IN Kansas City October 2019 by KC Media

OCTOBER 2019 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Revisiting the Downtown Ballpark

LIVE LIKE A LOCAL

Tyrann Mathieu Kansas City Chiefsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Safety

Talks Football, Philanthropy, and Food

A Cool Ranch Reno

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HOME for the HOLIDAYS WITH TAMARA DAY NOVEMBER 6TH AT CRATE & BARREL FROM 5 PM-7 PM NOVEMBER 9TH AT POTTERY BARN FROM 11 AM-1 PM DECEMBER 7TH AT LOVESAC FROM NOON-2 PM

Meet your favorite Kansas City-based HGTV star of Bargain Mansions, Tamara Day at Town Center Plaza â&#x20AC;¢ Crossing. Tamara will present the latest in holiday decor trends. Plus, receive a special swag bag, enjoy a DJ, beverages, light snacks and more! For more info, visit towncenterplaza.com

THE

CRESTWOOD SHOPS

55th St. between Brookside Blvd. and Oak St., Kansas City, Missouri Join us for CARVED and celebrate fall with live music and artful pumpkins carved by students of the Kansas City Art Institute students. Thursday, October 24, 2019 | 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

ENGLISH ANTIQUE FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS Specialists in English antique furniture & accessories with a focus on the Georgian period (1720 1830). Stepping into our shop is like taking a step back in time where talented cabinetmakers proudly made pieces by hand. Every piece of furniture acquired by Charlecote is rigorously vetted for its authenticity and chosen for its merits of quality, colour, and condition. 337 E 55th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64113 816-444-4622 Monday - Saturday, 10:00am - 5:00pm www.charlecoteantiques.com

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During this festive Tuscan Harvest, celebrate abundance and cultivate your season’s wishes by creating your very own, distinct DelBrenna Wish List. *

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Arrive as a guest Become a friend Return as family Where dining is personal. 323 E. 55th St. Kansas City, Missouri 64113 816-523-1212 cafeeuropakc.com

DelBrenna Jewelry, the storied, family-owned, Tuscan brand from Cortona, Italy is located at: The Crestwood Shops 307 E 55th St Kansas City, MO

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YOU NEVER NEED TO LEAVE With bars, services, specialty retail and KC’s best restaurants on practically every corner, what’s the point in going anywhere else? Waldo has all the best brews, lattes, neighborhood hangs, and food cravings. So even if you don’t live here, come make yourself at home. waldokc.org

YOU NEVER NEED TO LEAVE...

Almar Printing

Family Bicycles

Almar Printing, a local and family owned full service union printer since 1966. Kansas City’s green printing experts, we offer digital, offset and custom screen printing.

Give the gift of adventure. Family Bicycles has bicycles and accessories for every member of your family. Whether you ride to find ice cream or that remote camping spot, we have the perfect bike for your adventure.

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Lew’s Grill and Bar

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Waldo’s flagship tavern and home of the 84 oz Das Boot, Lew’s is a casual and friendly neighborhood favorite and a great place to watch the game. Open daily until 3 a.m., with food available until 2 a.m. lewsgrillandbar.com

The Well Bar Grill Rooftop The place to be for cocktails, dining and special celebrations, The Well offers party space for up to 130 guests, a chef-prepared menu and ample parking. Book your holiday party by Oct 15 to receive a special offer. waldowell.com

Crows Coffee Stop into Crows Coffee seven days a week for coffee, tea, beer, and wine, as well as housemade pastries and breakfast burritos. Visit our website to learn more about happy hour, trivia, and live music.

The Hot Spot Tanning and Airbrush Salon Don’t be cold this winter, stay warm and bronzed at the Hot Spot Waldo. Try our new tanning bed. Don’t tan, no problem! We also offer custom, airbrush spray tans.

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Tiny Tim Holiday Fantasy Join us for a tropical holiday evening at the annual Tiny Tim Holiday Fantasy to benefit children and families served at the B.E. Smith Family Center.

Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019 Overland Park Convention Center

For more information, sponsorship opportunities or to purchase seats visit TinyTimHolidayFantasy.org or call 913-676-2055 by Oct. 11.

Opening doors to extraordinary worlds. B.E. Smith Family Center

—

A Blast From Futures Past

— SATU R DAY

10 — 12 — 2019 0100 Y 2 K 1001 Y 2 K 0110 1110 0111 0100 0110 0101 0111 0010 0110 0111 0110 0001 2000 0110 1100 0110 0001 0110 0011 Y 2 K 0111 0100 2000 1001 0110 Y 2 K 0011 0010 0000 0101 0110 0110 2000 1111 0111 1001 0110 0001 Y 2 K 0110

—

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art Silver Anniversary Gala

Celebrate Kemper Museum’s silver anniversary by exploring the music, art, and fashion of the ’90s that inspired our hopes for the future twenty-five years ago. 1994 — 2019

— 4420 Warwick Boulevard Kansas City, Missouri 64111

Contents OCTOBER 2019 94

Features 76

IN CONVERSATION WITH TYRANN MATHIEU We talk with the Chiefs’ newest safety about growing up in New Orleans, his crazy nickname, and of course, his prediction for the Chiefs this year.

HOME COOKING Every meal tells a story. For these three women, the dishes they prepare for Kansas City at their restaurants tell stories of their childhoods, cultures, and careers. Pull up a chair and prepare for a delicious lesson.

80 LIVE LIKE A LOCAL When you really want to know what’s going on in a neighborhood, ask the experts—someone who lives there.

86 THE BOTTOM LINE Turn up the volume on trousers and jeans for fall.

OCTOBER 2019

98 TAKE US OUT TO THE BALLPARK The dream of a major league ballpark coming back downtown reemerges with the sale of the Royals.

100 FULL HOUSE Area designers renovate to keep things all in the family.

| 18 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Contents OCTOBER 2019

86 100

118 Departments IN EVERY ISSUE

ENTERTAINING IN KC

OUR MAN IN KC

EDITOR’S NOTE

ARTS & CULTURE IN KC

INKANSASCITY.COM

BEHIND THE MUSIC IN KC

THIS MONTH IN KC

LOOK IN KC

136

FACES IN KC

MY ESSENTIALS IN KC

LIVING IN KC

118

FLAVOR IN KC

On the cover The Kansas City Chiefs’ star safety, Tyrann Mathieu. Photo by Cameron Gee.

OCTOBER 2019

| 20 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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Editor’s Note

photo by jenny wheat

Read. Learn. Love.

ere’s what I love most about putting this magazine together: I learn something new every month. For instance, pretty much all I knew about the Chiefs newest safety was his nickname— Honey Badger. But as contributor Cindy Hoedel delves into Tyrann Mathieu’s life and career in the interview (page 76), there’s so much more to discover. They discuss his tenacity and his philanthropy, and of course, how he got that crazy-good moniker. The chatter about a new downtown ballpark waxes and wanes with the years. Recently, even before the news of John Sherman’s potential purchase of the Royals, the buzz was building again. With Sherman’s commitment, it really hit the stratosphere. Bob Luder talks to KC’s movers and shakers on the pros—and the cons—of a city center ballpark. (Page 98.) You’ll find a whole lot more than sports coverage in this issue, though. There’s a paradigm shift happening in fashion this fall. After years of depending on our skinny jeans, leggings, capris—narrow silhouettes all—pants are now billowing, pleated, flared—high-waisted and wide-legged generously cut styles that define the look of a new decade. If ever there was a time to update your wardrobe, this is it. And we show you eight pages of some of the best looks for fall, starting on page 86. Although don’t toss your skinnies. They are a classic to keep. Our feature home in this issue (in addition to being gorgeous) examines fresh approaches for extended families living together. Interior designers Doug Wells and Marcio Reis talk with writer Patricia O’Dell about renovating a humdrum ranch into a stylish home with separate quarters for the couple and Wells’ mom. See the stunning result starting on page 100. Dining out in Kansas City has gotten a whole lot more interesting in recent years, in no small part due to women like Katee McLean of Krokstrom, Nutnisa Hoffman of Mali Thai and Baramee Thai bistros, and Chrissy Nucum of KC Pinoy. These three women have built restaurants that share the dishes of their culture and their childhoods, and they share that knowledge with our food writer, Kelsey Cipolla, beginning on page 94. It’s a delicious read. But this is titled our Live Like A Local issue. And who better to go to for the best inside info on our distinctive Kansas City neighborhoods than someone who lives there? Contributor Katy Schamberger does just that for neighborhoods as diverse as Strawberry Hill and Lee’s Summit. Read it (page 80) and discover a long list of places you’ll want to learn about too. I know I do.

Vol. 2 | No. 10 October 2019 Editor In Chief Zim Loy Art Director Alice Govert Bryan Digital Editor Michael Mackie Contributing Writers Kelsey Cipolla, Stacy Downs, Judith Fertig, Timothy Finn, Cindy Hoedel, Cody Hogan, Merrily Jackson, Damian Lair, Bob Luder, R. Murphy, Katy Schamberger Contributing Photographers Cameron Gee, Steven M. Green Aaron Leimkuehler, Brian Rice, J. Robert Schraeder Design Intern Eva Tucker Copy Editor Craig Magnus Managing Director Michelle Jolles Publisher Chad Parkhurst Digital Director Brittany Coale Senior Media Consultants Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley

Editorial Questions: zloy@inkansascity.com

Advertising Questions:

cparkhurst@inkansascity.com

Distribution Questions: mjolles@inkansascity.com

Subscription Questions:

Mail: In Kansas City, PO Box 92257 Long Beach CA 90809 Phone: 888-881-5861, M–F, 8–4 PST Email: inkansascity@psfmag.com

IN Kansas City is published monthly by KC Media LLC

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OCTOBER 2019

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COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA • OAK PARK MALL • TOWN CENTER • ZONA ROSA SUMMIT WOODS CROSSING • INDEPENDENCE CENTER • THE LEGENDS AT VILLAGE WEST Visit us online at helzberg.com

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Soup-per Sundays ‘Tis the season for chili, soups, and stews. We queried a few of our fave local chefs to come up with their tastiest soup recipes. Look for a new one featured each and every Sunday this month at inkansascity.com.

Deliberating what to do tonight? Discover the most

comprehensive calendar in the metro—art galleries, dance, theater, social events, and music, music, music at inkansascity.com/events

Hungry? Ignite Wood Fire Grill is giving away a fab dinner for eight at their upscale Lenexa eatery. You’ll be sitting at executive chef Bradley Gilmore’s marble-topped counter and get a firsthand look at all the behind-the-scenes action. Enter your details by October 31 for a chance to win at inkansascity.com/ the-magazine/enter-to-win. Good luck!

Fall-fabulous restaurants are just a hop, skip and jump away. From happy hours to the local restaurant scene, we’ve got the city’s most comprehensive dining guide. So many restaurants to please your palate. Check ‘em out at inkansascity.com/eat-drink/dining-guide.

OCTOBER 2019

Five Things You Don’t Know About Me.

This month, we’ll feature a couple of wellknown personalities from around the metro. We caught up with our KC’s newly inaugurated mayor Quinton Lucas and electronica music sensation Calvin Arsenia. Trust us, they didn’t disappoint. Find it at inkansascity.com.

| 30 | INKANSASCITY.COM

FACEBOOK @inkansascitymagazine

TWITTER @inkansascitymag

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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER subscribe at INKANSASCITY.COM (under The Magazine tab)

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This Month IN KC

October

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE

OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT Sensatia 8:30 p.m. | Fridays & Saturdays Beginning October 4 & 5 through November 29 & 30 Quixotic Theater in Crown Center | sensatiakc.com

ReVision: Fashion with Compassion October 12 | 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. at ScrapsKC, 3269 Roanoke Rd., Kansas City

INDULGE YOUR SENSES This month Kansas City-born and internationally renowned Quixotic launches Sensatia, an extended, interactive media performance that blends the spectacular acrobatic and state-ofthe-art visuals they’re known for with live music, fragrance, and delicious desserts. Taste. Touch. Sight. Scent. Sound. The performances are designed to arouse each of the five senses. Sensatia tells the tale of two uninspired artists—a mechanical ballerina and an overworked violinist—who follow a tempting muse and stumble upon a sumptuous backstage of a fantasy cabaret, where their passion for their respective arts is awakened. Quixotic, recently dubbed an “innovative circus ensemble” by The New York Times, is a Kansas City-based performance art collective that fuses imagination with technology, dance, projection mapping, and live music to create a fully-immersive, multi-sensory experience. The ensemble has performed for audiences worldwide, including at a global TED conference, and for brand launches for companies such as Bulgari, Faena Hotels, Garmin, JP, Toyota, and the Smithsonian. Men’s Journal labeled them “One of the best contemporary [cirque] acts.” Sensatia will be performed at the Quixotic Theater at Crown Center, located on the third floor of the Crown Center Shops. Take advantage of the locale and transform your evening into an all-night experience. Enjoy dinner at one of the nearby restaurants in Crown Center, Union Station, or the Crossroads, then stay at the Westin Crown Center Hotel, which is connected to the theater, or at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel, which is just a short walk from Crown Center. Sensatia promises to be a truly unique multimedia performance.

REVISION THE FUTURE It’s an inaugural philanthropic event like no other in Kansas City. ScrapsKC presents its first annual fashion show fundraiser. The nonprofit creative reuse center and retail store inspires creativity in art and education, while positively impacting the environment and providing hope for the homeless. Fashion Since 2016, ScrapsKC has by Park University diverted more than 100 tons of designers. materials donated from community members, businesses, manufacturers and schools that had been destined for the landfill. Additionally, the organization has reclaimed and repurposed more than 15,000 pounds of used school supplies and donated them to over 350 teachers in the metro. ScrapsKC has welcomed more than 40 homeless men and women through their doors to provide love, refuge, food, and necessities in return for their help in maintaining the organization’s facilities. The premiere event combines all parts of the ScrapsKC mission to highlight the amazing creativity of our community. To continue the mission of diverting waste from landfills, the fashion show will celebrate how materials can live past their initial intended purpose. Local designers and artists will repurpose materials to create entries for the fashion contest, which culminates in a runway performance. Support savvy sustainability!

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

OCTOBER 2019

| 32 | INKANSASCITY.COM

PHOTO BY RON BERG

scrapskc.org

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Entertaining

IN KC

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

The Inevitable PreParty Fight Sesh DO YOU AND YOUR BAE BICKER BEFORE YOU GIVE A PARTY? YOU ARE NOT ALONE, DARLING. OUR ACE OF ENTERTAINING GIVES TIPS FOR HOW TO KEEP THE PEACE ON PARTY DAY by

Merrily Jackson

OCTOBER 2019

| 38 | INKANSASCITY.COM

t is a truth universally acknowledged that a couple preparing to have people over must be in want of a spat. Almost every couple I know— straight, gay, not married, married forever, newlyweds, you name it—locks horns before they host a party I have a friend whose husband “helps” by doing Sudoko until ten minutes before people are expected to arrive, then jumps in the shower. When guests arrive, he comes downstairs in a shirt he’s thrown on without drying off, so he looks like he’s sweating through his clothing. Another friend’s part-

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Entertaining

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WHISKEY SOUR PUNCH

1/ 3

cup sugar

1/ 3

cup water

2½ cups refrigerated orange juice

2 cups bourbon (add more if you want the drink to be boozier)

½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)

3 cups chilled club soda

Fresh orange slices or wheels (optional) Combine sugar and water in a 1 cup glass measure. Microwave on high for two minutes, stir until sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature. Combine sugar mixture, orange juice, and lemon juice in a large pitcher; stir well. Stir in club soda just before serving. Serve over ice cubes in a double old-fashioned glass, or whatever pretty glass you have on hand. Garnish with orange slices or wheels, if you like.

OCTOBER 2019

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ner likes to “help” by going to his study and arranging his engineering magazines in chronological order. There must be some logic to their thinking. But why inquire, when it might start another pre-party argument? And start one it might. With couples, party-giving brings out conflict. I am reminded how common this is whenever I give a talk about entertaining. “Accept that you will have a fight with your spouse on the day of your party,” I’ll say, and the heads nod up and down in knowing agreement. I spoke several years ago to a ladies’ group, and afterwards a woman came up to me. “My husband has forbidden me from entertaining in our home, because I turn into such a nutcase,” she said. I could relate, and so, certainly, could my husband. WE ARE ALL A LITTLE CRAY-CRAY I will confess that on the day of a party, I wake up in Defcon 4 and devolve to Defcon 1 for about an hour before the doorbell rings. I am focused on getting as much done as possible, so I can be all smiles and graciousness once the guests arrive. Defcon 1 is a face I show only my husband, that of a scolding, humorless harridan. There always is this last minute crush of things to do—or at least I think they should be done—and I turn into a world-class bee-otch. I feel like I have to do everything. He would tell you that whatever he does is never good enough. We’ve both become accustomed to this pre-party drama.

127th & Metcalf

LEAVE A LIST For my husband’s part, it took me many years to realize I cannot effectively tell him what to do. But he cheerfully will do anything I ask if I write it on a list and leave it on the kitchen table. I have also learned—although I often forget—that it helps to praise him lavishly for everything he does. But these understandings have been hard-won, and we still square off a time or two before a party. HIRE STAFF IF YOU CAN If I have hired a bartender for the party, his or her arrival, usually an hour before start time, assists in relieving the tension. A good bartender helps enormously with last-minute prep. And it’s just helpful to have another person there who is not my spouse, at that point barely speaking to me. But unvaryingly, hired staff or no, we shake it off, relax and have a really fun time, once the guests arrive. It is always so worth it to have the party. And afterwards, the shared sense of elation brings us closer. A SHRINK WEIGHS IN My fabulous friend David Donovan, a Ph.D. psychologist and couples therapist, says the topic of pre-party conflict comes up with some frequency in his practice. “Many couples

OCTOBER 2019

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Entertaining

IN KC

become frustrated with each other when they host a party,” he says. According to David, this frustration has been happening since the dawn of man. “Freud has gone so far as to say that civilization itself is a product of the clash between the incompatible demands of biological urges and social conformity,” he says. “Which is a great way to illustrate how entertaining at home might be one of the best examples of man’s conflict with civilized living. “We are always battling our flight/fight urges and other instinctual responses when confronted with stress-inducing social rituals. Our desire to commune with and host others is sometimes at odds with our baser instincts like needing more rest, fear of looking bad, or wanting to watch reality TV and eat cheese puffs,” he says. Did I mention David is also very funny? FUN: IT’S A CHOICE David says this conflict is especially heightened when we share hosting responsibilities with a spouse. “Since there’s a lot of truth to the idea that most couples are together more because of complementary attributes—opposites attract—and not for being alike, conflict is sure to arise as each partner strives to make him or herself satisfied when entertaining.

“Like, one person might be more introverted, detail-oriented and perfectionistic, while the other is more extroverted, social and fun-loving,” he says. Don’t we all know twosomes like that? David points out that this actually makes for a good hosting combination— if one can get past the frustrations with the other. David advises that couples talk about the event beforehand. “Decide who’s going to do what and what the evening is going to look like,” he says. “Verbalize the different good qualities each brings to the table and make a pact to have fun.” A WORD FROM THE ETIQUETTE COMMITTEE If you and your honey have a pre-party dust-up or two, it’s important to forget your quibbles once the party starts. Or at least conceal your irritation until you are alone together. Never bicker in front of people—it makes everyone feel uncomfortable and embarrassed for you. This applies to attending a party as well as having one. Watch it with the one-liner “just kidding” zingers. You may think you are being funny, but often such digs produce awkward, frozen smiles or worse, the room will go silent and someone feels the need to change the subject. Perhaps to a discussion of Sudoko or engineering magazines.

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Join the Harriman-Jewell Series for its fabulous 2019–2020 season of performances held at landmark venues in downtown Kansas City!

ANGELA GHEORGHIU

KELLI O’HARA

WYNTON MARSALIS

Kelli O’Hara, Broadway star 10/12/19; Nadine Sierra, soprano 10/19/19; Aspen Santa Fe Ballet 10/25/19; Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis 12/05/19; Anne-Sophie Mutter, violinist 01/21/20; Mark Morris Dance Group 02/08/20; The Siberian State Symphony Orchestra 03/05/20; Daniil Trifonov, pianist 03/12/20; Pianist Mitsuko Uchida and Mahler Chamber Orchestra 03/22/20; Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops On Tour 04/06/20; Angela Gheorghiu, soprano 04/26/20; Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano, and Il Pomo d’Oro, chamber orchestra 05/29/20. See complete details for season performances, including free Discovery Concerts, at HJSERIES.ORG.

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816.415.5025

Our Man BY

Damian Lair

IN KC

dlair@inkansascity.com

: @damianlair #OurManINKC

MEOW MIXED DRINKS

Twice Around the Block

HOT “WELCOME to our tropical hideGOSSIP: away; you lucky people, you. In the tiki tiki tiki tiki room.” In Which case you don’t already know, couple is merging there is a “secret” reservahouseholds… and Dr. tions-only tiki bar beneath Doolittle’s menagerie HopCat in Westport named of cats, dogs, and exotic ﬁsh? TikiCat. It is the most kitschy, perfectly lit, bamboo paradise filled with incredible, vintage ’60s modern furniture, pulled from what I imagine to be the most carefully assembled thrift shop in Palm Springs. Oh, and there are drinks. Every imaginable rum-based tiki drink one could fathom. Each one is vacation-inducing; two will send you to Mars; three = blackout. (Personal favorites are the Cat Bird Seat and Sidewinder’s Fang.) Now on this particular night, a table of friends and I settled into Polynesia, at the invitation of HopCat, to check out their new bimonthly event, Late Night at TikiCat. Presented by the ever-raucous Late Night Theatre crew, it’s an evening of irreverent comedy and musical wonderment at the behest of the Mai Tai sisters (aka Chadwick Brooks & Ron Megee). Each variation will feature a surprise guest—the most recent was Shon Ruffin, whose Damian jazzy crooning I could never tire of. On this night, she deLair and his lighted us with dreamy covers of Last Dance and Purple Rain. nephews. Also, here’s an insider tip: arrive early and hungry. Your ticket will score you a 15 percent discount on your HopCat meal upstairs, immediately before or after the show. While dining, we ith summer winding to a close, I grabbed my two little nephews were lucky enough to be treated with an experimental flight of to check out the annual block party at the Kemper Museum HopCat’s actually famous Cosmik Fries. They’re experimental of Contemporary Art. Upon arrival, they couldn’t resist beebecause, for a limited time, tasters get to vote for one of the lining straight for the sidewalk chalk. Because why not spend three varieties to become a permanent menu item. Results will the entire rest of the day covered in colorful chalk dust? While be announced in early October, with the new fries landing in listening to the live jazz ensemble, we checked out the food trucks and made our January. Here’s what we got to try: Fiesta (beer-battered with way to the rear parking lot lined with lowriders. We even persuasively talked a few spicy taco seasoning + side of sour cream), Shakshuka Spiced guys into pumping the hydraulics to make their rides hop and dance. From there, (beer-battered and tossed with we hopped ourselves next door to the Kansas City Art Institute Ceramics Departthe Libyan spice pilpelchuma ment, which was open for live demonstrations, while the boys played with the spooky + side of cheese sauce) and ficeramic heads on the lawn. Back at the Kemper, there were even more art activities nally, Funnel Cake [exalted in inside, including collaging (I now have new works on my refrigerator!), button-makmy Oprahhhh voice…] (fried ing, and face-painting. We grabbed a few art books at the museum shop, which also and tossed in caramel seasonfeatured locally made ceramics, jewelry, and paper goods special for that day. Finally, ing + chocolate dipping we couldn’t leave without visiting the “Lexicon” exhibit—an anniversary OVERHEARD sauce). My official vote: highlight of the museum’s permanent collection, amassed over the past funnel cake—obvi. So, 25 years. The visual masterpiece of the show was undoubtedly the Pet“It’s not homewrecking if you’re what are you waiting ah Coyne piece—a massive apple tree strewn with lively, taxidermied an upgrade.” for? The next Late peacocks and pheasants. It was so nice to see the Deborah Butterfield Night TikiCat show is horse back on display and an unusual Thomas Hart Benton portrait I’d “So, you’re a home November 12. Make never seen before. The exhibit also included recent acquisitions by Nick … renovator??” your reservations onCave, Rashid Johnson and Amy Sherald. Closing out the day was a film line, and look for the screening of Disney/Pixar’s Coco on the lawn. I heard from a friend at hidden buzzer and door the museum that last year’s Facebook event page had 400 RSVPs; this downstairs to enter. year—4,000. Whoa. It’s a family-centric event that certainly continues to grow and attract a variety of new faces. I hope to see you there next year.

OCTOBER 2019

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Around the World in 50 Booths

ver the past few years, I’ve been hearing more frequent mentions among my friends and other people-about-town about the annual Ethnic Enrichment Festival. So this year—the event’s 40th anniversary—I decided to check it out. After all, 50,000 attendees can’t be wrong—right? The weekend-long festival held in Swope Park is assembled by the Ethnic Enrichment Commission and boasts a packed agenda of performances and more food options than you’re prepared for. Kids: grab a passport at the entrance gates and get a stamp at each country. The pavilion stage is the festival anchor, with entertainment running from morning ’til night. While I was there, I witnessed Brazilian martial arts and dance routines from Israel, Haiti, and Iran. Surrounding the pavilion is a giant ring of booths from more than 50 member countries, each sponsored by a nonprofit. The emphasis here is food—so pick some favorites and try something new. All seemed to be bustling, so I went straight to Turkey for a doner sandwich (essentially a lamb and beef kabab stuffed inside a pita with veggies). Then it was to nearby Lebanon for my favorite stuffed grape leaves. Finally, some Colombian empanadas. And honestly, I had high aspirations for venturing beyond my go-tos, but

HOT GOSSIP:

quickly found myWhich quarterback self stuffed. So, at already passed off his that point I started new house to his mother shopping—and and found another new pad nearby? struck sartorial gold in Gambia. First, a giant beaded necklace, made of all things—cattle horns. Unique. Second, what I’m told is called a buba—worn by the Yoruba people, primarily from Nigeria, but also Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. It was hidden behind a curtain I peeked through—not for sale, but naturally, for the right price. How to describe? It is voluminous in a way only André Leon Talley could appreciate. Embroidered with gold thread, includes matching pants, and tattered in the ways that make me know it was cherished by someone. It is straight-up from the royal family in Coming to America, and may I say, I’m just dreaming of the right party to wear it to. Chalk that up as a success I did not at all anticipate! Finally, pro tip: you may think you remember where you parked, but when there are thousands of cars, parked in the squiggliest of lines rolling up, down, and over the park’s grassy hills—think again. Especially when it is now dark, and there are no discernible markers. Anywhere. So, drop a pin. I wish I had. Always the third full weekend in August—mark your calendar for next year’s #41.

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Become an INsider

LAB REPORT WHEN I SIGNED UP for a Pilates class at the new The Body Lab location at The Shops of Prairie

Village (adding to the existing 119th Leawood location), I thought I knew what I was in for. But at The Body Lab, they call it “Pilates+” for a reason. That reason is their exclusive specialization in Lagree Fitness—a unique hybrid of Pilates, cardio, and weight training. The method utilizes an elaborate training machine called the Megaformer, which is essentially an elevated, sliding platform loaded with adjustable tension springs and various handlebars for positioning. The 50-minute workout harnesses the machine and your body weight to produce slow and controlled movements, with constant tension, to achieve muscle failure. Disclosure: I am far from a fitness expert, but I do see my trainer twice weekly and have tried a bevy of workouts. Here are OVERHEARD the major plusses for this Lagree: 1.) It’s designed for all fitness levels and “Well God knows low-stress for joints and spine. 2.) The machine allows for seemingly infinite no one tries exercise options and tension levels, so your body won’t “plateau”, and the most harder.” [If you important in my book 3.) Time efficiency. Fifty minutes and I was whooped. only knew the The average session burns 600 calories and targets multiple muscle groups at heiress who said this… and about the same time (more efficient than isolation exercises). My muscles were sore whom…] for days (i.e., my scientifically empirical way of knowing it actually worked.) Oh, and did I mention it’s got a cult celebrity following: Meghan Markle, Rihanna, Calvin Harris, Crissy Teigen, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Jeremy Piven, Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga, and David Duchovny. That’s right. It’s perfect for packing a lot of workout into a busy life.

OCTOBER 2019

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HIT THE ROOF

October 4

5TH ANNUAL RISE rooftop crawl, benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City, was held in the Crossroads, and I was super stoked to be invited to attend this year. RISE is a unique sponsors-only event where guests explore three elaborately themed private rooftop parties, each featuring its own food, beverage, entertainment, and interactive experiences, culminating in a Walnut Street block party in front of BBBS. This year’s theme was “Rise on Vacation,” and we were swept all around the world, from rooftop to rooftop, in a very Mary Poppins fashion. My group began at the BBBS building for “Backpacking through Europe.” Floor by floor, we hiked from the UK to Italy and finally to Paris on the chic rooftop. Along the way, there were audiences with the Queen and her Corgi, photos ops in a Venetian gondola and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, as well as a giant Eiffel Tower and a wall with white-gloved hands delivering glasses of bubbling Champagne from within. From Europe, it was off to Barkley’s expansive rooftop for “Cruise to Cuba.” We limboed and enjoyed bevs and bites from the island before one last rooftop stop at Corrigan Station for “Adventure through Africa.” There, we got to hold (with help) the massive at-least-ten-feet-long albino Burmese python and roam with stilted animals. Finally, we made our way back to the Bishop-McCann block party that was just kicking off. The “Journey to India” theme featured Indian dancers (giving us all the Slumdog Millionaire moves), hookah tents, food trunks lining the street, and beats from DJ Ashton Martin. Such an incredible night!

THE

SPOTTED: Rob Adams, Rob Gray, Linda & Brad Nicholson, Bernard Shondell, Michael Edmondson, Rachel Sexton, Brian King, Dolly Wood, Jennifer Janesko, Cori & Matt Culp, Taylor Gozia, Kellen Whaley, Will Gregory, Zach Bowman, Kevin Chapman, Dan Hilboldt, Jeff Serven, Mark Mazzarese

October 26

STEFON HARRIS & BLACKOUT

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Arts & Culture

IN KC

Chen Yi VIOLINIST AND COMPOSER OF CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL MUSIC ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS by

Judith Fertig

n Kansas City caught up with Chen Yi, a doctor of musical arts and Lorena Searcy Cravens/Millsap/Missouri Distinguished Endowed Professor in Music Composition, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. Chen [following the Chinese custom of surname first] was born in Guangzhou, China, to parents who loved classical music. But during the political upheaval known as Mao Zhedong’s Cultural Revolution, which lasted from 1966 to 1976, Chen Yi had to abandon her music lessons to carry rocks up a mountain to help build a military fortress. And yet Chinese folk music and the sounds of Chinese stringed instruments—the yehu and huqin—give her contemporary classical music a vibrant and arresting sound. Today, Chen Yi is perhaps the most well-known female Asian composer of contemporary “classical” music. Chen was a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her composition Si Ji (Four Seasons), and has received numerous awards as well as fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. She has just released a new album, Concertos for String Instruments. And next month, she will be celebrated at UMKC’s annual Crescendo 2019 on November 8 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts—a gala dinner followed by performances by music, dance, and theater students and faculty—all to raise funds for scholarships. umkc.edu/crescendo

OCTOBER 2019

Your new CD, Concertos for String Instruments, features four concertos that you wrote for different string instruments. Tell us about it. Chen Yi: Growing up as a violinist, when I was a teenage girl my dear father hoped that I could compose music that would be performed by myself and be loved by many in the world. During the past half century, I have composed many original works featuring string instruments. I had a dream to put some of my concertos for solo string instruments onto a CD for my audience to enjoy collectively. The first piece is my second violin concerto, Spring in Dresden, in 2005. The last piece, Xian Shi for viola and orchestra, is my earliest original orchestral work, written in 1983, with the same soloist on the CD, Lizhou Liu, who also gave the premiere performance. It’s the first time I tried to use a Western string instrument to imitate the special nasal timbre of a Chinese folk string instrument. The tone color in the high register of the viola is very close to the sound of a yehu (a two-string fiddle with its sound box made from coconut shell), which is the major instrument in the local folk ensemble. You grew up in China during turbulent times. When you had to leave your musical studies, how did classical music sustain you? CY: As with many other Chinese “intellectuals” during the Cultural Revolution, my family and I couldn’t escape from the suffering of hav-

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ing our home searched, of being compelled to perform forced labor, of having to engage in public self-criticism, and of having to live our lives under the persistent stress of political pressure. The target of the Cultural Revolution was always the people who had an education, especially if they had been exposed to Western culture. At first, I used to practice the violin with a heavy metal mute, and put a blanket between the hammers and the steel frame in the piano in order to be able to sight-read my father’s score collection. But this soon came to an end when, in 1968, I found myself bringing my violin with me to the countryside. My family was separated and sent to live and work in five different places. Our domestic possessions were either seized or destroyed, and our home was locked and kept empty in the city. It perhaps was the beauty and the spirit of Mozart’s music that helped me to overcome the hardship and all the difficulties during this dark period. I remembered that my father had said to me that from Mozart’s music you feel the sunlight and see the composer’s happy face, but people don’t know the tears of sorrow running down behind his cheeks. This challenging experience brought home to me what my father meant. How do you compose your music? CY: I like to absorb all useful elements to get my imagination going for composing, and I want my work to present something of a challenge to regular classical music ears. However, I don’t like to catch any wave and match any fashion. I have employed such rhyth-

mic structures and have combined them with my own pitch material (based on Chinese traditional mountain song singing, and the use of atonal composition techniques). Another example was the result of my attending an African American’s dance concert. I was amazed by the exciting drumming and the energetic dancing. At one point, they danced in the Chinese red silk dance style, but much faster and stronger, holding not the long red but the shorter and colorful silk in their hands. I was so excited by this that I remember shouting out with tears of joy. Then I returned home to compose my orchestral work Ge Xu (Antiphony), with the passion and excitement of that concert lingering in my head. INKC: What is it about the Kansas City area that nurtures your

creative self and your career? CY: The active culture scene here—my home base for the past 21

years—nurtures my creativity and my career. I have worked with Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Chorale, all UMKC choirs, symphony orchestra and choir, wind ensembles and other chamber ensembles, and dance department. I am grateful for my very supportive colleagues in the Conservatory, and the Conservatory/University administration teams, numerous inspiring students from my composition teaching career and working with performers and other artists. Our students and alumni are everywhere around the world, making their music with achievements in the field. I wouldn’t have been who I am without all this support.

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OCTOBER 2019

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Arts & Culture BY

IN KC

Judith Fertig

IT WAS FIFTY YEARS AGO TODAY SERGEANT PEPPER GOT THE BAND TO PLAY. . . NO, IT WAS THE WHITE ALBUM THE KAUFFMAN CENTER hosts a tribute to the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles’ White Album, which featured musical styles including rock and roll, blues, folk, country, reggae, avant-garde, hard rock, ska, and music hall. George Harrison put the sitar aside and learned new acoustic guitar licks. Paul McCartney and John Lennon quarreled over the new presence of Yoko Ono, even at Abbey Road recording studios. Ringo Starr took off for two weeks when they went to the Transcendental Meditation retreat in India to work. It was the beginning of the end of The Beatles, but the songs have become classics: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da; Fool on the Hill, Hey Jude. On Thursday evening, October 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kauffman, an all-star lineup of musicians including Christopher Cross, Todd Rundgren, Micky Dolenz (The Monkees), Jason Scheff (Chicago), and Joey Molland (Badfinger) transport us back in time to pay homage to one of the greatest musical groups of all time with Tour 2019: A Tribute to the Beatles’ White Album. kauffmancenter.org.

Concerts are held in Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

(816) 471-0400 / kcsymphony.org

SO MUCH MUSIC, SO MUCH FUN! Classical Opening Weekend

Classical Concert

Friday & Saturday, Oct. 4-5 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m.

Friday & Saturday, Oct. 25-26 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.

FINLANDIA AND SCHUMANN’S PIANO CONCERTO Michael Stern, conductor Martin Helmchen, piano SIBELIUS Finlandia SCHUMANN Piano Concerto DANIEL KELLOGG The Golden Spike

(Kansas City Symphony commission, world premiere)

SMETANA “Blaník” from Má vlast

The Classical season opens with music perfect for a grand celebration as Michael Stern begins his 15th season as Kansas City Symphony music director. Tickets from $25.

BRAHMS’ FOURTH AND BACH’S FANTASIA

Jason Seber, David T. Beals III Associate Conductor Paul Jacobs, organ J.S. BACH/ELGAR Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor MICHAEL DAUGHERTY Once Upon a Castle for Organ and Orchestra BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 Tickets from $25.

OCTOBER 2019

Silent Film + Live Organ

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

Dorothy Papadakos, organ A Halloween tradition! Spend a frightful yet delightful night in Helzberg Hall. This classic 1929 silent film starring Lon Chaney tells the creepy tale of a demented organist lurking in the catacombs beneath the opera house. The entire movie is shown on the giant Helzberg Hall screen with acclaimed organist Dorothy Papadakos improvising the spooky soundtrack on the Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ. Tickets from $25. Sponsored by

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GET YOUR ART ON ART LAB AT THE KEMPER JUST LIKE composer Chen Yi says, a cultural experience can encourage you to be creative. No one knows this better than the folks at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. On Sunday, October 6 (and the first Sunday of each month through December), theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re offering Art Lab, a new drop-in creative opportunity from noon to 3 p.m., no tickets required, all ages. Simply come to the museum and be prepared to be inspired. Then, experiment with different art materials to create your own masterpiece, explore the galleries with sketching materials, read art books, and soak it all up. kemperart.org

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Arts & Culture BY

IN KC

Judith Fertig

OLIVE, AGAIN IF YOU LOVED Olive Kitteredge, a novel by the New York Times best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning Elizabeth Strout, you’ll love this new novel even more. Sharp-edged, no-nonsense, prickly Olive is back—along with her author—at Unity Temple on the Plaza on Wednesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. Olive Kitteredge is so resistant to change yet so empathetic, what could possibly move her needle in the fictional town of Crosby, Maine? Perhaps it will be the teenager coming to terms with the death of her father or the pregnant woman who gives birth at a really, really hilariously bad time. Maybe it’s someone with an old high school crush or an attorney who struggles with an inheritance that could compromise her. At every turn, there’s an opportunity for Olive to learn and grow. But will she? Tickets available at rainydaybooks.com.

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THE BOLLYWOOD REVUE

IF YOU LOVED Slum Dog Millionaire, you’ll love this celebration of India’s pop culture. Bollywood is a mashup of Bombay and Hollywood, which all adds up to Indian cinema, the largest film group in the world with huge audiences in Asia and around the world. Bollywood films have influenced American directors Baz Luhrmann and Danny Boyle. One of the most popular genres is the masala film, mixing together action and romance, mystery and musical revues, a little bit of everything. The same applies to The Bollywood Revue, which debuts at the Carlsen Center on October 25 at 8 p.m. with a fusion experience blending film and live music, with colorful costumes and vibrant dance. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Go out for Masala Dosai and Chicken Tikka Masala beforehand, then settle back and enjoy this spicy blend of entertainment. jccc.edu

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Behind the Music

IN KC

Lisa McKenzie by

Timothy Finn

isa McKenzie’s love for rhythm is so deep and adventurous it inspired several trips to Africa to study traditional drumming and dance—skills and knowledge she now applies to her newest band. Since she was 18, McKenzie has been part of the Kansas City music community, playing drums for several groups in several genres, including Cher UK, The Grand Marquis, Djama, Alex Abramovitz & His Swing ‘N’ Kansas City Jazz Band, Sycamore Grove, and the Ragged Few. She’s busy these days with Bantaba, an Afrobeat band she co-founded that celebrates African legends like Fela Kuti. On Oct. 17, Bantaba will headline Fela-Bration, a celebration of Kuti’s birthday. McKenzie is a Kansas City native who lives in rural western Wyandotte county with her husband, Dylon, and their children plus “our dogs, horses, goats, and poultry. We grow food and keep bees, too.” She recently answered questions from IN Kansas City about her favorite drummers, her pilgrimages to Africa, her new band, and her fondness for Fela Kuti and Afrobeat.

OCTOBER 2019

When did music first enter your life? Lisa McKenzie: My father played in bands while I was growing up. Both of my parents were extremely supportive of me playing music. They made sure I got lessons, had a space for band practice and tolerated hours of individual practice and rehearsal time. I first started playing music when I was about 15. I started on clarinet. I really wanted to play saxophone, but the band director needed a clarinetist. I then switched to drums at about 16. My father bought me a drum set and it just stuck. I loved it. I loved the rhythm and just playing. What drummers influenced you early on and what about them appealed to you? LM: Steve Shelley from Sonic Youth. Stanton Moore from Galactic, and Herlin Riley. Steve, because I love his rhythmic/tribal approach to punk rock/noisy music. Early on I tried to take his style and incorporate it into my own. Stanton, he just blows my mind. I constantly watch his videos and

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practice his techniques. Herlin—I love New Orleans-style drumming, and in my opinion Herlin is one of the best. What music did you listen to growing up? What was the first album you owned? LM: The first records I bought were the Kiss solo albums. They had them at the grocery store, and I begged my mom for them. She eventually bought them.

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How old were you when you first started performing live? What was your first band or serious gig? LM: I started playing live when I was around 18. My first serious gig was Cher UK. I was serious about playing music before that, but Cher UK was touring constantly. When and why did you become interested in Africa and its music? What have you learned from your trips over there? LM: I love rhythm. A former boyfriend bought me a book, War Drum of the Ewe: Godwin Agebeli. Godwin was a master drummer who owned a drumming and dance school in Kopeyia, Ghana, called Dagbe Cultural Arts Centre. It is still going and operated by his son Emmanual Agbeli. I wrote him a letter expressing my interest in studying with him. He invited me to his school. I went during summers in college for about five years. In addition to learning Ewe drumming and dance, I learned so much about community. Ghanaians have such a strong, beautiful sense of community and culture. I think that is what really prompted me to eventually adopt children. In addition to listening and learning traditional rhythms, I also enjoyed listening to Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, to name a few, and other types of Afro-jazz, Highlife, etc.

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You just started a new band, Bantaba, an Afrobeat ensemble. Where did the name come from? Do you perform original music, covers or both? LM: The name Bantaba is derived from the word for a large tree, which is called bentennie in the Mandinka language, and is a traditional meeting place for the men of the village. The origins of the word is from the Mandinka for “tree” which is “Bant” and “aba” means “where to meet” and so the two words combined are Bant-aba. We liked the name because for us it de-

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OCTOBER 2019

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Behind the Music

IN KC

fined community. We meet to create and celebrate music together. This group of people is truly special. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people and musicians. The way the band formed and came together was pretty special. The right musicians, skill-wise and personality, just started appearing. We perform covers, a combination of Afrobeat, Highlife, and funk. We are working on writing originals and hope to have some recorded very soon. Bantaba has a big event coming up on Oct. 17: Felabration, a celebration of the great Fela Kuti. Talk about him and what his music means to you. LM: Fela-Bration is an annual worldwide event created by Yeni Anakulapo Kuti, Fela’s daughter, to celebrate his life and music. Fela was the creator of Afrobeat music, a revolutionary and human rights activist, and a Nigerian. Fela-Bration is always celebrated the week of his birthday. I and others in Bantaba love Fela’s music because it is a merging of several different styles, combining traditional rhythms, jazz, and funk. It’s so amazing. Fela was a revolutionary, and in my mind, a genius. His message seems timeless. The message he was speaking in Nigeria in the 1970s is very relevant to modern-day America. Banataba loves to create a party every show. We want to see people dancing, moving and having fun. We will have special guests: our dancehall friend Nowledge, and our friends from Sunu, an Afrobeat/

New Orleans/funkster band from Lawrence. Fela-Bration will be at the Record Bar on Oct 17. Showtime will be 8 p.m. We really hope Kansas City will join us for this evening and celebrate the music of Fela Kuti. What has Kansas City meant to you, as a musician and longtime resident? LM: I love being a musician from Kansas City and have always felt very proud to be a part of the Kansas City music scene. We have so many amazing musicians here. Kansas City is so musically, historically rich. Much of my favorite music comes from Kansas City musicians like Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, Jay McShann, and Bennie Moten. Kansas City is a great place to work as a musician and being in the center of the United States, it’s easy to tour from.

WANT MORE TIMOTHY FINN? Check out his weekly online-only content at inkansascity.com. Every Wednesday the website publishes his list of Top 5 Notto-Miss Concerts in the metro. Every week you’ll ﬁnd his revered, rollicking, reasoned reviews and commentary. Email Timothy Finn at tﬁnn@inkansascity.com

S C OV E L L R E M O D E L I N G . C O M

OCTOBER 2019

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Treasured home & gift collections

Hand-built, organic mattresses

Investing in value and sustainability... ... is the theme of Vogue’s blockbuster 2019 fall fashion issue, and it reflects my longstanding philosophy. Being European born, l view sustainability as a way of life, not a trend. For centuries, Europeans have made a habit of buying to last – not to discard – and surrounding themselves with fine quality that never goes out of style.

Cherished purchases are enjoyed year after year, with thoughtful tweaks along the way for a fresh look. It’s good for the planet and the budget. Come in and experience a simpler, mindful, greener way of living with our timeless collections.

Salute! Ursula Terrasi

501 Nichols Rd. at Pennsylvania | A Country Club Plaza icon for over 30 years 816.753.4144 | 800.875.4144 | www.terrasi.com

Look BY

IN KC

Fashion

R. Murphy

Check It Out

WHAT’S THAT? THERE’S FINALLY A CHILL IN THE AIR? TIME TO BREAK OUT FALL’S COZIEST PATTERN—PLAID. FAR FROM RELEGATED TO JUST FLANNEL, LOOK FOR PLAID IN SUITING AND FEMININE DRESSES. THIS PLAID IS MADE TO WORK FROM 9-5 AND THEN ON TO COCKTAILS

SPLIT SCREEN

This jacket takes classic details and gives them a twist with split sleeves. In a unique plaid hue, this Italian wool jacket will be the statement piece that will pair with every neutral you own. Danielle split sleeve double-breasted blazer, $395, available at Market Assembly (Crossroads).

WRAP IT UP

DROP THE WAIST, PICK UP THE PACE

A vibrant hand-drawn print takes this 17-inch by 72-inch scarf up a level. It will definitely make a statement with any fall or winter coat. Echo scarf, $45, available at EJ’s Boutique (Hawthorne Plaza).

Plaid goes flirty in this ruched mini dress with a dropped waist. With three-quarter length sleeves and a fitted skirt, this gives a fresh spin to the body con look. Navy plaid ruched mini dress,Tanya Taylor, $465, available at Clique Boutique (Prairie Village Shops).

CEO STYLE

Take the boardroom by storm in a slim cropped pantsuit. Break it up and pair the jacket with denim for a workday to weekend mood. Tart Collection: Silvia jacket, $228, Rian pants $150, available at Design in the City (The Village at Briarcliff and Brookside).

BRIT CHIC

It doesn’t get any more iconic than Burberry plaid. Wear it as a fragrance with Brit for Her. It begins with top notes of pear, lime, and lemongrass and finishes with lush notes of vanilla, amber, and tonka bean. Brit for Her eau de parfum, $106, at Ulta Beauty.

STEP ON IT

The horsebit detail distinguishes this shoe as a Gucci classic. Black leather trims the blue, white and red check tweed, which pays homage to the trad penny loafer. Gucci Jordaan loafer, $730, available at Halls Kansas City (Crown Center).

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BEAUTIFUL TEETH... MY FAVORITE ACCESSORY “I cannot imagine having competed at Miss USA 2019, without the beautiful smile Dr. Headley designed for me. The added confidence on the runway and in close-up camera shots was golden! My smile will always be my favorite accessory.” – Triana Browne

Miss Oklahoma USA 2019 2nd runner-up Miss USA 2019

Look

IN KC Beauty

R. Murphy

Vivier C E Peptides It only takes two or three drops of this potent serum targeted at nourishing dry, damaged skin. Vitamins C and E brighten while peptides help to smooth away ﬁne lines and wrinkles. $160, available at Aesthicare Med Spa (Leawood).

Agent Nateur Holi-C

For a different delivery method, try mixing your own. Holi-C is a clean, vegan product that can be mixed with water or into your favorite moisturizer or serum for a vitamin C boost. $120, available at Welwythn (Prairie Village).

Mirabile M.D. MedCosmetic C&E Serum C&E Serum

The Anti-Aging Antioxidant

hink drinking your O.J. is just a good pick-me-up in the morning? Think again. Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid, is a skin-care superstar as well. As a powerful antioxidant, it protects from free-radicals, helps speed cellular turnover to brighten, and recent research shows it can

even protect from sun damage. There are many ways to harness the power of vitamin C, and drinking that O.J. is one of them. For the most direct effect, though, head to the skin-care counter or your dermatologist for one of these powerful products. Vitamin C is a fairly unstable chemical, so it is often combined with vitamin E to provide the most benefit.

DELVE DEEPER

For an especially effective vitamin C treatment, the aestheticians at Hollyday Med Spa + Aesthetics include Obagi vitamin C with hydroquinone with their microneedling treatment. “It’s a really effective way to quickly and deeply push the product into the dermal layer of the skin,” says the owner, Holly Post.

OCTOBER 2019

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is a highly effective blend of L-ascorbic acid, tocopherol, ferulic acid, and octapeptide with an intensiﬁed transepidermal carrier to deliver an excellent anti-aging product. The serum increases collagen production, provides superior antioxidant protection, corrects hyperpigmentation, and reduces the appearance of ﬁne lines and wrinkles. $94, available from Mirabile M.D. MedCosmetic (Overland Park).

Skincueticals C E Ferulic Antioxidant Serum

Vitamin C and E are made even more useful with a pop of ferulic acid. Protect your skin from free radicals, brighten skin tone, and improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and firmness. The best part? Once absorbed, this serum remains effective for 72 hours. $166, available from Sunflower Dermatology (Riverside).

hosts

Bubbles hosts& Bites Bubbleswith& Bites

with OPEN COLLECTIVE

by Mary Schulte

OPEN COLLECTIVE by Mary Schulte

A capsule of wardrobe essentials for women, by women. A capsule of wardrobe essentials for women, by women.

featuring Kansas City artists/designers featuring Kansas City artists/designers

Hadley Clark Hadley Clark Debra Smith Debra Smith Emily Evans Sloan Emily Evans Sloan Amina Hood Amina Wyrick Wyrick Hood Jen Jen Wilkinson Wilkinson

Unitingart, art, design design &&community Uniting community for a unique shopping experience. for a unique shopping experience.

Tuesday

October 29, 2019

October 29, 2019 5 - 7 p.m. 5 - 7 p.m. Phosphor Studios 1730 Broadway Blvd. Phosphor Studios Kansas City, MO 64108

1730 Broadway Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64108 Valet Parking

Limited Valet GuestParking Engagement

RSVP Limited Guest Engagement jh@openbymary.com

RSVP

jh@openbymary.com

Look

IN KC

Wellness

Dance, Dance, Dance

FLAMENCO Grab your castanets and ruffled skirt and head to The Studio at the Kansas City Ballet. The music and rhythm of Spain come alive when Tamara Carson takes the floor, bringing students of all experience levels with her. Arm work, stomping steps, and choreography will work up a sweat even if you’re not wearing Lycra. More info at kcballet.org/ school/studio/classes.

RICHARD SIMMONS MAY BE M.I.A. (ARE YOU OKAY, RICHARD?) BUT DANCING TO TORCH CALORIES IS ALIVE AND WELL. AND IT’S NOT JUST FOR THE TODDLER/HIGH SCHOOL SET EITHER. ADULT DANCE CLASSES ARE PROLIFERATING IN A VARIETY OF STYLES. CHECK OUT SOME OF THE DIVERSE WAYS TO SHAKE IT NEAR YOU. by

BELLY DANCE Halal Zeki of City in Motion thinks that belly dance is for everyone, even men. Her class focuses on technique but also builds in a lot of fun, she says. The great side effect of all those hip pops and rolls is a serious calorie burn suitable for all ages. More information at cityinmotion.org.

INTRO TO TAP Sure you can do the hottest hip-hop workout (WERQ) at Dance Fit Flow in the Crossroads, but you can also make like Gregory Hines and get your tap on. Intro to tap starts with the basics, but older hoofers can also shake the dust off their taps and get back in the groove in Erica Thurman’s class. More info at dancefitflow.com.

R. Murphy

OCTOBER 2019

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Come Home to Comfort.

COME HOME TO NEST.

5911 Johnson Dr. u Mission, KS 66202 u 913.901.8257 u www.nestkc.com

My Essentials

IN KC

ZOEY CHAMBERLAIN SHOE DESIGNER AND ENTREPRENEUR

A PHOTO BY AARON LEIMKUEHLER

Kansas City native, Zoey Chamberlain grew up in the Northland. She’s been a designer at heart since grade school, where, in 4th grade she did a year-long research project on ’70s fashion. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, spending half her time studying abroad at the school’s FIT in Florence, Italy program. After receiving her degree in fashion design, Chamberlain moved back to Kansas City and worked for a local fashion brand as a womenswear designer. Her focus on technical design and working with overseas manufacturers developed her skills to launch her own brand. As a lifelong animal lover and vegetarian since the age of 5, her life and career are about connecting the dots between lifestyle choices and commitment to animal welfare. After becoming a vegan and cutting out animal-derived products and ingredients, Chamberlain discovered a disappointing lack of footwear available for the ethical and stylish individual. So she launched Zoey Simone—shoes and boots handcrafted in Portugal of quality, non-leather materials.

Zoey’s essentials... FAVORITE DESIGN FROM ZOEY SIMONE’S FALL/WINTER LINE:

COCKTAIL OF CHOICE: Always a

This feels a little like picking a favorite child, but I’m going with the Block Heel Boot in Cyan Plaid. It is such a fun shoe and always catches someone’s eye. I never leave the house in them without having a conversation about my boots!

Negroni. Il Lazzarone makes a delicious one. DINING OUT:

Taj Palace is my tried and true. They make a special off-themenu vegan Navratan Korma with coconut milk if you ask and it is fantastic. I am always in the mood for rich, warm comfort food and this satisfies every single time.

FAVORITE CANDLE: I recently bought a Lake candle in “Fairway Fir” from Made in KC and it has been the perfect way to ease my home into fall. It smells so crisp and makes me want to curl up with a mug of Louisburg apple cider.

MADE IN KC: In an effort to reduce plastic waste, I no longer allow myself to buy liquid soap. My favorite bar to keep in the shower is the Lavender Cedar Body Bar from Wild Wash Soap Co. It’s vegan, palm-free, and comes in recyclable paper packaging. Win-win-win!

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DATE NIGHT:

There is no better way to spend an evening than by having dinner at Café Gratitude and then heading over to Fairway Creamery for vegan soft serve! Bonus points if we can squeeze in a movie at The Rio. FAV SHOP:

Finefolk does such an amazing job of bringing in designers that you can’t find anywhere else in Kansas City. I love their value of quality over quantity, and let’s not forget that the shop itself is absolutely gorgeous!

Treat Yourself & A Friend This Holiday Season! BUY ONE SUBSCRIPTION, GET A SECOND FOR 80% OFF THE COVER PRICE

Live Like aLocal OCTOBER 2018 | INKANSASCITY.COM

NOVEMBER 2018 | INKANSASCITY.COM

AN INTERVIEW WITH JASON SUDEIKIS

OF KC’S BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

AN INTERVIEW WITH KC NATIVE GILLIAN FLYNN

Holiday Fashion

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OF KC’S MOST ICONIC EATERIES YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF

Living

IN KC

Interior of Foxfire Mountain House as featured in Foxfire Living.

f course we love to read year-round. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so nice to hunker down when the weather is cooler to get book-nooky with it, joined by a warm blanket and a hot beverage. One of the places we love to find home-design books is Trapp and Company in Midtown because the selections change seasonally. These are the books weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re eagerly awaiting this autumn. by

Stacy Downs

Down to Earth: Laid-Back Interiors for Modern Living by Lauren Liess Liess lit the design world on fire with her first book Habitat, which walked readers step-by-step through her process. Down to Earth follows up with a look at six different homes that incorporate her aesthetic: nature, easy living, and approachability.

Living With Color by Rebecca Atwood This new book by Atwood, a textile designer, is the companion to the popular Living With Pattern. The book acts as a practical guide for boldly choosing color for the home.

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Foxfire Living: Design, Recipes and Stories From the Magical Inn in the Catskills by Eliza Clark and Tim Trojian Designer Eliza Clark and her chef husband Tim Trojian created Foxfire Mountain House, an 11-room inn and restaurant that serves as a stylish retreat in Mount Tremper, New York. The inn features vintage leather and velvet sofas and sheepskin rugs. The book tells the story of furnishings, light fixtures, paint colors and more.

foxfire photo courtesy of harper collins publishers

Tomes for the Home

FALL IN LOVE SAYING GOODBYE to summer would be so hard if it weren’t for the joy-inducing details of fall. The gorgeous variety of colors in nature. The crispness in the air. The warmth of added layers. Yes, it’s definitely a feast for all the senses when it comes to autumn-izing your home.

NOBLE DESIGNS

COMFY AND COZY Adding a throw is an easy way to welcome fall into the home because it adds color, texture, pattern and warmth. Happy Habitat recycled-cotton throw blankets by Kansas City’s Karrie Dean come in the perfect palettes. happyhabitat.net, $165.00 each

SERVE THE UNEXPECTED We dig this slate board because its red-brick hue is so unusual—and so autumnal! We think it creates a striking contrast for cheeses, fruits, and spiced nuts. Golden and Pine (Prairie Village Shops), small $30; large, $36.

MODERN CLASSIC

At Noble Designs, our passion is designing homes and spaces for our clients that reflect their needs in a style that lasts.

MUM’S THE WORD? Time to add claret, orange, gold, and aubergine—and perhaps a pumpkin or three—to your containers for seasonal curb appeal. On our short list of places for plants is Family Tree Nursery (Overland Park, Shawnee, Liberty) because the staff doles out lots of great advice and inspiration.

ALL AGLOW Scented candles are the best in fall—and there’s a whole world to discover beyond pumpkin spice. One of our faves is the aptly named “Autumn” by Pickwick & Co. Its fragrance: baked apple, orange peel, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and vanilla. Webster House (Crossroads), $24.50

saranobledesigns.com | 913-218-0001 @nobledesigns

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Living

IN KC

Warm and Welcoming by

Stacy Downs

lizabeth Jacob Home is a new design and lifestyle store in Overland Park. (7313 W. 95th St.) A lot of décor and gift ideas are packed into the cozy boutique. The store offers design services with lines of furniture as well as lighting and wallpaper installation. While it offers a multitude of readymade items, one of the store’s specialties is custom sewing for draperies, bedding, pillows, and cushions. Elizabeth Jacob Home—the combination of owner Janene Ervin’s children’s middle names—also has items for gifts, including wine accessories, robes, and infant clothing, as well as tableware and glassware for wedding registries. elizabethjacobhome.com

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Go Autumn! Go Hometown Teams! AS MUCH AS AUTUMN LEAVES, Friday night lights are signs of the season. Accordingly, the wool felt of sports pennants seem to conjure fall sports. We love the refreshing take on banners that celebrate local spirit and pride. Tucked into a mudroom or study, they add warmth and cheer to the home year round.

“Glory Days” Championship Banner, Tyler Kingston Mercantile (North Kansas City and Corinth Square), $90

Every Option of Wood Flooring

Every Type of Carpet

City and neighborhood pennants by Sandlot Goods, Made In KC, $40 each

Open to the Public Free Financing Full Service Installation -or- Carry Out

Sharptooth Studio KC Banner, Made In KC, $30

127th & Metcalf KCWholesaleCarpet.com

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words by

Cindy Hoede

photo by

Cameron Gee

IN CONVERSATION WITH

Tyrann Mathieu

T The Kansas City Chiefs have a new leader of the pack on defense, 27-year-old safety Tyrann Mathieu (“TY-run Matthew”). Off the field, he tips his head down at an angle, speaks in a soft low-country drawl and wears golden-tipped dreadlocks that frame his face and dance when he laughs. On the field, he’s an absolute menace. A sportscaster dubbed him “the Honey Badger,” after a fearless weasel native to Africa and Asia, when he was a Heisman finalist at LSU, ultimately playing in the national championship game in 2012 and being named the best defensive player in the country. He set an SEC record with 11 career forced fumbles. Mathieu’s big heartedness extends beyond the gridiron. When he played for the Arizona Cardinals, he filmed a TV public service announcement for PETA in which he sat in

OCTOBER 2019

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What are the biggest differences between Kansas City and New Orleans? I think Kansas City is more rural. I think New Orleans is more urban and everybody is kind of on top of each other, I feel like there’s less space [in New Orleans] than in Kansas City. Have you found some places here that you like to eat? I’ve pretty much tried all the barbecue. I like Q-39. I love Gates. I’ve eaten at Sullivan’s, Capital Grille, I’m trying everything out for sure. Are there foods you miss? Yeah, the seafood and hot sausage patties, turkey necks, things like that. My fiancé does a good job of fixing authentic things that we used to eat down South.

photo courtesy of the kansas city chiefs

When you go back to New Orleans for a visit, what is the first thing you want to eat when you get off the plane? The first thing I grab is a hot sausage po-boy. I’ve gotta have it. I’m not really big on crawfish. I used to be really into it. I think I’ve kind of outgrown it. But every now and then I get a craving to have some really good crawfish. What’s it like to play with the Chiefs after their unbelievable season last year, going to the AFC Championship Game? It’s really fun. I think the Chiefs whole organization is really about family and football. I think they’ve got a good locker room, a lot of young guys and a lot of proven guys as well. Playing with the MVP of the NFL [Patrick Mahomes] is not too bad. There’s a lot of good guys—players and coaches. The whole culture is just about working really hard and winning. That’s what drew me here. a 120-degree car with the windows rolled up for eight minutes, visibly sweating through his shirt and almost passing out before he opened a door to illustrate the cruelty and danger of leaving animals in parked cars in hot weather. After Arizona, Mathieu played a year with the Houston Texans before signing a three-year, $42 million contract with the Chiefs in March. After playing against him in practice a few times, quarterback Patrick Mahomes said, “He’s a monster.” Defensive end Frank Clark described him as “a guy that’s able to do everything, really good at every single aspect of football.” Recently, IN Kansas City caught up with Mathieu—in between his heavily overloaded schedule of practice, physical therapy and charitable engagements—to chat about his native Louisiana, his new home in Kansas City, his recent engagement, and his prediction for this season. How does Kansas City compare to New Orleans, where you grew up? Kansas City is a lot different for sure [laughs], but I feel like I’m adjusting really well. I feel like the people here in Kansas City are pretty easy going. They’re nice. I think my teammates are embracing me, and that whole deal with the fans and stuff.

OCTOBER 2019

“

My profession is my platform, it makes it easier for me to do what I always thought I was going to do, which is to serve other people.” What is your impression of Chiefs fans? Are they different than Texans fans? Oh, yeah, without a doubt. They are so much more into it. It kind of reminds me of LSU and how the fans there are so invested in that particular school. Because in the NFL it can be tricky; in a lot of cities, people are from different places and like different teams. But here it just seems like everybody is a Chiefs fan. So that’s the obvious thing

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that stands out the most. In Arizona and Texas, it’s a mixture of fans, and here it’s 100 percent Chiefs. You founded the Tyrann Mathieu Foundation to help disadvantaged kids in New Orleans and now Kansas City as well. Your signature event is a celebrity kickball tournament. Why kickball? A lot of guys put on golf tournaments, and there are celebrity basketball games for charity. I wanted to do something different, something that was closer to home. I think most of us grew up playing kickball in school and in the streets. I just wanted to reconnect with that. I’ve always loved the sport. I can remember us kids just having so much fun, so why can’t folks now have the same fun playing kickball?

“

How did your fantastic nickname, Honey Badger, come about? When I was at LSU we had a really big game on ESPN one night. We won it, and I get on the bus after the game, and my coach— now, coaches always tell you not to read press clippings but they’re the first ones who do it [laughs]—so he’s already online, and he’s like, “Hey, man, look. They’re calling you the Honey Badger.” There was a link to a video he clicked on and we watched it. It was hilarious. It was this little animal just running around the jungle bossing big animals around. I didn’t like it at first. I thought I could have had a cooler nickname. But it kind of stuck. A lot of people don’t know my first name, they just know I’m the Honey Badger [laughs]. It’s followed me to the NFL. So your fellow Chiefs call you Honey Badger? No! None of my teammates call me that. I prohibit them from calling me that [laughs]. But most of the fans and most of my coaches call me that, no doubt.

I think every year you prepare all year

On your Facebook page, there are shots of you modeling clothes from H&M. Have you always been interested in fashion? Yeah. I mean, not overly interested, but I’ve always had a sense of style in terms of what looks good on me. One of my best friends was really into that growing up, so as a kid I was always seeing different styles that my friend wore. Clothes have always been a taste of mine.

long to win the Super Bowl. I think we have the team to do it. That’s my prediction—we’re going all the way.”

Last night you were out buying shoes and clothing for a group of disadvantaged kids. Do you remember specific instances in your life where people were generous with you and it made a difference? Yeah, definitely! That’s why last night was cool, to be able to provide for kids whatever it is that they may not have. That place of service I come from, it’s because my grandmother, my adoptive parents, different coaches, and teachers came into my life and really helped me financially and spiritually. My profession is my platform, it makes it easier for me to do what I always thought I was going to do, which is to serve other people. Not just financially but make them laugh, spread positivity their way. It’s a good feeling. You spend a lot of time with kids. What do you think kids really need most? If you ask most people, they’d probably say kids need structure, they need a mom and a dad. I think for me—who didn’t grow up with those things—all I really needed as a kid was hope. Where did the hope come from for you? Other people believing that I could be something that I didn’t necessarily think I could become. I think that’s really how we all reach our potential—by believing in ourselves, but also having other people pushing us toward certain goals. So ultimately, kids need more people in their corner.

OCTOBER 2019

In May, you proposed to your longtime girlfriend, Sydni Paige Russell, on stage at a charity event in New Orleans. Why did you pick such a public venue? I wanted to share the joy. We’ve been together since college. I met her at LSU. We have a son together and we have a daughter on the way. She’s really superstitious about numbers and the number seven is her number. This is the seventh year of our relationship, so it seemed like a good time to propose. When are you expecting your daughter? November, the week before Thanksgiving. Can you share any of your wedding plans? Yeah, we’re going to have a destination wedding. It will probably be near Cabo, in Mexico, which is one of my favorite vacation spots. We’re going to make that happen sometime next year, after the season is over. Do you have a prediction for how the Chiefs are going to do this year? Yeah. I think every year you prepare all year long to win the Super Bowl. I think we have the team to do it. That’s my prediction— we’re going all the way. m Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

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Anna Cole and her dog Penny in her backyard.

Live Like a Local WHEN YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, ASK THE EXPERTS—SOMEONE WHO LIVES THERE words by

Katy Schamberger

photos by

Aaron Leimkuehler

or some people, a neighborhood is simply a physical space—a collection of houses or dwellings. But for others, a neighborhood is more than a place to call home. It’s community, it’s refuge, it’s part of their identity—or at least a part of their lives. Take a fresh look at six Kansas City-area neighborhoods through the eyes of the people that know them best. Their experiences might just give you a new perspective on a place you thought you knew. Then, use their recommendations to plan your own hyperlocal adventure.

Anna Cole Strawberry Hill, Kansas City, Kan. When Anna Cole first heard about Strawberry Hill, a Kansas City, Kan. neighborhood that’s perched on the bluffs overlooking the Kansas and Missouri rivers, she thought it was too good to be true. Now, more than a decade later, she’s transitioned from renter to homeowner (in the same house) and may soon add another title in addition to owner of West Bottoms event space the Mulberry Room—Strawberry Hill Neighborhood Association board member (elections are approaching). From the comfort of her beloved home, Anna shares the two biggest misconceptions about Strawberry Hill, how she’s seen the neighborhood evolve and why you’re more likely to find Anna in her backyard than anywhere else. What first brought you to Strawberry Hill? AC: I lived in Midtown and wanted a change. I did a search on Craigslist for cat-friendly houses, and two houses popped up in Straw-

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berry Hill. I couldn’t believe the pictures versus the rent—I thought it was a scam! I went to Felitza’s [now closed] for dinner, walked around and found the home that I now own. The rent was so inexpensive, the home had a view of the city and the neighbors were so friendly. I couldn’t believe it. What is this secret? It’s so close to everything and I can have an actual house for $650 a month? I fell in love with the brick sidewalks and the neighborliness of the area. And the aesthetic—you’re in Kansas City, but it almost feels like you’re on the East Coast. It’s no longer a secret, which is cool, but Strawberry Hill still feels like a little hamlet. How has Strawberry Hill changed since you moved there? AC: There’s definitely been an influx of younger people opening businesses here, and it’s encouraging to see the UG [Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, KS] working with them to facilitate that. The home values—they’re insane! They’ve risen exponentially in the last five years, due to the market, Strawberry Hill’s

proximity to downtown KC, and the fact that the secret’s out. There’s also more private investment—you have young people who are coming over, buying a house and able to fix it up. When I moved in, half of the houses on the block were abandoned. Now, they’re all redone. It’s definitely a different vibe—people out jogging, pushing strollers. It’s become a real destination. I do feel like there should be an effort made to not price out or exclude folks who have been here for a long time. The rent rates have doubled in the last three years. I think it’s important that growth is organic; it’s not big corporations coming in. The growth should be metered by the input of the neighborhood, including homeowners and longtime renters. What are a few of your favorite neighborhood hangouts? AC: I love the 403 Club and the Colonial Club, especially the back patio. I recently tried Sarah’s on the Hill, a new restaurant, and I love it. Also Breit’s and, even though it’s not technically on the Hill, I love Johnny’s on 7th.

Billy Smith Longfellow, Kansas City, Mo. If you’re into Kansas City’s punk rock underground scene or you regularly listen to 89.3 KCUR-FM, you might already know Billy Smith. He started playing in local bands while he was a teenager and worked at several local record stores. As for KCUR, Gina Kaufmann did a 2015 story on Billy after he discovered a reel-to-reel tape recorder and a pile of tapes at a thrift store. While listening to the tapes, he realized they held recordings of a family celebrating Christmas. He eventually found the family featured in the tapes—the Alpough family— and sent them the recordings. KCUR re-airs the story annually as a holiday tradition. Billy recently pulled up a chair at one of his favorite watering holes, Ollie’s Local, to share more about life in the Longfellow neighborhood (which spans from 25th to 31st Streets and Troost Avenue to Gillham Road/McGee Trafficway) and how it already feels like home, despite only moving there in February. As a VIP manager for Warner Music Group and travel concierge for

Describe some of the misconceptions that people have about Strawberry Hill. AC: That we’re far away! You can get to downtown Kansas City twice as fast from Strawberry Hill as you can from Brookside or Waldo. It’s a four-minute drive, or a $6 Uber ride. Another misconception is crime. We don’t have much at all. I know all of my neighbors, and we’re a neighborhood that works together with both a healthy neighborhood association and neighborhood watch. In addition to the neighborhood hangouts you mentioned, where do you like to spend time on a day off? AC: I go to The Ship often. I’m a musician, so live music is what gets me out of the house. I’ll walk the Riverfront Heritage Trail from Strawberry Hill to the West Bottoms. I also spend a lot of time in my backyard, working on my yard and enjoying the view. That’s what’s cool about Strawberry Hill—I don’t need to leave!

Billy Smith at Sister Anne’s record store and coffee shop.

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WWE, Billy travels extensively—sometimes as much as two to three weeks per month. Yet wherever he goes, Kansas City—and, more specifically, Longfellow—is home. What attracted you to Longfellow? BS: My girlfriend, Melanie, bought a house here in February after she relocated to Kansas City from New Orleans. We met there during WrestleMania 35. It’s a 120-year-old house that’s been well taken care of—the former owner was a contractor. Now that you’ve lived there for several months, what do you love about the neighborhood? BS: We have a great mix of neighbors. The former owners of You Say Tomato live across from us. A lot of people that I know in the area are from the music scene in Westport. Can we detour down memory lane and hear more about that formative part of your life? BS: I’ve always loved music and started playing in bands when I was 13 or 14. I worked

at The Hurricane (now The Riot Room) and Recycled Sounds record store at the corner of Westport and Main. At the time, Recycled Sounds was an epicenter of culture and information. People from the suburbs would come in to get info on where to hang out. The owner, Anne Winter, was held in high regard both in the record store and in the larger Westport community. Back to Longfellow! You’ve only been there a short while, but have you noticed any changes in the neighborhood? BS: I see Longfellow growing before my eyes—it’s the nucleus of what Westport was that’s shattered into this beautiful thing that’s spreading across Kansas City. The stigma of Troost, which seems to be a divider for so many things in Kansas City, including race and income, is fading, and I think my neighbors are welcoming the new businesses. The old Wonder Bread building is being converted into loft spaces. Ruby Jean’s has been an anchor—I love their smoothies. Plus, you have longtime places like Succotash. It seems like the newer businesses are locally owned, which I always strive to spend money on. What are a few of your favorite neighborhood hangouts? BS: Sister Anne’s is part record store, part coffee shop, named for Anne Winter, the owner of Recycled Sounds. Jim Oshel [who co-owns Sister Anne’s with Frank Alvarez] is a 10-year barista from Broadway Coffee and the coffee they serve at Sister Anne’s is a roast he created. He’s a superstar, award-winning barista who’s serving you coffee while you buy Motley Crue records. I love Blip Roasters because I can get coffee or locally made Balance shots. Brunch at Ollie’s Local is underrated, and Kitty’s Café is a main staple. Everyone talks about the pork tenderloin, but I love their burger. If you know about it, you know! If you’ve been on the road for awhile, what are a few of the places you have to stop once you’re back in KC? BS: I always crave Voltaire’s happy hour and Mexican food, especially Ponak’s or Los Tules. Poi-O Chicken is kind of a hidden gem right now. The way they make their chicken is incredible and the sides are where it’s at. Harry’s Bar & Tables is one of my anchors. They make the best slightly dirty Ketel One martini.

Phil Kinen in the lobby bar at the downtown Marriott.

Phil Kinen Downtown Kansas City Phil Kinen has had a front-row seat to downtown Kansas City’s revitalization, and there’s no better view for the playwright and theater director. Not only has he lived in the downtown area since 1988; he’s spent all but the last year in the same building. After Phil’s longtime building, Delaware Lofts, sold last year, he packed up his life and started a new chapter in downtown’s nearby Garment District. For this conversation, he returned to his former neighborhood for the first time in months to share what brought him to the downtown area, how he defines downtown’s geography and how his rural upbringing taught him the meaning of community and influenced the River Market’s evolution. First things first: what do you consider the boundaries of downtown Kansas City? PK: Truman Road to the south and Interstate 35 to the north. I don’t consider the River Market or the Crossroads part of downtown. They’re separate neighborhoods. Last year, I moved to the Garment District, which is downtown. What initially brought you to the downtown area? PK: I grew up on a huge farm in northwest

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Kansas—8,700 acres. I went to college in Salina, Kan., and grad school in Warrensburg, Mo. When I was done, I moved to Johnson County to be near my teaching job but started coming to the River Market—it was called the River Quay at that time—to spend time with friends. They asked me why I didn’t live in the neighborhood, and I asked myself the same thing. My friend Jeff Church, with the Coterie Theatre, put me in touch with Helen Zarda, who worked for Mel Mallin [a respected developer credited with pioneering downtown Kansas City’s loft market]. A few weeks later, I moved into Delaware Lofts. When I first started living in the River Market, downtown was like someone had pulled the shades down on the weekend. You could walk down the middle of the street because there was no traffic. When Mayor [Kay] Barnes started working on her downtown revitalization initiative, it was really exciting to be down here. I remember Mel being so excited about what could happen. How has the River Market changed since you first moved there? PK: The River Market always had a community feel. Everybody knew everybody—it was like Mayberry. There were a lot of artists, so the neighborhood had a true bohemian feel to it. This was a community that would foster the necessary changes in your

life and help you embrace them. The River Market changed after Market Station was built. It became difficult to get in and out of the neighborhood because of traffic, and the River Market started to feel more transient. The neighborhood charms were now becoming blight; we had to scrub everything up. One of the best things that happened to us was the Kansas City streetcar. It really saved some people’s lives in terms of helping them get to the services they needed, like the grocery store. What are a few of your favorite neighborhood hangouts? PK: I love having cocktail meetings in the lobby of the Marriott. I feel like I’m in a Hitchcock movie and I’m about to have a cocktail with Cary Grant. Caddyshack is also one of my favorite places because it doesn’t give a damn who you are. Everyone is welcome. When you look back on almost three decades living in Delaware Lofts, what’s one of your most treasured memories? PK: I was home sick with a cold during the school year—1994, I think. I needed some 7-Up, so I ran downstairs to the pop machine. I looked like crap and was barefoot, even in winter. When I reached the lobby, there was an extremely tall, exquisite-looking woman standing by the machine. It was [dancer and choreographer] Judith Jamison, getting a soda. She was in the building with the Friends of Alvin Ailey, who used to have space in Delaware Lofts. I told her, “Oh my God! I don’t normally look like this!”

Craig Sole Downtown Overland Park, Kan. Leawood, Kan. native Craig Sole didn’t always want to live in Overland Park. In fact, when his brother’s house in old Overland Park went up for sale in 1978, their father had to talk Craig into buying it (“It’s a deal!”), which he did—and, in 1979, moved in. Fast forward to 1991 and, while out on a bike ride, Craig noticed another nearby house in downtown Overland Park and thought it would make a cute space for a shop. He bought the house, made some repairs including a new roof and gutters, and opened his florist business, Craig Sole Designs. While preparing floral arrangements for a big weekend wedding, Craig shared his thoughts on downtown Overland Park’s recent development and his related epiphany, as well as the restaurant that entices him away from his neighborhood of more than 40 years—but just for a meal! How has downtown Overland Park changed since you arrived in 1979?

CS: The changes are much more recent, but all of the new development is driven by private investment. About four to five years ago, different companies came to City Hall with their intentions to build an apartment complex or something else—it all happened at the same time. When I reached my 40s, I realized I didn’t want to become an old fart. People get angry about change as they get older, but change is inevitable. I can complain about it, or I can help direct it. I’m on the downtown Overland Park Board of Directors and I help guide how the new development happens. A lot is going on, and I think it’s good. We recently had four different murals installed, and they’re beautiful. They’re all Scribe’s work. He painted a blue gill across the street from me, and on the other side, he painted the meadowlark, the state bird of Kansas. They’re exquisite. Have you considered living in a neighborhood besides Overland Park? CS: No! It’s so easy to get around, which is why all of this building happened. You’re dead center to all of the access. I hear hor-

What neighborhood business do you miss the most? PK: Café Al Dente. And I do miss the Old Chelsea Theater for a ton of reasons. I owned the building for a year in 2000 after Mel sold it to me for $1 and I hosted Late Night Theater there. After unexpectedly leaving your longtime home earlier this year, what have you learned about neighborhoods and community? PK: People make the neighborhood. I grew up in a farm community and our nearest neighbor was five miles away. Yet there were always things to do—people gathering together and celebrating the positive aspects they could offer. Community is about people wanting to come together, and if they don’t have a reason, they’ll create it. It’s not the physical space; it’s about the tenacity of people, and that’s what got the River Market on its feet.

Craig Sole at the Overland Park farmers’ market.

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ror stories of people who live in Los Angeles and how long it takes to get somewhere. Do you know how lucky we are? What a blessing we have—we just don’t appreciate it.

Hartzell Gray in downtown Lee’s Summit.

What are some of your favorite businesses in downtown Overland Park? CS: Else’s Ethiopian Food—she’s a really special lady. She and her husband have had the restaurant for ten years and they deserve everything good that comes their way. Mi Ranchito, which took over the old John Francis restaurant, has blossomed into several different locations and they’re just marvelous. We also love Dragon Inn, located in the original dry goods store. Downtown Overland Park is a very friendly place. Any other favorite local spots? CS: I recently celebrated my birthday at Trezo Mare. We sat on the patio and watched the sunset, which was exquisite. There’s a newer place that’s wonderful—Ni Hao Fresh, which took over the former Freebirds space on Metcalf. Rebecca, the owner, is the daughter of the people who own Dragon Inn. They do made-to-order poké and stir-fry bowls and they have fresh ahi tuna and salmon. They even have orange caviar, all for less than $10. I’ve been there at least ten times! What are some of the misconceptions about downtown Overland Park? CS: It’s surrounded by a lot of pre-war and World War II-era housing, which makes some people think there isn’t anywhere to live that’s decent. But you make the house your own. So many people have done marvelous things with their homes. Parking is also considered a big problem, and yet there are plenty of parking lots (I was on that committee). On a busy Saturday, you can find a parking spot within three minutes, 90 percent of the time. You might have to walk 100 feet. People are used to parking in front of a store, and it doesn’t work that way any more.

Hartzell Gray Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Let’s just get this out of the way. Hartzell Gray, on-air personality for 96.5 The Buzz and MC/host for Sporting Kansas City, lives in Lee’s Summit with his mom. After all, it’s important to cut costs wherever possible as a starving artist! Yet Hartzell also credits his living situation with a rare opportunity to experience his neighborhood in three perspectives—as a kid, a college student, and now, an adult. Right after going off the air during his weekday 96.5 The Buzz show, Hartzell After Dark, he switched gears to share more about those perspectives, why moving to Lee’s Summit is the most consequential decision of his life and his answer to the eternal Lee’s Summit debate: The Peanut vs. Stuey McBrew’s. What took you to Lee’s Summit? HG: I’m one of three kids to a single mom who busted her ass and moved us to the suburbs, to a neighborhood called Pryor Mead-

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ows. She got a great new gig and my twin brother and I had an opportunity to start fresh at a new high school. My mom came through with maybe one of the most important decisions of her life, but in turn, it was one of the most important decisions in my life—definitely the most consequential, all of it for good. I can never stop thanking her for making that call. She went out on a leap of faith and changed our lives. Can you share more about why moving to Lee’s Summit proved so important in your life? HG: This community, Lee’s Summit, allowed me the opportunity to figure this thing out. What does it mean to be an adult? Who is Hartzell Gray? I can’t pretend like I have the answers now, but imagine a high schooler that has brand-new surroundings at every turn. Imagine having to tackle that question in a community that didn’t invite you or didn’t feel like you should be there. We lucked out—my family lucked out. One of the reasons I love my community, this Lee’s Summit adopted

community so much, is because we had our perspectives and realities and experiences before we got here, then we arrived and we were welcomed. I know everything I do after this will have a little bit of Lee’s Summit in it. How has Pryor Meadows changed since you moved there in 2006? HG: When we moved there in the spring of 2006, we were one of a few families. Now, we’re some of the earliest people who are still kickin’ it in Pryor Meadows. Shout-out to Mom for making us one of the founding families! Like a lot of people, we expected that boom to go on forever, then the recession hit. We had to sputter for a little bit, but those same empty plots of land where the pool was going to be—well, the pool’s there now. It took a little longer than we thought, but I’d say Pryor Meadows is now thriving. What makes this neighborhood so special is that we’re infused with so many new voices, so many types of people, and I hope we don’t lose that. This town gave us a hug when we showed up. They collectively showed up at our doorstep with a basket of cookies. I hope Lee’s Summit still has that kind of welcoming committee.

Meg Spilker

Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood, Kansas City, Mo. Calling the Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood a hidden gem may be one of the best ways to describe the area of Kansas City that Meg Spilker calls home. She’s no stranger to blank stares when people ask her where she lives. “People usually have no idea where it is or have never even heard of it,” she said. Scarritt Renaissance is about six minutes east of City Market and home to beloved local landmark Cliff Drive (more on that soon). In the midst of prepping for one of the National WWI Museum and Memorial’s biggest weeks of the year (a gala and new exhibit), Meg, the museum’s graphic designer and social media manager, found time to share what she thinks is the best-kept secret in Kansas City, what people get

wrong about Scarritt Renaissance, and why her apartment is a prime example of architectural time travel. What initially attracted you to Scarritt Renaissance? When I drove through Scarritt a couple of years ago to start looking for a new area to call home, I was shouting exclamations in the privacy of my car over the towering, tree-lined street of Gladstone Boulevard and the century-old mansions. Certainly the architecture and heritage drew me in, but I was excited that such a setting also has ten-plus international markets, an active neighborhood association and preservation efforts, and neighCONTINUED ON PAGE

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Let’s settle this. The Peanut or Stuey McBrew’s? HG: I’ve always been Team Stuey’s. If I want to sound professional, I call it Stuart’s. Shout-out to Billy, one of my favorite bartenders who also runs Squints Apparel, which makes some of my T-shirts for the radio show. Isn’t that such a Lee’s Summit story? That answer right there— that’s Lee’s Summit. How else do you enjoy spending time in Lee’s Summit or Kansas City? HG: My ideal day is outside on a patio or walking around. I’ve gotten into this whole ‘be a tourist when you’re not a tourist.’ I love to walk around and sightsee, not even take a ton of pictures, just try to soak it in. I’m trying to look up and live and get my face out of my phone. Any final thoughts about your neighborhood? HG: Home is where your heart is. In this situation, I’m always going to be a Kansas City kid—I’m a city boy. But I feel like I can say Lee’s Summit is my adopted hometown, and it’s pretty cool to have two hometowns.

Meg Spilker at the Colonnade at Concourse Park.

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WIDE ANGLE

Bldwn cropped wide-leg jeans, $238; Dolce Vita boots, $140; both from Standard Style (Town Center Crossing).

the

Bottom Line TURN UP THE VOLUME ON TROUSERS AND JEANS FOR FALL photos by

Steven M. Green

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THE DEVILâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S IN THE DETAILS

Just corduroy trousers, $168; Re Done T-shirt, $74.20; both from Anaphora (Prairiefire).Vince boots, $450, from Standard Style (Town Center Crossing).

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SPOT ON

Joseph Ribkoff palazzo pants, $180; knit top, $145;Vince Camuto sandals, $130. All from Alysa Rene Boutique (Park Place).

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WHITE HOT

Hidden Forest Market slacks, $190; Maria Stanley top, $77; Fortress of Inca mules, $240. All from Market Assembly (Crossroads).

SITTING WELL

Hidden Avenue Montaigne slacks, $225; May 31 top, $105; both from Hudson & Jane (Crestwood Shops). Huma Blanco leopard mules, $280; Larson & Lund bucket bag, $250; both from Market Assembly (Crossroads).

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BELT IT OUT

Marella paper-bag waist pants, $285; Elie Tahari top, $348; Sam Edelman booties, $140. All from Halls Kansas City (Crown Center).

CARRY ON

Glen plaid trousers, $218; from Peruvian Connection (Crestwood Shops). Elk handbag, $332; from Market Assembly (Crossroads). Dolce Vita boots, $170; from Alysa Rene Boutique (Park Place).

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LOOKING BACK 6397 culottes, $425; R top $695; Rachel Comey shoes, $525. All from Finefolk (Crossroads).

Home Cooking EVERY MEAL TELLS A STORY. FOR THESE THREE WOMEN, THE DISHES THEY PREPARE FOR KANSAS CITY AT THEIR RESTAURANTS TELL STORIES OF THEIR CHILDHOODS, CULTURES, AND CAREERS. PULL UP A CHAIR AND PREPARE FOR A DELICIOUS LESSON words by

Kelsey Cipolla

Nutnisa Hoffman

photo by aaron leimkuehler

Mali Thai Bistro and Baramee Thai Bistro

ooking Thai food is a way to build community for Nutnisa Hoffman, the owner of Mali Thai Bistro in Lee’s Summit and Baramee Thai Bistro in the Crossroads. Hoffman felt adrift when she moved to Kansas City. Originally from northeast Thailand, Hoffman was working as a banker on the island of Ko Samui when she met her now husband, Douglas Hoffman, who was visiting for work. The two struck up a friendship that blossomed into a relationship and led to a marriage—and a move across the world. “The first year was very hard for me,” Hoffman recalls. “I tried to make this become my home. The first thing had to be food, amazing Thai food. I started to cook every day. My mother and father-in-law became big Thai food fans.” Preparing the food made her realize how much she missed cooking at her family’s restaurant in Bangkok, where she worked as a college student. Hoffman visited Thai restaurants in Kansas City but couldn’t find the heat and authenticity that she craved—so she decided to open a restaurant herself. “I realized this is what I wanted to do,” she says. “I want to have a restaurant and go cook every day and share our food and share our culture and meet new people and be proud to represent our food in America.” Staying true to Thai flavors was important for Hoffman, who comes from a region where spice is key. Although the menu includes an assortment of curries and stir-fried dishes, the Thai noodle soup, made with rice noodles and veggies in a savory broth, is among her favorites. “My family grows our own veggies and chilies, so I decided

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to make a big garden in Kansas City,” she says. “We grow chilies, lemongrass, and ginger, and grow our lime tree. We try to be authentic and cook real Thai food.” Lee’s Summit proved an ideal starting point for the business. Mali Thai allowed Hoffman to get to know customers and make adjustments. As she started to think about a second location, Hoffman remembered a restaurant space she had fallen in love with during her first visit to the states: Pizzabella. “I told my husband, if I’m going to own a restaurant, this is what my restaurant is going to be,” she recalls. He reached out to the owner, who happened to be looking to sell. After nine months of work on the space, Baramee Thai opened in early 2019 to more fanfare than Hoffman expected. “I could not imagine how busy we were going to be,” she says. “When we opened the doors, I had to hire more staff right away because we had people lining up.” Kansas Citians have embraced her food, which doesn’t back away from serious spice (although guests are cautioned the restaurants’ medium heat level is plenty hot, lest they overestimate their own tolerance). Beyond giving Hoffman a platform to share her culture, the restaurants have helped her build relationships. Customers enjoy her food so much; they ask to speak with the person who prepared it. “We become friends and talk. It’s more than food, they ask about Thailand,” Hoffman says, which opens the door to further conversations about her culture. She’s happy to share. “We cannot forget who we are and where we come from.”

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Katee McLean candinavian cuisine was always a big part of Katee McLean’s life—she just didn’t know it. McLean is a third-generation Swedish-American. Her ancestors, the Krokstroms, left Dalsland, Sweden, in 1863 to come make a home in America and ultimately settled in Elsmore, Kansas. “There are lots of Scandinavian people in Kansas and the Midwest in general, and they stayed, they tried to acclimate to the culture,” McLean explains. “My family held onto recipes, and that’s kind of the only part of the culture they really held on to.” McLean’s earliest food memories take her back to days in the kitchen with her dad, watching him make potato bread or prepare a massive batch of Swedish meatballs for a church gathering. Her passion for food grew and she went to culinary school, where she learned French cooking and was exposed to cuisines from around the world. McLean recalls feeling saddened that she didn’t have her own unique culture to draw from when her mother reminded her that she did—all those dishes she grew up not thinking much about were a link to her Scandinavian roots. It was a light-bulb moment. “The more I dug, the more I realized the weird cinnamon rolls my family would make that were tough were cardamom buns,” McLean says. “My grandma’s cream puffs were actually semla.” A desire to cook her family’s food took root, but, “I never thought cooking Scandinavian would even be plausible,” she says. After a decade of experimenting while working in the restaurant industry, McLean and husband Josh Rogers decided to open their own

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restaurant, Krokstrom Scandinavian Comfort Food. “Right out of the gate, I knew I’m serving food that people don’t know how to pronounce and don’t know what it is, so it better look sexy,” she says. McLean and company prioritized making every dish look appetizing and posting photos on every platform imaginable to provide people with a visual reference point. But Krokstrom is about much more than just the food. “From day one, I told Josh I don’t want to open a restaurant, I want to open a place that transports you and teaches the customer something new,” McLean explains. “I want them to have a cultural experience and get away from the Midwestern mentality.” At its core, Scandinavian cuisine is about smoked, pickled, and cured foods. That’s because before the introduction of refrigeration, preserving food to eat through the winter meant the difference between life and death for Scandinavians. McLean pays tribute to that history with pickled herring and vegetables, smoked fish and meats, and dried salamis and sausages. But the chef has also reinterpreted the philosophy for our era. “I believe in not wasting. I believe in helping the planet. So not only are we using an old method that was used for preservation, but it’s now more than ever important that we work on preserving and using and not wasting things for our future,” she says. “I tell my staff one trash can a day is all we’re allowed. I don’t want to see waste. If there’s a piece of something, you can turn it into a stock, you can turn it into a pickle, you can find a way to use anything. You just have to get creative.”

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photo by aaron leimkuehler

Krokstrom Scandinavian Comfort Food

Chrissy Nucum KC Pinoy

ood is at the forefront of Filipino culture, says Chrissy Nucum, owner of the KC Pinoy restaurant and food truck. “I always tell people, when you’re sad, you get fed. When you’re happy, you get fed. When you graduate, you get fed,” Nucum explains. “Any big milestone kind of moment for every Filipino was centered on food.” Nucum grew up in the Pampanga province of the Philippines. Since the country is still developing and residents are not rich in material goods, food is an easy, inexpensive way to show support or love, she says. For Nucum, cooking became a way to rekindle joy when she found herself working an unsatisfying job in security software sales. She threw themed dinner parties for friends as a creative outlet until a fateful night at home watching Food Network after a few glasses of wine sparked an idea: She could run a food truck while filling a void in the Kansas City market for Filipino food. When the KC Pinoy truck hit the streets, Nucum was the only person in KC serving the cuisine and found a fan base among people excited to see their culture being represented. Filipino food combines Chinese elements like rice, noodles, and soy sauce with a love of garlic, pork, and vinegar from the Spaniards who colonized the country, Nucum explains. “I didn’t know that there was such a huge Filipino community here,”

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she admits. “That was a concern of mine when I first moved here—is it going to be a pretty white demographic, am I going to find Filipinos who would enjoy the food, or second-generation Filipinos who maybe don’t cook it but are familiar with the flavors?” She found her audience and expanded into a brick and mortar restaurant in 2018. People come from all over Kansas and Missouri to visit KC Pinoy, but it’s not just customers with ties to the Philippines who have made the concept a hit. Through dishes like chicken adobo—chicken thighs stewed in vinegar, soy sauce, and spices—KC Pinoy connected with a broader audience, who may not find the dishes they expect. “Our goal is to really educate people on what Filipino food is, not just the potluck kind of version of what Filipino food is, but what people eat back home at the dining table with their friends or family.” That means no lumpia or pancit, the Filipino dishes Americans are most familiar with. Instead, Nucum serves traditional recipes, many of which come from her grandmother, and gets input from her family. Nucum’s sigang—pork in a tamarind broth with okra, daikon, and long beans—is a favorite dish of her family’s. “It’s a big bowl of sour soup and it kind of gives you a hug every time,” she says, adding, “That’s kind of a reflection of the menu—it’s everything that I grew up loving to eat and everything that reminds me of home every time.”

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Take Us Out to the Ballpark THE DREAM OF A MAJOR LEAGUE BALLPARK COMING BACK DOWNTOWN REEMERGES WITH THE SALE OF THE ROYALS

WORDS BY

Bob Luder

hey’re baaaaaaack. You’ve heard the whispers, right? Like Halley’s Comet, a solar eclipse, or any other such phenomena that rears its head every X number of years, talk always seems to surface in the Kansas City area regarding moving Kansas City’s Major League Baseball franchise, the Royals, back to its roots. The chatter about the possibility of building a new downtown ballpark for the Royals was in the ether even before it was announced at the end of August that Kansas City businessman John Sherman had reached a deal in principle to buy the team from former Walmart executive David Glass, who’s owned it since 2000. When word of that deal—worth a reported $1 billion—broke, those discussions quickly reached a fevered pitch. Though Sherman has remained largely silent on the purchase of the team or any future plans for the Royals, who played their first four seasons at long-gone Municipal Stadium downtown, he is known to be devoted to the Kansas City community and cares deeply about the downtown area. This is evidenced by his involvement and support of local civic organizations and charities. He sits on and was a chairman of the board of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, an organization of business people who look to guide the city’s future, especially the downtown urban core. Other factors exist that suggest Sherman might be warm to the CONTINUED ON PAGE

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114

Full House AREA DESIGNERS RENOVATE TO KEEP THINGS ALL IN THE FAMILY WORDS BY

Patricia OÊ¼Dell

PHOTOS BY

Aaron Leimkuehler

S Clockwise from top left: Rows of European hornbeams create a backyard privacy screen. A chandelier the couple found at a West Bottoms antique shop was painted white and now hangs in the dining pavilion. The koi pond is topped by a large fountain. Two vintage Italian lanterns from Rich Hoffman’s West Bottom’s antique booth flank a Kelly Wearstler shield mirror from Madden McFarland. Opposite: Doug Wells, left, and Marcio Reis, with their two dogs, Rocco and Tiago, relax in their back garden.

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even years ago, Kansas City designer Doug Wells bought a nifty raised-ranch house in Fairway Manor to use as his office and a home for his mother, who was downsizing. Four years later Wells and his husband, Marcio Reis, were considering selling the house and buying a condo for his mother to simplify all their lives. Then Reis—who is also a designer— suggested she move in with them. “Marcio is from Brazil and their culture is all about family,” Wells says. “He thought the natural solution was for my mom to live with us. We don’t really do that in the U.S.,” Wells deadpans. After a family conference they settled on the idea of one home with a mother-in-law suite. They considered searching for a new home and then realized that with some modifications the “office” property would be a smart set-up for all of them. Wells, who trained as an interior architect, went to work

In the living room, a Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams sectional is topped by custom pillows. The turquoise and brass lamp is vintage, and the oil painting is by Gregory Eltringham.

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reimagining the space. “For my mom’s apartment we converted two bedrooms into the new kitchen/living room area and added an addition to accommodate a new bedroom and laundry,” Wells says. While he makes it sound simple, the infrastructure supporting the plan is more complicated and very well thought out. Well’s mother is healthy and still working, but they took a long-term approach to the project. The garage, which was under the original bedrooms, was expanded and an elevator was added to ensure that access would always be easy and provides his mother her own entrance. Then Wells essentially moved the components of his existing kitchen to her section of the house. Now it opens to a chic—yet cozy—living area with a fireplace and television. Her bedroom and bath suite feels as luxurious as a high-end hotel. The gray and white palette is both soothing and sophisticated with the silvery gleam of the fixtures providing just the right amount of sparkle. High glam mirrored bedside tables and pink chinoiserie pillows provide a feminine touch. This is not a boys’ club after all. That said, Wells did take special care to make sure the entire house received the same level of attention. He raised the roofline to provide high ceilings in the living and dining areas of the main portion of the house. The new built-in cabinetry in the kitchen reads more “paneling” than cabinets. It’s here that the men’s combined aesthetic is announced, though it whispers more than shouts. The rooms are modern, but there is a conscious blend of rich texture and natural materials that keep them warm and approachable. Wells took advantage of every inch of the property. Between work and travel—they are recently back from Argentina as well as Brazil, where they are remodeling their second home— the men don’t have a lot of time to loaf, but the basement with its dark walls and deep seating is the perfect spot to relax and watch a movie or enjoy cocktails with friends. The couple added a new master suite that is a soothing oasis of off-white, warm wood, bronze and ocean blue. A smartly designed closet gives both men ample space and the bath is flooded in natural light. The room overlooks a newly reimagined backyard. Wells wanted the property to have two distinct, private areas—one for his mother and one for the couple. “We really wanted my mother’s space to

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Above, top: The kitchen opens to the dining and living areas. Custom rift-oak wall cabinets from Dadon Builders are stained, while the lower cabinets are painted white. Integrated refrigerator, microwave, and wall ovens are tucked out-of-sight behind wall cabinetry. Kravet armchairs are custom upholstered in mohair. Above, bottom: On the lower level, two club chairs from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams sit below a gilt-wood sunburst mirror. Opposite: A flower arrangement from Bergamot & Ivy Design is centered on a marble-topped table surrounded by custom, worsted-wool upholstered dining chairs.

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feel like a Japanese garden,” Wells says. The wood walkways, sculptural plantings and stone patio create a soothing energy. Wells and Reis’s garden is a more modern space blending their aesthetics. “Brazilian culture is all about friends, family entertaining, and the outdoors, so we decided to make our yard more like outdoor rooms,” Wells says. “We just finished up this dining area.” The chic garden pavilion is framed by vintage screens that Wells unearthed in a local salvage shop. The Lucite table and the chandelier make outdoor entertaining as comfortable as inside. A raised pond replete with lily pads reflects in the dramatic mirror that is installed at the rear of the garden. Ah, yes, but what about the office? Ever resourceful, Wells reimagined a former free-standing storage shed. A large mirror on the back wall reflects the light and visually doubles the space. “It’s great,” Wells says of this private room complete with conference table. “It’s

In the master bedroom, a paneled back wall adjoins the custom upholstered headboard, which runs the length of the room. Painting by Brady Legler; flowers by Bergamot & Ivy Design.

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The couple carried the same rift-oak custom cabinetry throughout the house. Brushed brass pulls from Locks & Pulls. Below: Kohler tub and Delta plumbing fixtures are from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. Hunter Douglas motorized shades disappear when raised.

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Below, top: In the adjoining courtyard, a wrought-iron daybed is draped in all-weather fabric. Below, bottom: The diminutive kitchen is outfitted with full-sized KitchenAid appliances from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. Flowers are from Bergamot & Ivy Design.

Above, top: Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an Asian flavor to the landscaping that borders the entrance to Mrs. Wells suite. Above, bottom: In the living room, the sectional is from Nebraska Furniture Martâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Design Gallery; the silk and wool rug is from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. The brass lamp is vintage.

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The bed is custom-designed and upholstered in dark gray velvet; pillows are custom.

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so easy to meet clients out here and the light’s amazing.” While this multi-generational, multipurpose dwelling was not the original intent, its evolution seems like kismet. “I’d rather spend more money on a smaller space and focus on quality over quantity,” Wells says. “It’s so much more personal.”

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bors that represent over 40 different nationalities. It’s a fascinating place to come home to. What do you love about living in your neighborhood? My shotgun apartment was built in 1905 and remains virtually unchanged for a century, still even including a tiny “servant’s room” off of the kitchen and a double mantel fireplace in the main room. Based on what I’ve seen in the neighborhood, this architectural time travel is common to Scarritt. But to my favorite feature: I have long heard of the mysterious “Cliff Drive” and now I know it is the best-kept secret in Kansas City. The scenic byway path is usually closed off to cars and is a tranquil 4½ miles for walking or biking lined with natural springs, towering trees, wildflowers and ferns. I like to explore, and this feature leaves plenty for that. I can see the skyline of Kansas City from an expansive park but feel as if I’m on a country retreat. What are a few of your favorite Scarritt hangouts? Can I say a 50-foot slide? The neighborhood kids (and a few adults!) head to the park in the evenings to plunge down an embankment slide, play in the beautiful new playground, or run through the fountain park. The other night, a kid asked me to play soccer with him.

We didn’t know each other’s language but we had a great time playing as neighbors. I’m always meeting someone new there! My go-to in the mornings is Eleos Coffee. This community-focused coffee shop not only has great coffee and food, but their mission is to actively support community transformation by serving the poor and needy in the community. Are there any misconceptions about your neighborhood that you want to correct? Scarritt has been excited about its rebirth. I’m surprised by the wariness of some KC residents to even visit the neighborhood when it is actually a thriving and welcoming place, full of families, students, and creative movers-and-shakers. How has Scarritt changed since you moved there almost two years ago? Even just being here for under two years, I’ve felt the mood shift. There’s a strong culture of creativity and uniqueness. We’ve also just had the excitement of the J. Rieger & Co. distillery opening next door and the renovation of Kansas City Museum’s new leading-edge facility opening next year which has everyone asking what might be next for Scarritt.

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ballpark continued from page

idea of a downtown stadium. He currently is a minority stakeholder of the Cleveland Indians (though he will have to divest himself of that ownership before completing purchase of the Royals), who play their home games at Progressive Field in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Three years ago, Sherman was part of an investor group looking at building a downtown soccer stadium in St. Louis to support an expansion Major League Soccer team. It’s all enough to have at least some who are involved with downtown Kansas City development excited that more could come of this latest round of downtown baseball discussions than previous iterations. “I think things like a future location of a ballpark should always be in the discussion at some level,” says Jon Stephens, president and chief executive officer of Port KC, an organization dedicated to developing the Kansas City riverfront and commerce and furthering the economy and quality of jobs in the community. “With the change in ownership, it really adds interest and an element of intrigue to the possibilities that might exist.” “Downtown ballparks make more money,” says John Fairfield, who advocated for a downtown ballpark back in 2005 as a member of the city council. “Studies have shown that the Royals would average $20 million more a year with a downtown park. It especially would make a difference with the Monday through Thursday games, where fans could go straight to games from work. There would be more activity in restaurants, just the vitality of the area. “There are just a lot of things where it makes sense to do.”

WHY NOW? Talk of a downtown ballpark typically arises around the time existing leases on the Truman Sports Complex, which in addition to the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium also includes Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL Chiefs, are set to expire or are up for renewal. The last time such discussions held the public’s interest was in the early 2000s, in the years leading up to the lease expiration date in 2006. In 2005, downtown business leaders tried to persuade Glass to move downtown to a new ballpark, which back then was estimated to cost $357 million. Civic leaders commissioned studies that showed the positive economic and cultural impacts of playing professional baseball in the urban core. Weekday attendance would be boosted by 20 percent, they argued, and economic spin-offs—new restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues—would thrive. Glass opted to keep the Royals at Kauffman and renovate that stadium after Jackson County voters approved a $250 million bond issue. “Jackson County is lucky to be home to two of the greatest stadiums in professional sports,” Marshanna Smith, public information officer with the Jackson County Executive’s Office, said in a prepared statement. “In 2006, Jackson County voters supported funding much-needed renovations to both stadiums. Those improvements ensured that both stadiums will continue to offer first-class fan experiences through at least Jan. 31, 2031.” That’s when the Truman Sports Complex leases are due to expire again. And, while 2031 seems a long way off to most, Stephens, among others, is quick to point out that designing and constructing a new

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ballpark typically requires at least four years, and that time frame doesn’t include land procurement and all the politics that comes with it. “In the next decade, there’s going to be a statement about Kauffman Stadium of there being a concern of it becoming a really dated ballpark,” Stephens says. “Improvements don’t last. Renovations are always happening. It’s going to be either new renovations or building a new ballpark.” That’s why Stephens says the time to start planning is now. “I think we should put all alternatives on the table,” he says. “What does (Royals) ownership want? What does the community want? What is in the best interest of the community? “One of the big questions is what Mr. Sherman thinks.” Another big question, of course, is who will pay—whether it’s renovations to Kauffman Stadium or a new downtown ballpark. “The starting point for any discussion should be, how can this be privately financed,” Stephens says. “The best scenario would be very little to no public dollars [spent].” Jerry Riffel, chair of the Downtown Council, says he foresees any funding for a new stadium or renovation to Kauffman as being a mix of private and public funding. He agrees with Stephens that Sherman will find a much different, and better, downtown environment than Glass was looking at back in the beginning of the 21st century. “The difference this time is the healthy, vibrant downtown we have,” Riffel says. “If you look historically at important keys that give impetus

for large-scale downtown development, we have much of that in place now. A downtown baseball stadium would be a dynamic addition to all that we already have going on there.” “There’s a national trend of focus on downtowns,” says Stephens, alluding to some personal favorite ballparks, like Petco Park in San Diego (home to the Padres) and PNC Park, home to the Pittsburgh Pirates. “Twenty to 30 years ago, our downtown had some real challenges. “Since the Sprint Center, Power & Light District, Crossroads … I wouldn’t say downtown has fully arrived, but it’s certainly keeping up with its peers and moving in that direction. “[A downtown ballpark] doesn’t seem as much of a dream as it once did.” BUT WHERE? Several sites throughout the downtown area have been discussed in this latest iteration of downtown stadium buzz. A dream location that Stephens realizes is a longshot would be directly to the east of the Buck O’Neil Bridge at the north edge, just east of the downtown airport. He envisions an outfield wall adjacent to the Missouri River. But that area can be prone to flooding and would require a lot of landscape engineering to make it a suitable plot. Other locations that have been discussed include an area east of Union Station and Crown Center, just north of the east Crossroads District; an area east of Highway 71, between 18th and Vine and the Crossroads; and a site east of the Jackson County jail at 13th and Locust,

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ballpark continued

adjoining county-owned property east of the Sprint Center. Another is around where the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority occupies 24 acres for its headquarters and bus station close to 18th and Troost. But the area that has probably been discussed most is what is known as the East Village redevelopment area, an eight-block stretch northeast of City Hall between Cherry and Charlotte, from Eighth to Ninth Streets. It was designated by the city as a redevelopment zone in 2005, but little construction has occurred. VanTrust Real Estate was granted development rights for the parcel in 2017. Since then, it has been acquiring remaining properties and now controls about 85 percent of the land. “That’s an area we’ve been working, in an agreement with the city, on land assemblage,” says Rich Muller, executive vice president at VanTrust, “so that when a decision is made by the city on what it wants to develop there, we’ll be able to move swiftly.” Muller says, on an intuitive level, the economic impact of building a ballpark for the Royals downtown would have a significant impact, both on the citizenry and for surrounding businesses. “On a visceral and emotional level, I think it makes a lot of sense,” he says. “On the surface, it all certainly appears to be a good thing for everyone. I would think it would be a great catalytic project to spur spin-off development revolving around that stadium.” EXCITING POTENTIAL While a downtown stadium has the potential to spur economic development in any area it lands, there are a couple of organizations in

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the 18th and Vine area that most certainly would reap positive impacts. “We have one of my favorite parks in the entire country in Kauffman Stadium,” says Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “But from a self-serving standpoint, bringing the Royals downtown would be a great thing for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It just opens up more opportunity for baseball fans to experience the Negro Leagues. When you think of the possibilities, you can’t help but be excited.” Darwin Pennye has been running the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy, which is sponsored by Major League Baseball, since January 2018 in the old Parade Park area just east of downtown. “It would give us quick access to the people we report to,” Pennye says. “I think it would put a renewed interest in the game. Our ability to take kids to games would be greatly increased, make kids feel more connected to the game. It’s all positive from my perspective.” For Kendrick, thoughts of a downtown ballpark brings back the romanticism of the old Kansas City Monarchs Negro Leagues team playing at 22nd and Brooklyn back in the early 20th century. Before Negro Leagues and Kansas City baseball icon, and former Monarch, John “Buck” O’Neil passed away in 2006, Kendrick remembers hearing from him how much he’d love to see baseball move back into downtown. “I romanticize at how baseball was played in the urban core,” Kendrick says. “I know the exciting potential there is with a new downtown baseball stadium, certainly for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, but also for the community at large. “I think it would be win-win for everyone.”

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