IN Kansas City February 2024

A DEEP DIVE INTO KANSAS CITY’S SUSHI SCENE A Q&A WITH FOX NEWS ANCHOR

HARRIS FAULKNER TREAT YOURSELF A VALENTINE TO YOU

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Experience director Richard Donner’s 1985 fantasy film Richard Donner’s fantasy favorite like never 1985 before, as thefilm favorite like never before,performs as the the Kansas City Symphony Kansas Cityscore Symphony memorable live to performs the moviethe memorable to the movie shown on a score giant live screen in Helzberg shown on a giant screen in Helzberg Hall. Tickets from $40 for adults and Hall. Tickets from $40 for adults and $32 for children. $32 for children. © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.

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Direct original Cherishfrom the Ireland, Ladies singer Cathie Cherish the Ladies singer Cathie Ryan brings her Celtic charm to Ryan brings her Celtic charm to the Helzberg Hall stage with your the Helzberg Hall stage Ryan with your Kansas City Symphony. has Kansas Symphony.

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Contents FEBRUARY 2024

58

64

66

70 Features 58

IN CONVERSATION WITH HARRIS FAULKNER The FOX News Channel anchor reminisces about her time in Kansas City, what she learned from her father, and how she met her husband.

62

THE STATE OF SUSHI

Departments 18

ENTERTAINING IN KC

BUCKET LIST BONANZA

24

OUR MAN IN KC

Show yourself a little love for Valentine’s Day.

30

ARTS & CULTURE IN KC

40

LOOK IN KC

46

WOMEN’S HEALTH IN KC

50

LIVING IN KC

82

FLAVOR IN KC

96

MY ESSENTIALS IN KC

66

70

IT’S SO NICE TO COME HOME TO A Mission Hills Colonial embraces a family.

Kansas Citians have fully embraced the Japanese cuisine, as sushi bars and restaurants are thriving across the metro.

IN EVERY ISSUE

On the cover The four-season sunrooom of the Mission Hills Colonial featured on page 70.

Photo by Aaron Leimkuehler

FEBRUARY 2024| 10 | INKANSASCITY.COM

12

EDITOR’S NOTE

14

INKANSASCITY.COM

16

THIS MONTH IN KC

love at first sight

fall in love with driving again

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Editor’s Note

A Good Sort

Zim FEBRUARY 2024 | 12 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Vol. 7 | No. 2 FEBRUARY 2024 Editor In Chief Zim Loy Digital Editor Liz Schroeder Art Director Alice Govert Bryan photo by jenny wheat

A

t the end of every year, our art director, Alice Govert Bryan, and I take off the last two weeks of December for our only extended vacation of the year. (When you’re turning out 12 monthly issues, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for a leisurely, relaxing vacay.)

This year, I was staying at home over the holidays, so I made myself a long list of chores I wanted to accomplish on my two weeks off. Everything from scheduling a plumber to touching up paint nicks in the woodwork to baking cookies were all noted and crossed off when accomplished. (I don’t know about you, but I love lists so much, sometimes I’ll do something not listed, then add it and promptly cross it off. So virtuous!)

Also on the list was sorting my printed-out recipes. I’ve always valued a nice, big 8 1/2by-11 printed page to read as opposed to following a recipe on my laptop or on my phone.

Years ago, I created a binder full of recipes that I wanted to try. The first couple of years, it was nicely organized. I used a three-hole punch on each printout, and filed them in order of entrée, dessert, appetizer, cocktail, etc. At some point, it evolved into something messier. Pages from newspapers and magazines were torn out and tossed in. Additional printouts were added to be punched and filed later. Rather than a labor of love, it became just laborious. I had three and four copies of certain recipes because I couldn’t find them in the mess. The binder overflowed with recipes I had never cooked.

My first day of vacation, I sat down and began to sort through them. Recipes for dishes like an arugula salad with fig, oregano, and Meyer lemon vinaigrette; Vietnamese chicken with chillies, limes, and mint; or homemade pasta were tossed into the discard pile. Most recipes for large parties and entertaining didn’t make the cut.

Why would I bake scones when I can buy delicious ones at Dolce Bakery? Did I really ever make chicken liver pâté with figs and walnuts? It appears so because the page is significantly splotched with Cognac and dry red wine. (Or perhaps I was sampling the ingredients too much!)

I kept saving kale recipes, which I still cannot tolerate.

I had at least five copies of Nigella Lawson’s linguine with lemon, garlic, and thyme mushrooms, a delicious dish which I do still make regularly. I tossed all but one.

I noticed some trends. I had at least ten different recipes involving chicken, lemons, and olives.

That was narrowed down to two.

A page from the late, lamented House & Garden magazine from 2006 with a list of the ten most intriguing, inexpensive rosés to purchase was discarded. (What might the price of a 2005 Domaine de la Mordoree Cotes du Rhone be these days?)

I reduced my keep pile down to favorites I’ve cooked or baked many times; it’s pretty easy to tell the difference. Most of the pristine pages were aspirational. Well-used recipes reflected the ingredients right on the page. The binder was much thinner and definitely more organized.

The task became a map of where I had been and who I am now. It’s a real-time record of my evolving tastes.

Who was this person who thought she’d be concocting a blackberry herb cocktail for a houseful of guests? Was I ever really her, or was that someone I desired to be?

Contributing Writers Judith Fertig, Merrily Jackson, Cindy Hoedel, Cody Hogan, Damian Lair, Patricia O’Dell, Katie Van Luchene, Jenny Vergara Contributing Photographers Corie English, Aaron Leimkuehler, Caleb Taylor Publisher Michelle Jolles Media Director Brittany Coale Senior Media Consultants Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley, Josie Rawlings Business Consultant Chad Parkhurst Newsstand Consultant Joe J. Luca, JK Associates 816-213-4101, jkassoc.net

Editorial Questions: zloy@inkansascity.com

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prohibition era! Bootleg Bourbon Balls satisfy your sweet tooth and delight lovers of booze simultaneously. The high-proof chocolate confections are handcrafted in small batches and make a perfect gift (or treat for yourself ). Lisa Fitch, founder and owner of Bootleg Bourbon Balls, prioritizes community and uses her business to support many of Kansas City’s distilleries, as well as other regional distilleries across Missouri. These tasty delights are an ode to Kansas City’s boozy past, but Tom Pendergast wishes he could’ve tasted something this delicious. We spoke to Fitch about her entrepreneurial spirit and making her mark. Find the interview on inkansascity.com.

Coming soon. . .

The Crossroads is getting a new culinary destination courtesy of Green Dirt Farm. Set to open this month, Green Dirt on Oak will bring some of the favorite flavors from the farm, including their award-winning artisan cheeses for a “cheese hour,” in addition to new and unique fine-dining experiences. We spoke to founder and owner Sarah Hoffmann about life on the farm and her journey to opening Green Dirt on Oak. Check out inkansascity.com for more on the coming restaurant.

Romance is in the air.

Can you feel the love? Our local restaurants and other hot spots are getting all dolled up for romance this Valentine’s Day. Whether you and yours are looking for a foodie adventure, dancing, and drinks, or a night of live music, Kansas City is pulling out all the stops with special events and curated experiences. Try something new and find somewhere to create lasting memories. Find our list of recommended romantic events on inkansascity.com.

FOLLOW US

ENTER TO WIN Be one of the first to try Sojourn Spa!

Wellness meets luxury at this newly opened relaxation and rejuvenation center nestled inside the Plaza’s Cascade Hotel. Enter to win a relaxing day at the spa with a fully customized 80-minute holistic massage that combines Swedish, therapeutic, and deep-tissue techniques to respond to your body’s needs. Then let the stress of your day melt away with a complimentary 30-minute session in the spa’s infrared sauna. Who doesn’t want a health-boosting day of eco-friendly wellness? Enter to win at inkansascity.com/ the-magazine/enter-to-win, and leave feeling refreshed and ready for what’s next. Enter by February 29 and good luck!

Need a social roster refresh?

Discover the most comprehensive calendar in the metro at inkansascity.com/events.

Trying to decide where to eat?

For the city’s most comprehensive dining guide, head to inkansascity.com/eat-drink/dining-guide.

FEBRUARY 2024 | 14 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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This Month IN KC

February

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE

by Liz Schroeder

Sunflower House Valentine’s Gala February 10 Overland Park Convention Center sunflowerhouse.org From the heart. Founded in 1977, Sunflower House is a non-residential children’s advocacy and abuse prevention center that serves Johnson and Wyandotte counties. An annual gala helps raise money for the services Sunflower House provides, and it’s back for its 42nd year on February 10. The fun-fi lled evening is held at the Overland Park Convention Center and includes a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, and a special after-party.

FEBRUARY SPOTLIGHT

KC Ballet Peter Pan February 16-25 Kauffman Center kcballet.org Who wants to grow up? Return to a time of childlike wonder through the KC Ballet’s performance of the J.M. Barrie classic, Peter Pan. Follow Peter Pan as he fi rst fl ies into the Darling family nursery, convincing children Wendy, John, and Michael to join him in the fantastical world of Never Never Land alongside Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and nemesis Captain Hook.

Romantic Revels: Heart of America Shakespeare Festival Gala February 10 InterContinental Hotel kcshakes.org/gala Hail Caesar. Beware the Ides of March, but say hello to a night in Rome!

Romantic Revels is a night of support for Kansas City’s longest-running outdoor Shakespeare festival. Founded in 1990 by Marilyn Strauss, the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival has been delighting audiences with sword fights and soliloquies for three decades of summer theater—this year’s production will be Julius Caesar. Dress your best and bring out your Roman flair.

Something’s brewing. Breweries, beers, and food trucks—oh my! Our local breweries are joining up with dozens of other craft and international breweries for the annual Brew Fest at Union Station. Th is year will feature over 45 breweries, 120 beers, music, and food.

Admission includes the beer, but food is sold separately. Designated driver tickets are available for purchase as well, so everyone’s able to celebrate our beer community responsibly.

For Kansas City’s most comprehensive calendar of events, go to inkansascity.com/events FEBRUARY 2024 | 16 | INKANSASCITY.COM

ballet photo by kenny johnson

Kansas City Brew Festival February 17 Union Station kansascitybrewfest.com

Love is Love

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1/23/24 12:24 PM

Entertaining IN KC

Taking the Luck Out of Potluck

by Merrily Jackson

photo by Corie English

IN SUPPORT OF EASY WINTER DINNER PARTIES ALL ACROSS THE METRO, MERRILY SHARES TIPS FOR HOSTING AND ATTENDING COMMUNAL MEALS

I

n my early days of party-giving, I rejected the very idea of hosting a potluck dinner. I had boundless energy—Oh, how I miss it!—for cooking. My heroes were Julia Child and Martha Stewart and, like them, I wanted complete control of my dinner party menus.

Boy, how things have changed.

These days, I like potluck gatherings with friends, easy and casual but treated as a proper dinner party—a set table! Candlelight!

Wine!—with a focus on fellowship and conversation rather than five-star cuisine.

I was just reading how loneliness is an epidemic. The amount of time we spend interacting with others can be just as important as diet and exercise, says a Mayo Clinic physician. Enjoying any kind of meal with someone besides yourself can do much to combat feelings of loneliness. But there’s something so heartening about the camaraderie of a group dinner. Here are some ideas and guidance for hosting super-casual potluck gatherings.

YOU MAKE THE MAIN, OTHERS BRING SIDES In the cold months, it’s nice to make a pot of chili and a pan of cornbread. Or you could make something in the slow cooker, like beef stew, butter chicken, pork posole, or my spaghetti and meatballs for a crowd. Ina Garten’s baked rigatoni with lamb ragu is terrific, and a little more elegant. (Email me for these recipes, and any others mentioned herein).

No one would judge you if you decided to blow off cooking altogether and served a lasagna or eggplant Parmesan from your favorite Italian restaurant, or even a chicken pot pie from Costco.

Once you have determined the main course, ask one friend to bring some cheese and crackers, another a side or salad, another dessert. Emphasize that store-bought is okay.

Email me with your entertaining questions, dilemmas, or triumphs at mjackson@inkansascity.com

FEBRUARY 2024 | 18 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Entertaining IN KC

In an age when everyone texts, it’s so easy to create a group text that becomes a virtual sign-up sheet. I’ve learned that people are thrilled to contribute a dish when you are doing the work of taking charge, inviting others, offering up your house. Know that if you invite someone and they can’t come, your invitation is still deeply appreciated.

BECAUSE LIFE IS MESSY Don’t feel like your entire house needs to be on display when you have people over. Who needs that kind of stress? I have a friend who, when she entertains, puts a photo of a snarling Doberman Pinscher on her basement door. At my house, the second floor is seldom ready for the scrutiny of my neat-as-a-pin designer friends, and they know better than to wander upstairs. When I have people over during the winter, I focus on creating warmth and ambience— Music! Soft, low lighting! Good smells!—where the party is: in my kitchen, living room, and dining room. It’s nice but not necessary to have fresh flowers on your table and a few in your bathroom, too.

Trapp and Company and The Little Flower Shop have beautiful, reasonably priced grab-and-go flowers.

A POTLUCK BUFFET OF APPETIZERS AND SWEETS If you don’t want to do a sit-down dinner, you could ask everyone to bring an appetizer or a sweet. Who wouldn’t mind filling their plate with deviled eggs, ham and Swiss roll-ups, stuffed mushrooms, a few pickled shrimps, Triscuits topped with a smear of Boursin? As long as you have enough snacky things to constitute a real meal—you definitely need some protein—I would call that a fine dinner for friends. Ask a sweet-tooth friend or two to bring dessert to round things out. People can never resist a bowl of peanut M&Ms. IF YOU DO A BUFFET It might make sense to position your table so guests have access from FEBRUARY 2024 | 20 | INKANSASCITY.COM

A Moveable Feast FOUR MARVELOUSLY PORTABLE APPETIZERS • A wheel of triple-crème Brie, served with apricot chutney and Wasa crackers.

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both sides. Arrange things logically, remembering that people will have one hand with which to serve themselves. Station clean plates and cold items at the beginning of the line, hot things last. People deeply appreciate little signs that identify food or ingredients not easily recognizable.

If you’re doing more than just finger food, place silverware and napkins (cloth, and oversized, preferably) at the very end. For easier portability, roll a napkin around a fork and spoon; tie a pretty ribbon around it if you are so inclined. It’s thoughtful also to provide extra loose napkins.

BUT WAIT! WE HAVEN’T TALKED ABOUT BOOZE YET! It always jollies things up to serve a pre-dinner cocktail, something simple, mind you. You could assign some darling person the task of bringing the ingredients, mixing a pitcher, and serving it to guests. The negroni is popular, as are the gimlet and the Moscow mule. I would never say no to a homemade whiskey sour or an Aperol spritz. (I have batch recipes for these drinks. All have only three ingredients, not counting garnish.)

You’ll want to collaborate with your drink bringer about appropriate glassware for your chosen drink. And ask that they arrive a few minutes early to get those drinks rolling before guests arrive.

A LITTLE GUIDANCE FOR GUESTS If you make a dish to bring, be a doll and prepare everything, and I mean everything, at home. You don’t want to be underfoot in your host’s kitchen. Call ahead to ascertain freezer, fridge, oven, or burner space if you’re bringing something that needs to be served icy cold or piping hot.

If you are bringing something store-bought—I will underscore this is perfectly acceptable for a casual potluck dinner—place it on a pretty platter or bowl with a fresh garnish like mint, rosemary, Italian parsley, or chopped chives. It’s less about what you’re serving and more about how it’s presented, so make it look beautiful!

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Our Man IN KC

by Damian Lair dlair@inkansascity.com : @damianlair #OurManINKC

Take Me For A Ride

F

or what feels like years, I’ve been watching and waiting for the KC Wheel at Pennway Point to finally start spinning. A bit dramatic, perhaps, but I mean this literally. My office is directly across the street, and I’ve been eagerly monitoring the wheel’s progress as frequently as I bemoan the construction dust that daily blankets my car—a funny way of saying I’ve been getting excited.

By now, unless you’ve been hibernating, you’re aware that KC has recently joined the ranks of cities across the globe boasting new observation wheels. Unlike the small, open-air, seasonal, and transient Ferris wheels of pop-up carnivals past, these permanently situated modern observation wheels boast climate-controlled cabins and a host of other amenities.

If you hadn’t already guessed—yes, I was fortunate enough to take a spin before the wheel opened to the public. Gladly accepting the VIP treatment, my friends and I were plopped in that solitary black gondola you may have noticed, standing out amongst the other 35 white pods. The VIP gondola can be reserved in advance and features a glass bottom, luxe leather seats, special lighting, and cup holders for your free drink. Each cabin accommodates up to six persons, allowing you to glide in style for roughly 12-15 minutes, observing the city from a completely unique vantage point. And for that purpose, the wheel is in just the right spot with an expansive view of the downtown skyline.

While at Pennway, you can also putt around the 16-hole mini golf course, Pennway Putt. The course features numerous nods to KC, including Royals and Chiefs-themed holes and selfHOT ie-worthy mural backdrops throughout. I GOSSIP: did a quick set and am happy to report I’ve still got the swing.

Whose living room But wait—there’s more! Rather, TV facing a prominent there will be soon. A lot more. Ticking thoroughfare gave through the forthcoming list for this passersby a scandalous urban playground includes the Taleshow?

Gate live entertainment venue and beer garden; Beef & Bottle, an elevated burg-

Damian Lair at the Pennway Place KC Wheel.

OVERHEARD “This is why my Instagram is private. I prefer to maintain the impression that I am poor.”

er and beer spot brought by the folks at The Brooksider Sportsbar; Barrel Hall, the 6,000-square-foot nerve center for gathering and celebrating; Boulevard’s Barrel-Aged Tasting Experience; Chef J BBQ; Würstl, an Austrian street food concept brought by Grünauer; the Bull Creek Whiskey Bar; and Neon Alley by LUMI, which will feature many of the iconic, vintage KC neon signs rescued by the LUMI Neon Museum. While there’s no official opening date, I’d bet my money on a staggered ramp-up across the latter half of the year.

Rest assured, I’ll be there to give it all a first run-through.

Despite the many fits and false starts, we finally have our wheel.

Beyond taking the occasional joy ride after work with friends for happy hour, I’m most looking forward to watching it become a fullfledged icon of our skyline. Whether it’s television aerial shots for the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, World Cup, or beyond (perhaps a distant downtown World Series!), the KC Wheel provides perfect company for the Western Auto sign, Liberty Memorial, Kauffman Center, Bartle Hall pylon Sky Stations, and more. Returning from a long trip over the holidays, I was driving back downtown at night and saw the wheel lit for the first time. It seemed to say—welcome home.

FEBRUARY 2024| 24 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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Our Man IN KC PROMISE ME YOU’LL SURVIVE FOR ITS 5TH ANNUAL (I can’t believe it’s been five years!) multicourse, live-theater spectacular, Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room absolutely went for it. This year’s phenomenal theme: Titanic. The event was marketed as “the dinner of a lifetime,” and it was. It really was.

For this anniversary event, the owners Michael & Christina Corvino painstakingly recreated the first-class dinner from the fateful night the Titanic sank—April 15, 1912. Served to some of the wealthiest and most prominent people on the planet at the time, you already know the meal was extraordinary. And while the original dinner was spread across ten (!) courses, the Corvinos took some condensing and rearranging liberties to accommodate between-course live performances.

The dinner’s first course included confit salmon and cucumber, pork vol-au-a-vent, chicken-fried snail with parsley, trout roe and cream in brioche, foie gras mousse with toast and Amarena cherry, consommé Olga with scallop and root vegetables, and sourdough baguette with cultured butter. All this paired with French Chablis. Wow. Course number two consisted of simple, palate-cleansing, icy Punch Romaine. For the third course, we were treated to a filet mignon Lili with burgundy jus, accompanied by boiled rice, creamed carrots, chateau potatoes, and brussels sprouts, served alongside a French Bordeaux. Dessert included Waldorf pudding bonbons, peach pâte de fruit with chartreuse jelly, chocolate éclair, and vanilla ice cream. The food was incredible and very much lived up to the sort of dining experience I’ve come to love (and expect) at Corvino.

What’s a tasting menu without optional add-ons, you may ask?

Upon booking my first class ticket (that I was so lucky to obtain, given the wait list), I got a little click-happy. I ended up adding the welcome Champagne, Kaluga caviar appetizer, Perigord black truffles atop baked Brie, the full wine pairing, and a very special glass of a 1912 D’Oliveira Malvasia Madeira (bottled the same year the Titanic sank). A first-class experience, indeed. Taking a submersible trip to see the ship wreckage may have proved less costly.

For entertainment, scattered throughout the dinner, the focus was not on the 1997 record-setting blockbuster film’s fictitious Rose and Jack characters. Instead, the spotlight was on actual passengers—with upper and lower classes colliding. More artistic liberties were taken here, including the “unsinkable” Molly Brown performing Cole Porter’s Anything Goes—a few decades ahead of its time. It was a lively rendition and felt just right. So did the silver-sequin-clad “iceberg” gentleman channeling Judy Garland in a rendition of Broadway Rhythm until he was hit by a Titanic replica in a campy reenactment of the night’s woeful events. As a more graceful counterpoint, an aerialist then dangled and spun to The Music of the Night from Phantom of HOT the Opera. Naturally, there was a Celine GOSSIP: Dion My Heart Will Go On moment.

How could there not be?? And for a Come summertime, chilling finale, a solo violinist perwho’s moving the formed Hymn to the Sea alongside whole fam to Italy? now-ghostlike passengers.

With its white-dinner-jacketed

waiters, exceptional meal, wonderful wines, and both hilarious and touching performances, the evening lived up to its promise—dinner of a lifetime.

OVERHEARD “That’s the new guy? Isn’t that a dog’s name?”

IT WAS ALL A DREAM I WAS SO DELIGHTED to once again be invited to attend the annual Nutcracker Ball, benefiting the Kansas City Ballet. After all, having one more occasion to toss on some holiday finery makes me feel rather merry. Held at the Westin Kansas City in Crown Center, we gathered to celebrate the holiday season and the ballet. And with a coatcheck room that appeared to be generously sponsored by Alaskan Fur, it became immediately apparent that people came decked out and ready to party. Thankfully, I got the fur memo.

Ball chairman and honorary chairmen, Jo Ann Dondlinger and Dennis & Susan Lordi Marker, respectively, greeted guests prior to a special ballet presentation. The Kansas City Ballet School students— darling sugarplums in their own right—hopped and bopped about to Tchaikovsky’s memorable Nutcracker melodies.

We dined on salad with pistachio brittle and poached cranberry, herb-crusted filet, cedar plank-roasted salmon, and chocolate cremeux for dessert. Cyndi James, KCB Guild president, and David Gray, KCB executive director, presented the Pirouette Award to Angela Walker. The award recognizes a person who has contributed extraordinary amounts of time, talent, and energy in a voluntary capacity to benefit the Kansas City Ballet and the performing arts community.

Following the dinner and program, we grooved to Kokomo while visions of mouse kings and fairies danced in our heads.

SPOTTED: Julia Irene Kauffman, Bonne Illig, Nancy Lee & Jonathan Kemper, Karen & John Yungmeyer, Jon & Walter Porter, Dan DeLeon & Jerry Katlin, Lauren DeLeon, Don Loncasty, Lisa & Charles Schellhorn, Julie Anderson Clark & Vince Clark, Nicole & Myron Wang, Linda & Topper Johntz, Charlotte Kemper Black, Mary Leonida, Sidonie Garrett, Taylor Smith, Amy McAnarney, Kurt Knapstein, Angela & Troy Moore, Craig Sole, Devon Carney

THE LOWEST FERNS LAST SUMMER, atop the Crossroads Hotel Percheron rooftop, I had the pleasure of meeting Jason Eubanks, who was telling me about a new bar he and partners Dante Walton and Austin Goldberg—all of Nomada—were planning to open in the West Bottoms. The future bar’s name: In the Lowest Ferns. It took me a half minute, but I soon plucked from my dense memory where I’d heard that phrase before.

In mid-2019, a radically hidden speakeasy social club, beneath the future Fox & Pearl restaurant on the Westside, was known by a loyal

FEBRUARY 2024| 26 | INKANSASCITY.COM

In the Lowest Ferns

and tight-lipped few. I was one of them. Regrettably, a local media publication (not this one!) eventually mentioned the spot—to the angst of many insiders—ultimately forcing the club to close.

Or, so the story goes . . . . The covert club’s name was El Pozo. But its mysterious and illogical Instagram handle was: inthelowestferns. My face lit up on the rooftop. Wait, that was you?

Fast forward roughly four years, and I found myself walking through a different back-alley door—this time in the West Bottoms to preview a more public-facing (and gently more polished) iteration of the beloved El Pozo. In the Lowest Ferns is the perfect blend of sky-lit and shadowy, rough-hewn and elevated, superlative and unassuming, that I’ve stumbled across in a long while. Still the most apt adjective that comes to mind for this space is sultry. The plant-dense, Persian-rug-swathed warehouse is cloaked in just the right amount of fog, antiquity, and incense.

You’re not sure whether you dropped through a rabbit hole into the nighttime Amazon or an ancient opium den.

Tribal-like metalwork cocoons the DJ booth where the moody HiFi beats are born. There’s space for both vibing on the dance floor or sinking into dark corners, with lounge seating for furtive encounters. Without a doubt, the guys at Nomada have their fingers so squarely on the pulse of cool that they have adroitly manifested exactly the nighttime spot we wanted—before we even knew. It’s no wonder A$AP Rocky put his latest music video’s production in their hands.

Carefully metering their flex, the lounge is currently open only on Friday and Saturday evenings, with reserved tickets required. The bar offerings are considered and include a tight offering of house cocktails. I appreciated the Life After Sundown, with mezcal, grapefruit soda, agave, and lime. On future weekends, you may spot me sipping one amongst the fronds. If you can find me.

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So, KC—where do you want to go? XO FEBRUARY 2024| 27 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Arts & Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

photo by Caleb Taylor

Caleb Taylor

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS

K

ansas City-based Caleb Taylor has been a painter, a founding member and curator of an artist-run gallery, a furniture designer, a potter, an art handler, and an art teacher—currently at the Metropolitan Community College, Longview campus. His art touches on painting, collage, photography, and sculpture. For Taylor, making art is haptic (based on the sense of touch), abstract, non-literal, and personal.

His work is represented locally by Haw Contemporary and is included in the public collections of Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, KU Medical Center, and the Polsinelli Law Firm.

He received his MFA in Painting from Montana State University-Bozeman (2008) and his BFA from Northwest Missouri State University (2004.) in Ceramics and Painting.

Taylor is a founding member of PLUG Projects, a curatorial collaboration with the shared goal of engaging artists and the public at large by exhibiting challenging new work, initiating critical dialogue, and expanding connections of voices in Kansas City as part of a wider, national network of creative practitioners. During his tenure with PLUG (20112016), he collaborated to curate over 35 exhibitions and more than 100

public programs ranging from rap battles, interpretive sound performances, installations taking over vacated shopping malls, artist book fairs, panel discussions, and collaborative events joining confectionery and dance.

PLUG is a recipient of a 2011 Rocket Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation, Spencer Museum of Art, and Charlotte Street Foundation.

In 2024, Taylor is “prototyping a collection of bespoke home accessories in collaboration with architect Christopher Spaw for George Terbovich,” he says. “This line of white-oak furniture is articulately handmade for designed lifestyles and will debut in international showrooms in 2024 as Moveable Feast.” calebtaylorstudio.com INKC: How does approaching art from different disciplines enrich

your career?

Caleb Taylor: Working as a crate builder and furniture designer has

given me the skills and experience to expand how I think about fabrication and materiality. Art handling connected me to artists and museum programs where I began understanding installation as the greatest instrument in my practice, and teaching shows me how to lead a life with curiosity. My time with PLUG Projects continues to influence me

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Arts & Culture IN KC today—the dialogues, introductions to new artists, and the collaborative spirit we had encouraged with new media and ideas in my studio. The artists we worked with exposed me to a scale of thinking and working I hadn’t encountered previously, and today I continue curating exhibitions to interact with artists, to build connections between ideas and people, and to enrich my practice.

INKC: How does a new work start for you?

CT: New work begins with ideas carried over from previous work—be-

ing in the studio is how I discover future directions. Collage fragments may become a silhouette for new sculptures, photograms become the composition of a new painting, photographs become the matrix for new wallpaper installations. The built landscape has a significant influence on my work, and it’s a daily source for form, structure, and color. Sketchbook studies, thumbnails, and architectural models are ways to initiate processes that will evolve with time, knowing final works are rarely reminiscent of these beginning steps.

INKC: How did you get interested in art? Do your children like to paint with Dad, or do you think they’ll grow up to be accountants or soccer players?

CT: I come from a family that is both analytical and creative. My father, sister, and brother are engineers, and my mother owned and operated a wallcovering and painting business for 30 years. From her I learned the value of observation, how to design a room, and

to appreciate the beauty in everyday experiences. My parents emphasized the value of working with your hands and building the life you desire through labor and collaboration. They built my childhood homes around their family, and I have many pictures from my youth on these construction sites that were my earliest exposure to geometric design and construction. When I bought and renovated my house in the Northland, my work became more architectural and constructed, and I began seeing the influence of my father. My wife is an elementary art educator in Liberty, so my son and daughter come by it honestly and are constantly drawing books, creating costumes, writing and illustrating comic books, telling jokes. With my upcoming residency at Studios Inc., they will have space to work alongside me unlike ever before, and I’m looking forward to having their energy in my studio. Today, they both want to be artists, and it is exciting to imagine what their futures hold. I’m looking forward to reading the books they write, experiencing the buildings they will design, attending the lectures they will give, and hopefully being their future collaborator.

INKC: What are your favorite things to do as a family in Kansas City?

CT: We enjoy our weekend trips to the Kansas City public libraries,

visits to Union Station and Science City, the KC Zoo—especially with the addition of the aquarium—Saturday morning sketchbook sessions at the Nelson-Atkins, and rolling a few games at Diamond Bowl in Independence.

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Arts & Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY PRESENTS: VIOLINIST PAMELA FRANK PERFORMS BEETHOVEN WE TREASURE every concert this year from Michael Stern, the Kansas City Symphony’s noted conductor and music director, now in his final season. “Making music matter has been a joyous mission for 20 years,” he says.

And that mission continues in three concerts February 2 through 4 at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Stern joins violinist Pamela Frank, who returns to Kansas City for a bold and perceptive take on Ludwig van Beethoven. While it’s not exactly Roll over, Beethoven, she gives the 19th-century composer’s Violin Concerto a modern riff.

Maestro Stern conducts the Symphony in a reprisal of their Grammy Award-winning recording of the dramatic Four Sea Interludes from modern composer Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes.

And contemporary composer Shelley Washington, who was raised in Kansas City, blends jazz and rock and folk in Both, a modern work co-commissioned by the Kansas City Symphony, influenced by her flights back and forth from New York City to Los Angeles. “I like to write music with a big palette,” she says. “I love making lots and lots of noise.”

For more information and tickets, visit kcsymphony.org.

FEBRUARY 2024| 34 | INKANSASCITY.COM

AN EVENING OF POETRY AND MUSIC LONG, LONG AGO, British peoples gathered around a fire in communal longhouses listening to a harpist play and a bard mesmerize with heroic tales set to rhythmic language. On those evenings, the dark, cold winter didn’t seem so endless.

On February 9 at 7:30 p.m., American poet Robert Pinsky and Irish violinist Martin Hayes give this ancient entertainment a modern twist. No need to gather around the fire when you’re seated in a perfectly comfortable room in the 1900 Building, but in every other way, the sound of the spoken, metered word meets the soulful sound of a stringed instrument.

As a three-time Poet Laureate, Robert Pinsky founded the Favorite Poem Project, which invited Americans of all ages and backgrounds to share their favorite poems. The poems were videoed, then published in three different anthologies.

Pinsky makes the case that poetry is alive and well in America, holding a special place in everyday life. Pinsky’s own poetry has a “wild, musical energy,” and he often performs his work with jazz musicians.

Martin Hayes is known for his soulful interpretations of traditional songs, like his father before him. In his 25-year career, Hayes has collaborated with musical luminaries including Sting, Ricky Scaggs, Paul Simon, Cassandra Wilson, and Yo-Yo Ma. His memoir, Shared Notes, was released in 2021.

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Arts &Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

MONET AND HIS MODERN LEGACY—IN ART AND A DOCUMENTARY FILM IN CONJUNCTION WITH the Monet and His Modern Legacy exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum (which runs until March 10), Tivoli will be showing the documentary film I, Claude Monet on February 9 at 7 p.m. and February 11 at 2 p.m. at the Nelson.

With an introduction by Aimee Marcereau DeGalan, the Nelson’s senior curator of European Arts, the screenings will show another side of Monet’s life—through the over 2,500 letters the Impressionist artist wrote. Phil Grabsky, the film’s director, takes us from Paris and Le Havre to London and Venice, as we follow the letters of the celebrated artist.

Monet had a transformative influence on a generation of artists, including Helen Frankenthaler, Jules Olitski, and Sam Francis. Monet’s emphasis on the immersive approach to art—as in his series of plein-air Water Lilies, painted at different times of the day as he observed the light outdoors—prompted artists to leave the studio and the easel for a new approach to painting.

Beloved today, Monet’s later work, such as the Water Lilies, was dismissed by his contemporary critics as too nebulous and confusing; some suggested that the artist’s failing eyesight was to blame.

I, Claude Monet reveals new insight into the artist’s inner feelings behind the sun-dazzled canvases.

Visit nelson-atkins.org/tivoli for more information and to purchase tickets.

FEBRUARY 2024| 36 | INKANSASCITY.COM

WELCOME TO THE ANTHROPOCENE: AN EVENING WITH ELIZABETH KOLBERT LINDA HALL LIBRARY describes itself as a place “where science lives.” With the new presidency of Eric Dorfman, science is living large.

The new year kicks off with monthly events that show the range, power, and magnitude of our universe and the laws that govern it, earthly and unearthly. On February 13, from 7 to 8 p.m. in person at the library or virtually by a link, you can step into the new age of the earth—the Anthropocene.

The Anthropocene describes a recent period of human activity that has changed the environment on a global scale.

Human impact on climate and ecosystems can be profound— the disappearance of snow crabs in Alaska’s Bering Sea due to warming waters, for instance, causing multi-generational fishing businesses to close and devastating the economy. In other words, we are causing this change.

Is the earth in the middle of a modern, man-made sixth extinction? If so, what can we do?

Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction, in conversation with Dorfman, gives us the hows, the whys, and the what-can-we-do-about-its.

The event is free to the public, but seating is limited.

For more information to register and a link to the virtual program, visit lindahall.org/experience/events.

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FEBRUARY 2024| 37 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Professional Interior Design Services | Quality Furnishings | Unique Art | Rugs | Accessories

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Look IN KC

Fashion

LBD

A BIG MOMENT FOR THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS

by Liz Schroeder

Clockwise from top left: Aje Hunter twisted mini dress, $495, from Clairvaux (Fairway Shops and Hawthorne Plaza). Farrah midi dress, $99, from Lucca (River Market). Veronica Beard shift dress, $548, from Halls (Crown Center). Black tiered ruffle midi dress, $138, from Dear Society (Crossroads).

I

s there anything more iconic than the little black dress?

Made famous by the likes of Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn, the LBD has outlasted trend after trend due to its timeless and classic appeal.

When Coco Chanel first designed her simple black dress in 1926, it was a radical move. Black was, and still is, associated with mourning, and yet designers were modernizing the color and making it fashionable. Vogue dubbed the little black dress design “Chanel’s

Ford,” because it was simple and accessible to women, and predicted— rightly—that the look would become a “uniform for all women of taste.”

There is no singular little black dress. They come in all shapes and sizes, as do the women who wear them. Princess Diana stepped out in her little black revenge dress post-divorce, and few can forget the iconic, pearl-twirling Breakfast at Tiffany’s scene with Audrey Hepburn.

Though it has had many different iterations since the 1920s original, the flattering silhouette of an LBD is always in style.

FEBRUARY 2024| 40 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Be Inspired.

We believe your home should be a space that inspires you on a daily basis.

Don't settle for ordinary – Come Home to Nest. www.nestkc.com

Look IN KC Beauty

Lip Service WINTER LIP CARE

BY Liz Schroeder

H

ow do you keep your lips soft and supple in the cold winter months? Lip balms keep a protective layer between your lips and the frigid temperatures, but they’re not a cure-all. From scrubs to serums to sleeping masks, here’s everything you need to know about winter lip care.

LIP SCRUBS Exfoliation isn’t only for the face. Giving your lips a daily scrub will leave them looking smooth and lipstick ready. It’s important to choose a gentle lip scrub, as harsh or jagged ingredients can leave your lips aggravated or overdried. Buff away safely with natural exfoliants such as sugar and citrus, especially in combination with hydrating oils or emollientrich shea butter. Say goodbye to rough texture and hello to a polished pout.

SLEEPING MASKS AND LIP SERUMS Some winter days can leave your lips feeling chapped and in need of an extra moisture boost. An overnight lip mask is a hassle-free way to wake up refreshed and looking kissable, usually using rich butters and healing oils. A specializied lip serum can reinvigorate your look and drastically improve the feel of your skin, adding extra plump with ingredients including hyaluronic acid.

LIP BALM Lip balm is the underrated winter staple that’s kept chapped lips at bay for centuries. The basic formula borrows its origins from the days of Cleopatra, who used a blend of beeswax, animal fat, and olive oil to moisturize. The humble ChapStick has dominated the industry for many years, but Kansas City’s local businesses win out on quality, as the products featured here work winter wonders.

Messner Bee Farm Earl Grey Lip Balm, $6.50, from messnerbeefarm.com or at Made in KC. Poppy & Pout Lip Scrub, $16, from The Grove Spa (Brookside Shops).

Peppermint Zumbo Kiss Stick, $7.95, from indigowild.com.

Henné Organics Lip Serum, $45, from Welwythn (Prairie Village Shops).

Smoothing Lip Balm, $20, from lover-cosmetics.com.

FEBRUARY 2024| 42 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Confetti Stick with Vitamin E, $9, from pinklippscosmetics.com.

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Look IN KC Wellness

by Liz Schroeder

Sustainability at Home REDUCING FOOD WASTE

I

t’s the dirty little secret in many kitchens—the uneaten half bag of baby spinach, the mushy avocado, the mystery jar full of something from years past.

Most of us don’t even realize how often it happens, but Americans waste over a third of our national food supply every year. The good news? We can do something about it.

OPTIMIZING FOOD STORAGE Organize like a chef—first in, first out. Rotate older food to the front of your fridge whenever you bring in new groceries. It can be a challenge to portion out exactly what you need, so designate a leftovers-only night to clean out the fridge and start fresh.

The crisper drawers at the bottom of your fridge? Yeah, those matter. Some have humidity controls and others don’t, but either way you should be separating your fruits and veggies (it’s all about ethylene production—just trust me). High humidity drawers are for leafy vegetables and low-humidity drawers are for those fruity ethylene producers like apples, pears, peaches, and melons. Washing and prepping your produce will make future you very happy.

USING LEFTOVERS CREATIVELY Upgrade your leftovers and level up your cooking skills. Recipes are really just guidelines, anyway If you’re missing an ingredient, check the fridge first. Can you substitute parsley for basil or mozzarella for ricotta? Gain confidence in the kitchen and you’ll realize how adaptable cooking can be.

Soup and stir fries make great catchalls for wilted veggies and stale bread makes a delicious breakfast strata. Even “inedible” waste, like chicken bones, onion skins, and the trimmings of any vegetables used throughout the week, can make excellent stock. If you’re tired of everything in your fridge, try a leftover swap with friends or the neighbors!

COMPOSTING Green thumbs can easily make use of backyard compost as nutrition for houseplants and vegetable gardens, but even the outdoor-averse or apartment dwellers can find composting containers to keep under the sink. And with community composting programs like Compost Collective KC on the rise, there might already be curbside pick-up options available in your neighborhood.

FEBRUARY 2024| 44 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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Women’s Health IN KC presented by AdventHealth

by Liz Schroeder

Cardio-Oncology: Keeping the Heart Healthy During Cancer Treatment A Q&A WITH CARDIOLOGIST ANDREW WATERS

have a history of heart disease and it’s important to know that to better evaluate the risk of starting chemotherapy. We then monitor for cardiotoxicity with follow-up echos.

INKC: What are you looking for in an echo?

AW: We primarily evaluate the ejection frac-

tion, a number roughly indicating what percentage of blood that goes into the left ventricle (the main pumping chamber) comes back out of the left ventricle. A new technique called strain imaging tracks the individual speckles within the echocardiographic image and calculates how these speckles change position over time. Strain imaging allows us to detect the earliest signs of cardiac dysfunction so we can alert the oncology team who then adjusts the chemotherapy regimen.

U

ndergoing cancer treatment can bring up many worries, but a connected, interdisciplinary care team can help ensure nothing is missed, including potential effects on the heart. Andrew Waters, MD, FACC, a cardiologist with AdventHealth Heart & Vascular Institute and a specialist in cardio-oncology, breaks down cardiac monitoring, chemotherapy effects, and potential treatment adjustments.

INKC: Why is it important to monitor the heart during chemotherapy?

Andrew Waters: Chemotherapy is a very broad classification of medications, each with an equally broad list of possible side effects.

Some chemotherapy agents can have toxic effects on the heart, including an increased risk of heart rhythm disturbances, direct weakening of the heart muscle, or development of high blood pressure. At AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, a cardiologist monitors for these effects so the chemotherapy regimen can be adjusted or po-

INKC: What is the collaboration process like

in cardio-oncology? tentially changed to an alternative regimen.

INKC: How does cardiac risk change with dif-

ferent types of cancer?

AW: The type of cancer definitely matters when

it comes to cardiac risks because different cancers are treated with different chemotherapy agents. Breast cancer is often treated with drugs that have known cardiotoxic effects, but other cancers may be treated with chemotherapy with very different side-effect profiles. Additionally, breast cancer is sometimes treated with radiation therapy. Given the proximity of the breast to the heart, the heart is more susceptible to radiation therapy effects compared to cancers that are further away from the heart.

AW: At AdventHealth, our cardiologists work

closely with the oncology team that is taking care of the patient. The process is very collaborative.

When an abnormal echocardiogram is noted during screening, the oncology team is contacted directly and the patient is referred to the cardiology clinic to be seen by one of our specialists.

We are a tight-knit group at AdventHealth, and we are readily able to contact each other directly to discuss more complicated cases to develop a tailored plan for each patient.

INKC: Please explain cardiac monitoring.

AW: The backbone of cardiac monitoring during

chemotherapy is the echocardiogram (echo)— an ultrasound of the heart. We obtain an echo at baseline to see what the heart looks like before chemotherapy even starts. Some patients already FEBRUARY 2024 | 46 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Andrew Waters, MD, FACC

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SPONSORED CONTENT

ASK THE KITCHEN DESIGN EXPERT HOW DO KITCHEN DESIGN TRENDS PLAY OUT IN KANSAS CITY?

By Judith Fertig

PRESENTED BY

Visit KarinRossDesigns.com to explore Ross’s design and remodeling portfolio and book a consultation.

N

ow that we’re cozying up on winter evenings, we’re watching our fair share of home design shows or reading lifestyle magazines. But what’s hot in Los Angeles, New York, or London might not translate as well to our Midwestern homes.

We don’t have “big city” lives in which an apartment kitchen can be a mere backdrop to a catered cocktail party. And maybe we don’t have big city budgets, either.

Belgian-born Karin Ross, the owner of Karin Ross Designs, knows international design as well as the realities of our Kansas City market. “A new kitchen is an investment that could pay back 70 to 80 percent of the cost when you go to sell your home,” she says, but adds a qualifier—“if the kitchen design is done right.” That’s the lens she looks through when weighing what trends might work in our area, and which might not.

Let’s ask the kitchen expert.

Every fixer-upper design show seems to feature Shaker-style kitchen cabinets. Are they really the least expensive way to go?

“No,” she says. “At the moment, many flippers use Shaker cabinets. Shaker means a simple cabinet door style, but it doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. If the cabinets are of an ordinary wood like oak and not well made, they don’t cost as much, and that’s the type flippers like. But if you want a better, solid wood like cherry or maple or walnut, Shaker-style cabinets can be more expensive.

The cost also depends on the paint, glaze, stain, or other finish you desire on your cabinets. And if you want custom cabinetry.”

And what about color on cabinetry—trendy hues like mustard yellow, earthy red, eggplant, and just about every shade of green?

“For our market,” she says, “I would advise bringing those colors in with a backsplash or custom appliance panels or accessories.”

Those elements are easy and less expensive ways to add pops of color. “Adding color with tile or a backsplash is relatively inexpensive,” she says. Painting cabinets might not be.

In Kansas City, off-white has given way to creamier whites, and “blues are our friends,” she says. Favorites for cabinet finishes include wood tones and special dry-brush-like treatments that add two-toned texture and movement.

“With an investment in your kitchen, you want to do it once and do it right the first time. Then, down the road if you want to make smaller changes to add different colors, you can. Overall, trends are too quick to come and go. Elegance and timelessness never go out of style,” she says.

We’ve seen gourmet kitchens, hearth kitchens, industrial-style kitchens. Which is the most enduring design?

The most enduring design is the kitchen you and your family will love for a long time, Ross says. The kitchen that works with you, that is designed especially for the way you want to live. The kitchen that makes you think, as you brew the coffee in the morning or prepare dinner at night: “I’m so blessed to be right here. I have everything I want.”

If you want a kitchen you’ll love now and for the next twenty years, “Find a kitchen specialist,” advises Ross. “Find someone who can think outside the box, who can look at your space and at your budget and come up with a plan.”

To discover what works best for each client, Ross uses an extensive questionnaire for the clients paired with an onsite visit.

“We get to know our clients. We ask how the family is going to use the space because they are spending money for a purpose, not just a look. Then we present them with several design options and solutions,” says Ross, “after I have done all the research.”

Working with a kitchen specialist, says Ross, saves you time and money, not to mention stress.

A kitchen designer keeps up with new products and knows what will work. “We try everything we install before we put it in a client’s home,” she says. “We try it in our home or in our showroom. That way, there are no surprises.”

There are no surprises, either, during the installation. Karin Ross Designs keeps products in stock, so no waiting. And Nick Ross, Karin’s husband, does the installation work with his team.

“Our clients know we will take care of it all,” she says.

Trends may come and go, but quality and timelessness last.

Living IN KC

by Patricia O’Dell

Think Pink!

PINK IS ONE OF THE MOST FLATTERING HUES, AND THERE’S NO REASON TO SAVE IT FOR VALENTINE’S DAY OR BABY SHOWERS

Large cake stand, $70. Small cake stand, $40.

Peony print, available in four sizes, $3-$18.

Milkwort botanical print, available in three sizes, $5-$18.

Tall paper tablet, $12.

Fine felt tip pen, $4.

I

Couleur Nature Pink Vine placemat, $12.

have three sons, so there hasn’t been a lot of pink around the house, but I did have a pink dining room for a while. It cast everyone in a warm glow, and I’m certain that can’t be attributed to the wine, because my boys were young then, and they looked just as rosy.

I know some people dismiss pink as cloying, but I like it still. Not every shade, of course. I don’t think I own one thing that’s fuchsia.

And while I don’t have any pink rooms now, I do enjoy an accessory

here and there.

Jenny Steffens Hobick’s shop, JSH Home, features great products in pink that perk up your home year round. Table runners, napkins, and tablets, all of which feel fresh to me now in the dreariness of winter.

(Pink does work nicely with gray after all.)

While her prints warm up the walls, the pink cake stand is a perfect spot for treats. Heart-shaped cookies? Those would certainly attract Cupid’s arrow. jshhomeessentials.com

FEBRUARY 2024 | 50 | INKANSASCITY.COM

GAME ON LOCAL MAKERS UP WATCHPARTY STYLE ONE OF THE BEST outcomes of the success of our hometown teams is the excitement of getting friends together to watch the games. If we are fully decked in our favorite colors and logos, why shouldn’t our homes be?

Fortunately, when you are hosting, there are great products that are both attractive and sustainable. Let’s face it, a drink of any kind feels and tastes better in glass than plastic. (No offense meant toward the classic red Solo cup, but this is true.) And we can take that sustainability a bit further and eliminate cocktail napkins as well.

Fortunately, Sandlot Goods creates great looking leather coasters that get even better looking with wear.

Yeti Roadie 60 cooler, $500, from Ulah (Woodside Village).

KU Jayhawks, Mizzou Tigers, and KSU Wildcats coasters, each $10 from sandlotgoods.com.

KC Collectible Gameday rocks glass, $12.

KCMO Football pint glass $10.

Both available at Bunker (Westport).

A KITCHEN RICH IN STYLE. We've been spicing up KC homes with bold fixtures since 1975. No one offers you tastier in-stock options.

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FEBRUARY 2024 | 51 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Living IN KC

by Patricia O’Dell

The Gift of Art

NEW PERSPECTIVE AT THE NELSON ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART Square ivory portrait miniatures silk scarf, $75. Long black portrait miniatures silk scarf, $65.

Shuttlecock silk tie, $55.

Katherine Moes Ring pitcher, $200.

M

Katherine Moes dark-chocolate cairn, $45.

useum gift shops are often inspirational jewels themselves, and the gift shop at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art is enjoying a renaissance. The new product specialist, Wendy Leach, earned a BFA in painting, and has a background in retail as well. She visited the museum for the first time when she was a senior in high school.

“It was the first time I had been in a large encyclopedic museum, and it was amazing,” Leach says. “The Caravaggio was so striking, and I recall the magical feeling of connecting so directly to the cultures and people from the past through the objects displayed.”

Leach is a freelance illustrator and loves the collaboration of creative projects. She had volunteered at the museum store and when the position became available, she thought it would be a good fit. She says the product refresh is a group effort, which results in a broader selection, including pieces inspired by the collection.

“The store manager has a great eye and experience on what sells well. We take the time to discuss the pros and cons of each piece we

consider bringing in,” she says.

They are sensitive to the diversity of the museum’s visitors.

“Our visitors are a diverse group, from the Art Lover, the Student, the Family on Vacation, the Creative Explorer—and others. We want to offer something for each person that will remind them of their visit and the feelings it sparked while they were here.”

Because of this, they are careful that the pieces they carry tie back to the collection and honors it in some way. In addition, they consult with the curators to identify pieces that could inspire custom products, and they work with the museum’s graphic design team to help create custom products. The new silk scarf featuring miniatures from the Starr Collection is a charming example, as are the growing offerings featuring the Shuttlecock by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Brugge.

In addition, they’ve broadened their selection of local artists.

“Kansas City is full of amazing talent! It’s such a joy to see what people create,” Leach says. “I supposed that’s why I love the museum so much—all the human creativity within its walls.”

FEBRUARY 2024 | 52 | INKANSASCITY.COM

I ♥ ART CELEBRATE LOVE YEARROUND I’VE LOVED HEARTS for a long time and don’t confine their display or use to a particular month or day. It seems I am not alone in this. Clothing designer Kerri Rosenthal has created a collection of mini versions of her heart artwork encased in plexiglass to display every day. The 4 x 4-inch square blocks can stand on their own or hang on the wall. Life with You a heart made up of colorful flowers, is my favorite, but the pink In My Heart and yellow Mad Love are equally charming. I mean, who are we fooling? When it comes to love, more is more. Having all three is clearly the answer. $88 each at Clairvaux in the Fairway Shops or at shopclairvaux.com.

FEBRUARY 2024 | 53 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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IN CONVERSATION WITH

Harris Faulkner words by Cindy Hoedel

S

he anchors two daily news programs, The Faulkner Focus (weekdays 10 a.m. CT) and Outnumbered (weekdays 11 a.m. CT) on FOX News Channel, but six-time Emmy-winning journalist Harris Faulkner says Kansas City is where she honed the skills that propelled her groundbreaking national career.

Her tough-yet-fair June 2020 interview of then-President Trump was lauded by Columbia Journalism Review for being “neither antagonistic nor admiring” while holding the president accountable for his past statements on race. Less than a month ago, Faulkner used the same calm, courteous, and armed-to-the-teeth-with-facts demeanor to dismantle Nikki Haley’s attempt to minimize a town hall response in which she failed to mention slavery as a cause of the Civil War. Faulkner, born in Georgia to a social worker and an Army combat pilot who served three tours in Vietnam, earned a BA from University of California, Santa Barbara in business economics and mass communications. She broke into TV news in Greenville, North Carolina, before joining Fox 4 in Kansas City from 1992-2000. At her next gig at an ABC affiliate in Minneapolis, Faulkner won a national Headliner award and married fellow-TV journalist Tony Berlin. The couple has two daughters.

Faulkner has written two books, Faith Still Moves Mountains - Miraculous Stories of the Healing Power of Prayer and 9 Rules of Engagement – A Military Brat’s Guide to Life and Success. She has

more than half a million followers on X, @HARRISFAULKNER, and Instagram, @harrisfaulkner.

In a recent call with IN Kansas City from her 21st floor office in midtown Manhattan, Faulkner discussed her military upbringing, her devotion to Kansas City barbecue and the Chiefs, and shared a hilarious story about meeting her husband.

You closed out 2023 by embarking on what you called a “divine assignment” to Vietnam. Why did you go there?

It was really a divine journey that I was put on but also, if you will, a military brat mission, because my dad served, and I had a lot of curiosity around that.

Fox Nation is our streaming platform, and there were seven of us.

We set out to put together something really special for that platform.

The question that we asked ourselves was singular and critical: When you meet a Vietnam military veteran, there’s a lot of conflict around what to say, because of what went on in this country during the war.

America became divided, and there were things we didn’t know enough about during that war, and when our troops returned home like my father, there was heartache and pain and anger and confusion.

With other wars, people say, “Thank you for your service,” but with that one, is there any other way to answer the question about what can we say as an American public? And I come home with that answer.

FEBRUARY 2024 | 58 | INKANSASCITY.COM

FEBRUARY 2024 | 59 | INKANSASCITY.COM

My curiosity points around a communist nation where we spent much blood and treasure were met with incredible experiences we’ll share this Memorial Day weekend when we do our big special.

As a fellow military brat—my dad was a naval aviator in Vietnam—I’m curious what you feel were the challenges and rewards of growing up in a military family?

There were so many plusses for me. I can be dropped down in the middle of nowhere with like five things in a suitcase, make a friend, make a connection that’s important strategically, use everything in that suitcase and still have more purposes for everything I packed in 15 minutes.

Growing up BRAT—Born, Raised And Transferred—is a huge upside for just one’s ability to adjust and be resilient. The other thing, too, is that you and I have a sense of patriotism that is ingrained. We don’t have to read about it, people don’t have to explain to us what that is. We are loved by people who understand that life requires dedication and sacrifice. The greatest country in the world isn’t on accident. And in the 1960s when our fathers would have served in Vietnam, especially the first tour that my dad took, there were in many parts of the South, like Georgia, where I was born, we couldn’t share a lunch counter with people who were not black. There were signs, “No Coloreds here.” There were people who were being lynched.

There were all sorts of things going on in America, but my father called it something more critical than the push-pull of race or culture.

He said, “We are a young country that’s learning to be great.” And he had, because of the Constitution, so much faith in America’s potential, that he said, “We as people of color, as black people, must show up for this country when the call of duty comes. If they allow me to go be a combat pilot and fight….” This is what he told his two younger brothers and family, because nobody wanted him to fight for America at that point. They were like, “Why don’t you go march in the streets?” And he said, “I have a different divine calling in my life, and this particular mission requires that I go represent, that I be one of the black faces in the US military.” [He was] coming out with an engineering and aeronautical degree from Georgia Tech, which back then was rare. And he came from nothing. He came from East Texas, a little town called Malakoff.

Your father passed away Christmas morning in 2020. What kind of a man was he around the house?

Well, this is going to sound pretty strange. After all the struggle and battle and war, my father had the sunniest disposition of anybody I’ve ever met. He was so funny. And he loved to laugh. If somebody walked in the room and was negative, he’d say, “I’m going to try to rub off on you, because you’re not having a good day. And if you’re not having a good day, and your life’s not at stake today, we gotta talk.”

He ended up being a math and physics teacher. He just couldn’t sit down, even into retirement. Like, at 80, the State of Texas is telling him, “Dude, we got you. You can retire.” He just couldn’t stay out of the schools. He said, “Young people need to hear me.”

Are Christmases hard now, since he died on Christmas Day? Knowing that he passed away in his sleep, and that he was all dressed

up, ready to go to my sister’s for Christmas early brunch…That morning when he didn’t show up, [my sister] sent my dad’s two younger brothers, Uncle Ronnie and Uncle Tim, to go figure out what happened to Bobby.

And they said, you know what, he was peaceful. The Lord called him home. And I just pray that my father wasn’t worried at that moment, that he wasn’t troubled at that moment, that he was the consummate optimist and battle-ready soldier he had always been.

It was in Minneapolis that you won your first Emmy and a Headliner award. What are some specific things you learned while working at FOX 4 that contributed to your groundbreaking national career?

I mean, I grew up on TV in Kansas City! I was only in my first market for a very short period of time. And because it was such a small market, in Greenville, North Carolina, you’d see a lot of people coming in and out at the beginning of their career. By the time I got to Kansas City, I was part of a community. People said, “We heard you talk about your faith on TV. Is that going to be OK?” And I thought, “You know what?

I’m in the right place.”

People don’t mind in the wider public if I happen to lean on my faith. We had things happen in that market. We had horrible floods. We had tornadoes and everything you could imagine. And it’s not my vision to proselytize, but I have always been open when people ask me, “How do you handle delivering the news in those toughest moments?” I began that conversation on the air at Channel 4, WDAF, with my then-coanchor and my friend, Phil Witt. We would say, “Oh, my goodness. This is tough.” And I would say, “I’m going to pray.”

And I just knew that market was such a great place for me to be.

That’s why I didn’t leave for a long time. And when I moved into prime time with Phil, Mike Thompson on weather and Frank Boal on sports, we were that core group, and I remember that not just as a journalist but as a young girl becoming a woman. They were great friends and mentors. The families enveloped me.

My parents at that point had moved to Denver, and then they ended up back in Texas. So at that point, having immediate family around was great, but I’ve got to tell you, anywhere else I’ve ever lived, I didn’t get visited nearly as much as I did when I lived in Kansas City. My parents were always like, “Hey, we’re coming to see you, we’re coming back!

They loved Kansas City.” [Laughs] Oh my gosh, first of all, my dad and mom opened a barbecue rib place as a pop-up restaurant. And I was like, “They are totally into it!” They took the tastiness of Kansas City and merged it with that barbecue down in Texas.

When I was given the Amelia Earhart lifetime achievement award, in Atchison, Kansas, it was one of my first public speeches, and they came back for that, and my parents loved being in Kansas. My dad even spoke a little at one point. I was like, “Dad, they didn’t really invite you to be on the schedule,” and he said, “There are some people here who asked me to say a few words to the local paper.” And I said, “But you don’t do that sort of thing!” And he talked about living on a military base in Kansas and how it was one of the places where if you went off base, you felt supported.

And I was like, “Wow, they have a Kansas story to tell?”

But anyway, I bought my first home—single girl—on Ward Park-

FEBRUARY 2024 | 60 | INKANSASCITY.COM

way. My parents helped me buy that house, and when I got into the home, it needed some, you know, little touches here and there. They came and helped me fix it up and paint and put in some parquet wood floors. And that became such a touchstone of: You’re beginning your life as a successful woman. We want to be there, we want to see it, we want to be part of it.

‘‘

Kansas City was where I first realized

bigger parts of my dream as a journalist. But what I loved most was being called upon by a community that I was connected to.”

Kansas City was where I first realized bigger parts of my dream as a journalist. But what I loved most was being called upon by a community that I was connected to. And that became my divine assignment, being put to work by Kansas City pastors and whoever needed me to come out to the schools, you know, “Can you say a word? Can you lift people up?”

My mom was a social worker and my dad served in the military. Service is in my blood, so for nearly eight years, that’s what I did. And I loved it.

And I do love barbecue, too—KC Masterpiece and Gates. I don’t really like to fall down too much on one or the other because it’s the sauce, and I think they both do a good job. You didn’t ask me that question, but I just thought I’d volunteer it.

You just saved me the time of asking because there has to be a barbecue question, right? And, since February is the month of love, here’s the Valentine’s question: How did you meet your husband, and was it love at first sight?

Ooh! We were competitors. He was at the CBS network station—which is different than an affiliate, it really is part of the network—in Minneapolis. He was usually the lead story, because he was an investigative reporter. He was a really talented live-shot artist. And I was at KSTP, the ABC affiliate. I was an evening anchor. I started out at 5 o’clock, and I was making some history there. I was written about as the first black woman to anchor the news at that hour in the state. Norm Coleman was the mayor of St. Paul before he aspired to go into the Senate. [My husband] saw me in this promotion where I’m jogging along the river and the mayor waves to me. [Laughs] He saw that, and he called a good friend of ours who did the news at 6 p.m., Julie Nelson, and he said, “I really want to meet her. She’s new.” And she’s like, “Well, she is new. I’ll have to ask her if it’s OK for you to reach out. I don’t know her that well either.” The nicest people were in my newsroom then. And I thought, “If Julie thinks he’s a nice guy, I’m sure he’s a nice guy.” We figured out that we would meet in person at Julie’s birthday party, which was like the next week.

He showed up with a date. I don’t know how much you want of this story.

I want all of it, Harris.

[Laughs] He shows up with a date! And I remember her name, but I won’t say. She was a yoga instructor. Do you think that narrows it down too much? Anyway, he shook my hand and introduced me to his date!

And they were on a double date, and I turned around to Julie and I pointed and I said, “Are you kidding me right now?” And she just kind of gave me this rolled shoulder like, “Girl, I don’t know.” And I thought, “OK, that takes some gall right there.”

Because I had checked him out on TV, too, after he tried to talk to me. And I thought, OK, I’m looking forward to meeting this guy. And he was much taller in person, much better looking in person, he’s like 6’4”. But, guy came with a date! What do I do with that?

So in my mind, he was fired.

Obviously.

And apparently when that didn’t work out with him and the yoga instructor, which was not long after that—I want to say a couple of weeks—Julie came to me and said, “He wants to email you. He wants to reach out.” And I said, “Oh, no. Huh-uh.” And she said, “I can tell that he’s…” “Uh-uh. Mm-mm. No.” And she was so kind. She said, “You know what? You need friends.”

And I said, “You know what? You’re right. OK. I have room for a friend.” And you know, you put a guy in the friend lane and it’s hard to get out of the friend lane. And he was driving hard in the friend lane.

And I was like, “Mm-mm, you cannot cross over.”

So we became friends. That was in November. And the following May—we had kept in contact, I had dated other guys, gone out on what I call a cold dinner meal, where you just pick at your food because you’re so bored. [Laughs] I thought, yeah, there’s not much going on any way and this guy’s asked me to get together, and I said, “You know what we’re going to do this time? We’re going to have a 30-minute look-see after the evening news on both our stations.” We had been friends for like six months. And I like to say that May 10, 2001 was the last first date I ever had.

He got out of the friend lane, and we dated for a year, and in August of the next year he proposed, on Lake Superior, in Duluth, on the warmest day that summer. [Laughs] I don’t think I’ve ever told anybody else that story.

Thank you.

I guess I needed to tell it. But let me hook it back to Kansas City. So, April 2023 was our 20-year anniversary, and we thought we would just make a year out of it, when you’ve been married as long as we have. So he got me a Kansas City Chiefs jersey with the number 20. Now, I’m a diehard fan. I’ve been to both Super Bowls with Mahomes, and I’m here for the struggle year. I’m not fair-weather.

And he wanted me to wear the jersey on the actual anniversary to mark the passing of our 20th year and the beginning of the 21st year.

So, I take it out of the box, and I didn’t get it. I was like, “Mahomes is 15!” I thought, “I know you’re not a Chiefs fan, but come on.” And he goes, “Turn it over, and it had my name on the back, and he goes, “You’re on my team.” So romantic!

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Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

u i S sH THE STATE OF

KANSAS CITIANS HAVE FULLY EMBRACED THE JAPANESE CUISINE, AS SUSHI BARS AND RESTAURANTS ARE THRIVING ACROSS THE METRO words by Jenny Vergara

FEBRUARY 2024 | 62 | INKANSASCITY.COM

M

y personal introduction to sushi was watching actress Molly Ringwald unpack her bento box filled with sushi for her lunch in the John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club. The year was 1985, and although the kids in the movie razzed her for eating raw fish, I knew I wanted to be like Molly and eat sushi when I grew up.

I wasn’t alone. The 1980s were when sushi restaurants really took off across America. Eric C. Rath, a history professor at University of Kansas and author of the book Oishii: The History of Sushi, was interviewed by the school paper about sushi in America at that time. “You started noticing sushi everywhere in the 1980s, which is also the height of Japanese economic power,” Rath said. “There was the Shogun TV series; John Belushi, who is a true sushi lover, as the samurai chef in several Saturday Night Live skits; a song by The Tubes called Sushi Girl; and that film Repo Man with its famous line, ‘Let’s go get sushi and not pay.’”

What is the state of sushi today in Kansas City? Where did it start, who shaped it, and what’s next?

But we can’t talk about the future of sushi without looking at the past, and there are a few places—now gone, but not forgotten—that shaped how we see this Japanese delicacy and omakase-style service. Translated, the phrase means “I leave it to you” or a way of eating where we put ourselves into the chefs’ hands and allow them to select and prepare what they think will be best or most delicious.

Let’s begin with Café Beautiful in Lawrence. This little spot was located upstairs in a small apartment that overlooked Mass Street in downtown Lawrence. The chef Ken Suken opened Café Beautiful in 2006 serving omakase-style Japanese multi-course dinners that included sushi. It was BYOB, and it was one of my favorite places to eat at the time.

Then there was the chef Bob Shin and his daughters Esther and Tanya, who opened Bob Wasabi on 39th Street in 2015. He didn’t bring in every fish under the sun, but what he did have was the best quality. If you sat at the

sushi bar, Shin would gladly have selected and served various fish to you, a la omakase-style, but it was not a menu item you could order.

The best way to eat at Bob Wasabi was to tell Shin or his daughters about how many pieces and what you wanted to eat—nigiri, sashimi, or maki—and let Shin select the fish for you.

Finally, there was Peter Hoang, the chef whose father, Sam, owned Sakae Sushi in Parkville, Missouri. In 2017 Peter moved back to Kansas City after working as both a fine dining and sushi chef in Chicago, and he started doing omakase sushi dinners inside his father’s restaurant by request only. Sadly, the dinners stopped after Peter left town for a new gig.

What follows is a list that represents some of the best sushi spots in the metro, so your mileage may vary. Kansas City has plenty of good sushi restaurants, these were selected because they are a good representation of the past, present, and future of sushi in this city.

JUN’S JAPANESE RESTAURANT | Opened in 1978

Jun’s Japanese Restaurant

7660 State Line Road, Prairie Village, KS Jun’s Authentic Japanese Restaurant may just be the oldest sushi restaurant in Kansas City since it’s been operating for 46 years, but its reputation is legendary. The original location opened out south in 1978, before Jun moved his restaurant in 1994 to its current State Line Road location. Offering a full sushi bar and private rooms with tatami mat floors for larger parties, Jun’s was considered the best sushi in town, and for good reason. Jun was a trained sushi chef known for his quality selection of fresh fish, and he would gladly suggest new things to try. When he retired, he trained the new owner, who continues Jun’s legacy. Keep it simple here, start with baked green mussels, then get a variety of nigiri, and treat yourself to a Japanese beer to go with your raw fish feast. kansascityjuns.com

SUSHI HOUSE | Opened in 2002 5041 W 117th Street, Leawood, KS Compared to the more traditional Japanese sushi restaurants in Kansas City at the time, Sushi House felt decidedly more sophisticated FEBRUARY 2024 | 63 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Sushi House

and just plain sexier when it opened in Town Center in Leawood in 2002. A chain concept from Chicago, Sushi House is decorated with sleek blonde wood, a gleaming sushi bar, and open kitchen on full display. It has a larger and nicer wine, beer, and sake selection. Order one of their original rolls that had people talking when they first opened—the Spicy Temptation roll, made with shrimp tempura, fresh mango topped with mango sauce, spicy mayo, and tobiko (flying fish roe). The use of mango is the key to some of their most popular rolls. sushihousekc.com

SUSHI UNI | Opened in 2014 12841 West 87th Street, Parkway, Lenexa KS Located in the same strip mall as Black Dog Coffee at 87th Street in Lenexa, Sushi UNI is fast, affordable, and quality sushi. Owners Jason and Landy Liu put the U N I in the name to stand for “you and I,” and they have done a nice job of making people feel like family.

There’s always a daily selection of specialty sushi rolls listed on their chalkboard that’s based on dishes the regulars often order. Split one of their large sushi/sashimi combo platters with a friend, or if you’re by yourself and want to taste just the fresh fish, order their sashimi appetizer and a glass of sauvignon blanc and call it dinner. sushiuni.com

OTA OMAKASE SUSHI POP-UP DINNERS | Started in KC in 2017 David Utterback is developing a national reputation as a chef making the best sushi between both coasts. He operates two Japanese restaurants, Yoshitomo and Koji, both in Omaha, Nebraska, and holds the distinction of being Nebraska’s first James Beard-nominated chef, and the first to host intimate eight seat, omakase-style, sushi dinners there.

In 2017, Utterback took his omakase dinners on the road and found a receptive audience in Kansas City. He now makes several trips each year to host his intimate and exclusive Ota dinners inside of an existing restaurant.

A self-trained sushi chef, Utterback will happily discuss the history of sushi, letting you taste the difference between, say, frozen, dryaged, and fresh fish. You’ll learn more about sushi coming to one of his dinners than you will reading any book. For more informa-

tion on his dinners, follow on Instagram @ omakase_ota or at omakaseota.com.

SAYACHI | Opened in 2019 6322 Brookside Plaza, Kansas City, MO Carlos Falcon and his wife and managing partner, Sayaka Gushi Falcon, made a splash in Kansas City with their two Latin seafood spots, Jarocho and Jarocho South. Then in 2019, they turned their attention to the East, opening Sayachi, their sushi and Japanese comfort food spot in Brookside. Offering the same high-quality fish that Falcon is known for procuring from fish markets across the world, guests will find a fine selection of sushi, in addition to other classic Japanese dishes.

Lean into the raw fish here and order a couple of nigiri and sashimi selections. Then add the negitoro roll, made with fatty tuna and green onions, or the spicy scallop roll to your order.

Pair with a glass of beer, wine, or a cocktail. sayachikc.com

Sushi UNI

BROOKSIDE SUSHI | Opened in 2020 408 E. 63rd Street, Kansas City, MO Salvador Ortiz came to Kansas City in 1990, where he got his first job at Kabuki in Crown Center. Within three years, he managed to work his way up from washing dishes to rolling sushi. When the restaurant closed in 2014, Ortiz worked at a few spots before becoming a co-owner of the new Kabuki Sushi in Brookside. Then in 2020, Otiz had the opportunity to open his own sushi restaurant in the space of the original Brookside Poultry restaurant. With over 35 years of experience, the chef offers a wide variety of sushi and maki rolls along with a thoughtful selection of hot entrées, such as teriyaki salmon, Japanese beef curry, and Katsu Don, a panko-fried chicken or pork cutlet served over rice with sukiyaki broth and topped with a fried egg. brooksidesushi.com

Sayachi

KATA NORI | Opened in 2023 404 East 18th Street, Kansas City, MO The buzzy 24-seat communal hand-roll bar opened last year in the East Crossroads, introducing Kansas City to cylindrical shaped hand rolls, which are faster to make and serve. Guests can also order a selection of fresh sashimi, crudos, and a few small plates that can be enjoyed with sake, wine, or beer.

FEBRUARY 2024 | 64 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Brookside Sushi

Co-owners Nam Phan and Kyung Kim invited their friend and chef, Anh Pham, who worked for Uchi in Houston, Texas, to oversee the menu and fish preparation at Kata Nori. The restaurant itself is small, and reservations are a must. To start, get the three hand-roll set, which includes a spicy sake (salmon), hamachi (yellowtail or amberjack), and spicy tuna hand roll. You’ll be in and out in less than an hour. katanorikc.com

KURA REVOLVING SUSHI BAR | Opened in 2023

Kata Nori

200 W 47th Street, Kansas City, MO Colorful, chaotic, and crazy fun, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar opened in December in the former T. Loft space in the Country Club Plaza, and they have had a line out the door ever since. The Japan-based chain represents our first official conveyor belt sushi restaurant where you can choose what you want to eat from a continuous selection of fresh sushi flying past your table on conveyor belts. Don’t see what you want? You can order it from a touchscreen. A robot delivers your drinks, and when you are finished with your sushi plates, you slide them into a slot in your table where they are tallied for your final bill. Rack up 15 plates, and you will win a small prize. The sushi is good, but the experience is better. kurasushi.com

SUSHI KODAWARI | Soon to Open in 2024 2100 Central Street, Kansas City, MO Serving only eight seats a night, twice a night, five nights a week, will soon give lawyer-turned-sushi chef Karson Thompson the chance to show off his top-notch sushi skills as he plans to offer a ten to 15-course menu that will be served one dish at a time, omakase-style. Opening later this spring, Sushi Kodawari will represent the first fine-dining sushi restaurant to open in Kansas City with a fixed menu and optional drink pairings, which he promises will include some new-to-Kansas City sake selections. Located on the first floor of The Creamery building in the Crossroads, reservations will open a month at a time, with spots likely selling out fast, so watch his Instagram page for updates on his opening. sushikodawari.com Kura Revolving Sushi Bar FEBRUARY 2024 | 65 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Bucket List Bonanza SHOW YOURSELF A LITTLE LOVE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

Y

ou’ve just found yourself with a surplus of cash, whether from a bonus, an inheritance, or savings from playing it safe for the last few years. You won’t be able to afford that villa in Provence (le sigh), but there’s enough dough to finally take that dream trip, renovate a space in your home, or indulge in a week at a spa. Here are a few suggestions along with a gentle reminder that it’s perfectly okay to splurge right now. We’re officially calling 2024 the year of self-love.

COOK UP A NEW KITCHEN Rachel Sexton’s friends admire her personal

style and sense of humor. She tapped into both during a year-long kitchen renovation of the Brookside Colonial she shares with her husband and five kids. She loves to entertain and says, “With the old galley kitchen, anytime we had company everyone clung onto one tiny section of countertop space like it was Rose’s floating door in Titanic.”

The key to success was finding a contractor and tradespeople willing to tackle unusual requests, like upholstering the doors in leather with nailhead trim or choosing historically accurate tile colors for the circa 1922 home.

Bold wallpaper and a powder-blue stove may not be wise resale choices, but Rachel’s advice is “Design a kitchen that makes every sur-

FEBRUARY 2024 | 66 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Above: Kitchen designed by Karin Ross with pickled-cherry finish cabinetry paired with matte black finishes.

Bottom row, left to right: Colorful kitchen by Stumpff Homeworks. Breakfast omelette at Cedar Crest Lodge. Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas.

Opposite: Mii Amo’s luxury suites feature a large private courtyard with fireplace and whirlpool.

karin ross photo by aaron leimkuehler

words by Katie Van Luchene

karin ross photo by aaron leimkuehler

estate—and potential wow factor—new counters and backsplash. Her website’s blog provides other tips for refreshing the heart of your home, along with examples of recent projects that prove that natural wood is back in a big way.

Or visit Portfolio Kitchen & Home’s showroom where you might just say, “I’ll take that one” while checking out the working kitchen displays.

Geri Higgins and her design team are known for creating every style imaginable from graceful traditional to sleek standouts.

prise—and there will be surprises!—and dollar worth it to you.”

Personality also came into play for South Kansas City homeowners who hired Stumpff Homeworks to transform an all-white kitchen to one with knotty alder cabinets, a hammered copper apron sink, and leathered granite countertops. The result of the three-month renovation is stunning. Tom Stumpff also created a kitchen for an artist who loves color. His team painted the existing cabinets a sunny yellow and installed a blue range.

Meanwhile, Karin Ross Designs says falling in love with your kitchen again doesn’t have to be an extravagant renovation. Upgrading on a budget might include two areas that provide the most real FEBRUARY 2024 | 67 | INKANSASCITY.COM

FIND A RETREAT FOR BODY AND SOUL Mii Amo in Sedona, Arizona, part of the award-winning Enchantment Resort, beckons with a three- to ten-day stay to relax, renew, restore, and revive (around $1,250 per night). You might see Jennifer Aniston or Gwenyth Paltrow on a vortex hike where the red rock cliffs rise like a copper crown. Choose a casita with an outdoor fireplace and whirlpool where you can plan the day starting with a massage, classes on birdwatching or sketching, mindfulness lectures, or hiking miles of trails.

Meander through the sensory garden where the chef picks fresh herbs for the health-based menu.

Take advantage of nearby excursions including a private tour of the Grand Canyon.

For a resort that’s closer to home and budget, there’s Cedar Crest Lodge in Pleasanton, Kansas, set in 100 acres of a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Arrange for an artisan-cheese picnic lunch before calling dibs on a hammock or paddleboard on the 27-acre lake. The rooms offer lovely views of the countryside; opt for breakfast in bed or join others to admire the chef Laura Cunningham’s creations. She might offer poached pears from the trees right outside the front door. Spa treatments, a sauna, and hot tub all beckon you to an extended stay option that includes breakfast and dinner for two for $400.

TAKE A DREAM TRIP Kathy Sudeikis of Acendas Travel says 2024 is the year for cruising and with nearly a dozen new ships launching for both ocean and river voyages, it’s easy to find one to match the destinations and level of luxury you crave. She’s excited about Royal Caribbean’s city-sized Utopia of the Seas (serving 7,800 guests) with eight pools, 18 slides, endless entertainment, and 40 dining options. Kids have their own water park.

Kevin Hobbs and his husband, Jim Crist, chose a more intimate new ship, the Viking Saturn, for a January vacation. With just 930 adults-only guests,

the travel-savvy couple was treated to elegant surroundings, afternoon tea service, and—instead of a DJ on the dance floor—a pianist playing classics in the light-filled atrium. The Mediterranean itinerary included Naples, Sicily, Crete, and Athens after a three-day stay in Florence. Hobbs plans to paint some of the stunning vistas when he returns to his Kansas City home studio to add to his Flint Hills landscapes shown at Prairebrooke Arts.

No deck chairs for Sandy and Christine Kemper. Instead, when this busy couple takes time off, you’ll find them on horseback at Rancho de los Caballeros, an 18,000-acre ranch in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. Accommodations include luxurious lodging, a Western saloon, and a fine-dining restaurant. Or choose a cookout under the stars (where you can get your boots branded with the ranch logo). Activities abound, such as golfing, sunrise yoga, spa treatments, and horseback rides through cinematic landscapes, making this a grand retreat for couples, families, and girlfriend getaways.

INVEST IN A HOME SAUNA Benefits of an infrared sauna include relaxation, increased metabolism, and detoxification and can help increase collagen and elastin, the building blocks of healthy, firm skin. Installing a unit at home from Sunlighten Sauna means you can loosen your muscles before a morning workout or shuffle straight to bed after a 30-minute session.

Saunas are available in sizes for one to four people and offer a variety of options. For instance, the mPulse Smart Sauna allows you to customize precise far, mid, and near-infrared wavelengths

Above: Experience an authentic dude ranch at Rancho de los Caballeros.

along with red-light therapy for optimal health benefits. The Amplify line helps you sweat more and recover quicker. If space and portability are a concern, choose the portable sauna, which Well + Good called the “Peloton of Recovery Tools.”

MAKE OVER A CLOSET New home tours these days often include two areas that can make you swoon: the gourmet kitch-

FEBRUARY 2024 | 68 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Bottom row, left to right: An infinity pool aboard the Viking Saturn.

Sunlighten Sauna’s mPulse sauna.

Ceramic wheel throwing is just one of the many skills you can learn at several area locations.

Opposite: California Closets can help you create your dream closet.

Joni Johnson, owner of Clairvaux retail shops, often assists clients with a wardrobe refresh. She starts by helping them identify their personal style, whether that’s classic, fashion forward, or eclectic. Steps include addressing each category, such as dresses, denim, and sweaters, and if an item is beyond repair, toss it. If it no longer speaks to your personal style, donate it. Then arrange your closet by category and color, which helps identify gaps in your wardrobe. When buying new pieces, avoid those that are strictly for work or a special occasion; choose items that can be adapted for a multitude of uses by adding accessories. “This way you can invest in better pieces,” she says.

If an item is in good shape but no longer fits or simply doesn’t bring you joy, take it to a consignment shop or consider donating it. Story Boutique in Leawood accepts designer labels, casual and activewear and accessories, then displays them in an inviting retail setting. Sales benefit Kansas City Hospice. Or donate unwanted items to Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City; the website lists several drop-off locations or how to arrange a pick-up.

en and a primary bedroom closet the size of your first apartment. Walls of lighted, open shelves display shoes, an island holds velvet-lined jewelry cases, and hanging racks organize clothes by color. California Closets can create a customized storage system in your existing home, whether it’s a reach-in closet, a walk in, or you’re transforming a secondary bedroom into a dressing room (yes, please).

But before you invest in a new closet, audit your wardrobe to decide what stays and goes so you start with what consultant Leslie Cole calls your “sacred place” rather than a source of agitation or overwhelming negative energy.

Abby Wood of Abby Wood Wear helps clients purge and curate clothes and accessories, creating look books of ready-to-go outfits depending on the event.

FEBRUARY 2024 | 69 | INKANSASCITY.COM

FEED YOUR CREATIVITY Rather than spending your sudden windfall on external pleasures, consider learning a new skill.

For instance, Kristopher Dabner, owner of The Greensman landscape company, has become so good at glassblowing that his vibrant glass globes hang above the bar at Enzo restaurant.

The Jewish Community Center offers several art classes, including beginning watercolor, painting on silk, ceramic wheel throwing, mixed media, and even phone photography. Working with accomplished teachers, students can boost their moods while gaining a sense of accomplishment.

Johnson County Community College provides instruction on knitting, jewelry making, drawing, painting, and creating silk scarves using colored pens.

It’s said that Dennis Hopper used to drive from Dodge City to take art classes at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Whatever your commute time, you’ll find several ways to tap into your creativity with printmaking, bookmaking, bracelet beading (calling all Swifties!) and watercolors. Sketch classes gather in galleries to find inspiration. Kansas City Art Institute offers workshops for non-degree-seeking adults in areas including live-model drawing and painting, still-life painting, and color composition.

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Left: Color and light fill the family room. The bench is upholstered in Schumacher’s Citrus Garden, which makes appearances in several of the public rooms. Floral arrangement from Botanica Flower Studio. Above: A custom fretwork stair railing frames the foyer, now opened to the second floor.

It’s So Nice to Come Home To A MISSION HILLS COLONIAL EMBRACES A FAMILY words by Judith Fertig photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

I

n 2017, two busy medical professionals, who had lived and worked all over the country, decided to make Kansas City their home.

“I grew up here,” says the wife, a gastroenterologist. “It’s easy to live in Kansas City and utilize all that it has to offer. It’s a perfect place to raise a family.” Her husband is an orthopedic surgeon. They now have two children, ages 3 and 6.

They found a 1950s colonial with the “good bones” they were after in Mission Hills. “It had

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Above: Greens and blues dominate in the sunroom, giving it a spring-like feel even in the depth of winter. Left: The designer Libby Sullivan-Gilman. Opposite, top: In the formal living room, Schumacher’s Citrus Garden makes an appearance in the curtains. A vintage rug anchors the main seating area. Opposite, bottom: Brunschwig & Fils Les Touches fabric in a deep-blue hue was used to upholster a pair of vintage wingback chairs.

good molding, a third floor, and a large screened-in porch,” she says. “Although the décor wasn’t our style, we waited to change anything. We wanted to live in the house first.”

A chance meeting with interior designer Libby Sullivan-Gilman at her pop-up store led to a years-long collaboration that began with a room in the house and gradually encompassed every square inch.

“The previous owners had added a bathroom upstairs that blocked the soaring entryway,” says the homeowner. “We wanted to open the ceiling again but keep the extra bath. Libby was so good at looking at a space and figuring out a way to make it work better.”

Gilman also nudged the family away from their monochromatic style of dark blue, black, and gray. “Hilariously, I didn’t like color, but Libby persuaded me,” says the homeowner. To get her clients used to bolder color and pattern, the designer taped up a section of Schumacher’s Citrus Garden pattern, which is featured prominently in several rooms. The couple lived with it and came to love it.

Now, a fresh shade of green, suggested by a mirror in the dining FEBRUARY 2024 | 73 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Above: Schumacher’s Citrus Garden is used to great effect in the dining room. Painted Chinese Chippendale-style chairs surround the table. Floral arrangement by Botanica Flower Design. Opposite, top: Fresh, spring-green hued kitchen cabinetry pops against white walls. Opposite, bottom left: Built-in refrigerator and freezer flank a wine refrigerator in the kitchen. The long brass handles echo the brass details throughout the kitchen. Opposite, bottom right The butler’s pantry is a special niche tucked behind the kitchen. The homeowners’ lovely colletion of vintage and new china and crystal is on display,

room, has become the “neutral” that ties the first floor together and makes the kitchen pop.

Gilman, with five children of her own, was also uniquely qualified to make the house look great but be family-friendly at the same time.

Gilman deployed performance fabrics, ample storage to corral clutter, and “wainscoting to protect the walls,” she says. A self-described “pillow nutcase,” Gilman also used fabrics on pillows fabricated by Rebecca McCarthy to help transition from room to room. Every detail mattered, down to the green banding on the family room sofa and the fretwork design that echoes throughout. “Everything needs to work together,” she says.

You first step into the hallway with its custom fretwork design staircase, a colorful Eleanor Scott Davis painting, and that earlier referenced restored two-story ceiling height.

The living room remained the homeowners’ original Indigo Batik by Sherwin Williams, but Les Touches by Brunschwig & Fils and the aforementioned Citrus Garden introduced more color in custom draperies, upholstery, and pillows. French doors lead out to the former screened-in porch, now a four-season room with a fireplace. “I love to be out there with the fire going,” the homeowner says.

The light and airy family room has a large leather ottoman that stands up to kids and dogs. Comfy sofas offer a place for the family to

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Left: The primary bedroom has a beachy feel, with navy-striped Roman shades, blueand-white fabric, and a Visual Comfort beaded chandelier. Below, left: The elegant lines of the Carrara marble geometric mosaic floor tile from International Materials of Design make a major design statement in the primary bath. Opposite: The guest room was carved out of a larger room and bathroom. Tidy built-in cabinets and night tables make the most of the small space.

gather. “The CR Laine armchairs are a favorite of mine,” says Gilman. “They’re comfortable and they swivel.”

You would never know the dining room once had a fireplace. Now that wall features a large, repurposed dresser that acts as a buffet, and a pendant light grouping that Gilman found at West Elm hangs over the table. A framed painting from Gilman’s son Tate adds a personal touch.

The kitchen and adjacent breakfast room are traditional, yet clean lined, says Gilman. Custom cabinetry sports unique brass hardware reminiscent of an English FEBRUARY 2024 | 77 | INKANSASCITY.COM

come home to continued Brunschwig & Fils Les Touches wallpaper makes another appearance in the powder room, this time in a fresh, green hue.

country house kitchen. A La Cornue range and an island topped with a custom waterfall of Calacatta Laurent marble bring the subdued luxury. Practical Ballard Designs bar stools are covered in fabric from Thibaut.

Upstairs, Gilman carved out space in the guest room—the in-law suite—to keep the extra bath by creating a pair of armoires on either side of the bed that function as closets.

The spacious primary bedroom leads onto a generous master bath with a custom tile floor, its geometric design mirrored in the custom cabinetry.

The wife’s closet in a special shade of blue keeps everything at hand but out of sight.

The children’s bedrooms also feature charming uses of color and fabric, as does the playroom on the third floor.

After a Covid-prolonged two years of renovation, which included the birth of their second child, the family is thrilled with their home. “We use every space,” says the wife. “It’s so nice to come home to.”

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FEBRUARY 2024 | 78 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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Flavor IN KC

In the Kitchen

BRINGING IN A BITE OF SUMMER

BY Cody Hogan

A

PHOTOS BY Aaron Leimkuehler

s I write this, we are experiencing the coldest temperatures of the year, snow on the ground, icicles dangling from the eaves—and I have a hankering for a hint of summer. I could go to the grocery store and find some insipid tomatoes or perhaps a softening and well-traveled eggplant, both picked before ripeness (and flavor!) has even begun to insinuate itself, and with texture and flavor even more compromised by long storage. Those, however, are not the true flavors of summer. A better-tasting alternative (and one with a much longer history) hangs right in my pantry—summer vegetables, particularly eggplant, dried at the height of flavor, waiting for just such a moment.

I first encountered dried eggplant hanging in market stalls while traveling in Turkey. I had no idea what they were and had to ask—for dolmas (the Turkish word for “stuffed”) I was told. They look like odd chains of purplish-black bells strung together on cotton cords, and I found them draped in dramatic displays almost everywhere I found Turkish foodstuffs for sale. Remembering past interrogations at the Customs counter, watching my various unusual food items go into overflowing trash bins behind the security officials, I decided to forgo the purchase. Besides, they looked much too fragile to survive the journey in my already overflowing luggage.

Recently, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find several cellophane bags of the strings of dried eggplant at Shahrazad (12605 Metcalf Avenue) and then a few days later, a bag of dried zucchini and ropes of dried sweet peppers at Mediterranean Market (1404 Westport Road). A little internet surfing was all it took to find preparation techniques and how they are traditionally used—stuffed

with a mixture of rice (sometimes other grains) and lamb or beef. Traditions aside, to me they are vessels for endless varieties of fillings—great for appetizers, lunch, brunch, or dinner; excellent on a buffet table; as a side dish; or as an element of an expansive tapas spread.

Regardless of how you use them, they’re sure to bring a little summer sunshine into your winter kitchen. If nothing else, they look great hanging in your pantry, reminding you of the sunny season to come.

Stuffed Dried Eggplant with Bulgur, Herbs, and Feta Although quite fragile in their dried state, once rehydrated, dried eggplant (and peppers, and zucchini) are surprisingly resilient, and even if they do tear or have small holes, they are still usable for most fillings.

The amount of filling here—a very basic and traditional stuffing to familiarize yourself with the concept—will stuff at least 20 pieces of dried eggplant (or other vegetables—see In Your Pantry) and can certainly be reduced or increased as needed. In my recipe testing, my favorite base for stuffing was bulgur, perhaps because of its novelty. (I use it less frequently than rice in daily cooking.) I also made this version vegetarian as I am trying to eat less red meat this year.

Begin by bringing a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the dried eggplant and/or other vegetables for about 6 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl of cold water to cool for a few minutes, reserving the boiling liquid. Dice and sauté half an onion and 2 large garlic cloves (finely chopped) until translucent, about 4 minutes. Transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a mixing bowl. Add one cup coarse bulgur (or rice,

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or freekeh, orzo, or couscous—cooking times may vary slightly, but you’ll figure it out) and a half cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Next, stir/mash in one tablespoon of pepper paste (Middle Eastern style, or even Gojuchang) or a pinch of red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup golden raisins, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 3 scallions (green and white parts, chopped), a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a big pinch of salt and black pepper.

Traditional recipes frequently use a spoonful of dried mint, but if you have a window box with any fresh herbs struggling to get through the winter, this would be a great place to use them—mint, chives, marjoram, oregano, even cilantro could be nice. Taste the filling and see if it needs anything—the pepper paste may not be spicy enough for you, herbs may need tweaking—and adjust as necessary. Another traditional ingredient is a generous shot of pomegranate molasses or some type of acidifying agent, such as ground sumac, yogurt, or even lemon juice, and I find this addition a delicious inclusion. The brightness of the sour taste brings a little more summer flavor into the dish. Finally, stir in a 1/3 to a 1/2 cup of crumbled feta or other appropriate cheese.

Chopped nuts would be nice, too, although I didn’t use any in this recipe.

Lightly oil a baking dish or oven-proof skillet. One at a time, fill each eggplant piece about three quarters full (the filling will need room to expand as it absorbs moisture and cooks). Lay the stuffed eggplant around the vessel, slightly overlapping each so that it stands up to help keep the filling from tumbling out. Continue until all the vegetables are filled. In a bowl, whisk together a few tablespoons of tomato paste and 1 to 2 cups of water—I use the leftover water from hydrating the vegetables. You could also use tomato sauce (diluted) that might be hanging out in the fridge—on one occasion I used a partial jar of tomato salsa, and it was quite tasty. If you like spicy things, stir in a tablespoon of sambal oelek or other piquant pepper ingredient.

Pour this mixture over the stuffed vegetables to the point that they are half-way submerged. Any leftover stuffing mixture can be cooked with a little water in a covered dish or reserved to use later. Cover the dish and either cook in a 350F oven or simmer on the stove top for about 30 minutes, checking occasionally to see that the dish isn’t dry and in need of a bit more water.

Test to see that the eggplant is tender, and the filling is cooked to your liking. It may need 15 or so minutes more. Serve the stuffed vegetables warm, although they can also be eaten at room temperature. Pomegranate molasses makes a lovely condiment with this traditional version of the dish, as would yogurt, tzatziki, or even a tangy tahini dressing.

The next time you think you have nothing to eat, take out your dried eggplant, and examine the fridge and pantry. There are likely some delicious tidbits just waiting to be recycled into a memorable meal. If you’re lucky, you might even find a little warm sunshine to bring to this occasionally dreary and frigid time of year.

In Your Pantry

DRIED PRODUCE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, humans have found ways to preserve foodstuffs for the bleak and barren seasons. Here are some ancient ingredients to fire your imagination.

Dried Vegetables for Stuffing Eggplant, zucchini, and peppers (see below) are wonderful vehicles for stuffing. After rehydrating they can be stuffed, cooked, and used in many ways. Any good quality ground or chopped meats or seafood would be welcome here.

Fillings may be cooked or raw or a combination, just take their state into consideration of cooking time.

For more ideas from previous issues of the In the Kitchen column, check out these recipes for fillings or mixes to make good stuffing: Resourcefulness Jan. ’23, the Lamb Kebab mix May ’22, Late Summer Meatballs Sept. ’21, Stuffed Peppers Aug. ’21, Swiss Chard Rolls Sept. ’18.

Mushrooms Dried mushrooms are an excellent source of flavor, especially the flavor enhancer glutamate, lending savor and umami to any dish they grace. Porcini (aka cepes) are one of the most desirable dried mushrooms in Western cuisine and can be found in most grocery stores, although packages are frequently adulterated with other less expensive (and less flavorful) mushrooms, which takes careful inspection to detect. Always buy from a reputable source (or use it as an excuse to go to Italy where they are much easier to find and less expensive). Trumpets of Death, a black, hornshaped, and distinctly flavored mushroom is less common, but also worth seeking out. They, like most mushrooms, are a wonderful partner for potatoes, cream, and fish. Dome-shaped dried shiitake are a staple in Asian cuisines, great to have on hand for an impromptu savory broth, sauce, stir fry, or braise.

Peppers Since their spread from the New World across the globe, different pepper varieties have been bred to enhance specific characteristics and are one of the most universally dried vegetables. From mild and sweet (the string in the photo) to complex and even smoky (the large New Mexican chiles) to devastatingly fiery (the tiny diavolino from Abruzzo), keep in mind that the size of the pepper isn’t necessarily what’s important—it’s knowing exactly what you have and how to use it. When in doubt, taste only the tiniest bit to be certain. And always wash your hands after chopping or handling. You could get yourself in trouble.

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Flavor IN KC

by Jenny Vergara

photo by Corie English

In Your Cocktail

C

RYE LEAWOOD

elebrating 12 years at Mission Farms in Leawood this year, Rye continues to be a beloved, local chef-driven dining destination in Kansas City.

Whether guests come for the crispy fried chicken or Monday steak night and sides created by the executive chef, Ryan Williams, and his team, or a simple cup of coffee and a slice (or two) of pie made by the pastry chef, Keara Masson, the comforting Midwestern menu at Rye has proven to be a winning recipe for owners Colby and Megan Garrelts.

When they aren’t busy running two restaurants, mentoring new chefs, supporting local charities, and shaping the culinary offerings at the soon-

to-open KC Current Stadium, the Garrelts are spending time at home with their two teenagers. Theirs, too, is a love story worth celebrating, for all the chef talent, good food, and drinks it has brought to Kansas City.

Someone once said that the restaurants we fall in love with are like a good romantic partner—consistent, delicious, and always leaves us wanting more. Is it possible our love of their fried chicken and lemon pie helped to fund, five years later, a second Rye location on the Country Club Plaza? I’d like to think so.

The same is true for the bar program at Rye Leawood. It has, over the years, been shaped by some of the best bartenders in the business, always showing a level of quality and craftsmanship that regulars have

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Metropolitan 1.5 ounces Tito’s Vodka .75 ounce Liber & Co. Blood Orange Cordial .5 ounce Triple Sec .5 ounce fresh lemon juice .5 ounce fresh blood orange juice Prosecco

A spectacular, contemporary venue with transformable reception spaces and a magnificent courtyard.

1900bldg.com (913) 730–1905

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine Tito’s Vodka, Liber & Co. Blood Orange Cordial, Triple Sec, fresh lemon juice, and fresh blood-orange juice. Shake well, pour into a coupe glass and top with prosecco. Garnish with a fresh slice of blood orange and edible flowers.

come to expect. There is nothing quite like sitting at Rye’s comfortable, long bar and ordering your favorite cocktail or a glass of whiskey, beer, or wine while chatting with those around you. It’s that intangible feeling of togetherness that we all missed most during the darkest days of the pandemic.

To celebrate a month that recognizes togetherness comes the Metropolitan, a cocktail currently on the menu at Rye Leawood.

With its gorgeous, ruby-red hue, and fizzy bright blood-orange flavor served in a coupe glass garnished with edible flowers, it’s like having a liquid valentine created just for you by Mika Cummins and the Rye Leawood bar team. ryekc.com

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. therestaurantat1900.com (913) 730–1900

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Flavor IN KC

by Jenny Vergara

KUKISS BAKERY

In Culinary News

WHAT IS large and round and takes two hands to hold? It’s flaky and crunchy on the outside with spiraled layers of laminated dough, and on the inside it’s soft and cream filled. It’s the roll croissant from KuKiss Bakery, a home-based cottage bakery run by trained pastry chef and Venezuela native Maria Eugenia. She was first spotted selling these viral pastries, which take 36 hours to make, along with a selection of her other cookies, cakes, and more, at markets and festivals last summer. Now, you can try her own version of the famed New York City Lafayette Bakery’s viral pastry for which customers line up around the block—The Suprême—and pick it up at her home in Overland Park, Kansas. The large, flaky pastry is made using quality ingredients and filled with your choice of vanilla, caramel, pistachio, or chocolate and hazelnut cream. Follow her on Instagram at @kukissbakery and order them from her website at kukissbakery.com.

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Flavor IN KC

by Jenny Vergara

THE BLACK PANTRY

In Culinary News

BRIAN ROBERTS has evolved his thinking about the impact his retail shop, The Black Pantry, can make in Kansas City and beyond. He recently announced plans to open another location at 31st and Troost this spring, signing a five-year lease for a newly remodeled 1,500-square-foot space that will not only serve as retail space for black-owned products but will also serve as an incubator spot for many local black-owned businesses. To help drive traffic to the space, Roberts will have a coffee shop with pastries from Shanita McAfee-Bryant’s The Prospect KC and vegan dishes from Mattie’s Foods. A built-in bar will create a hub where local black-owned booze brands, such as Vine Street Brewing Co., Rally Gin, and America’s first black-owned hard-seltzer company based here in Kansas City, Kin Seltzer, will be served and sold. With the $161.9 million-dollar Troost Village project under construction across the street, The Black Pantry will bring more shopping and socializing to the block. theblackpantry.co

MARCH 9–17, 2024

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Flavor IN KC

by Jenny Vergara

HAPPY GILLIS

In Culinary News

JOSH AND ABBEY-JO EANS, owners of Happy Gillis, have decided to remain in Spain after living there for more than a year, while their restaurant, Happy Gillis, continues to operate with the help of long-time dedicated staff in Columbus Park. An agreement was reached at the end of last year to sell the brunch spot and the former Columbus Park ramen shop space, along with the apartment above it, to local restaurateur Cory Stipp, who opened Quay Coffee in the River Market before selling it to open Apogee Coffee & Draft in Olathe. “He has always been a fan of Happy Gillis,” said Josh Eans by phone. “Abbey-Jo and I were excited that he was interested, because we wanted to sell it to a local who wanted to keep Happy Gillis going. Cory is a great fit for us and the business.” Stipp has no plans to change Happy Gillis, other than adding what he hopes will be the best Bloody Mary in Kansas City to the drink menu. As for the ramen shop space, Stipp says the ramen equipment was sold years ago, but he has something else in mind for that space, so people should be watching for that sometime this year. Here's to a favorite local spot continuing to serve the community with another local owner. happygillis.com

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Flavor IN KC

Reservation for One KC CRAFT RAMEN

by Jenny Vergara

W

hat if I told you that on any given weekend in Overland Park, people are outdoors waiting in line to eat at KC Craft Ramen. Would that surprise you? It sure surprised me. That was until I ate there, then it all became clear.

I’ll happily stand in any line or drive great distances for food anytime, anywhere. In fact, that night, I had just driven from downtown Kansas City to 157th Street to collect my precious box of crème-filled, round croissants from KuKiss Bakery (see more about those in this month’s IN Culinary News on page 86). With my viral pastries packed in the backseat, I planned to stop for dinner at KC Craft Ramen.

It was raining hard, so we dashed into the restaurant, not surprised to find it empty on a Friday night at 4:45 p.m. We were prepared to eat dinner with Ma and Pa at that hour. We were kindly but quickly shooed out of the restaurant and back outside to join a line that had already formed and was waiting to enter when they opened at 5 p.m. KC Craft Ramen does not open until 5 p.m., and it does not take reservations.

It looked like we might be third or fourth in line, and I pulled

photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

my hood up over my head as the rain assaulted from all sides. As I read the laminated menu in my hand, I listened to the young couple behind me discussing in hushed tones how excited they were to be in line in time to get in and eat. Realizing I had found my people, I turned to face them, rain dripping off the end of my nose and said, “Can you help me understand why we are standing in line in the pouring rain to eat ramen in Johnson County?”

The ”why” is because the food is that good, in fact the entire experience was quite unlike anything I had ever experienced, especially in the suburbs where reliable chain restaurants tend to dominate the culinary landscape. Eating here is like getting dropped inside a Japanese culture bubble in the burbs. KC Craft Ramen indulges and encourages all of that in the most delicious and fun pop-culture way.

Much like traveling to Japan, you really need to go with the flow to fully enjoy it, as you are not in control of the dining experience, they are.

Let go and you will be rewarded with a playful meal that feels almost like a game with clues you must figure out to successfully dine here.

Couple that with a small dining room, a scarcity mindset that makes

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dining here so desirable that it has people standing in line, mix in some darn good ramen, and you have yourself a viral experience happening in the suburbs.

KC Craft Ramen opened in the space of former Which Wich sandwich shop at 119th and Metcalf in May of last year. It's locally owned and operated by two friends who moved from California to Kansas City to open their first ramen restaurant together. Kenichi Ota and Hiroyuki Kawashima opened ramen shops in California for other owners, but they chose to come to KC to open their first, and hopefully not last, one here.

The footprint they chose for their first location is tiny, but most ramen shops in Japan are tiny. The aisle starts at the front door and runs up to the host stand, which is full of Japanese toys, action figures, candies, and sweet treats, along with Asian sodas, soju, and Japanese beer, which you can purchase at the host stand before being seated at your table for dinner. The restaurant is whimsically decorated on a budget, with plenty of Japanese cooking videos and anime movies playing on the walls surrounding you. It’s controlled chaos, and it almost feels like you are dining inside of a video game.

The tables are packed close together, and if you have a bag or backpack with you, they’ll bring you a basket to hold your personal belongings off the floor. There are also signs posted around the dining room that explain that you are given one hour to eat your meal before they expect you to free up a table. In Japan, diners know that ramen is best when eaten hot and fresh.

By the time we were seated and knew the rules of engagement, the restaurant was already at capacity. We placed our order with our waitress and before we could decide to order drinks with dinner, our food arrived.

Everything arrived all at once, so we got right to it. The clock was ticking.

We ordered the KC Red ramen bowl—perfectly cooked noodles with a tender chew and a creamy tonkotsu-style broth—the result of long-simmered pork bones and aromatic onion, garlic, and ginger— with a slick of red-hot chili oil floating on top that packed a punch. Two generous slices of tender chashu pork bathed in the broth. For freshness and texture, the bowl was finished with a sprinkling of crisp, fresh bean sprouts, toothful wood-ear mushrooms, a seasoned jammy egg, shredded green onions, corn, and bamboo shoots.

Ramen is considered the national dish of Japan, so it’s important to get it right. Required elements include a proper, scratch-made, slow-cooked broth traditionally seasoned with salt, miso, or shoyu; a variety of toppings; and noodles that almost bounce in your mouth. That’s been hard to find in Kansas City since the first wave of chef-driven ramen shops closed.

A bowl of crunchy chicken karaage, or Japanese-style fried-chicken bites, was meant to be an appetizer, but we devoured the crispy, flavorful chicken thigh pieces alongside our entrée.

The deeply flavored, sweet, thick tomato curry served with white steamed rice is a beloved dish considered by many in Japan to be the ultimate comfort food, ubiquitous in the country’s small snack bars and noodle shops.

My experience at KC Craft Ramen was enchanting. So many diners enjoying ramen, curry rice, gyoza, and Takoyaki, or octopus balls, all of us enjoying the experience together. Just by standing in the rain together to share this meal we had all bonded.

Now that I know this exists, I’ll be looking forward to the next time I am lucky enough to be in Overland Park at 4:45 p.m. craving a hearty bowl of ramen and that insanely delicious curry rice.

Save me a spot in line, would you? kccraftramen.com

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

Make your reservation for a date night that's as irresistible as our BBQ.

BOOK A TABLE

MIDTOWN 1000 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 816-255-3753

SOUTH 11051 Antioch Rd, Overland Park, KS 913-951-4500

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M A K E R O O M FO R A L L O F YO U

CALL , V IS IT A S H OWRO OM, OR FIND US ONLINE TO S CH ED ULE YOUR COMP LIM E NTARY ©2024 California Closet Company, Inc. Each California Closets® franchised location is independently owned and operated.

D ES IGN CONS ULTATION

913.8 8 8.11 99

Locally owned with showrooms in Overland Park and Briarcliff Village

CA L I FO R N I AC LO S E TS . C O M

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Spotlight KC ATTRACTIONS NOT TO MISS IN FEBRUARY

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Kansas City Museum

Enjoy free admission to more than 5,000 years of incredible art, exhibitions, and cultural celebrations. nelson-atkins.org

Enjoy free admission to exhibitions and unfolding stories about KC’s history and cultural heritage. kansascitymuseum.org

tour the home of

REAL MISSOURI BOURBON

HOLLADAYDISTILLERY.COM ©2024 HOLLADAY DISTILLERY, WESTON, MO | DRINK RESPONSIBLY. DRIVE RESPONSIBLY.

Holladay Distillery

Music Theater Heritage

Visit the historic Holladay Distillery in Weston for tours, bourbon tastings, cocktails, special events, and more!

Music Theater Heritage is the innovative and imaginative professional Theater at Crown Center. mthkc.com

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram to stay up to date on Greater Kansas City Attractions Association

@AttractionsKC @gkcaattractions

My Essentials IN KC

by Liz Schroeder

TERI CASTROP ARTIST. CHEF. ENTREPRENEUR

I photo by corie english

f you have a sweet tooth, you probably already know about Teri Castrop. Her delicious caramels garnered a cult following at the Overland Park Farmers Market and are now out in local stops and shops around the city.

A Kansas City native and artist by trade, Castrop grew up as one of ten children from a large Catholic family. Constantly surrounded by talented home cooks, she gained a great respect for food. “I always say part of the success of Kansas City Caramels is because I am so picky about good food,” she says.

Art is Castrop’s first love, particularly sculpture, and she spent years teaching elementary and high school art. Kansas City Caramels began as a way to support her art habit after staying home to raise a family. “When it was time to rejoin the workforce, I scrambled with what to do,” she says. “I had the crazy idea to start my own business. Little did I know everything that would entail. It’s been challenging, but I love it!”

Castrop’s family has roots in the Kansas City meatpacking industry, and she’s loved watching the city grow over the years. “A thriving art scene, top-notch restaurants, distilleries, and breweries, gorgeous hotels, and a revived downtown. So much to be proud of.” She’s always searching for and trying out new restaurants. Her winter spot is Ponak’s for lunch, followed by an afternoon of Westwood sledding, or taking in some Midwestern scenery. “I grew up ‘out south’ as we call it, and I still love getting out of the city to drive through some of the rural roads,” she says. “It’s so pretty.” kansascitycaramels.com

Teri’s essentials...

CAFÉ STOP:

SELF-CARE SESH:

My go-to is Maps Coffee Roasters.

If you’ve never met the owner, Vince, you’re missing out on a great soul. He has such passion for what he does and has shared so much with me. I’m addicted to the “Milk” roast. I purchase a bag, grind, and brew it at home. So good!

My self-care is André’s. I order a pretty latte and a Napoleon, but really any of their pastries or croissants will do.

SIGNATURE SCENT:

I love candles. My current favorite is Pickwick’s Aspen Candle, but I also love Sexy Cinnamon as a winter scent and Bob’s Flower Shop for the warmer weather—both by Trapp Fragrances.

SWEET TREAT:

REPEAT EATERY:

I try donuts in every city I go to, and Fluffy Fresh Donuts always comes out on top.

They only take cash and close when they run out, which might be at 8:30 a.m. The glazed is amazing, but my favorite is cake with white icing and peanuts.

The staff is amazing at The Russell, and I love the warm antique vibe— instead of a number, you get a beatup old license plate for your order. I always get the roasted beet salad with molasses vinaigrette and goat cheese.

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HIDDEN GEM:

I love a good cheeseburger, especially the delicious double cheeseburger at Snack Shack on Johnson Drive. I always go for the onion rings, too. It’s small and family-owned with no frills.