IN Kansas City November 2024

Sparkle & Shine

FESTIVE FASHION

FOUR FABULOUS HOMES READY FOR THE SEASON

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BE THE PERFECT PARTY GUEST

Tangente neomatik 41 Update. Only from NOMOS Glashütte: The patented ring date, with two red markers framing the current date. Inside this version of the iconic Tangente model, the super-slim DUW 6101 automatic caliber is at work; the first neomatik movement with a bidirectional quick-change date mechanism, which is also patented. Innovation with protection designation of origin, now available with select retailers, such as TIVOL. More here: tivol.com and nomos-glashuette.com

Country Club Plaza · 220 Nichols Rd · Kansas City Hawthorne Plaza · 4721 W 119th St · Overland Park

The smiles, laughter, and warm embraces come easily as your beautiful holiday home welcomes family and friends.

To help you prepare for all those special moments, our professional designers – always available at no extra cost – are here to assist.

And with our expansive collection of unique, in-stock creations from America’s finest makers, we ensure every furnishing detail is done perfectly and ready for that first holiday doorbell.

Featured November Savings Include:

• 50% OFF Bernhardt Interiors

• 45% OFF Lexington

• 45% OFF Huntington House

• 45% OFF Paul Robert

Welcome home to Seville Home, where you’ll also enjoy up to 50% OFF through Dec. 2nd. Plus, $100 off every $1,000 spent on American Leather, even on sale prices!*

Kimberly

Karen Becky Carrie Dave Meredith

Event Chair Co-Chairs Amy Embry, Katie McCune, and Carrie McLiney

Annual Luncheon | DEC. 6TH | 11:00 A.M.

Purchase your tickets in advance for the prix-fixe luncheon at Aixois with your friends and family. Get

Bid during the silent auction on one of the charming Gingerbread Houses created by local pastry chefs on display at each of the shops in Crestwood.

• THURSDAY kicks off the weekend of festivities with cocktails, live music, shopping and of course Santa! 5pm–8pm

• FRIDAY AND SATURDAY bring Santa back to the block each day with a horse drawn sled for that perfect holiday photo.

10% of sales from each shop benefit Child Protection Center.

Make this a year of giving back to those in need and have a fun time doing it as you check off your holiday list.

Photo by Lea Murphy, Lea Murphy Photography

Hudson & Jane

Pear Tree Design & Antiques

Delbrenna Jewelry

George A Lifestyle Store

Aixois French Bistro

Bacaro Primo

Sharyn Blond Linens

Aixois French Bistro

Barton Perreira

Homesong Market

What’s NEW at Town Center?

Aritzia | Tommy Bahama | Hickory Farms | Santa Photos with Jordan Photography

Specialty Stores for Kansas City CHIEFS Fans.

Rally House | The Art of Sports | Blue Chip Cookies | Kendra Scott | Treats Unleashed

Tabu Knits | The Buckle | Barnes & Noble | Scout & Molly

This HOLIDAY for your Home.

Williams Sonoma | Pottery Barn | Arhaus | Crate & Barrel

Bath & Body Works | Lovesac | RH | Yankee Candle | Anthropologie

TOWN CENTER PLAZA

4EverYoung

Aerie

Allen Edmonds

Altar’d State

Amazing Lash Studio

American Eagle Outfitters

Anthony Vince Nail Spa

Anthropologie

Arhaus

Athleta

Banana Republic

Barnes & Noble

Bath & Body Works

Blue Chip Cookies

Brighton Collectibles

Bristol Seafood Grill

Brooks Brothers

Brow Studio

Buckle

Chicos

Claire’s

CycleBar

Dry Goods

Francesca’s Collections

Frannie Franks (Now Open)

Gap Body

Gap Kids/Baby

Gorjana

Hickory Farms (Now Open)

Hudson/Hawk Barber & Shop

J. Jill

Kansas City Aerial Arts

TOWN

LaserAway LOFT

Macy’s Madewell

Natalie M. Studio OFFLINE by Aerie

Pandora Jewelry

Panera

Pinot’s Palette

Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn Kids

Power Life Yoga Barre Fitness

Rally House/Kansas Sampler

Restoration Hardware

Revocup Coffee

Salon Ami Aveda

SandboxVR

Santa Photos with Jordan Photography (Opens 11-23)

Scout & Molly’s Boutique

Sephora

Sola Salon

Soma

Sundance

Sunglass Hut

Sushi House

Tabu Knits Boutique

TAO Reflexology

Tempur-Pedic

The Art of Sports

The North Face

Tommy Bahama (Now Open)

Vera Bradley

White House | Black Market

Whole Harvest Kitchen

Williams-Sonoma

X-Golf

Yankee Candle Co.

TOWN CENTER CROSSING

Apple

Aritzia (Now Open)

Blue Mercury

Body Lab

Cold Stone Creamery

Crate & Barrel

Evereve (Newly Expanded)

Fabletics

Kendra Scott

Lovesac

Lululemon

North Italia

Paper Source

Purple

Roasterie Café

Salonone19 & Spa

Sullivan’s Steakhouse

Tecovas

The Shade Store

Trader Joe’s

Treats Unleashed

Vineyard Vines

Warby Parker

Woodhouse Day Spa

Yeti

Conveniently located at the NW & SE corners of 119th Street & Roe Avenue

Leawood, Kansas

Mix and Jingle

Holiday Season Premiere

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 (ALL DAY)

Begin your holiday shopping and family traditions with all the sights, sounds & beauty Park Place brings!

11AM : Arrival of Santa (& The Grinch - The Ice) 11AM - 4PM : Photos with Santa 11AM - 3PM : Skate with The Grinch 2PM - 4PM : Strolling Dickens Carolers

Shop Small Saturday

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 (ALL DAY)

Enjoy in-store specials, festive tastings, and holiday cheer! Sip and shop small while strolling with Santa, The Grinch , and Dickens Carolers!

11AM : Shops open and ice skating begins 11AM - 6PM : Photos with Santa 11AM - 3PM : Shop with The Grinch 1PM - 5PM : Strolling Dickens Carolers 1PM - 4pm : Holiday Shop & Sip

Strolling Santa Saturdays

EVERY SATURDAY UNTIL CHRISTMAS (11AM - 4PM)

Take photos with Santa and special guests as they bring joy to Park Place every Saturday until Christmas!

Great Santa Run/Walk 5k

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15 (8AM)

Dress festive and start the day strong with a great run/walk through Leawood, all while supporting Operation Breakthrough! Open to all big Santas and Lil’ Elves, alike. KCSantaRun.com to register!

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.

64 IN CONVERSATION WITH JOHN PUTCH

John Putch, director of the the Hallmark movie Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, talks about his time in KC, directing Donna Kelce, and the challenge of making a Christmas movie in 100 degree July heat,

68

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT

Sparkle, shine, and rich velvets de ne this year’s seasonal festive looks.

76

IT’S BETTER TO GIVE AND RECEIVE

Some of Kansas City’s favorite chefs and restaurant owners share their fantasy wish and gifts lists.

80

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

Highlights from the 2023 Kappa Kappa Gamma Holiday Homes Tour.

On the cover The holidays are a time to shine. Check out this look and more beginning on page 68. Photo by Kenny Johnson

Homegrown Memories

This year’s holiday celebrations will be our first without the matriarch of the family, my mom. Without her tasty Thanksgiving gooseberry pies and her rollicking Christmas Eve soup suppers, it’s going to be quieter, and especially this year, more somber.

There’s no one now to recall my childhood holiday memories except me. I was an only child until my two brothers came along when I was 10 and 12, so these recollections are mine alone.

It continues to amaze me how the details of growing up on the family farm that so embarrassed me then are now considered chic.

And I’m not talking about just the food we ate—fresh, seasonal, and just out of the garden in the summer—then in winter, the root vegetables and home-canned best of last summer’s garden. We ate the meat we raised, drank the milk from the dairy cows, gathered eggs from free-range chickens because there was no other kind, and picked fruit from the orchard behind the barn. We were locavore before it was cool. We were locavore before it was a word.

Even our holidays were locavore. Our Christmas tree was a cedar tree my father chopped down in the nearby woods, when I so dearly desired a “fresh-cut” tree from the hardware store in town. Or even more, I lusted for an aluminum tree like the one that sat in the big picture window of the swankiest ranch house in town and basked in the glow of ever-changing colors, sparkling blue, then red, then yellow. That was the definition of sophistication—not the spare cedar whose fragrance filled our little farmhouse.

Handcrafted décor—now de rigueur— for us was a necessity not a luxury. We strung popcorn on string, and I cut up colored strips of paper for chains to make long strands of colorful garlands. My homemade trinkets joined my mother’s cherished German ornaments whose worn metallic colors gleamed under the big, bulbous lights that twisted through the cedar branches.

The cherries, peaches, and apples from last summer’s canning frenzy were plump and colorful in the clear Mason jars tucked away in the root cellar. It was my job, and one I detested, to descend the stone steps to the dank, dark cellar and retrieve the jars of fruit to be turned into holiday pies. Hams from the pigs we raised were the centerpieces of our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

With Mom’s age and declining health, my nieces had taken over the duties of planning family celebrations. There will still be Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas Eve soup suppers and live trees in a place of honor—but no more gooseberry pies.

Vol. 7 | No. 11

NOVEMBER 2024

Editor In Chief Zim Loy

Digital Editor Evan Pagano

Art Director Alice Govert Bryan

Contributing Writers

Judith Fertig, Merrily Jackson, Cindy Hoedel, Damian Lair, Patricia O’Dell, Jenny Vergara

Contributing Photographers

Bridget Chang, Jeff Evrard, Kenny Johnson, Aaron Leimkuehler, Bob Mckluskey

Publisher Michelle Jolles

Media Director Brittany Coale

Senior Media Consultants

Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley, Josie Rawlings

Intern Annie Woodson

Newsstand Consultant

Joe J. Luca, JK Associates 816-213-4101, jkassoc.net

Editorial Questions: zloy@inkansascity.com

Advertising Questions: bcoale@inkansascity.com

Distribution Questions: mjolles@inkansascity.com

Magazine Subscriptions:

Mail: IN Kansas City Subscriptions PO Box 292374, Kettering, OH 45429 Phone 888-881-5861

Email: SUBS@inkansascity.com

Subscribe Online: inkansascity.com/subscribe

Featuring Robyn Nichols jewelry

ENTER TO WIN

Luxury on your lap. is Johnstons of Elgin throw is 100 percent merino wool. It’s $400, and we assure you it feels like it. We’re partnering with Overland Park retailer Newton James to give it away to one lucky winner. Signing up is quick and smooth; just enter to win at inkansascity.com/themagazine/enter-to-win by November 30. Best of luck!

Our KC obsessions. We asked our sta a simple question: “What are you obsessed with in Kansas City right now? A speci c restaurant? Park? eatrical production?” e answers were widespread— and your KC bucket list will be better for it. Find our November sta picks on inkansascity.com.

Luxury for a fee. Kansas City International Airport is getting a pay-per-visit lounge, no airline membership needed. Sounds better than sitting at the cramped gate, right? We looked into the planned Escape Lounge to give you an idea of what to expect on inkansascity.com

Gobble and go. Want to escape anksgiving in as good of shape as you entered it? Slim chance, but you can try with a anksgiving 5K. ey’re all over the metro, and you can nd a list on inkansascity.com

A Buffalo wing breakdown. Barbecue is the heavy hitter here, sure, but there are some banger Bu alo wings in Kansas City. If you’re hankering to turn some napkins orange, nd our list of the top KC Bu alo wing joints in the Restaurants section on inkansascity.com.

This Month IN KC

November

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE

by Evan Pagano

Catwalk to Craftsmanship

November 7

Kansas City Art Institute Find tickets at eventbrite.com

JINGLE!

NOVEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Starts November 22 Legends Field jingleholiday.com/kansascity

Kansas City Holiday Boutique

November 21-24

Overland Park Convention Center kcholidayboutique.com

2024 NWSL Championship

November 23

CPKC Stadium nwslsoccer.com/championship

Shine bright like a diamond. Remember Enchant? JINGLE! is that and then some. Head to Legends Field in KCK and step right onto the baseball eld for a dazzling holiday night. ere’ll be an ice skating trail, snow tubing hills, a light maze, a bar, and millions of lights throughout.

So fashionable. Fashion Group International’s Kansas City chapter is hosting an unskippable two-part event at the Kansas City Artist Institute’s Epperson Auditorium. Part one, the Spring/Summer 2025 Communique, showcases the latest from fashion weeks around the world; part two, DelBrenna Jewelry’s Journey, is a sit-down interview with jewelry mavens Sebastian and Megan DelBrenna. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for students, and $25 for nonmembers. Refreshments are provided.

Shop, don’t drop. You can get your shopping done in one go—and enjoy doing it. For four days, the Kansas City Convention Center will be lled with everything a holiday shopper needs, including places to relax. So there will be vendors and predecorated trees, yes, but also shopper relaxation lounges, festive entertainment, and a boutique cafe.

Crown the champs. It’s hard to nd a hotter ticket than the Kansas City Current, and in November, they could set the city ablaze by winning the National Women’s Soccer League Championship in their home stadium. It’s not a guarantee they’ll make it, but Nov. 23 will be a wild time on the riverfront no matter what.

Holiday Re ections

Starts November 22

Union Station unionstation.org/event/holiday-re ections

An icon aglow. Union Station’s Grand Hall will be decked out in lights once again this year. It’s a heck of a sight. Add a VR ride on Santa’s sleigh and an adults-only after-party, Tinsel & ‘Tinis, and this Holiday Re ections will be a factory for holiday memories.

November 27, 29-30, and December 1

Twas the Night Before… by Cirque du Soleil

Music Hall at Kansas City Convention Center cirquedusoleil.com

The night takes ight. e traveling artists at Cirque du Soleil are here for a fournight stay at the Music Hall at Kansas City Convention Center. eir holiday show, “Twas the Night Before…” blends acrobatics with dance, music, and the classic poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas. Tickets start at $44.

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

BY Merrily Jackson

How to be a Brilliant Holiday Party Guest

It’s November, which means the fun of the holiday party season is fast approaching. Here are a few tips—bossy and highly opinionated tips, but solid even so—to help you shine as a guest, or at very least get invited back.

Reply pronto to the invitation. A speedy response shows respect for the host. Even if you must decline, act swiftly. Doing otherwise might suggest you are waiting for a better o er, and that’s just tacky.

Arrive on time, but never early. Not even a few minutes early. Arriving early is ruder than being late.

Bring the fun you. Show up in a jovial—sometimes we have to fake it to make it—mood, ready to shake o the cares of the day and make merry

with the other guests. It’s the best gift you can give your host.

Know what’s going on in the world. Some of us are news junkies. If you are not, try to read or watch the news before you leave for the party. Also, it’s not weird to check out the Instagram or Facebook pages of those you know will be there. Instant conversation fodder! Or not.

Listen as much as you talk. Don’t be a bore, darling. Ask questions, don’t interrupt to turn the conversation back to yourself, and don’t ramble.

Drink moderately. ere’s nothing cute about getting drunk at a party. Same goes for showing up hammered. Resist any urge to calm pre-party jitters with a dressing drink or four.

Politics: don’t go there. is is prudent now more than ever. ere are a million other things to talk about.

Say nice things to the hosts. It takes e ort to host a party. A simple “I’ve been looking forward to this” or “your house looks great” will go a long way in showing your appreciation.

Stay out of the kitchen. “Please stand right smack dab in front of my sink and hold court,” said no host ever. Give your hosts and helpers room to do their thing, unless you’re helping too (always o er), or they’ve indicated they want people to gather in the kitchen. is applies especially to anksgiving dinner.

If you’re bringing a dish, prepare everything at home. Tote with you everything needed to present the dish: serving dish, utensils, garnishes, etc. If you’re bringing something that needs to be served icy cold or piping hot, call ahead to ascertain freezer, fridge, oven, or burner space.

Don’t say goodbye. If it’s a big, crowded party, it’s perfectly okay to ghost. You don’t want to make a show of the fact you’re leaving. It distracts from the fun and can even cause a chain reaction. Send a goodbye text instead.

Do say thank you. A handwritten note is best, and easier to write if dashed o promptly. If you are time-challenged, a quick phone call or a brief, heartfelt text or email is much better than nothing.

Entertaining IN KC

CRESTWOOD

55TH & BROOKSIDE BLVD. hudsonandjane.com

THOUGHTFUL HOSTESS GIFTS

OVEN MITT FROM PRYDE’S

Our potholders are in frightful shape by the time Thanksgiving Pryde’s Kitchen

addition to your host’s kitchen.

APRON FROM PEAR TREE

Pear Tree Antiques and Design sells this inspiredby-nature linen apron from celebrated British homeware brand Sophie Allport. $55

HAND SOAP FROM TERRASI LIVING

Ortigia Sicilia Ambra Nera Liquid Soap, made in Sicily, smells heavenly and is beautifully packaged. $62 from Terrasi Living

SHOPS

BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS BY INA GARTEN

BOTTLE OF VEUVE CLICQUOT BRUT OR TAITTINGER CHAMPAGNE BRUT CRESTWOOD

Bring the latest book in a genre your host enjoys. Write a sweet inscription.

Entertaining IN KC

GIFTABLE PEANUT CLUSTERS

THESE SCRUMPTIOUS little goodies make swell hostess gifts. I found this recipe decades ago in Sassafras, the excellent cookbook from the Junior League of Springfield, Missouri, and have made it many times since. It’s so easy you will feel guilty about all the compliments but accept them anyway.

Makes six dozen (approximately)

6 ounces butterscotch chips

6 ounces good-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons peanut butter, creamy or crunchy

2 cups salted Spanish peanuts

Melt chips and peanut butter on top of a double boiler over low heat. Stir constantly. Add peanuts and stir well. Drop from a teaspoon onto wax paper. Cool. Store in a covered container in refrigerator.

Entertaining IN KC

ASK MERRILY

Find answers to all your entertaining questions.

Q: My wife and I enjoy giving parties. At our last party a friend we had invited showed up with a plus one. We had not invited him to bring a friend. We were hospitable, but it annoyed us both. Were we being petty? How do you handle an uninvited guest?

A: It’s bad form to bring a guest to a party without rst clearing it with the host. All the same, your only civilized course of action is to roll with it, as you did, and make the uninvited person feel welcome. ere’s no point in getting upset about it, since the whole reason we entertain is to have a good time and help guests do the same. If it’s a sit-down dinner, you have no choice but to be gracious and squeeze in another chair and place setting. But I would leave your poorly mannered friend o future guest lists for a while.

Do you have a question about entertaining? Email it to mjackson@inkansascity.com

PRIORITIZE PRESENT NEEDS

Our Man IN KC

by Damian Lair

dlair@inkansascity.com : @damianlair #OurManINKC

KC Arts—In NYC

Have you ever received an email from one of your favorite local arts organizations o ering the chance to experience another city through the lens of its art, simultaneously pulling on surprising connecting threads to Kansas City? In the past year alone, I’ve received such tantalizing invitations from The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, the Kansas City Symphony, and local art advisor Toma Wol . Undoubtedly, there are more.

is past month, I had the extreme privilege of playing a modest role in organizing an arts trip to New York City in partnership with The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey. It was my rst foray into (group) art tourism, and it will undoubtedly not be my last.

e primary occasion for our visit was the opening of Edges of Ailey at the Whitney Museum of American Art. It is the rst large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate the life, dances, in uences, and enduring legacy of the visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey.

e Kansas City connection here was strong. Ailey frequented Kansas City and commissioned works related to Kansas City. But he also wished for the o cial second home to the Alvin Ailey American Dance eatre to be established here. It was.

Instrumental in that process was Allan Gray, a long-time friend of Ailey’s. When Mr. Ailey passed, he entrusted his personal e ects to Gray. e Allan Gray Family Personal Papers of Alvin Ailey include notebooks, calendars, correspondence, and Ailey’s book library—all re ecting the dynamic energy of a restless creative mind. e articles belong on a long-term loan from Gray to the Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City, and they were the foundation for this mammoth exhibit that currently occupies the full 5th oor of the Whitney Museum.

Interspersed among the illustrative personal items are monumental artworks by more than 80 artists—some of whom knew Ailey during his life, and others who were commissioned to create works inspired by Ailey’s life. Some legendary artists represented include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Rashid Johnson, Kara Walker, Glenn Ligon, Kerry James Marshall, and Mickalene omas. Our group not only received special invitations to the Whitney’s dazzling preopening fête, but we were the very rst to receive a tour with the curatorial sta prior to the exhibit’s o cial opening. It was a rare and savored experience.

Who tried to bribe their new boyfriend’s way into a wedding, o ering contraband in exchange?

I’ll shamelessly tick through a few of our other unduplicable exploits— each of which could be its own column.

We met with artist Paul Anthony Smith for a private tour of his new show, Antil-

OVERHEARD

“He taught me life’s most important lesson: Always get jalapeños on your sandwich—they jumpstart your metabolism and keep you thin.”

lean, at the renowned Jack Shainman Gallery. e humble and talented Jamaican is a proud product of and return visitor to the Kansas City Art Institute I will not rest until one of his pictotage artworks hangs on my wall. We visited a show of Liza Lou’s works, whose mind-blowing beaded artwork began to gain attention when two of her works, Kitchen and Back Yard (both environments were created with millions of glass beads and required years of assembly), were rst shown together in 1998 at our very own Kemper Museum. We later saw her incredible Trailer work, recently installed permanently in the Brooklyn Museum’s lobby entrance. ( e tour was graciously provided by Catherine Futter, the former director of curatorial a airs at the Nelson-Atkins and who is now in that role at the Brooklyn Museum.)

Another not-accessible-to-the-public experience was the visit to the preserved apartment and studio of the late artists Christo and JeanneClaude. Residents of Kansas City in 1978 will vividly remember their site-speci c work Wrapped Walk Ways in Loose Park. More than 135,000 square feet of sa ron-colored nylon fabric covered nearly three miles of park walkways. It was the infancy of these massive, fabric-based artworks, whose sites later included cities such as New York, Paris, London, Miami, and Berlin. Christo and Jeanne-Claude desperately needed a city

Damian Lair with acclaimed artist Hank Willis Thomas.

HOT GOSSIP:

ONE PASSION, THREE GENERATIONS

Discover artisan jewelry, handcrafted in Tuscany and inspired by its timeless beauty.

CRAFTED WITH LOVE

Each DelBrenna piece features our iconic interlinking chain—a signature design passed down through generations.

MORE THAN JEWELRY

Every creation embodies our family’s heritage, blending Italian tradition with modern elegance, link by link.

FROM ITALY TO KC

Born from the love story of Sebastian and Megan, DelBrenna has flourished from Tuscany to our Kansas City boutique. Visit us and experience a touch of Italy.

Our Man IN KC

open-minded enough to let two artists’ imaginations run wild. Kansas City opened the door, and the world is forever changed.

One evening we were entertained at the apartment of Raymond McGuire and Crystal McCray, who have amassed perhaps the most signi cant private collection of works by Black artists. Waitsta passed canapes and Champagne as we enjoyed unfettered access to their two-story Central Park West apartment. Incredible does not begin to describe. While there, Thelma Golden, the director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, dropped by to raise a glass to Julián Zugazagoitia, her dear friend who she has known and admired since his pre-Nelson-Atkins days, when he served as director of the Museo del Barrio in New York City.

While there were many more illustrious stops along our journey, a portion of the nal day with Hank Willis Thomas at his Brooklyn studio left me speechless. He is one of the most celebrated artists of our time, tackling themes of social justice, identity, commodity, gender, and ethnicity. We were awarded what felt like an embarrassing amount of time with him as he discussed his practice and allowed us to examine works still in various states of process. Un nished, pixelated diptych portraits of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, entirely made from children’s cereal, re ect his whimsical criticism of the American political state (read: junk food). We were among the very rst to receive copies of his not-yet-released book, For Freedoms—Where Do We Go From Here? e book encapsulates the work of For Freedoms, an artist-led organization that uses art as a catalyst for creative civic engagement, discourse, and direct action. Across the studio, his recent exploration of retrore ective vinyl as a medium for his practice was also on full display. is entails a story I want to tell so badly, but I must wait until an embargo has been lifted. e same goes for news related to Christo and Jeanne-Claude. But I promise to loop you in— right here—when I am able.

e next time you’re shu ing through emails and run across a Kansas City-organized opportunity such as this, it might be worth a closer look. I made several new friends and became even closer to the ones I was so happy to join. Special thanks are due to my treasured (and most persuasive) friend, Sharon Ho man, who delivered the art world star power with cosmic force.

SPOTTED: Julián Zugazagoitia, Ann Baum, Lynne Buckley, Dr. Valerie Chow & Hon. Jon Gray, Bunni & Paul Copaken, Erica Crenshaw, Sharon & John Ho man, Carol Hudson, Kim Klein, Sandra & Dr. Willie Lawrence, Jr., Sheryll Meyers, Mary Anne & Stephen McDowell, Barbara Nicely, Tyrone Aiken, Carla Williams-Evans, Nicole Ratli , Sara Hale, Stephanie Fox Knappe

JUNTOS SOMOS MEJORES

“WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.” It is a guiding principle of Marissa and Mark Gencarelli, and that was fully evident when I recently had a tour of Yoli Tortilleria’s headquarters and tortilla manufacturing facility, just o Southwest Boulevard.

Marissa missed the tortillas from her hometown in Sonora, Mexico. e region’s tortillas were made using the ancient MesoAmerican nixtamalization process (corn steeped in an alkaline solution that unlocks more of the corn’s avor and nutrients) and noth-

ing like you could nd locally.

Marissa and Mark both worked at Cerner. (Marissa’s early mentor was Cli Illig.) Amid the pandemic and Cerner’s tumultuous acquisition— and instead of baking bread or binge-watching Tiger King —they began tortilla making as an outlet for stress.

Who clubbed a heneating opossum with a ashlight and later revisited with a pistol?

ere was no magical family recipe. As Marissa explained, tortillas aren’t something people really make for themselves. ey’re inexpensive and plentiful at local shops, and the process requires a lot of equipment. So, she and Mark experimented to develop their own recipe. e result was Yoli.

ey began casually selling at weekend farmers markets, then to some local restaurants, and then some larger retail outlets. After three years, the business was large enough that Marissa could quit her corporate job and focus solely on Yoli. Mark would later follow.

At their headquarters, I was stuck both by how fascinating the process was, but also how incredibly humble. For its original corn tortillas, Yoli uses almost entirely local corn. It is soaked in lime water, which softens the shells. e mixture is heated and steeped overnight. In the morning—as I witnessed—the softened corn is fed into a grinder made from hand-carved volcanic stones. e resulting corn paste is called masa, and I got to taste it straight from the grinder. It reminded me of polenta, which I adore.

e masa is then fed into a machine that presses and cuts the tortilla shapes, which are rolled into a high-temperature oven, where they fall out in pu y perfection and are immediately packaged. I’ve not previously had the experience of eating a pu y, freshly baked tortilla, but it’s an experience I won’t soon forget.

In addition to corn tortillas, Yoli has recently added our ones. You can nd them at more than 30 Whole Foods locations and a growing number of other grocers. ey have gradually added chips, salsas, aggua frescas, and tamales. And that retail shop/tortilla kitchen on the Westside? Moving the tortilla making to a larger o -site kitchen created space for a cozy restaurant that just opened (retaining the grab and go retail component). Plus, there’s the very popular restaurant at the new KC Current stadium. ( e line moves quickly!) e couple has more than a few exciting plans yet on the horizon—but I’ll let them break that news as they’re ready.

Finally—if you’ve ever wondered (like I have) about the woman gracing every package with her brilliantly owing hair, glamourous sunglasses, and waving red head scarf—well, that’s Marissa’s mother. It’s her, frozen in time, as their family traveled Mexico in a tiny car, searching for highlights of the country’s diverse food culture— something they treasured doing together as a family.

I positively fell in love with Marissa and Yoli that day. It touched my heart knowing that such an incredible establishment was honored last year with the prestigious James

HOT GOSSIP:

Beard Foundation’s coveted “Outstanding Bakery” award. The top bakery in the country was not turning out fine French pastries, but rather, a thoughtful tortilla. I think Marissa’s remarks at the awards ceremony put it best:

“Thank you for helping us honor the very humble tortilla. Kansas City is a lot like Yoli’s tortillas. Like Yoli’s, we’ve recently scored some big wins, the NFL draft, World Cup, and others. And just as the tortilla is not a pretentious food, Kansas City is not pretentious either. Like Yoli’s tortillas, however, we are authentic. And at the end of the day, we deliver, and people have noticed.”

ART & DESIGN AUCTION

EVERY OTHER YEAR, the Kansas City Art Institute hosts its Art & Design Auction. Its biennial occurrence adds buzzy anticipation for the event—something I’ve previously opined that other philanthropic organizations might consider. It also allows the Art Institute ample time to gather a full gallery of noteworthy artworks for this prized auction.

The lush campus courtyard lawn was the perfect site for this early-autumn evening gathering. Guests were greeted by site-specific artworks created by KCAI students. Tents sheltered artisanal cocktails by Sidecar Catering Co. and grabbable bites by Olive Events Talya Groves (a personal local fave vocalist) and The Royal Chief vividly performed from an adjacent stage. And scattered across the yard were aerial-hoop artists and a flame-torch operator who timed his flamethrowing to the nearby music (very popular for selfies).

Filling the entirety of the KCAI Gallery were nearly 200 artworks displayed for purchase via silent auction throughout the evening. For the first time, the exhibition had been open to the public for two weeks leading up to the event, with the auction serving as the exclusive closing celebration. I narrowed my bidding to a large, black-and-white graphic piece by the KCAI printmaking chair, Miguel Rivera. Ever the savvy online bidder, I was stealthily outbid at the closing bell.

Besides the Rivera piece, there were other standouts. One was a cement and stretched fiber piece by Marie Bannerot McInerney (’02 Fiber)—my good friend Kim Klein was outbid on this one, so my misery had company. There was also an incredible two-woman ceramic sculpture by Bernadette Esperanza Torres (‘91 Ceramics) that fetched several thousand. The sizeable Lester Goldman also commanded a worthy sum. All in all, it was another fantastic event celebrating the engine of creativity in our community that is KCAI.

SPOTTED: Chad & Taylor Grossenkemper, Christy & Bill Gautreaux, Sue & Lewis Nerman, Jeanne & Charlie Sosland, Pam & Gary Gradinger, Linda & Topper Johntz, Ellen & Jamie Copaken, Lynn & Lance Carlton, Kristin Goodman, Linda Goodman, Helen & Frank Wewers, Susie & Tom Corbin, Andy Bash, Tom Styrkowicz, Taylor Gozia, Kellen Whaley, Adam Gebhardt, Lorece Chanelle, Michael Hopkins

OVERHEARD

“If I looked like that, I would cry.”

So, KC—where do you want to go? XO

BY Judith Fertig

Whitney Huell

BALLERINA ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS

photo by Jeff Evrard

Call it a dancer’s hat trick. When Whitney Huell laces up her ballet slippers for this year’s Nutcracker from the Kansas City Ballet, she will be dancing not one, not two, but three roles: Sugar Plum Fairy, the Snow Queen, and Rose. A member of the ballet since 2014, Huell says, “ ese challenging roles give me the opportunity to improve technically and artistically year to year.”

She’s also proud of being selected as a 2024 Arts/Entertainment Honoree for the Monument to Freedom, Justice and Cour-

equitybank.com/earlypay

Arts & Culture IN KC

age, which honors those who have made significant contributions since the Civil Rights Movement in Jackson County.

Huell trained at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and attended Indiana University, earning a B.S. in Ballet and Psychology before joining Ballet West in Salt Lake City.

In 2018 she was featured as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Devon Carney’s production of The Nutcracker, becoming the first Black woman in KCB history to perform the role. In 2024 Huell participated in Pathways to Performance: Exercises in Reframing the Narrative, performing at The Kennedy Center and Jacob’s Pillow.

So, when the curtain goes up at the first performance of The Nutcracker on December 5, keep an eye out for multi-talented Huell.

INKC: You majored in both ballet and psychology at Indiana University. That’s an interesting combo! How do they mesh in your current life?

Whitney Huell: The ballet program at IU thoroughly prepared me for my career as a professional ballet dancer. The program had similar repertory and was scheduled in such a way that made transitioning into a professional ballet company somewhat seamless. My studies in psychology were very beneficial for my mental health and navigating the nonphysical aspects of the ballet world. Ballet is hard, not only physically but mentally, and my education has helped me navigate challenges and excel in my current life.

INKC: If you could wave a Sugar Plum Fairy wand, what role(s) would you love to dance and why?

WH: I would love to dance the role of Kitri in Don Quixote. Her character is spirited and playful, with choreography filled with jumps and turns that are my personal favorite. It is a dream of mine to perform the leading principal role in a full-length ballet with multiple acts and Kitri would be the role to fulfill that dream.

INKC: In your ten years with the Kansas City Ballet, how do you think you’ve grown and developed as a dancer?

WH: Kansas City Ballet has provided me with an environment to discover my dancing potential. In these ten years I have grown to become more aware of my body, which has helped me improve technically. This awareness has also aided in my performances, allowing me to approach roles, challenges, and opportunities with maturity.

INKC: When you’re not practicing or dancing, where do you like to go in Kansas City to hang out with friends?

WH: I’ve been on the hunt for healthy-food options in Kansas City, so exploring restaurants is always on the to-do list with friends. As a recent homeowner, I hope to have friends over to hang out now that I have a place to entertain. My husband and I also love to go to the movies, where reclining chairs are a must.

Arts & Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

INFINITE REGRESS: MYSTICAL ABSTRACTION FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION AND BEYOND

NOW THROUGH FEBRUARY 23, 2025, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art presents an exhibit that will make your head spin—in a good way.

All creativity, all art, all knowledge is ever evolving, making connections from past to present, becoming cumulative over time. This exhibit offers a “dialogue” between works by artists Joseph Stella, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Marsden Hartley in the museum’s permanent collection and contemporary artists Eamon Ore-Giron, Chelsea Culprit, and Shannon Bool.

Infinite Regress is also the title of a series of paintings by Ore-Giron in which each work is a slight variation on its predecessor. The series is intended to disrupt notions of stable or fixed knowledge, progressing by always looking to the past yet with new perspectives. Art and ideas advance by recycling their own histories, an idea that curator Kevin Moore brings to our attention.

For more information, visit kemperart.org.

Dance of Spring (Song of the Birds) by Joseph Stella

VITAMIN STRING QUARTET

YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD this happen to you. You’re out and about and suddenly you hear this classic crossover music. It’s Bach, but it’s contemporary. Or a pop tune that sounds like Bach. You’re trying to place where you’ve heard it. And suddenly, it dawns on you—Bridgerton

On Thursday, November 7, the talented Los Angelesbased Vitamin String Quartet comes to town with a one-night performance for all you Bridgerton, Jane Austen, and Taylor Swift fans out there. And you know who you are.

The New York Observer remarked, “VSQ’s atmospheric hits have made classical versions of pop music cool,” from Billie Eilish to BTS, Daft Punk to The Weeknd. Vitamin String Quartet has many covers featured in the Netflix series Bridgerton, such as Nirvana’s Stay Away and Robyn’s Dancing On My Own. Covers of Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy and Lady Gaga’s Poker Face were used in the 2024 Doctor Who episode “Rogue,” serving as an homage to Bridgerton

Makes you want to minuet your heart out.

For more information and tickets, visit kauffmancenter.org.

November means it’s time for fall décor and cleanup, not to mention preparing beds for spring—and perhaps tucking in some flowering bulbs for a long winter’s nap. If all that sounds like a lot of work, just call us today and we’ll take care of everything, from design to installation to maintenance.

November means it’s time for fall décor and cleanup, not to mention preparing beds for spring—and perhaps tucking in some flowering bulbs for a long winter’s nap. If all that sounds like a lot of work, just call us today and we’ll take care of everything, from design to installation to maintenance.

Arts

by Judith Fertig

FIGARO, FIGARO, FIGARO, FIGARO

FROM NOVEMBER 15 THROUGH 17, Kansas City Lyric Opera performs the classic The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini (music) from the comedy written by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais.

An opera buffa, or comic opera, this light-hearted comedy of errors from the early 19th century struck a major chord with filmmakers and cartoonists in the 20th. Charles Foster Kane tries, without success, to groom his second wife to be an opera star a la The Barber of Seville in Citizen Kane. The classic cartoons Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny, and Woody Woodpecker all took on the opera. Operatic strains also accompanied an episode of Seinfeld, when Jerry was attempting to change Italian barbers.

So, who, you might ask, is that Figaro whose name gets repeated? He was a former servant, turned barber, of Count Almaviva, who wanted the beautiful Rosina to love him for himself, not his money. Figaro even gets his own aria, in which he sings about his love of life. Figaro agrees to help his old boss woo Rosina. But of course, the path of true love never runs smoothly.

For more information and tickets, visit kcopera.org.

HIP-HOP NUTCRACKER

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN the classic German story by E.T.A. Ho man and the Russian music of Peter Tchaikovsky meets the hip-hop culture of New York City?

You get a fun, fast, audience-participation holiday mashup by Emmy- and Tony-Award nominee Jennifer Weber, currently on tour across the country and in Kansas City for just one performance on Wednesday, November 20.

Twelve dancers, a violinist, a deejay, and digital gra ti bring the sights and sounds of hip-hop culture to the stage.

MC Kurtis Blow, a rapper, songwriter, and record producer— sort of a godfather of hip-hop—gets things o to a rousing start with a medley of hip-hop cuts.

en it’s New Year’s Eve, and we soon nd Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince battle a gang of mice and escape through a subway to the Land of Sweets. ere’s a pair of magical red sneakers and lots of breakdancing stunts.

Wrote one critic, “In certain parts, the show’s hip-hop style seemed so perfectly suited to Tchaikovsky’s music that I became convinced this is actually a better way to tell e Nutcracker.”

Can’t say it any better than that!

For more information and tickets, visit kau mancenter.org

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING A

KITCHEN RENOVATION

Photos by Randy Van

Year after year, some face the holidays with an outdated kitchen but continue to hope for more—like a complete kitchen transformation. Why settle for less this holiday season when the ultimate gift for yourself and your family could be the kitchen of your dreams? Can’t do a total transformation? Here are some fresh ideas to think about this holiday season.

HIGH-IMPACT TILE FOR A BOLD NEW LOOK

“Tile is the least expensive way of expressing yourself in your kitchen,” says Belgian-born Karin Ross, the owner of Karin Ross Designs. “It can make a big change, and yet it is easier to replace

than cabinets if you want a different look down the road.” By choosing colorful, textured tiles, you can give your kitchen a festive flair that lasts well beyond the holidays. Consider bold geometric designs like triangular tile in glossy or matte finishes that capture the sparkle of the season and elevate the mood.

FUNCTIONAL AND FABULOUS WITH A 45-INCH SINK

Holiday cooking often reveals the shortcomings of an outdated kitchen. A large, 45-inch sink with two faucets is a game-changer when preparing for holiday feasts. “A large sink makes life so much easier, and the stainless-steel finish is easy to maintain,” says Ross. Whether you’re rinsing veggies or washing large platters, this upgrade simplifies your holiday cleanup, giving you more time to spend with loved ones

LUXURIOUS COUNTERTOPS—A HOLIDAY INDULGENCE

Treat yourself to the ultimate indulgence with a countertop that’s not only stylish but also feels incredible. Choose countertops with unique elements like silver or gold flakes, which subtly reflect holiday lights, making your kitchen a centerpiece for festive décor. Plus, they’re incredibly durable, so you’ll be ready for every holiday season to come.

STATEMENT LIGHTING THAT SHINES BRIGHT

When it comes to holiday gatherings, lighting is key to setting the mood. Rather than sticking with standard pendant lights, consider making a bold statement with one dramatic fixture. Whether you opt for a sparkling chandelier or a modern, industrial piece, statement lighting enhances your kitchen’s ambiance and ties the space together in a way that’s perfect for any holiday celebration. “It’s worth the money you would spend on the other three,” Ross notes, making this a smart investment for style and function.

A KITCHEN THAT GROWS WITH YOUR FAMILY

Your kitchen’s layout doesn’t have to stay the same forever. If your family’s needs have changed, so should your space. “Your family grows and changes, and your kitchen needs to change with it,” says Ross. Whether you want to swap a homework station for a larger island to accommodate guests or create more storage space for holiday cookware, a custom kitchen design can make sure your kitchen evolves with your lifestyle.

A RENOVATION THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

A kitchen remodel isn’t just a gift to enjoy during the holidays; it’s an investment that pays off year-round. According to the National Home Builders Association, a renovated kitchen can return 70 to 75 percent of your investment when you sell. In Kansas City’s strong housing market, Ross estimates that her clients see re -

turns as high as 80 to 85 percent. With rising home values, there’s no better time to remodel and reap the rewards.

NO HOLIDAY DELAYS—START NOW

One of the best reasons to remodel now? Karin Ross Designs ensures there are no waiting delays during installation. With products in stock and Nick Ross overseeing the work, your kitchen will be transformed on schedule, just in time for the holiday season. Ross adds, “Our clients know we will take care of it all,” making the process stress-free and enjoyable.

So, why wait? Give yourself and your family the ultimate Christmas gift—a dream kitchen that enhances your holiday experience and your home’s value for years to come.

IWRAPPED IN LUXURY

t’s nally time. All fall we’ve been looking forward to swaddling ourselves in warm, cozy knits that signify cooler weather. If it’s cashmere or alpaca, all the better.

Cashmere from cashmere goats and alpaca from (of course) alpacas both feature a soft, luxurious feel. Unlike wool, which can be irritating, these natural bers are sumptuous and silky. Look for fabrics that are 100 percent cashmere or alpaca for the com est wear. If it’s mixed with wool or (horrors!) synthetic fabrics, it won’t promise the same supersoft, plush yet chic t. It’s an investment, but it’s worth it.

Lauren Manoogian long shawl alpaca Finefolk

Royal alpaca faux-wrap dress, $279, available at Peruvian Connection cardigan, $660,

$325, available at Clairvaux.

TWP cashmere cardigan, $895, available at Halls

Éterne Francis cashmere sweater, $365, available at Blackbird Collection

HAIR DOS

Let’s face it. We are hard on our hair. If it’s dry and damaged from color-treating, blow-drying, heated tools, a summer in the sun, or just plain neglect, a hard-working, nourishing hair mask can make it shine.

A restorative treatment salvages a variety of sins. Curly or straight, thick or ne, dry or oily, there’s a mask for any hair texture and hair woe. One of these masks should have a place of honor on your shower shelf.

ink of it as a spa day for your lush locks.

FOR DRY HAIR

Oribe Signature Moisture Masque, $66, at Flock Salon and Gallery

FOR DAMAGED HAIR

Olaplex No. 8 Bond

Intense Moisture Mask, $30, at Ulta Beauty.

FOR FINE HAIR

R+Co On a Cloud

Baobab Oil Repair

Baobab Oil Repair

Masque, $44, from Lumine Salon

FOR CURLY HAIR

Pattern Beauty by Tracee Ellis Ross treatment mask, $28, from Sephora

Salon FOR STRENGTHENING

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask, $39, from Bluemercury.

FOR COLOR-TREATED HAIR

Eros Resurrection Hair Mask, $62, at Welwythn.

Classic & Modern

Designer Katy Sullivan loves combining classic pieces with unique and unexpected elements to add personality to a home.

But above all, she enjoys the process of getting to know her clients, designing to their style, and creating a space that reflects their lives and personal aesthetic.

Come explore your style with Katy at Madden McFarland.

by Judith Fertig

Not Your Mom’s Neurosurgery

BRAIN AND BACK SURGERIES AREN’T WHAT THEY USED TO BE. A CONVERSATION WITH NEUROSURGEON JAYSON NEIL, MD

When a person learns they may need brain or spine surgery, the initial response is often apprehension, perhaps because of preconceived notions based on a friend or family member’s experience years ago.

But brain and spine surgery have both come a long way in the last few decades. Medical and technological advances now allow for less invasive procedures with decreased risk and optimal benefits.

Jayson Neil, MD, FAANS, FCNS, neurosurgeon and medical director of neurosciences at AdventHealth, explains.

“It is natural to be hesitant when you are unsure or don’t have enough information. People can also be fearful of what they might hear, or they may make assumptions about what will happen,” Neil says. “It is for exactly those reasons that I encourage patients to meet with their provider or with a surgeon. There are so many options to address many of the problems people face. Most of those options are not surgical and many could improve a patient’s quality of life or extend it. If surgery is a choice or is recommended, there are often options that people may not know exist. Even the surgeries continue to change in dramatic ways with new research, medications, technologies, and therapies.”

How are today’s technological and medical advancements allowing neurosurgeries to be performed in ways that reduce risk, improve outcomes, and raise patient satisfaction?

Every neurosurgeon is required to do an entire year of research during their training, and most neurosurgeons are involved in many research projects and publications during this time. This dedication to research produces a massive and constant wave of innovation.

For example, we have been removing brain tumors for years. But now we have better methods for finding and resecting them, including

special dyes that help the tumor glow under specific light settings on microscopes. We have a similar but separate dye for blood vessels. At AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, we not only have the most advanced microscopes but also a special type of surgeon-guided robotic 3D exoscope that allows visualization at unusual angles in a way that everyone in the operating room can see. All of this is combined with specialized software to recreate and map the patient’s head and brain in 3D to allow for less invasive and safer approaches and improved success in tumor resection. We have special therapies we can place in the tumor bed, and improved products to promote healing. At AdventHealth, we also have a new way to provide pinpoint high-dose radiation (radiosurgery) using MRI navigation.

As for spine surgery, AdventHealth recently purchased the most advanced intraoperative 3D CT scan imaging technology, which can be combined with the top spine robot to locate and treat patients using safer techniques and less invasive approaches. This allows people to have safer surgeries, less pain, and faster recoveries with fewer complications. Surgical hardware can be pre-planned so even if it is the same surgery as was done on a friend or family member a few years ago, the likelihood is that the actual technique, and therefore results, could be quite different. We are constantly striving to make sure the safest and best technology is available to our patients so that every surgery is better than what was done before.

Is surgery always the best option? What do you tell your patients? Oftentimes, surgery is actually not the best option. There are certainly circumstances in which surgery is required and in those cases, we are trying to figure out which approach or size of surgery is best for each individual patient. But in most cases, we want to make sure we have exhausted all other options, working with talented physical therapists, skilled pain management specialists, medications, or good old-fashioned stretching, exercise, and time. We listen to our patients and try to tailor their treatment to them. They are the ones who ultimately make the decisions about their care. Our job is to provide education; then if they need surgery, we do our best to deliver the optimal outcome.

What is your patient care philosophy?

I treat patients like I would want to be treated or how I would want my family treated. I try to be helpful, clear, open minded, and to educate them. I don’t “beat around the bush,” and I always encourage the patient to make sure they are being cared for by someone they trust. It’s what I would want and it’s what they deserve. AdventHealthKC.com/Neurosurgery

Jayson Neil, MD

Introducing

AdventHealth Fertility Center

AdventHealth is pleased to welcome the patients, providers and staff of Midwest Reproductive Center, now providing expert fertility care for women and men at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission.

Now called the AdventHealth Fertility Center, the practice is led by experienced, Board-certified reproductive endocrinologist Dan Gehlbach, MD.

For information, visit AdventHealthKC.com/Fertility or call 913-780-4300.

Dan Gehlbach, MD Goldie Bjornstad, APRN, FNP-C

Johni Kilton, APRN, WHNP-BC

Amador Trio

HOLIDAY

LIGHTS, HOCKEY PUCKS, & A WHOLE LOTTA HOLLY JOLLY

The best place to bring in the holidays is Bright at Bluhawk. Savor wintry treats, whisk away your wish lists (no need to check them twice!), and play some reindeer games at Bluhawk’s brand-new AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk. Add to it a Holiday Tree Lighting on November 29, and it’s not just Bright at Bluhawk — it’s everything and then some.

by Patricia O’Dell

What’s Trending

HOME DESIGN NOT THE PLACE FOR FAST FASHION

Ihate to admit this since I write about design for a lifestyle magazine, but during the pandemic I dropped all my domestic shelter magazine subscriptions. I kept World of Interiors because its content remained strong and diverse. In addition, I pulled out my vintage magazines—I had stacks of old House and Gardens, Architectural Digest, and Elle Décor—and relied on them for comfort and distraction.

Slowly, I’ve been resubscribing. ings were going well until a few months ago when I opened the pages of a current national shelter magazine and thought it was a retrospective. Finding spaces lled with curved furniture, bold combinations of orange, lime, mauve, fuchsia and shiny metals was not completely unfamiliar. My childhood home incorporated many of these elements. I was surprised to nd them on current pages. at issue was not an anomaly. Feature after feature, page after page of the same trends have followed.

I’m o ering an unsolicited piece of advice. Classic furniture and lighting endure. A well-crafted tuxedo sofa will last you from your rst cramped apartment to the one that overlooks some greenspace and has an elevator big enough for you, your dog, and your walker. e curved

and overstu ed upholstery that looks like something out of anime may provide a cocoon-like perch, but I fear you’ll nd yourself taking it to the thrift shop in less than a decade. A sofa isn’t the same as high-end denim. Invest well and good pieces should move with you.

As for color, neutrals and blues seem to always have a few hues that are at least classically adjacent. A dash of red or orange may grab the attention and raise a pulse. An entirely red room is another matter indeed. If you’re not Billy Baldwin, I’d proceed, but with care. (And if you’re unfamiliar with Billy Baldwin, google him.) His “red room” for Diana Vreeland is legendary and was perfect for her, but it was not his standard approach.

I’m sitting in a chair now that is getting ready to shed its old skin after 20 years and start anew. I’d covered her and her twin with yellow leather and now will be giving them a new natural wardrobe. With any luck, we’ll grow creased and wrinkled together and someday they will end up in one of the homes of my grandchildren. At least, I hope they will. I suppose one of my three boys will have to make a timeless match of his own.

The living room of interior designer Will Brown is a classic mix of tailored sofa, a pair of midcentury chairs, an iconic Wassily chair, and modern art, with small pops of color provided by the accessories.

Left: Zellige square tiles. Right: Mosaïque Surface’s Bryant Square Petite Signature tiles. Both are available at International Materials of Design

BRICK BY BRICK

TILE IS A TRIUMPH

TILE HAS A SPECIAL PLACE in any home project, and the current finish choices have become more interesting as they take on more organic textures and forms. Certainly, marble and soapstone are still strong players in the floor game, but terracotta and porcelain have maintained a solid foundation.

Tile is one area where the breadth of selection is a delight. Moroccan and delft tiles provide updated looks that have long histo-

ries. Three dimensional elements and organic textures create interest without needing to overwhelm. And I’m still enamored with zellige tiles. They have been around a while, but they still feel fresh with their jagged edges, wavy surfaces, and with the perfect dash of glossy finish.

While solid fields fare well, creating custom patterns—stripes, frames, and diagonals—keeps rooms fresh and personal. One of my favorite current looks is solid tiles embellished with metallics. A wink of flash seems great for a powder-room floor or home-bar backsplash. Why not go for the gold?

An English Vision

A GRANDMILLENIAL’S DREAM FROM A SEASONED PROFESSIONAL

by Patricia O’Dell

For more than 20 years, English designer Ben Pentreath has been a champion of exceptional English design, creating homes, interiors, and town developments that are both traditional and modern, timeless and boldly contemporary. Pentreath, whose client list includes King Charles, has a reputation for commercial projects with an abiding sense of history and place, interiors that sing with color and texture, and residences that replace fussy excess with a light, e ortless sense of comfort and harmony.

An English Vision showcases two decades’ worth of Pentreath’s projects exploring his distinctive approach to architecture, design, and decoration. Projects include the restoration of a house on Regent’s Park in London, rural retreats, and historic country homes. My favorite chapter highlights village and farm projects, including a romantic West Cornwall seaside escape, a small Georgian farm, and Pentreath’s own home in West Dorset.

e book re ects Pentreath’s re ned yet playful style, which integrates history, tradition, the di erent rhythms of time, and the personal tastes of his clients. It is not to be missed.

Above: The drawing room and exterior of an English Baroque house in Dorset, England. Bottom, right: A detail of the dining room in a Regent’s Park home with a mural painted by Alasdair Peebles. Left: Ben Pentreath.

SID & CO. ON THE MOVE

CHANGE OF ADDRESS FOR LOCAL DESIGN STUDIO

DESIGNER MARK SUDERMANN and Jean-Anne Sudermann, Mark’s partner in life and business, have moved their design firm, SID & Co., from 45th Street and State Line Road to 21 W. Gregory Boulevard in Waldo. The bright and cheerful space is both office and showroom for the furniture lines that they carry (and love) and a healthy selection of accessories— both vintage and new—that are available for their clients and any lucky, beauty-loving soul who pops by to see what is up. The layout of the space and its finishing are great inspirations themselves. In fact, my husband reconsidered our kitchen countertop selection during a recent visit.

The shop is open Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., as well as the occasional Saturday afternoon. Calling first on Saturday before you swing by is a good idea. sidandcompany.com

EXPERIENCE MORE WITH 100+ SHOPS & RESTAURANTS, OUTLET PRICES, AND SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON!

LEGENDARY TREE LIGHTING: NOV 16 | BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND: NOV 29-DEC 1 | 12 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS: DEC 1-26

COOKING IS A CELEBRATION OF DETAILS

The Hestan team spent years working alongside America’s most celebrated chefs, reinventing restaurant kitchens with award-winning innovation. Now they’ve reimagined your home kitchen. More power. More control. More inspiration. Hestan products are built to meet the needs of the most demanding home chefs, and that could be you. This traditionally styled full Hestan kitchen features built-in Ensemble Refrigeration and Wine Storage, an undercounter Ice Machine, Refrigerator Drawers and a Dishwasher. The 48” Dual Fuel Range and Hood are shown in Hestan’s exclusive “Pacific Fog,” one of 12 available colors.

19th Annual Winter Art and Estates Auction

Live In-person with Telephone, Internet, and Absentee Bidding

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7 AT 12 NOON

Lone Jack, Missouri

Join us for one of our most important offerings of the year featuring original works by major American artists, a selection of fine prints, and the presentation of two recently discovered artist’s estates. Details on special preview opportunities around the metro, and a series of scholarly talks on spotlight artists will be announced soon.

26th Annual Spring Fine Art Auction

Friday, June 7 at 12 noon

Paintings, American Pencil Signed Prints and Regionalist Works by Benton, Wood and Curry.

Re-Visions

A Series of Retrospectives Exploring the Life’s Work of a Beloved and Influential Kansas City Artist.

FEBRUARY 2025

Join us at Unity Temple on the Plaza for exhibitions, guest speakers, and opportunities to view, engage with, and acquire works from this artist’s estate.

Louis Schanker (1903-1981) Oil on Canvas 1944.

Birger Sandzen (1871-1954) The Great Spires, 1922

Thomas Hart Benton (1889 - 1975) Buffalo River Springs Tempera and Watercolor

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) The Seneca Discover the French Mural Study for New York Power Authority Moses-Saunders Power Dam, 1956

Birger Sandzen (1871-1954) Oil on Canvas 1917

Alan Shields (1944-2005) Mixed Media Art of The American Southwest

Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller

John Nathaniel Fenton (1912-1977) Pencil

Santa’s Not-So-Secret Mi ion

He’s making a list and checking it twice. But this year, he’s gonna find out who’s KIND and nice.

Santa Claus is coming to town along with an interactive ornament that does good in the world. And he’s looking for lots and lots of helpers.

For 25 years, Kansas City-based DEMDACO has been on a mission to “Lift the Spirit” through creating meaningful gifts that celebrate life’s precious moments. Now, they’re partnering with Santa himself to spread that mission in an innovative way that’s capturing hearts across the country.

Santa’s Kindness Ornament is a gift that keeps on giving…kindness.

“DEMDACO has always believed in creating products that resonate with people’s lives and values,” says Demi Lloyd, CEO of DEMDACO. “Santa’s Kindness Ornament is a perfect example of how we can inspire kids to spread kindness and focus on what truly matters during the holidays.”

From December 1 through 26th, this ornament helps families count down to Christmas with videos, messages, and activities from the jolly old elf himself.

Santa’s message to kids? Help him spread a little kindness every day.

“

Ho. Ho. Ho. Santa Says. .

Santa might suggest baking cookies to share with friends and neighbors. Or simply giving someone in your family a hug or telling them what you like about them. He might hint that helping with a household task spreads kindness, too. And he definitely gets Mrs. Claus and the Elves involved.

“We’re excited about this new addition that we launched last year,” says Demi Lloyd, CEO of DEMDACO. “Our Santa’s Kindness Ornament has resonated deeply with families.

DEMDACO has always believed in creating products that resonate with people’s lives and values,” says Demi Lloyd, CEO of DEMDACO. “Santa’s Kindness Ornament is a perfect example of how we can inspire kids to spread kindness and focus on what truly matters during the holidays.”

Not only does Santa’s Kindness Ornament makes a beautiful statement on your Christmas tree, but it also does much more. After you hang the ornament on the tree:

• Scan the Santa Link QR code on the ornament.

• Register your Safe Scan PIN.

• Scan the ornament several times a day, starting December 1st, and you’ll receive video messages from Santa asking children for help sharing acts of kindness and caring for others.

Plus, Santa will ask kids to write, draw, and play games in the Kindness Journal that is included with each ornament—creating a meaningful keepsake for families. Extra journals (so each child can have one) are sold separately.

Our research found that 86% of parents reported that their kids showcased kindness and that families spent more time together as a result of experiencing the ornament.”

Founded in 1997 by Lloyd and Dave Kiersznowski, DEMDACO is a Kansas City-based company that creates products that lift the spirit and help celebrate life’s most cherished moments. With over 10,000 retailers that sell their products, chances are you have seen DEMDACO gifts that emphasize friendship, love, comfort, and delight.

“This isn’t just about selling products,” Lloyd explains. “It’s about creating meaningful experiences that resonate with our core values. Just as we’ve spent decades nurturing a workplace culture of kindness and community involvement here in Kansas City, Santa’s Kindness Ornament helps families create their own culture of caring.”

Like Elf on a Shelf or Advent calendars, the Santa’s Kindness Ornament puts the emphasis on sharing goodness instead of receiving stuff. It can usher in a new and welcome holiday tradition.

In addition to santaskindness.com and Amazon, you can find Santa’s Kindness Ornament at retailers around town—and around the country. A store locator at the bottom of the web site will help you find a participating retailer near you.

“We hope you’ll join us in a fun and heartwarming way to spread kindness in Kansas City,” says Lloyd.

John Putch IN CONVERSATION WITH

words by Cindy Hoedel photo by Bob Mckluskey

His mom was Edith Bunker (actress Jean Stapleton) and his dad was a theater director, so show business is in director John Putch’s blood, but it was a secondary passion that plunked Putch down in Kansas City this summer: football.

Putch was born and raised in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, began acting in his father’s productions at age 5, then dropped out of college when his TV acting career took off. He went on to appear in several films before making the switch to directing. Putch has directed several independent films, including the award-winning Mojave Phone Booth. He also directs big-budget studio films, including American Pie Presents: The Book Of Love, Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure, and TV movies.

Which brings us to Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, which premieres Nov. 30 on the Hallmark Channel and which features a number of Chiefs players, Coach Reid, and Donna Kelce.

Putch lives with his wife, Julie, and their cat, Tippi. The couple divides their time between Studio City, California, and midcoast Maine, where he was relaxing when he spoke with IN Kansas City about his extended time in Kansas City and Arrowhead Stadium.

When did you first hear about the script for Holiday Touchdown and why were you interested in it?

I had done two previous films for Hallmark, one at the Biltmore (A Biltmore Christmas) and one at Radio City Music Hall with the Rockettes (A Holiday Spectacular). So when Hallmark called and said, “Are you available? This is big and you’re the only guy that can do it because it involves football,” I said, “I’m in.” I didn’t even read it.

What’s the deal with you and football?

I love it! I’m a huge fan. We’re in the thick of it right now. In the fall, from Thursday through Monday night, you cannot interrupt me while I’m watching the games. I’m there. When I asked where the football movie was set and they said, “Kansas City,” I go, “it’s the Chiefs!”

I was super excited because I knew I’d get to see the inner sanctum, which I did, and I’m very happy.

What was your impression of Kansas City on your first visit?

This is probably going to sound funny, but coming from a big, clogged city like Los Angeles, we all were remarking on how very easy it was to get around. There was no traffic! We’re in the middle of downtown during rush hour at 8 o’clock in

the morning, and we’re looking around and it’s crickets. We’re going, “Where is everybody? Don’t people go to work in these buildings?” That was our number one impression, “It’s a giant city. Where are the cars?” You guys are lucky.

We have tons of highways but not many cars on them. It’s amazing. We drove daily going out to Arrowhead. It was so easy to get to all the locations. Great. Also, very clean! The streets were clean, coming from dirty LA.

What was the weather like when you were filming, and did it present any headaches?

Oh, yeah. The huge challenge during shooting was the oppressive heat in July. One particular day we were shooting at Arrowhead—it was a very important day. We had all of the players, all the principals. It was the end of the movie; they are at midfield—Coach Reid and Jenna Bush Hager, Mecole Hardman Jr., George Karlaftis, Clyde Edwards-Helaire—and it’s 100 degrees in the shade and there was no shade. It was really hard. Everybody was sweating a lot, it was a huge challenge.

And the movie takes place in winter.

Oh, yeah. [Laughs] In order to get this made, to get this out for this Christmas, ordinarily they would have done something like this in January. But we were trying to fake December in July. So what you’ll see when you watch the movie is a whole lot of special effects of adding snow and adding frost breath coming out of people’s mouths and stuff like that.

The hard part was, we had thousands of extras at the stadium, and they all had to come bundled up like it was winter. We told them to wear a T-shirt underneath so you can take off your jacket and muffler and hat between shots, but prepare to get warm.

And, man, Chiefs Nation is an amazing bunch of people. They were out in full force to support their team and the movie. Nobody complained. It was amazing.

What were some of the other locations where you filmed besides Arrowhead?

We shot mostly in Independence.

I thought it looked like Independence in the trailer, but I wasn’t sure.

Yes. And in the movie, we set the two little shops—the barbecue joint that one of the grandparent’s owns and the Chiefs gift shop—in Independence. We didn’t pretend they were somewhere else, and some of the characters reside in Independence.

What was working with the Chiefs like for you, as a big football fan?

The Chiefs were amazing. The access and hospitality they extended to us was insane. I’ve never had such a pleasant working experience with such a big outfit. They were into it, and they helped us make this movie. We got to know a lot of them in the sales and marketing and managerial departments, some great people there. I keep in touch with some of them. It was all about scheduling. That stadium, that complex is under a schedule to the minute all year long, even when there are no games being played. We had to sidestep a Kenny Chesney concert, they were putting a floor down on the field, so we couldn’t go in there. Even just to look at things, you had to be scheduled. There’s stuff going on all the time. I marveled at it. I told a couple of people, “This is almost like a small government.” There are so many moving parts. I loved seeing that, because I’m into how stuff works.

What all did you get to see inside Arrowhead?

We shot in the marketing and sales offices. When we were there just doing prep we took a long tour of the whole facility. We got up into the VIP penthouse and looked out the window, and I said, “We’ve got to shoot something here.” We also shot in the Hall of Honor. They just gave us access to everything. There was no reason to go in the locker room, but I asked if we could go in and they were like, “Yeah!” So we got to go inside an NFL locker room. Never been in one. That was fun. Very neat and tidy, by the way.

Did anything about the locker room surprise you?

Yeah, it was deluxe. Deluxe! You know Arrowhead is pretty old, it’s from 1970 or ’71 but walking around inside, it looks brand new. It was just buttoned up and nicely done, I thought. I was impressed by it. The whole system they use to get in and out, it’s all digital on your phone, with tickets and passes. It’s really impressive.

I used to go to games at SoFi Stadium, which is in LA, a new stadium, and Arrowhead is absolutely as nice as that. I don’t get why there’s talk about them moving. I guess because of the age of the place, but it sure was nice.

John Putch, top right, with the cast of the movie.

What was it like directing Donna Kelce?

Sweet lady. Very eager to get her stuff right. Very pleasant. She came and did her work and took direction well. I think she got the hang of it and loosened up a bit. It’s a larger role for her. But she did great. And not at all overtaken with the celebrity that has come on them. She’s very down to earth, just a regular person. She rolls her eyes at all the attention, which I appreciate.

Midwesterners are generally “nice,” but was there anything you noticed that set Kansas Citians apart from other Midwesterners?

Yes. Everybody we came in contact with was super proud of their city, I noticed, and they’d go out of their way to tell you about places to go. I don’t ever, ever get that in Los Angeles, because it’s basically so large and vast that nobody actually even knows anything about it, and they’re all from somewhere else. So I found it very nice that people felt such pride of place. And again, I got to say, the Chiefs Nation of fans is flabbergasting in its support, and I’m sure it’s been this way even before they were winning titles. I was really impressed by that.

How long were you in Kansas City during filming?

About two months.

Where did you stay?

Because Hallmark has some kind of affiliation with Crown Center, everybody stayed at the Sheraton or the Westin.

What was it like being in that neighborhood?

You could walk to a few places. There’s a lot of good food down there. You could get to a few places if you didn’t mind humpin’ down the block. But there was always parking and never any traffic, like I said. [Laughs] So you just jump in your car and go half a mile down the road, and you’re at some fine eatery.

I was impressed with the foodiness. We found amazing food. It wasn’t all barbecue. There was top-drawer, James Beard-award winning stuff. We had our favorites, and we frequented them.

What were your favorites?

Farina, we loved Farina. We went to Tom’s Town Distilling Co., we loved that. We went to Jim’s Alley Bar, a really fun little place. There’s a restaurant called Novel we went to a lot. And then of course, The Golden Ox. Loved the Golden Ox—best old-fashioned I had the entire time. We rated all of them. That one was the best.

Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

Tyler Hynes and Hunter King, stars of Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.

LIGHT UP THE

ni t gh

SPARKLE, SHINE, AND RICH VELVETS DEFINE THIS YEAR’S SEASONAL FESTIVE LOOKS

PHOTOS BY Kenny Johnson

SHOT ON LOCATION AT The Mercury Room

HAIR BY Arlen Wickstrum

Flock Salon and Gallery

MAKEUP BY Silvia Duckworth

Bellisima By Silvia at Plaza West Total Beauty Med Spa

CITY SCENE

TWP pants, $595; Samsoe top, $230; Rue Sophie leather jacket, $498; Simkhai bag, $495; Aeyde Berlin boots, $545. All from Clairvaux (Shops at Fairway and Hawthorne Plaza).

GOLDEN GODDESS

Astr dress, $138; Mod + Jo earrings, $88; Dolce Vita shoes, $135; Unreal Fur coat, $529. All from Luna

By Ulah (Woodside Village).

VELVET UNDERGROUND

Circolo velvet blazer, $725; A’Nue top, $90; Both from Hudson & Jane (Crestwood Shops). Links 1974 necklace, $2,699, from DelBrenna Jewelry (Crestwood Shops).

ALL THAT GLITTERS

Vilagallo jacket, $340, and pants, $170; Zenzii earrings, $32. All from Trapp and Company (Midtown).

RAISE THE BAR

Taller Marmo dress, $1,425; Anny Nord shoes, $430; Anissa Kermiche earrings, $144. All from Blackbird Collection (Crossroads).

SITTING PRETTY

Balmain jacket, $2,450; Citizens of Humanity slacks, $238; Prada shoes, $1,150; Alexander McQueen handbag, $2,900; Cult Gaia earrings, $125. All from Halls (Crown Center).

IN FULL SWING

Velour dress, $199; beaded crochet necklace, $129. All from Peruvian Connection (Crestwood Shops).

IT’S

Give

BEST TO AND Receive!

SOME OF KANSAS CITY’S FAVORITE CHEFS AND RESTAURANT OWNERS SHARE THEIR FANTASY WISH AND GIFTS LISTS

words by Jenny Vergara

If you’re hunting for the perfect holiday gift for the food and drink lovers in your life, you’ve come to the right place. When planning our holiday issue, the team at IN Kansas City thought: Who better to ask about gifts to give food lovers than the local chefs who feed us?

So, we asked 17 local chefs who own and/or cook for some of the best restaurants in the city to share what they like to give and what they are hoping to get this year, as well.

The results were fascinating. The chefs recommended a wide variety of food and beverage gifts. Many recommended each other’s places, which should come as no surprise, as this industry supports its own.

We told them to have fun with this list and encouraged them to think as big or as small as they liked. Some were very practical, and some chose to go all out, money is no object, fantasy wish-list items for themselves and others. Their answers give us a peek into what they care about, the places they want to go, and the equipment they want to use.

It should come as no surprise that many wanted to travel, far away, for many weeks at a time to relax, soak in the local culture, and come back ready to cook. Where each of these

chefs wanted to visit is, quite literally, all over the map.

Their wish lists go beyond naughty and nice; many asked for things for their restaurant. Some were pie-in-the-sky altruistic acts of kindness, like buying an apartment building so their employees can live rent free, while others asked for more practical items like more walk-in traffic for their own restaurant, or even new dish racks for their restaurant dishwasher.

The chef Vaughn Good and his partner, Kristine Hull, who own Fox & Pearl and Night Goat BBQ, went a step further, sending this response, which sums up what many in the restaurant industry are feeling this year.

“Honestly, I think both Vaughn and I would forgo any gifts and wish for a stronger economy, so that people had more money and the financial security to go out to eat at local restaurants. It would be great if the cost of goods would go down so our margins weren’t so tight. That is truly what is on our minds right now.”

Take their honest response as a reminder that many of our favorite spots are still struggling, so please support your favorite local restaurants this holiday season.

LESLIE GOELLNER Antler Room

TO GIVE:

“We both think a subscription to Bokksu would be a fantastic gift for anyone who loves to snack and try new things. It is a subscription service that provides seasonally themed

a trip somewhere new and explore the food and drinking culture somewhere I have not been. ere are so many places on my list to visit, but Colombia, South America, is probably the place I am most intrigued by right now.”

JOHNNY & HELEN JO LEACH

The Town Company inside Hotel Kansas City

TO GIVE:

d and Wine Festival

JUSTIN CLARK

Urban Restaurant, Urban Café, and Urban Food Truck

Japanese snacks monthly. e best thing about it is much of

“We would give gift cards to Big Mood Natural Wines & More or to Yoli Tortilleria. We love Yoli’s tamales. Another good gift is an apron from Kufukaa, a local, woman-owned company.”

TO RECEIVE:

JHY COULTER

Orange by Devoured

TO GIVE:

TO RECEIVE:

TO GIVE:

“A meal or drink at some of our favorite places where we like spending time with family and friends, such as Garden House, Chingu and Chingu co ee, Earl’s Premier, Antler Room, Waldo ai, Nguyen Grill & Pho. Also, we can never seem to get enough cookbooks.”

“I would love to give tickets to the Aspen Food and Wine Festival. Being from the Midwest, I feel as though any food-loving friend from Kansas City would nd the most inspiration from this festival, as the ingredients used there are not that di erent from what we nd here. I feel like that experience would be one of a kind for a food lover.”

Nick: “I would love to get Sentan 170 mm Chinese Cleaver

Stainless Clad Shirogami 2 Kurouchi from Bernal Cutlery for the holidays. Learning to cook in mostly Western kitchens has meant my knife of choice for everyday tasks has always been a western chef’s knife (Gyuto). So, I have always been intrigued by Chinese cleavers— the work horse of many Asian kitchens. is one is jacketed in stainless steel for easy cleaning and maintenance. Bernal Cutlery is my favorite knife and kitchen store on the planet and the quality is guaranteed.”

Leslie: “Honestly for me, my favorite gifts are always experiences. I would say a Delta gift card so I can take

“I would de nitely gift someone special a Gozney Arc XL pizza oven. ey are so versatile. I use Gozney ovens in my restaurant, and I love them. You can also cook whatever you want in them, not just pizza.”

TO RECEIVE:

“Honestly, I hope every chef on this list asks for a trip for the holidays. We work long days and many hours. I am dreaming of the day I’m in the north of Spain or the south of Italy sipping a prosecco and shoving jamón in my mouth, just cheesing with my toes out.”

ANH “BASS” PHAM & NAM PHAN

Kata Nori

TO GIVE:

Anh “Bass”: “I would host an exclusive tasting of some dishes I’m working on and invite close family and friends to come and enjoy it.”

Nam: “I would give Kata Nori gift cards.”

TO RECEIVE:

Anh “Bass”: “I would like to receive a big bottle of Caymus wine and a dry-aged, bone-in rib eye.”

TO RECEIVE:

“A culinary trip to Greece. It has always been a dream of mine to go horseback riding there. I want to experience the culture, eat the food, and swim in that beautiful sea. Either that, or I’d also love to have a wood-burning grill from Grillworks EXO Pro line.”

Caymus wine

Gozney pizza oven

Kufukaa apron

Bokksu

Chinese Cleaver

Grillworks EXO Pro wood-burning grill

RYAN BRAZEAL & JESSICA ARMSTRONG

Novel

TO GIFT:

it doesn’t get any better than fresh roasted beans from Cielo from my partner Kyle Evans at Penrose. I’d also love some Zalto wine glasses. ey’ve been on my Christmas list for a while but have been unavailable for the last couple of years. We’d also love a set of Material: e Table Knives steak knives.

Ryan: “We cook a lot at home and doing dishes is a big chore, so anything that makes the job easier is a great gift. All-Clad makes really great non-stick sauté and sauce pans that are just the right size for the home cook. Big enough for pasta or sautéed chicken, but not so big that it takes over the whole sink. You can throw them in the dishwasher or just wipe them out with a damp cloth.

Jessica: “Every year I like to gift batches of soft ginger molasses cookies and holiday tea. I’ll even slip a bag of holiday tea in with each holiday card I send out. Homesong Market in the Crestwood Shops is owned by my friend Amanda Watters, and she carries all kinds of quality kitchen goods and tools that make great gifts. I love her fabric bowl covers, Frenchmade Opinel brand knives, and selection of kitchen towels.”

Jessica: “As a baker, I’d love to get candied ginger, candied orange peel, and cookie cutters for holiday baking. Holiday disposable baking cups and pan liners are nice too, really anything that makes holiday baking more fun. I’m always up for a brand-new cookie sheet, too. In the kitchen at Novel this year, we need new dishwasher racks!”

JO MARIE SCAGLIA

Midwest Maven, The Mixx, and Ca etteria

TO GIVE:

TO RECEIVE:

Ryan: “I love a good cup of co ee in the morning, and

“I love to gift a good kitchen gadget. It’s easy to buy grated cheese in the store, but how much more fantastic is it if you buy a chunk of Parmesan, Romano or asiago cheese and grate it yourself with a Zulay Kitchen rotary cheese grater. I am also an avid vintage shop and estate-sale shopper, and I love to nd little treasures to gift to friends and family. e salt cellar is one of my favorites. Gold silverware and brass candlesticks have come my

way lately, and it’s so fun to gift someone a group of items that they can set on the table with some vintage pottery and orals and be done. I just love a good tablescape. It is okay if things don’t match, just align them with a color scheme or a type of metal, and everything just all seems to go together that way.”

TO RECEIVE:

“If you ask me what my dream gift would be, I would probably say a trip to Paris and Italy with my daughter for a couple of weeks. I would love to incorporate Spain in that trip, as well. Closer to home, I would like to take a trip to New York this year to see a Broadway musical.”

MICHAEL & NANCY SMITH

Farina, Extra Virgin, and EV Grab & Go

TO GIFT:

“We would give personalized gift baskets from our new Extra Virgin Grab & Go. e curated food, products, and wine we sell represent who we are as culinary- and wine-driven individuals. It would give us so much pleasure to hand-select items and bundle them in a basket for our family and friends—of course, with a signed copy of Farina, the cookbook!”

TO RECEIVE:

sine. I can’t imagine a more lovely—and instructional—evening.”

Michael: “I’ve wanted a Viking Range for our home kitchen, and Nancy, who always says to people, ‘You should see what he cooks on at home!’ knows that’s at the top of my appliance bucket list.” Nancy: “Michael makes just as amazing food at home as at Extra Virgin or Farina, despite the oven decit! We would love to remodel our kitchen to one out tted for a chef. Sometimes, I imagine how a new kitchen could elevate our Sunday dinner tradition. Michael also dreams of an authentic pizza oven in the backyard.”

Nancy & Michael: “We love Kata Nori Hand Roll Bar, so gift certi cates are always welcome. ey do an incredible job.”

Nancy: “Michael knows my obsession with this dream dinner-wine experience. He would like to treat me to dinner at the chef Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin in New York City. I want to have Aldo Sohm, the renowned wine director, choose our wine pairings for Ripert’s legendary cui-

MICHAEL & CHRISTINE CORVINO Corvino Supper Club and Songbird

TO GIVE:

“We love to gift cookware pieces from Le Creuset. If it’s a young person just starting out,

All-Clad non-stick pans

Zalto wine glass

Zulay Kitchen rotary cheese grater

Viking range

Le Creuset cookware

the cast-iron skillet is perfect. A growing family? e dutch oven. A stylish home cook? e sh baker. ere’s something for everyone, and this is a gift that lasts a lifetime. We like to include a note with our belief that life’s best moments are shared with those you love around a table.”

TO RECEIVE:

“Well, it's hard to pick a favorite star in the sky! But a Forno Piombo brick pizza oven would be a dream. We love making pizzas at home and these beautiful, tiled dome ovens would just take our pizza parties to the next level."

of goodies from Extra Virgin’s new EV Grab & Go in the Crossroads owned by our friends Michael and Nancy Smith. Other recommendations for food lovers would be a loaf of great bread from 1900 Barker Bakery in Lawrence, Kansas, or a Hedley & Bennett apron that you can customize. ey even have a Chiefs-branded apron from their new NFL line, and Colby will have one of these in his stocking this year, shhhh.”

TO RECEIVE:

essential tool for any cook, and the Santoku’s versatility makes it perfect for everything from chopping vegetables to slicing proteins. is year, I plan on giving my friends and family packages of our tandoori and umami spice blends. ey have become our mother spice blends at my restaurant and are the key to almost all dishes on our menu.”

TO RECEIVE:

cooking—gochujang, doenjang, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Finally, a set of J. Chang Kitchen chili oil and a couple bottles of my Sura Eats sauces, as I use these two things on everything.”

TO RECEIVE:

TO GIVE:

“We have many dream trips, but the one we have on the list right now, is a trip to Germany where we start in Munich at Oktoberfest, then head through Bavaria and up through German wine country to taste the most beautiful Rieslings and other wines made there. We also love traveling to any place where you cannot eat unless you stay, and one of our rst bucket list trips we ever gifted to ourselves was to Bras Restaurant in France. Michel Bras is a chef we had both admired for many years, his cuisine and legacy are astounding. We would love to go back and visit. You can also buy the authentic Laguiole steak knives and other dining room table accessories from their small shop down the road from Maison Bras.”

“In past years we have gifted friends, family, and team members gift cards to local restaurants or even a wine subscription to Underdog Wine in Crestwood. is year, we highly recommend a basket full

SWETHA NEWCOMB Of Course Kitchen and Catering

TO GIVE:

“My go-to gift for anyone is a Japanese Santoku 7-inch knife. I believe a great knife is an

“I have spent years conducting private dinners, but I have never had the chance to be a guest at one. I would like to experience an in-home private dinner from a local Kansas City chef, six glasses of wine deep with my loved ones all around me. Maybe someone can relay this message to my husband? My birthday is the day after Christmas.”

KEEYOUNG KIM

Chingu and Chingu Co ee

TO GIVE:

“Gifts I would give to aspiring home cooks starts with a pair of non-slip Birkenstock clogs, a good chef knife—one that looks cool, but is not too pricey—a kitchen towel set, and a Hedley & Bennett apron. A must read is e Flavor Bible, considered one of the most in uential cookbooks of all time. I would also give a gift basket with the condiments I consider the fab ve of Korean

“A reservation, gift card, and plane ticket to a sushi omakase experience, wherever is amazing outside of our hometown; all-expenses-paid culinary tour to Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore; or a cottage stay in a Napa vineyard. On the more practical side, more walk-in business for my restaurant, Chingu, and comfy pants to work in that t nicely.”

ALEJANDRA DE LA FUENTE

Red Kitchen KC

TO GIVE:

“If money was no object, I would love nothing more than to be able to buy an apartment building for my employees to live rent-free. My mom is also in need of a new car, so that is also something I’d like to help her with this year.”

TO RECEIVE:

“I want to launch my own line of salsas. I am working with Kansas City Canning Company on them now, and we are so close; I am so excited to see them on my shelves. I would also love to travel to Milan, Italy, where my best friend lives and where my favorite niece is getting married next year.”

COLBY & MEGAN GARRELTS

Rye Leawood and Rye Plaza

Forno

Piombo brick pizza oven

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2023 KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA HOLIDAY HOMES TOUR

THE KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA HOLIDAY HOMES TOUR

features architecturally significant homes bedecked in seasonal splendor by Kansas City’s most gifted floral designers, all in support of worthy causes. The tour is also a great opportunity to pick up tips on making your own holiday home merry and bright.

words by Judith Fertig

photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

About the Tour

Since 1951, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Holiday Homes Tour has transported us to a winter wonderland. This year, from December 4 through 5, Kansas City’s top floral designers will show us how to put a little holiday spirit in every room. kappahomestour.com

JUST AS MERRY AS IT CAN BE. . .

‘‘Young, fun, and family” was the theme in Jim and Kate Dwyer’s home, says oral designer Katharine Taylor of the new Bramble & Stem. She used unexpected pops of color—pink and blue— rather than traditional red and green. e gilded mantel and the Christmas tree that seems to glow from within are the work of Saladino Designs.

“Fresh is best,” says Taylor, who used winterberry, magnolia leaves, tropical pink protea, bells of Ireland, and curly willow, along with fresh pine in the reindeer-pulling-asleigh arrangement on the kitchen island. Live rosemary trees provide a fresh scent on the table, while faux greenery in the chandelier assures that no needles fall in your food. bramble&stem.com and Instagram @saladino_designs

AKappa Homes Tour veteran, homeowner John Schuppan trusted his go-to designer Dan Meiners at Studio Dan Meiners to give his house a holiday glow-up. Meiners displayed Schuppan’s collection of Santas at varying heights, cleverly using gift-wrapped boxes as pedestals. “Keep your mind open to adding a new twist to your traditional décor, so it feels fresh and inviting,” Meiners suggests.

While one level is decked out in traditional red and green, another has a beachy vibe with garlands—like long strands of seaweed—that oat down a staircase, around a mantel, and puddle on the oor. Meiners used giant pinecones, grapevine balls, glittery ornaments that mimic sea urchins, and sea-blue hued orbs. danmeiners.com

A PARTRIDGE IN A CITRUS TREE

For the home of AJ Jakoi and Hillary Bownik, “I de nitely recommend coordinating holiday decor with what you love about your home and its style,” says Heather Coones of Botanica Flower Studio. Working with the Schumacher Citrus Garden pattern already in the dining room, “We went with lots of textures with greens and blues, adding dried citrus and fresh oranges. e home has a garden feel, so we included a lot of orals and natural decor with a winter and holiday vibe but not overtly Christmas.”

On the bu et, Coones lled a low basket with winter orals—amaryllis, ranunculus, paper whites, viburnum berries, date palms, and fresh citrus. e Christmas tree was designed by Bownik’s mom, who used glass ornaments and elements in blue, green, orange, and yellow, along with citrus and berries. botanicakc.com

The modern mountain cabin feel of Jason and Lisa Pottenger’s home led designer Sarah Sahli of Bergamot & Ivy to work with natural materials gathered by her foragers. “It’s amazing what you can nd,” she says of what she terms “highway owers.” Fresh cedar garlands wrap around lodge poles, while winterberry, native dogwood, and horsetail add interesting accents. An airy yet vivid kitchen arrangement of spidery red nerines makes a statement.

For table settings, Sahli used green cockscomb, thistle, and hedge balls gathered in October, coated with Mop & Glo, and left to air dry. “ is treatment preserves them for longer,” she says. bergamotandivy.com

Spotlight KC ATTRACTIONS NOT TO MISS IN NOVEMBER

Kansas City Helicopter Tours

The Ultimate KC Holiday Experience, a helicopter tour of the area’s light displays. Book now to secure your seat in the sky!

Maha ie Stagecoach Stop & Farm

Visit the Maha ie farm, the last open stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe Trail during living history or special events. maha ie.org

Kau man Center for the Performing Arts

Enjoy a diverse range of performing arts experiences. There’s something for everyone! kau mancenter.org

Experience the Evergy Plaza Lights

Celebrate the return of the Evergy Plaza Lights on Thanksgiving Day at 5 PM! Lit up from Nov. 28 to Jan. 12

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

www.nestkc.com

IBY Jenny Vergara

Reservation for One RED KITCHEN KC

PHOTOS BY Aaron Leimkuehler

t takes a special kind of chef to get up early every day and operate a breakfast-and-lunch-only restaurant, especially in an industry that usually requires dinner service and a solid bar program to be pro table.

It takes an extra-special chef to cook something other than the traditional American breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast, choosing instead to serve eggs inside burritos, tacos, tortas, and over chilaquiles.

Alejandra de la Fuente is that chef. Always an early riser, de la Fuente gets up at 4:30 a.m. every day, and is usually at her restaurant,

Red Kitchen KC, with her key in the front door by 6 a.m. e restaurant relocated at the end of 2023 from the Lenexa Public Market to downtown Overland Park. She immediately begins prepping for another busy day serving her own brand of Mexican breakfast and lunch specialties when her doors open at 7 a.m. weekdays and Saturdays and 8 a.m. on Sundays, and she doesn’t stop cooking until she closes at 2 p.m., seven days a week.

Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, de la Fuente was working as a Spanish-language interpreter when she decided to try selling tamales under the name Red Kitchen Tamales. She crafted the tamales inside

Flavor IN KC

the red demonstration kitchen located at the Lenexa Public Market. After several weekends of sellout crowds, the market o ered her a spot downstairs with the full-time food vendors.

Her business grew quickly. e signature breakfast burrito was recognized as one of the best in the state of Kansas by Food & Wine magazine in 2018, and she soon moved to a larger space inside the market in 2021. By the end of 2023, she realized was ready to open her rst brick-and-mortar location.

De la Fuente decided on a name change when she opened in her new location directly across the street from the award-winning Overland Park Farmers Market—Red Kitchen KC: Cien por Cineto Mexicana, which means 100-percent Mexican. It was meant to express that her food was made by a Mexican woman, the way it’s done in Mexico.

Recently, she decided to reclaim the original Red Kitchen KC name, using “100-percent Mexican” as the tagline to her brand, because most of her guests still referred to her restaurant as Red Kitchen KC from her days at the Lenexa Public Market.

It was a perfect fall morning when I stopped in for brunch, ready to try something other than her breakfast burritos. e scent of carne asada, onions, and potatoes cooking on the at-top grill, along with corn tortillas, fried eggs, and co ee, wafted out to the sidewalk and pulled me right into her warm and colorful space.

e menu board is located on the wall next to the kiosk where guests order and pay electronically. I tapped the screen, deciding on chilaquiles with carne pastor and a fried egg, the chicken tinga torta (torta is a signature dish of Guadalajara), and the beef birria taco platter. To

drink, it was a large, black coffee (of course) and one of the two agua frescas flavors for that day—cantaloupe or pineapple. I chose the latter.

The chilaquiles came to the table in a large round bowl, full of house-made blue and yellow corn tortilla chips assembled in layers, with supple chunks of seasoned and marinated grilled pork and onion smothered in a mild house-made salsa, drizzled with crema and sprinkled with cotija cheese. Then the process was repeated. The tortilla chips retained some of their crunch around the edges, really holding up in the bowl as the center softened perfectly from the generous spiced salsa, cooled with just a faint bit of crema and crumbly cotija cheese. Two perfectly cooked sunny-side up eggs topped it all. Once a fork dipped into the bowl, the eggs mingled satisfyingly with the pork, onion, chips, and salsa. These chilaquiles were the closest I've had to the real deal since my last trip to Mexico in 2022.

The chicken tinga torta surprised me. The flavorful chicken is cooked in a smoky tomato chipotle sauce that soaks into the bolillo roll, making it deliciously soft and pliable. House-made beans and onions, shredded chicken dripping with tomato and chipotle sauce, layered with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños, and avocado, filled the split and toasted roll. The longer it sat the better it got. Crunchy gone soft is my favorite food texture on the planet, and this sandwich totally checked that box.

Sweet pineapple agua fresca reminiscent of the fresh pineapple juice

it was made with happened to be just what I needed to complement my nicely spiced torta.

The beef birria taco platter was exceptional. Kansas City has had queso birria tacos popping up on menus since videos of flour tortillas topped with cheese and seared on a flat-top grill before getting filled with beef, goat, or mutton were first posted on social media. Two six-inch Caramelo flour tortillas are griddled, with plenty of soft white cheese, until caramelized and dotted with crunchy, darkbrown bubbles. They’re piled high with de la Fuente’s rich beef birria before topping them with a fiery salsa roja, cilantro, and chopped red onions. Rice and beans are served on the side. Instead of au jus, she serves it with bright, fresh green salsa to dunk your taco into, bite after bite.

Speaking of her salsas, de la Fuente is currently working with Kansas City Canning Company, which will produce and bottle a line of salsas made from her personal recipes under the Red Kitchen KC brand. She’s particularly excited about having a four or six-pack of her salsas available for people to pick up and take to parties or tailgating—or wherever a little spice is needed.

I don’t think it’s possible to eat at Red Kitchen KC without feeling like you’ve devoured a meal at de La Fuente’s own kitchen table, and if I can’t get all my food made with this much love and care, I don’t want it. @redkitchen_cienporcientomex

by Jenny Vergara

In Your Cocktail SAGEBRUSH

Inside the white clapboard building with no sign is Sagebrush, a new agave- and sugarcane-based cocktail bar from Christopher Ciesiel and his wife, Cristin Llewellyn, located in the Rosedale neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas.

The bar sits next door to Garden House, a charming coffee shop owned by the couple’s friends Jordan and Emily Fox, and the two businesses share a spacious, well-appointed backroom that serves as a bonus space for both establishments.

Though small—and a bit sparse compared to their first venture, The Campground—the individual design details of this bar stand on their own. Every element has been thoughtfully curated to evoke the arid beauty of the high deserts in America’s Southwest, right down to the

custom arched cutouts, or nichos, built into the wall that serve as a spot to place a candle, the palo santo incense burning, the tall green cacti looming in the corner, and the cocktail in your cocktail glass.

With help from professional friends in construction and the arts, Sagebrush was a do-it-yourself project from start to finish. The artist Jennifer Walker and the couple came up with a custom color for the walls, and Ciesiel and Llewellyn watched in awe as Walker hand-troweled the walls to create the rustic adobe look they wanted. Modern Lark built their handsome, dark mahogany J-shaped bar, but Element Ten saved the day, creating the one wildly colorful statement neon light piece hanging above the bar (their first downward-facing horizontal installation), which adds a pop of color during the day, but washes the en-

Sagebrush cocktail

tire bar in a pinkish red hue at night, making it feel otherworldly. e neon light was based on rock formations and geodes. Logan Clark of Pilgrim Creative pulled everything together to create a cohesive brand.

Inspired by the mezcal bars they had visited in the Southwest, the drink menu at Sagebrush o ers ten or so cocktails that Ciesiel and his team of bartenders have carefully crafted to be lighter, fruitier, zzier, and funkier than those being shaken and stirred at e Campground, which is well known for its solid selection of classic cocktails. Sagebrush doesn’t serve food, but the location is close enough to downtown that this feels like a good way to start or end your night.

To really understand the drink menu, you must start with their signature cocktail, which is also named Sagebrush. It begins with Tesoro 55 Espadin, a spirit made in the style of tequila in Jalisco, Mexico, for eight generations. To craft this cocktail, Ciesiel and his team go through a rigorous process. First, they infuse the Tesoro 55 Espadin with Mexican cotija cheese before mixing the resulting spirit with guava liqueur, house-made orange sorbet, and lime juice. en the entire mixture is clari ed with whole milk and strained through a paper lter. It goes through a second straining to make sure it is crystal clear, and then the clari ed cocktail is added to a keg and charged with CO2 to carbonate it. Luckily for us, Ciesiel has provided a short-cut version of the Sagebrush for you to make at home.

“ is drink is on its fourth iteration, and I think we nally nailed it. We found that by carbonating the cocktail with CO2, it really brought out the creamy cojita cheese avor that we desired,” says Ciesiel. “Cocktails are supposed to be fun. is drink is refreshing, savory, bubbly, fruity—everything I want in a cocktail.” @ sagebrush.rosedale

Sagebrush

2 ounces cotija-washed Tesoro 55 Espadin*

.5 ounce Fruitful Pink Guava Liqueur

.5 ounce orange sorbet

1 ounce lime juice

Shake firmly with ice, and double strain over a large ice cube into a rocks glass. Garnish with a fresh mound of cilantro.

*To make cotija-washed Tesoro 55 Espadin: Combine 1 liter of Tesoro 55 Espadin (if you can’t find this product substitute with a lowland tequila like Arette Blanco) with 50 grams of cotija cheese, allow to rest for 24 hours. Strain out the cheese through a paper coffee filter and use the remaining liquid to build your cocktail.

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

by Jenny Vergara

CACAO EXPERIENCE

WHO BETTER than Kansas City’s own Christopher Elbow to educate chocolate lovers on how cacao turns into chocolate? In August, Elbow launched his new Cacao Experience, a quick 40-minute tour and tasting that happens in the back of his chocolate shop, giving locals and visitors alike the opportunity to see how bean goes to bar. Tours are currently offered on Thursdays and Fridays only, when the space isn’t being used for chocolate production. Choose from three time slots with a total of 12 spots available during each time. The tour costs $10 per person and includes a guided tour where you will be welcomed with a drinking chocolate of his Aztec spice, sample one of his signature fleur de sel bonbons, and compare three different single origin tasting squares from three different cacao growing regions in the world. You will also get a one-time $5 store credit for the date of tour you can use to purchase anything in the store. Elbow is also donating $5 from the cost of each tour to an organization dedicated to supporting sustainable cacao production and farmers directly. Learn the process of chocolate making, sample chocolate and pay it forward? Sign us up. thecacaoexperience.as.me/ schedule.php

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

by Jenny Vergara

PARKVILLE WINE HOUSE

WHEN WINES BY JENNIFER, a popular wine shop in downtown Parkville, closed its doors earlier this year after almost 20 years of sampling and selling bottles of good grape juice, it left a noticeable gap. A new spot has now opened ready to fill the need—and your wine glass. Parkville Wine House opened just down the street in a beautifully restored 120-year-old house that has been painted the color of a light red wine. Owner Steve Hultgren spent almost eight years working at Wines by Jennifer in addition to his career in insurance, and he wanted to open a wine bar and event space in Parkville that would welcome locals and visitors to socialize over a good bottle of wine. Serving wine flights, wines by the glass, and the bottle, as well as cocktails, the wine selection at Parkville Wine House has domestic bottles from Oregon, Washington, and California, in addition to international bottles from Europe, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. There are a few snack plates (charcuterie, cheese, flatbreads) to nosh on with your wine selection. Cheers! parkvillewinehouse.com

by Jenny Vergara

THE MOON SHIFT MEZCAL

CATHY OWENS and her husband, Dan Grocki, may hail from Kansas City, but they now consider Tulum, Mexico, their home. The couple, intrigued by the growing global popularity of mezcal, set out to look for a brand to make their house spirit at their restaurant, The OG’s, which is located in Tulum, and ended up with their very own brand of mezcal. The Moon Shift launched in Kansas City in late October, and will likely be hitting restaurants, bars, and store shelves this month. Word on the street is that Moon Shift mezcal is good—very good. Bryan Arri, owner of Fern Bar, which specializes in agave and sugar-cane spirits, sampled it and says, “I was impressed. It is really good juice.” Crafted by maestro Israel Pérez in Santiago Matatlán in Oaxaca, The Moon Shift Mezcal uses traditional methods that reflect the brand’s commitment to authenticity and sustainability. The name “The Moon Shift” pays homage to the essential role that bats play in the mezcal ecosystem, pollinating agave plants under the cover of night. The moon and its nocturnal rhythms have long been intertwined with mezcal-making traditions, and the couple wanted to honor that connection. Perez's production is also synced with these lunar cycles, distilling the mezcal in rhythm with the full moon. The goal was not merely to create another mezcal but to craft one that respects ancient traditions while bringing something fresh and vibrant to the market. moonshiftspirits.com

Simply the best.

Thank you for another successful Luncheon hosted by The Committee of 100!

We are proud to share that this year’s C100 Luncheon raised more than $350,000. Proceeds from the luncheon support The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s mission and its commitment to being free and accessible to all. Featured speaker Stan Dixon shared his insight as an architect and author in what was a captivating presentation enjoyed by all. The C100 Board expresses deep gratitude to Co-Chairs, Diane Johnson and Jennifer Johnson Allen, Honorary Chair, Ellen Merriman, and Benefactor and Patron Reception Host, Becky Minion. In addition, we want to thank our donors, committee chairs, members, and museum staff for their commitment and generosity that led to a remarkable luncheon. Together, we have expanded access to art and fostered greater understanding of history, culture, and humanity. Thank you.

Save the Date for Next Year’s Luncheon

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025

The Committee of 100 (C100) is a group of dedicated volunteers who plan signature fundraising events in support of free access to art for our community. To learn more about membership, visit nelson-atkins.org/c100, or contact us at 816.751.1278.

Julián Zugazagoitia and Jeanne Brandmeyer Karen Craft, Ken Sherman, and Sarah Rowland

Home of Becky Minion, host of Benefactor and Patron Reception

Annie Kern, Stan Dixon, Diane Johnson, Jennifer Johnson Allen, and Becky Minion

Shirley Helzberg, Liz Uhlmann, and Lynn Poskin Luncheon in Kirkwood Hall

Elle Clymer, Maggie Hawkinson, Lauren Sotos, Amy Atha, Margaux Blackwell, Maddie Sutherland, Ali Armistead, Lexie Rasby, Megan Winters, and Laura Baker

2024 KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA HOLIDAY HOMES TOUR

VIP Tuesday, December 3, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM Wednesday, December 4, 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM Thursday, December 5, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

General admission tickets purchased in advance are $30. One ticket gets you into all four homes. Tickets are also available for purchase during Tour hours for $35 at each of the featured homes and at the Holiday Boutique.

Cocktails & Candlelight VIP Event | Tuesday, December 3

Tickets are $100, which includes drink tickets, hors d’oeuvres, and exclusive early access to the homes and Holiday Boutique. Reception 5–9pm | Homes open from 5–7pm

Faces IN KC Terra Luna

ON SEPTEMBER 12-15 AND 19-22, the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens hosted Terra Luna. This unique collaboration between Quixotic and Friends of the Arboretum astounded guests and left them in awe of Mother Nature’s ultimate imagination. The limited-engagement multimedia installation guided guests on a wild journey through the grounds, culminating in an immersive performance uniting live music, dance, and aerial acrobatics. For more photos, go to inkansascity.com/events.

photos by mark stuecheli

Faces IN KC

Night at the Tower

THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL and its impact across the globe was celebrated with an event that was a departure from the traditional sit-down gala experience. On September 28, guests took part in an evening of festivities flowing through the spaces as freely as the food and drink. It featured a live auction, trips to the top of the Tower, wine and whiskey tastings, and concluded on the Memorial Courtyard with guests dancing under the stars. For more photos, go to inkansascity.com/events.

photos by ame rhotography kc and the national wwi museum and memorial staff

Committee of 100 Benefactor and Patron Reception

ON SEPTEMBER 16, the The Committee of 100 (C100) Benefactor and Patron Reception was held at the home of Becky Minion. C100 is a volunteer committee that works to plan and implement signature fundraising events, deepen engagement, and further the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s mission. For more photos, go to inkansascity.com/events.

photos by david riffel

SATURDAY, DEC 7 OPEN HOUSE all day deals For more info visit shopsofprairievillage.com & corinthsquare.com & follow us @theshopsofprairievillage & @corinth_square! 10am-noon MAYOR’S HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING fun starts at 6pm THURSDAY, DEC 5

SATURDAY, DEC 7 OPEN HOUSE all day deals For more info visit shopsofprairievillage.com & corinthsquare.com & follow us @theshopsofprairievillage & @corinth_square! 10am-noon

My Essentials IN KC

Mary Carol’s essentials...

MARY CAROL GARRITY

ENTREPRENEUR. DESIGN GURU. by Evan

Pagano

Mary Carol Garrity is happy to be back.

If you furnished a home before 2019, Garrity may have helped you. She founded Nell Hill’s, which grew from the small store in Atchison, Kansas, into the 27,000-square-foot home interior store in the Village at Briarcli today. In late 2018, after a lifetime in retail, she sold the business and retired.

“Probably the rst few years, I loved retirement,” says Garrity. “It happened to be about the same time as Covid, and I just did nothing. And then I kind of got the itch.”

She missed the relationships. She missed helping people. And she missed the low pressure of smaller stores, like her father’s clothing store in Atchison, Kansas.

In April of this year, Garrity and her business partner, fellow retailer Rebecca Wood, opened Diebolt’s, a home accessory store in Midtown’s Gillham House Antiques.

“Nell Hill’s was seven days a week, all consuming. is one is really like playing store. We’re a mix of vintage and new—we’re probably heavier on the vintage—and we’re just having fun with it. It’s kind of like a two-day party.”

Diebolt’s shares a name and logo with Garrity’s father’s original clothing store. It’s 400 square feet, 100 of which is porch, and it’s open on Fridays and Saturdays. It doesn’t sell furniture, but add-ons that bring joy to get-togethers—things like china, centerpieces, and decor too fun to categorize. ey regularly refresh the items and exchange ideas with their customers, many of whom Garrity originally developed friendships with at Nell Hill’s.

“Everybody who comes in the door is happy to be there. ere’s not one necessity in Diebolt’s. It’s all just for fun.” instagram.com/dieboltskc

HIDDEN GEM:

DINNER OUT:

Since I love to eat, it would be pretty hard to narrow my favorite restaurant to just one. However, I recently stumbled upon Osteria Bianchi in North Kansas City. From the amazing focaccia bread appetizer to the grilled steak, I was in heaven.

CAFFEINE FIX:

CRAFTED COCKTAIL:

Gillham House Antiques is my favorite hidden gem, so much so it is where my partner and I opened Diebolt’s. While Diebolt’s is a mix of new, vintage, and antique nds, Gillham House Antiques is a collective of some of Kansas City’s nest antique dealers.

I am a simple girl at heart, and a creature of habit! My favorite ca eine x is a hot latte from Scooter’s Co ee on Burlington Street and 26th Avenue on my way to Diebolt’s. Espresso plus hot, frothy milk— be still, my beating heart.

For me, nothing beats sitting at the bar in Earl’s Premier and having a frozen gin and tonic. ey make it with J. Rieger & Co. Midwestern Dry Gin, and it is perfection.

SWOONWORTHY SCENT:

My favorite scent for the holidays is Tree Farm. is November we will be launching Tree Farm under the Diebolt’s brand. It hits the mark for that fresh-cut evergreen scent so many people love to have in their homes over the holidays.

LOCAL MAKER:

Estately that are exquisite.

Recently, my dear friend Kristin Holton launched . Estately o ers luxury antique and contemporary tabletop rentals that are exquisite. I love how she mixes dishes, atware, and textiles to create something truly magical.

photo by bridget chang

Sid Mashburn | Greyson Clothiers | Saint James | Drake’s | Seaward & Stearn | Edwin | Jack Donnelly | Sunspel

Chrysalis | Original Madras Trading Co. | Bennett Winch | Joseph Cheaney & Sons | Sanders Shoes | Pastori