IN Kansas City January 2023

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Resolved

Every January for the past five years, my column has consisted of a rundown of my New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, it looks like I repeatedly make the same earnest pledges and keep expecting a different outcome. (And you know the definition of insanity, right?) So this year, why not check in with our IN Kansas City team and see what they’re resolving for 2023?

Herewith, our INKC staff’s intentions for the New Year.

My New Year’s resolution is to practice self-care with meditation. I’m always looking for ways to reduce stress and this can be done at home at no expense!

Katie Delzer

Since I’ll be at the height of wedding planning, I’m pinning most of my self-care on books. My goal in 2023 is to read 100 books and discover cozier reads to escape from the chaos for a bit

Emily Park

My New Year’s resolution is to connect more deeply with new, unfamiliar artists within the KC art community who share differing interests and experiences.

Madeline Johnston

I want to make 2023 a balance between the needs of my family and my own. I’ll be creating a positive, healthy workout routine and finally doing some of the skincare and beauty treatments we cover. I feel that if I focus on pampering myself a little more it will make me a happier person and better mom!

Brittany Coale

Vol. 6 | No. 1

JANUARY 2023

Editor In Chief Zim Loy

Digital Editor Emily Park

Art Director Alice Govert Bryan

Associate Art Director Madeline Johnston

Contributing Writers

Susan Cannon, Judith Fertig, Cindy Hoedel, Cody Hogan, Merrily Jackson, Damian Lair, Patricia O’Dell, Katie Van Luchene, Jenny Vergara

Contributing Photographers

Corie English, Rui Dias Aidos, Aaron Leimkuehler, Austin Walsh, Jenny Wheat

Publisher Michelle Jolles

Media Director Brittany Coale

Senior Media Consultants

Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley

I want to spend less time on social media and engage more with my family. I’ve started hiding people I don’t know, so that I see more updates from people I actually recognize. I passed a lady in church a few weeks ago who had no clue who I was, but her Facebook updates flooded my newsfeed daily. That prompted the decision!

Krista Markley

This year, I plan on using all of my vacation time. New rule is to travel to new places. Also, I’ll aim for a couple of staycations—put my phone on airplane mode, binge some new Netflix shows, and catch up on my reading list.

Chad Parkhurst

Health, exercise, travel, and fun.

Michelle Jolles

My new year begins with a week off from work, so I’m planning to use that time to organize my storage closet. But the rest of the week will be all about relaxing. I’ll also watch the two seasons of White Lotus, since I seem to be the only one in the office who hasn’t seen it

Alice Govert Bryan

I’ll keep it simple, I plan to stretch and take some deep breaths every night before bed.

Nicole Kube

There you go. And let’s hope their follow-through is better than mine.

Zim

Business Consultant Chad Parkhurst Newsstand Consultant Joe J. Luca, JK Associates 816-213-4101, jkassoc.net

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Resolve To Sparkle In

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New year, new you!

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Out on the town. Are you familiar with that moment every mid-January when you realize it’s only mid-January? This cold winter month is known to drag on as we revert to a holiday-free calendar, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you made a New Year’s resolution to spend more time with friends and family this year, you don’t need warmer weather to do it. Kansas City has plenty of gathering spots that foster group interactions and make time fly by with fun. Whether you’re looking for a spot to play board games, try your hand at indoor rock climbing, sip wine and paint your own masterpiece, or go skiing—yes, there’s a spot for that in the metro—we’ve got you covered. Head to inkansascity.com for our roundup of group activities you can do around town.

Welcome to the neighborhood. One of the best things about Kansas City is our distinctive neighborhoods that are miniature cities within a city. From the Crossroads to 18th and Vine, River Market, Midtown, Strawberry Hill and beyond, each neighborhood has its own unique charm. Throughout 2023 we’ll be creating a guide to each neighborhood: where to shop, what to eat, and what to see. This month, we’ll be visiting the Crossroads. (It’s only appropriate, since it’s the location of our IN Kansas City offices.) We’ll post our guide on inkansascity.com, and we’ll be making video Reels and TikToks to complement each guide. If you’re not already following us on social media, look us up on Instagram at @inkansascitymag and on Facebook and TikTok at @inkansascitymagazine.

Trying to decide where to eat?

From happy hours to the local restaurant scene, we’ve got the city’s most comprehensive dining guide. Check it out at inkansascity.com/eatdrink/dining-guide.

Tea time.

With Kansas City’s January weather, a warm beverage is more than welcome. This time of year, a mug of hot tea hits the spot—especially if you’re suffering the sniffles or a sore throat from the dry winter air. Why not treat yourself to a “cuppa” in one of KC’s charming tea rooms? Across the metro, you’ll find tea shops where you can partake of high tea or take your newfound favorite tea flavor home. If you’ve never been to a tea shop, you’ll be impressed by just how many varieties of tea there are. Now’s the perfect time to find your new favorite. Find our guide to local tearooms at inkansascity.com.

TIKTOK @inkansascitymagazine

January

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE

by Emily Park

Johnson County Home + Garden Show

January 6–8

Overland Park Convention Center johnsoncountyhomeshow.com

Home improvement.

If the new year has you in the mood to refresh your home, the Johnson County Home + Garden Show is the place to start o the year right. At the 22nd annual show, you’ll meet over 300 exhibitors with expertise in all areas of home and garden. Whether you’re on the hunt for storage solutions, a kitchen makeover, new ooring, outdoor landscaping, or a new patio, this is the spot to get all your spring projects booked early. If you’re looking for inspiration for your own DIY projects, be sure to stop by the Celeb DIY Stage where you’ll see presentations from DIY experts, including Liz Fenwick and Patric Richardson. Ticket prices start at $12 for one-day admission.

JANUARY SPOTLIGHT

National Geographic Live Presents: A Voice for Nature with Jasper Doest, Photographer January 24

Muriel Kau man Theatre kauffmancenter.org

Into the wild.

Chances are you’ve seen a photo or two snapped by Jasper Doest. Picture a famous photo of a fox jumping out of the snow, a monkey peeking over the water, or a amingo tucking in its beak, and you just might be recalling one of Doest’s photographs. e Dutch photographer’s work often appears in National Geographic . During this performance, the Kansas City Symphony will take you on a journey with Doest’s most intriguing subjects. You’ll also get a look behind the scenes while Doest shares the stories behind his photos.

Donut Fest Kansas City January 29

Rochester Brewing & Roasting Company eventbrite.com (search for Donut Fest Kansas City)

Satisfy your sweet tooth.

Located in the West Crossroads, Rochester Brewing & Roasting Company brews its own beer, and the locally owned company roasts fresh co ee beans too. is is the spot for any beer or co ee lover, especially if you’re one and the same. In November, the brewer and roaster added something for those with a sweet tooth—fresh donuts, also made in-house. So, we weren’t too surprised to learn that Rochester Brewing & Roasting Company has been selected as the host of Donut Fest Kansas City

At this tasty festival, donuts, beer, and co ee unite. e nal list of donut vendors hasn’t been released yet, but ticket holders will have the opportunity to sample donuts from eight to ten local vendors—and you’ll get to vote for your favorite donut. Donut samples will vary from a quarter of a donut to the full donut, so make sure to pace yourself!

Tickets are on sale now, and you can choose between general admission ($25/each) and VIP ($50/each) tickets. With general admission, you’ll get to sample a donut at each station, one beer ticket, non-alcoholic drink samples, a voting ballot, pose at the photo booth, volunteer to participate in the donut-eating contest, and shop with vendors. Upgrade to VIP and you’ll get all of that, plus early entry, a second beer ticket, a sweet ‘n’ goody bag, a ra e ticket, and prize giveaways.

For Kansas City’s most comprehensive calendar of events, go to inkansascity.com

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Fitting Form for Fancy Fundraisers

THE CHARITY GALA IS ALIVE AND WELL IN KANSAS CITY. MERRILY OFFERS TIPS FOR SUPPORTING, ATTENDING, AND ACTUALLY ENJOYING THEM Email me with

Years ago, I went to a party to honor supporters of a Kansas City nonprofit organization. The event was held at the home of a patroness of many charities, well known for her extraordinary generosity. As one entered the party, the hostess was standing at the door, dutifully greeting guests. One could tell she didn’t relish this task but was trying to do a thorough job of it. I was next in line.

“You’re with a magazine, aren’t you?” the hostess said, by way of hello.

“Yes, I write a column,” I said cheerily.

by Merrily Jackson photo by Corie English

Entertaining IN KC Mingling with Ease

KNOWING HOW to mingle with other guests is a valuable skill in all of life, not just at a fundraiser. To engage a stranger in conversation, find some common point of interest, and you’re off and running. Some topics most people share include:

• The event you’re attending. Talk about the charity the party is to benefit.

• Travel. Most people like to take trips. Mention the new airport at your own risk, however. Many are still attached to the old one.

• Children or pets. That is if you both have them.

• Sports. A no-brainer in this fabulous sports town of ours.

• Current news topics. It helps to have read or watched the day’s news. Avoid politics. Way too contentious.

• Films and TV shows. In this era of Netflix and other streaming media, everybody has a favorite show or documentary.

Always remember to listen more than you talk. We all have two ears and one mouth. It’s best to use them in that proportion. Nothing is more flattering than someone who listens carefully and shows sincere interest in other people.

“I don’t want my house photographed,” she snapped.

“I’m not in charge of photog—” I stammered. But she already had moved on to the next person in line.

When you donate millions to help charitable organizations, you can behave like that. You really can and be my guest. But for the rest of us, there are rules for operating in the world of volunteerism and fundraisers. Here, then, are a few things I’ve learned in my years of attending and working on galas, which often are the major means of financial support for humanitarian, healthcare, and arts organizations in our community. (The 2022 Symphony Ball netted 1.1 million dollars to support one of our city’s top cultural assets.)

NOT STUFFY. FUN

My husband and I have a dear friend who categorically, non-negotiably refuses to attend any event that requires he wear a tuxedo. His parents went to black-tie events when he was growing up and he got the notion they are stuffy. Well, sometimes they are, but they can be fun, boisterous even, if one loses the ’tude. Really, what’s not to like? Your typical gala starts with an open bar and appealing auction items to consider while sipping and schmoozing. Then you sit down to a lovely dinner. Afterwards there is dancing to a live band playing their hearts out to get you out on the floor, shaking your groove thang. If that is a stuffy evening, sign me up any day.

RESPECT THE COMMITTEE

I hope never to get so jaded I don’t savor the details of any gala I attend. That I always remember the steering committee sweated over every particular of this event, pulling in all their chits to get things underwritten, donated, discounted. That the dinner is the product of a very serious tasting meeting and many emails back and forth about the garnishment, side dishes, and especially the dessert, which is meant to be amazing. That, although the flowers, linens, and chair covers look luxe, the organizers had to scramble around to get them paid for with minimal effect to the event’s bottom line.

I never want to be that thoughtless guest who—I swear this really happened—announced upon arriving at her V.I.P. table all she really wanted for dinner was a chicken breast, a request that sent one of the harried cochairs into the hotel’s kitchen for most of the dinner portion of the evening. I never want my husband or escort to be that guy who just couldn’t be bothered to wear a tuxedo, and so compromises every party pic he’s in. (“We would send this shot to the magazine, except Ezra’s in it, wearing his sport coat.”)

THE AUCTION, THE AUCTION, THE AUCTION

Here’s something definitely not to do. Don’t get a snootful

during cocktail hour, then bid on something for which, in the sober light of the next day, you have no intention of paying. If you ever have done this, trust me, there are people who still remember it. I am reminded of a well-heeled fellow about town. Every time I see him I think, “you never picked up and paid for the vintage celadon bowl from Dining By Design 2008. We called you and called you and you blew us off.”

What you can do is step up to help friends whom you know to be gathering auction items. In any fundraiser, auction is the thankless job. Most people dislike making those calls. If you have any really good thing to donate, particularly a dinner, timeshare, fine art, or a true luxury item, contact your pal and offer it up. Don’t wait for the phone to ring. Your friend will never forget your kindness during his or her time of need. Conversely, this is not the place to unload your white elephant items, as sometimes happens. Most organizations are trying to focus on “fewer, bigger, better,” although, in the end, they take what they can get.

THE UNAVOIDABLE SHAKEDOWN

The “fund-a-need” appeal often is a necessary part of the festivities. For the uninitiated, this is the moment when the music stops, the lights go up, a professional auctioneer or a local personality—Ron Megee and Tanna Guthrie are particularly adept at this—steps onstage and begins exhorting the crowd to fund a specific thing, say isolettes for the NICU or camp days for needy kids. There often is great generosity exhibited during these appeals and they are a powerful tool for boosting the event’s net proceeds. Even if one finds them a bit of a buzzkill, this is not the time to hit the bar for a fresh drink or chat with one’s table companion. The sooner they can make their goal, the sooner we can go back to the merriment.

If a friend is involved in organizing a fundraiser, make an effort to show your support. Send a check if you can’t attend. Even if you only can afford a small amount, take the trouble to send it in with a few encouraging words. Every dollar matters to the bottom line.

EVERYONE LOVES A TABLE HOST

Hosting a table at a fancy charity gala and inviting one’s friends to sit at said table is a gracious, not to mention partially tax deductible, thing to do and—in addition to supporting the cause—can be a thoughtful way to reciprocate if you don’t entertain at home. Treat the table as you would a dinner party in your dining room. Use place cards and sit people boy girl boy girl. If you want a lively group, do not seat guests next to their spouses. Nice but not necessary: party favors (a small box of candy, a tiny pot of flowers, a scented candle). If you can’t swing the expense of hosting a table, invite friends on the condition they pay for their tickets. Sometimes people are just waiting to be invited.

Down on the Farm

Recently, I loaded the car with a cast of family members, including two eager little pipers. Just before Christmas, we headed north to The Shatto Milk Company . Shatto had recently launched a private hayride and bonfi re experience on its farm, and I was invited to take an early turn.

We were greeted by none other than the OG Barbara Shatto—a third-generation descendent of Minnie Porter and George Winstead, who in the late 1800s began farming the land that is now home to Shatto Milk. Barbara is an infectiously joyful woman with a sense of grit that I recognized from my own small-town upbringing and proximity to farming. She’s enthusiastic about the farm and proud of its premium products and the ne people who bring each into existence. Upon arrival, those same great people had Shatto hot-chocolate milk freshly poured and ready for our adventure.

As if cast for a Hallmark holiday movie, we were bundled in winter layers and ready for our tractor-pulled hayride to the bon re site about a mile away. Barbara accompanied, and we chatted about everything from the special diet for Shatto’s approximately 500 dairy cows, the nearby wind turbines, and even Shatto’s signature branding, of which I’m a longtime fan. Besides the milk purveyed in their attractive and cold-retaining glass bottles, Shatto uses its milk in a variety of other products—some of which you may not be as familiar with. ere’s, of course, the full range of milks ranging from skim to whole cream. And tucked within the milk category are my nephews’ favorites: the avored milks, with unique varieties including banana, cookies and cream, cotton candy, and root beer. ey also create seasonal addi-

OVERHEARD

“I’ve never seen a grown man hug a sad, threering binder so a ectionately.”

tions, including eggnog and pumpkin spice. And what better use for milk than ice cream? (Check out the caramel sea-salt avor.) And, have ice cream—will make ice cream sandwiches! Shatto has four individually packaged “sammiches,” from sugar cookie with strawberry ice cream to good ol’ chocolate chip cookie with vanilla. Items I haven’t yet tried are the Shatto cheese curds and artisan cheeses. I am, however, a proud frequent user of their butter, from unsalted to the delicious honey butter. ey even make bar soaps in an array of scents, such as lavender and green tea.

After a enlightening hayride conversation about everything Shatto, Barb dropped us o at our already-blazing bon re. We were set with absolutely everything we’d need to roast hot dogs and (obviously) smash together s’mores. With Barb and the tractor gone, it was just us and the vast winter sky, full of stars. I pulled out my phone and cued up Christmas tunes, taking requests for everyone’s favorites. My brotherin-law, César González, kept the re roaring, sister Courtney kept a careful eye on 3-year-old Sebastian, César II was practicing the ne art of achieving a perfect and thoroughly toasted plump marshmallow, and I organized an assembly line of awlessly portioned graham cracker and chocolate pieces ready for sandwiching.

I cannot recall the last time I experienced a camp re, but there is something youthfully transportive about the ancient ritual. I imagine everyone has early memories of its warmth, pops, and crackles, and its woodsy aroma, whose unexpected notes drift past your nose even days later. Growing up in

Left to right: The González family (Sebastian, Courtney, César, César II), Damian Lair, and Barbara Shatto at the Shatto farm.

the country, my sisters and I have many such fond memories.

On our ride back to the farm proper, Barbara and I talked about Shatto’s campfire plans. While originally an idea for families and friends to create memories around the winter holidays, Shatto plans to continue the already-popular experience across the year. Though it was certainly a fun pre-Christmas venture, it made me think—when isn’t a good time for a campfire? Whether it’s the cool springtime air that’s full of promise, the carefree camp memories of summers past, or the rustling leaves and farm harvests of fall—it dawned on me that no season has a monopoly on the magic of campfires. Their charm is enduring as it is timeless. Now may be just the time for your reacquaintance.

WINTER SONG

SEATED IMMEDIATELY next to the whirling conductor, I listened in blissful wonder. I was at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art to hear the Kansas City Chorale at their annual Winter Song performance. The Chorale, now celebrating its 40th year, performs a diverse repertoire of contemporary and traditional choral music with high-caliber artistry across the calendar year. Under the leadership of artistic director and conductor Charles Bruffy, the choir has achieved international recognition and praise. Charles’s twelve GRAMMY nominations and three wins more than amply justify the acclaim.

While hardly an acoustics expert, I am something of an aesthete. So, sitting inside the museum’s dramatic Rozelle Court—designed in the style of a 15th-century Italian courtyard—felt just right to me. The soaring, vaulted ceilings are anchored by both the four-ton, 220 A.D. marble basin fountain that traces its history to the emperor Hadrian’s villa outside Rome, and somehow—by the weight of time and history, our infinitesimal place in it all. Immersed in history and bathed in soothing angelic sound, I closed my eyes and thought this is surely what heaven must feel like.

The concert is a succinct one-hour program of reimagined holiday classics and avid Chorale followers’ favorites. One such lesser-known beloved is Jerusalem, which is performed by sopranos gradually rotating around the lower level of the courtyard’s two-story surrounding arcade, literally wrapping the audience in this rhythmic, tear-inducing Celtic hymn.

Following the concert, I was delighted to be invited by the Winter Song event chairs to a dinner celebrating the season, the Chorale, its most generous benefactors, and of course, Charles, at the Kansas City Country Club. Honorary Chair Jonathan Kemper remarked during his opening toast that the real honor was being part of the audience that evening. Agreed. While dining on our surf and turf, one of my table mates, Scott Ashcraft, observed that the Winter Song concert is, for him, the social equivalent of that first candle on the advent wreath being lit: an authoritative indicator that “the holidays” had officially commenced. What an apt analogy. Despite all the holiday hustle and bustle—or perhaps because of it—this protected time of peace and reflection remains the perfect reprieve from whatever one may need a reprieve. For these reasons, and more, I never ever miss this cherished annual event.

SPOTTED: Nancy Lee & Jonathan Kemper, Robin & Scott Boswell, Graham Boswell, Marny & John Sherman, Bernie & Scott Ashcraft, Scott Francis, Susan Gordon, Jackie & John Middlekamp, Ursula

Terrasi & Jim Miller, Anita & Gary Robb, Nancy & Michael Thiessen, Terry Anderson & Michael Henry, Melinda Beal, Chris Beal, Jim Blair, Dan DeLeon & Jerry Katlin, Lauren DeLeon, Amy Embry, Michael Fields, Trudy Gabriel, Dan Nilsen, Carolyn Arnold, Sean Gallagher, Mary Leonida, Patricia Miller, Carmen Sabates, Katie Van Luchene & Jerry Foulds

HOT GOSSIP:

DIM SUM… AND THEN SOME

GETTING AN EARLY START on the Chinese New Year celebrations, a pal of mine organized a full and proper dim sum feast with friends. Having long been a bucket list item of mine, I leapt at the opportunity to join. We gathered on a Saturday afternoon at Bo Lings on the Country Club Plaza and settled in.

A bit of background: Dim sum is a traditional Chinese meal, typically enjoyed as brunch or lunch on a weekend. The meal is comprised of small plates (think Spanish tapas) of dumplings, rolls, and small bites, usually accompanied by tea and shared among family and friends. The literal translation of dim sum is “the point of the heart,” and these traditional dishes, tea, and personal connections are the heart of the unique Cantonese dim sum experience that Bo Lings has formally carried on since 1987—building upon the dining style that the owners’ family pioneered in bringing to the Midwest.

Dumplings (steamed or baked) are often the star of the show at dim sum, and we sampled several handmade varieties, including ones filled with pan-fried pork and shrimp with chives. We also feasted on chicken spring rolls, crispy shrimp balls, fried turnip cakes (this one was not for me, but if you love turnips…), pork buns, fried shrimp and corn cakes, barbecue pork puff pastries (top pick), sticky rice with Chinese sausage, stir-fried noodles, and tree ear mushrooms and cabbages (which I was not expecting to like, but it far exceeded my expectations). We sipped on tea throughout (both herbal and gossip), as well as a few cocktails. I’m certain that the latter two aren’t part of “traditional” dim sum, but you know I’m anything but traditional. And for what it’s worth, the lemon drop pomegranate martini hit the spot. Cheers!

Dim sum is available at the Bo Lings Plaza and Overland Park locations from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. I’ve been told that ABC Café in Overland Park is also well-known for its authentic dim sum offering.

After leaving the restaurant, and while on something of a Chinese theme, we popped over to the just-reinstalled Chinese warrior statues that guard the north end of the Sister Cities International Bridge the pedestrian walkway spanning Brush Creek. The two statues are bronze replicas of those belonging to the famous army of life-size terra-cotta soldiers, discovered in 1974, near the 210 B.C. tomb of the first Chinese emperor. The statues were a gift from one of Kansas City’s sister cities, Xi’an, China. Thanks to KC Parks & Recreation, they’re back from a recent trip to the bronze upkeep spa, where after a loving dose of wax, the two soldiers don’t look a day over 2,000.

Who was banned from the bar because he claimed to be one of the owners?

HOT GOSSIP:

Whose ashy holiday party invitations were so shiny and cool that many disappeared forever into the USPS abyss?

become survivors.

After gathering with friends beforehand, I caravanned with my table of compatriots, in all our glittering nery, to e Midland. e VIP hour had us perched on the theatre’s upper level with its bar and spectacular view. We were then treated to a delicious dinner downstairs prepared by Brancato’s. My dear friend Denise Delcore (honorary cochair with Matt Michaelis) delivered a moving and passionate overview of MOCSA’s intense and di cult purpose. “ e reason I am so committed to MOCSA is that I believe you heal the world by healing your own community.” Her words were so moving, in fact, that she had every person at my table raising their paddles to support this organization’s e orts. Remarks and auction fundraising were followed by more lighthearted and carefree dancing on the stage, guided by DJ LEO Night US. Sometimes it feels good to just cut loose.

Josh Jones

PERCUSSIONIST JOSH JONES ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS

by Judith Fertig photo by Jenny Wheat

As the principal percussionist for the Kansas City Symphony, Josh Jones employs much more than the traditional drums, cymbals, and bells prominent in classic music. For contemporary pieces, he can really let ’er rip with gongs or temple blocks or anything he can hit. “However, there is nothing stopping anyone from playing Bach on tuned glass bottles, or monkey wrenches if they have the time and patience to do that sort of project,” he says.

“The most common uses for percussion are to accent emotional moments, climactic or otherwise; represent cultures, characters, or imagery (snare drums often are used as a representation of the military); or, as we are often stereotyped, a background time or groove keeper.” Jones, the author of several books on drumming, sounds like a percussion philosopher. And he just might be.

Growing up in Chicago, Jones studied with the Percussion Scholarship Group,

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The signature on your first business loan. The payroll check to your first hire. Your first customer. The first sale, the first award, the first satellite location. This year, why not look for a banker who is ready to help you celebrate all the firsts. The seconds. The future.

The signature on your first business loan. The payroll check to your first hire. Your first customer. The first sale, the first award, the first satellite location. This year, why not look for a banker who is ready to help you celebrate all the firsts. The seconds. The future.

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The signature on your first business loan. The payroll check to your first hire. Your first customer. The first sale, the first award, the first satellite location. This year, why not look for a banker who is ready to help you celebrate all the firsts. The seconds. The future.

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The signature on your first business loan. The payroll check to your first hire. Your first customer. The first sale, the first award, the first satellite location. This year, why not look for a banker who is ready to help you celebrate all the firsts. The seconds. The future. The possible.

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Kansas City | Overland Park | Blue Springs | Lee’s Summit (913) 323 9300 | www.equitybank.com

Kansas City | Overland Park | Blue Springs | Lee’s Summit (913) 323 9300 | www.equitybank.com

starting in fourth grade, then continued at DePaul School of Music. He has worked with the Pittsburgh Symphony as well as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. A 2020 transplant to Kansas City, Jones is still adjusting to life in a mid-size town. “It is a bit of a culture shock,” he admits. “I’m used to a lot more boutique and local knickknack shops being closer together and more walkable. However, not having to deal with lake-effect snow is very refreshing.” And as to the question of Italian beef or barbecued brisket, Jones takes a detour. “Actually, neither,” he says. “I’m more of a ribs kind of guy.”

For more on Jones’s unique style, visit drummojo.com

INKC: What is the role of a percussionist in the symphony, beyond just keeping a beat?

Jones: I like to think of the percussion section as the seasoning, or extra spice of the orchestra. The array of sounds that we offer are incredibly unique and often essential in order to convey the composer’s ideas, vision, or emotional content. Honestly, it’s very rare that we are simply a time keeper, but I can’t keep track of how many times we are tasked with accenting an emotional moment in the piece.

INKC: If you were to describe what you do as parts of a sentence (noun, pronoun, verb, punctuation marks, adverb, etc.) what would it/they be?

Jones: This might be a cop out, but it really depends on the sen -

tence. However, I think there is one part of the sentence that we are not—a period. I don’t believe that music ever ends, it only pauses. So, if we happen to be a part of the “end” of a sentence, we would be a semicolon.

INKC: You’re a percussionist experimenting with the sounds that objects make when you strike them. What would you say are the most interesting percussive sounds from perhaps unusual “instruments?”

Jones: That’s really hard. Something I love is when you can get a strange sound from a seemingly common instrument or object, like a garage door. If you hit it right, it’ll sound like thunder or lightning. If you run your thumb or a bouncy ball on a glass table or window, you can make whale sounds. If you’re willing to see past the object’s intended use, you might find a new way of experiencing and appreciating it.

INKC: If you could aspire to be a percussionist from any era, any musical genre, who would it be and why?

Jones: Jojo Mayer. His philosophical approach to musicality and technique is closest to mine. His existence and experience has influenced the entire percussion and drummer community. I really hope that what I have done and what I am still doing now will have a positive impact on the community that I serve and beyond as well.

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by Judith Fertig

HOW TO FIX THE WORLD BY TUESDAY

NOW THAT we’re making our New Year’s resolutions (and forgetting them by March), fixing the world might seem a bit too overwhelming. But maybe not.

Like many of us, visual artist Lisa Lala has watched the daily newsfeed and been anxious that she’s not doing enough about the world’s problems. Her iconic birds-on-a-wire paintings may remind us to stay in the moment, but her new book encourages us to make a personal action plan.

How to Fix the World by Tuesday: Or, Since That Isn’t Possible, How to Create a Personal Action Plan for a Better World So You Can Make a Difference & Still Sleep at Night helps us strike a healthy balance, considering finances, time, and joy. Some goals can be met in the short term, others will, of course, take longer. But at least we’re doing something. Books are available at Blue Gallery, where Lala’s work is exhibited, as well as on Amazon.

To view more of her work, visit lisalala.net or bluegalleryonline.com.

BANG THE DRUM, SING YOUR SONG

SO, ABOUT THAT BUCKET LIST—those New Year’s resolutions, that newly recognized desire for more creativity in your life. If the performing arts are calling you—at any age—The Conservatory Academy at UMKC might have the answer.

The UMKC Conservatory Academy functions as a division within the Conservatory, offering noncredit lessons and classes for children and adults of all ages, all skill levels. If you want instruction in acting, dance, voice, piano, brass/ wind/string instruments, percussion, or music theory and composition, they have group or private classes, in-person or online, to suit.

And if you’re worried about signing up for a semester of classes that might not be the thing for you after all, try a single lesson first. You will be personally matched with an instructor to dip a toe into the performing arts waters.

The spring semester runs from January 15, 2023, so there is still time to sign up (you can even start midway through). For more information, visit info.umkc.edu/cmda-prep.

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by Judith Fertig

KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY PRESENTS: WAGNER’S FLYING DUTCHMAN, BARBER’S VIOLIN CONCERTO, AND THE MERMAID

THEMES OF LOVE LOST, love found, love redeeming, or love never to be, underscore this concert. Appropriately dramatic and fierce, then lyrical and lush, each piece in the program takes the listener on personal journeys with each composer.

Richard Wagner’s Overture to The Flying Dutchman, an 1840 German language opera with a theme of redeeming love, begins the concert with all the drama of a stormy sea crossing.

Samuel Barber’s lyric Violin Concerto will be played by Russian-born, Kansas City-raised Maria Ioudenitch, fresh from wins in three different international competitions. Ioudenitch studied at Park International Center for Music (Park ICM) in Parkville, where her father, pianist Stanislav Ioudenitch, is artistic director.

Early 20th-century Austrian composer Alexander Zemlinsky’s The Mermaid is based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen folk tale. The music was inspired by a love gone wrong (his former girlfriend married fellow composer Gustav Mahler) and Zemlinsky’s attempt to move on with his life.

Kevin John Edusei, guest conductor, debuts with the Kansas City Symphony.

Performances run from January 20 through 22. For ticket and performance information, visit kauffmancenter.org

photo by

WELCOME IN THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT AT THE NELSON

IN EASTERN CULTURES that follow the lunar calendar, the Year of the Rabbit (or the Vietnamese cat or Malay mousedeer) begins in late January/early February. e rabbit is the fourth in the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and it’s considered the luckiest. If you were born in a Year of the Rabbit, your even luckier numbers are 3, 6, and 9.

Even if you weren’t born in a Year of the Rabbit, you can still celebrate on January 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a host of activities and festivities at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Wend around the museum in a traditional dragon parade, make rabbit-themed crafts, learn about Chinese art, listen to music, and more. e event is free to members. And that should make you feel calm and peaceful, just like people born in the Year of the Rabbit are supposed to be.

Since 1996 the museum has hosted the Lunar New Year Festival, showcasing their world-renowned Chinese and Southeast Asian collection as well as local talent. nelson-atkins.org

Photographer Kenny Johnson

Kenny Broberg

Stanislav Ioudenitch

The Park Piano Trio of Ben Sayevich, Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich & Daniel Veis

BY Susan Cannon

Black as Night

WHEN YOUR PROFESSIONAL DAYS TURN INTO CELEBRATORY NIGHTS OUT, THESE SMART BLACK PIECES WILL FIT THE MOMENT IN STYLE

HANDS ON Shearling cu s and supple leather equal stylish warmth. Gloves, $138, by Carolina Amato. Available at Dear Society (Crossroads).

LE TAILLEUR

is suit by ALC is for the con dant femme. Its jacket needs no underpinning with its deep décolletage and cutout back yet will look equally chic with a lightweight black turtleneck. Pair with its matching tailored pant. Carlyle jacket, $595; Chelsea pant, $395, both by ALC. Available at Clairvaux (Hawthorne Plaza and Fairway Shops).

THE HYBRID

Is it a pump, a Mary Jane—a wedge? Yes, to all, and it’s unmistakably cool with its geometric yet sinuous silhouette de ned by a slanted heel, long toe, and linearity. Brushed leather pumps (from the runway), $1,250, by Prada. Available at Halls (Crown Center).

SOFT CLUTCH

What a handmade lovely thing this mohair bag is, with silk lining, leather-covered frame, 60s vintage chain handle, and a hidden magnetic closure. Susan bag, $620, by Marian Paquette. Available at George-a Lifestyle (Crestwood Shops).

SOFT CLUTCH Store

PERFECTION

Spanish design brand Massimo Dutti has teamed with Zara, o ering elegant outerwear, such as this chic wool/cashmere coat with wide sleeves, self-belt, and attached scarf. Long coat with scarf, $499, by Massimo Dutti. Available at zara.com

BY Susan Cannon

Sage Perspectives

Someone once said, “When you take things for granted, the things you are granted get taken.”

In some ways, this sage remark speaks to the philosophy of both English fashion designer Stella McCartney and creative Renaissance man Richard Christiansen, the owner of Flamingo Estate, located on the hilltops of LA. ey each honor what the natural world provides and make beautiful products while doing the best to take care of the earth, its inhabitants, and animals, along the way.

McCartney, who is a pioneer within the fashion industry of sustainability and cruelty-free practices—going back to the ‘90s in her creative director roles at Chloe to her eponymous fashion brand and collaborations today— holds the same commitments with an eco-conscious approach to her new skincare line, Stella, through shaping a cleaner and more sustainable landscape by working

and $45 Re ll (150ml); Alter-Care Serum, an essential

Full and $110 Re ll (50ml); ReStore Cream, to deeply hydrate and nourish skin’s top layers while supporting it Stella Reset Cleanser, Alter-Care Serum and ReStore Cream.

together and giving back to NGO Wetlands International, as well as sustainable production from bottom to top. e line is comprised of three clean, luxury products: Reset Cleanser, a makeup remover and skin puri er, $60 Full and $45 Re ll (150ml); Alter-Care Serum, an essential concentrate that complements skin to lastingly support its key functions of regeneration and protection, $140 Full and $110 Re ll (50ml); ReStore Cream, to deeply hydrate and nourish skin’s top layers while supporting it to feel repaired. $105 Full and $85 Re ll (50ml). Available exclusively at stellamccartneybeauty.com/us , where you can learn more about her vision and commitments.

Following the theme is the world of Flamingo Estate and its beautiful aesthetic, clean products, vast operation, and philosophy. In essence, its many operations produce not only books, organic pantry items, and fresh produce, but nutrient-dense bath and body products, candles, and gifts all made from the gardens, with self-care as the underlying, pleasurable bene t. Flamingo Estate’s motto is “We are a wolf pack of ardent dreamers ghting for the preservation of Mother Nature’s wildest, most precious gifts.” The Wild Clary Sage Body Wash is brimming in clary sage, blue eucalyptus, and St.-John’s-wort from the garden, and is a morning ritual o ering clarity, cleanliness, and a daily thrill, $40 (16oz); Adriatic Muscatel Sage Candle, which—as with the ritualistic burning of sage— can clear negative energies. It carries the scent of salt breezes from the Adriatic and alleviates stress and promotes a sense of well-being, $45 (8oz); Fridays From the Garden cookbook has over 150 recipes and is ultimately about regenerative farming and what happens when healthy food brings people together, $75 All available at Welwythn (Shops at Prairie Village). For more inspiring information, go to flamingoestate.com and @flamingo_estate .

Wild Clary Sage Body Wash

Adriatic Muscatel Sage Candle

Fridays From the Garden Cookbook

BY Susan Cannon

Adults and Kids, Be Aware

FIRST CALL

EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW about First Call, a nonpro t organization that provides quality resources to individuals, families, and the community to reduce the impact of substance-use disorder.

This month we look into the well-being of adolescents and shine a light on the very real and alarming dangers of street drugs, which are targeting kids and teens directly. It’s a problem that has no discrimination of age, gender, or zip code.

“Illegal, unsafe, fake prescription pills are readily available to everyone to purchase,” says Kansas City pharmacist Linda Cortese. “Social media apps, including popular platforms like Snapchat, make purchasing as easy as ordering a pizza delivery online. Images of the substances are advertised through individual snaps and on ‘stories.’ Dealers also use emojis to advertise what is for sale. To assist parents, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) has issued an emoji drug decoder to help parents know if, or when, their children are texting about illegal drugs. ere is now an increased chance that these illegally manufactured and distributed pills also contain fentanyl, a highly dangerous synthetic opioid similar to morphine, but up to 100 times more potent. An illegal, fake prescription pill laced with fentanyl turns an unknowing buyer into a victim of fentanyl poisoning resulting in death or severe longterm health complications. Reports of fentanylinvolved death rates increased by 56 percent in 2021, according to the CDC,” Cortese says.

Not only has fentanyl been found in some fake opioid prescription pills, but also in other commonly sold pills, such as the addictive, illegal fake Adderall or Xanax pills. It is a

crucial time to be hyper-vigilant in arming kids with these facts. Keep in mind that they may nd pills more appealing because they are cheap, more socially acceptable than meth or heroin, and do not have easy telltale signs such as an alcohol or marijuana smell.

Cortese stresses that people should assume that any pill sold on the street contains fentanyl, no matter how authentic it might look, no matter how dependable the source. Taking a pill laced with fentanyl can be fatal even to someone with a high tolerance for opioids.

“ e adolescent brain is ripe for risk taking, and when it comes to potentially deadly drugs like fentanyl, one impulsive risk can be lethal,” says Chris Sexton, a developmental psychologist and licensed psychotherapist. “Communicating with your child about drug use and other risky behaviors—early and often—is critical. Most parents I speak with report that they have talked to their children about drugs and alcohol, sex, and other di cult topics. However, when I talk to their teens, many have no recollection of these interactions. I think the mistake many of us make as parents is giving a one-time lecture instead of having a series of open-ended conversations.” e last thing we want to do as adults is to elicit a rebellious response from our kids.

Sexton recommends making this topic a conversation in which you wonder aloud together with your kid about how real the risks are, and how nal one mistake can be, rather than delivering a lecture.

Margaux Guignon-Mueller, the director of prevention services at First Call, says that Narcan, which is a medication approved by the FDA, is designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. is includes overdoses due to drugs laced with fentanyl. If you suspect that someone has overdosed, administering Narcan (nose spray) may save that person’s life. If someone is unsure if an overdose was related to opioid use, administering Narcan is still recommended, as it will not do any harm. Anyone who knows someone who uses drugs purchased o the street should have access to Narcan. Carrying and administering Narcan is essential in preventing deaths from overdose.

First Call has a supply of Narcan that is free to community members throughout the Kansas City metro area. People can stop by the First Call o ce to pick up Narcan, or they can call the 24/7 crisis call line and be connected with First Call’s Harm Reduction Specialist, who can arrange to bring the Narcan directly to you.

First Call has a free 24/7 crisis call line, 816-361-5900. To learn more, log onto rstcallkc.org

by Emily Park

New Year, Nutrition Refresh

LISA MARKLEY ON HOW GOOD NUTRITION SUPPORTS BETTER HEALTH

when planning your meals and snacks.

“Research shows that diets lacking in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, but that are high in calories, red meats, processed meats, refined grains, added sugars, fried foods, and trans fats may lead to the development of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, digestive disorders, osteoporosis, and dementia,” she says.

To improve nutrition, Markley suggests adding more plant-centered meals to your diet.

“Plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, are high in health-supportive nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber,” she says. “Every time you make or select a meal, think of ways you can add color to your plate, and shoot for eating a wide variety of colorful, plant-based foods to obtain the complete spectrum of nutrients they provide.”

Another easy way to improve your diet is by cooking more meals at home so that you’re in control of how much salt, sugar, and fat are added to the meal. Plus, you can control your portion sizes.

If you’re looking for ways to be healthier in 2023, nutrition is a great place to start. While food won’t necessarily solve all your problems, proper nutrition can make a huge difference in your overall health.

“Thinking of food as medicine embraces the role of food and dietary choices in optimizing our health and reducing the risk of developing chronic disease,” says Lisa Markley, RDN, the director of culinary medicine for AdventHealth’s Whole Health Institute and a registered dietitian nutritionist. “It recognizes that nutritious foods contain unique substances, such as vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, that play a major role in keeping the body functioning at its best.

USING NUTRITION TO PREVENT COMMON DISEASES

Diet is the highest risk factor for whether we develop a critical disease. Of the top ten causes of death in the U.S., Markley says five—heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes—are significantly influenced by diet.

“When it comes to chronic diseases, diet plays a specific role, not only in reducing the risk of developing the disease, but also in its progression and treatment,” she says. “For example, if a patient comes to me with joint pain and other symptoms of inflammation, and we identify that they are not consuming anti-inflammatory omega-3s, we will discuss ways to prepare cold-water fish like wild salmon or how to practically incorporate walnuts and ground flaxseeds regularly into their diet.”

NUTRITION 101

It can seem overwhelming to totally overhaul your diet. Luckily, Markley has helpful tips about where to start and what aspects to consider

ADVENTHEALTH CAN OFFER THE SUPPORT YOU NEED

If you’re thinking you’ve tried to eat healthier so many times and haven’t been successful, you’re not alone. Markley and her team at AdventHealth have excellent resources to help you reach your nutritional goals, even if you feel stuck.

For more tips about how to improve your overall health, including cooking classes and recipes, visit wholehealthinstitutekc.com to learn more about AdventHealth’s Whole Health Institute.

Markley regularly shares a variety of flavorful, easy-to-make recipes featuring health-supportive ingredients on the site. From a shredded brussels sprouts, citrus, and pomegranate salad to pumpkin spice energy bites and easy weeknight sheet-pan chicken fajitas, there are plenty of new recipes to try. She also leads monthly grocery shopping tours at Cosentino’s Market in south Overland Park.

“Making improvements to diet can help people feel more energetic, achieve and maintain a healthy weight, improve labs, replete nutrient deficiencies, have better-balanced blood sugar levels, ease digestive function, lessen joint pain, improve mental clarity, and more,” Markley says. “Many of these improvements may be noticed within just a week or two of starting to make healthful dietary changes.”

ADVENTHEALTH’S

Lisa Markley, director of culinary medicine for AdventHealth’s Whole Person Institute

Collaborating Against Cancer

As a member of the MD Anderson Cancer Network®, a program of MD Anderson Cancer Center, AdventHealth brings together clinical excellence and whole-person cancer care close to home. Our network of specialists provides access to the latest treatments for common and rare cancers. With leading-edge technology in our hands and compassion in our hearts, we’re moving cancer care forward in Kansas City.

Learn more at CancerCareKC.com.

BY Patricia O’Dell

From Bland to Bam!

THE PAINT COLOR TRENDS FOR 2023

Last year nearly every paint company’s “color of the year” was a shade of green. You can expect a little more jump for 2023.

Ben Moore is rosy with Raspberry Blush, while Sherwin-Williams is making a Redend Point with a hue that in 1984 would have been “mauve.” (I think you may know where I stand on this choice.)

Behr deems Blank Canvas the one to beat, and while I’ll admit

white walls are never my rst choice, this color is dreamy. Vaspar is pitching Gentle Violet. I know there are a lot of purple fans out there, but I can only get on board with two shades—either a deep, deep eggplant that is almost black and this delightful shade, which is soothing and remarkably attering.

Farrow & Ball could not keep themselves to one color, for which they are forgiven because their paint is so lovely. Of the ve I’ll give a shout to Stone Blue. Everyone looks good in blue. You can’t go wrong.

Vaspar

Gentle Violet

Behr

Blank Canvas

Farrow & Ball Stone Blue

Benjamin Moore

Raspberry Blush

Sherwin-Williams

Redend Point

ASSUMING YOUR TROOPS have left the house and things are getting back to normal, you may be clearing things away. Each January I have high hopes that I will enter my minimalist phase, but it’s yet to happen. I yearn for this most in the kitchen, and yet my kitchen counters hold cutting boards, vintage clear-glass canisters (for snacks, not ingredients) and a growing number of houseplants, a passion that I adopted late. I’ve mentioned before that I love the serenity of Convivial Production’s planters, but as I looked to see what could hold my next leafy friend, I was delighted to nd the local ceramic design and manufacturing company’s counter-worthy kitchenware. e spoon rest, salt cellar, utensil crock, oil cruet, and butter keeper (yes, a countertop butter keeper—you’ll never go back) are all available in Stoneware or Raw Stoneware, which get along very well together if you’d rather mix than match. shopconvivial.com

Minimal oil cruet, $86.

Minimal spoon rest, $34.

Minimal butter keeper, $62.

Minimal salt cellar, $38.

Minimal untensil crock, $58.

Wyatt wood dining chair, $199, available at Pottery Barn.

STEAL THE LOOK

Earl’s Premier

BY Patricia O’Dell

IT’S ALL THERE IN BLACK AND WHITE

I’m going to tell you o the bat, I have an interest in Earl’s Premier. To begin, I have a huge crush on the chef. (I do, though Todd Schulte happens to be my husband as well.) Along with our co-owners Jen and Cory Dannehl, we spent a lot of time cleaning and painting and nding our way to make Earl’s just how the crusty old sailor would want it to be. (We only wish he saw it more often.) Mostly, we just tried to stay out of the way of Kansas City legend John O’Brien, who knows his way around restaurant design. I’m not certain anyone really wants their home to look like a New

Roulette Blue Band dinner plate, $12.95, available at Crate & Barrel

Trask pendant, $499, available at rejuvenation.com

Marta double old-fashioned glasses, $17.70 for a set of six, available at CB2.com

England oyster bar, but there are some elements that translate well. e metal-and-wood chairs would be happy in a range of rooms from modern to traditional. While the opaline lights would require some internet hunting, Rejuvenation has new lighting that might t the bill. Tableware is easier. White dishes with a blue band add a jaunty air to the table, and I never tire of the CB2 Marta glasses that we use at Earl’s and at home. e painting behind the bar came from Urban Mining. Todd stalked that painting for months, and I just kept shaking my head. You can see how things worked out. e ceiling and walls are ttingly Sherwin Williams’s Oyster Bar, and the black on the walls here and there is Benjamin Moore’s Obsidian. If you need a sample of either one, one of the four of us is bound to still have some on our clothes that we can show you.

Earl’s Premier

HERE’S TO PEACE, PROSPERITY, AND VIGOR

2023 IS THE YEAR of the rabbit in the Chinese Zodiac. e year of the rabbit is considered a lucky year, though you may feel as if you’re lucky to still be standing after the last three. So, let’s toast to the new year with Sharyn Blond’s charming handembroidered linens, whether you’re shivering from shoveling, or lounging seaside. sharynblondlinens.com

Dark and Stormy cocktail napkin, $45

Palm Treee cocktail napkin, $45

Blue Umbrella cocktail napkin, $52.

Blair’s Martini cocktail napkin, $45

Gretchen Rubin IN CONVERSATION WITH

words by Cindy Hoedel photo by Austin Walsh

Clerking for US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor gave Kansas City native Gretchen Rubin an insight into happiness: The secret, for O’Connor anyway, was “work worth doing.”

That revelation set Rubin on an unlikely path for a hardworking graduate of Sunset Hill High School, Yale, and Yale Law School. She immersed herself in researching human nature and intellectual development, driven by a central question: Could people change if they wanted to, and how?

Rubin’s studies culminated in The Happiness Project, a humorous and deeply personal account of Rubin taking one year to work hard at having more fun. The book, which came out in 2009, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has sold 3.5 million copies worldwide.

She has since written several more books, launched the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast, and built a website, gretchenrubin.com, that’s loaded with free resources for increasing happiness, including a personality quiz she developed.

Rubin, who grew up in the Sunset Hill neighborhood, enjoys returning to Kansas City as frequently as possible. She lives on the Upper East Side of New York City with her husband and their daughters, 23 and 17.

In a lively and upbeat telephone call from her home, Rubin talked with IN Kansas City about why seeking happiness is not selfish, seven categories of clutter, and her personal resolution for 2023.

Why do

most

of us fail at New Year’s resolutions?

I think a big reason is that people set up a resolution in a way that’s not right for them. Like, they see what works really well for somebody else

and they think, “Well, if my sister-in-law can get up early and go for a run, then that should work for me.” Or “Everybody tells me I should sign up for a class every week, and I don’t understand why that just rubs me the wrong way and I never want to go.”

I think the key thing is to say, “Well, what kind of person am I? When have I succeeded in the past? Is there something I can learn from things that worked well?” And if something hasn’t worked, maybe think, “Can I achieve the same aim in a different way?”

So, if I think, “I want to spend more time with friends,” but having a standing dinner isn’t working because it’s too much logistics, maybe there’s a different way to connect with friends. Sometimes we think, “I failed, there’s something wrong with me,” instead of saying, “that didn’t work, let me try it a different way.”

What do you say to people who believe that happiness is a frivolous or selfish pursuit?

That is a big concern. People think, yeah, that happy people are complacent or just thinking about their own pleasure all the time. But, in fact, research shows that happier people are more interested in the problems of people around them, and they are more interested in the problems of the world. [Happy people] vote more, they volunteer more, they’re more likely to help out if a family member or a friend or a colleague needs a hand.

When people are unhappy they can become defensive and isolated, and they’re preoccupied with their own problems. When we are happier it gives us the emotional wherewithal to turn outward.

In The Happiness Project, you identify seven types of clutter,

which in addition to being hilarious, is useful, because understanding why we are hanging onto this thing we don’t need seems like a key precondition to being able to toss it. Will you please give us an example from your own life of each type of clutter, which I’ll list:

First: nostalgic clutter, or relics from your earlier life. My grandmother’s china set and the tennis racket I used in high school.

Conservation clutter, things that are useful, but you don’t actually use them.

Glass jars.

Bargain clutter, things you don’t use that you got for a good price.

A giant fish platter.

Freebie clutter. Conference swag and tote bags.

Crutch clutter, things you use but you know you shouldn’t. My horrible sweatshirt that I love, but it is ratty, and I need to move on to a better one.

Aspirational clutter, things you don’t use but you would like to be the kind of person who does.

Linen cocktail napkins and a yoga mat.

Buyer’s remorse clutter, things you spent too much on, so you need to keep them until you get use out of them. A pair of expensive shoes that just don’t fit.

In The Happiness Project you explain a paradox: People think if they clean out their closets and get rid of stuff they don’t wear, they will feel like they don’t have enough, but the opposite is true. When everything in there is stuff you use, it feels like more than before.

Yes! It’s the most surprising thing, and I hear people say that over and over. People say, “I have so much more to wear now.”

Because the stuff you like is not buried by stuff you don’t wear.

Right! It’s a universal experience.

In your book you frequently reference what you call your gold-star tendency, that is, feeling driven to excel and to be rewarded. What is your best advice for people with that disposition?

Wanting approval from others within limits can be positive. But it can make you very needy and demanding. We need to have the self-awareness to know just how much that need for approval is driving our behavior. I would do things in order to get a gold star, and then if I didn’t get the gold star, I would feel incredibly resentful. So instead, I started telling myself, “I’m doing this for me.”

Can you give an example?

Sure. Instead of cleaning the kitchen, thinking, “My husband will be so pleased with this,” which sets up me getting really angry if he doesn’t notice, I’ll say, “I would really love to see everything in this kitchen cleaned up and put away, so I’m doing this to suit myself.” That sounds more selfish, but it really means I’m not expecting him to give me a standing ovation. I’m not being needy.

And it puts you in charge of your own happiness. Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Your younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, who co-hosts your “Happier” podcast, has noted the irony of your “dogged, system-

The Happiness Project covers a year of Gretchen Rubin’s pursuit of what she wants to obtain from life: happiness.

atic” approach to increasing happiness. Have you found that Type A and Type B personalities need different strategies to become happier?

One hundred percent. I don’t use Type A and Type B—I have what I call the Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. It’s very easy to assume that “What’s true for me is true for everyone,” and “If something works for me, it should work for other people,” and “If something doesn’t work for me, it shouldn’t work for other people.” This is a huge mistake, because it means we’re constantly steering each other in the wrong direction.

For example, I’m a morning person, and I used to think everybody’s at their freshest and finds their highest focus in the morning, and that’s just not true. Thirty percent of people are night people.

Even little things—like, I’m a desk person. Every room in our house except the bath has a desk. But neither of my daughters uses desks. They don’t sit at a desk and work. I used to badger them, “Go sit at your desk!” I need to sit at a desk, but they don’t. So why am I nagging them about it? Who cares?

The number one resolution people say makes them happier is to make their bed every morning, but there are some people that are like, “There’s no way I’m making my bed when I get up. That’s a dumb use of time. I make it every night.” Fine. We’re all different.

When you were designing the Happier app, how did you address the tension between people that want an app to optimize every aspect of their lives and studies that show people who spend less time with devices tend to be happier?

Technology can be amazing and freeing and creative and terrific, and it can also really bring us down. I think it depends what people are using devices for. Using the Happier app is not a big time suck. It’s not like YouTube or CandyCrush where people can spend a lot of time on it. You get it, you do it, and you get out. It’s efficient. That said, some people prefer a paper journal because they find that more satisfying.

But yeah, like, there’s an app that randomly chimes throughout the day to remind you to be mindful, and nothing would make me feel less calm and mindful than my phone randomly beeping at odd times. So, you always want to be thinking, “Is this tool working for me or not working for me?”

As a native Kansas Citian and longtime New York resident, have you observed differences in the relative happiness of New Yorkers and Kansas Citians?

I think it’s so much more individual than it is city by city.

What are some things about New York that you can tap into that increase your happiness and then the same for Kansas City?

I’ve thought about that a lot. One thing I love in New York that I can’t

get as much of in Kansas City is public transportation. I do not like to drive, and I love the fact that I do not have to drive.

I love the density of [New York]—you can walk five blocks and you’re in a completely different sort of biome. There’s so much to see, and I like that kind of intensity, which is exactly what some people do not like about New York.

Kansas City is the most livable city. Anything you want to do, there’s just not that much hassle. And it is so beautiful. I think of Loose Park or

‘‘

Kansas City is the most livable city. Anything you want to do, there’s just not that much hassle. And it is so beautiful.

”walking through the Plaza, walking on the grounds of the Nelson-Atkins and the big, heavy architecture of the houses, which I really like. It’s just a pleasant place to be. And there’s Winstead’s!

Then there’s the barbecue situation. My husband would argue that there’s good barbecue in New York City. . .

Nah.

There certainly isn’t the outstanding barbecue that Kansas Citians demand.

What’s one small change you would like to make in your life in 2023 that you think will make you happier?

I want to make sure that I spend quality time outside each day. A couple of years ago I started going to the Metropolitan Museum every day, which has been this amazing thing, but that meant I spent less time in Central Park. Now I’m like, I really love the Met, but I need to up my game in terms of being out in nature.

Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

Head-to-Toe Specialists the

KANSAS CITY’S SPAS MAKE IT YOUR YEAR TO SHINE

words by Katie Van Luchene

If “self-care”—as in rejuvenating, repairing, and renewing your face and body—is at the top of your New Year’s resolutions, no one can blame you. Let’s face it—pun intended—it’s been a tough couple of years, what with mask wearing (maskne is a real thing) and Zoom calls that reveal sags and wrinkles you hadn’t noticed before. And now that we’re back to in-person events, there’s no hiding behind filters and photo editing apps (guilty) that elicit “you never age!” comments on your Instagram page.

Lucky for you, Kansas City has a wealth of spas and medical facilities that offer the latest procedures necessary to tuck, trim, and smooth every inch of your body. Ask a friend with flawless skin, an enviable profile, or trim waistline for his or her secret, and chances are you’ll learn the name of a favorite aesthetician or doctor. That—along with hours of online sleuthing—is how we came up with 14 local wonder workers.

More good news: most of these spas have a full toolbox of the most advanced treatments, using injectables to smooth wrinkles and reverse lost volume, lasers to treat uneven skin tone, and radio-frequency energy (with or without microneedling) to not just tighten tissue but also encourage collagen so results get better over time. This robust array of options means you can visit one of these centers for one procedure or let them create a personalized plan for the next several months or years.

We’ll start with the basics—non-invasive procedures that allow you to return to your normal day immediately, to those that require a few days of downtime. And finally, we’ll cover the plastic surgery side of rejuvenation when minor tweaks are no longer enough.

Let’s Get Glowing

Nearly every spa offers facial massages and dermaplaning to whisk off fine facial hairs for smoother skin that absorbs skincare treatments more easily.

But Hand & Land sets itself apart starting with its location: the historic Luzier Building on Gillham designed by Kansas City architect Nelle Peters in 1928. Inside—along with a wide variety of organic face and body treatments and essential oils—is a refilling station to decrease waste. Stay for an enzymatic glow mask, then leave with incense sticks that impart a relaxing, smoky aroma. The spa side also offers acupuncture, cupping, and an infrared sauna.

Meanwhile, the Facial Bar in Columbus Park with a fun boho vibe and a new Olathe location, promises “happy skin in 30 minutes.” The Bar Power Facial includes a luxurious massage with exfoliation for a clear, clean, and smooth visage. And here’s where to get a Lash Lift, a treatment that fans out and curls your natural lashes for more volume and length.

Beyond Botox

Consider neurotoxins, including Botox and Dysport, the entry level to cosmetic treatments. These injectables smooth lines between eyebrows, the forehead, and around the mouth. Most aestheticians recommend starting treatment sooner rather than later before those wrinkles have a chance to deepen. But there’s been a downside to Botox—it doesn’t last, meaning another trip to the spa every three to five months.

However, there’s a new smoother in town—Daxxify—and Georgous Aesthetic Bar on the Country Club Plaza was the first—and one of only a few—to offer it locally. The key differentiator is its staying power: Daxxify can sustain for six months and has worked up to nine months for some patients, saving you time and money.

Other big news at Georgous is Juvederm Volux, the first FDA-approved filler specifically for the jawline. Volux has more structure than other fillers, making it ideal to treat a recessed chin or create a more chiseled jawline.

Luminare Aesthetics and Wellness in Blue Springs offers another alternative to Botox. Xeomin has fewer side effects and is less expensive than Botox, yet is FDA-approved. Another exciting treatment is the HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) Skin Sheek Lift. This “lunch hour lift” tightens and contours skin and targets fat.

Say “See Ya” to Cellulite and Sagging Skin

AesthetiCare, with locations in Leawood and Liberty, has 37 (and counting) FDA-approved, state-of-the-art procedures to address facial and body rejuvenation goals. For instance, the spa is able to treat cellulite, just in time for that cruise or beach vacation. Cellfina uses micro-blades to sever the connective bands that create puckering and dimples; studies show no recurrence even after three years. And AesthetiCare’s Sculptra Butt Lift kick-starts collagen growth to add volume and shape to the derriere. Using a combo of treatments can provide a better, ahem, bottom line.

AesthetiCare’s Age Jet Advanced Plasma Skin Therapy is an FDA-approved skin-resurfacing procedure that treats fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars and skin laxity, and is the only treatment safe for both upper and lower eyelids.

Rajeunir Medical Spa, with three local locations and one in Springfield, uses CoolSculpting to blast stubborn fat without surgery, lasers, or suction. Safe to use on the neck area, abdomen, flanks, or thighs, patients can see immediate results with optimum slimming in a few months. Spencer Eagen, the medical spa’s board-certified plastic surgeon, performs breast augmentation or reduction and body contouring, among other procedures.

Remarkable Results Without Surgery

At aNu Aesthetics & Optimal Wellness, aestheticians on the med spa side can rejuvenate your face and body with procedures that contour, firm, and smooth skin. But aNu also offers nontraditional treatments to deal with chronic disease and mood disorders, including anxiety and depression. The clinic is the only one to offer Reikin™, which combines intra-muscle (IV) ketamine therapy with Reiki, a form of Eastern medicine known to work on a deep energy level. Sessions take up to three hours.

The Wellness Center at aNu also helps the body to heal itself with regenerative treatments, such as IV and injections, that enhance immunity and vitality, including its popular Turbo Shot, which has B12 to boost energy.

Sunlighten Day Spa’s infrared sauna treatments detoxify, rejuvenate skin, aid in weight loss and pain relief, and help reduce blood pressure. These are just a few of the benefits. In fact, the far-red version is known as a “passive cardio workout” while relaxing. Sunlighten also provides cupping therapy, lymphatic massage, and is one of the only licensed spas in town to offer Theragun, a deep-tissue repercussive therapy for stubborn muscle knots. And for the height in luxury, indulge in a rose-petal foot soak, which is complimentary with most services.

If you follow celebs like Kim Kardashian and Eva Longoria, you may have heard of the nearly miraculous results Morpheus8 has on firming tissue on the face and neck and shrinking and tightening areas of the body, including the abdomen (Kardashian’s secret), flanks, thighs, and underarms. The procedure uses state-of-the-art radiofrequency energy with 24 silicone-coated needles beneath the surface of the skin into superficial fat. Mirabile M.D. Beauty, Health and Wellness is one of the first medical spas to bring Morpheus8 to Kansas City and has a unique advantage over other providers. It’s the only spa that can treat at a heat-level depth of 8mm, meaning it can tighten tissue more effectively while stimulating collagen production.

Can you defy gravity on your face and neck without going under the knife? The answer is yes at Hollyday Med Spa and Aesthetics. Hollyday performs PDO Thread Lifts to reposition tissue using sutures placed under the skin that lift and tighten the area for immediate improvements in the areas around the cheekbones and jowls and soften lines around the mouth. The sutures, which eventually dissolve, help stimulate collagen for long-lasting rejuvenation. The med spa on Gregory Avenue recently added an Injection Studio in Prairie Village, which, along with treating individuals, hosts Botox parties for groups.

If you think, “I want glowing, firm skin like that,” you might be talking about the medical director at Plaza Aesthetics & Wellness, Amber Botros, a physician who also happens to be a Kansas City Fashion Week runway model. One of the center’s standout treatments is the HALO Laser, a non-ablative alternative to typical lasers that results in less downtime—days instead of weeks. The new Plaza location also offers Bodytite, which liquifies and removes fat while contracting the skin. One benefit is that multiple areas can be treated together.

When Surgery is the Only Solution

The latest versions of anti-aging treatments can halt the effects of time up to a point. But at some point, men and women seek the care of Kansas City’s list of reputable, board-certified plastic surgeons who can treat lax skin and loss of volume in the face and resculpt and contour areas of the body.

At Monarch Plastic Surgery, a mini-facelift addresses sagging skin, wrinkles, and jowls on the lower face, the area that can make a person look older than they feel. Using shorter incisions that are well-hidden in natural creases around the ears and hairline, this procedure—done under local anesthesia—results in minimal bruising and swelling. The patient can usually return to normal activities in just three to seven days. Monarch surgeons can also perform a brachioplasty, which removes excess fat and skin on the underside of the arms.

Its non-surgical side offers anti-aging procedures, including Botox, facial fillers, and Renuvion, a treatment that targets loose skin and fat around the abdomen, neck, flanks, and neck.

Associated Plastic Surgeons has built a 30-year reputation of trust in Kansas City with five board-certified doctors who can take years off your face with lower or upper eye surgery (or both), a brow lift, or full face lift. Rhinoplasty can improve your profile.

Body-contour options include a tummy tuck and breast reconstruction, including breast reduction for men. Surgery can be used in conjunction with non-invasive treatments, including CoolSculpting and liposuction. The medical spa side can provide rejuvenating treatments, including fillers, laser hair removal, and lasers to address sun damage.

Hannah Vargas, a board-certified surgeon with Vargas Face and Skin Center, has been featured in Lucky magazine and the Goop Guide to cosmetic surgeons (the only Kansas City doctor on the list). Thanks to the full array of services offered, the clinic can use surgical and non-surgical procedures to improve the jawline and troublesome neck area. A neck lift, PDO threads, liposuction, and microneedling with RF laser are a few of the options to use individually or in combination over time.

Vargas also offers Bellafill, a new FDA-approved dermal filler that lasts five years. It’s an ideal treatment for smile lines and deep acne scars.

The clinic also addresses hair loss with transplants and iGrow laser light therapy, which stimulates cellular activity to regrow hair over time.

Closets Curated

words by Patricia O’Dell photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

hen David Br inkerhoff and Dan Meiners bought their current home, they had the space they needed but not exactly where they needed it.

“The closet was functional,” Meiners says. “It was a basic white box that had what the previous owners referred to as ‘winter closet’ in the back.”

But the men felt that they could create a closet that would help them live better. Using the winter closet and half of the adjacent wine cellar—which was designed to hold 5,000 bottles—they reimagined the

space to provide pleasing form and function. In addition, they had a clear idea of what they wanted from a design perspective.

“Dave and I drew what we wanted on a napkin. We had this idea of a dark ’60s look,” Meiners says.

Despite their sophisticated aesthetic, they approached the design process with some clear parameters.

“We both like beautiful spaces,” he says. “But we’re not the type of people to come home and put everything on matching wood hangers. So, enclosing the hanging and storage space made sense for us.”

Ryan Comment, owner of Bootlace Design & Build, built the clos-

ets and cabinets and installed the custom glass. In addition to collaborating on the major design decisions, the couple asked him to build stylish boxes with outlets to put on the counter where they can charge their phones and iPads at night.

Did they ever wonder if all this attention to detail would matter if no one else saw it?

“Just like anyone else who renovates a house, when people come over, we end up giving a tour,” Meiners says. “It’s such a comfortable space. It’s not strange for us to end up back there with our cocktails.”

The couple has decided to embrace the room’s appeal.

“During one party we set up the bar in the office, which is next to the closet. It ended up being a very popular space.”

THE IT LIST

Millwork: Bootlace Design & Build | bootlacedesignbuild.com

Designer Kurt Knapstein has a knack for seeing the potential in old houses that have been wellloved but have not had the advantage of a renovation. While he is respectful of the architecture, grounds, and neighborhood, he coaxes modern conveniences from classic forms.

This is certainly true of his renovation of a classic Tudor in Brookside. His landscaping, while new, appears established. The original woodwork in the entry confirms the home’s era, but Knapstein introduced new elements that are key to modern living.

Gone are the existing closets. Knapstein repurposed space to create a closet that holds generous wardrobes for two.

Cortney and Jimmy Edwards bought the lovingly renovated home from Knapstein in July of 2022.

“We were drawn to the stunning workmanship, design, and attention to detail,” Cortney Edwards says. “It was an old home, but new in every modern way. And it was tastefully done for a house that was built in 1935.”

The primary closet was no exception. “Jimmy’s first reaction was the best. When he saw it was, ‘Am I in Tom Ford?’”

Upholstered doors with nailhead trim and brass melon-shaped knobs make coming home to shed the day a delight. Wall-to-wall carpet ensures that bare feet never touch cold floors and the wall of mirror between the closets provides a view from every angle. There’s no question the couple was delighted with the storage space, but the light may be a favorite feature.

“Natural light makes it feel like a room, not a closet,” Edwards says. “We feel comfortable spending time in there even when it’s to work on the never-ending cycle of laundry!”

Speaking of light, the fixture on the ceiling set against red snakeskin wallpaper is her favorite detail.

“It’s so unexpected and sexy,” she says.

THE IT LIST

Interior Design: Knapstein Design | knapsteindesign.com

Closet Essentials

Bamboo-handle tray, $132, available at Jorjy (Brookside Shops).

Leather storage baskets, $265 for two baskets, available at Nebraska Furniture Mart, nfm.com

Leather storage baskets, $265 for two

Sporta laundry basket by Oyoy Living Designs, $152, available at Golden & Pine (Prairie Village Shops).

Norm Architect’s oval wall mirror, $570, available at Kanso (Crossroads).

Brass accessory stands, $22 for small and $26 for large, available at Golden & Pine

COMING SOON!

THE MOST ANTICIPATED RESTAURANT AND BAR OPENINGS OF 2023

words by Jenny Vergara

This year, small is the new big, as restaurant and bar owners are opening tiny spaces that they hope will cost less but earn more. The smaller the space, the more personal the experience is for both the restaurant and the guest. The stories behind some of these new locations feels tied to a more emotional place than ever before, as chefs and bartenders are taking nothing for granted after what they have been though with the pandemic. Many are looking for opportunities for connection by creating culinary experiences that encourage one-on-one interaction either between guests or between the guest and the chef, bartender, or service professional.

This desire to get personal has also extended into a restaurant’s relationship with their employees. As labor continues to be a pain point, many restaurants are finally realizing the necessity of offering

fair wages, health insurance, and paid time off and are building those things into their models the best they can. Some are even starting to form worker-owned cooperatives that allow every employee a say in how the business is run.

We are seeing experienced restaurant and bar owners stepping up to open their first, second, or even third concepts this year, sometimes at practically the same time, which can be attributed to delays in construction and materials, another hangover from the pandemic.

With the continued rise in popularity of low alcohol by volume (ABV) and no alcohol mocktails, bartenders are changing their menus to cater to the demands of the drinking public, and the passing of recreational marijuana in Missouri last November may also play a role in how much or little alcohol remains the social “high” of choice moving forward.

Noka Early 2023

334 East 31 Street, Kansas City, MO

While Amante Domingo was working on the buildout of Tailleur for his former business partner, Heather White, his dad died. Still shook from the loss a year later, the chef began to wonder if he had something else in him, something more he wanted to do with food. He began thinking about opening a restaurant to honor his dad, who worked as a farmer. Noka, which is the Japanese word for “farmer,” is that homage. Domingo describes it as a Japanese farmhouse restaurant, which will serve elegant, minimalist, small plates with a nod to Asia. The fine-dining restaurant is opening in the former Bond Fried Chicken space on the corner of 31st and Oak Street, across from the new Made in KC headquarters. Although the space needed a lot of work, he started by taking down the 150-year-old barn from his father’s farm to use the wood inside the restaurant. He describes the décor as having a “wabi-sabi” esthetic, meaning rustic simplicity with an understated elegance that is perfectly imperfect. The space has three large communal tables and a ten-seat chef’s table looking into the kitchen. He has installed Japanese binchotan charcoal grills so he will be cooking over live fire here, as he does at his other restaurant, The Russell. As someone who is half Filipino, Domingo started his culinary career cooking at a Japanese restaurant, so this cuisine is familiar to him, but he sees this menu as his own personal expression of that cuisine. Noka will enjoy a solid bar and cocktail program, with a more casual bar menu offering tempura-battered corn dogs with kimchi and an A5 Japanese Wagyu beef ramen served with a soft egg. Assisting in the kitchen is Mark Dandurand, the former executive chef at Canary, who has come on board to develop the menu with Domingo. The Japanese farmhouse menu at Noka is one that I look forward to connecting with personally during the cold dark months of the New Year.

Wild Child February

2023

11022 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS

Located on the corner of Johnson Drive and Nieman Road and sitting between the fantastic craft cocktail bar Drastic Measures and the long-awaited Friction Brewing will be Wild Child, a new natural wine bar serving a bit of food and a stellar selection of “noes and lows”—or no alcohol and low ABV house-made wines and cocktails. This is the second project for co-owners Jay Sanders and Derick and Shelley Shackelford, who saw a need in the drink landscape of downtown Shawnee and decided to fill it in the spot that once held a small shoe repair shop. At around 1,000-square-feet, Wild Child is a little smaller than Drastic Measures, but will feel much different with lots of windows and plenty of natural light. Expect to see lush green plants, modern furniture, and plenty of natural fabrics and texture in the space. Primarily a natural wine bar, Wild Child will also serve a selection of beer and cider and five classic cocktails, in addition to a large variety of non-alcohol and low ABV drinks that Sanders plans to make in-house using favorite cocktail flavors and low ABV wines for carbonation. Jeff Workman, former executive sous chef at Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, will be designing the snacks menu here. All of that adds up to a night out with this Wild Child will be in order come February. wildchildkc.com

Small Axe & Afi January 2023

1989 Main Street, Kansas City, MO Chef Howard Hanna and Kyle Gardner started Manaia Collective two years ago when they closed The Rieger, with plans to open two restaurants side by side in the Crossroads Arts District last year. With construction delays they lost a year, but now they are back on track heading into 2023 with their diner, Small Axe, nearing completion, Hanna says they will likely be ready to open it in early January. Their bright and buzzy space will use farm-fresh ingredients to create simple-yet-comforting meals for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Next door will be Afi, and that will take a little longer, but should open late January or early February as a tiny natural “wine bar with a world view.” Featuring dark walls, natural wood, and rattan accents, this spot will have a continental feel. The restaurant will feature a live-fire, open-hearth kitchen with culinary dishes and a natural wine list that matches its eclectic food from around the globe. Their business model for both spaces functions as a worker-owned cooperative that will allow the employees to have the option to share ownership in the business and participate in the dayto-day business decisions. Power to the people. manaiacollective.com

Small Axe tuna melt.

2000 Vine January 2023

2000 Vine Street, Kansas City, MO

Kansas City’s first public works building located at 2000 Vine Street tickles one’s architectural imagination on sight, even after being left abandoned for decades in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. Within its strong gray stone walls and soaring arches, you’ll find a collection of six complementary businesses that has come together to not only rebuild this handsome historic building, but also expand the cultural corridor of Kansas City’s most famous street. As early as this month, you will find good food and drink inside two different spots at 2000 Vine. Shanita McAfee Bryant will launch her non-profit, The Prospect, a new restaurant and market, and Vine Street Brewing, Kansas City’s first Black-owned brewery, will start serving up cold beer, conversation, and community in equal measure. Vine Street Brewing was started by local beer enthusiast, rapper and jazz performer, Kemet Coleman, along with two local beer brewers, Woodie Bonds and Elliot Ivory, and the partners have been keeping busy, brewing their beer off-site as their new brewery and tasting room comes together. The Prospect is McAfee Bryant’s social enterprise that supports individuals of disenfranchised communities with nutritional education, kitchen culinary training, and culinary entrepreneurship support, and as part of that program they will run a restaurant and market that will be open to the public. Two great

things that will taste even better together. Looking forward to supporting these business owners and their individual community-building missions. theprospectkc.org, vinestbrewing.com, 2000vine.com

Vintage ’78 Wine Bar January 2023

7251 W 80th Street, Overland Park, KS

By the end of January, there will be a stylish new spot to pop a cork in downtown Overland Park. Vintage ’78 Wine Bar, from local hospitality veterans Michael Scherzberg and Megan Downes, will open in the retail space beneath The Vue apartments offering a stellar selection you can explore in a sleek and stylish lounge-like environment. Collecting wines from some of the most interesting and exciting winemakers around the world, they encourage sampling by selling wines by the ounce, half glass, full glass, or bottle, along with the perfect cheese or charcuterie plate. Weekends will feature a larger food menu with a few appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts to keep people swirling, sniffing, and sipping all night long. With plans to offer creative wine flights and vertical tastings, along with meet the winemaker nights and wine-tasting classes, Vintage ’78 promises to be an approachable spot with friendly service ready to help you discover a favorite new grape in your glass. vintage78winebar.com

Brewer’s Corner January 2023

3105 Gillham Street, Kansas City, MO

Chris Riggins had always admired the 4,000-square-foot space next door to his beer-centric burger joint, Brewer’s Kitchen, located only a few blocks away from Martini Corner near 31st Street. When his next-door neighbor to the north told him in January 2022 that they were closing their antique store, The Gathering Spot, he wasted no time in securing it. He announced in fall 2022 his plans to open Brewer’s Corner, a casual new beer bar next door, which he hopes to have open this month. As for drink offerings at Brewer’s Corner, look for all local beers and spirits with an expanded beer list and more regional offerings. Guests of Brewer’s Corner will be able to order a beer at the bar, then use a QR code on their table to order and pay for food from Brewer’s Kitchen next door. Brewer’s Kitchen marinates their ground beef in beer for their burgers, so they can’t offer any gluten-free and very few vegan options. His guests are now free to visit his neighbor, The Fixx, and bring in their own gluten-free or vegan options to enjoy at his new bar. Using a comfortable combination of couches and tables and chairs around the space, Riggins hopes his new “third space” will draw its own fans, from those looking to have a meeting, get some work done, or just grab a drink with friends.

courtyard, then moving through to the intimate bar, lounge, and wine room—complete with fireplace—until finally being shown to the dining room, which will have a 12-seat horseshoe-shaped marble bar with the kitchen behind it. Every seat will be at the chef’s table. The dining experience will allow the couple more control over the costs, labor, and flow needed to create a bespoke dining experience for only 12 people each night. The new restaurant will be open for dinner Wednesdays through Sundays only, with Wednesday night dinners featuring a shorter four-course dinner around a theme, and the more popular weekend nights will feature up to 12 courses. They say you can’t go home again, but you can build a new home in a new location that may be even better than the original. drugstorerestaurant.com

Drugstore squash fritters

Justus Drugstore Spring 2023

Hyde Park Neighborhood, Kansas City, MO

As news of the new Justus Drugstore restaurant by James Beard-nominated chef Jonathan Justus and his business partner and wife, Camille Eklof, continues to trickle out, opening this spring in a yet-to-be-disclosed location in historic Hyde Park, one can’t help but get excited to visit the 2.0 reboot. The restaurant model is different from the original. It will feature a prix fixe, multi-course menu that moves guests through the restaurant, beginning with appetizers and wine in the outdoor

Bacaro Primo Spring 2023

323 E. 55th Street, Kansas City, MO

It’s been smooth sailing for Todd Schulte, Cory Dannehl, and their partners, since opening their first restaurant together, Earl’s Premier, in Brookside. The two have seen firsthand how a small restaurant on a good block run by top-notch talent serving great food and drink can quickly build a loyal following. Standing inside the former Café Europa space in the Crestwood Shops earlier this year, they realized they were ready to open their next restaurant, and this one was going to speak Italian. Bacaro Primo, a casual Italian restaurant and bar, will open sometime this spring. They like the program at Earl’s in terms of casualness, size, and offerings, so they plan to open Bacaro Primo (See the fun they are having using words that mean “first” in the name of both of their concepts?) with about the same number of seats, serving lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Named after the famous ancient Venetian taverns known as “bacari,” which comes from Bacchus, the god of wine, these little wine bars are used as a place to mingle over

Justus

plates of food and a glass or two of wine. Along those lines, wine and cocktails will be a big part of the fresh, approachable Italian-influenced menu, along with a limited beer selection.

Pennway Point TBD 2023 2435 Jefferson Street, Kansas City, MO

With parking under the I-35 viaduct approved by the city, construction is already underway on Pennway Point, the proposed family entertainment district that will put a 170-foot-tall Ferris wheel with all-weather heated gondolas right beside I-35, before the Southwest Boulevard and West Pennway exit. Located just a few blocks from Union Station, Crown Center, and the World War I Museum and Memorial, this family entertainment park will include restaurants and bars in addition to the Ferris wheel, an outdoor “tailgate” park with yard games, and a permanent home for the LUMI neon museum curated by Nick Vedros. The 100-year-old former Carter Waters building will open as a mixed-use space with a restaurant and a rooftop patio. There is talk of a future phase that would include constructing a 28,000-square-foot building with both residential and retail and renovating an existing 1908 brick depot building to include a brewery with covered beer garden and a stage for live music. They are estimating the first phase of Pennway Point could open as early as 2023, so just keep your eyes peeled for that Ferris wheel.

Green Dirt Farm Café Summer 2023

1601 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO

Country comes to town! Sarah Hoffman will open Green Dirt Café in downtown Kansas City sometime this summer offering her award-winning sheep’s milk and blended cheeses, along with a proper food and drink menu and views from her rooftop patio. Hoffman opened Green Dirt Farm Creamery in 2016 in Weston, Missouri, where she also has her farm and has had much success there selling sandwiches and cheese boards featuring her hard, soft, and fresh sheep’s-milk and blended-milk cheeses, which continue to win international awards for their flavor and texture. The existing two-story red brick 14,000-square-foot building at 16th and Oak will include a café with a larger kitchen overseen by executive chef Oskar Arevalo, currently Green Dirt’s head cheese maker, with room for 65 to dine on the first floor. greendirtfarm.com

Sagebrush Spring 2023

1639

Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, KS

If Christopher Ciesiel and Cristin Llewellyn were inspired to make their first craft cocktail bar and restaurant, The Campground, make us feel like we were drinking on the forest floor, their next concept will take us to the Southwestern high desert. Sagebrush will open in Kansas City, Kansas, this summer, sharing an outdoor patio and greenhouse with Foxtrot and Garden House, which are located next door. The couple promises the space will feel bright, arid, and textured, but still well-suited for evening drinks with friends. They were presented with an opportunity to collaborate with their friends Emily and Jordan Fox (owners of Foxtrot and Garden House) to open a warm and welcoming neighborhood cocktail joint. Their new space will be about half the size of The Campground, serving all draft cocktails for ease, speed, and consistency with just a few made-to-order drinks. They will also offer several non-alcoholic options, including a frozen cocktail that can be spiked with an associated shot. Food will be limited to a small bar-snack menu.

Bob Wasabi Kitchen TBD 2023

As much as we may miss the fresh fish and sushi selections from Bob Wasabi Kitchen, we equally miss seeing owner Bob Shin and his two daughters, Tanya and Esther. It has been a year and a half since the Shin family was asked to vacate their original restaurant space on West 39th Street by the owners of the building. At that time, the family thought they had secured their next space, but when those negotiations fell through, they began what has been an ongoing hunt for an affordable location. With commercial rent now three to four times higher than what they were paying on 39th Street, they would like to buy a former mom-and-pop restaurant. They have been all but priced out of many locations they were considering, such as Johnson Drive, Prairie Village, North Leawood, or along Broadway in the Valentine neighborhood. They hope to have better luck this year finding just the right spot. Fingers crossed that 2023 sees the return of the Shin family and their food to Kansas City’s culinary landscape. No one would like to see that happen more than they would.

Green Dirt Farm tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich

Bob Wasabi sushi.

In the Kitchen RESOURCEFULNESS

BY Cody Hogan PHOTOS BY Aaron Leimkuehler

New year, new you? Too many—-or no—resolutions?

How about a simple one—reduce food waste by being a little more creative and exible in the kitchen. And one of the best ways to reduce waste (and save money) is to use up all the leftovers that collect in the fridge. I call it the refrigerator game, and one of my favorite techniques to use up odds and ends around the kitchen is to stu vegetables, turning uneaten bits into fresh, new, and attractive fare.

As inspiration, leftovers provide a jumping o point for your next meal. In fact, I am at my most creative when I have parameters in which to work. My generally overstocked pantry (due in part to the In Your Pantry column I write every month) can present so many options that I am overwhelmed deciding what to cook—a luxury, I realize. But a glance in the fridge, taking note of what needs to be used so it doesn’t go to waste, or a glance at the pantry shelves to see what’s been sitting there for a little longer than it probably should, can usually nudge me in

a direction I hadn’t previously considered.

It probably doesn’t need to be said, but spoiled and decaying foodstu s can never be made into something delicious and wholesome. In fact, decaying food can become toxic, so if it looks bad, smells bad, or has a furry little coat or shimmers with unappealing colors, send it to the compost bin immediately. On the other hand, wilted lettuce, slightly shriveled produce or herbs, leftover toasted bread or rice (that hasn’t been time and temperature abused), these are foods that can have a second chance at useful life. e rice, leftover from testing for this month’s Pantry column, and a basket of red onions sitting near the stove and showing hints of new growth, provided the inspiration for the following recipe.

Smoky Rice-Stuffed Onions

ere are many traditions for stu ng onions, each with its own rules, but for mine, you can use any type or size of onion, although I pre-

fer to use sweet or red onions of medium to large size. Begin by cutting the two onions from top to root through the root, leaving the skin on the outside of the onion. Heat a grill, grill pan, or cast-iron skillet to high. Lightly oil the cut side of the onions, sprinkling generously with salt and pepper. Place them cut side down on the grill or skillet and leave untouched until they have dark, well-de ned black grill marks or a sear from the skillet. is should take around ten minutes. Turn the onions over so that the rounded side cooks for an equal amount of time and the onions become more tender and their piquancy is tamed (there will be some scorching, but the outside skin will be discarded anyway). In a bowl, combine approximately 1 cup cooked rice (I used smoked rice—a new favorite variety with a subtle smoky perfume, see In Your Pantry), a small handful each of lightly toasted walnuts (or other type—pine nuts would be excellent) and of coarsely chopped dried cranberries (or barberries, or other dried fruit), the zest of an orange, 3 to 4 chopped green onions or chives, and approximately one cup of cooked spinach (or kale or whatever neglected greens you might have in the fridge). e addition of a mild melty cheese like fresh or low-moisture mozzarella would be a nice addition that would bind the stuing, or you could take the dish in an entirely di erent and more savory direction with the addition of a protein like canned tuna, diced cooked chicken, or even bacon. Toss the mixture thoroughly and drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil, adjusting the seasoning with salt and pepper as necessary. Separate the onion halves into individual layers (reserving the smallest interior layers for another use—perhaps as inspiration for your next meal!), ll each onion cup with some of the mixture, and place the lled onions in a baking dish. A few drops of lemon juice (or the juice from the zested orange) would add acidity and brighten up the avors. Drizzle again with olive oil (if you haven’t resolved to lose weight this month) and put a few tablespoons of water in the bottom of the dish to prevent sticking or scorching. Place the dish in a 350F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the lling is heated through and the onions have begun to relax a bit. Serve the onions warm, perhaps with a mixed green salad for a light lunch or appetizer, or as a component of a larger meal—and they would be excellent on a bu et. I would suggest a wine to drink, but you’ve probably given that up this month as well.

Regardless, I hope you’ll take this recipe as an inspiration for your new year—not wasting food, especially good remnants—and let them be a springboard and idea to a new dish, and perhaps a new culinary you.

Pantry

REMARKABLE RICE

THERE ARE THOUSANDS of varieties of rice grown around the globe and understanding the variations can be intimidating. Oryza Sativa (the genus and species of what we call rice) can be divided into two major subspecies, Japonica and Indica. Japonica tends to have short and fat grains with a high amylopectin content (a starch molecule which is water soluble) that gives it a sticky and creamy quality (think sushi rice or rice for risotto). Indica tends to have longer, thinner grains, more aromatic qualities and a drier, u er texture when cooked (think basmati or jasmine rice) due to its higher percentage of amylose starch (which is not soluble in water). at being said, there are numerous deviations from the general rules. Here are some unusual varieties to be on the lookout for the next time you go shopping.

Smoked Rice

A traditional Middle Eastern product only now gaining a foothold in this country, smoked rice is exactly what it proclaims to be. Basmati rice is lightly smoked shortly after harvest and drying. This technique gives the rice a subtle smoky quality (less subtle if you don’t rinse the rice before cooking) that lends depth to rice dishes, especially vegetarian dishes that can benefit from a boost of savory flavor. Smoked rice may be substituted in any dish calling for basmati or other long-grain rice where added complexity is desired.

Black Rice

Glutinous Rice

Although the name can refer to over 20 different varieties of whole-grain rice with a black exterior hull, all the bidden Rice—once reserved for Chinese royalty because of traditional medicinal use), black sticky rice (a glutinous

Although the name can refer to over 20 different varieties of whole-grain rice with a black exterior hull, all the varieties have an extremely high anthocyanin content— antioxidant pigments that protect the body’s cells from damage—in the outer bran layer, and a nutty, slightly sweet, chewy texture. The grains change from black to deep purple when cooked. Chinese black rice (aka Forbidden Rice—once reserved for Chinese royalty because of traditional medicinal use), black sticky rice (a glutinous variety used for Thai desserts) and Black Japonica (a versatile modern variety) are the most common varieties. All varieties of black rice benefit from a brief presoak and require at least 30 to 60 minutes to cook. Read the label of the specific rice for more details.

Also known as sweet rice or sticky rice, is rice with a low amylose content and higher percentage of amylopectin, which makes it extremely sticky when cooked. It can be Japonica or Indica, but always benefits from a long soak before cooking. There is no gluten (glutinous refers to it being glue-like). It is the perfect rice for steaming (wrapped inside a banana leaf perhaps, with other flavorful ingredients tucked along), and although it is frequently used in Asian desserts, it has countless applications in various Asian cuisines.

Also known as sweet rice or sticky rice, is rice with a low amylose content and higher percentage of amylopectin, which although it is frequently used in Asian desserts, it has count-

Wild Rice

Despite the name, it is not a rice at all. It is the edible seed of a semi-aquatic grass. It is very low calorie with an extremely high fiber and nutrient profile. Its earthy, nutty flavor goes well with many fall and winter flavors. It blends well with other seeds, grains, and rice types to make visually striking delicious and nutritious multigrain dishes like salads, stuffings, and pilafs.

Although it quietl y opened last fall, word is already out about The Primrose, the cozy, tiny new bar serving up seasonal craft cocktails in downtown Mission. Starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, guests quickly fill every available couch, barstool, table and chair in the house to watch a team of three bartenders shake and stir drinks all evening long.

The Primrose is co-owned by Abby Hans and her parents, Julie and Jason Hans, who also own Urban Prairie Coffee and Mission Board Games. All three family businesses are located only a few doors down from each other on the same block of Johnson Drive.

When the new space first became available, the Hans family knew they could do something with it, and a small cocktail bar came to mind—something serving quality

by Jenny Vergara

In Your Cocktail THE PRIMROSE

cocktails in an intimate setting.

They worked part of last year taking a former bakery and transforming it into a moody clubhouse vibe with olive-green walls, brass accents, a fireplace, artwork on the walls, rugs on the floor, and soft living room furniture that makes it feel more like a study or library in someone’s home. The bartenders will serve as your host for the evening and will point you to an open chair or ask you to check back later to see if a seat has opened. The sidewalk out front has some outdoor seating and a small fire pit, but with winter weather here, inside seats are in demand.

Surrounded by neighborhoods in every direction and with few places to enjoy a craft cocktail close by, The Primrose has quickly developed a loyal following by all who relish walking or making a short drive to order a quality drink and catch up with friends after work or on weekends.

There are currently 15 cocktails on the menu, which fall into three categories: signature, seasonal, and classic. A current favorite on the signature list has been the Primrose, a flip that comes in a smoked cocktail glass and consists of Tom’s Town Gin, vermouth, Campari, rosemary simple syrup, lemon, orange, and an egg white. It is bright and balanced with a rosy, pink hue. The cocktails are well crafted with a nice selection of spirits available. You’ll find everything from an Oktoberfest Old Fashioned made with Jägermeister, rye, maple syrup, bitters, and an orange twist on a big ice cube to a Paloma made with Espolòn Tequila, grapefruit juice, club soda, simple syrup, and lime juice.

Brunch is served on the weekends featuring breakfast items from their coffeeshop a few doors down. Guests can order quiche, avocado toast, and a variety of pastries in addition to mimosas on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There are clearly synergies between the three family-owned businesses, including this coffee cocktail featuring cold-brew coffee from their sister business, Urban Prairie Coffee. theprimrosemission.square.site

Urban Prairie Cold Brew Martini

1.5 ounces J. Rieger Premium Wheat Vodka

1.5 ounces Kahlua

.25 ounce vanilla simple syrup

75 ounce cold brew (They use cold brew from Urban Prairie Coffee)

.5 ounce cream

Add ingredients to a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into martini glass and garnish with three coffee beans.

by Jenny Vergara

JCCC BARBECUE PAVILION

JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE has finally opened their long-awaited outdoor barbecue pavilion next to the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy. The pavilion gives instructors at the culinary academy the opportunity to teach students how to make Kansas City-style barbecue as part of the culinary curriculum approved by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. They also plan to offer adult barbecue classes this summer to those in the community who want to learn tips on making everything from great backyard barbecue to competition-style smoked meats. The pavilion has brand-new first-class equipment, including competition smokers, a wood-fired pizza oven, and la plancha and rotisserie grills so students can master award-winning barbecue techniques right on campus. This outdoor classroom was gifted to the college by Jack Wylie’s family. Wylie passed away in 2014 and was owner of Midwest Boneless Meat and later B & B Meat Co. The barbecue pavilion seems like a fitting homage to a man who built his fortune in the meat industry and allows a whole new generation of chefs to carry on Kansas City’s rich barbecue tradition. jccc.edu

More to love

Family: The Ice at Park Place

Openevery day through February 26 Skateintothe NewYearsurroundedbyamazing restaurants, localspecialtyshopping,andspecialevents like FrozenSisters' Skate (Feb. 5) andSkatewitha Firefighter. Visitparkplaceleawood.com/theiceforhours andevents.

Date Night

KCRestaurantWeek,January 13 -22 Thesemenusaresuretobeaspecialtreatduring KC RestaurantWeek. Reserveyourtableearlyat:

-801 Chophouse- Primesteakhouse

- Bamboo Penny's-TropicalThai

- Plate- Modern Italian

- RASushi - Sushi &Japanesefusioncuisine

For You

Taketimethisyear Refresh, indulge, orsendagifttosomeonedeserving. Park Placeishometoseveralspas, fitnessstudios, andbeauty services. FocusonYOUin2023 at:

- Bar Method -TheGents Place

- Bare MedSpa -TimothyWeber:A Hair Salon

- Everyday Beaut -Upgrade GroupTraining

- MassageLuXe Visit ParkPlaceLeawood.com for more details.

Park Place is located on the northeast corner of Nall Avenue & 117th St., just north of AMC 20 Theatre.

DISTRICT BISKUITS

CHEF GUROUX KHALIFAH is back in the biscuit business after closing his last restaurant, Distrikt Biskuit, located inside the Adam’s Mark Hotel, at the beginning of the pandemic. His third home for what he now calls District Biskuits (according to his website, the “k” in “biskuits” is an homage to Khalifah’s last name, his family, his heritage, his craft, and his desire to keep everyone on their toes) is now open to the public and serving his mile-high u y biscuit sandwiches in a former Subway building on Armour Road in downtown North Kansas City. e fast-casual space has some limited indoor and outdoor seating, but most guests have been happily lining up on the weekends to take their brunch food to go. What Khalifah started in 2017 as a breakfast biscuit pop-up inside of Lufti’s at 63rd St. and Meyer Blvd. nally has a brick-and-mortar of its own, thanks to help from local developer Dawn Lynne, aka Ilan Salzberg, who helped Khalifah search for the right spot to reopen. With a liquor license in place, he has plans to serve cocktails made from Black-owned artisan spirits including Rally Gin and quality co ee from Black Drip Co ee along with his hearty biscuit creations. districtbiskuits.com

BY Jenny Vergara

In Culinary News

BOHO SWAY AT CANARY

LAST FALL, after the unceremonious closing of Canary, the upscale American cocktail bar and restaurant located inside e Netherland building, future cocktail and culinary o erings looked uncertain when the previous food and beverage team walked out. Now there is new ownership in charge of the restaurant and rooftop bar and a new chef in the kitchen at the newly renamed Boho Sway at Canary. Anita Moore, the owner of Soiree Steakhouse & Oysters located in the historic 18th and Vine District, has been named the new executive chef, with local chef Chad Tillman helping her out in the kitchen. Moore and Tillman have already been posting dishes for the “posh, upscale supper club” with appetizers like frito misto, or battered and fried fresh vegetables; tuna poké tostadas; and surf and turf, which will feature roasted bone marrow and steamed crab legs with crostini and lemon parsley salad. Look for hearty entrées, such as cornbread herb-crusted lamb chops with haricots vert, crispy mushrooms, and cauli ower mash. No word on who will oversee the cocktail side of things, as we look forward to tasting this new menu at this new spot. bohoswayatcanary.com

POIO MEXICAN

Reservation for One CALAVERAS

by Jenny Vergara photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

If you asked Lanni Edwards what her goal was for Calaveras, the Mexican restaurant she opened with her husband, Josh, and her faather-in-law, Jeff Edwards, she would say she wanted to create something sexy. A lively and luxurious date-night spot where guests could enjoy upscale, yet approachable, cocktails and cuisine—a vibe she felt was missing from historic downtown Lee’s Summit.

A tall order for the once sleepy historic downtown area that is today surrounded by new apartment complexes that contrast beautifully with the historic red brick buildings that are now home to an impressive collection of locally owned retail shops, restaurants, and bars that started popping up around 2015, and haven’t stopped.

The Edwards family was just one of many early pioneers who decided to make the initial investment in the area, opening their first restaurant, Smoke Brewing Company, in 2016 selling freshly brewed beer and smoky barbecue. By the end of last year, they welcomed their sleek second concept, Calaveras, just a few doors down from Smoke Brewing in space where The Peanut used to operate.

The 100-year-old building still has its original red brick walls and vaulted wood-barrel ceilings that hint of the automobile dealership that once called this building home. It was purchased by the Edwards in early 2020, and when the pandemic hit, they realized they now had the time to make the space into a 5,000-square-foot showstopper. Spending the last two years taking it from a sports bar and grill to an elegant and, arguably, splashy Mexican restaurant and bar, was clearly not easy, but the results were worth it.

The sprawling restaurant now seats 200 people and features a sultry black, white, and silver color palette. There is a large cocktail lounge area inside the front door next to the host stand and a bar that seats 45 down one side of the dining room. Dramatic black-and-white marble covers the bar top, while mirrored subway tile set in a herringbone pattern behind the bar highlights the collection of agave-based spirits they carry. Then there’s the dreamy sparkle from a dozen large glass chandeliers hanging from the rafters overhead.

With all the glitz and glamour that Calaveras most certainly de-

livers with its décor, there is equally impressive Kansas City talent running both the bar and kitchen. e bar director for Calaveras is local bartending talent Bryan Arri, who has worked at Manifesto, e Monarch Bar, Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, and Rye, while the executive chef is Josh Laufketter, whose resume includes a stint as sous chef at Bluestem, and who has since the pandemic been running the kitchen at Smoke Brewing Company. Reed Plumb serves as director of operations and helps keep the entire train on the tracks.

In a “go big or go home” mood, I ordered the $25 Cadillac margarita that features Pasote Resposado, Grand Mariner, agave syrup, and lime juice served over a single rock with real gold ecks swimming in it. Although it was perfectly refreshing, the regular margarita didn’t strike me as all that much di erent in avor for the $14 dollar price di erence. e frozen margarita, however, was clearly di erent as a heavy blue pea ower foam on top hid the “frozen” margarita underneath. e rest of the drink menu o ers 16 di erent cocktails, most of them featuring either rum or tequila, along with a small wine list and a select beer list made up of popular Mexican cervezas.

As for the food, the menu read like most any other Mexican restaurant in town, with chips, queso, nachos, tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, burritos, and chimichangas all on the list. It was only when the dishes came to the table you could see the e ort being made to elevate them in unexpected ways.

Laufketter told me he and his team had been making street tacos and borracho beans at Smoke Brewing Company throughout the pandemic, and I suspect that’s why they were my two favorite dishes, because of the sheer amount of time and experience his team has spent cooking them at their sister concept. With 11 tacos on the menu, they were the only dishes that came to the table with zero plate presentation but were delicious. Same for the borracho beans, seasoned beautifully with a rich and creamy texture and avor.

We started with queso fondito, which was chorizo in a queso blanco sauce served with crispy triangles of house-made our tortilla chips. Although I longed for a good corn chip about ve bites into the dish, all was revealed when Lanni came to the table and explained the our chips were at her request because she loved them. at’s when I understood there was plenty of input on the food menu coming from inside the house.

e Vuela a la Vida was described as a shrimp ceviche in tomato consommé, pico de gallo, serrano peppers, cilantro, and basil, but when it came to the table it was plated like classic shrimp cocktail with ve perfectly cooked naked shrimp hanging from a bowl of the ceviche liquid. e shrimp hadn’t been simmered with the sauce, which I found disappointing as I wanted all those avors melded together. e scallop with mole verde started out as a good idea that somewhere along the way seemed to lose a little of its nerve. ree perfectly seared scallops sat on top of a ladleful of the mole verde that lacked the traditional heat and tart avor that should come from the tomatillo, onion, garlic, and jalapeño pepper ingredients. e whole dish was a little bland, but then it was topped with Japanese shishito peppers and a sprinkling of pepitas.

Laufketter clearly knows what he is doing, but it feels like there might be a throttle on the heat and intensity of the avors the kitchen has been asked to present in each dish. I would like to see the kitchen worry less about reinventing the wheel with plate presentation and focus more on the consistent execution, seasoning, and the bright avors found naturally in each of the dishes served. Reminds me of the old saying, “If it isn’t broke, make it delicious.” calaveraskc.com

1900bldg.com (913) 730–1905

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

1900 Building 1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway Mission Woods, Kansas

RING IN 2023 WITH MUSIC AND FUN

POPS Concert

Uptown Nights

Friday & Saturday, Jan. 6-7 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.

BYRON STRIPLING GUEST CONDUCTOR, TRUMPET, VOCALIST CARMEN BRADFORD VOCALIST

LEO MANZARI DANCER

Byron Stripling is heralded as a “powerhouse trumpeter gifted with a soulful voice and an onstage swagger.”

This swingin’ night of musical sensations focuses on Harlem’s heyday — a time when Duke Ellington’s orchestra was the house band, and Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and Ethel Waters showcased the classics.

Tickets from $40.

Sponsored by

Classical Concert

The Fountains and Pines of Rome, Plus Mozart’s Third Violin Concerto

Friday & Saturday, Jan. 13-14 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m.

FRANCESCO LECCE-CHONG GUEST CONDUCTOR GENEVA LEWIS VIOLIN

MASON BATES Garages of the Valley W. A. MOZART Violin Concerto No. 3 RESPIGHI Fountains of Rome RESPIGHI Pines of Rome

An innovative Mason Bates piece leads to joyful Mozart and Respighi’s colossal Fountains and Pines of Rome

Tickets from $25.

Classical Concert

Wagner’s Flying Dutchman and Barber’s Violin Concerto

Friday & Saturday, Jan. 20-21 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m.

KEVIN JOHN EDUSEI GUEST CONDUCTOR MARIA IOUDENITCH VIOLIN

WAGNER Overture to Der fliegende Holländer BARBER Violin Concerto

ZEMLINSKY The Mermaid

Thrilling back-to-back masterpieces against a seaside backdrop, filled with enchanting fantasy and inspired performances. Tickets from $25.

Film + Live Orchestra

Marvel Studios’ Black Panther TM In Concert

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday, Jan. 25-28 at 7 p.m.

JASON SEBER GUEST CONDUCTOR

Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” quickly became a global sensation in 2018, showing a new dimension of what superhero films could be. Relive the excitement of T’Challa becoming king and battling Killmonger, all while your Kansas City Symphony performs Ludwig Göransson’s Oscar® and Grammy®Award-winning score live to picture. Tickets start at $40 for adults and $25 for children.

CLASSICAL

CLASSICAL POPS Maria Ioudenitch

FILM + LIVE ORCHESTRA

Michael Stern, music director

CONCERTS ARE HELD IN HELZBERG HALL AT THE KAUFFMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.

A Benefit for Heart of America Shakespeare Festival

February 11, 2023 | 6-10 p.m. | InterContinental Hotel Honorary Chairmen Drs. Charles and Susan Porter Founder ’ s Award Linda Word

PHOTO BY CORIE ENGLISH

Allie’s essentials...

SHOP LOCAL: Pink Antlers is the most aesthetically pleasing store I’ve ever been to—I would literally move in if the owners would let me! My favorite thing would have to be their Papa Noel Santa Mugs. ey have a matching punch bowl that I cannot stop thinking about. ey also have great paper goods for parties year-round.

DubDog Designs in Mission makes handmade collars and leashes that are high quality and so cute. Our yellow lab, Jackson, has so many variations of them, and we constantly get compliments.

by Emily Park

ALLIE ROBSON

JEWELER. ENTREPRENEUR. MOM

Allie Robson has been a jewelry entrepreneur since she was a middle schooler growing up in Kansas City when she started Cousins Beads with her cousin, Brigid Pikus. at experience o ered a glimpse into Robson’s future. Now, Robson and Pikus own Mannelli Jewelers, a private jewelry brokerage rm that specializes in ne jewelry, diamonds, and gemstones. “I’ve always had a dream of becoming a private jeweler,” Robson says. “For years, I’d been helping friends’ signi cant others navigate the process of buying engagement rings. I saw a hole in the market for a private jeweler who could provide the level of service that clients deserve, and that is how Mannelli was born.” After a one-year stint living in Chicago during Robson’s early 20s reminded her just how special our city in the heartland is, Robson was quick to return home. Now, she calls Prairie Village home base with her husband, Reid, 18-month-old son, and Jackson, the family dog. “Kansas Citians are some of the best people around—loyal, kind, driven, passionate, and fun,” Robson says. “ ere is something special about this town, and I truly think it’s all the amazing people behind it. It has been a wonderful place to grow up—and now raise a family and own a business. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

MINDFUL RESET: e best way to clear my head is to move my body. Whether it’s taking my son and dog on a walk at Meadowbrook Park or popping into Body Lab for Pilates, I believe working out is the best medicine! I recently took a Sweat Forum class, which was killer, and I’m thinking it’s going to be my new spot.

Co. is amazing. I am a candle junkie, and I was pleased to nd out this is a female-owned, local

business. To add to the appeal, the candles are made with clean ingredients—I can’t wait to buy more!

HIDDEN GEM: It’s hard to pick the best thing on the menu at Jovito’s Italian Café & Deli because it is all mouth-watering, but the meatball grinder and Caesar salad are my go-tos. ey are also wonderful for catering parties!

HEALTHY BITE: Ca etteria in Prairie Village has a great selection of green juices and protein bites for a quick snack.

NIGHTCAP: A spicy margarita from Brookside Barrio packs some heat, and when it comes to spicy margs, I believe they should go super spicy or go home.

WINTER ACTIVITY: going ice skating at Crown Center and a trip to Fritz’s after. I can’t wait to continue that tradition with my son.

Burn Candle

A

ROLEX

THE DATEJUST

The ultimate Rolex classic, the Datejust was the first self-winding waterproof chronometer wristwatch to display the date in a window, and continues to be the quintessential watch, reflecting the essence of timeless style.

#Perpetual