all kinds of contraptions. In the driveway, loaded up for towing, there’s a catering-capable smoker made from a bright orange Jobox built with help from friends. In the backyard, he has two homemade pizza oven prototypes made from barrels before he bought an Ooni, which he’s improved with his own front door design. When Vantuyl makes ribs, he doesn’t cut off the skin; he punctures it using a device he made from hot glue and Exacto knife blades. (“There’s something called a jacquard, and this is just a redneck jacquard.”) Vantuyl is even working to build a better raccoon trap—the biggest coon he ever caught escaped his Havahart, so he’s building his own heavy-duty design.

Many of the contraptions Vantuyl makes are hewn from sheets of steel mesh netting known as expanded metal—he uses it for both his rib racks and his racoon traps. The main thing that connects all of his innovations, though, is his personal motto: Keep It Stupid Simple. “You ever heard of ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid?’ Well, my mother was the type of person who would just not tolerate someone calling someone a name. If you said ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’ you were calling somebody stupid,” he says. “She heard that and chewed my butt out. So I flipped it around.’”

The can cooker, Vantuyl’s most influential innovation, is the perfect exemplar of the motto. The can cooker— which Vantuyl prefers to say he “developed” rather than “invented”—is what it sounds like: a fifty-five gallon drum that was previously used to hold cooking oil. He started barbecuing in the can after meeting a man in Boston who complained that he couldn’t get into barbecue because the smokers were too expensive. So Snail set out to show him that he could cook with anything, even a five-dollar steel barrel that had a few screws in it to hold a round grill above the fire.

His original barrel was just a barrel—no air intake, no exhaust pipe. “It was just a barrel with a piece of plywood on top that had a stick under it,” Vantuyl says. “And the bigger the stick, the hotter it would run. The air would go down to the fire and back out the same hole. And that’s how we won the first grand championship down in Emporia. Two weeks later, we won in Wichita. Two state championships in two weeks.”

People had been building smokers out of metal barrels since the invention of barrels. Davis remembers an offset smoker called “the pig” that includes a vertical barrel made by the “Baron of Barbecue” Paul Kirk sometime in the early eighties. Still, it’s fair to say that these devices were just offset smokers made using a barrel and not the barrel we know today, which Vantuyl developed. A deep internet search reveals no mention of a vertical drum smoker like the one Snail pioneered before he won his first ribbon in 2003. Indeed, the oldest mention online is a grainy YouTube video from July 2006 in which Snail introduces the concept. In the video, the interviewer, a barbecue expert who runs a very active channel, is completely perplexed by the design and is borderline argumentative about the details as they’re explained.

Vantuyl’s biggest challenge in developing the drum was figuring out how far above the fire box he needed to put the grill. The final design is fourteen inches. The current version of Vantuyl’s device has a few other higher-tech

additions—there are not only tubes for air intake and to let the smoke leave but also covers that slide over them to hold the vents in place and allow for temperature control. In keeping with the methods of simplicity, those vent covers are held in place with metal clips from an office supply store. There’s also a tube in the top that holds a standard kitchen thermometer. Vantuyl’s design from the early Obama years is essentially the same as the Gateway Drums that sell for twelve-hundred bucks today. Hathaway, the BBQ store manager, has access to every smoker available. And on the day we spoke, he was going home to cook on a can.

“There’s a flavor you don’t get with anything else,” Hathaway says. “It’s somewhere in between smoked and grilled and there’s nothing that replicates the flavor on the drums. It’s the craziest thing. It just gives it something a little bit extra. There’s something in that gap between the top of the firebox and the bottom of the grate—some sort of magic happens in that space.”

VANTUYL WAS BORN AND SPENT HIS EARLY YEARS in Peabody, Kansas, which is between Emporia and Wichita, fifty miles from each. His family lived a simple life of subsistence on a farm owned by his grandmother until she passed away and his father’s siblings forced the sale of the property.

“Never had no toilet, never had no refrigerator—all our meat came from a locker in town,” he says. “We hunted and we fished. Until we came to Kansas City, I didn’t know we were poor. Didn’t have a clue.”

They moved up to Kansas City using the little money they could cobble together, and his father got a job as a form carpenter while his mother took a job doing collections and office administration for a chiropractor. Vantuyl still lives in the house his parents bought in Pleasant Valley back in 1962 with his wife Sharon and a black cat named BP.

“Our grandmother had left us kids seventy-five-dollar savings bonds, and my parents sold those bonds to rent a truck to bring us up to Kansas City—that’s how fucking poor we were,” Vantuyl says.

He doesn’t remember eating barbecue for the first time, but he’s sure it was Arthur Bryant’s, which was near the old Kansas City Athletics stadium and his uncle’s house. His favorite childhood memories are from his time in the Boy Scouts, where he earned his Eagle badge. He says the idea of barbecuing in a barrel reminded him of campfire cooking: “I liked cooking over the campfire, and this is just a campfire in a can.”

Vantuyl spent a year at the Kansas City Art Institute before running out of money. He was drafted into the Army in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War. Rather than being sent overseas, he got lucky and served his time as a field medic at Fort Riley in central Kansas. When he got out, he worked as a pinstriper and sign maker—his work still hangs at Leo’s Pizza and In-A-Tub. He stopped pinstriping when he lost use of his left arm for two years because of what a chiropractor later told him was a rib that’d slid out of place.

Today, Vantuyl is seventy-five and mostly retired from competitive barbecue, with the exception of the annual benefit for the Masonic Lodge in Raytown. He maintains an assortment of paying gigs: ”I’ve got a deal where I…”

TOP: Ribs and sausage inside a drum smoker.

Vantuyl’s sausage is made with a recipe famous among competition cooks. It’s one Vantuyl and a friend found in a desk drawer after the recipe’s creator passed away. He uses the same spice blend for his ribs—keeping things “stupid simple.”

BOTTOM: Vantuyl slices ribs after they’ve been smoked for two hours. Ribs cooked on the drum have more char than those cooked on an offset smoker.

is how he tends to refer to them. Many of them involve his buddy Dale Cox, whom Vantuyl describes as “managerial.” Cox met Vantuyl while he was the vice president of a Northland bank. The two started hanging out, and Cox adopted the same hobbies of barbecue and African violets. “My big thing with him, when he starts screwing with me real bad, is I just look at him and say ‘Fix it,” Vantuyl says. “You can skin a cat fifteen different ways. Our minds do not work the same way, and that’s invaluable.”

“We went back and forth on the barrels,” Cox says. “Like with a hinge, you can move it an inch this way or an inch that way and it works.”

While Vantuyl has a laid-back attitude about others taking his design and putting a shiny coat of paint on it to sell thousand-dollar barrel smokers, Cox expresses some regrets. “Everybody saw these barrels, and then all of a sudden barrels just started showing up, and then all of a sudden everyone all over the country were building barrels,” he says. “We should have got a freakin’ patent on it. But who knew?”

A few years after the ironically named Snail’s Slow Smoking won its first ribbon in a barrel, they’d been commoditized by people who built their reputations and livelihoods off the design.

“What are you gonna do? Nothing. You can’t do nothing,” Cox says.

IF YOU’D HAVE GONE TO A BARBECUE COMPetition in, say, 2005, you’d see a very different scene than exists today. At that time, the “sport” was all about technology and partying. Most teams at the competitions rolled up with offset smokers on a trailer and slept in an RV—if they slept at all between whiskey shots. Competitors used remote thermometers to carefully monitor the temperature of their meat throughout the night. Friday nights, especially, were one big party. At 9:22 pm, everyone took a shot.

Starting with the first American Royal in 1980 and continuing through the early aughts, barbecue was “more of a social thing than anything,” Hathaway says. There are now sanctioned barbecue competitions from Hawaii to New Hampshire, but the only ones that remain basically social anywhere in America are local: Lenexa, Shawnee and the American Royal. Things changed as the purse prizes grew and as more and more competitors started side hustles. “More and more people started getting involved in having their own products and all that, and as it got more and more serious, the party thing kind of went away,” Hathaway says. “Now, you go to a barbecue competition and people will be out a little bit on Friday night, but by eight or nine o’clock, it’s a ghost town.”

The 9:22 pm shot tradition has migrated to 9:22 am on Saturday. That’s due in large part to Vantuyl, who won his first grand championship on the can in 2003 and quickly started snagging ribbons at a brisk pace. Others started adopting the “stupid simple” design. Not long after, five out of six ribbons at the Royal were won on cans.

“I used to show up on Saturday at 7 am, light a fire and I could take ribbons home,” Vantuyl says. “The people who cooked all night liked to drink.”

“The can made everybody more efficient and it made it so that you really have to get your timing down,” Hathaway says. “You cook to a color. You don’t cook to a certain temperature anymore. You cook it to a color, you wrap it, and you cook it to a tenderness, and that’s it. You don’t use a lot of probes and all that stuff that you’d use if you were cooking on an offset and needed to monitor it overnight. My rib process is now two hours. It’s the greatest thing ever—it takes barbecue back to the roots, basically. It’s not about technology. It’s just about knowing

That gap between the top of the firebox and the bottom of the grate— some sort of magic happens in that space.

how your cooker runs and old-school cookin’ barbecue. That’s what makes a drum so much fun.”

Or, as Snail says in keeping with his “Keep It Stupid Simple” motto: “I don’t care about temperature.”

When Snail cooks ribs—he and I spent a morning doing just that in his driveway—the process starts with a carbide sharpener. Rather than using a sharpening steel, he’ll run a thrift store knife over the $10 Speedy Sharp people typically use on garden clippers. He trims the ribs to a St. Louis cut and then carefully saves the excess into a plastic baggie to make fajitas. The ribs get a light rub of the same spice blend he uses in his sausages and go bone-side-down on a rib rack of his own design. Or they just lean against the barrel—that’s fine, too.

There is no wet rub, no spritzing, no water pan and no deflector. The firebox is stuffed with charcoal and a few chunks of persimmon given to him by a friend before he passed away. The can heats up to 270—or 250, or 295. Vantuyl’s not that particular. “If it’s in that brown area, I’m cool,” he says, pointing to an area that includes about a third of the thermometer’s range.

What Vantuyl does care about is the drawback of the ribs. It’s universally agreed that ribs are more desirable when the meat pulls back from the tips of the bone, but in the days before Snail’s Slow Smoking was ironically named, it didn’t always happen. Ribs won’t draw back unless the fire is hot enough. Snail credits his epiphany on this to the late L.C. Richardson, proprietor of his namesake pit on Blue Parkway.

“I revered him,” Vantuyl says of Richardson. “When I asked him about drawback on ribs the first time, he said, ‘White people don’t listen.’ When I asked him the second time, he said nothing. The third time, a few months later, he never even turned around and he said, ‘You’re not cooking hot enough.’ I said, ‘How hot is hot?’ He said, ‘You can’t hold your hand over it.’ And if you try to hold your hand on the lid of this, you couldn’t. You’d burn yourself. When I started cooking on the can, I was amazed at how close the fire could be to the meat and not burn it all to heck.”

Vantuyl—who does no advertising of any kind and maintains no internet presence—will make and sell the original barrel to those who track him down by referral. He sells the barrels for $350, and his cost is currently at close to a hundred and twenty bucks, so he’s not really looking to grow his business. There is one catch: You have to come cook with him to take the smoker off the lot. You can’t just hand him the money and leave—you first get a lesson on the nuances of the barrel from its developer.

“I don’t teach them how to cook, but I just show them how I cook, and if they like that they can use it,” Vantuyl says. “I don’t want anyone buying one unless they like how it cooks. If you like it, fine. If not, that’s OK, too.”

TOP: Vantuyl and his wife Sharon team up at Christmas to make money to pay their property taxes. Snail uses his big white beard to be a convincing “Northland Santa” while Sharon is Santa’s wife “Sondra Claus.” “Life with the Renaissance man is never boring, even if it has slowed down,” Sharon says.

BOTTOM: A raccoon trap prototype.

LEFT: The first grand championship plaque won on the drum.

THE ANNUAL LIST OF TOP ATTORNEYS

*Selected

**Selected

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All employees have basic rights, and when those rights are violated the attorneys at Baldwin & Vernon are there to listen and form a strategy to achieve the best possible outcome, whether that be in a negotiated resolution or jury verdict. The legal team handles cases involving wrongful termination, sexual harassment, hostile work

environments, government whistleblower claims, workers’ compensation retaliation claims (where workers are retaliated against

claim), and discrimination based on gender, age, disability, race, religion and national origin. They work diligently to hold those who violate the law responsible for their actions. The team has extensive experience trying cases before state and federal courts, government agencies and in arbitration and

has achieved multimillion-dollar verdicts in single plaintiff cases and taken on some

congratulates Super Lawyers honorees Kevin Baldwin and Eric Vernon as well as Rising Stars honoree Robin Koogler. Nuestro bufete de abogados cuenta con un abogado dedicado que habla, lee y escribe

L to R: Holly Fielder (Intern), Kevin Baldwin* (Partner), Eric Vernon* (Partner), Wendi Bridges Kassie Vargas (Paralegal), Robin Koogler** (Associate)

to Super Lawyers

to Rising Stars

Super

Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis.

The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. Since Super Lawyers is intended to be used as an aid in selecting a lawyer, we limit the lawyer ratings to those who can be hired and retained by the public, i.e., lawyers in private practice and Legal Aid attorneys.

The Super Lawyers selection process involves the steps outlined in the graphic below.

Adams, Robert T.

Angles, Christopher J. Bartimus, James R.

Bath, Jr., Thomas J. Bautista, Jose M. Becker, Timothy J.

Boulware, Brandon J.B. Brady, Maureen Cannezzaro, Nikki Cartmell, Thomas P. Crawford, William (Clay)

Davis, Grant L. Dollar, Tim Emison, J. Kent Fisher, Nicole M. Foster, Shawn G. Frickleton, James P.

Goza, Kirk J. Graham, Gene

Griffin, James D. Griggs, Annette Hershewe, Thomas

Hobbs, James R. Johnson, Todd Jones, Thomas C. Ketchum, Amanda Pennington

LeRoy, Andrew S. Mann, Scott M. Mayer, David M. Meyers, Martin M. Morris, Jeffrey D. Nail, Roger D. Norman, Phyllis Otto, Theresa A.

Chinnery Evans & Nail has a reputation as one of the Kansas City area’s most trusted law firms. Founded in 1967, our firm has a passion for preparing and protecting our clients in the areas of Estate Planning, Business Law, Real Estate Law, Probate and Trust Administration, and Litigation. We provide the following:

• Concentration. We listen closely and hone in on your needs.

• Consultation. We take a consultative approach to providing legal counsel. We advise you, your family and your company throughout the entire legal process.

• Competency. Our attorneys have nearly 125 years of combined experience in the practice of law and provide legal services of the highest caliber.

• Confidentiality. We strive to maintain a comfortable and confidential relationship at all times. We want each client to know they can trust us as their legal advisers.

Playter, Eric S. Presley, Kirk R. Rader, Michael C.

Redfearn, III, Paul L.

Regan, Kevin E.J. Robb, Gary C. Rose, Jared A.

Rottinghaus, Thomas A. Ruprecht, G. Steven Scharnhorst, Todd A.

Schultz, John G. Sternberg, Jonathan Stevens, Shea E. Turner, John E. Votava, Brett T. Wendt, Samuel M.

LEAH BURKHEAD

Chosen to Super Lawyers

ANNA MARK Chosen to Rising Stars

JACOB MARK Chosen to Rising Stars

ZACH MARK Chosen to Rising Stars

KEITH MARK Chosen to Super Lawyers

Bankruptcy: Consumer............................. S-6

Civil Litigation: Plaintiff ............................ S-6

Civil Rights ................................................ S-6

Class Action/Mass Torts .......................... S-6

Consumer Law.......................................... S-6

Criminal Defense ...................................... S-7

Criminal Defense: DUI/DWI..................... S-7

Employment & Labor ............................... S-8

Employment Litigation: Plaintiff ............. S-8

Estate & Trust Litigation ........................ S-10

Estate Planning & Probate .................... S-10

Family Law............................................... S-11

General Litigation................................... S-13

Immigration ............................................ S-13

Personal Injury General: Plaintiff........... S-13

Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff ................................................. S-16

Personal Injury Products: Plaintiff ..........S-17

Real Estate ............................................. S-18

Social Security Disability ........................ S-18

Workers' Compensation ......................... S-18

THE ANNUAL

LIST

BY PRIMARY AREA OF PRACTICE

The list was finalized as of May 16, 2022. Only attorneys who data verified with Super Lawyers for the current year are included on the list that follows. All current selections and any updates to the list (e.g., status changes or disqualifying events) will be reflected on superlawyers.com.

Names and page numbers in RED indicate a profile on

for attorneys with paid Super Lawyers or Rising Stars print advertisements.

BANKRUPTCY: CONSUMER

SUPER LAWYERS

Herring, Chelsea S. Robinson, Tracy L.

RISING STARS Hoorfar, Camron L.

CIVIL LITIGATION: PLAINTIFF

SUPER LAWYERS

Robertson, III, Edward (Kip) D. Wagstaff, Jr., Tom

RISING STARS Anderson, Paul D. Fumagalli, Erica Mae Goodwin, Andrew Heaney, Samuel P. Kurtz, Jacob Lange, Ethan Loehr, Ryan Salva, Raymond Schermerhorn, Andrew Thrasher, Robert

CIVIL RIGHTS

SUPER LAWYERS Baker, David S. Woody, Teresa A. Zmijewski, Daniel R.

CLASS ACTION/MASS TORTS

SUPER LAWYERS

Barton, Eric D.

Bertram, J. Scott Chambers, Jason Clevenger, Nicholas S. S-9 Dirks, Eric L. Edgar, John F. George, Tracey Kronawitter, Joseph A. Kuntz, Jeffrey M. Lamer, Bryant T. Lytle, Matthew W. McInnes, Jack Paul III, Richard M. Perkins, Lindsay Todd Peterson, David M. S-9

Schwarz, Ashlea Sharp, Rex A. Sifers, Timothy L. West, Timothy R.

RISING STARS Bradshaw, Sarah T. Cooper, Sean Dickson, Melody R.

Edwards, Tanner J. Feierabend, Joseph M. Fellows, Laura Kinsman, Robert

Leftridge, Crystal C. Matyszczyk, Blair McClellan Paradise, Abby Moore, J. Austin Rowe, Steven Stout, Courtney

CONSUMER LAW

SUPER LAWYERS Anderson, Lee R. Bell, Bryce B.

Leyh, Gregory Waddell, A. Scott

CRIMINAL DEFENSE

SUPER LAWYERS

Angles, Christopher J. S-8

Bath, Jr., Thomas J.

Bell, David

Benjamin, Kim Billam, Jason B. Brown, Christopher T.

Burton, Stephanie M. Cornwell, Carl E. Cramm, Paul D.

Davies, Brandan Dodge, Cynthia M. Fann, Traci

Francis, Jane E. Garretson, Tyler P. Ginie, Ryan S.

Gyllenborg, Scott Harvell, John E. Henderson, Courtney T.

Keller, Marilyn Brady Lurie, David M. McIntosh, Michael C.

Morgan, Melanie S. Mudd, Tim Nouri, Lisa G. O'Connor, John P. O'Connor, Matthew J. O'Connor, Patrick J.

Peter, Joshuah Pettlon, III, N. Trey

Picerno, John Anthony

Pilate, Cheryl A. Regan, Kevin E.J.

Scherff, Dionne

Solomon, Garrett M.

Spies, James L. Stone, Gary D. Thomas, Zach V.

Toth, W. Scott Vernon, Eric E. S-1

Watt, Greg Wood, Ronald P.

RISING STARS Aramjoo, Paemon Bailey, Jonathan

Christensen, Sara Hofeditz Davis, Leon Duma, Michael C. Ferguson, Trevor L. Hunter, Michael C. Meek, Casey

Nichols, Michael J.

Sloan, Taylor Spradlin, Tracy Watson, Jordan R. Zigtema, Catherine A.

CRIMINAL DEFENSE: DUI/DWI

SUPER LAWYERS

Carter, J. Denise

Eastman, Jeffrey Guilfoil, J. Matthew Hottman, E. Todd Kane, Brandon L.

Kirby, Denise, The Law Offices of Denise Kirby, Leininger, Brian L. S-19 Miller, Tony R.

ERIC COLLINS

JOSH JONES

Nigro, Ross C. S-20

Norton, Jay Powell, Russell L.

Sakoulas, Steven G.

RISING STARS Gigstad, Robert C. S-13 Stolte, Adam D.

EMPLOYMENT & LABOR

SUPER LAWYERS Ardebili, Amir Dickson, Athena M. ATHENA M. DICKSON www.SiroSmithDickson.com

Hanson, George A. Holman, Kirk D. Kingston, Kristi L.

Meyers, Martin M.

Schlozman, Heather J.

Thornberry, Steve, Thornberry Brown,

RISING STARS Jackson, Amy R.

Sciolaro, Kyle H. Smith, Ryan D. Thoenen, Brad K.

EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION: PLAINTIFF

SUPER LAWYERS Baldwin, Kevin S-1 Bratcher, Lynne Jaben

Brown, Sarah A. Corl, Brandon Crimmins, Virginia Stevens

Davis, Brett Doyle, Daniel Galloway, Lewis

Gockel, Marie L.

Graham, Gene Ketchmark, Michael S. Lawrence, Erin

Meeks, Rowdy B. Middleton, Marc N. Paulus, Ryan M. Schiavone, Anne W. Schumaker, Larry M. Smith, Eric W. Williams, Michael A. Woodworth, Sophie Ziegelmeyer, III, John

RISING STARS Ballard, Noah

Brown, Cecilia (Nuby)

Bruce, Robert Dake, Raymond

Hardinger, Heather

Kinney, Kenneth D. Koogler, Robin S-1

McDowell, Jessica M.

McEnaney, Ryan P. Mehl, Brittany Coughlin

Murphy, II, Phillip

Myers, Katherine E. Stiles, Megan L.

YOU WANT US IN YOUR CORNER!

Paul L. Redfearn, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and Advocate with the American Board of Trial Advocates, has been named to the Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers list for 18 consecutive years, and Michael D. Wallis, who has worked alongside decades, has been named for his sixth consecutive year.

trial system and embraces the clients against wrongdoers by holding them fully accountable for the harm caused. For nearly four decades, through hard has been dedicated to achieving from catastrophic harm due to defective and dangerous products, and motor vehicle/trucking collisions. We stand toe-to-toe with huge corporations and insurance carriers that have unlimited legal scales on behalf of our clients.

Tanner, Henry Vernon, Erin N.

ESTATE & TRUST LITIGATION

SUPER LAWYERS Kirkland, Aaron Martin, Michael S. RISING STARS Johnson, Tess Kennedy, Tiffannie M.

ESTATE PLANNING & PROBATE

SUPER LAWYERS

Anderson, Christopher J.

Barks, Shannon K.

Blakesley, Scott E. Boushka, Cheryl C. Counts, Heather

Ewan, James E. Gaughan, Christopher M. Hartmann, Kristi C.

Kirkland, Robert K. Martinsen, Scott K. Nail, Molly S-4 Smith, P. Glen Sullivan, Emily Ward, Melinda "Mindy" Woods, Richard D. Zellmer, Kimberly S.

RISING STARS Bayes-Weiner, S. Lynn

Esry, Joseph

Falk, Rochelle B. Harper, Clayton S. Haseltine, Alice

Knopke, Christina M. Long, Benjamin E. Moore, Curtis

Nazir, Samara

Rome, Erik Stern, Marion L.

FAMILY LAW

SUPER LAWYERS

Anderson, Maggie

Bernhardt, Jacquelyn P.

Bressel, Jerold A. Burke, Anne E. Carmody, Sarah

Clevenger, Katherine Colgan, Chadler E.

Conkright, Jason Cook, James T.

Cooper, Kelli Cutrera, Nick A. S-18

DeWoskin, Joseph A.

Driskell, Erica A. S-18

Elliott, Nathalie Corda Fink, Christopher

Finley, Christina D. Fisher, Nicole M. S-16

Galamba, Susan Saper Goodenow, Stephanie E. Gordon, Robert E.

Gordon, Shannon Hagg, Jennifer Hansen, Lisa A. Hare, J. Ryan Hare, Lindsay A. Haynes, Melanie A.

DBJ attorneys are personally invested in the outcomes we deliver for our clients because we only take on cases we believe in. Our the lives of our clients. We work strategically to ensure every party is held accountable to maximize results for our clients and referring attorneys. For DBJ, it’s about more than just obtaining the largest result; it’s about demanding accountability for the people or causes we stand behind. DBJ congratulates its attorneys selected to 2022 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.

Hill, Elizabeth ELIZABETH HILL

www.hilllawfirm.com Hoffman, Larry C. Jackoboice, Jill C. Jakobe, Michelle E. Jeffers, Mark Kincaid, Gregory D. Kivett, Amanda Baker Kreamer, Scott Harrison

Kuhl, Abraham Kuny, Martin Landon, Heather Lawson, Christopher P., Lawson Law Office, Lawson, Leslie Lucansky, Michael W.

GRANT L. DAVIS* SCOTT S. BETHUNE*

WES SHUMATE* TIMOTHY C. GAARDER*

JOHN S. CARROLL**

TED RUZICKA KEVIN D. BUCHANAN

JARED BROWN JT MALONE

THOMAS C. JONES*

Mann, Scott M.

McFarland, Tiffany A.

Moore, Valerie Morrison, Eric A.

Nelson, Ronald W. O'Donnell, Hugh F.

Outlaw, Dana Parks, Dana L.

Reecht, Christopher M., The Law Office of

Reynolds, William "Bud"

Richart, R. Scott

Rieke, Colby L.

LITIGATION FOCUSED. RELATIONSHIP DRIVEN.

The attorneys at the Nash & Franciskato Law Firm have dedicated their careers to helping people who are seriously injured by others. Our practice is nationwide and includes cases involving automobile and trucking accidents, wrongful death, class actions, products liability, and defective drugs and medical devices.

Dean Nash, Brian Franciskato and Randy James bring over 90 years of combined legal experience helping clients. We have gained local and national recognition and are routinely asked by other attorneys to act as lead counsel or co-counsel in complex cases against some of the world’s largest corporations. We have the technology and resources of much larger firms, enabling us to be successful against multibillion-dollar corporations, while still providing individual attention to each client.

The lawyers, paralegals, assistants and other staff at Nash & Franciskato all strive to build trusted relationships with every single client, from day one. Our clients are more than an inventory. Each client is given individual attention as we help guide them through the legal process, so they can focus on their recovery. 2300 MAIN ST., SUITE 170 | KANSAS CITY, MO 64108 PH: (816) 221-6600 | FX: (816) 221-6612

nashfranciskato.com

Rodarte, Anita I.

Rundberg, Ronald C. Scaglia, Patricia M. Schroeder, Melissa Stevens, Shea E. Swall, Larry V. Thilges, Amanda A. Tucker Muir, Stephanie VanNess, Andrew F. Veit, Tamara A. Walker, H. Reed

H. REED WALKER

www.reed-walker.com Wirken, Christopher B. Wullschleger, Stacey S-16 Young, James H.

RISING STARS Aramjoo, Ashley Aubrey, Geoffrey Bajackson, Erin B. Barnds, Christopher Binder, Kelisen Crozier, Justin M. Fahey, Dana L. Fairbanks, David W.

DAVID W.

FAIRBANKS

www.fairbanksdemarco.com

Fox, Erin Frick, Jared T.

Geib, Amber S-17 Higgins, Chaste Higgins, MaKenzi D. Irwin, Ashley N. Isaacs, Amberlynn M. Marine, Michaela Mathews, Lindsay

DEAN E. NASH*

BRIAN S. FRANCISKATO* *SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS

RANDY W. JAMES*

Moreno, Anthony Sader, Samantha Siegel, Kristin D.

Spitaleri, Angela L.

Stanley, Nicholas A. Tafreshi, Dana P. VanFleet, Lindsey M.

Whitsitt, Rachel Yarnell, Ashlyn

GENERAL LITIGATION

SUPER LAWYERS

Adams, Robert T.

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ANNETTE GRIGGS www.GriggsInjuryLaw.com

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Kilgore, Michael S. Kuckelman, Michael

Kurtz, John W. Lawler, Christopher Madden, Brian J.

Presley & Presley, LLC is a Kansas City law firm backed by the skills and experience of over 30 years of representing the most significantly injured and their families in the areas of aviation, car and truck crashes, catastrophic injury and premises liability, with emphasis on the complex insurance coverage and bad faith liability issues that often arise.

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PERSONAL INJURY RISING STARS CONT’D FROM PAGE S-15

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Noland, Kate E. Oxley, Nichelle

Paczkowski, Ross W. S-9 Poole, Zachary D. ZACHARY D. POOLE

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Kuhlman, Bradley D. CONTINUED

Amber Geib is the founder and principal attorney of the Geib Law Group. While attending law school, Amber received the coveted invitation to become a member of Phi Delta Phi, the oldest and most prestigious legal honor society, and made the Dean’s Honor List every semester. She graduated six months early from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law with a family law emphasis.

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BUTTER ME UP

By now, you’ve seen just about everything served on a wood board. Charcuterie boards have become an art form, and they’re going beyond meats and cheeses to include snacks like nachos, spaghetti and candy. Butter has entered the chat.

Butter boards are what they sound like: Softened butter is spread across a platter and topped with the maker’s choice of seasonings, herbs and toppings. The trend erupted on TikTok a few months ago (the hashtag #butterboard is at three hundred thirty-two million views and counting), but the origin of the trend goes back fifteen years to Portland chef Joshua McFadden.

“It started out as kind of an elegant way to have people sit down to a first course at these little farm dinners I was doing,” he says. “I tried to combine different textures and flavors and add some visual appeal.”

And so the butter board was born. McFadden’s infamous butter board is also featured in a cookbook he co-authored titled Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables.

Butter boards can be done a million and one ways, but there’s one particular board that McFadden dubs his favorite: “We put crab and lobster on top of the butter and also added preserved lemon and seaweed and brown butter on top. We served it with this toasted brioche so it was almost reminiscent of a crab roll or a lobster roll.”

At kansascitymag.com, we have more tips from McFadden on making the perfect holiday butter board. —NICOLE

EATING AND DRINKING WELL IN KANSAS CITY

KINNING

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OUTSTANDING IN THEIR FIELD

BY NATALIE TORRES GALLAGHER PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN

At first, dinner was served exclusively outside, at a long table shaded by a grove of oak trees. As Saltwell’s popularity grew—thanks mostly to social media and word-of-mouth—Grace and Petrozz began preparing for cooler weather. They installed a wood-burning furnace in a room they call the parlor (it was once a garage) and placed mismatched tables and chairs throughout the space and on the wrap-around porch. There are just forty-five seats, and they are full almost every Friday and Saturday evening—the only two dinner services Saltwell offers.

From the parlor, a narrow hallway leads to the kitchen where Petrozz prepares all of Saltwell’s food. This is also the kitchen he shares with Grace and Grace’s children: Saltwell is the couple’s home, too.

“Covid taught us what we didn’t want to be anymore and what we wanted our restaurant life to look like,” Petrozz says.

Born in the Chicago area, Petrozz has lived in Lawrence since 2013. He met Grace while working at Ramen Bowls in 2017. Usually, he says, a chef orders ingredients based on what they want their menu to look like. But in the wake of the pandemic, neither he nor Grace could imagine doing things that way again.

“I knew that I never wanted to see a bigbox food delivery truck on this property, ever,” Grace says.

With the exception of olive oil, spices and a few cheeses, everything on the menu and in the kitchen at Saltwell is sourced from within six miles. (Concessions are made for select produce from their friends at Crum’s Heirlooms, located forty miles east in Bonner Springs, and occasional seafood overnighted from Fabulous Fish.)

HEN THE COVID LOCKDOWN closed the dining room of Lawrence mainstay Ramen Bowls, owner Shantel Grace found herself reconsidering the restaurant industry as a whole.

Though she was still open for carryout, the pandemic disrupted her business and pushed her livelihood into question.

“We always thought we were locally focused [at Ramen Bowls],” she says, “but we realized that we sourced so many Asian ingredients and suddenly we couldn’t get them any more.”

On a rural drive in 2020, Grace and partner Rozz Petrozz stumbled across a historic farmstead in the tiny Kansas town of Overbrook, population one thousand and five. The property was for sale, and in the overgrown grass and handful of neglected buildings on a small plot in Douglas County, the pair saw their future. In July 2021, just a few months after purchasing and painstakingly restoring the original farmhouse, Grace and Petrozz opened Saltwell Farm Kitchen.

“We get a list from the farmers of what they have, what they can’t get rid of, and we create a menu out of that,” Petrozz says. And, of course, the couple grow plenty of their own ingredients and forage as much as they can.

Petrozz translates all this into an eightcourse meal that manages sophistication without ostentation. The food is Midwestern: With almost everything grown or raised in Kansas, what else could it be?

The menu changes weekly, but when I visited, there was a tomato and cucumber salad dressed in robust red wine vinegar dressing, and it reminded me strongly of the community potlucks and church suppers I’d endured as a kid in western Wisconsin. But in my memory, those toma-

The furnishings, dinnerware and flatware for Saltwell are a mix of antiques gifted from friends and strangers alike.

toes and cucumbers were condemned to a slow, slimy death in a mixture of sour cream, vinegar and dill. They had none of the satisfying crunch or peppery bite that Saltwell’s version offered.

Saltwell’s eight courses follow a relatively standard format. Guests are greeted with a small charcuterie plate (a mix of local and imported meats and cheeses, along with Saltwell’s own excellent pickled farm eggs), followed by two appetizers, salad, soup, pasta, a protein and dessert.

Petrozz’s imagination flares unexpectedly, usually as a consequence of whatever produce arrives in his kitchen. Meaty heirloom tomatoes are sliced, skinned and briefly torched, then balanced atop tender scoops of sushi rice and dressed with Saltwell’s house-made aged soy sauce. Finished with fresh basil and foraged thistle, this is a caprese salad playfully camouflaged as nigiri. A knockout broccoli and apple soup, served in an antique teacup, is both earthy and bright. The goat cheese-stuffed ravioli is made with local wheat that Petrozz hand-mills on the farm and infuses with pollen from foraged goldenrods: It is as impressively serene as a Kansas sunrise. And who knows how Petrozz gets his tenderloin to eat like the beautiful prime beef of your Midwestern supper club fantasies?

Dinner is offered with thoughtful wine pairings, and seasonal cocktails are available (Kate Frick, who owned the beloved, recently closed Myers Hotel Bar in nearby Tonganoxie, curates the beverage program). Saltwell’s bar opens at 6 pm, and dinner

begins at 6:30—it is the only seating time offered. The eight dishes arrive at an unhurried pace (dinners are expected to last around three hours), and guests are encouraged to wander the property between courses. You may stumble upon some free-ranging white rabbits or chickens. A sweet shepherd will greet you eagerly by the pen full of goats she is guarding from opportunistic predators. Breathe in the fragrant lavender, shake your head free from bumblebees or falling leaves. Follow the farm cats to the barn and glimpse its rustic state before Grace and Petrozz convert it into a tasting room, perhaps, or one of the other dozens of dreams they have

It happens in part because of the atmosphere that Grace and Petrozz have come by naturally. Petrozz is trans, and most of Saltwell’s serving staff identifies as queer. The couple have successfully corralled the staunch support of their old-school farmer-neighbors, a population that has traditionally not held space for marginalized communities. Most dinners start with a toast from the couple, an expression of gratitude for Saltwell’s guests and contributors. With it, the restaurant’s vibe is cemented: If you hadn’t already noticed, things are different here. In just two evenings, Saltwell finds more joy and wonder than other restaurants encounter in an entire month. between them.

The lessons the couple learned from the pandemic are never far away. “When we look at hospitality in America, it’s built on this idea of giving and generosity with nothing in return,” Grace says. “What I have learned is that hospitality is a give and take: It is me giving you as a guest everything I can, and in return, you acknowledge and respect that effort. When that happens—and it happens so often here—it is a magical experience.”

An

endive appetizer

Dinner at Saltwell can be a four-hour experience, and guests are encouraged to explore the grounds between courses.

Most of Saltwell’s ingredients come from within a seven-mile radius.

‘ROOTS ALIVE’

Annel Alvarez is the founder of Grupo Folklórico Izcalli, the city’s sole female-only Folklórico group.

BY MOLLY HIGGINS

FOLKLÓRICO since she was five years old, but it wasn’t always the KCK native’s passion.

Folklórico is a traditional cultural dance in Mexico and Central America that honors local folk culture and heritage, employing some techniques from ballet such as pointed toes and precisely choreographed, exaggerated moves.

Alvarez stopped practicing Folklórico as a child, but at fifteen years old, after Alvarez’s mom promised her a new car, the self-identified tomboy joined a Folklórico group once again.

After an impromptu First Friday performance in April 2021 outside of Café Ollama in the Crossroads, the all-women group exploded in popularity. Grupo Folklórico Izcalli even performed during the Chiefs halftime show against the L.A. Chargers in September 2021, an unforgettable experience in which Alvarez says some of her fellow performers were “throwing up from excitement.”

Alvarez formed Grupo Folklórico Izcalli after battling postpartum depression after the birth of her son. The name means “a beautiful home among the trees,” and Alvarez says the dance group became a refuge from the chaos in her busy life as a new mom.

“During such a hard time in my life, it was the one thing that I held onto,” Alvarez says. “It was kind of a way to find myself again. It made me happy and made me feel like I was Annel Alvarez instead of just Adrián’s mom.”

Alvarez also dances for her grandmother, who was a huge supporter of her performances and who Alvarez lost around the time of the birth of her son. Alvarez says it goes beyond her immediate family though. “All of my dancers say the same—that they dance because they want to represent their ancestors and want to keep their culture alive, their roots alive.”

GO: Look for announcements about upcoming performances at instagram.com/izcalli.kc

PERFECT DAY

Coffee: My favorite coffee is from Café Ollama, and I get the abuelita Ine’s. Lesley is a huge supporter of us and it’s my favorite place.

Lunch: We usually go to La Fuente over on 95th and Metcalf. The birria tacos are so good. So that’s definitely our favorite place to go to as a family.

Drink: After lunch, we usually get boba. Our favorite place to go is Fat Beet. My favorite boba is the taro one with the coconut boba balls.

Dessert: I would call my friends at Carmona’s Chamoy. I usually get their pineapple mango agua fresca. And I love their watermelon chamoy gummies.

COURTESY OF GRUPO IZCALLI

ANNEL ALVAREZ HAS BEEN DANCING

Friends, Family & Topsy’s Popcorn

Nothing says “Happy Holidays” quite like delicious Topsy’s popcorn. Pick up a tin for your next gathering or as the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop-for someone.

Then pop the top and enjoy those classic flavors: classic butter, savory cheese, spicy cinnamon and sweet caramel.

of these producers are first generation from families that used to sell their grapes to large houses like Veuve and Moet. Even smaller growers may combine efforts through a cooperative.”

WHAT’S NEW IN KANSAS CITY FOOD & DRINK

Breaking Big

KC is the first American city to get a Europeanstyle social game spot.

BRKTHROUGH has taken over the former Stein Mart at 135th and Metcalf in south Overland Park (6403 W. 135th St., Suite E4, Overland Park). The massive 22,000-square-foot space is now home to forty different game rooms.

“Instead of doing Monopoly on Saturday nights, come here—have a drink, have some food, compete against each other,” Hardamon says. “Try to get as many points as possible, send that to your friends, talk some trash.”

“The cooler months are the only time I find myself reaching for a bottle of Port, which really deserves more year-round attention. Tawny Ports are great because of their shelf stability once opened.”

The natural touchpoint for the concept is escape rooms, but BRKTHROUGH’s games are more like what you’ll see on The Cube TV show ghosted by Dwayne Wade or like the challenges in Japanese game shows. “I think we’re an escape room turned up,” says Ty Hardamon, BRKTHROUGH’s managing partner.

In one room, players have to cling to walls with climbing holds and a censor will end the game if someone touches the floor. Another is like an elaborate game of pop-a-shot, with the hoops hanging in odd places and lights telling players where to shoot. Another is a puzzle inside a miniature art gallery where players try to solve a riddle. Each game takes between three and five minutes, with teams buzzing themselves in through an RFID bracelet that tracks their scores.

In between games, players can chill in the BRK Room, a self-pour bar space at the center of the action—there are twenty taps pouring wine and beer, all priced by the ounce. That means you can not only sample various offerings but also get a short pour between games without worrying about leaving your drink unattended.

BRKTHROUGH’s space is oriented toward adults and can handle up to four hundred people at a time. Players buy either two or four hours of gameplay. Owners Braden Holcomb and Caroline Irving, who moved to KC to open a trampoline park, got an exclusive license on the software that drives the gameplay from the European company that makes it, and if all goes well, you could see BRKTHROUGHs popping up in other cities, much as happened with KC-based Chicken N Pickle.

“Basically what we’ve tried to do is scour the earth to find what people like and don't like,” Hardamon says. “People, for whatever reason, love escape rooms, but those have limitations.”

Prim Pours

Downtown Mission already had an impressive collection of bars, from the sours of Sandhills Brewing to the homey (membership-required) Keyhole Tavern. Now, it’s got a serious cocktail bar, The Primrose, at 5622 Johnson Drive.

Primrose is owned by Abby Hans, whose brother Mason Hans owns the board game store on the same block. The Primrose menu is ambitious for a suburban spot—the signature cocktail is gin-based and includes egg white and rosemary. “We really wanted to differentiate ourselves from other bars in the area, and crafting unique cocktails seemed like a good way to do that,” Abby says. “When people come to The Primrose, they are usually looking to try something out of their comfort zone. So people have responded really well to our unique cocktail menu. Although there’s nothing wrong with sticking to the classics—if someone comes in asking for a fireball shot, we can probably make arrangements.”

The space itself is cozy, with the former Brian’s Bakery & Eatery being transformed into a lounge with lots of wood and rich detail.

“Redesigning the space has been my favorite part of the process,” Hans says. “The dark, moody color palette in The Primrose really sets the tone. The couches and chairs create a ‘home away from home’ feeling but still add some elegance to the room. Lighting is also important: We keep the lights dim and candles lit at every table. We keep the curtains shut to create a speakeasy vibe as well.”

Streets Talking

Westport now has a Korean restaurant specializing in street food and house-brewed soju. Chingu comes from the team behind the Sura Eats window at the Parlor food hall in the Crossroads.

Back in May, chef and co-owner Keeyoung Kim told us that this standalone spot was his vision from the start. In mid-November, Chingu finally opened at 4117 Pennsylvania Ave.

“We’re having a lot of fun putting some twists to classics—instead of serving steamed/ boiled/fried dumplings with sauce, we wanted to offer a different approach to enjoying, so we made Mandu Bokkeum, homemade pork dumplings stir-fried with veggies in a gochujang sauce,” Kim says. “Also, our jjajang tteokbokki is a fun take on the popular street food— instead of using a gochujang-based sauce, we’re using a fermented black bean sauce. Our fried chicken is also really great—double fried and some tasty sauces to go with it.”

The most unique part of the concept is the soju program. The distilled spirit, which is similar to vodka, is made off-site for the restaurant and to its specifications. “We have also been able to try multiple recipes for our soju and have landed on a recipe that we love,” Kim says.

Flew Away

Kansas City lost one of its best coffee shops with the closure of Monarch on Broadway at the end of October. Back in the early months of 2020, we invited a Beard Award-winning coffee critic to town who raved that Monarch “is one of the very best coffee bar companies in the United States in 2020, offering a delicately balanced, exacting expression of modern coffee culture that manages to be both accessible and progressive at the same time.” Owners Tyler and Jaime Rovenstine posted a statement to Instagram saying that it was time to move on and that they will be focused on online coffee sales. The former Monarch at 3550 Broadway Blvd. is now Post Coffee Co. Post is based in Lee’s Summit and also has a minimalist vibe and roasts its own beans.

celebrate whatever you celebrate.

The Primrose

WINE BY THE CLASS

BY ANDEE LAMONICA

IF YOU’RE A NOVICE OR ON A BUDGET, it’s easy to walk away from a wine tasting feeling lost. Local wine shop Underdog is working to make grape education more accessible with Wine by the Class, a monthly offering hosted by local wine educators Lisa Barber and Jennipher Walters, both certified with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. An extension of Underdog’s approach to wine—supporting small family-owned wine producers that delight customers at any price point—the classes hosted in Underdog’s private tasting room are designed to be diverse, creative and welcoming for all wine lovers.

“These aren’t your typical Wine 101 classes,” says Underdog owner Ryan Sciara. “They have gotten people to think outside the box of wine drinking.”

Having attended the September session myself—themed Pop Rocks & Bubbles, a delicious pairing of wine with popular junk food snacks—I have to agree.

“The sweetness of strawberry Pop Rocks and brut rosé actually becomes neutralized for more of a creamy taste,” Barber says. “It’s fun to teach others how approachable and diverse wine can be. And a pinot noir with BBQ chips? Chef’s kiss.”

Each class theme is unique, but all include wines for a range of budgets and plenty of lessons for attendees. (For example, now I can explain why I’m putting out Cheetos with my Sancerre for happy hour.) With themes like Anything But Basic Basics and Smells Like Holiday Spirit, it’s no surprise that every class has sold out since the program began last May. Next year’s lineup may include a class centered around Underdog’s popular “Try January” of 2022, along with a wine and popcorn pairing class in time for the 2023 Oscars. There’s also talk of wine pairings with Easter candy. Consider one spot for that class already taken. The one thing Wine by the Class is not is overwhelming. There are no hard questions or expectations for those who show up to learn more, only answers and recommendations for those who ask. And every wine poured for attendees is available in the retail store upstairs. “I hope people walk away feeling a little more confident and empowered in their wine decisions and closer to a whole new world of wine to love,” says Walters, who not only works at Underdog but is also a contributor to SOMM TV and the wine and spirits column in USA Today. “Helping someone find their wine aha moment, where they really get a wine for the first time? That’s when I know I’m doing my job well.”

Wine by the Class is in recess during December, but you can stop by their location in the Crestwood Shops to make an upcoming class reservation or to purchase a wine club membership or a great bottle of wine as a holiday gift—or just for yourself. You can also sign up for the next Wine by the Class at underdogwinekc.com.

BEST WINE LIST IN KANSAS CITY?

“My go-tos are Corvino and Antler Room. They both carry unusual varietals.” — Lisa

“Ça Va is always a spot I love. It feels fancy without being pretentious.” —Jennipher

“PotPie is where to go for a mid-week bottle. It’s a small list with great pricing.” —Ryan

Underdog Wine Co. offers a refreshing taste of wine education.

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SURREAL ESTATE

HEAD ON THE CLOUDS

the century-old company’s expansion. Zahner’s headquarters is housed on this land along with a manufacturing facility.

Zahner as Eagle Cornice Works.

DESCRIBED BY ITS DESIGNERS as a “cloud wall,” the Zahner Headquarters at Ninth and Paseo in downtown Kansas City makes an impression.

It’s impossible to not take a second look at the building’s undulating facade of metal ribs that stretches up toward the sky, and that’s exactly the point, says Ryan Sutton, spokesperson for the Zahner Company, an internationally renowned metal engineering and design firm that’s based in Kansas City.

“It is meant to showcase the unique capabilities of Zahner and inspire our internal resources as well as the local community beyond our walls,” Sutton says of the building. “I feel like we’ve achieved that.”

The cloud wall was inspired by the patterns in sand dunes and was built in 2011 as part of

“It is not only meant to be a beautiful façade, but you can see the undulations of the metal from the inside, which is quite inspiring for our talented workforce,” Sutton says. Natural light filters into the interior through the steel ribs, and the curvy outdoor-facing walls hide a massive open workspace where Zahner engineers and manufactures.

The facade allows the interior steelbeamed substructure to be seen, illustrating how this framework supports what’s happening on the exterior—both important parts of Zahner’s work—“revealing the beauty of the engineering behind it,” as Sutton puts it.

The “cloud wall” was designed by Crawford Architects of Kansas City and features ZEPPS assemblies, Zahner’s patented process used to create custom curving surfaces. It’s a prefab building system that includes the design-engineering, manufacturing and installation of metal facades to streamline complex structural forms.

Zahner was founded in 1897 by Andrew

The company was known for its decorative cornice work and repair and, later, metalwork ranging from industrial kitchens to buildings. Zahner’s great-grandson L. William Zahner III became president in the late 1980s and is credited with transforming the company from a regional sheet-metal contractor to an award-winning international metal design firm that works with artists and architects to help bring their visions to fruition.

Zahner, which is now in the business of turning metal into art, has amassed a portfolio of iconic structures across the globe, such as the Frank Gehry-designed MoPop Museum in Seattle and the Petersen Car Museum in Los Angeles.

Although the company now has an international footprint, dozens of buildings and works of art can be found in the greater Kansas City area and credited to Zahner, such as the Kauffman Center of the Performing Arts and the Bartle Hall Sky Stations. —DAWNYA

BARTSCH

Inside metal engineering firm Zahner’s eye-catching headquarters