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Revel in an energetic, lively atmosphere as the KCAI campus becomes a thrilling festival with costumed performers, roving bands, and roller-skating dancers. Wander through the studios, meet young artists, and purchase student art. Play lawn games, experience VR gaming, and boogie down to the sounds of DJ Jon Marzette. Enjoy curated bites and cocktails. Be aMused at ArtPop.
ARTPOP TICKET → $100 PATRON LEVEL* → $1,500*
*Patron level includes two tickets to ArtPop, the Backer’s Bash Pre-Party, and early studio access.
Kansas Citians have such wide-ranging interests, and in this issue, we have something for everyone.
Of course, brunch is big in our town, so our food editor, Jenny Vergara, after much work (it’s tough having to scout out everyone’s favorite meal, right?) has picked 15 of the best. Not only does she share where to go, she suggests the best dish and which cocktail to order with it.
But wait, there’s more.
I may be prejudiced, but I think Jenny is one of the most knowledgeable writers on the Kansas City food scene. So her restaurant review, Reservation for One; her cocktail story, In Your Cocktail; and her briefs on what’s new in KC culinary news round out the most complete restaurant and bar reporting in any local publication.
And continuing our food coverage, Cody Hogan’s In the Kitchen column is always one of the most delightfully literate pieces of recipe writing I’ve ever read. (His recipes are suggestions, rather than rules, and his In the Pantry sidebar constantly introduces me to novel ingredients that I must have.)
Every issue, Cindy Hoedel entertains us with interviews of some of Kansas City’s most famous and should-be-famous citizens. This issue is no different. Washington Post writer and KC resident David von Drehle was lucky enough to move next door to a legendary character who provided the inspiration for his new book, The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man
Of course, IN Kansas City is known for our home features. In this issue, Aaron Leimkuehler photographed and Patricia O’Dell reported on a Leawood home that the interior design firm Noble Designs has reimagined for the active family of six. It’s a stunner. (I tried to fit Vinny, the family’s mini cockapoo, into my purse when I left, but he didn’t want to leave.) Patricia also pens the Living IN KC column every month, with the latest on interior design trends, objets you must have, and coffee-table books you’ll actually want to read.
We don’t always cover sports, but right now, in this town, it’s imperative. Contributor David Frese gives us all the details on the upcoming NFL Draft this month. Kansas Citians, are you prepared for up to 600,000 fans and media descending on our town? Get ready. Here’s everything you need to know.
Have you been to the Folly Theater lately? The multi-million-dollar improvements take KC’s “Grand Lady” to the next level. Our arts contributor, Judith Fertig, interviews the theater’s development director for his answers to our four questions quiz. Judith also rounds up four arts events you don’t want to miss this month.
I did not know that the former SVP of Stuart Weitzman, VP of Michael Kors, and buyer at the legendary NYC shop, Jeffrey, was a KC native. I know now because our resident fashionista, Susan Cannon, told me so in her interview with Peter Nichols. She also updates us on the latest beauty products and procedures and wellness trends in her Look IN KC column every month.
Damian Lair is an inveterate going-outer and Our Man IN KC. He never misses an event (or creative cocktail) and is constantly on the move, including this month, to the new terminal at the Kansas City Airport. He made the first flight out and shares what you need to see, eat, and do on your way out of town.
Merrily Jackson should be famous. And in our corner of the world she is. Her monthly entertaining columns are our most read and commented on in the magazine. Her recipes are the most requested. This month, she shares her tips on organizing your kitchen. But I don’t care what she says, I’m not giving up my junk drawer.
So, (depending on the time of day) pour yourself a glass of wine or a cuppa, find a comfy chair, sit back and enjoy the issue.
ZimEditor In Chief Zim Loy
Digital Editor Emily Laptad
Art Director Alice Govert Bryan
Associate Art Director
Madeline Johnston
Contributing Writers
Susan Cannon, Judith Fertig, David Frese, Cindy Hoedel, Cody Hogan, Merrily Jackson, Damian Lair, Patricia O’Dell, Jenny Vergara
Contributing Photographers
Karen Ball, Corie English, Aaron Leimkuehler, Anna Petrow
Publisher Michelle Jolles
Media Director Brittany Coale
Senior Media Consultants
Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley
Business Consultant
Chad Parkhurst
Newsstand Consultant
Joe J. Luca, JK Associates 816-213-4101, jkassoc.net
Editorial Questions: zloy@inkansascity.com
Advertising Questions: bcoale@inkansascity.com
Distribution Questions: mjolles@inkansascity.com
Magazine Subscriptions: Mail: IN Kansas City Subscriptions PO Box 292374, Kettering, OH 45429 Phone: 888-881-5861
Email: SUBS@inkansascity.com
Subscribe Online: inkansascity.com/subscribe
Farm fresh. There’s always something cooking in all corners of Mission Farms, and you have a chance to enjoy great bites and sips of your favorite cocktails courtesy of Mission Farms! One lucky winner will get a $200 Mission Farms gift card to use at any of its restaurants or retail businesses. Enter to win by April 30 at inkansascity.com/ the-magazine/enter-to-win. Good luck!
For the last 11 years, Affäre’s Martin Heuser has had white asparagus
flown in from Europe to feature on the German restaurant’s spring menu. Weisser spargel (white asparagus) is a springtime delicacy treasured in Germany that’s sweet and more tender than the green variety we cook with in the U.S. Heuser has made it a tradition to add the European delicacy to Affäre’s menu to create some of his favorite classic dishes. It’s unfortunate that it’s not available locally, but Heuser has a solution. While white asparagus is on Affäre’s menu this spring (starting in May), he’s offering home chefs the opportunity to preorder the spargel to use at home. Even better, he shared a recipe to use with the vegetable: steamed spargel with drawn butter. Get the recipe at inkansascity.com/eat-drink/recipes
Want to hear some good music this month? Every month, IN Kansas City’s music critic, Timothy Finn, chooses his top not-to-miss concerts in the metro. Check out his April picks at inkansascity.com/arts-entertainment/contemporary-music
Hungry? Try out a new, local eatery tonight! From happy hours to the local restaurant scene, we’ve got the city’s most comprehensive dining guide. Check it out at inkansascity.com/ eat-drink/dining-guide
Mugs up.
A very important holiday is on the calendar for April 7: National Beer Day! We’re taking that as a signal to celebrate all month long and what better way to celebrate than by trying to visit as many local breweries as possible? If that sounds like a good plan to you, we’ve got great news. We’ve created a guide to all the local breweries in the Kansas City metro. You might be surprised by just how many craft beer spots there are to try. Our guide is divided by neighborhoods, so if you just have time to visit the breweries near you, that’s an option too. Head to inkansascity.com for your guide to Kansas City beer.
Playmakers is a community-wide initiative of the Kansas City Sports Commission that raised the required funds and maximized the community impact of hosting one of the most significant events in sports: the 2023 NFL Draft.
by Emily Laptad
IF YOU GET a tad bit jealous with each Easter egg hunt you watch young relatives revel in, we’ve got your back. Just because egg hunts have traditionally been sugar- lled occasions designed with the kiddos in mind, doesn’t mean we adults don’t want to partake in the merriment too. Here are a few places around Kansas City that agree and host Easter events where the fun is for adults only.
April 7, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Stone Pillar Vineyard & Winery stonepillarvineyard.com
In the dark.
Stone Pillar Vineyard & Winery is hosting its 3rd annual After Dark Adult Egg Hunt on April 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. Get wined up and ready to scour the vineyard hunting for carefully hidden eggs. e eggs contain various wine prizes, and you’ll want to be on the lookout for the special golden egg.
Dog Easter Egg Hunt
April 7, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
KC Pumpkin Patch kcwineco.com
Raise the woof.
Who could resist an egg hunt designed for the pups? KC Wine Co. is hosting a Dog Easter Egg Hunt on April 7 from 5 to 9 p.m. Your furry friend can sni out Easter eggs and other dog-friendly activities while you enjoy a glass of wine.
April 15
KC Renaissance Festival Grounds kcrenfest.com
Egg money.
e Kansas City Renaissance Festival is hosting Kegs ‘n’ Eggs Kansas City where the entire festival grounds turn into a big search for Easter eggs. Each egg contains prize tickets, and a few golden eggs are lled with cash. After the hunt, you’ll enjoy craft beer tastings from local and regional breweries.
18th and Vine Jazz Festival
April 20-22
Gem Theater
mcckc.edu/events/jazz-festival.aspx
All that jazz.
In a city built around the history of jazz, we like to celebrate the jazz icons who came from Kansas City and the ones who are up and coming. e American Jazz Museum and Metropolitan Community College have invited local college, high-school, and middle-school students to participate in a three-day jazz festival where students perform in a noncompetitive environment while learning about Kansas City’s jazz history. Members of the public can attend the festival for free, with performances back-to-back from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Middle-school, high-school, and college jazz ensembles will take the stage every half hour. Local professional musicians will perform at 8:30 p.m. at the Blue Room on April 20 and 22. e Penn Valley Jazz Ensemble will take the stage at 5:30 p.m. on April 22.
Not-Your-Kid’s Scholastic Boozy Book Fair
April 22, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Redux Society reduxsociety.org/schedule
Buy the book.
If you were a kid in school at any time over the last few decades, you’re probably familiar with the sheer joy you felt when it was book fair day in your school library. Get ready to feel all the nostalgic vibes as Redux Society teams with HUES Book Box, Helianthus Books, and Basement Books KC to throw an old-fashioned book fair—but this time it is just for the adults. You’ll discover plenty of fantastic reads from local booksellers who know a thing or two about what people in Kansas City like in their literature, plus you’ll nd items such as scented pencils, fun bookmarks, and more. You can also expect a selection of wine and beer to sip on while you browse.
For Kansas City’s most comprehensive calendar of events, go to inkansascity.com
YOU’LL BE SO ORGANIZED YOU CAN’T STAND YOURSELF AFTER FOLLOWING THESE TIPS FOR RESTORING ORDER TO THE HEART OF YOUR HOME
by Merrily Jackson EnglishHas anyone seen the paddle attachment to my stand mixer? Because I can’t find it.
Its absence was first noted one Saturday evening last summer, as I was leaving for a dinner party to which I was bringing a peach-raspberry crisp. (Ina Garten’s recipe, slightly tweaked by me. Email me and I’ll send it to you.) I had given myself about 90 seconds to make the topping. I’m glad no one witnessed me thundering around the kitchen, desperately pawing through my drawers and cabinets, swearing like a fishwife. I finally abandoned the search and used the whisk attachment instead. I was late for the dinner and the dessert . . . well, it wasn’t quite right.
I know the paddle tool is somewhere in
THIS RECIPE, adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s brilliant A Homemade Life , is one of the best vegetable recipes I’ve ever had.
CREAM-BRAISED CABBAGE 4-6 servings
This recipe calls for a fairly small cabbage. If, however, you can only find a larger cabbage, you can certainly use it. Just be sure to only use as many wedges as fit into a single layer in the pan and take care that each wedge is no thicker than two inches at its outer wedge. Otherwise, the cabbage won’t cook properly.
small green cabbage (about 1½ pounds)
tablespoons (1½ ounces) unsalted butter teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
cup heavy cream
tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pull away any bruised cabbage leaves and trim its root end to remove any dirt. Cut the cabbage into quarters, and then cut each quarter in half lengthwise, taking care to keep a little bit of the core in each wedge. (The core will help to hold the wedge intact, so that it doesn’t fall apart in the pan.) You should wind up with 8 wedges of equal size.
In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage wedges, arranging them in a single crowded layer with one of the cut sides down. Allow them to cook, undisturbed, until the downward-facing side is nicely browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Then, using tongs, gently turn the wedges onto their other cut side. When the second side has browned, sprinkle salt over the wedges and add the cream. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat so that the liquid stays at a slow, gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and gently, using tongs, flip the wedges. Cook another 20 minutes, or until the cabbage is very tender and yields easily when pierced with a thin, sharp knife. Add the lemon juice and shake the pan to distribute it evenly.
Simmer, uncovered, for a few more minutes more to thicken the cream to a glaze that loosely coats the cabbage. Serve immediately.
the house. The problem is I had never assigned a specific home for it. The larger problem is I am not a naturally orderly person; all my drawers and cabinets attest to that. It’s said that a girl organizes her kitchen the way her mother did, and in my case it’s true. Let’s just say that my mom, in her many decades of party-giving, could never have gotten away with glass-fronted kitchen cabinets. But that never stopped her from having people over and it hasn’t stopped me. I just wish I could find things more easily, and that I could actually be proud, yes proud, to have a dinner guest open my utensil drawer.
The lost paddle tool and similar incidents have spurred me to seek advice from my friend Janet Denyer, the most organized person I know—advice I am sharing with you in the hopes it will help you, too. Here are some tips for getting organized to offer hospitality in your home.
Janet used to be a professional residential organizer, but she’s now an L.A.-based artist and a heretical thinker about matters involving kitchen order. For example, she believes we should all get rid of our junk drawers. When she posited this to me, I was flabbergasted.
“All you really use from your junk drawer are pens, scissors, and tape,” she said. I pictured the dumpster fire that is my junk drawer.
“You’re right,” I said.
“So, get a small storage box for ‘art supplies’ and keep it in an office, mud room, or closet,” she said. “Use the new drawer for coasters, tea towels, or napkins.”
Isn’t that civilized?
At a party, everyone always winds up in the kitchen, Janet points out, so you really want it to be organized. “I had clients who would tell me a simple request from a guest—like where’s the plastic wrap—could strike panic in their hearts. It’s more fun to entertain when you’re not hiding Pandora’s box of hidden disasters.”
The first step to getting organized, says Janet, is pulling all the food out of your drawers and cabinets, and tossing everything old or stale. “There is a ton of hidden space in there,” she says, adding that unopened, unexpired items you know you won’t use will be deeply appreciated if you donate them to a food bank. Give the space a scrubbing, then restock, placing like things together. Put all the canned goods in the same area, with labels facing forward, then keep them that way “without getting obsessive about it, like the guy in Sleeping with the Enemy,” she says.
Group together things like rice and noodles, or packets of sauce mixes, cocoa, and hot cereal, then put them into clear, airtight plastic containers to avoid them being scattered all over the cabinet. Use clear plastic shoeboxes to store food that is in tiny boxes, such as gelatin or pudding
mix. “Target, The Container Store, and Bed, Bath and Beyond have great containers,” Janet says.
Next, tackle the cabinet or drawer where you keep food storage containers, a shambles in many kitchens. Ruthlessly discard containers that have lost their lids or are damaged. Stack all plasticware bottoms together, then gather all the lids in a separate container, so you can find them without pulling everything out. If you save yogurt containers or (ew!) margarine tubs, toss them out. You look like a hoarder.
That unruly utensil drawer is next. Clear out the tools and gadgets you haven’t used in six months, especially those that perform only one function. If you can’t bear to part with them, put them in temporary storage. When you realize you haven’t missed them, give them away or throw them out and, if you’re a Marie Kondo fan, thank them for their service.
Janet highly recommends a wall-mounted magnetic knife strip to keep often-used cooking knives close at hand.
In between parties, my countertops become a collection point for random items. It can get pretty cluttery, what with several small appliances adding their own special tone to the joint. But before a party, I try to clear my countertops off almost completely. No one wants to look at
my big fat Cuisinart. Even the coffeemaker gets whisked to the basement since I seldom serve coffee (buzzkill!) at a dinner party. I love how much better my kitchen looks with all the clutter gone. Why can’t I keep it that way always?
Under the Janet Plan, yes, I can, because now that I have created some storage space in my cabinets and drawers, the countertops can remain clean.
Your last step: take on the fridge. Remove all the food, and perform a freshness audit, throwing away anything sketchy. Check labels for expiration dates, especially on infrequently used condiments that may have spoiled (or you can get your Aunt Bonnie to do it, like in that Progressive Insurance commercial). Give the fridge a thorough wipe down using a clean cloth, hot water, and dish soap, working from top to bottom. Put ketchups, barbecue sauces and the like in one door shelf, and garnishes like pickles, olives, or martini onions in another.
Last but not least, empty the freezer and throw out everything old, freezer-burned, or mysterious-looking. Chuck out old ice cubes and make new—after a couple of weeks sitting in the freezer, ice tastes funky in drinks.
With all that extra real estate in your fridge and freezer, you’ll have room for more of life’s little necessities, like cold Champagne and chilled martini glasses.
by Damian Lair
dlair@inkansascity.com
: @damianlair #OurManINKC
When the opportunity presented itself for me to be on the very first flight out of the new, single-terminal Kansas City International Airport, I immediately rearranged my schedule. Some folks adorably dithered in nostalgia to catch the final flight out of that unadaptable concrete brutalist labyrinth, built for an unrecognizable, bygone era of security-free travel. I, on the other hand, was looking forward. Gimme that new-new. Southwest flight #904; 5:00 a.m. to Chicago. All aboard!
I left home early enough that my car notably greeted me with a “Good Evening” message. Driving past John’s Big Deck, I could tell they’d just hollered for last call. Patrons were trickling out the door. I was up extra early, because not only was I catching a ight, I wanted ample exploring time during this rst opportunity to experience the fully operational airport. Day one.
Much had changed since my well-documented hard-hat tour roughly a year prior. New, modernized signage greeted me as I approached. Almost immediately upon coasting up the departures ramp, a gentle suggestion: Valet? Well, sure—why not. Seamless, simple—even, sophisticated. Also worth noting, parking-wise, are the electric vehicle charging stations and smart parking features that intuitively guide you to open spaces (of which there are 1,000 more than were previously available). Where not to park—in the lanes of tra c at arrivals. Like virtually every city airport in the country, you park in the neighboring cell phone lot until your arriving traveler is ready, with bags in hand, to be picked up. Evidently, this experience is foreign to some, gumming up
tra c at arrivals until we all get the hang of this commonplace system. Faith and patience . . .
“I’m telling you—the airport lounge is a game changer. I’ve reached the point where if I have to wait with the masses, it throws my whole trip o .”
At more than one million square feet, the new $1.5 billion terminal is the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history. With fewer than one percent of infrastructure projects costing more than $1B delivering on time and on budget, its (early) completion is a monumental achievement. e single-terminal design (Bless!) hosts 39 gates— expandable to 50—when future demand eventually requires. I’m lookin’ at you, direct-to-Europe ights. In the meantime, the new direct international ights to Mexico and Jamaica will su ce. e terminal was designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill, whose notable works include Chicago’s John Hancock building and Willis (née Sears) Tower, NYC’s One World Trade Center, and Dubai’s iconic (and world’s tallest) skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa. Not bad company. e building feels airy and solid at the same time. Grounded by creamy terrazzo oors (dotted with the occasional salvaged mosaic medallion from demolished terminal A), gray Missouri-quarried limestone, and warm
hemlock-lined ceilings, it’s brightened by more than 900 windows— many of which are floor-to-ceiling.
Have you ever landed at the former triple-horseshoe KCI and thought you may have somehow been rerouted to Beirut? Stepping over travelers sprawled on the floor, with no available seating; people crouched in corners around one overworked, sparking outlet? Well, no more! There’s ample, lush leather seating, replete with AC outlets and USB charging ports at every seat. Perched at one of the bar-height workstations? Wireless chargers are built into the tabletops. Somehow, it feels like a leap into the modern age.
Another seemingly mundane highlight—the restroom facilities. For starters, there are more, and they’re where travelers actually need them. In fact, there are three times as many post-security restrooms as the previous terminals. The addition of all-gender restroom options (along with gender-specific) is another nod to modern inclusivity. Dynamic exterior signage indicates how many stalls are unoccupied, and if full, the direction and distance to the nearest facility is provided. Red-green motion-detecting occupancy indicators at each stall makes bending to look for feet or tugging on doors followed by a midwestern “Oops-sorry!” remnant of the past. And can I just say—bathroom doors that open outwards, making it possible to enter and exit with bags on each arm. It’s life-altering. And finally, perhaps the most overlooked advancement—hooks! Sturdy hooks. In multiples! No more painful, silent cringing as you quickly reassess whether resting your designer bags on the floor is still marginally better than wetting your pants. If this is the future, I’m so glad I’ve made it.
Speaking of sweet relief, pets now have three dedicated areas for just that. Family-friendly accommodations abound as well, including ten infant-feeding rooms, an inclusive children’s play area, travel experience simulations, quiet and sensory rooms, and moving walkways. If flying the friendly skies is friendlier with a buffer from the crowds, there’s the gorgeous new Delta Sky Club. It’s a positively stunning addition to the bursting menu of airport amenities. The two outdoor sky decks with views of the airfield are a thrilling touch and rare among airline lounges. Chefs Michael and Christina Corvino were also on hand creating spectacular sky-club bites on opening day.
I would have it again and again. They also have a BBQ To Go window. But a friendly PSA: this “to-go” order better be headed home with you. We all love KC barbecue, but no one wants to sit next to you on a plane, tearing into a stack of ribs. So, save that takeout order for arrival. It will give you something to look forward to.
“So, I’ve gotta tell you about these new pills I’m on.”
With food options aplenty, the majority are bundled into either City Market Food Hall or the Made of Kansas City Food Hall. Some familiar names you’ll find there include Bo Lings, Taste of Brazil, Buffalo State Pizza Co., Bloom Baking Co., Poíō, and The Hungry Hatch. I’m also looking forward to trying Shaquille O’Neal’s famed Big Chicken. (If the line is any indication, it’s good—even at 4 a.m.) Safi Fresh has organic salads, wraps, and bowls—the perfect stop en route to a swimsuit-required destination. The downside of so many options? Even with a robust travel schedule, I calculate it will take me well over a year to dutifully try each one.
The airport is also the largest application of the city’s One Percent for Art program, featuring $5.65 million in commissioned artwork. More than 1,800 artists competed, and 28—19 of whom have local ties—were ultimately selected. The largest in scale is Nick Cave’s The Air Up There, a spinning mobile installation that spans the entirety of the departures check-in hall. It was the work I was most excited about, and while completely notable, it left me somewhat underwhelmed, like it was more the phoned-in handiwork of assistants. By and large, though, the artwork across the airport is sensational. One can tell the project was conceived with artwork at the forefront, not as an afterthought. For that, I am incredibly happy and grateful. Favorites include: the iridescent glass Molten Swing sculpture by Soo Sunny Park, suspended above the escalators that descend to the baggage claim and arrivals floor; Leo Villareal’s steel and monochromatic LED Fountain (KCI); and SOFTlab’s Cloud Gazing, a series of ten 10-foot “clouds” with rainbow-like backgrounds and hanging nylon straps that give a billowing, three-dimensional quality. At moments I forgot I was in an airport, not a contemporary art museum.
Ultimately, though, I had a flight to catch. To mark the historic occasion, Southwest Airlines sent in Missouri One, their custom plane honoring the state of Missouri with its massive seal emblazoned across the exterior. Viewing the plane through the all-glass, climate-controlled jet bridges (we’re the largest U.S. airport to have them exclusively) was extra special.
HOT
Who turned into the human form of a puddle at the
Admittedly, I often dart for an airport lounge to grab some respectable food, but here, I can’t imagine why you’d ever need to. We’ve somehow been jolted from one Starbucks and a cooler of soggy sandwiches to 50 concessions options—80 percent of which are based locally. Much has been written about this new smorgasbord, so I’ll note a few standouts. We now have two solid barbecue options: Meat Mitch and The BBQ Experience, which is operated by the Kansas City BBQ Society and will feature the winner of an annual barbecue competition. (Currently, it’s Smoke n’ Magic.) Because barbecue at 4 a.m. seemed, well, like a bad idea, I tried The BBQ Experience upon my KC return, days later. The food was of the quality I’d expect at any established restaurant, but it seemed to have (hopefully temporarily) succumbed to its own popularity. Only two items remained available on the menu. One of which, the pulled pork sandwich, was what I serendipitously wanted.
Looking back on that flight—and actually, several since—what continues to strike me are the expressions on people’s faces. People are excited to be at the airport. There’s a look of joy and child-like wonder in travelers’ eyes. For Kansas Citians, it’s as if their smiles are saying— we deserved this. We are proud of our city, and we are proud to (finally) have an airport commensurate with that greatness. It eloquently reflects everything special about our city—food, art, music, history, and diversity—that we hold dear. And I can’t stop smiling either. Because I feel the pride, too.
you already know I love them! So, when a friend from a lifetime ago, Jesse Borjon, opened the Red Door Home Store, I naturally had to be there. After a series of successful pop-ups, and a location in Topeka since 2015, Jesse jumped at the opportunity to take over a large two-story space at the Ranch Mart Shopping Center. At Red Door, you’ll nd no shortage of home furnishing items, seasonal décor accessories, wall hangings, antique items, and design inspiration. In addition to retail, they also o er seasonal decorating services, in-home design consultations, custom faux orals, and front porch designs. While browsing, I lled my arms (several times) with a number of Easter décor items that should make my parents’ table extra special for the family holiday gathering. And for myself, several of my favorite Mixture candles and some of their new shower bombs in a sampling of scents. Because there’s no place like home.
IT HAD BEEN nearly two years since I visited the “secret” bar inside Union Station. The Conductor Club is located on the second oor, accessible only by a special elevator you’ve probably never noticed. e bar features rotating, pop-up style themes that are not casually thrown together. I was there due to a friend’s particular excitement about the just-opened Emerald City iteration. Greeted by a rendering of Dorothy, we were seated amidst a papier mâché forest, underneath a ceiling version of the yellow brick road that wove its way throughout the cozy space. At the club, they go all in on the themed cocktails, which was the primary reason for our trip. I rst opted for the Over the Rainbow lemon drop martini with Grey Goose strawberry-lemongrass vodka, limoncello, Italicus (Italian liqueur—Google it; the bottle is gorgeous), lemon, egg whites, and a wavy rainbow sour-gummy ribbon resting on the rim. While there, I also sprung for the Emerald City Spritz with Tanqueray gin, chartreuse, Midori, lime, and prosecco, topped with fresh mint and a glowing, rainbow-shaped glow stick. We also snacked on the lobster mac n’ cheese, crab cakes, and crispy Brussels sprouts. Emerald City will be clicking its heels through April 22. Reservations available via OpenTable.
GOSSIP:
So, KC—where do you want to go? XO
SAVE THE DATE! The 37th Art Annual features nationally recognized artists in the heart of Kansas City’s favorite neighborhood destination. Enjoy a weekend of culture, cuisine and connections again this year in Brookside. LEARN MORE AT BROOKSIDEKC.ORG
SAVE THE DATE! The 37th Art Annual features nationally recognized artists in the heart of Kansas City’s favorite neighborhood destination. Enjoy a weekend of culture, cuisine and connections again this year in Brookside. LEARN MORE AT BROOKSIDEKC.ORG
@BROOKSIDEKC | #BROOKSIDEARTANNUAL
@BROOKSIDEKC | #BROOKSIDEARTANNUAL
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
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www.nestkc.com
Brian Williams has been busy. Very busy. Since becoming development director for Folly Theater, Williams has helped raise over $13.5 million for capital improvements, the endowment fund, artistic programming, and general operations. But that’s not all.
In October 2022, the Folly finished a head-to-toe makeover, including new theater sets, carpet, stage curtains, flooring, chandeliers, technology, and arts experiences by renowned regional artists. “Check out the fabulous stained-glass panels by Kathy Barnard on the Balcony Lounge,” says Williams.
With a law degree from Notre Dame and a lengthy legal career as a commercial litigation attorney, Williams felt the call to do something new in 2015 after a year of personal losses.
“I believe in the transformative power of the arts to build a healthier, stronger, more vibrant and diverse community,” says Williams. “The arts lift our spirits, salve our wounds, and bring us together through our shared experiences. My work at the Folly combines my passion for the arts with my love for history. As Kansas City’s only remaining 19th-century theater, this iconic cultural jewel has witnessed and participated in our city’s development over the past 123 years.”
“On June 4, I will be hosting my 9th-annual garden party, Eat,
Drink & Be Jolly for the Folly,” says Williams. “This festive gathering of about 200 friends features a fried chicken lunch served in individual picnic baskets, with live jazz music and refreshing libations among the hydrangeas and other blooms in my garden. “
For more information, visit follytheater.org
INKC: How are you changing the world, one cocktail party at a time?
Brian Williams: The life motto of my late partner, Steve Metzler, was “Changing the world, one cocktail party at a time.” Since his death in 2015, I’ve done my best to carry forward his commitment to bringing together diverse friends, old and new, to support worthy causes. In mid-December, I invited a couple hundred friends to help me celebrate the holidays—a tradition that began before Steve and I met 30 years ago. Studio Dan Meiners does an amazing job decorating my home (and the tent behind the house) to create a warm and festive ambience, and Lon Lane’s Inspired Occasions helps welcome everyone with delicious hors d’oeuvres.
I also enjoy opening my home and gardens for a variety of patron parties and other events. In addition to the Folly Theater, I’ve hosted events for Kansas City Repertory Theatre, AIDS Walk, and KC Care Health Center, to name a few. I enjoy creating a welcoming space for
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interesting friends to gather and share their passion for making the world a better place for everyone.
INKC: What prompted you to exchange the legal world for the arts?
BW: I was a passionate supporter, volunteer, and board member of several arts organizations during most of my 30-plus years of practicing law. In 2014, I lost my mom, my favorite aunt, and one of Steve’s closest friends, all within a four-month span. When Folly board president Pete Browne invited me to discuss the opportunity to join the Folly team in the fall of 2014, I was already thinking about doing something more meaningful and community-focused with the balance of my career. Steve had been on the original Folly board that restored the theater in the early 1980s, and he had a 35-year love affair with the “Grand Lady of 12th Street.” In fact, Steve and I were honorary chairs for the Light the Lights benefit for the Folly when they installed the new marquee sign in 2011. Steve was very excited and supportive of my decision; little did we know that he would die just three months after I started.
INKC: How does the recent refurbishment position the Folly to go forward as a treasured cultural asset?
BW: This project included all new theater seats that are wider and more cushioned; a state-of-the-art assistive listening system installed below the floor; new lighting and brass handrails in the theater’s east lobby, grand stairs, and Balcony Lounge; a beautiful new Balcony Lounge with a full-service bar and new seating; and refreshed dressing rooms and
backstage areas. We also installed a tremendous amount of new technology, including permanent cameras that can record or livestream performances, enhanced sound and video capabilities in the performance hall, a new sound systems and speakers for the lobbies and dressing rooms, digital monitors in the first-floor lobbies, wi-fi boosters, and interactive video conferencing camera, monitor, and speakers in the Joan Kent Dillon Lounge.
As part of the renovation, we have installed a wonderful collection of art by renowned regional artists. These include our 1989 bronze sculpture by Ed Dwight; nine beautiful and engaging paintings by Rita Blitt; historic photographs by Orval Hixon; and photographic reproductions of two lively and engaging murals by Thomas Hart Benton. We are striving to provide our patrons with an immersive arts experience from the moment they enter our historic jewel-box theater that is, in and of itself, a work of art.
We believe that our transformational renovations, together with the $3 million in infrastructure improvements we completed in 2017, positions the Folly well to serve downtown, greater Kansas City, and the broader region as an arts and cultural tourism destination.
INKC: Have you ever performed in public? Sang, played an instrument, danced, acted?? If you did, how did it go?
BW: No, I have never performed in public. In fact, I don’t even perform in private. I used to sing in the shower, but the city threatened to shut off my water.
THROUGH AUGUST 20 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, a new exhibit showcases the work of eight Kansas City artists of Asian heritage. Found in Translation celebrates themes of visual and visceral memories, forging new identities, separation and belonging through photos, sculptures, floating-head self-portraits, ink paintings, porcelains, traditional paper art, monoprints, and lithography. Featured artists include Priya Suresh Kambil, who created a series of Buttons for Eyes inkjet prints, suggesting what we see is perhaps not what is. Kathy Liao’s installation includes a sculpture of her grandmother, a connection and talisman amidst displacement and alienation. Heinrich Toh uses images of a Mahjong tile, Asian architecture, and florals to suggest a feeling of being suspended in time—and place. Yoonami Nam arranges porcelain dessert molds with a celadon glaze to evoke memories of a sweet life. Noriko Ebersole’s one-a-day drawings for ten years in graphite, colored pencil, and ink on paper show her self-portrait changing over time. Shreepad Narayan Joglekar focuses on the immigrant-worker experience in a series of framed archival prints. Hong Chun-Zhang’s three-dimensional tree in Chinese ink on fabric with scrolls emphasizes the roots that keep growing new branches. Hyeyoung Shin creates castpaper medallions that feature colored-pencil acrobatic figures suspended in time and space.
For more information, visit nelson-atkins.org
Self-Portrait Diary: One-a-Day Drawings for 10 Years by Noriko Ebersole.
TONY AND EMMY AWARD-WINNING actress/singer
Reneé Elise Goldsberry comes to Kansas City on Sunday, April 16 at the Folly eater.
You might remember her best as Angelica Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton’s sister-in-law in Hamilton, a role she originated, but she’s also been on Broadway in e Lion King, e Color Purple, and Rent. She has also appeared in e Good Wife and One Life to Live on television.
As you might expect, her program showcases beloved Broadway standards and show tunes, just the thing to head into spring.
For ticket and performance information, visit hjseries.org.
by Judith Fertig
THE KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY joins the Kansas City Symphony Chorus for an up-tempo series of concerts, April 21-23 at Helzberg Hall.
Time is running out to see Michael Stern conduct with Charles Bruffy directing the chorus—Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano, and Scott Hendricks, baritone, stand out in the chorus—for a rousing and moving program of Gustav Holst, Franz Joseph Haydn, and Paul Hindemith meets American poet Walt Whitman.
In 1899, 25-year-old Gustav Holst wrote the Walt Whitman Overture that begins this concert. Holst and his friend, British composer Ralph Vaughn Williams, set to conquer composer’s block by setting Whitman’s work to music. Holst won.
Walt Whitman was born on May 31, the day that Franz Joseph Haydn died, but that is not the only thing they shared. Haydn’s Symphony No. 96 from 1791 was known as “the Miracle” after concert-goers rushed the stage after the performance, thus missing catastrophe as a chandelier fell on their empty seats. Its soaring and uplifting movements underscore Whitman’s poetic themes.
And lastly, Hindemith’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed oratorio takes the title of Whitman’s poem but was composed to mourn the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. For more information and tickets, visit kcsymphony.org
HALLELUJAH. The Salvation Choir, a group of performers from Congo and Senegal, spread the good word in their unique rhythm and sound on Sunday, April 30 at 6 p.m. at recordBar at 15th and Grand in the Crossroads.
Accompanied by drums, electric guitars, and keyboard, performers of all ages dance and sing gospel songs in Swahili.
Even if you’re not religious or don’t understand Swahili, songs like Eh, Bwana (Oh, Lord), Tumetakaswa (We Are Sanctified), and Utokuzwe (Let Us Be Grieving) will get you moving with the Salvation Choir. Everyone gets into the act—grannies, aunties, kids, adults. And the audience.
For tickets and information, visit therecordbar.com
Designer Katy Sullivan loves combining classic pieces with unique and unexpected elements to add personality to a home.
But above all, she enjoys the process of getting to know her clients, designing to their style, and creating a space that reflects their lives and personal aesthetic.
Come explore your style with Katy at Madden McFarland.
BY Susan Cannon
Small touches, like a cotton square twisted and tied around the neck, stacking gold and platinum wedding bands, or mixing Japanese with Italian staples, make casual classics look top. I asked Kansas City native Peter Nichols for his path into the fashion biz and his take on style, and I discovered his non-traditional trajectory to becoming a fashion executive.
To my surprise, his rst job was as a production assistant on the John Waters lm Serial Mom, starring Kathleen Turner, though it’s not at all unusual since he attended the highly creative Kansas City Academy.
He went on to work on projects for NBC and HBO, eventually transitioning into advertising for a boutique agency in New York City that specialized in fashion. at led to him meeting Je rey Kalinsky, the founder of the eponymous and legendary Meatpacking District shop, Je rey. “It was a super chic mini department store with the most amazing mix of product and brands, from (A)laia to (Z)anotti. Each weekend a DJ was there spinning actual vinyl. e after-brunch crowd would pour in and the team at the cash register could barely keep up. It was a very special moment in time. Je rey taught me to be a buyer and how to create unique and exciting assortments. From there, I held various international buying positions, including senior roles in Hong Kong at Lane Crawford and at Net-a-Porter in London.”
Nichols moved back to New York about ten years ago for a position at Michael Kors as vice president of global merchandising, overseeing footwear. Most recently he was the senior vice president of global merchandising for Stuart Weitzmann. While Nichols can share a depth of knowledge about women’s shoes, such as the most beautiful sculptural heels (Saint Laurent), low block heels (Prada), unique denim sandals (Jimmy Choo), and a great espadrille (Stuart Weitzman), I wanted to hear his take on menswear.
“I’m a big fan of uniform dressing and iconic items at any price point,” Nichols says. “I love a classic lace-up sneaker, or a loafer with jeans, a T-shirt, and a great watch. I love anything from Uniqlo paired with Comme des Garçons shirts and pants, Acne sweaters with Aspesi blazers, or Gucci with my Gap jeans I recently rediscovered. e only rule is that there are no rules—it’s all about personal style over trends. Be bold, nd your favorites, and don’t be afraid to mix and match. For me it’s all about the edit and blending great investment pieces with easy items.”
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Mara Sea Kale Mineral Sunscreen Serum SPF 30, $52, is a clean oil made with zinc oxide, which shields skin from UV rays leaving no white cast, plus vitamin C-rich blue sea kale that ghts the look of photo aging and ne lines, along with sea aster, which reduces the appearance of skin sensitivity and redness, including sunburns. Available at all Sephora locations.
Antioxidant-rich Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream SPF 30, $55, is designed for everyday nourishment and sun protection. It is also powered by zinc oxide and is infused with aloe vera, grape seed, chamomile, green tea, and calendula, providing lightweight protection with no heavy white cast involved. Available at Welwythn (Shops at Prairie Village).
Helm Salon hair stylist Kelli Jo Bebermeyer recommends two reliable hair products for smoothing and conditioning. “My goto is the Ever Oil by Reverie at $52. A little goes a long way, and the added hydrating bene ts makes this product a staple for any hair type.
Our lips are highly sun sensitive. Lipscreen Shine SPF 40 by Supergoop uses antioxidant-rich grape-seed extract with a blend of nourishing shea butter and coconut, sesame, and sun ower oils, $22, at Bluemercury (Town Center Plaza).
For moisturizing the lips, Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C by Lineage is not only for bedtime. It’s an e ective, soothing balm that’s healing all day, $24, at all Sephora locations.
“For conditioning, the Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner by Innersense for $26 is the perfect hair prepping leave-in spray. It is especially e ective for ner hair with its lightweight, hydrating formula that protects hair from the sun.” Both available at Helm Salon (Downtown).
IT’S BEEN RECOMMENDED when choosing your supplement, to look for “fruiting body” in the ingredients, signifying the actual mushroom cap and stem containing the highest amount of beta-glucans, as opposed to mycelium (the root). But that is debatable because it’s the root system that collects nutrients and releases enzymes. Here are three recommended products that do use the mushroom fruiting body:
If you’re not aware of the increasingly popular medicinal and adaptogenic mushrooms that have exploded on the wellness scene, a roster of healing mushrooms can be found in the form of co ee alternatives, gummies, tonic, elixir and smoothie supplements, chocolate, granola bars, and even jerky.
Oh My Fungi Gummies come in three whole-fruit avors for brain health, immunity, and sleep. $28 for a month supply. Available on omfg-gummies.com
Lion’s Mane - enhances memory, concentration and focus by supporting healthy tissue growth in the nervous system, with high neurotrophic properties that protect against cognitive decline.
RYZE Mushroom Coffee is low in ca eine, high in six mushroom extracts, with a smooth nutty avor. $30 for 30 servings. Available on ryzesuperfoods.com
Cordyceps – a rarer fungi that promotes sustained natural energy and endurance by increasing blood ow (dubbed the Viagra of the Himalayas).
Cordyceps
Reishi - a great stress regulator that aids in balancing mood, improving sleep, and stimulating white blood cells’ activity to ght infection.
Shiitake - supports the cardiovascular and immune systems, protects against in ammation, and is a source of antiviral and antibacterial properties.
Turkey Tail – an adaptogenic, antimicrobial mushroom that is incredibly supportive of our gut microbiomes, containing prebiotics that nourish helpful gut bacteria for optimum digestion.
Chaga – a powerful antioxidant with high zinc levels that supports the liver and kidneys, clearing toxins and restoring whiteblood cell production to boost immunity.
You is a skin-restoring, antiin ammatory supplement with chaga, cordyceps, and hibiscus to add to smoothies or tonics. apothekary.co
Take a deep dive into the world of beautiful fungi on fantasticfungi.com and watch the stunning, critically acclaimed documentary of the same name. en link to the shopping page for everything mushrooms, including food, more adaptogenic products, gifts, and books, such as the Fantastic Fungi Community Cookbook, which has over one hundred mushroomcentric recipes, from appetizers and mains to desserts and drinks. Foraging in Springtime is an extensive blog post on the site that shines light on the origins and health bene ts of mushrooms.
by Emily Laptad
recommendation for genetic counseling and testing. If you are concerned that your personal or family history is suggestive of an inherited risk for cancer, please discuss it with your physician or healthcare provider.”
If you’re identified as a candidate for genetic testing, you’ll be connected with a certified genetic counselor who will provide pre- and post-test counseling.
“This ensures that a proper personal and family history has been collected and interpreted, the proper gene or gene panel has been selected for testing, and that the patient is psychologically prepared to receive results,” Lange explains. “The post-testing counseling performed by a genetic counselor will ensure the patient understands the results, recommended interventions or surveillance, and the concept of cascade testing, or counseling and testing of family members who may also be at risk.”
Depending on the type of genetic testing, you’ll provide a saliva or blood sample that will be tested for genetic mutations. Expect to have results within two to four weeks that you will then review with your genetic counselor.
While cancer screenings determine if there is cancer or pre-cancerous cells at an early stage present in the body, genetic testing gauges the likelihood of cancer developing and can be used to determine the cause of a developed cancer.
While there’s no such thing as a magical crystal ball your doctor can use to tell what ailments may affect you in the future, genetic testing is one of the best tools medical professionals can use to determine heightened risk factors for cancer.
“The purpose of cancer genetic counseling is to educate individuals about the genetic, biological, and environmental factors related to a cancer diagnosis and/or risk for disease,” says Sara Lange, MD, a gynecologic oncologist at AdventHealth Cancer Center Shawnee Mission. “This information and counseling are meant to help them derive personal meaning from the cancer genetic information and to empower them to make educated, informed decisions about genetic testing, cancer screening, and cancer prevention.”
Your healthcare team can determine if you’re an appropriate candidate for genetic testing. This tool is often used for patients who have a personal or family history suggestive of genetic cancer susceptibility. The results can be used to determine if and which risk management and treatment options to consider moving forward.
“Personal diagnosis of cancer at an unusually young age for the cancer type may lead to a recommendation for genetic testing,” Lange says. “A first-degree relative with certain cancer diagnoses or multiple family members with the same or varied cancer diagnoses may also lead to a
“Genetic testing may reveal normal gene results, indicating that there are no gene mutations or variants in the individual who has been tested,” Lange says. “Positive results may indicate a pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutation or variant. This typically means that a mutation has been identified in a gene that may lead to an increased susceptibility to cancer.”
Genetic testing can save lives. Lange recalls one of her patients who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her 40s. “This is an early age for this diagnosis,” she says. “At her first visit to my office, a family history revealed two generations of multiple family members with breast cancer diagnoses, several at an early age of diagnosis as well.”
From there, Lange was able to order genetic testing for both the patient’s inherited genes and the patient’s ovarian cancer, which revealed a mutation in the BRCA1 gene. “This allowed us to offer the patient a more targeted treatment for her ovarian cancer based on her genetic testing results,” Lange says. “Additionally, she was directed to the High-Risk Breast Clinic to allow closer surveillance and opportunities to reduce her risk of breast cancer. We were also able to discuss the potential for cascade testing for her sisters and someday for her daughters, in hopes of reducing their risk for both ovarian and breast cancer diagnoses.”
As
PUBLISHED MATERIAL FROM THE GROUNDBREAKING DECORATOR
REGARDED BY MANY AS THE GRANDE DAME OF 20THCENTURY DESIGN
Nearly anything that registers as great interior design in the 2020s appeared in legendary interior designer Frances Elkins’s rooms in the 1920s. Her projects were replete with warm tones, interesting tile, and a mix of modern, vintage, and antique furniture. Bamboo dining chairs in a Chippendale style? Elkins did that. at thing you’re calling “granny chic?” Elkins had you beat. Chintz, oral rugs or neutral graphic carpets, mirrored baths with handpainted chinoiserie paper? Elkins, again and again.
e designer traveled extensively with her brother, architect David Adler, and it was not uncommon for them to work together. Often, she incorporated European antiques with Asian screens and furniture and the work of Mexican artisans, elements that are still in demand today.
Part of the charm of this book is that some images are black and white, which showcase balance and placement, while others are lled with vibrant color. It’s impossible to not learn something new or close its covers without a bounty of inspiration.
Verdant, the botanical gift shop in the Crossroads, carries a lovely selection of vintage style 8-by-10-inch botanical prints printed on white dove canvas paper. You can either frame them, or, for a casual touch, just tape them to the wall. Eight prints available, $15 each.
DIARRABLU PRINTS
ese simply framed prints from West Elm are by Diarrablu, a Black-owned lifestyle brand whose products are made in Senegal. e palmier prints lend a tropical air to any room. Available in three sizes and frame colors, $185 – $300.
Surround yourself with family, friends, and the warm glow of signature lighting from Wilson
by Patricia O’Dell
Visual Comfort began designing and manufacturing lighting in 1987. If you’re not familiar with the brand, you may recognize their product. eir lighting has a broad appeal for its design, as well as quality. at they feature designs of well-known designers, including Aerin Lauder, Christopher Spitzmiller, Kelly Wearstler, omas O’Brien and more, make them easy additions to stylish rooms. e bonus, of course, is that while these designs are available to the trade, they are sold directly to the public.
We’re doubly blessed to have a new showroom in Kansas City at 4163 Broadway Boulevard. Stop in, say “hello!” and discover how a well-made lamp, pendant, or sconce may just turn your day—or room—around. visualcomfort.com
KANSAS CITY gets its fair share of April showers, and I think we can agree that no one lives here for the weather. Sometimes you need to make your own sunshine, or maybe even rainbows. These cheerful hooked rugs and pillows from Ampersand Design Studio, a local Kansas Citybased company that’s receiving broad national acclaim, will put a spring in your step even if it’s cool and drizzly outside. ampersanddesignstudio.com
Hi Round Hook Pillow, $58.
Shaped Rainbow Hook Rug, $54.
Please join Kansas City Hospice as we remember your loved ones at
JOIN US - Join us from 5 - 7 pm immediately preceding Circle of Lights at Kendra Scott on The Plaza for a pre-event reception!
SHOP WITH US - Watch for details about two special Kansas City Hospice pendantscoming soon to The Plaza store!
SUPPORT US - Details coming soon about in-store (Plaza) and online donations from Kendra Scott for your May 23-24 shopping. Stay tuned!
Thanks to Kendra Scott for their continued support!
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Serendipity is when a gifted writer moves to a new town and discovers his charming, energetic neighbor is a celebrated physician, bon vivant, and—oh, by the way—more than a century old. Dr. Charlie White’s life, which began before cars and ended with humans orbiting Earth on the International Space Station, was a tale waiting to be told, and Washington Post columnist and Mission Hills resident David Von Drehle was the person to tell it. The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man (Simon & Schuster) comes out in May.
Von Drehle grew up in Aurora, Colorado. After earning a Bachelor’s in English and philosophy at University of Denver and a Master’s in English literature at University of Oxford, he discovered he wasn’t cut out to be a professor, the life he’d imagined. He returned to what he knew: journalism. While still in high school, Von Drehle had talked himself into a position on the sports desk at the Denver Post, a job he kept through college, while also editing his college paper. After college, he was hired by the Miami Herald, eventually becoming their New York correspondent. When the Herald closed the bureau, Von Drehle, reluctant to return to Miami, landed his dream job in 1991 as the Washington Post’s New York City bureau chief.
In 1993, Von Drehle moved to DC, where he met and married White House correspondent Karen Ball. In 2007, Time offered Von Drehle a job he could do from anywhere, so the couple and their four children moved to Kansas City, Karen’s hometown.
Von Drehle has authored several books including the bestseller Triangle: The Fire that Changed America (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2003). He spoke by telephone with IN Kansas City from his home about his remarkable friendship with Charlie White and what it taught him about the art of living.
The Book of Charlie opens with a wonderful scene of you sitting on the floor of a dark hallway reading chapter books to your children by flashlight. Why did you forgo a couch and ambient lighting?
I wanted to get them all in their dang beds. If you read on the couch, when you finish reading, you’ve still got the transfer to the beds—times four. But when I would get them all in their beds and read from the hallway, they would drift off, or at least be captive. So, it was strategic in that way.
started the tradition in our house in Washington, DC, where the four kids were in three bedrooms and all three rooms converged at the top of the stairs. The rooms here were a little farther apart, so I had to read a little louder. I loved it. I miss it. I wish I could do it every night.
You knew Dr. Charlie White from the time he was 102 until he died at 109. One of the first times you saw him, he was in his driveway bare-chested in swim trunks, washing the sports car of a lady friend who had spent the night. What was your inner reaction to that scene at the time?
That this 102-year-old guy seemed to be finding more time for his romantic life than I was. [Laughs] And what’s wrong with this picture, you know? At that point, the kids were between 4 and 9. It wasn’t exactly the Playboy Mansion around our house.
But more seriously, I was just blown away by this life force.
Did it instantly shake up your conception of what life after 80 or 90 looks like?
It absolutely did. I immediately recognized, as soon as I met Charlie, that he had won the genetic Powerball. There was a lot of luck going on there in terms of his health. So, I wasn’t necessarily looking at him saying, “Hey, that’s going to be me.”
We like to tell ourselves we have control over what’s going to happen to us, but we don’t. It wasn’t like, “If I take the right vitamin or do the right fitness thing that can be me,” so much as it was just, “Wow, you should keep going as long as you can keep going.”
Because I do think some people put speed limits on their lives. Like, “OK, I’m X years old now, I better be slowing down.” Charlie clearly was going to run all the way through the tank.
That’s what I enjoyed so much about the book, is that you’re clearly not in search of the answer to “How can I live longer?” but “How can I live better?”
Yes, no matter how long the life is.
In Charlie’s 109 years, there was enough adventure and drama for a Hollywood film—loss, wars, happy and unhappy marriages. Charlie’s life could really have gone either way. His circumstances could have provided an explanation for two very different types of people.
Yes. Yes.
That must have created really cool memories for your kids. I hope so. It was great memories for me. I really enjoyed that time. We continued on page 72
In the before times, Kansas City was in the middle of a brunch boom, with new restaurants—dedicated exclusively to the morning daypart—opening across the city. It was a trend that was sweeping across the country at the time. Then during the pandemic, the convivial mid-morning meal had all but disappeared from restaurant menus as we were stuck inside cooking for ourselves and our families.
Now, despite the price of eggs and the lack of labor that all restaurants are still dealing with, it seems that brunch, like hope, is rising like a fluffy biscuit in the oven. Look around and you’ll find favorite brunch spots opening early, ready to cook up your favorite brunch dishes and shake up your favorite drinks again. It feels like another milestone reached on the long road back for restaurants and a reason to raise a glass.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why brunch is so popular with the people, but there is no denying its power. The first thing it has going for it is the party aspect of the meal. It is the one meal that you must eat with friends, and the more the merrier. There is also something that feels decadent, almost naughty, about drinking in the morning, which adds
to its mystique for many. However, my personal theory is that with eggs and bacon, pancakes and waffles, fried chicken sandwiches, burgers, and giant cinnamon rolls all on the menu, it is the friendliest food you can find, even the pickiest of eaters will join the clean-plate club at brunch.
While there is room for both breakfast and brunch to coexist in this town, they serve different purposes. Breakfast is quicker and more businesslike. It’s typically enjoyed weekdays, early in the morning, and centered around coffee. Brunch is leisurely and social, happening on the weekends and served late morning or early afternoon, and can be a boozy way to slide into or out of your weekend.
It is worth mentioning that there are several local spots that serve a delicious but dry, booze-less brunch, including Succotash, You Say Tomato, Messenger Coffee, and Housewife KC. But for the purposes of this list, I’ll be sticking with those brunch spots where you can get a cocktail, wine, or beer to go with your meal.
Here are 15 local places serving that lazy late-morning meal with suggestions on what to eat and drink at each spot. What are you waiting for? Email your neighbors, text your friends, call an Uber—brunch is back!
Sundays 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. cavakc.com
As Kansas City’s only Champagne bar, ÇaVa will help you slide into your Sunday with a smile. Its brunch menu speaks mostly French with crêpes, potato crust quiche, and pastries all at your beck and call.
EAT: Croque-madame made with Fantasma pit ham, cow’s milk comtè cheese, Dijon, and a sunnyside-up egg.
DRINK: Cappelletti spritz, a ruby-red aperitivo topped with bubbles.
Saturday starting at 10 a.m. & Sunday at 9 a.m. uniononthehill.com
Gather at George Atsangbe’s newish spot for shrimp and grits, corned beef hash, or salmon toast, and a drink menu with the trifecta—bellinis, Bloodys, and mimosas.
EAT: Grilled maple bacon-glazed doughnuts
DRINK: Liquid Brunch is a Bloody Mary that comes with your choice of bacon-fat washed Rieger vodka or cucumber-infused gin stuffed with skewers of chicken wings, shrimp cocktail, and cured meat and cheese.
Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Plaza and Overland Park North bolings.com
With hundreds of dumplings to fold and buns to steam, Bo Lings serves their full dim sum menu weekends only at two of their five locations. Richard and Theresa Ng offer a wide selection of traditional Cantonese small plates served by carts to your table at brunch.
EAT: Baked or steamed barbecue pork bun, steamed shrimp and chive dumplings, and egg custard tart
DRINK: Drink a cup of hot tea or a glass of sauvignon blanc—or maybe both.
Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. thirdstreetsocial.com
With two locations, Third Street Social is both convenient and built for brunch. Dishes like the Hot Chicken Benny, breakfast tacos, and Belgian waffles only confi rm the rumors. Offering one of the largest specialty brunch cocktail menus of the bunch, everyone will fi nd something to love.
EAT: Chicken-fried beef tenderloin served with scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and chorizo verde gravy.
DRINK : Irish Coffee made with Jameson Irish Whiskey, a touch of sugar, and topped with whipped cream.
Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. bluhwy.com
When James Taylor opened Blu Hwy, he wanted to take people on a trip, and the brunch menu does just that. From a fresh beet and grapefruit salad to the decadent Madame Cristo sandwich—a take on a Monte Cristo topped with a fried egg—you must make the journey.
EAT: Dutch baby pancakes topped with fresh berries, sweet and sour cream, lemon, and pistachios.
DRINK: Spill the Tea cocktail has peach green tea-infused vodka, mint, lemon, Rockwell vermouth, and soda.
JAROCHO
First Sunday of the Month
from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. jarochokc.com
The chef Carlos Falcon is serving a fantastic seafood and Mexican food spread called “El Bruncho” for $31 the fi rst Sunday of the month at his Kansas City, Kansas, location only. A full bar offers your favorite Mexican beer brands, wine, and cocktails.
EAT: Fresh oysters, shrimp ceviche, cochinita pibil tacos, birria, elote, and more.
DRINK: House margarita.
THE TOWN COMPANY
Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. thetowncompany.com
The recently rolled-out Sunday brunch at The Town Company is worth a visit with the chefs Johnny and Helen Jo Leach behind the menu. Try their breakfast sausage bun, pig-head doughnuts with maple mustard, or the hearty hearth breakfast with a fi ne selection of cocktails, wine, or beer.
EAT: Chicken and sweet potato waffle with sweet-and-sour maple and chives.
DRINK: Sudden Windfall cocktail made with Kansas City Club gin, sweet vermouth, banana, and chamomile.
Tuesday – Sunday 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. facebook.com/alamoskc
Agustín Juarez and his family are the heart and soul of this Westside Mexican restaurant that now stays open past 3 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays for dinner and drinks. Around brunch time, choose from huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, migas or tacos, burritos, or platters with your choice of meat, beans, and rice.
EAT: Menudo or posole soup available weekends only. Cures what ails you!
DRINK: It is a toss-up between Gus’s palomas or the Vampiro, crafted with tequila and a popular bright-red Mexican sangrita, Viuda de Sanchez, which is made from orange juice and chiles de arbol.
HAPPY
Thursday – Sunday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. happygillis.com
Cozy, craft cuisine is what you can expect from this wildly popular brunch Columbus Park eatery. The breakfast sandwich and meatloaf sandwich are both hard to beat while you sip on a cup of Broadway coffee or enjoy a cocktail or bubbles.
EAT: Biscuits and gravy with either house-made sausage gravy or mushroom gravy topped with a fried egg.
DRINK: Classic Horsefeather made with J. Rieger Kansas City whiskey.
BLVD TAVERN
Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
blvdtavernkc.com
The chef Derek Nacey and Meghan Nacey dominate the weekend brunch scene making the best version of all the brunch basics and beyond. How about a French dip, or maybe the French toast? The bar serves delightful signature cocktails and beer and wine.
EAT: Corned beef hash, a medley of house-made corned beef, potatoes, onions, smoked tomato redeye gravy, over-easy eggs, and marbled rye toast.
DRINK: Pomegranate sangria, created with red wine, pomegranate juice, brandy, and triple sec.
Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. billiesgrocery.com
The fresh vibes and vegetable-forward menu are one reason to hit up Billie’s Grocery for brunch seven days a week, but you can also enjoy a deli-style Reuben and a glass of wine, too. Just make sure to get a sweet treat on your way out.
EAT: Bacon banana waffles are gluten-free with crispy bacon, caramelized banana, 100 percent pure maple syrup, and creamy mascarpone.
DRINK: Pineapple rosé mimosa.
Wednesday & Sunday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. eatatthefarmhouse.com
Chef Vincent Paredes is behind Kansas City’s favorite farm-to-table weekend brunch spot serving delicious doughnuts, steak and eggs Benedict, and breakfast chimichangas, along with a full bar serving seasonal cocktails, beer, and wine.
EAT: Lord Kyler made with Bloom Bakery jalapeño cheddar bread, pork sausage, two cheddar scrambled eggs, chorizo gravy, cilantro, potato hash.
DRINK: Mexican espresso martini.
Sundays 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. westportcafeandbar.com
The convivial atmosphere and the chef Romain Monnoyeur’s tasty French bistro food, including grilled oysters, steak and frites, and quiche Lorraine, at Westport Café draw the crowds, but the clever cocktails make people stay long after the plates are cleared.
EAT: Omelette with fi ne herbs and French fries.
DRINK: Bronson’s Milk Punch (classic or tropical). Order this where it all began!
Saturday & Sunday – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. pierponts.com
Perfect place to take visiting friends or family for brunch, as it pairs a historic local sight with a glamourous meal at Pierpont’s. Consider The Conductor breakfast burger or any version of eggs Benedict and truly anything from their signature bar will pair nicely.
EAT: Cajun Benedict with fried green tomatoes, Tasso ham, and poached eggs on an English muffin with blackened hollandaise sauce and breakfast potatoes
DRINK: KC Massacre, a Bloody Mary made with J. Rieger whiskey, barbecue sauce and a splash of IPA.
Saturday & Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Plaza and Leawood ryekc.com
Another great choice with multiple locations featuring chefs Colby and Megan Garrelts’s culinary team’s farmhouse favorites, such as buttermilk pancakes, burnt-ends hash, and steak and eggs. The bar stands ready to make any adult beverage to order.
EAT: Two-piece fried chicken plate with mashed potatoes, ham gravy, and garden greens.
DRINK: Pimm’s Cup.
words by David Frese
The upcoming NFL Draft in Kansas City is likely the world’s biggest business meeting.
At its core, the draft is a caucus of 32 mega-million-dollar organizations gathering remotely on April 27-29 to pick their next generation of on-fi eld employees.
Hundreds, maybe thousands of media companies, bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, and TikTok’ers will broadcast and stream the event out to millions of viewers and listeners around the world.
And for all three days of the draft, all those eyes will be focused on KC.
Meanwhile, live at Union Station, the crowd will be just as impressive. Think Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade-impressive. “We’re expecting—conservatively—300,000,” says Kathy Nelson, CEO of VisitKC and the Kansas City Sports Commission.
That may be a real understatement. In 2019, when the draft was hosted by Nashville, home of the Tennessee Titans, approximately 600,000 attended, creating an economic impact of about $130 million.
So, yeah, this is kind of a big deal.
For much of its history, the NFL draft, the annual convention of pro football teams picking incoming amateur players, was held in New York City. Far from the spectacle it has become, the first draft was held in 1936 in a Philadelphia hotel. As the event grew in popularity, it moved to larger venues in New York before the League eventually decided to try it out on the road. Chicago hosted it for two years. Dal-
las, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Nashville all have hosted it.
In 2019, Kansas City was chosen to host this year’s event.
Ironically, the 2015 Royals’ World Series parade may have helped land the NFL draft, specifi cally that photo of Union Station and the surrounding area covered in a sea of blue. “When people really dig in and see that those are people, that’s a game changer for us,” Nelson says. “That picture from that day in 2015 has been worth millions of dollars of economic impact to Kansas City.”
Kansas City started pitching for the NFL Draft in 2015. The group had to convince the draft committee that KC had the transportation, hotels, and the people to support it.
“It was bizarre,” Nelson says. “When we were in New York pitching, of the group of 27 from the NFL who were there when we went to pitch, only three of them had been to Kansas City. So, one of the sticking points was proving our city was capable and wanted to host it.”
Once the NFL visited what they called our “robust” city, they could envision the draft here. Chiefs Kingdom. The streetcars. Power & Light. T-Mobile Center. Union Station. And the people. Not just the ones who sell out Arrowhead Stadium, attend the Big 12 Tournament, or fill up Power & Light during soccer games. Everybody.
Nelson says one committee member said she grew up on the East Coast, lived in New York, and she’d never worn a shirt that had a New York logo on it.
continued on page 74
Leawood living had been good to this family of six. They loved their neighborhood, they loved their schools, but recently they decided their home needed a refresh. They turned to local designer Sara Noble, with whom they’ve worked for several years.
Noble’s first project with the family six years ago was the dining room remodel. The room is crisp and classic with white wainscoting. Deep teal-green walls above add drama, while the geometric brass mirror reflects the modern blown-glass light fixture over the table.
Phase two was exponentially bigger, as the family had decided to renovate their kitchen and primary bathroom. Space
Above: Interior designer Sara Noble with Noble Designs.planning was the first step, and Noble included Yaneli Avila, a designer in the firm, to help with the project management. “The clients had a good idea of what wasn’t working,” Noble says. “The kitchen was dated and wasn’t in keeping with the value of the home. They had a formal living room that had become wasted space, and the hearth room could accommodate one sofa for a family of six.”
Noble could see that removing a wall between the hearth room and the living room and opening the kitchen to the enlarged space would suit the family’s lifestyle better whether they were hanging out with their children or entertaining friends. In addition, the primary bathroom, with its elevated tub, also needed refreshing. Fortunately, they had the space to accommodate
all the items on the couple’s wish list. It just needed a little reimagining. In addition, Noble and her team updated some of the other existing spaces to keep everything in sync.
The entry sets the tone with bold and colorful art, a classic chest, and modern coat rack. This aesthetic combination is echoed throughout the house.
The resulting great room is spacious and elegant, even as it was designed for family living. Neutral fabrics on the upholstery allow opportunity for a bold, patterned rug, pillows, and glazed blue ceramic lamps. One of Noble’s changes in the project was to remove the see-through fireplace wall that was between the hearth room and the living room and add a fireplace flanked by open bookcases and storage on the remaining wall.
While the great room is cozy, the classic white kitchen with brass accents that is flooded with natural light is a stunner, while still being functional.
Stools at the wide island accommodate company for the cook or a casual meal. The wife’s office is nearby with windows on two sides that look out to the yard. Built-in cabinets hold cookbooks and collections. A nearby table with upholstered chairs in a neutral boucle is the perfect spot to linger over breakfast.
In addition, Noble designed a striking built-in bar that serves the kitchen and great room. “One of the benefits of the remodel was that we were able to expand the pantry and create a stand-alone bar,”
she says. “We had to encourage them to agree to the green, but it’s really a showstopper.”
Noble thought the back of the bar needed something, but a patterned tile didn’t seem right. “We’ve been using antique mirror more, which keeps things simple but still adds light. The antique finish gives it a moody feel.”
The primary bathroom underwent a similar transformation. Space was reimagined to make the bath a more reasonable size and
Above: Just off the kitchen, a comfy chaise topped by an Italian cotton throw from Noble Designs is the perfect spot for relaxation. Left: Flanked by the great room and the kitchen, a breakfast area is centered under a dramatic Visual Comfort pendant.
Above:
adds a dose of color and pattern.
create a laundry room. The elevated tub was replaced with a sleek freestanding model, backed by a tile wall that includes three-dimensional hand-carved tiles that Noble found on a trip to Boston. “It comes in puzzle pieces,” she says. “We treated it like a piece of art.”
Brass hardware and lighting provide a warm accent to the blue-gray cabinets, a refreshing choice when white might have been an easy default.
The primary bedroom incorporates the soothing blue hues of the wallpaper, curtains, and lampshades and accents. Wall-to-wall carpeting means bare feet never have to hit cold floors first thing in the morning.
Making this much-loved house work better for the family was satisfying for client and designers.
“We really strive to give the client something they never knew they wanted, and it felt like we did that multiple times with this project,” Avila says. “From the green bar to the custom white-oak wall of built-ins and porcelain fireplace surround in the living room. The family’s energy was really channeled into their home through a sophisticated use of color in various ways.”
Noble agrees. “From the space planning to determining the design elements, the work is fun and really challenges me. I love to see a project come together, and I’m thrilled with the way this one turned out.”
Contractor
Allen Building Specialties allenbuildingspecialties.com
Flowers Randy Neal Floral Design randynealfloral.com
Interior Design
Noble Designs saranobledesigns.com
When Charlie is retelling his life, he’s always focusing on the happy parts. Everything was a lark, a great time. So that makes me wonder: What do you think is more important—what actually happens in our lives, or the way that we remember it? The way we remember it—if those are my two choices. I think there’s a third alternative that I would put in there, which is how we choose to experience it in the moment.
What do you mean?
Every event that happens to us, we live with it a lot longer in memory than in the experience. In the book I talk about Charlie narrating his own life and making the choice to make it a happy story. Even though in another place I quote him saying, “I don’t really ever remember being happy. We didn’t think about stuff like that.”
So, it’s not being a Pollyanna. It’s not pretending that hard things were easy or sad things weren’t sad. It’s more of a recognition that there are hard things and sad things in every life and that’s part of the whole adventure.
You said that Charlie opened up to you more about his first wife’s struggles with depression when he learned that you had also experienced similar circumstances with loved ones. What did you learn from Charlie that you didn’t know before about dealing with anguishing problems that are outside your control?
I learned that it’s all about the going through it. Charlie really taught me a lot about being in the present. The past is gone, the future is out of our control, and what we have is the moment happening right now. To live in it and embrace it with positivity and optimism even
We all have confirmation bias; we’re drawn to stories that reinforce our world view. As you were sifting through Charlie’s life in writing the book, which aspects of his nature did you already share and so were easier to understand?
I think Charlie and I, part of the reason we hit it off, was the fact that we’re a lot alike in that we both recognize that we’ve got this one shot on planet Earth. It’s a pretty unlikely thing that any of us are here, no matter how cosmic a view you want to take. We’ve looked all around everywhere we can see as a species and there’s no other place where we could live. There’s no other place with air to breathe and gravity to hold us down. It’s kind of weird that a planet even exists. It’s weird that human beings can love and enjoy beauty.
Being sad about it and gloomy and depressed about it, being angry about it, doesn’t make it any more fun or any easier to bear. And it’s going to come to an end as well. That suggests, as we grow and mature, a kind of stance about the world—I’m going to do my best to make as much of my trip, however long or short it is, as I can. That’s all I can do.
You lay out a theory in your book that we spend half of our lives as complexifiers and the second half as simplifiers. Can you explain that concept?
It occurred to me as I was trying to distill what is the take-away lesson from Charlie that we start out as innocent little kids, trying to figure out the world. And the first thing we figure out is, “Wait a minute, there’s a lot more going on here than I thought. Things aren’t as simple as they look. Mom and Dad are not perfect. I’m not safe and sound all the time. Some
people are trying to trick me.” It’s realizing the complexity of the world.
But then later—certainly true of me, true of Charlie—you start to drill down past that and realize that there are some simple truths about how to live, and how to be happy, and how to be useful to the community, and to connect with other people and to get meaning out of life.
It all boils down to: Be kind to people. Take joy in life. See the beauty in the world. Look for the best in other people.
Yes, the world is complex. Yes, life is going to throw you curveballs. But what you do about that, how you react, how you live through that complexity is really quite simple.
Do you have retirement plans, and what did you learn from Charlie about how to have a successful retirement?
Let’s say that I have retirement hopes.
[Laughs] I love the idea of it, but how I’m going to extricate myself, uh, I don’t know. But what I am going to follow Charlie on for sure is to be engaged all the way up to the end. Charlie loved medicine. [After retirement] he kept going on grand rounds, he went to meetings, read the journals. He kept up with that passion until he basically went
into the nursing home at 108. That’s something I definitely want to model. I don’t necessarily want to keep punching the cards that I’ve been punching. For 45 years, I’ve basically been typing for money. I may not want to be on a deadline typing another thing ...
But there’s something about storytelling. There is. And I like it. I hope this isn’t my last book. What I absolutely am not going to do is sit in my house, not meeting people, not having conversations, not engaging with books, while one by one my little crowd of friends disappear.
My mom was influential on this with me, as well. She never stopped making friends. I think that’s so crucial to having a happy old age. Charlie made friends with me when he was 102. A lot of 102-year-olds are not looking for new friends.
Are there things you would like to do if you had more free time?
Sleep. I don’t mean to sound like a smart ass. Before I was married and in management, there were weekend days when I would have a book that I was into, and I’d stretch out on a sofa, and I’d go between reading and napping for 14 hours. I’d like to do that again before I die.
Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.
“‘In Kansas City, all of you live here and you wear it on your clothes,’” the woman said, according to Nelson. “She was just blown away by the pride in our city.”
Now that we’re weeks away from this dream becoming reality, there’s still plenty of work to do. Most of April will be spent building the stage where NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (or a team representative) will announce each team’s draft picks. The NFL is using some local contractors to do the job. The stage itself won’t be complete until a couple of days before the draft.
The “green room,” where prospects and their families will wait anxiously for their names to be called, will be inside Union Station, which will be closed to the public. The players will enter the stage much like the Chiefs and the Royals did during their championship celebrations.
The NFL’s 32 teams’ draft rooms will not be on-site—they’ll all be back in their respective cities (including the Chiefs, who will draft from Arrowhead). The Chiefs, by the way, should be busy on draft weekend. They have 12 picks for the seven rounds of the draft.
Everything (sans concessions, souvenirs, etc.) is free, including admission. There are no physical tickets; the NFL wants fans to register at nfl.com/draftaccess and also download the NFL One Pass app to their phones.
Fans from all teams are expected to converge on the city, where
they will watch from the north lawn of the World War I Museum and Memorial and hope their guys pick the right guys.
On the south side of the WWI Memorial, fans will find the NFL Draft Experience, a traveling football theme park. They’ll be able to kick a field goal or test their speed against a simulated player of their choosing, among other activities. The app will include schedules of events, including which players or NFL legends might be making an appearance on the autograph stage each day.
New this year and unique to Kansas City will be a food exhibition area featuring the barbecue and cuisine culture of Kansas City.
And each night after the draft, the NFL will be hosting concerts by national acts, the names of which have not yet been revealed.
If it sounds like a lot, it is.
Nelson says one thing that surprised her about the NFL Draft was all the layers involved, from green initiatives to after parties.
“We have to talk about transportation, we have to talk about media credentials,” she says. “Then there’s the legends and the alumni and how you handle them. It’s been overwhelming, but it’s such an honor to plan this. I think this will be bigger than anyone really appreciates yet.”
The estimated economic impact of the draft is in the tens of millions of dollars (again, conservatively). Of course, everything depends on the weather. Even the prospect of rain isn’t dampening
anyone’s hopes for a big turnout.
“We know that football fans are pretty hearty,” she says. “The Chiefs parade in 2020 when it was 14 degrees and sleeting and we had plenty of people here. And then this year when it was somewhat sunny and 40 we still had a lot of people.”
There are, however, several weather preparedness plans being worked on in case the draft show has to take place inside of Union Station.
What’s impressive is how a conglomeration of seemingly unrelated events and improvements have coalesced to make this possible. The NFL Draft in Kansas City ten years ago? No way. Five years ago? Maybe.
The streetcar is a game changer, Nelson says. The transportation system has improved with free busing. The victory parades have helped the city learn what works and what doesn’t. The new airport doesn’t hurt.
“And I think our community is getting smarter about these types of events,” she says. “You saw from the Chiefs parade, Kansas City is
learning how to park, how to get downtown for these events, where to show up, when to show up. I think that makes us better as well. I do think we could have hosted this a few years ago, but I think we’re smarter about it now.”
We’re experts in creating great first impressions. From elegant walkways to lush gardens to pots bursting with exuberant color, we'll create a stunning front yard that will welcome guests and neighbors alike. The Greensman is a full-service landscape design, installation & maintenance company.
We’re experts in creating great first impressions. From elegant walkways to lush gardens to pots bursting with exuberant color, we'll create a stunning front yard that will welcome guests and neighbors alike. The Greensman is a full-service landscape design, installation & maintenance company.
As spring blooms, so too does our desire to freshen up the spaces we live in the most— the kitchen and bathrooms—with a trendy, yet timeless, remodel. If a refresh is on your spring to-do list, you’ll want to meet European designer Karin Ross of Karin Ross Designs.
“I set the trends. I don’t follow them,” Ross says. “That means I will take into consideration everything a client has brought to my attention. I’ll ask you to show me your inspiration, show me what you like. It’s my job to pull elements from those ideas along with my expertise and create the dream space and design elements for the client.”
When it comes to a home project, choosing who to work with for the remodel is one of the most important decisions you’ll make.
When you start your search, it’s going to be important to know the difference between working with a general contractor or a specialized designer such as Karin Ross. It’s becoming common for builders to offer remodeling services, but the process isn’t generally their specialty.
“Think about the comparison between your general practitioner and a specialist if
you have a medical issue,” Ross says. With a contractor, you likely won’t have as many custom options and can expect a more cookie-cutter design. With her, expect an exquisite outcome with plenty of unique design choices and finishes.
1. Anchor the Design Around an Idea or Accent Piece to Make It Your Own. When Ross begins working with you, she’ll ask if there is anything that inspires your origins or a particular piece that feels homey and dear to your heart that she can use to anchor the project.
“It could be a painting, or I’ve had clients with a tile from Morocco or Spain, a mosaic set of 16 that will create a special pattern,” she says. “I have had people who went on vacation, and something during that trip changed their life, and they’ll want something to help them remember that moment.”
2. Nature is Coming Back Inside. Ross stays true to her roots and keeps up with the latest European trends to predict what’s coming to the U.S.
Currently, she’s got her eye on natural elements to bring into her designs.
“I see people wanting wood elements. We are chasing that dream of the last vacation, the dream of the spa—comfort more than anything,” she says. “Nature doesn’t have cold, gray elements, it’s about warmth— black, brown, beige, green. Shades of green are making a huge comeback because of the natural element, and how it pairs with the wood stain is amazing.”
3. Adding a Pop of Color. While it’s become increasingly popular to add pops of color to home design, Ross warns against using wide swaths of bright, bold colors.
“People are very much about how the value is going to hold up,” she says. “Any of those bold oranges, burgundies, reds, or even pastels are gone. When you’re paying for a quality finish, you don’t want to have to turn around in a few years and re-paint it, because you won’t be able to get that factory-quality finish. You want to stick with what’s going to stay for the long-term and get that pop of color with accent pieces—think a pillow, dish, picture, or cup.”
4. Mix Your Metals. When choosing your finishes for faucets and handles, Ross stresses it’s okay to mix metals.
“Nothing has to be the same,” she says. “Brass is especially trending now, but it’s not the brass from the ‘70s. Gold has made a comeback over the past few years, too. Go for what you like. Having a mixture of metals keeps it interesting and solves the worry that the finish you choose will quickly be replaced by the latest trend.”
5. Backsplash Personality. Ross’s next tip? Bury the white subway tile. The backsplash is where you can add a touch of personality.
“The backsplash is like the mascara that finishes your makeup for the evening,” she says. “That’s where you want to play, and I’ll play with it a lot. I play with the dimensions, I play with shapes. I play with the thickness. It brings another three-dimensional level and ties everything together. It’s a completely unexpected twist, but yet it’s still elegant and classic.”
In the springtime, I can’t seem to get enough fresh greens. Once my garden is up to speed, it can be more than accommodating—in fact, my overzealous planting can cause anxiety and guilt about waste. Therefore, I tend to have some form of greens with every meal, and one of the most versatile dishes I prepare with greens, suitable for any time of day, is a simple frittata.
Over the past two decades, I feel like the frittata has become omnipresent— perhaps even abused—on menus, especially for brunch. But they are popular for many reasons. A frittata can be quick to cook, del icate and thin like a crepe, ready with in a few minutes. For a crowd, they can be made several inches thick, studded with meats, vegetables, cheeses, and even cubes of bread, pasta, or potatoes. Taking around 30 minutes to cook, this version allows time for you to enjoy your first cup of coffee or mimosa. A frittata can also be rolled like an omelet, spread with a luxurious herbed mayonnaise, or even loosely scrambled with any number of enrichments and piled onto rustic slabs of grilled bread. And don’t forget that a frittata is an excellent vehicle for using up remnants of meals past or stretching the odd bits lying around the kitchen into a substantial repast. Regardless of your favorite variety, I hope you’ll keep the frittata in mind—and eat your greens.
I seldom make a frittata the same way twice, but one that I do repeat is also the easiest and one of the most delicious—one with quickly wilted greens and maybe an herb, usually something from the onion family. It is tasty, warm straight from the skillet, at room temperature sitting on a buffet, or even tucked between two slices of good bread and enjoyed on a hike or picnic.
Begin by preheating the oven to 350° F and assembling your ingredients. For two people, crack five or six eggs into a bowl, add a big pinch of salt, and whisk the eggs briefly with a fork. For the greens, a very large handful of any of the quick cooking types are perfect here, but leftover braised greens or sauteed spinach would also be appropriate (and delicious). Two of my current favorites are bok choy and gai lan, Asian greens with a hint of sweetness and the bite
of mild mustards (see In the Pantry). Wash, dry and coarsely chop the greens, separating any thicker stems and cutting them into quarter-inch pieces. Small heads of bok choy can simply be cut in half to reveal their beautiful curves and layers—they cook in almost no time. You also need a small handful of chopped chives, green onions, or even garlic chives. Preheat a skillet—cast-iron, non-stick, or well-seasoned carbon steel, about ten inches in diameter—or as close as you can get. When the skillet is hot, add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, and then immediately add the thicker stems. Over high heat, sauté them for a few minutes, then add the leaves, a big pinch of salt, the , and another of crushed red pepif you like it spicy. Stir and toss the greens, covering them for about 60 seconds to encourage them to wilt. Uncover the greens and toss for another 2 or 3 minutes. If you are using little bok choy heads cut in half, put them cut-side down in the hot skillet when you first add the thick stem pieces. As the greens approach the finish line (wilting and becoming tender), peer at the bottom of the skillet. If the skillet looks dry on bottom, add another splash of oil, then pour the egg mixture all over and around the greens. Tilt the skillet to spread the egg mixture evenly around the pan, poking and prodding the greens as needed to get them equitably distributed across the surface. Allow the bottom of the frittata to set (this will take about a minute), then transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking for a few minutes more—the time will vary based on the size of the skillet, the number of eggs and greens, etc. I like the frittata to be just set—a few wet-looking bits might still be visible—when I remove it from the oven. It will continue to cook and set as it begins to cool. Although some people really love the crispy bits around the edge of the pan, I am not really a fan of browned eggs (a prejudice I acquired at my first cooking job at Charlene Welling’s Classic Cup in Westport almost 28 years ago). If you like your eggs to have color, by all means cook them longer. The frittata is ready to serve, directly from skillet to plate, or it can sit around for a while waiting for guests to assemble or drinks to be poured. For breakfast, I would serve it with lavishly buttered toast, for lunch or dinner perhaps alongside a vegetable salad and steamed aromatic rice.
DUE TO HUNDREDS OF YEARS of cultivation on multiple continents, there are countless varieties of Asian greens available today. e names can be an endless source of confusion and vary by country, language, purveyor, tradition, or seed catalog. e best source for these greens is an Asian grocery or farmer’s stand, where you will always nd something interesting. Asian grocers also have by far the best prices and—due to their pervasiveness in Asian cuisines—freshness and variety.
Also known as gai choy, this is one of the most common mustards found in Asian stores. It comes in several varieties and sizes, each with different applications. Some are used more for the leaf (when very young), some more for the thick, juicy stem (sometimes with much of the leaf trimmed away). Frequently salted and pickled, maybe fermented, the mature forms are mostly used for cooking or braising. The flavor is true to the mustard family, and due to its mustard quality, pairs well with rich meats, garlic and ginger, apples, and vinegars.
There are so many varieties. Sometimes called Chinese cabbage (but not to be confused with Napa cabbage!), bok choy, or pak choi, this family of greens may look very different at different stages of maturity. Most have white stems with a bulbous base. Green-stemmed or Shanghai bok choy is perhaps the sweetest, with a pretty, spoon-ish hourglass shape. Choy sum or long bok choy is exactly like it sounds—long, with crunchy delicious stems that behave similarly to Swiss chard. For stir fries, start with stems then add leaves closer to the finish line.
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bok choy, or pak choi, this family of greens may look very
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Also kai lan or Chinese broccoli, it is similar to Italian broccoli raab, but less bitter and fibrous. Though most likely of Mediterranean origin (like broccoli), the green was introduced to China and bred for different characteristics in ancient times. Chinese immigrants brought it to the United States where its popularity continues to spread. Gai lan has a deep, almost blue color, bittersweet flavor, and tremendous juicy crunch. It responds well to blanching or a quick stir fry, its flavor accentuated with garlic, fresh ginger, and a generous dash of oyster sauce or drizzle of honey.
Although of Mediterranean origin, the edible chrysanthemum was primarily adopted as a vegetable in China (where it is known as tong ho), Japan (shungiku), and Southeast Asia (sukat and variations). Here it is commonly known by gardeners as garland chrysanthemum and is more likely to be found in the flower garden. The sharply serrated, almost fuzzy leaves should always be washed thoroughly as their leaves are a perfect trap for sand and grit. When tiny, the raw leaves can be added to salad mix. Older leaves can be intensely fragrant but are tamed by cooking, even added to a soup in the final moments before serving. For big flavors, dress with soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, chili, and sugar.
railings, blended with glam modern touches, including ornately decorated paneling, glitzy light fixtures and soft lounge chairs. Suddenly, the old Rendezvous is now just Voo, a new bar that just woke up from its 40-year nap.
Talented local bartender in her own right, Allison Korn, is the bar manager, and she has put together a top-notch team to execute the list of around ten signature cocktails, along with a list of wine and beer.
There are some lighter bites to enjoy with your drinks, which include a fig and pancetta flatbread, Cajun deviled eggs, and a whitebean and herb dip that’s served with toasted Farm to Market sourdough bread.
Open 6 p.m. to midnight, Thursday through Sunday, guests will find resident pianist Will O’Keefe performing nightly. O’Keefe has been performing all over the country for well over a decade with more than 750 songs in his repertoire that he’ll perform by request if you simply sidle up to the piano and slip some money into to his tip jar along with the name of your favorite song.
There are historic buildings in Kansas City that have seen so many things, have so many tales to tell, you really wish the walls could talk. Take the historic Muehlebach Hotel, a 12-story red-brick building located on the corner of 12th and Baltimore. Considered quite posh when it opened its doors in 1915, it is said about the Muehlebach Hotel in its glory days that “anybody who is anybody” had stayed there. Through the years the hotel had welcomed Helen Keller, Ernest Hemingway, Babe Ruth, Jean Harlow, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles
Plenty of U.S. Presidents also stayed at the Muehlebach Hotel, including Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Gerald Ford, and of course, our own Harry S. Truman stayed in in the Presidential suite so often during his Presidency it became known as “White House West.”
The hotel itself wasn’t the only thing that was considered exceptional for its time, it also had a dazzling lobby bar, The Rendezvous.
Eventually, the hotel was sold to another group that incorporated part of the Muehlebach Hotel into their redesign. The part they didn’t use, which included the bar and lobby, they closed off like a time capsule in 1983. Today the hotel is owned by Marriott, and in 2021 new owners, interested in the history of the defunct Rendezvous bar and historic hotel lobby, made the decision to restore it to its former glory.
The result is the Voo Lounge, a piano bar that blends historic architectural details, such as the original bar, terrazzo floors, and brass
What goes better with your favorite tune than the perfect end-ofthe-evening drink? The Room for Dessert cocktail was created by Korn especially for the Voo Lounge and looks like spring in a coupe glass with its vibrant green hue that comes from the use of matcha-tea simple syrup blended with local Lifted Spirits Bright Gin and tart lemon juice before it’s shaken and strained to a glass with a couple of healthy dollops of sweetly orange-scented egg-white meringue that’s toasted like a marshmallow. At the Voo Lounge, drinking your dessert is highly encouraged. vookansascity.com
2 ounces Lifted Spirits Distillery’s Bright Gin
.75 ounces matcha syrup*
.75 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice
Top with toasted meringue**
Combine gin, matcha syrup, and fresh squeezed lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. Top with toasted meringue. Serve.
*Matcha Syrup: Mix 1 tablespoon matcha powder to 2 cups of simple syrup, made by heating equal parts water and sugar together.
**Meringue: In a large bowl, mix 16 ounces egg whites, 16 ounces granulated sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of orange blossom water and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Spoon a thick layer of meringue on top of the cocktail and toast with a handheld torch.
16th – April 22nd
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Smoked
April 9th – April 15th
Short
April 23rd – April 30th
Celebrate our 9th anniversary all month long— join us for weekly throwback specials of your favorite Q39 classics, featuring our Buffalo Cauliflower, Sausage & Pork Belly Corn Dogs, and more!
To learn more about upcoming features and events, visit Q39KC.com
KATE SMITH has found a sweet second home for her stylish bakery and French macaron business, Kate Smith Soirée, which opened on Valentine’s Day in downtown Overland Park in the former Clocktower Bakery space. In 2019, Smith opened Butterfield’s Bakery & Market inside the Lenexa Public Market serving up hearty sandwiches, salads, and soups in addition to her delicious desserts. The Oklahoma native studied pastry at the Culinary Arts and Pastry program in Florence, Italy, before moving to Kansas City to launch her career. An Instagram-worthy rose-covered wall draws you into the bakery filled with gleaming cases, which she and her pastry team are filling every morning with her signature macarons, cakes, cinnamon rolls, turnovers, cookies, bars and other pastries that rotate daily. The mantra for Kate Smith Soirée and anyone who enters can be found on the wall in neon: “Stay Sweet KC.” katesmithsoiree.com
DID YOU KNOW? BRA COUTURE KC PROVIDES CANCER CARE TO UNINSURED MEN D WOMEN THROUGH CANCER CENTERS PHYSICALLY LOCATED WITHIN LOCAL HOSPITALS?
Be a part of this volunteer led organization to raise funds for cancer care for Kansas City’s uninsured.
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• Volunteer before and at the event
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JOIN US AT OUR ANNUAL EVENT
APRIL 21, 2023 –6:00 p.m.
SIGNATURE HANGAR
Meet KC Chiefs Super Bowl players, KC Chiefs Ambassadors, KC Royals Alumni, our men & women survivors on the runway and see fashion on the runway as never before seen.
Go to BRACOUTUREKC.COM
RACHEL KENNEDY is a woman on a mission to bring food and fun together. She first launched her Cuban food truck, Plantain District, in 2014, then in 2019 she built a place for her food truck and several other restaurants to call home by creating an outdoor, multi-level container food court called the Iron District in North Kansas City. With her newest venture, Serv, you can see how Kennedy’s thinking has evolved one step further. The new two-acre indoor/outdoor entertainment complex near 95th and Metcalf in Overland Park combines eight pickleball courts (six inside and two outside) with six original food concepts located in containers sprinkled across the outdoor patio. There are tacos from Tacodile; barbecue from Slow Burn BBQ; The Original Dinks has pizza and wings; Slammers serves burgers and chicken sandwiches; Smash Bowl offers veggie, grain, and protein bowls; and Power Plant sells vegan fare. The food containers are surrounded by outdoor courts, cabanas, yard games, large video screens with seating areas, and fire pits. Additionally, there are two bars, a drive-through coffee window and a dessert spot, Sugar Bomb, selling ice cream and other desserts. Kennedy partnered with the developer of the Promontory, a nearby apartment complex to create Serv, which is destined to become a real hot spot both inside and out as the weather warms up. servfun.com
AS SILENT AS A GHOST ITSELF, Crossroads Food Stop, a new commercial ghost kitchen, opened last fall in the East Crossroads powered by CloudKitchens, a company started by Uber co-founder and ex-CEO, Travis Kalanick. Found in a nondescript building at 1600 Campbell Street, the Crossroads Food Stop has room for 22 commercial kitchens, but currently there are 12 restaurants making food for carry-out or delivery only, which can be ordered online from the Crossroads Food Stop website. The current list includes Misha Eatz, MiTH Bistro, Old Shawnee Pizza, Raj Express Indian Kitchen, Luna Azteca Mexican Grill, Oscar’s Authentic Mexican Grill, Mad Jack’s, Nang Nang, and Top Notch Chicken and Waffles. Unlike a food hall, there is no indoor seating. In fact, disappointingly you won’t see a single chef or kitchen when you walk in, just a tablet mounted to the wall where you can scan your order from your phone if you are a delivery driver or type in your order number manually if you are picking it up yourself. With each concept owned by a local chef, you are likely supporting someone’s dream with every purchase. Who knows you might even discover a new favorite dish to put in your regular delivery rotation. crossroadsfoodstop.com
Friday & Saturday, April 14-15 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 16 at 2 p.m.
JACK EVERLY GUEST CONDUCTOR
ASHLEY BROWN VOCALIST
Fall in love all over again with Richard Rodgers’ hit songs, whether he was paired with writers Hart or Hammerstein. You’ll hear “Lover,” “Falling In Love With Love,” “This Can’t Be Love,” “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” “My Romance” and many others. Broadway’s original Mary Poppins, Ashley Brown, sings the music of Richard Rodgers for you as only she can. Tickets from $40.
Sponsored by
Friday & Saturday, April 21-22 at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m.
MICHAEL STERN GUEST CONDUCTOR
SASHA COOKE MEZZO-SOPRANO
SCOTT HENDRICKS BARITONE
KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY CHORUS
CHARLES BRUFFY CHORUS DIRECTOR
HOLST Walt Whitman Overture
HAYDN Symphony No. 96, “The Miracle”
HINDEMITH When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d
Shimmering strings and exuberant brass! Enjoy a performance that’s gracious, joyous, eloquent and inventive. Tickets from $25
Friday, March 31 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 1 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 2 at 2 p.m.
GONZALO FARIAS DAVID T BEALS III
ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR
Everybody Dance! Your KC Symphony musicians invite you to celebrate those disco days and boogie nights with a cast of New York’s top performers celebrating super-hits of the decade by Abba, the Bee Gees, Gloria Gaynor, Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, Donna Summer and more! Tickets from $45. Sponsored by
Saturday, May 13 at 8 p.m.
GONZALO FARIAS DAVID T BEALS III
ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR
MICHAEL FEINSTEIN VOCALIST & PIANO
Join Michael Feinstein and your KC Symphony as we travel through the life and songs of Judy Garland, celebrating her 100th birthday. This brand-new multimedia concert event features big screen film clips, never-before-seen photos, rare audio recordings, good humor and of course, great music. Tickets from $49.
Ashley Brown
Think about stopping into a bar, and it is typically with the purpose of enjoying a drink. Whether it is a dive bar, a neighborhood watering hole, or a swanky craft cocktail establishment, we tend to go to bars to drink, and restaurants to eat. Yet, given the way liquor laws work, at least on the Missouri side of the state line, food is a necessary component for a bar to operate legally. It begs the question, what do we want and expect from bar food?
For craft cocktail bars like The Campground, their stellar drink menu has always offered a wide selection of cocktails prepared with thought and precision and a food menu that matched. Even their martini comes with a side of olives, cocktail onions, and salty potato chips for snacking. The accompaniments are meant to complement the martini, and you should take that as your hint to eat at The Campground while you drink.
The Campground isn’t so much a vibe, as it is a mood. Since 2018,
when Christopher Ciesiel and Cristin Llewellyn officially opened their West Bottoms bar, which was loosely based on their stylish backyard bar, there has been a rotating list of talented chefs in the kitchen that the chef Todd Schulte built when he first flipped the former gas station into the Genessee Royale restaurant. Years later Schulte would handpick the couple to take over his spot in the West Bottoms, and in the five years since, Ciesiel and Llewellyn have transformed their spot from just a bar into the creative interpretation of what going camping at a real campground embodies, complete with a stiff drink, and indoor and outdoor seating around communal firepits when the weather is nice.
Jeff Workman, the former executive sous chef at Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, is the next chef in a long line of talent who is currently placing his mark on the menu at The Campground. Craig Howard was the first chef to enter the kitchen at The Campground, and the double smash burger he created still lives on the menu to this day.
He was followed by excellent talent, including chefs Zach ompson, Dallas Conway, Sara Osborn, and Terra Rogers.
With an almost entirely new food menu on o er at e Campground, a waiter confessed that only the burger survived the latest round of menu changes. Workman and his crew of two talented chefs are turning out impressive ne-dining dishes that have all the nesse and eye-candy plating of Workman’s former restaurant kitchen and should not be missed.
Although there is a curated list of natural wines and local and regional beers on the menu, when you go to e Campground, you should order a cocktail. Ciesiel started out as a self-taught barman working out of his own home bar, but he and his team of bartenders are on par with the best talent in this city. At our table we ordered the clever white negroni made with Chicago gin and e Campground’s own rosé vermouth, the classic old fashioned made with overproof rye whiskey, wheat whiskey, and apple brandy, and the Electric Eel, a creative cocktail made with sesame-washed white whiskey, toasted rice and seaweed gin, grapefruit, lemon, and ginger topped with a guava-wasabi foam. e drink was delicious, perfectly balanced, light as air, bright with citrus and a little savory, too, with the seaweed and sesame.
On the food menu, the venison tartare was the star of the evening’s meal, chopped roughly and mixed with a creamy, smoky aioli, topped with pine nuts and bits of pickled mushrooms, and a generous handful of freshly chopped parsley. e spread was arranged in a at-bottomed bowl and served with a crunchy rosemary cracker, and the pickled mushrooms and fresh parsley were a fresh punch of avor that cut through the creamy chew of the raw meat.
I sampled three di erent entrées including steelhead trout, the duck breast with sweet potato and kale, and the lamb cavatelli with house-made pasta tossed with a sauce made of ground lamb and sun ower seeds, decorated with dollops of creamy ricotta and a generous sprinkle of fresh mint.
Each was delicious and unique, but the steelhead trout, which often gets confused with salmon because of the orange color and texture of its esh, came plated crispy skin side up on paper-thin slices of potatoes and leeks swimming in a creamy butter-based sauce topped with a large spoonful of bright-orange trout roe. e silky slices of the potato and leeks served as the perfect base for the buttery sauce, and in the dark, candlelit room, a bite that included the trout roe was like a delicious pop of avor that you couldn’t see coming.
We debated whether to end the meal with another cocktail or dessert, but ultimately, we threw caution to the wind and ordered all three desserts listed on the menu. e s’mores tart was a composed mini tart shell lled with fudgy chocolate ganache and topped with a disk of toasted marshmallow meringue. It delivered the sense memory of the beloved campground reside tradition with each bite. I also thought the seasonal ice cream, a delicious citrus and lemongrass-y, lemon verbena- avored sorbet, cleansed my palate with every icy, herbaceous bite that topped o my experience after delightfully consuming every bite of my incredibly rich and buttery sh dish. Such a good pairing, they should be served together.
You may nd yourself at e Campground ready for a cocktail, but with dishes that match the quality and creativity of the drinks you’ll nd yourself happily eating “bar food” for dinner. thecampgroundkc.com
1900bldg.com
(913) 730–1905
therestaurantat1900.com
(913) 730–1900
1900 Building
1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway
Mission Woods, Kansas
Modern-American cuisine from award-winning Chef Linda Duerr. Chef Duerr and team present elegant fare and carefully curated menus for a variety of special occasions. A spectacular, contemporary venue with transformable reception spaces and a magnificent courtyard.
Friday, June 2
Proceeds provide food and care for over 1,700 animals as well as educational opportunities for children in our community.
When Brian Roberts and his family moved back to the city where he was born and raised in 2019, it didn’t take long before he started fostering support, awareness, and commerce anchored around Black makers in Kansas City. Fueled by his background in retail and manufacturing, the Raytown High School graduate launched e Black Pantry to elevate the Black community and spotlight locally made and produced apparel, gourmet food, household items, and accessories. “ e Black Pantry is my second job, but the rst business I have owned. I have a West Coast approach to how I see opportunities in KC, which is why I am so passionate about what e Black Pantry and any of the other endeavors I have will become for the city. Kansas City is very fertile soil, and those who aren’t participating are missing out on a renaissance era.”
Currently, Roberts is working on creating a cafe at e Black Pantry’s brick-and-mortar location on Martini Corner. “We are working with a local, young Black architect, Carleigh Pope, to bring the city something special. What we have been able to bootstrap thus far is beyond anything I’ve ever done. I’m most excited about the amount of growth happening in Kansas City. If you are ambitious enough—help build this city! Everyone has an opportunity to help do it right. Kansas City is small, and everyone is within reach, so we can roll our sleeves up and either include ourselves or exclude ourselves—you don’t get this opportunity in larger cities.” theblackpantry.co
Brian’s essentials...
LOCAL MAKER: Tirza Design Jewelry has great quality jewelry at an approachable price point with an even better cause. (Every purchase supports survivors of domestic abuse and human tra cking.) We sell them at e Black Pantry, and they are also sold at their retail location on the Plaza.
KC SIP: e No Sweat juice by Ruby Jean’s Juicery is a great refresher. (It’s made with watermelon, apple, and lime.)
NIGHTCAP: Big Mood Natural Wine has a really good range of wines to try. ey even have a cocktail menu on certain nights.
SPRING ACTIVITY: I’m looking forward to what the KC Current does this year!
SELF-CARE SESH: I use beard oils and balms by Trinity Hills. We carry them in the shop, and they always leave my beard feeling great!
DINING OUT: I like a slice of Cowtown pizza at The Combine for lunch. For special nights out, I am really in anticipation for two places—Noka and Privēe. ey launch in the spring, and I’ve had front-row seats to the buildout—they’re very special.
MADE-IN-KC SCENT: If you haven’t smelled e Gentleman or Hey, Daddy candles by Heaven Scent—you’re living under a rock!
photo by corie english
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