IN Kansas City October 2022

TOY

LIVE LIKE A LOCAL IN

SUPPORTING LOCAL IS ALWAYS IN STYLE

Visit the historic Brookside Shops at 63rd and Brookside Boulevard. Serving you since 1919.

SAVE THE DATE FOR THESE GREAT BROOKSIDE EVENTS!

Women Owned Weekend - WOW!: Oct 6-8

Trick or Treat Street: Oct 31, 4-6 pm

Holiday Season Opener: Nov 10-13

Shop Small Saturday: Nov 26 BROOKSIDEKC.ORG

Events subject to change. Details at brooksidekc.org with updates on social media @BrooksideKC.

LADY BYE

A STORE NAMED STUFF

LEOPOLD GALLERY

01. BROOKSIDE TOY & SCIENCE The best toys, games & science since 1964! brooksidetoyandscience.com

WORLD’S WINDOW Nobody can define you like you. Clothing. Accessories. Folk art. Home décor. worldswindowkc.store

COCO With a casual, west coast vibe. cocobrookside.com

04. LADY BYE With a modern, east coast style. ladybyekc.com

LEOPOLD GALLERY Selling art to the Chiefs, Marvel, Disney, and clients like you. leopoldgallery.com

A STORE NAMED STUFF The artistic lifestyle store. Creative and unexpected gifts and home goods. astorenamedstuff.com

When it comes to living your best life, little things make a big difference. At our Kansas City Anthology communities, it’s the high-quality finishes. The compassionate care. The greeting by name. Our independent living, assisted living and memory care communities are intentionally designed to provide a first-class lifestyle so you can continue your life story with no compromises.

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IN CONVERSATION WITH THOMAS FRANK

The author of What’s the Matter with Kansas? discusses the history of populism, today’s divisive politics, and why Kansas City will always be home.

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MAIN STREET USA

Eight Kansas City suburbs that are back in a big way.

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CHEFS ARE GETTING SPICY!

Five local condiments bring bottled heat.

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TUDOR REFORMATION

Designer Kurt Knapstein brings a classic Brookside home into the 21st century.

HOME INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

On the cover Hot and saucy. Photo by Aaron Leimkuehler.

Designer Kurt Knapstein brings a classic Brookside HOME INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

The Circle of Life

Sometimes the harsh est bits of life intrude at the most inopportune times. Today, as we sent this issue to press, my sweet 16-year-old yorkie, Max, passed away.

In my life, I’ve had to deal with this sorrow many times. In all our years together, my husband, Warren, and I always had dogs, usually at least two, sometimes three at a time. When I think about their lives, my memories of them ebb and flow so that each overlaps with another all the way back to our first pooch, Fritz, a schnauzer who was eight years old when we adopted him. As a matter of fact, we often adopted older dogs—they were harder for shelters to adopt out, and they were forever grateful to be ours. Warren and I used to laugh that when the shelters don’t know how old a dog is, the fallback is always “Oh, he’s around eight.”

Max, however, was just a pup when we got him, not even two. He still chewed on things not made for it (say, baseboards, which he found quite tasty) and peed in inappropriate places. His cuteness, though, made up for any issues.

Always an independent little fellow, he was not much for cuddling, although a back scratch was much appreciated. Unlike Major, Max’s brother from another mother, who al ways nuzzles up close whether on the sofa or in bed, Max kept his distance. He always had to be in the same room, but not necessarily right next to us. He slept in our bed until he couldn’t make the jump up or down anymore, but at the foot, not next to our heads like Major did. (And still does. Every morning I wake up entirely too close to a doggie butt.)

When Warren died, I had Max and Major to comfort me, and Max was up to the task. He seemed to sense that I needed more from him than ever, and he was there for me. Max and Major, too, grieved for our loss.

In our little family, there were four; now we are two.

What is it about these descendants of wolves that have made them such an important part of our lives? If you’ve shared your life with a dog, you’ve suffered the grief I’m experi encing right now. And if you haven’t, your life is a little less rich for it.

Addendum: Of course, I do know that all of the above applies directly to cat lovers, too.

Zim

Vol. 5 | No. 10 OCTOBER 2022

Editor In Chief Zim Loy

Digital Editor Emily Park Art Director Alice Govert Bryan

Associate Art Director Madeline Johnston

Contributing Writers

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

Contributing Photographers

Rita Clark, Corie English, Aaron Leimkuehler, David Riffel, Jason Tracy

Publisher Michelle Jolles

Media Director Brittany Coale

Senior Media Consultants

Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley

Business Consultant Chad Parkhurst

Newsstand Consultant

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

Editorial Questions: zloy@inkansascity.com

Advertising Questions: bcoale@inkansascity.com

Distribution Questions: mjolles@inkansascity.com

Magazine Subscriptions: Mail: IN Kansas City Subscriptions PO Box 292374, Kettering, OH 45429

Phone: 888-881-5861

Email: SUBS@inkansascity.com

Subscribe Online: inkansascity.com/subscribe

IN Kansas City is published monthly by KC Media LLC 118 Southwest Blvd., 2nd Floor Kansas City, MO 64108 816-768-8300 | inkansascity.com

Annual Subscriptions are $19.95

to Lilliane’s 4th Annual EFFY Jewelry TRUNK SHOW

October 13 • 10 AM - 5 PM

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ENTER TO WIN

Spooky fun.

Luxurious bliss.

For 30 years, locally owned Annabelle’s Fine Linens and Gifts has been providing Kansas City shoppers with a luxurious selection of fine linens, home decor, and gifts. This month, one lucky winner can bring the spa experience home with two sets of white Adaste Home Turkish bath towels, hand towels, and wash cloths, plus a $100 Annabelle’s gift certificate for a total value of $232. Enter by October 31 at inkansascity. com/the-magazine/enter-to-win. Good luck!

Jack-o-lanterns are starting to peer out from porches all over the metro, ghostly decorations are going up, and it’s officially time to plan this year’s spooky season. Whether you’re looking for eerie Halloween experiences that will get your blood pumping or family-friendly fun that will get everyone in the spirit of the holiday of tricks and treats, we’ve got you covered. Head to inkansascity.com for the ultimate guide to Halloween in Kansas City. At the start of the month, we’ll post our guide to spooky fun at local haunted houses, ghost tours, and festivals. Then, watch for our guide to kid-friendly trick-or-treating and adultonly Halloween parties happening the week of Halloween later this month.

Hungry? We’ve got the 411 on new restaurants that are a hop, skip, and a jump away. From happy hours to the local restaurant scene, we’ve got the city’s most conprehensive dining guide. Check it our at inkansascity.com/eat-drink/dining-guide.

A menu of fall flavors.

Each season in Kansas City ushers in new flavors that take the spotlight on local menus throughout the metro. While every new season offers a nice change of pace, we’re partial to the flavors featured in fall. Beyond pumpkin spice and apple cider, flavors of sweet potato, maple, rosemary, chai, sage, cinnamon, and salted caramel also prevail in seasonal dishes. We’ve scoured local menus at Kansas City restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops and compiled a list of ten fall dishes and drinks to try before fall turns to winter. See what we came up with at inkansascity.com

Finding a ‘fur’ever home. At IN Kansas City, we have extra appreciation for pets adopted from Kansas City’s animal shelters and rescues—all of our office pets are alums of local shelters. In Kansas City, most local shelters have been at max or critical capacity over the last few months. Local rescues are not only on the lookout for new pet parents but also in need of volunteers, donations, and foster families who can temporarily house pets. October just so happens to be National Adopt-aShelter Dog month, and we’re putting together a list of local shelters, animal rescues, and adoption programs where you can find your next furry friend or offer a helping hand. Find the list at inkansascity.com.

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ArtLifting champions artists impacted by housing insecurities and disabilities. The powerful combination of their artwork along with their stories inspire communities and drives social change. DEMDACO is proud to partner with ArtLifting to bring this collection to a broader audience.

This Month IN KC October

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE

BY Emily Park

KC Oktoberfest

October 7–8 Crown Center kcoktoberfest.com

Hops to it.

Kansas City Bier Company is transforming Crown Center into the Munich of the Midwest for KC Oktoberfest. Complete with German-style beer, food, and entertainment, the festivities mirror the Munich Oktoberfest in Germany. e beers on tap at the festival will all be made using the tenants of the Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1516—brewed only with water, yeast, and 100 percent German malt and hops using traditional German recipes. Choose from KC Bier Co.’s Mandarina IPL, Äpfel Cider, Dunkel, Hefeweizen, Helles Lager, FestBier, and Pure Pils varieties.

Not so much of a beer person but want to join in on the fun? No problem! KC Oktoberfest will have two “wien” variations on hand: Schlink Haus Riesling and Schlink Haus Dornfelder. Plus, 11 local food vendors will be on hand serving Bavarian-style food, including sausages, pretzels, and bier cheese soup. After you’ve enjoyed the food and drink, experience Germanic culture by venturing to the stage for live music, shopping from a curated selection of small businesses, and competing in German-style games and competitions. Tickets start at $10.

Kemper Gala 2022: Prismatic

October 8

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art kemperart.org/kemper-gala

Through the prism.

On any visit to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, you can expect to find bold, vibrant colors within the contemporary art.

This year’s Kemper Gala celebrates that liveliness with the its theme for 2022, Prismatic. Guests will celebrate “the full spectrum of life and the alchemy that emerges when you join your community with your unique qualities and individual perspective.”

e event, which supports the Kemper’s free-to-the-public, world-class exhibitions, will have no boring speeches, bland dinners, or tedious videos.

e evening will include delectable bites to eat, cocktails to imbibe, dancing, and surprise entertainment—all under dazzling lights and rays of color. Guests are invited to match their out ts for the evening to the theme. ink, “bright lights, vivid colors, and unexpected angles.” Tickets start at $250.

OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT

Brew at the Zoo October 15

kansascityzoo.org/brew-at-the-zoo

Boo at the Zoo October 29–30 kansascityzoo.org/event/boo-at-the-zoo

Fun at the zoo. You’ll go wild for a visit to the Kansas City Zoo on October 15. During Brew at the Zoo, enjoy an adults-only night that includes live music, free samples from over 25 local breweries and wineries, and food trucks. From Boulevard Brewing Co. to Callsign Brewing, Crane Brewing, KC Wine Co., Stone Hill Winery, and more, you can refresh your palate all night long. After all that imbibing, you’ll need to eat something. ere will be ten food trucks serving up great chow, including donuts, turkey legs, tacos, and Brazilian dishes.

New to Brew at the Zoo this year, the ticket will include access to GloWild, the zoo’s new immersive lantern festival that features a one-mile walk through handmade steel and silk sculptures of animals, plants, and Kansas City landmarks. Tickets start at $50, and proceeds bene t the Kansas City Zoo Conservation Fund, which is being used in 2022 to support the Eastern spotted skunk, whose numbers have been declining rapidly in the Midwest over recent years. en, the zoo’s classic Halloween event is returning later this month. Looking for notso-scary Halloween fun? Grab your costumes and bring the whole family for a kid-friendly trickor-treating experience at Boo at the Zoo. Trick-or-treat bags will be provided, and visitors can enjoy fall fun activities, such as pumpkin tossing and photo opportunities.

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

For a Big Fancy Do, Rely On Your Trusted Recipes

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

IMPORTANT OCCASIONS ARE NO TIME TO EXPERIMENT WITH UNTRIED MENU ITEMS. OUR HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS OFFERS CONFESSIONS AND ADVICE

by Merrily Jackson photo by Corie English

Kansas City’s vibrant charity event scene is back, baby, even buzzier than it was before the pandemic. Record-breaking sums have been raised at—to name just a few 2022 events—the Kansas City Symphony Ball, the Heart of America Shakespeare Festi val’s Romantic Revels Gala, and The Big Slick Celebrity Weekend to benefit Chil dren’s Mercy Hospital.

If you have ever attended one of these events or any others on the philanthrop ic party circuit, you doubtless are familiar

Entertaining IN KC

On the Side

Slightly adapted from Beyond Parsley, the James Beard Awardwinning cookbook of the KCMO Junior League, this recipe is my go-to whenever I need a starchy side dish to accompany beef, fish, or chicken. If you make it for a dinner party, finish step one in the afternoon, then start step two about 30 minutes before you serve the main course.

CREAMY LEMON RICE 6–8 servings

½ cup unsalted butter

2 cups long-grain rice

Grated zest of 2 lemons

3 cups chicken broth, boiling (or vegetable broth if you’re serving a vegetarian)

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

Freshly ground pepper

Step one: Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in rice and zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until rice is opaque, about 5 minutes. (At this point you can stop preparation and let the mixture sit for a couple of hours or so)

Step two: Add boiling broth and salt; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in lemon juice. Slowly stir cream into rice. Continue to stir on low until cream is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Season to taste. Add a little more broth if rice seems gloppy. The cream can be eliminated, and the rice is still very tasty.

with the concept of the Fancy Dinner Auction Item. A dinner party is donated by a merry team of accomplices—a cook or two and a host with an alluring dining room or garden—to raise funds for a benefit. The dinner is present ed in glittering descriptors on the organization’s website and on a bid sheet during the auction/open-bar portion of the event. Guests, fueled by cocktails, largesse, and rivalry, commence to bidding on the item. The competition gets downright cutthroat as the price soars higher and higher. By evening’s end, the dinner’s purchase price can add a tidy sum to the event’s bottom line.

My cooking buddy Don Loncasty (known by his friends as “The Snobby Chef” because he really is insuf ferable) and I have donated a number of these dinners. At some point during the process, we swear we will never do it again because it’s exhausting, what with the menu planning, the list making, the grocery, liquor, and Costco runs, the cooking, dishwashing, and pressure to give these nice people something akin to their money’s worth. But in the end, we always feel terrific. We’ve given people a good night for a good cause. We’ve made fun new friends. And yes, of course we will do it again.

JUST A COUPLE OF SHOW-OFFS

Several years ago—this was in the pre-Covid “before times”—Don and his husband, Charles Bruffy, (in a hum blebragging attempt to impress you, I will mention Charles is the multiple Grammy Award-winning artistic director of the Kansas City Chorale) and I donated a dinner for eight, auctioned at a charity gala. A very generous couple bought it and invited six friends. Donnie and I were hell bent on dazzling them with our prodigious culinary skills.

Our menu, the product of an exhaustive—and at one point, combative—email correspondence, was summer el egance itself. Cocktail hour would be launched with mo jitos made from freshly squeezed citrus, accompanied by grilled shrimp with homemade Green Goddess dressing (from Ina Garten) and fried walnuts ( Beyond Parsley ), al ways a crowd-pleaser.

Our first course: a trusted favorite of Donnie’s, chilled cucumber soup from The Joy of Cooking . Another of his standbys comprised the entrée, roasted beef tenderloin with mushroom and blue-cheese sauce. (For Fancy Din ners, auctioned or otherwise, a beef tenderloin, also known as a filet of beef, is always a strong choice. It screams ex travagance, it’s almost impossible to muck up, and people rave and rave about it.)

ENTER THE CELERY

With the side dishes, we would really show off. We selected Creamy Lemon Rice, (see recipe on the left) a perennial favorite of mine, also from the Beyond Parsley cookbook. Let’s do something distinctive for the green vegetable, we said.

Entertaining IN KC

Something retro and complicated . I don’t know which one of us homed in first on céleri braisé (yes! braised celery!) from Mastering the Art of French Cooking , but we agreed it was perfect. So what if we hav en’t made it before. It’s Julia. And Julia would never steer us wrong.

WHAT WERE WE THINKING?

What made us think we could get away with using an unvetted rec ipe in our Fancy Dinner? The celeri braisé proved itself, in Donnie’s words, “a time-consuming detail-intensive nightmare.” Who knew it would take us many, many precious minutes to butcher-twine the stalks into little bundles? Who knew it would prove such a time suck to unearth a braising pan large enough to hold them? Who knew the whole undertaking would set us woefully, irreparably be hind schedule? Not us, because we hadn’t tried the recipe. Suddenly it was 5:30, then 6; the guests were arriving in an hour, and we had so much to do. We were still squeezing lemon juice for the mojitos when the first guests arrived.

A GLITTERING TRIUMPH, IN SPITE OF THE CELERY

Of course, the evening turned out to be a smashing, mirth-filled success, the type of dinner party where people linger companion ably around the table long after we cleared dessert (summer berries

nestled in Pavlova shells, drizzled with zabaglione sauce). The guests were delighted with the meal. They didn’t seem to notice that the problematic celery—after all that work!—was stringy. They didn’t know that Don and I had realized after we’d served the soup that we had done nothing, nothing , to prep the Creamy Lemon Rice, and that the Creamy Lemon Orzo on their plate was an inspired substitute. Well, they might have known because we’d emailed the menu to the host couple, but if they knew, they probably didn’t care and in any case were too nice to say anything. All credit goes to the host couple for assembling an interesting, convivial group, always the most important element in any dinner party.

LESSONS LEARNED

We learned two lessons that night. First, never ever try a new recipe out in a Fancy Dinner that people have paid to eat. And secondly: there is the dinner you planned in your head and there is the dinner that actually happens. Your guests will never know (or care) about the difference.

I will happily send you any of the recipes we used (except for the celery; don’t ask for the celery). Donnie has also graciously offered to share his digital collection of treasured recipes. Email me! Just so you know, I will never share your email address with anyone.

BY Damian Lair

Let’s Have a Ball!

By every account, this year’s annual event for the Kansas City Symphony, themed “Royal Gala: Let’s Have a Ball!” was a roaring success. Much of that success (as everyone knows) can be directly attributed to this year’s returning co-chairs, Sue Ann Fagerberg and Ursula Terrasi. The “Have a Ball” theme was also a nod to the evening’s honorary co-chairs, Marty & John Sherman, principal owners of the Kansas City Royals. Taking place at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the evening began on the stage inside the Muriel Kauffman Theatre. Aside from the hundreds of guests bedazzled in black-tie finery, it almost felt like I was a member of the Kansas City Ballet or Lyric Opera that performs on that very stage. A few more cocktails, and I may have even started singing and dancing. Fortunately, we weren’t there long enough for any embarrassments. Soon, we were whisked next door to Helzberg Hall for proper greetings and a Kansas City jazz-themed concert by the symphony, led by Michael Stern. Special guests, Lonnie McFadden and Bobby Watson, dazzled us with tap dancing, vocals, trumpet, and saxophone. It was a memorable performance.

Following the concert, we made our way to the Brandmeyer Great Hall for dinner. Studio Dan Meiners transformed the cavernous glass lobby into a modern supper club, replete with giant drumshaped lamp centerpieces and lots of candlelight. e vibe harkened back to a swankier time, and Lonnie again entertained guests during and after dinner. His energy never ceases to amaze. He met his match with the crowd, though, who partied till the lights went out (some even making it to a hot after-party that went well into the morning). Was I there? You can bet on it.

SPOTTED: Shirley Helzberg, Jim Miller, Sarah Rowland, Jackie & John Middlekamp, Bunni & Paul Copaken, Nancy Lee & Jonathan Kemper, Edward Milbank, Susan Bubb, Sharon & John Hoffman, Rachel & Nelson Sabates, Carmen Sabates, Amy & David Embry, Candy & Fred Merrill, Karen Jungmeyer, Mary Leonida, Jamila & Dr. Michael Weaver, Barbara Spilker, Gloria Rudd, Mandi Rudd, David Shultz, Doug Wells & Marcio Reis, Dan Meiners & David Brinkerhoff, Don Loncasty & Charles Bruffy, Dan DeLeon & Jerry Katlin, John Rufenacht & Richard Lara, Gina & Charlie Penner, Julie McCann, Tempe Ostergren & Andrew Elsberry, David Kemper, Graham Boswell

ETHNICALLY ENRICHED

IT HAD BEEN three years since I last attended (and wrote about) the Ethnic Enrichment Festival, held annually at Swope Park. I distinctly remember the occasion because I scored a show-stopping Ghanian garment embroidered in gold, along with a coordinating cattle-horn necklace—both of which I’m still waiting on the right

party for their ceremonious debut. Alas, patience. Coincidently, that was also the most recent in-person festival, with the last two being held virtually. It was great to be back in the park.

OVERHEARD

Spanning Friday through Sunday, the festival has been organized for more than 43 years by the Ethnic Enrichment Commission. e festival’s purpose is to preserve and share the member countries’ heritage with the Kansas City community via music, dance, food, and crafts. More than fty booths made up the village circle. Standouts among the food o erings were Colombia’s beef empanadas and arepas, Egypt’s falafel and chicken shawarma, Greece’s dolmades and spanakopita, Ireland’s sh and chips, Jamaica’s jerk chicken, Sweden’s meatball wrap, and ailand’s pad ai (easily the longest line, i.e., most popular).

And on the topic of lines, I must regrettably report that they were frequent and extensive. If any of the organizers are reading, I have an unsolicited suggestion for you: do it like Disney and o er a limited number of higher-priced “fast passes.” After two years of festivaling behind computer screens, it was incredible to see so many people jammed into the park; nearly 55,000—the largest attendance ever. Part of that success could be attributed to the accessible $5 ticket price. But the lines were problematic, and rather than ease them by increasing prices or

Damian Lair with Symphony Ball co-chair, Ursula Terrasi.

“That kitchen island is as big as my first apartment.”

IN KC

choking o attendance, a tiered ticket option might be—just the ticket. If waiting in line for food isn’t your jam, blessedly, there are other things to keep you busy. Not all country’s booths are food-centric. Others o er cultural items for sale, crafting, information, or a combination of each. You might also swing by the beer garden that boasts brews from more than ten countries. And with a drink in hand, you could meander over to the main pavilion stage where member countries’ performers rotate every 30 minutes. We caught glimpses of India, Taiwan, and Japan. Around the world in a matter of hours? I’ll take it. Next year—with a Concorde fast pass.

kept the crowd dancing till midnight. While partying at the zoo, I was invited to attend another event there the following week. So, I did. e occasion was a pre-opening celebration for GloWild—a brand-new experience at the zoo. rough December 11, you can visit the nighttime, Asian-lantern attraction—the largest in the Midwest. Consisting of a one-mile loop encircling the zoo, the path is lit continuously with animals, botanicals, nature scenes, and local landmarks, all of which are steel-framed structures (“lanterns”) meticulously covered in colored silk. e trail is perfect for photo-taking; those I took turned out to be vivid and amazing, which you already know if you’re following along on Instagram. Midway through the trail, you’ll also nd Chinese acrobats and contortionists performing three times nightly in front of the Penguin Plaza. Food and beverages (adult and kiddo) are available for purchase along your stroll, which takes roughly 90 minutes. So, as the sun sets earlier and earlier, put on a sweater and head out to the zoo for an evening autumnal amble.

ZOO X TWO

THE ‘YEAR OF THE ALLIGATOR’ may not exist in the Chinese zodiac, but it did for one night during Jazzoo at the Kansas City Zoo e much-anticipated annual event (nudged back from its standard rst Friday in June—to where it will return next year) was back in full form. is year, the bene t raised money for six new alligators that just arrived at their new Kansas City home. e funds also support more than 1,700 other animals—a lot of mouths to feed!

Yes, it was a teeny bit balmy (part of summertime’s charm!), but I had forgotten how much fun this party is. Lots of young, fresh faces, no doubt slipping in on their employers’ bounty of sponsorship tickets—as they should. New faces mixed with old as I ran into a bevy of longtime friends I hadn’t seen in ages. Jazzoo is the perfect party for spontaneously bumping into friends, as you meander around the zoo, hunting for bites and drinks. Speaking of bites, if you’ve been, you know that food is at the core of the Jazzoo experience. Scattered around the zoo are 50 restaurant stations, including all your KC favorites. Some of the best o erings (IMO) this year included: KC Mac N’Co., Plate Moderno Italiano, The Savoy, Silo Modern Farmhouse, and Urban Café

HOT GOSSIP: What restaurant has only been open a month and already racked up 18 health code violations?

Interspersed among the trail of restaurants were DJ Joe the “Mad Scientist” and DJ Ice Kole spinning beats, performers from Kansas City Aerial Arts, and musicians Wonderfuzz and Big Time Grain Co.. e event culminated at a large tent where The Zeros

SERENDIPITY

WHEN MY GOOD FRIEND Angie Jeffries invited me to her birthday celebration at a winery in Stillwell, I wasn’t sure what to think— other than what day do I block on my calendar? So, on a gorgeous prefall Saturday evening, we chartered a car (vino safety rst—obviously) and set on a course of the unknown. Serendipity Farm & Vine is just o 69 Highway at 183rd Street (yes, the numbers go that high!) And I will say, it is completely charming.

e farm encompasses several bucolic acres—far enough outside the city that you feel like you’re in “the country,” but close enough that it doesn’t take forever to get there. e property centers around a gathering of the chicest barns you’ll ever encounter. One is where you’ll get your wine (important), another is an open space for weddings and events, and another is a four-bedroom “she shed” rental—and quite a large one at that. Sadly, it was booked for the night we were visiting; we checked in advance.

Funnily enough, what brought us to the winery had nothing to do with wine at all. e birthday girl is a huge fan of “yacht rock,” and in her close following of all yacht rock happenings in the city, she learned that local band Yachtly Groove would be playing there. e band performed inside a large tent with reserved tables, while scores of people encircled with their picnic chairs and blankets. In addition to the wine (all crafted on-site), Rivals BBQ catering was serving up loaded nachos and pulled pork sandwiches. Fantastic barbecue. We nibbled, sipped our wine and wine slushies (had to try, and just as fun as you’d imagine), and grooved to all the smooth, soft-rock hits of the 70s and 80s.

On our way back into the city, we weren’t quite ready to call it quits on celebrating. Someone remembered that the a able Bill George

SPOTTED: Mayor Quinton Lucas, Frank White, Ryana Parks Shaw, Brandon Ellington, Cathy & Lance Nelson, Kim Klein & Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein, Sybil & Greg Orman, Tammy Edwards, Debby Ballard, McClain Bryant Macklin & Joseph Macklin, Nick Bloch, Cori & Matt Culp, Lee Page, Matt Schulte, Mark Moberly, Kim Romary, Michelle & Matt McNitt

OVERHEARD

“Her face has seen more knives than a Benihana.”

GloWild at the Kansas City Zoo.

PHOTO

HOT GOSSIP:

had recently opened a bar in the area. We Googled it, and suddenly we were at the Final Final Club. We were there, but you wouldn’t know it. At the end of a strip mall, there’s a small payphone icon above a glass entryway. Inside, there’s an actual payphone beneath a neon sign: Last Call. Followed by some cute Instagram pics of us making calls on the dinosaur payphone, we entered. No password required.

Final Final is a cozy nightclub with a modern feel. ere’s live music on the weekends, and a very tight dinner and snacks menu. I wanted the s’mores, but somehow got distracted and forgot until we’d already left. Another time. It was our lucky night, though, because Bill happened to be in the house. We chatted and ordered espresso martinis. Chatted more. When our drinks arrived, one was extra-special. “Printed” atop the espresso foam was a picture (swiftly grabbed online, uploaded, and converted) of my friend Heidi Markle and her dog, Harley, who’d just passed away. Bill knew of Harley’s passing and o ered this thoughtful gesture. He was also eager to try out his new machine (the rst of its kind in the U.S.) that, using a tasteless, edible material, prints words or images onto cocktails that have a bit of froth or foam that the printing can attach to. Incredible. Oh, and if you’re curious about the name, Bill detailed how he’d often nd himself meeting friends somewhere for a “ nal” drink. Followed by a “ nal nal” drink. So, there you have it. Check it out. Finally!

Welcoming Consignments for Auction

So, KC—where do you want to go?

20th Anniversary Season

Who was poking around a dinner party and discovered a rescued chicken living inside the hosts’ bathroom shower?

Inspired

Designer Connie Fey brings her expertise to both residential and commercial design projects. Color, texture and technology are three elements of design that she finds particularly inspiring.

Be inspired with a designer at Madden-McFarland.

Stephanie GilmoreSally FitzgibbonsKelly Slater

MacKenzie Mallon

THE PROVENANCE SPECIALIST ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS

by Judith Fertig photo by Jason Tracy

Maybe it’s only natural that the daughter of a history buff would grow up to make a career of art history.

Since 2015, MacKenzie Mallon has been the provenance specialist at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, tracking down the history of ownership of each of the 42,000 objects in the museum’s vast collections. “At the Nelson-Atkins, we are pushed by an interest in being proactive,” says the Kansas City native, “so we are better stewards of art.” In other words, they don’t want to be surprised about a painting or a sculpture’s previous owners, especially objects that might have Nazi-era connections; they want to know and make sure everything is aboveboard.

Mallon’s 2019 museum program Discriminating Thieves: Nazi-Looted Art and Restitution told the story of how the Nazis plundered art from Jewish households and art galleries during World War II, taking photos of each piece to send to Hitler for his approval. Maybe a painting or sculpture they found would earn a coveted spot in his planned art muse um that never, thankfully, happened. Four pieces in the Nelson’s collection had been looted by the Nazis, found after the war, returned to their own ers, then legally acquired by the Nelson-Atkins.

If Mallon could ever bring home a work of art from a musuem, she’s got her eye on a painting she first saw at The National Gallery in Lon don—J. M. W. Turner’s pre-impressionistic and atmospheric Rain, Steam,

and Speed from 1844. “If I could pick it up and bring it here, I would,” she says. All strictly legal, of course.

For more information, visit nelson-atkins.org

INKC: Growing up in Liberty, how did you get interested in art history?

Mallon: My father was a history major. Every family vacation in cluded a visit to a museum. Later, when I was a history major at the University of Missouri-Columbia, I needed an elective and chose art history, and I loved it. I went on to get my master’s degree in art history there. I’m drawn to provenance for what it tells me about people and the times they lived in, what they valued. A little peek into their lives.

INKC: What does a provenance specialist do?

Mallon: A little bit of everything. I get to touch all aspects of the museum’s collections—decorative arts, European paintings, African, Asian. Every day is different. I have the best job in the museum. I get to be the art detective.

I start with an object and look at the back of it. I know more about the backs of art than the front! I look for labels from exhib its, stickers from dealers, sometimes an inscription. It’s fun finding something others might have missed. We want to know who owned the work of art from when it was first created to when the museum acquired it. But it’s sometimes difficult, especially if the work is cen

turies old and records have been lost. Women owners are always a challenge, as long ago they were identified only by their husband’s name, not their maiden name.

I research old household inventories taken when the owner died, records like the Rothschild family’s archive in London or the RKD in Amsterdam, art dealer records. Just recently, I found a clue in a 1950s Christmas card. A Hollywood producer once owned a paint ing in our collection. It went to his former wife, who was from Kan sas City. When she died in South Carolina, among her papers in the South Carolina Historical Society was a Christmas card from him, with a poem he had written referencing the painting.

This job requires creative thinking about where the information might exist. Provenance research is never really finished. There is always more information coming to light.

INKC: What does an art detective do, off-duty, to hone her skills?

Mallon: I read and watch murder mysteries. I’m a big fan of British mur der mysteries by authors like Agatha Christie. I have probably seen ev ery episode of Murder, She Wrote. And I love Midsomer Murders on PBS.

INKC: How has Kansas City nurtured your career? Mallon: I started at the Nelson-Atkins in 2006 as a part-time project as sistant in the European department. I am so appreciative of our visitors who support our work. It is very gratifying.

HOW LOVELY it will be when The Greensman designs and installs your new planting beds, patio, pool, fire pit, water feature or outdoor kitchen. Call today and we’ll take care of everything, from design to installation to maintenance. The Greensman: purveyors of green in all incarnations.

Classical Concert Strauss’ Alpine Symphony

Friday, October 7 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, October 8 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, October 9 at 2 p.m.

MICHAEL STERN CONDUCTOR

JOSH JONES PERCUSSION

IMAN HABIBI Jeder Baum Spricht (Every Tree Speaks)

ADAM SCHOENBERG Losing Earth

Percussion Concerto

R. STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony

Tickets from $25.

Free

Classical Concert Symphonie Fantastique, Brahms and Mendelssohn

Friday, October 28 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, October 29 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, October 30 at 2 p.m.

DOMINGO HINDOYAN

GUEST CONDUCTOR

KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY CHORUS

CHARLES BRUFFY CHORUS DIRECTOR

MENDELSSOHN Overture to Ruy Blas

BRAHMS Nänie

BRAHMS Schicksalslied

BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique

Tickets from $25.

Family Series Concert Magic Circle Mimes: The Listener

Sunday, November 6 at 2 p.m.

GONZALO FARIAS DAVID T. BEALS III ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR

Your KC Symphony musicians have prepared a wonderful program of music but find their efforts compli cated by the unexpected participation of two audience members. They climb onto the stage, dance, play instruments, swipe hats and bows and more. You’ll hear John Wil liams movie music, selections from Benjamin Britten’s A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Bizet’s Carmen and more.

Tickets start at $29 for adults and $12 for children.

Special Presentation

Rufus Wainwright with the Kansas City Symphony

Saturday, November 12 at 8 p.m.

GONZALO FARIAS DAVID T. BEALS III ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR

Rufus Wainwright’s music is larger than pop. It is symphonic. Enjoy lush orchestral arrangements of classics such as “Going to a Town” and “Oh What a World” as well as solo renditions of new material and covers. This concert will take you on an emotional, uplifting and entertaining journey with one of t he great and most original singersongwriters and composers of our time. Tickets start at $40.

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

Josh Jones

Michael Stern, music director

Arts & Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

MARIN ALSOP CONDUCTS THE ORQUESTRA SINFÔNICA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO AT HELZBERG HALL

ON OCTOBER 10, the latest concert in the Harri man-Jewell series features a triple debut. Kansas City re ceives its first glimpse of America’s first full-time female conductor, Marin Alsop, most recently of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She conducts the Orquestra Sinfôni ca do Estado de São Paulo, also new to Kansas City. And they’re performing, for the first time in KC, the Villa-Lobos Harmonica Concerto at Helzberg Hall.

Says Alsop, “Music has the power to change lives. It’s transformative. And if I can bring that to someone else, my life will be worth it.”

This “rare artistic experience” from the Harriman-Jewell Series is worth it.

For more information, visit hjseries.org

photo by grant

MIDWEST MATERIALS AT HAW CONTEMPORARY

BEGINNING OCTOBER 7 and running until the end of the year, Haw Contemporary focuses on the photographic work of Missouri native Julie Blackmon, julieblackmon. com. e artist draws on her childhood in Spring eld, growing up in a household with nine children. Although she started out taking documentary-style black-andwhite photos of her own three children, the artist turned to “creating colorful, ctitious images that o ered a more fantastical look at everyday life.”

In uenced by the 17th-century Dutch painter Jan Steen as well as modern photographer Diane Arbus, Blackmon uses a Dutch sense of light, busy scenes, and slightly o -kilter people, as anyone growing up in a large, sometimes goofy family would appreciate. Blackmon says that someone once described her work as part Norman Rockwell, part Norman Bates. “I’ll take that!” she says.

Says the Los Angeles Times of Blackmon’s work, “Each frame is an absorbing, meticulously orchestrated slice of ethnographic theatre. . . that abounds with tender humor but also shrewdly subtle satire.” Blackmon’s photographs are in many permanent collections.

For more information, visit hawcontemporary.com

Paddleboard by Julie Blackmon.

by Judith Fertig

HAUZKONZERT IN THE HISTORIC NORTHEAST

WHEN JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH and Franz Schubert performed chamber music, they preferred playing in an actual chamber. As in a room, in a house, as opposed to a concert hall.

Bach Aria Soloists also love to perform in these inti mate surroundings. They will be playing a double-header concert on October 15 at the grand home of Jeff Zumsteg and Jeff Linville in the Historic Northeast neighborhood, near the Kansas City Museum on the bluffs above the Missouri River. Only 60 concert-goers can be accommo dated in the home at one time, hence the 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. concert options, with a joint garden reception in the mid dle for both audiences.

The program features: Antonio Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in F, RV 293 “Autumn” Allegro, Narong Prangcharoen’s lat est piece composed for Bach Aria Soloists, Stephen Sond heim’s Green Finch and Linnet Bird from Sweeney Todd, Kodaly Duo for Violin and Cello, Opus 7, and more Johann Sebastian Bach!

Visit bachariasoloists.com for tickets and information.

GISELLE WILL GIVE YOU THE WILIS

WHERE DID THE EXPRESSION “it gives me the wil lies?” come from? Many vote for the ballet Giselle, originally titled Giselle, ou les Wilis, full of ghosts or “wilis” from begin ning to end. Spirits of maidens who were betrayed by their lovers come back to haunt them—and make these unwor thy men dance until they die from exhaustion. During the grape harvest in a village along the Rhine River, Giselle, a beautiful peasant girl, falls in love and is deceived by Count Albrecht, who has disguised himself, but not enough. Even tually, he is found out and only Giselle can save him in the end. But will she?

Now considered a masterwork, the ballet was first per formed in Paris in 1841, and it was a triumph, as was the Kansas City Ballet premiere in 1999. Audiences appreciate a good scare and great dancing, no matter the era.

Who knows what Kansas City Ballet’s choreographer Devon Carney and the Kansas City Symphony have in store this time?

Giselle runs from October 14 through 23. For ticket and performance information, visit kcballet.org

photo by kenny johnson

They made him something tiny and blue. Vahi is the new blue for you. joyful. sensual. yummy.

BY Susan Cannon

Native Spirit

More than ever, the fashion industry is embracing representation and diversity, and it’s nice to see activism, spirituality, and style merge in appreciation of Indigenous Native Americans. Quannah Chasinghorse is an Indigenous activist garnering worthy attention right now. Chasinghorse, 20, born on Navajo Nation, is a trailblazing environmental land activist who is also revolutionizing runways, red carpets, and magazine covers.

While Native American in uence ebbs and ows in fashion, it always feels timeless and rich in spiritual meaning. Kansas City jewelry designer Jane Signorelli has great respect and understanding of the history and holistic energies of each stone, metal, and ancient artifact she has amassed for her one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. For example, she says about her pieces shown here, “silver increases perception and helps to regulate emotional and intuitive energies, while helping to ght o infection or virus. Turquoise helps to connect to the spiritual world, strengthening connection with intuition, and it aligns all the chakras for inner calm.

Copper has strong healing properties and harmonic connections between physical realms, also magnifying energy.” Sterling Silver Handmade Cuff with Turquoise Stone (1), $1,500; Turquoise and Natural Copper Handmade Pendant on Pumpkin-carved Turquoise Beads (2), $1,925, both by Jane Signorelli. Contact janesignorelli@icoud.com to purchase.

e fringe and split suede says it all with the Jerome Dreyfus Jerry L Bag (3), approximately $995. Soon available at Clique Boutique ( e Shops at Prairie Village). Handmade Zuni Inlaid Turquoise Earrings (4), $1,100. Available at Indian Creek Fine Jewelry (Ward Parkway Center).

e right vibe with classic versatility is the Highlands Reversible Poncho (5), $395, by Rag and Bone. Available at Clairvaux (Fairway Shops). Vintage Navajo Double Turquoise and Sterling Flower Ring (6), $150, is a great statement piece. Available at Luna by Ulah (Westwood). e Navajo-inspired Knit Poncho with Geometric Pattern (7), $2,530, by Etro is an investment piece to warm up in forever. Available at etro.com Find the rest of Etro’s fall/winter collection at Halls (Crown Center).

Quannah Chasinghorse

BY Susan Cannon

Glow with Gucci

Gucci Westman, the founder of Westman Atelier, creates an amazing clean-makeup line that literally glows upon application. She’s a renowned editorial makeup artist with devoted clients, such as Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, and Gwyneth Paltrow, among many other strong women in the limelight, and for good reason—she’s an expert on maintaining luminous, healthy skin and is an avid hands-on researcher in the development of her beauty line. Westman Atelier has just launched Vital Skincare Complexion Drops, its rst liquid foundation that gives breathable

THE ORDER OF GUCCI’S ROUTINE:

coverage and radiance while improving the quality of bare skin. It is loaded with skincare actives at e cacy levels and a nourishing formula that instantly hydrates, evens tone, and soothes the skin, using tsubaki oil, ginseng extract, and pomegranate extract.

Gucci also has a considered pre-makeup regime, and here are some of her favorite products that aid in prepping the face for clear and healthy skin. She encourages taking time to layer products, always applying with upward strokes, and she espouses nourishing ingredients that aid in calming rosacea and favors CBD moisturizers for a relaxed e ect.

ILLUMINATING FACIALS

ELEVATE ESTHETICS PARLOR (3619 Broadway Boulevard) o ers the “Infusion Glow” Rezenerate Nano Micro Channeling treatment that uses nanotechnology to create temporary micro-channels on the surface, which allows ingredients and nutrients to go much deeper into your skin—up to 40 percent more than normal. Infusion Glow Facial, $75 promo through October 10, and $97 thereafter.

BLOOM AESTHETICS SPA uses one of Gucci’s favorite products, Skinceuticals Hydrating Mask, in its Hydrating Facial, $115 for a 90-minute treatment. Inside ArchiTexture Salon (633 East 63rd Street).

HOLLYDAY MED SPA (1 East Gregory Boulevard) o ers the “Oxyglow Facial” with the infusion of nutrient-rich skincare formulas for uniform exfoliation of the outer layer of the skin, which achieves natural skin oxygenation from within. Oxyglow Facial, $150 for 60 minutes.

Opening this month is the Hollyday PV Injection Studio in e Shops at Prairie Village. eir injectable services will give a more refreshed, rejuvenated appearance and boost con dence, which in turn leads to glowing skin.

1Eminence

Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant, $48, from Bijin Salon & Spa (The Shops at Prairie Village)

2

Repéchage Red Out Cleanser, $48, fromMassageLuxe Spa (Park Place)

3

Kat Burki Rose Hip Serum, $165, available at Dillards.

4

Lord Jones CBD Acid Mantle Repair Moisturizer, $75, from Sephora. Bath for the Senses (250mL), $76, by Susanne Kaufmann, available at Finefolk. (West Plaza).

Gucci Westman with Reese Witherspoon.

Vital Skincare Complexion Drops.

BY Susan Cannon

Herbal Remedies

According to John Hopkins, herbal remedies are one key aspect of traditional Chinese medicine that’s thousands of years old. It seeks to restore balance between health and disease. Qi (chi), a vital life force, surges through our bodies, and any imbalance to Qi can cause disease and illness. is imbalance is thought to be caused by an alteration in the opposite and complementary forces that makeup the Qi, called yin and yang—the equivalent to the modern theory of antioxidant-oxidant balance. Herbal remedies aid in the rebalancing e ort.

Phoenix Herb Company in Midtown carries over 450 medicinal herbs and spices, and the sta has a combined 75 years of knowledge and experience. Head herbalist Todd Altizer explains, “We do not diagnose or prescribe; however, we o er herb blends and teas for ancient remedies that aid in modernday health. Herbs do not cure, per se, they retrain the body on how to heal itself.” To get a glimpse of what’s in store, go to phoenixherb.com.

Should you want to study herbal medicine yourself, the PrairieWise Herbal School, founded 27 years ago by Kahla Wheeler-Rowan, comes most highly recommended by Altizer. Wheeler’s interest in herbal medicine began when she was young, inspired by her father’s lay practice and studies in the ’60s. She extensively trained with herbal-health experts Susun Weed, Michael Moore, and Matthew Wood before creating the PrairieWise Herbal School. Her courses are currently exclusive at e Laya Center in the Crossroads, o ering one-year, two-year, and three-year courses. thelayacenter.com/prairiewiseherbal-school

Toyia Mays, the founder of e Laya Center, has developed a very broad holistic wellness program. She integrates ancient African herbal-healing methods with Ayurveda, termed Afriveda Wellness. One such signature treatment o ered is the Phytacin Flush, which is an herbal version of a niacin ush that aids in detoxifying the liver. Learn more about this treatment and others by visiting thelayacenter.com.

PRAIRIEWISE HERBAL SCHOOL 3YEAR CLINICAL PROGRAM

YEAR 1 Herbal History/ Herstory, Basic Herbal Preparations, Herbal Safety, Aromatherapy, Basic Nutrition

is year is just fun, making and tasting preparations, using fruit and other kitchen items for creating remedies.

YEAR 2

Plant Chemistry; Anatomy and Physiology for the Herbalist; Materia Medica (plant monographs)

is year is intense, while building a strong knowledge foundation for moving into clinical practice.

YEAR 3

Setting up an herbal practice, paperwork, ethics, etc. Providing supervised client clinicals. Writing and presenting a thesis.

is year stretches the student and assists them in moving on with their herbal studies and practices.

Women’s

IN

by Emily Park

Think Pink

Each month, the team at AdventHealth performs ap proximately 1,400 breast cancer screenings across the healthcare system’s four Kansas City-area campuses.

“Yearly mammograms are important, as this in terval has been shown to catch breast cancers earlier in most women,” says Simran Elder, MD, medical oncologist, hematologist, and med ical director of AdventHealth Shawnee Mission’s High Risk Breast Clinic. “Stages 0, I, II, and III breast cancer are all technically curable. However, the lower the stage, the higher likelihood of a cure and the lower the risk of recurrence. Stage IV disease is not curable but rather treatable. This is why the earlier breast cancer is found, the better the chance of survival.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Elder, like other healthcare pro fessionals across the country, has seen declines in cancer screenings, which worries her.

A study from the American Cancer Society reported that can cer screenings for breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers were down as much as 80 to 90 percent in March 2020 and 29 to 36 percent in June 2020. The same study also noted a 52 percent drop in new breast

cancer diagnoses from January to mid-April 2020. Over the next ten years, The National Cancer Institute estimates a one percent increase in deaths from breast and colorectal cancer due to the pandemic’s impact on screening and treatment.

“Early in the pandemic, there was concern about Covid-19 ex posure in healthcare settings. Many women were afraid to get their mammograms and other screening exams,” Elder says. “As the pandemic has evolved, women have been encouraged to return to screening, and breast cancer screening seems to be on the rise again.”

Depending on health his tory and other risk factors, it’s recommended that women be tween the ages of 40-50 start getting breast cancer screenings annually. So, if you’ve put off

ADVENTHEALTH’S SIMRAN ELDER ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS

presented by AdventHealth

Simran Elder, MD, medical oncologist, hematologist, and medical director.

Exceptional Cancer Care for Women

We’re moving women’s care forward in Kansas City, so you can heal better today. As the region’s only certified member of the MD Anderson Cancer Network, we offer some of the most advanced cancer treatments and access to world-class, pioneering clinical trials. It’s another example of how we’re exploring new avenues to recovery, so you can feel whole for your whole life.

Learn more at WomensCareKC.com.

Women’s Health IN KC

presented by AdventHealth

that annual mammogram, now’s the time to get one on the calendar.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR BREAST CANCER SCREENING APPOINTMENT

For most women, breast cancer screenings are done with a mammo gram, a screening tool that takes an X-ray image of the breast.

“Mammograms have been shown to be an accurate, non-invasive, and cost-effective modality for early detection of breast cancers,” Elder says. “They are also safe, with negligible radiation exposure.”

Elder says patients who get their mammogram with AdventHealth will receive a questionnaire at check-in to evaluate what risk factors they may have that elevate their breast cancer risk. Patients can then expect to be shown to a private room, asked to remove clothing from the waist up, and be provided with a gown. An experienced technologist will then position the breast tissue in a machine that compresses the tissue and takes the image.

If something of concern is found, further imaging will be or dered. This might include a diagnostic mammogram, which will fur ther evaluate abnormalities, an ultrasound, and/or a biopsy of the abnormal tissue.

WHEN TO SCHEDULE A BREAST CANCER SCREENING

While most women only need to get an annual mammogram beginning at middle age, there are some cases when screenings are recommended

for younger patients or at a different frequency. For men, mammograms are typically recommended only when symptoms arise.

Starting at age 20, Elder recommends patients perform a self-ex amination by feeling their breasts for any changes. “A lump in the breast or the underarm region, new swelling or thickening of the skin of the breast, or new changes in the appearance of the nipple can be early signs of breast cancer,” Elder says. Regardless of age, if you notice any unusual breast symptoms, you should talk to your doctor about getting screened for breast cancer.

Patients at higher risk for breast cancer might also need to get screened at an earlier age or higher frequency. “Factors that increase breast cancer risk are genetic mutations that predispose to breast can cer, older age, female biological sex, personal or family history of breast cancer, dense breast tissue, breast tissue atypia, and smoking,” Elder says.

At AdventHealth Shawnee Mission’s High Risk Breast Clinic, El der specializes in care for people with an increased risk of breast cancer due to family history and other risk factors. Elder’s team works with high-risk patients to create individualized screening plans that focus on prevention and early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

In addition to having regular screenings, Elder says to lower the risk of developing breast cancer, people should, “eat a healthy, balanced diet with a lot of fruits and vegetables, stay as physically active as possible, avoid more than one serving of alcohol a day on average, avoid smoking, and know your family history, if possible.”

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR HOME RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

You’ve likely spent more time than ever in your home during the last few weeks. Perhaps now you have valuable insight into what your home might be lacking or how you can make your interior space better. Now is the time for beauty and functionality.

You’ve likely spent more time than ever in your home during the last few weeks. Perhaps now you have valuable insight into what your home might be lacking or how you can make your interior space better. Now is the time for beauty and functionality.

You’ve likely spent more time than ever in your home during the last few weeks. Perhaps now you have valuable insight into what your home might be lacking or how you can make your interior space better. Now is the time for beauty and functionality.

Bringing European Tradition & Design to Your Home

Bringing European Tradition & Design to Your Home

Bringing European Tradition & Design to Your Home

KarinRossDesigns.com 816-425-2815

KarinRossDesigns.com 816-425-2815

KarinRossDesigns.com 816-425-2815

BY Patricia O’Dell

Cozy Up Outdoors

October is one of my favorite months. ( ough I’m no fan of Halloween. Please don’t tell anyone. It seems to be a thing.) I like summer for about six weeks and then it turns into a hot, sweaty mess even at night. I love the Midwest, but let’s face it, we don’t live here for the weather.

Except fall. Fall is the best, and we should do all we can to eke every moment out of it that we can. Once the bugs and humidity are gone, it’s game on. But there’s no reason to be outside on a folding chair with a red Solo cup. ( ough I wouldn’t judge.) Turn up the volume on style as you turn down the heat outside.

Morocco black metal lanterns, available in two sizes, $69-$104, from Crate and Barrel

Augie outdoor chair, by Four Hands, $599, available at Golden & Pine

The Vantaa black taper holders, available in three sizes or as a set, $17-$72, from Crate and Barrel.

Creative Candles six-inch white taper candles, $51.25 for a box of 24, creativecandles.com.

Apple HomePod mini, available in five colors, $99.

Happy Habitat It Takes A Villa Eco throw, $175, from West Elm

FINE FOLK, INDEED

MODERN PURVEYOR HAS HOME IN MIND

Saint Rita Parlor Signature Parfum incense, $40.

LESLIE FRALEY, owner of Finefolk, the chic boutique at 45th and State Line, does not limit herself to clothes and jewelry, though her selections in those areas are lovely. As with her clothing, the pieces she chooses for home have clean lines and sumptuous materials. finefolk.com

Unframed

Alchemy painting by Emily Johnson, $425.

Bartleby Objects leather lumbar pillows, available in two colors and sizes, $340 and $365.

BY Patricia O’Dell

The Permanent Bouquet

LET YOUR ART BRING YOU FLOWERS

We’ve established that fall is the best of Kansas City’s seasons. But you know what is right around the corner? e “W” word. I’d like to avoid winter as much as I can, but it’s inevitable. So, it seems wise to make the inside of your home as pleasant as

possible, and wouldn’t it be lucky if that meant owers every day. is is possible. For a small fortune, you could have fresh owers every day, or you could invest in art that will bring on the blooms. Carlos Gamez de Francisco’s paintings are lush and almost literary.

Artwork by Carlos Gamez de Francisco (clockwise from left) The Sunflower Girl, Spring Flowers III, and Luxury Fashion I, available at Weinberger Fine Art.

AS THE CROW FLIES

I HAVE AN AFFINITY FOR CROWS. Many years ago, 20 or more, a man told me a story about crows count ing huntsmen as they exited a barn. In his delightful tale he explained that yes, crows can count, but only up to three, motioning with his fingers the three front toes of their claws. While Christian Flensted’s Kites Mobile reminds me of crow feathers, not toes, it’s as engaging as my friend’s story. Art rather than craft. shop.kemperart.org

Flensted Kites mobile,

from Kemper

Art

Thomas Frank IN CONVERSATION WITH

words by Cindy Hoedel

In photographs, the most famous muckraker of Mission Hills, Thomas Frank, is always smiling, even when it looks like he’s trying not to. On the phone, his rising inflection and buoyant laugh leave the impression that humor is a life ring that keeps him from sinking into pessimism about the sorry state of American politics he has borne witness to his whole career.

After graduating from Shawnee Mission East in 1983, Frank attend ed University of Kansas for one year before transferring to University of Virginia where he earned a degree in history in 1987. He earned a Master’s and PhD at University of Chicago, specializing in 20th-century American cultural and intellectual history.

He founded The Baffler, a leftist journal, in college, drawing the original logo on a drafting table in his dad’s office in midtown Kansas City in 1988.

In 2004, Frank achieved national fame and became a darling of lib erals when he wrote What’s the Matter with Kansas? / How Conservatives Won the Heart of America. From 2008 to 2010 he wrote a left-leaning column in the Wall Street Journal. He is also the author of Listen Liberal / Whatever Happened to the Party of the People (2016), a book that earned more controversy than praise among liberals, and The People, No! / A Brief History of Anti-Populism (2020). Frank has also written for The Guardian and Le Monde Diplomatique but is currently focused on a new book project.

In a lengthy phone call from the home he shares with his wife and two children in Bethesda, Maryland, Frank reflected on the repercus sions of Roe being overturned, how his most popular books have with stood the passage of time, and why he feels the time has come for him to walk away from politics.

In What’s the Matter with Kansas?, you argued that conservatives use culture-war issues, including anti-abortion rhetoric, to get voters on board, but in office, they focus instead on eco nomic policies that gut the working class. You theorized that conservatives weren’t serious about overturning Roe v. Wade. Yes, isn’t that funny? That’s totally what I thought back then. And I still think that was a correct analysis of where we were at the time.

When Roe was overturned in June, one columnist wrote that she hoped you apologized to the women of Kansas, because the fears you dismissed had come to pass. Yeah, there’s a lot of bad faith there. We’re awash in bad-faith arguments today, so that’s not saying much.

What’s the Matter with Kansas? came out in 2004, and I was describ ing the immediate past, the ’80s and the ’90s. The country was caught up in all these culture wars, and they were successful for building the right-wing movement, but they were not very successful at changing the direction of the culture. And that was not a unique position held by me, a lot of people were saying that.

The great example of that was Ronald Reagan. Rhetorically he em braced the pro-life movement but clearly, he didn’t believe in it. When he was governor in California, before Roe v. Wade, he signed into law the measure that legalized abortion in California. Whenever he talked to the anti-abortion people, he would not show up in person, he would do it by telephone. He always kept them at arm’s length. Conservatives used to complain bitterly that they could not make headway, that the culture would barrel on out of control. And that was true.

The same was true of George W. Bush. He mobilized the culture wars to get elected and then didn’t care about them once he was in of fice. Both those Republican presidents were only interested in economic policies. Ronald Reagan completely changed the face of this country through deregulation, tax cuts, and freeing up the banking industry. But he didn’t change the culture.

In What’s the Matter with Kansas? you described the bait-andswitch that conservative leaders con voters with: “Vote to stop abortion; receive a rollback in capital gains taxes…Vote to screw those politically correct college professors; receive elec tricity deregulation.”

Right, and [Reagan and Bush] named lots of people to the Supreme Court, but they somehow never did anything about [Roe v. Wade].

What changed?

In a word, Trump. Here comes this guy that I think of as a moral Caligula. He embodies the hypocrisy of these politicians who clearly

don’t believe what they are saying in terms of morality and family values, and he takes it to an extreme degree: He’s on wife number three, he dated a porn star, the remark that got caught on a hot mic—this is not a man that respects family values.

But I’ll be damned, he appoints three justices to the Supreme Court and they actually overturn Roe v. Wade.

Why do you think that happened?

ere’s a very good reason Republicans don’t try to win the culture wars. It’s because they know their position is a losing one. e abortion issue mobilizes one group of people but it’s a loser in the broad scope of things. Polls consistently show Americans favor abortion 70 to 30 [percent], and it might be closer to 80-20 if you phrase it the right way.

Look at Kansas: is is a state that elected Sam Brownback, the most publicly pious culture warrior of our time, but at the same time, the right to an abortion is generally popular. So, the Right had to walk this ne line for decades.

But Donald Trump didn’t get the memo. [Laughs] He didn’t understand this at all. He just goes out and does this and now, you watch: is is not going to turn out well for Republicans. ey are going to reap the whirlwind.

Kansas women showed they are not to be messed with, for sure. The right to abortion passed by an 18-point margin. No one should have been surprised: In What’s the Matter with Kansas?, you documented the state’s history of progressive ideas and strong women leaders.

Yes, that’s an aspect of Kansas’s history that does not get enough attention. It’s not like these are right-wingers and they’ve always been right-wingers. e populist movement has always fascinated me and one of the most interesting aspects of it was that—uniquely among major political parties of the day—it had strong women leaders.

And Kansas also, weirdly enough, had been one of the states to

liberalize its abortion laws before Roe v. Wade. Only about 12 states did this.

William Allen White once said, “Everything happens in Kansas first.” Kansas was the first state to vote on abortion rights after Roe was overturned. Now California, Vermont, Kentucky, and possibly Michigan, will have abortion rights on the ballot in November and more states are trying to get a vote in the coming two years.

Yes. If the Democrats are smart, they’ll get abortion referendums on the ballot everywhere in America. Just like back in 2004 when Karl Rove contrived to get referendums on gay marriage on the ballot in states to increase conservative voter turnout.

So the result of Roe being overturned might be that abortion rights will be better protected, rather than always hanging under the threat of a Supreme Court ruling.

Yes. Ruth Bader Ginsberg always said having abortion rights only by decree of the Supreme Court opens you up to all sorts of criticism, when it should only be about women’s rights to control their own bodies, and it should be done in a direct way that can’t be overturned, and the way you do that is by law.

In Listen, Liberal, which came out just before the election in 2016, you argued that the Democratic Party abandoned blue collar workers in favor of professional elites. You warned that assuming voters would continue to rally to Democrats simply because they were not Republicans was not going to work. The book got very little coverage when it came out, but after Trump won, it got a lot of attention. Yeah, it was kind of too late then, right? When the book came out it was very controversial, but now that analysis of the Democrats is all over the place.

Does that make you feel vindicated or frustrated? Listen, the story of my life is the great turn to the right in the late ’70s and early ’80s. I mean, we changed the way this country worked. And we did it in a way that has been disastrous for ordinary Americans. And we’ve never even come close to putting that up for debate as a country. Like saying: Maybe we shouldn’t have done that. Maybe we should have followed a di erent path. ere are people out there who are saying we need to reexamine the entire direction that we are going—mainly people like Bernie Sanders—but the Democratic Party is determined to not listen to them.

I have a French friend who has been coming over once every four years since the ’90s for our political conventions. He says, “Every four years I come over here, and it’s a little bit worse.” And he’s right. Every four years, people have sunk a little more into despair.

One of the parts of What’s the Matter with Kansas? that still gets me is

Left to right: Frank’s 2004 book What’s the Matter with Kansas? earned him national and international recognition. His research into U.S. populism was published in The People, No in 2020.

my description of the crumbling small towns. And that’s just gotten worse.

If you live in Kansas City and you work in the information industry or you’re a member of the professional class or you do some kind of creative work, things are great. Kansas City’s a really nice place to live. If you live almost anywhere else in the surrounding states, your way of life is crumbling. That really bothers me. In all my years covering politics, I haven’t seen anyone even try to come up with an answer for that.

In The People, No! you write that Clinton, Obama, and Trump were all phony populists. Do you think it is possible for a real populism to take root today?

Absolutely. My sort of grand vision of American politics is: We’ve got this political system where something is missing. There’s a hole in it. That thing that’s missing—and it’s been missing my entire life—is the traditional labor left.

That is what populism meant, was doing that kind of traditional left-wing politics. There is nobody occupying that space. What you have instead is all these fake Lefts cropping up. Not necessarily political, but advertising, foundations, people claiming to be radicals. People talking about liberation, how products “liberate” you. There are hundreds of ex amples. Trump is a fake leftist, by the way.

How so?

He speaks this language of liberation and empowerment and doesn’t mean anything by it. Clinton and Obama did the same thing, in a dif ferent way of course. We are awash in fake populism. Now, I’m using the word in its original meaning, which was a trans-racial working-class movement for economic democracy.

You point out in your book that the word “populism” was invented in Kansas.

Yes, isn’t that interesting? I was able to track down within a week when the word was invented and the first use of it in print, in a newspaper in Winfield, Kansas [on May 28, 1891]. The book then traces how the word changed over the years and was used to describe all kinds of crazy things. Now Trump and the Republicans are saying they are going to make the Republican Party a workers’ party. This is absolute nonsense. But they are succeeding. It’s What’s the Matter with Kansas? 20 years later— the strategy is still going.

In light of all the fakery, why do you think a real populism can take hold?

It’s because there are all these fake versions. That indicates to me some kind of longing for the real thing. That’s what all my books have been about. Before What’s the Matter With Kansas?, I wrote One Market Under God, which was about one of these fake Lefts—the bull-market culture of the 1990s and the insane dot-com bubble, where every company and every stock and every investment strategy was sold to the public as a form of economic liberation. They called it the New Economy, and it was going to overthrow old economic hierarchies. That turned out to be complete bullshit.

And the internet was going to be a great democratic leveler be cause everyone was going to be allowed to say whatever they

wanted with no gatekeepers.

That’s perfect. Yeah, that’s another fake populism that doesn’t come true. Instead, the internet has turned into an enormous surveillance machine. It’s ironic that it was sold to us as a device of liberation.

Are there any political developments that give you hope that workers have a chance?

Oh, sure. There are all kinds of hopeful things. There seems to be a miniboom in people organizing their workplace. That is great to see. I’m very happy about that.

And you know, Biden—I wasn’t a big fan for most of his career. But I think he’s done a lot of bold things. For example, pulling out of Afghanistan. I think that took guts, and I’m glad that he did it. And Barack Obama was such a deficit hawk and believed in austerity. Biden hasn’t shown any signs of that. I think his move on student loans—I’ve got issues with it here and there—but at least he is starting to do some thing about the problem.

‘‘

I’ve written critiques of both parties, how they operate, who they answer to. I’ve pointed out the way both of them dance around the all-important subject of social class, refusing to address it directly.”

What are you working on now?

I’m trying to get away from political writing, trying to get back to what I wrote about years ago.

Which is what?

Cultural history. I think the time has come to walk away from po litical stuff.

Why?

Because I’ve said what I wanted to say. I’ve written critiques of both parties, how they operate, who they answer to. I’ve pointed out the way both of them dance around the all-important subject of social class, re fusing to address it directly. And as our politics descend ever deeper into culture-war pathology, I feel like I would just be saying the same things over and over. Time to move on to other aspects of life.

Even though you’ve been gone a long time, do you still feel a connection to Kansas City?

Yes. The city made me, and it is the only place in the world where I am organically adjusted to the rhythms of life.

Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

Main Street USA

EIGHT KANSAS CITY SUBURBS THAT ARE BACK IN A BIG WAY

They’ve survived floods, a slow economy, and a pandemic. Now these suburban downtowns are thriving thanks to homegrown restaurants and boutiques that make “buy local” an easy goal. Spend a day shopping, luxuriate at a salon, peruse a menu, and consider an overnight stay in the heart of the action. Fall open houses, Halloween treats, and resplendent holiday windows create Americana memories for the entire family. Check web sites and social media for upcoming events.

INSPIRATION AT INDEPENDENCE SQUARE

Harry Truman made this Missouri town famous, but Cindy McClain, owner of 15 businesses on the Square, turned it into a modern-day des tination. One standout is Ophelia’s Restaurant serving salads, smash burgers, and President Truman’s fried chicken recipe for lunch and din ner. The inn upstairs offers the perfect staycation or girlfriends’ getaway; ask about spa treatments, yoga, or Pilates classes; movie tickets; or a bowling lane, all within walking distance.

Other dining options include juicy burgers at Courthouse Exchange, Flying Horse Flatbreads within 3 Trails Brewing, caffeine courtesy of

Mainstreet Coffee House, and ice cream at Clinton’s Soda Fountain Eclairs de la Lune Bakery has scratch-made sweets, a pie club that in cludes a wooden carrying box, and even keto-friendly breakfast fare.

Shopping abounds, starting with Gilbert, Whitney, & Co., a gour mand’s best friend with cookware and local provisions, including Vain vanilla extract. Be Here Now displays home décor and antiques, and Black Lemon Boutique caters to women of all sizes and shapes. Wild About Harry has one of Kansas City’s largest selection of accessories and gifts for men.

For a fascinating history lesson, book a 30- to 90-minute Pioneer Trail Adventures tour on a mule-drawn covered wagon.

GIVE ME LIBERTY

Say yes to Liberty, Missouri’s tagline—as in give me more Ginger Sue’s “candy” bacon and Black Magic margaritas at La Costa Mexicana restaurant. Between breakfast and happy hour, there’s plenty of shop ping and history lessons, including the bank Jesse James robbed in 1866. Start your day at Huey’s on the Square or Ginger Sue’s bruncheonette where that signature bacon is tucked into a fried egg sandwich.

words by Katie Van Luchene

Independence Square.

Add to your Chief’s gear at Brant’s Clothing, find a cute shacket at Catfish + Tater Boutique, and score flattering (trust me on this) knit pants at More Excuses Boutique.

Petals & Potpourri’s Christmas trees will inspire your holiday décor while jars of gourmet condiments make great hostess gifts. More gifts await at Anna Marie’s Teas and D’Agee Florist where you’ll find fresh flowers, clever cocktail napkins, and two friendly shop cats.

Classy Chocolate is a must for sweets, cookies, and decorated cakes. Pie Time offers a variety of flavors including takeand-bake savory pies. Townies rave about Joni’s Special, a loaded pasta dish at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant Jousting Pigs BBQ and 3Halves Brewing share an address and a commitment to craft; the Stick ‘Em Up stout stands up to the succulent brisket and burnt ends.

Nearby Belvoir Winery and Inn wel comes you with luxury suites, award-winning wines, and possibly a ghostly visit.

PLAYTIME IN PARKVILLE

Historic Downtown Parkville, Missouri, is Hallmark-movie ready, complete with tod dlers in Halloween costumes and snowy riverfront trails. It’s surrounded by nature, but shops offer their own beauty, especially during fall and winter festivities.

Start at Samsara Home with lavish vi gnettes of modern and vintage furnishings

for home and garden. At Fabulous Finds, sales of gently used items benefit the Friends of Parkville Animal Shelter. La Bottega Vin tage Market is a decorator’s dream with an tiques, retro finds, and collectibles.

House on Scott offers a more serene space with new and vintage décor and tex tiles. Farm House Collection sells its own line of heavenly scented candles, or you can create your own personal fragrance at Far macy Fragrance Bar next door. White Farmhouse Flowers has fresh blooms, gifts, and a charming mobile flower truck.

Cool Vintage Watches is legendary for its selection of retro watches, but the most desirable item may be a membership to the private cocktail club next door. A more fami ly-friendly activity is the Parkville Mini Golf and ice cream shop overlooking downtown.

When hunger calls, Craic Irish Pub serves up shepherd’s pie and whiskey; live music adds to the fun. Locals recommend anything on Canyon Pizza’s menu, especially

for its decadent dishes, wine list, and treelined deck overlooking downtown. Wines by Jennifer offers tastings and bottles available for purchase.

If you plan to overindulge, book a room at one of five Airbnb suites above down town’s shops or the award-winning Main Street Inn.

A MARTIN CITY MAKEOVER

Credit Matt Moore for rebooting this town’s fun meter. He and his partner launched Mar tin City Brewing Company in 2011, but Matt’s love for the south Kansas City ‘burb

the margherita pizza. The Baker’s Table is known for pies, sweet and savory pastries, and breakfast choices including biscuits and gravy.

Romantics opt for lunch or dinner at Café des Amis , a French bistro famous

didn’t stop there. His Pizza and Taproom pulls in crowds for its brews, pub fare, and live music. And don’t let the rustic décor at Coast to Coast Pub fool you; the menu in cludes supreme seafood choices along with steaks and burgers. High ceilings, wooden beams, and chandeliers make for lovely wed dings and special occasions at The Martin City Event Space Martin City Ice Cream serves its own line of frosty treats.

Other businesses are buzzing as well. Jack Stack Barbecue’s original location is known for its smoked meats, ribs, cheesy corn bake, and giant onion rings. In 1972, writer Calvin Trillin put Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse on the map; the result is the 25 oz. Playboy Steak. For healthier fare, Martin City Coffee has paleo bowls along with its signature brew. Rosehill Garden’s patio creates a lush setting for Somerset Wine & Cider Bar. While it’s

House of Scott in Parkville carries new and vintage décor and textiles.

Martin City’s Pizza and Taproom.

Breakfast at Ginger Sue’s in Liberty.

only open May through September, it’s avail able for private events through the year.

What’s inside Sidelines Custom Floral is as vibrant as its mural outside. Along with fresh flowers, the shop offers baby togs, women’s ac cessories, and stylish home décor. Hostess gifts include cocktail napkins with smart-aleck say ings, candles, and potted plants.

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE IN LENEXA

What Lenexa lacks in historical charm, it more than makes up for with energy. When city leaders decided to create a modern ur ban neighborhood, they did it right. Locally owned restaurants and retail, a handsome civic campus, and plenty of green spaces.

At its heart is the Lenexa Public Mar ket, a shared food hall where diners can choose from smash burgers at Cosmo; load

are also available.

After dining, feast your eyes on the art gal lery in the adjacent Lenexa City Hall where the exhibit changes every month. Here’s also where Park University offers classes. The out door spaces within the market hosts free Friday night music, family-friendly activities, and hol iday makers’ marts.

Across the street, The District has an ever-expanding list of services and retailers including Pure Barre fitness, Savoy Tea Market, and The One, with swoon-wor thy designer wedding gowns. Made in KC’s shelves are filled with local food, art, gifts, and décor. Gather friends for a game of shuffleboard.

A restaurant row is planned for the area, but there’s no need to wait. Nearby dining choices include Grand Street Café, The Big Biscuit, and Silo Canyon Farmhouse, a handsome restaurant with views of Canyon Farms Golf Club. Open for lunch, dinner, and brunch, the executive chef, Laura Favela, has put together a menu that features every thing from KC strip steaks and lobster ravi oli with truffle oil to a $10 tenderloin burg er special on Tuesdays. Save room for the 32-layer chocolate cake.

COME OVER TO DOWNTOWN OVERLAND PARK

From a town on the military roadway in 1905 to a thriving community, Downtown Over land Park offers lots of reasons to visit. Ac tually, more than 300 of them, the number of unique shops and restaurants surrounding the Clock Tower Plaza. Friends gather in this urban park to hear live music while kids play in the fountain or seek the best view of the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. A few steps away, people shop for fresh produce and provisions like local honey and cheese at the farmers market.

its Pad Thai and coconut shrimp. Evolve Juicery and Kitchen is the place to grab a healthy juice blend or smoothie. Brew Lab’s burgers, barbecue, and pretzels are meant to go with its IPA, stout, wheat beers, and sours. Hummus & Pita serves kabobs, wraps, and shawarma plates. The Peanut is famous for its wings and two-fisted BLTs, and Buffalo State Pizza has popular combos or lets you choose your own toppings.

Downtown Overland Park is also tops when it comes to shopping. Ten Thousand Villages is filled with free-trade items, including rugs, baskets, housewares and gifts. The General Store is popular for its KC-centric goods including tees, pillows, and coasters along with greeting cards that are definitely on the naughty or nice side. Penzys Spices caters to home cooks with its vast inventory of seasonings and spices, dried chilies, and a hot chocolate mix.

ed pizzas or grinders at Topp’d Pizzas + Salads; Messenger Coffee at Mr. D’s; pas tries and loaves of breads at Butterfield’s Bakery; and wine from the Tasting Room Red Kitchen KC has built a robust fan base thanks to authentic Mexican recipes, includ ing tortas and traditional tamales for break fast and lunch, and dinner, when margaritas

But for those who’d rather order from a menu, there’s Strang Hall with six chef-driv en restaurants under one roof. Order in per son or online, grab a beverage from the bar, find a table indoors or on the patio, then dig into shrimp and grits, cider-braised pork bel ly, a chorizo breakfast burrito, or tuna poke.

Stand-alone restaurants include Lem ongrass Thai Cuisine, which is known for

Complete your fall wardrobe at Ensemble, and update your home with furniture, art, and textiles at Old Mango. Hatch + Home is a designer’s dream with vignettes of seasonal ac cessories and gifts. If you find yourself wishing you could take it all home, remember they offer design services.

GET TO KNOW NORTH KANSAS CITY

Five craft breweries, a distillery, cocktail bars. and even a bike shop that serves beer are all found in this friendly area the locals

Chief-themed donuts from Mr. D’s in the Lenexa Public Market.

The General Store in Downtown Overland Park carries KC-centric goods.

call Northtown.

Cinder Block is known for handcraft ed beer including its “hop monster” Block IPA, porters, lagers, and hard ciders. While it doesn’t serve food, the crew is happy to let you bring in your own from nearby places, including Hawaiian Bros Island Grill or Chicken N Pickle. Make plans to join them for live music and trivia nights.

The Big Rip Brewing Company’s offer ings include German wheat, brown ale, and cream ale. You’re welcome to order food from Hawg Jaw BBQ next door and have it de livered just in time for a Geeks Who Drink trivia contest. Velo Garage & Tap House combines a bike shop with a beer garden and shuffleboard court. Brewkery, a kombucha brewery, has several flavors on tap. Try a flight or fill a growler to take home. Restless Spirits produces five core spirits, including a botanical gin, vodka, blended whiskey, and Irish Whis key—all crafted by one of the country’s only female distillers. They offer tastings and tours

items include its famous Italian sausage, pas ta sauce, and marinades.

The Iron District is an outdoor space surrounded by colorful shipping containers turned into restaurants and shops. Order your favorites, including Creole barbecue, vegan, tacos, or Far East comfort food along with beers or cocktails and meet back at a table or game area. Screenland Armour of fers 20 beers on tap to enjoy while watching a current or classic film. Movie-themed menu items include the Kevin Bacon sandwich and Royale with Cheese Burger.

LIVING IT UP IN LEE’S SUMMIT

What was once an 11-block plat known as Town of Strother, Lee’s Summit has grown into one of Missouri’s most vibrant cities with a walkable downtown filled with restau rants, breweries, and fashion boutiques. The Strother District is now known as an enter tainment mecca. Two bars provide the cool ness factor: Hand in Glove, serving cocktails and coffee drinks, and The W, a speak easy-style lounge upstairs. Both are intimate yet friendly, with handcrafted cocktails and bottles of smoked vanilla to go.

music and traditional Celtic fare, such as fish and chips and shepherd’s pie.

along with classes on distilling and cocktails.

When hunger strikes, Smokin’ Guns BBQ has been serving brisket and burnt ends since 2003. Sign up for beer-pairing dinners, buy sauces and rubs to take home or stick around for live music on Gunner’s Deck. Scimeca’s Market and Deli serves sand wiches along with lasagna made from the same family recipe from 1935. Take-home

Restaurants throughout the downtown are casual affairs where friends gather to watch the game, enjoy live music, or stop by for Sunday brunch. Third Street Social, open for lunch, dinner, and brunch, has an expansive bar, three-season patio, and some of the best fried chicken in town. When Stuey McBrew’s menu has a caution notice on its hot wings with Shut-up Sauce, you know it’s best to ask for samples first. The cinnamon rolls at Neighborhood Café are almost as big as the neon sign outside. This breakfast and lunch diner also brags it has the best liver and onions. Konrad’s Kitchen and Tap House offers live music on week ends including dueling pianos the second Friday of the month. But folks show up for the food as well, including pizzinis that start like traditional pizzas in the oven, then hit the grill like a panini.

Flavor Lab started out selling spices and pantry items but has added deli food, including loaded hot dogs and seasonal soups along with local craft beer. Choose from three bars at Llywelyn’s Pub with live

The neighborhood seems to have a thing for handcrafted beers, too. Grains and Taps offers 20 beers on tap; order a piz za or pretzels and play bingo on Wednesday nights. Smoke Brewing Co. marries cham pionship barbecue with handcrafted beer. Order the assemblage of brisket, meatloaf, ribs, and more called The Beast that serves from four to six—or one offensive lineman. The Hang Over Bloody Mary is a buffet on a glass. Diametric Brew has 19 beers on tap; outside the Burn Theory Fire Kitchen food truck serves elevated pub items includ ing street tacos. Poppy’s Ice Cream lists seasonal flavors on a blackboard and offers concretes, sorbets, and pastries as well.

For retail therapy, The Trove specializes in vintage tees, new fashions, and pre-loved but pristine Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags. Anchora Bella has your fall wardrobe ready to go with sweaters and faux-leather skirts. Accessories include clear game-day bags with hand-beaded Chiefs straps. The Razzle Bee Boutique is a chic cowgirl’s best friend with well-priced fashions and accessories in cluding roughed-up caps with sayings like “Hold my drink while I pet this dog.” Em bers Candle Bar invites you to create your own candle using their stylish containers and 63 different scents. Walk-ins are welcome or rent the space for a private event.

North Kansas City’s Iron District.

A bourbon cocktail from Hand in Glove in Lee’s Summit.

CHEFS ARE GETTING Spicy!

FIVE LOCAL CONDIMENTS BRING BOTTLED HEAT

Kansas City is not known for its “hot” cuisine. Like most of the Midwest, we come by our aversion to spice honestly. Historically, we can point to the palate of the European immigrants who settled here, the strict Protestant be liefs at the time around spicy foods being considered a bodily pleasure, and therefore a sin, or we can simply look at our hardworking rural farm communities that ate what they grew, prepared simply and without any thing more than salt and maybe a little black pepper.

Today, with modern technology, a world of heat, flavor, and spice is more accessible than ever before. Fueled by both international and armchair travel, via television or our smartphones, we have developed a growing interest in foods with deep heat and flavorful spice. Tradi tionally, we may have looked to restaurants serving Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Korean, Indian, or Ethiopian food to help educate us on the com plex role chilies play in those cuisines, but we also love a little spice in our comfort-food standards, as witnessed by the explosive popularity of Nashville hot chicken in recent years.

Our grocery stores are now stocked with a variety of fresh and canned chilies, “flavor blasted” snacks and an abundant selection of spicy oils, chili crisps, marinades, hot sauces, and condiments of all kinds, which we are now using to spice up the dishes we make at home.

Food researchers confirm that Americans are eating spicier foods, and it seems the more spice we eat, the more tolerance we build. Our palates are starting to grow and change as a result.

Local chefs in Kansas City are also responding to the call for spicier foods by making and selling their own sauces and condiments used in their restaurants. Some of this push to bottle came from the pandemic. With restaurants closed, chefs were trying to survive by selling everything from pasta sauces to hot sauces, and with more people cooking from home during Covid-19, the interest in finding something to jazz up a boring chicken breast was very enticing. Now that restaurants have reopened, chefs are continuing to see success selling their spicy condiments as a healthy passive income stream for their business.

From the father of Kansas City-style barbecue, Henry Perry, who brought his own flavor and spice with his original barbecue sauce that was described as “harsh and peppery,” to the many restaurant chefs, barbecue teams, and budding sauce entrepreneurs who have worked to bottle their own hot condiments, perhaps we have evolved our palates to the point where we can all agree “spice is nice.”

Here are a few local favorites to check out the next time you are feeling a little spicy.

words by Jenny Vergara

RYE GENUINE KANSAS CITY HOT SAUCE

A decade ago, James Beard Award-winning Colby Garrelts and his wife and partner, Megan Garrelts, opened Rye in Leawood. It was their second restaurant, but their first casual concept focused on Midwestern favorites, such as fried chicken, quality steaks, and delicious pie. It was also the place that allowed the chef to play with his passion for smoked meats and barbecue, using a commercial smoker he installed in his restaurant kitchen. With smoking meat came an interest in making his own barbecue and hot sauce, and by the time they had opened their second location on the Country Club Plaza, the sauce was bottled and available for purchase at both locations. Rye’s Genuine Hot Sauce is for those who want just a touch of spice. It is a mild yet complex sauce with heat that comes from smoked Fresno chilies and jalapeños combined with cider vinegar, garlic, and brown sugar. It is sweet and a little spicy, packing that perfect punch of flavor to fried chicken, scrambled eggs, or anything else that just needs a little kick.

NOVEL HOT SAUCE & MARINADE

After years spent working at Momofuku in New York, it stands to reason that Ryan Brazeal occasionally likes to lean into those Asian flavors as chef at his restaurant, Novel. The same is true for his foxy new hot sauce and marinade. The label bears the artistic interpretation of the fox that’s also found in the tilework (created by frequent collaborator Peregrine Honig) that decorates the wall of his Crossroads restaurant. The sauce is a combination of dried Korean pepper flakes for up-front heat and a little smokiness, Szechuan peppercorns for a lingering heat on the finish, fermented broad beans and soy sauce for a umami funk, and it’s all rounded out with rice wine-braised onions and garlic for a sweet tangy balance that pulls the whole sauce together. It packs a heat similar to sriracha, but with much more depth and complexity. Use it wherever you would normally use hot sauce, dip your fries into it, marinate chicken, or simply toss it in some cold sesame noodles.

chilies, and spices, infusing the oil with flavor and giving his chili oil a big crunch and slow burn. He uses a combination of chilies in the crisp to ensure it brings just the right amount of heat. It is hot, but not Thai hot. Look for his chili crunch at his restaurant or you can also find it drizzled over the nachos served at the Buck Tui BBQ stand at Arrowhead stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs.

EVERYTHING CHILI CRUNCH FROM KANSAS CITY CANNING CO.

During his five years in business, Tim Tuohy and his small team have managed to preserve, ferment, and pickle just about every imaginable vegetable and fruit for his popular condiment company, Kansas City Canning Co., which sells products in fine food stores in seven states, from California to Massachusetts. With all his products made from scratch by hand in a former hamburger stand in the East Bottoms, using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible, the chef and his team recently came out with their own version of chili crunch, one that takes a cheeky cue from Everything Bagel spices.

BUCK TUI CHILI CRUNCH

or simply toss it in some cold sesame noodles. home, Liberda always has a jar on hand, and that decorates the wall of his Crossroads restaurant. uan peppercorns for a lingering heat on the finish, balance that pulls the whole sauce together. It packs a heat similar to sri-

When Ted Liberda opened Buck Tui BBQ, serving up his Thai take on Kansas City barbecue, he changed our minds as to what we can and should consider Kansas City-style barbecue. So, you know the chef was going to blow our minds with what he considers the perfect barbecue sauce for his Thai-riffic smoky meats—his own house-made Buck Tui Chili Crunch. At his restaurant, as at his home, Liberda always has a jar on hand, and now you can too. He starts by chopping up lemongrass, garlic, shallots, and six different kinds of chilies that he then adds to a heat-proof bowl along with whole star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. Slowly he pours heated canola oil over everything to quickly crisp up all the aromatics,

with, what else, bagel chips.

Their take on the spicy and savory condiment is more crunch than chili oil, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the warm heat it needs to make you sit at attention. Made with blended oil, dried garlic, poppy seeds, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, dried onion, coarse Korean chili flake, crushed red pepper, salt, and spices, stir their Everything chili crunch into Greek yogurt for creamy but spicy dip for chips and vegetables, or pour it over a block of cream cheese and serve with, what else, bagel chips.

J. CHANG KITCHEN CHILI OIL

James Chang, the chef behind J. Chang Kitchen and the general manager at Waldo Thai, likes to switch things up with each batch of his now famous Taiwanese chili oil being just a little different than the last. So, if you find one you particularly like, you better stock up because once it is gone it is gone. Made and bottled by hand and sold though the J. Chang Kitchen Instagram page, his chili oil is gluten free, vegan, preservative free and is made by slow cooking whole onions and garlic cloves (he used over 30 pounds of garlic to make his most recent batch) in oil for hours until the flavors of all the aromatics have all melded together, then he combines Szechuan and dried Indian chili flakes, hand-toasted and ground spices, and finishes his chili oil with crispy fried shallots and toasted sesame seeds. Chang plays well with others and his chili oil has been mixed into a vanilla ice-cream base and sold as a surprisingly delicious collaboration he did last year with the folks behind the French Custard pop-up. You can find jars of his spicy stuff for sale at Italian Sausage Company along with the #22 sandwich, a collaboration sando that is a permanent fixture on their menu, made with pastrami, salami, red-wine olives, J. Chang chili oil, garlic aioli, tomato, shredded lettuce, and burrata cheese.

In 2017, Kurt Knapstein intro duced his friends to his new home on a gracious street in Kansas City, Missouri. The classic Tudor had great lines and a generous lot, but it needed some care. “I’m only the fourth owner, and the house was deteriorating,” he says. “As soon as I closed on the sale, I hosted an open house for friends, clients, and neighbors. Immediately after that the house was gutted to the studs.”

Knapstein knew what he wanted, but he did not want to approach the project piece meal. He hired John Wind, principal architect with Piper-Wind, for the renovation draw ings. “John helped me implement my ideas.”

The concept in Knapstein’s head was

Above: Homeowner Kurt Knapstein. Right: In the living room, a Hunt Slonem painting hangs over the sofa, while a Katherine Glover piece above the mantel reflects the glowing gold accents throughout.

Tudor

DESIGNER KURT KNAPSTEIN BRINGS A CLASSIC BROOKSIDE HOME INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

words by Patricia O’Dell photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

Knapstein designed the custom rug in the library, which mimics the octagonal shape of the room.

The sunroom’s L-shaped sofa with matching ottoman is the perfect spot for watching TV.

The foyer retains its original Tudor-style wood paneling, which is offset by the contemporary James Marshall sculpture.

A small niche off the library is the perfect spot for a bird’s-eye maple hall chair and a custom chest.

“boutique London hotel,” with classic lines and materials, but a modern energy. The colors throughout have a traditional clubby feel—charcoal gray, rich taupe, sapphire blue, and malachite green accented with gleam of gilt—yet nothing is heavy.

The entry retained the original stained-wood paneling, but a graph ic not-quite-plaid rug and the James Marshall sculpture add a dash of contemporary flair. Knapstein mirrored the back wall to open the land ing. The ceiling there and in the emerald Innovations silk fabric-clad dining room are gold leaf, which creates a flattering glow. “I had a gold-

Above: The kitchen was set up for practicality on a daily basis. “I like putting mirror behind a cooktop,” Knapstein says. “It opens up a space, and is actually incredibly easy to clean as well.” Opposite: Knapstein usually sells most of his furniture with the sale of each house he renovates for himself, but the stunningly detailed hand-carved mirror hanging above the dining room buffet travels with him.

leaf ceiling in the entry of the last house,” he says. “I love the elegance of it and wanted to have it again.”

Still, Knapstein has a practical side. He capitalized on the ample light in the kitchen and used clean lines in his design for that room. It’s functional and fanciful at the same time. “If it’s just me eating at home, I can move a stool over to the eating space at the island and watch TV, which looks like a piece of art most of the time,” he says of the Samsung Frame television.

But when he entertains, which he very much enjoys, he has a quick and easy solution to accommodate a crowd. Stools are whisked to the garage, the table moves into position for a bartender to use as the front bar, and the island, which has an ice maker and both refrigerator and freezer drawers, becomes the back bar. “The first party at the house was a patrons party for the Symphony Ball in 2019,” Knapstein says. “I had

Above, left: The primary bath—with its tiled walls, deep marble counters, and classic nickel sconces—has an art deco vibe. Above, right: In the powder room, extra details, such as the graphic wallpaper and floor tile design, give a small space a big impact. Opposite: Varying hues of deep gray and lots of texture, including bed linens from Annabelles and Phillip Jeffries wallcovering, create a cozy cocoon in the primary bedroom.

190 people here. Thank goodness there was incredible weather.”

It was still a lively crowd in the deep-hued living room, for which Knapstein designed the graphic cobalt rug. The stone fireplace surround roots the room in its Tudor sensibility, while Hunt Slonem’s rabbits seem to be having their own party above the sofa. It’s a room that’s made for chic evening entertaining.

To counter the fast pace of his busy practice, Knapstein made the primary bedroom his haven. “The ceiling here was eight feet tall when I bought the house,” he says. “My previous home had a 12-foot-high barrel-vaulted ceiling, and so I knew I wanted more height.” He was able to vault the room with a ten-foot-tall tray ceiling that visually enlarges the space.

He reimagined the primary bath to be practical for today’s living, but with that “boutique hotel” vibe. A large walk-in shower features

THE IT LIST

Architect Piper-Wind Architects piper-wind.com

Art Weinberger Fine Art weinbergerfineart.com

Art Corbin Bronze corbinbronze.com

Interior Design Knapstein Design knapsteindesign.com

Kohler DTV touchscreen controls that respond to a tap on a touch screen to turn on the shower heads, handheld spray, or body sprays.

Knapstein wanted to take advantage of the commodious back yard—something that he hadn’t had at his last house in Sunset Hill— so he employed an abundance of glass along the back of the house to link the indoors and outdoors. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the sunroom on the back of the house visually double the inside space and provide the natural light that Tudors sometimes lack.

The covered patio became a popular spot to entertain friends on Sunday afternoons for Chiefs games. “I’m not really a sports fan, but it was a perfect space for having people over and being outside,” he says. The Tom Corbin sculpture centered in a grassy site in the backyard was the first piece he bought for the house. “I bought it during the renova tion. I knew I wanted one of Tom’s pieces near the patio.”

The new landscaping at the front of the house is beginning to fill in, and Knapstein is patient with their progress. “It was an overgrown mess before, and I wanted it manicured and lush looking,” he says, then pauses. “The ornamental trees will someday be fantastic when they canopy over the driveway and front walk.”

A Limited Edition Fashion Collaboration

Exaggerated volumes. Bold colors that pop against neutrals. Exploded patterns, textural knits. And the ultimate in opulent fabrics.

Visit us at 335 East 55th Street, Kansas City PCxGB.com

Above: Characteristic details (red brick, gables, arched door) announce that this is a classic Tudor Revival home. Left: The backyard was totally renovated and landscaped.

LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES IN KANSAS CITY

There’s something special about shopping or ordering a service from locally owned businesses. It might be the compliments you get from that chic new ensemble you assemble from local brands at your neighborhood boutique. Or that fresh afterglow you feel following a treatment at the locally owned med spa or salon across town. Or maybe, you especially appreciate the keen eye of a local designer who has your home picture-perfect from top to bottom.

Shopping local is more important now than ever. This special section showcases the people and businesses that build stronger neighborhoods and make Kansas City such a great place to live.

GEORGOUS

Your Natural Beauty, Elevated

At Georgous Aesthetic Bar, Georgia Cirese is known as the “OG Injector.” With over 20 years of experience in aesthetics, the owner of the local medspa is nationally recognized for her work in aesthetic injection treatments, such as wrinkle relaxers and cosmetic fillers. In fact, Cirese often travels the country as a national trainer and speaks at conferences. She’s also a Registered Nurse (RN) and Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist (CANS).

Cirese founded Georgous Aesthetic Bar with her daughter, Mary Katelyn, in 2019, hoping to define a new category of boutique clinics. Three years later, Cirese leads a team of licensed and trained providers who produce natural, yet stunning, results and guide patients through the treatment options that best meet each individual’s needs.

At Georgous Aesthetic Bar, expect an experience that’s both professional and personal in a comfortable and inviting space— comfort and safety are a top priority. The clinic’s treatments include wrinkle relaxers, such as Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau, and Xeomin; cosmetic fillers; thread lifts; PRP facelifts and facials; laser treatments, including BBL, hair removal, and HALO; microneedling; chemical peels; and facials.

Each treatment at the clinic is backed by science and results so clients can rest assured knowing their treatment plan is effective. After all, Cirese’s motto is that the best procedures are the ones that are undetectable. At Georgous Aesthetic Bar, it’s all about elevating each client’s natural beauty.

816.946.8484 4505 Madison Ave, Kansas City, MO

Spaces That Tell a Story

Rather than following the latest trends, Karen Ross Designs sets the trend in interior design. With over 25 years of experience in kitchen and bathroom remodels and new-build projects, the interior design agency’s owner and lead designer, Karin Ross, uses influences from her European background to inspire her clean, elegant designs.

With each project, Ross forges a design that tells the client’s unique story in their home. From new builds to total home remodels, kitchen and bathroom makeovers—including countertops, cabinets, and flooring—Karin Ross Designs does it all. Ross and her team work together with the clients throughout the entire project, from the plan ning and design stage all the way through the construction process.

When walking into a new home or a newly remodeled kitchen or bathroom created by Karin Ross Designs, your eye will be pleas antly surprised by the harmony achieved throughout the space. Book Ross’s team for your next new build or remodeling project, and you’ll get the look you’ve always dreamed of. From decor to paint colors and finishes, the design firm will make sure every detail is perfect. Known for thinking outside the box, expect Karin Ross De signs to introduce you to colors, textures, and patterns you never knew you wanted, but can’t live without. Using fresh luxury ele ments that have the elegance of classic European heritage is the standard at Karin Ross Designs.

karinrossdesigns.com • 816.425.2815 1260 NW Sloan, Lee’s Summit, MO

KARIN ROSS DESIGNS

The Lifestyle Brands

When Joey Mendez and Buck Wimberly first pitched the idea for ULAH, some people didn’t know what the duo meant by a “lifestyle store,” but the two Kansas Citians knew that’s exactly what they wanted it to be. In retail, “lifestyle” means a one-stop shop for all aspects of your life.

For Buck and Joey, having a lifestyle store also meant providing customers with a warm and welcoming space where people could feel good about expressing their unique styles and personalities. When the two entrepreneurs opened their Westwood shop, the design of the space was just as important as the merchandise. ULAH’s curated selection includes men’s clothing and shoes ranging from activewear to cocktail attire, with accessories, gifts, and other essentials intermingled throughout. In addition to offering a unique shopping experience, and from the inception of ULAH, Buck put his BFA in

ulahkc.com 913.777.8734

4707 Rainbow Boulevard Westwood, Kansas

Interior Design and MA in Design Management to work designing spaces for both residential and commercial clients. He has since grown that business into a full-service interior design firm called ULAH Interiors + Design. Buck’s empathy-driven design philosophy has a strong focus on bringing balance to each space, while working with clients to understand their functional needs and the obstacles to overcome in order to help the spaces meet their full potential.

In 2021 the duo, with partner Elise Alexander, opened a second lifestyle boutique two doors down from ULAH. LUNA by ULAH focuses on women’s fashion, gifts, and home accents. Both boutique locations carry specialty brands in a curated selection of local, regional, national, and international merchandise. When you visit ULAH and LUNA, expect a fun and social shopping experience that you will remember

dressyourhabitat.com 913.609.9714

4711 Rainbow Boulevard Westwood, Kansas

2200 W 47th Place #103 Westwood, Kansas shoplunakc.com 913.731.6280

ULAH, LUNA, AND ULAH INTERIORS + DESIGN

Generations of Fine Jewelers

When Antonio ‘Tony’ and Tosca Mazzarese opened Mazzarese Jewelry in Kansas City in 1981, they brought three generations of Italian expertise in fine jewelry design and retailing to the new business. Tony got his start in fine jewelry craftsmanship in Tunisia before moving to Rome and launching a workshop with his brothers just above the original Gucci store. It didn’t take long before the Mazzarese name developed a sterling reputation for custom design across Europe, Asia, and North Africa.

Tony brought that reputation to the U.S. in 1969, where he shared the craft with Tosca and, eventually, future generations of the Mazzarese family. Today, the store is owned by Tony and Tosca’s daughter, Veronica, who grew up helping behind the counter and learning about MAZZARESE JEWELRY

the family business since she was 5 years old. She continues to carry on the tradition of impeccable workmanship with the help of her father.

At Mazzarese, expect to find custom fine jewelry and watch designs from designers around the world along with one-of-a-kind pieces crafted in the store by Mazzarese’s own jewelers. At this jewelry shop, customers can dream big. With customer service and distinctive, chic style as a top priority, the jeweler rarely turns down special requests. Plus, every crafted piece achieves the highest standards for design and workmanship.

Need a treasured jewelry item or watch repaired? Look no further than Mazzarese. With a state-of-the-art repair facility on site, it can be quickly returned to its former glory.

Steeped in History

For over two centuries, the historic downtown in Independence, Missouri, has been bustling with shoppers going from business to business for food, clothing, and entertainment. In the 19th century, travelers heading west would gather at Independence Square to get the supplies they needed before embarking on the Oregon, Santa Fe, or California trails. One hundred years later, a teenage Harry S. Truman would work his first job at the drugstore that now houses Clinton’s Soda Fountain. After serving as the 33rd president of the United States, Truman returned to Independence and could be seen on the square during his daily walks.

Independence Square has a rich past and an even richer present. Today, many local businesses call Independence Square’s his-

toric structures home. There, you’ll find almost everything you need for food, entertainment, and your home, just as locals did two centuries ago. Take a stroll around the block, and you’ll find home decor, specialty groceries, clothing, handmade soaps, craft brews and wines, unique restaurants, a first-run cinema, a bowling alley, and a farmers market.

After you’re done shopping, eating, and drinking, don’t forget to take in the sights of public art and visit the local museums. From the Truman Home to the 1859 Jail Museum, you can step back into Independence Square’s history and experience it for yourself. Also, make sure to visit this October when the spirits come out to play during haunted-house tours, haunted-jail tours, and wagon rides.

INDEPENDENCE SQUARE

816.974.3115

W 105th St, Lenexa, KS

STAFFING KANSAS CITY

Finding the Perfect Fit

When Shelley Seibolt and Roses Ammon founded Staffing Kansas City in 1998, they wanted to build a company that could help small to mid-size businesses grow roots in Kansas City. For 23 years, Staffing KC has done just that by assisting local businesses with staffing and recruiting needs.

With Staffing Kansas City, clients don’t have to worry about the process of recruiting, screening, and interviewing potential employee candidates. The WBE-certified employment agency takes its role as Kansas City’s employment services partner seriously, guaranteeing each client only the best, skilled candidates who are the perfect fit for permanent or temporary staffing. Over the last decade, there has been no inner office turnover at Staffing Kansas City, so clients can expect consistency and build long-term relationships with Staffing Kansas City’s team.

Inspiring Exploration

MERSEA’s story began in 2013 with a singular goal in mind: to create products that inspire travel. This led founders Lina Dickinson and Melanie Bolin to uncover artisans across the globe to partner with. Now, MERSEA is proud to offer a curated collection of apparel and travel essentials, resort accessories, candles and other scented gifts.

Storytellers at heart, Lina and Mel are proud to bring creators and artisans to the forefront—from the Moroccan weavers behind each handmade Medina Basket to their team of candle pourers that hand make each candle right here in Kansas City. Every product has a story. Each MERSEA design is a product of passion, crafted entirely for your journey—wherever you may go.

913.663.5627 9930 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS

In the Kitchen AUTUMNAL AROMAS

summer vegetables, salads, and outdoor cooking, I nd the complex aromas of long-cooked foods lling the house a consolatory change. Sweater weather is upon us (whether we like it or not), and personally, I think turning on the furnace is a sign of defeat. But the heat radiating from the stove and delicious aroma of braising chicken accentuated with spices may be all that’s needed to banish the chill from the room and the dread of shorter days to come.

e technique of braising has been around since man began cooking around a re. It is a moist cooking technique, very gentle to the ingredients cooked, and capable of rendering extremely tough pieces of meat orbrous plants tender (and therefore edible—even delicious) with nuanced avors. In deft and attentive hands, the results are extremely avorful and satisfying. In indi erent hands, bland and insipid fare is sure to be the outcome.

Avibrant tastes and smells of of change. Sweater weather is upon us needed to banish the chill from the room and the of brous plants tender (and therefore edible—even delicious) with sure to be the outcome. for

e following is my recipe for braising a whole chicken with cauli ower, freekeh (toasted and dried green wheat), and a few aromatics. Don’t feel limited to cauli ower (and carrots). Turnips, rutabaga, pearl onions, whole cloves of garlic—really any sturdy root vegetable that can survive extended cooking times could work here. Fans of curries would appreciate the addition of a tablespoon or two of garam masala or other warming spice blend. e chicken could be replaced by a duck

(yum) or pork shoulder roast. e cooking time is about three hours* but the hands-on time is only about 30 minutes, making it a good choice for days when a one-pot meal ts the bill and preparation time is limited.

Braised Chicken, Cauliflower, and Freekeh

to three-and-a-half pounds. (I prefer Camo coarse (coarse, because it helps with pre-ground es in a pinch, but the minute or so this extra step will take is worth time, over-

Start with a good chicken, about three to three-and-a-half pounds. (I prefer Campo Lindo from Lathrop, Missouri, available at better grocers in Kansas City.) Place it in a roomy bowl to await seasoning. In a dry skillet, brie y toast ne tablespoon each of cumin and coriander seeds. With a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, grind one tablespoon of coarse sea salt (coarse, because it helps with the grinding of the other spices) with the toasted spices and one tablespoon of paprika—you could use pre-ground spices in a pinch, but the minute or so this extra step will take is worth the investment. Put about one quarter of the spice mixture into the cavity of the chicken, and sprinkle/rub the remaining mixture all over the exterior. If you have the forethought and time, season the chicken the night before and allow it to absorb the salt and seasonings overnight, or at least for a few hours. You will be rewarded with a well-seasoned bird and greater depth of avor.

Meanwhile, soak about a cup and a half of freekeh or other sturdy whole grains, such as wheat berries, barley, or oat groats in water for a few hours. Break a head of cauliflower into orets (reserving any tender outer leaves). If there is much of a core, dice that into chunks

of similar size. Peel two carrots and cut them into small rounds. Wash and trim about eight ounces of cremini or button mushrooms, cutting any excessively large ones in half. Strip the needles from five or six sprigs of rosemary and remove the stems from a big handful of sage leaves Discard the stems and roughly chop the herbs. Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken in a Dutch oven or pot that will snugly but comfortably hold everything, includ ing—eventually—the chicken. Toss the ingredients together, then take up a big handful (two if you have small hands) and put it inside the chicken, completely filling the cavity. Nestle the stuffed chicken down into the pot so that it is resting on a layer of the grain and vegetable mixture and is surrounded by an insulating layer on the sides. The breast of the chicken should be exposed. Pour one quart of chicken stock or water around the bird (more may be needed if the chicken isn’t submerged at least three quarters of the way), then gen erously drizzle olive oil over everything.

Place a lid on the pot and put it in a 350F oven. I would say forget about it for the next 90 minutes, but you won’t be able to—it will smell too good to ignore. At the end of 90 minutes, remove the lid from the pot and check the volume of liquid. It should still go about two thirds of the way up the side of the chicken. The vegetables should give off enough liquid to maintain that level, but if for some reason it doesn’t, add enough stock or water to return it to that level. With a ladle or spoon, baste the exposed surface of chicken and vegetables with some of the broth in the pot. Leaving the pot uncovered, return it to the oven and cook for 30 minutes more. Check it again, giving one of the chicken legs a little tug. It should be just beginning to loosen up. The level of liquid should have dropped a bit and the exposed portion of skin should be taking on a lovely burnished copper color. Cover the pot and return it to the oven for a final 30 minutes of cooking.* Remove the pot from the oven. The chicken leg should have loosened up. (If not, give it 15 minutes more, but I doubt you’ll need that.)

Serve the chicken, grain, and vegetables directly from the pot, being sure to get some of the unctuous juices from the bottom ladled over every serving. Note that the texture of the cauliflower is almost indistinguishable from the freekeh, and all of the flavors have melded. Although the dish needs nothing, a salad (particularly one of herbs like parsley, cilantro, chives, and celery leaves) would introduce a bit of freshness to the meal. A full-flavored white wine or light red would be a delightful beverage to serve, and an apple tart with a soft dollop of whipped cream would be a treat to share afterwards (you could make and bake it while the chicken cooks). Re gardless how or when you present it, this fragrant and warm ing dish will almost certainly entice enthusiastic diners to the table, appreciative of the new season.

* The normal braising time for a chicken isn’t nearly that long, but the addition of a dense grain and stuffing of the chicken adds to the time.

In Your Pantry

SAVORY SPICE BASICS

IF YOUR SEASONING technique is limited to salt, black pepper, and maybe crushed red pepper flakes (on your pizza), try adding these funda mental seasonings to your repertoire.

Cumin

Essential to Mediterranean, Indian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, and Latin American cuisines, the lemony-spicy seeds have been in cultivation for thou sands of years. Used whole and ground, their smoky quality is enhanced by toasting. Cumin is most flavorful when purchased whole and toasted and ground as needed. Good Tex-Mex chili is impossible without it.

Coriander

A native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean, but extremely popular in Asia, the little round seed has been in culinary use for over three thousand years. It has slightly res inous cedar, citrus and floral notes, and in powdered form also acts as an emulsifier, making it ideal for stew, soups and curries. Coriander is used both whole (usually for seasoning things like pickles) and ground (when it is going to be consumed). If grinding it with a mortar and pestle is too much of a workout, use a spice grinder for a finer finished product. Coriander is a great companion to chickpeas and indispensable in a good hummus. In its fresh green form, it is known as cilantro. Coriander is very easy to grow and harvest right here in the Midwest—just let your cilantro go to seed, and when the pods are dry, winnow them like wheat and store in an airtight jar.

Paprika

Originating in North America (specifically central Mexico), the peppers used to make paprika powder were taken by Spaniards back to the Old World in the 1500’s. Eventually making its way east to Ottoman Turks in Buda (now part of Budapest), paprika has evolved over the centuries to the product we now know. Its flavor varies from mild to hot, sweet to smoky depending upon the exact variety of pepper and processing method used. Paprika is a good tool for coloring foods, but don’t add it to hot oil if you want to preserve its bright color because it will turn a dark brown (add it with other liquid elements instead). Smoked paprika is known as pimenton.

by Jenny Vergara

In Your Cocktail

LE LOUNGE at NO VACANCY

When Spencer Sight opened his low-key, high vibes, eight-room hotel, No Vacancy, on the top floor of his two-story red-brick building in the Crossroads Arts District in the summer of 2020, he combined his own stylish bohemian world-traveler’s aes thetic with the convenience and privacy of keyless entry in an inti mate boutique hotel setting. In addition to each room having its own unique and chic look and feel, the hotel also boasts a small indoor

lounge attached to a private outdoor rooftop patio featuring a color ful mountain mural painted on one of the walls. It quickly became a popular socially distanced staycation spot for those needing a bit of an escape during the pandemic.

The lounge and patio were originally intended for use by hotel guests only as bonus spaces that would replace a lobby in a standard ho tel. It was designed to give guests staying at No Vacancy a place where they could sit with their laptops and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morn

The Paper Plane

ing or bring in a carry-out meal and dine alfresco on the rooftop patio before retiring to their room.

However earlier this summer, Sight began working with local bartender Hilary Rambeau to turn the space into Le Lounge, a tiny bar open one day a week— ursdays from 5 to 10 p.m. Guests are asked to enter through the door in the alley behind the hotel and head up a ight of stairs to reach the common space, where you’ll bump right into the bar and can order a specialty cocktail from the small menu, or they are also happy to mix your favorite well drink from what they have on hand. Simply grab a seat inside or out, and your drink will be brought to your table, with instructions to pay your tab at the bar on your way out.

On pretty nights the patio is the place to be with plenty of tables and chairs where you can sit and sip on something delicious as the sun sets. Inside, a local DJ spins tunes with people chatting on couches, their drinks dotting low-slung co ee tables. e vibe is a super-chill house party where everyone is welcome. ere is seating piled with vintage throw pillows tucked in every corner and hidden behind curtains, while the space is lush with greenery that transports you to a land, far, far away. e clientele is a who’s-who of young Kansas City’s movers and shakers from politics to activists, developers to creators, and artists to writers.

Interested in dropping in for a drink? Be sure to check Le Lounge’s Instagram feed at @le___lounge (3 underscores) before heading out, because they are occasionally open on additional days or may need to close on regular nights due to hotel private events or buyouts. Know before you go.

e drink menu and bartending skills of Rambeau and her small team are solid, and they have worked this summer with others in the industry on collaboration events at Le Lounge, including a brunch with Baba’s Pantry and an ice cream social with French Custard, a pop-up frozen custard business started by a local couple, Jessica and Alex Wood, who are preparing to open their own ice cream parlor near Brookside soon.

ey were the ones who suggested that Rambeau serve e Paper Plane cocktail to pair with their fresh strawberry custard, and it became an instant fan favorite. Invented by award-winning New York City bartender Sam Ross in 2008, this boozy cocktail balances sweet, tart, and bitter notes. It was such a huge hit for Le Lounge, they plan to keep it on the menu year-round and have provided it here for you to enjoy at home.

The Paper Plane

1.5 ounces High ABV bourbon, they use West Bottoms Whiskey

1.5 ounces Aperol

1.5 ounces Amaro Nonino

1.5 ounces fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and enjoy.

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

1900bldg.com (913) 730–1905

Modern-American cuisine from award-winning Chef Linda Duerr. Chef Duerr and team present elegant fare and carefully curated menus for a variety of special occasions.

therestaurantat1900.com (913) 730–1900

1900 Building 1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway Mission Woods, Kansas

Kasey Bourk

Dede Dunn

Kristin Johnson

Kyla Cauthon

Laura Carpenter

Tricia Gill

Blake Nelson

by Jenny Vergara

In Culinary

TIKI TACO

LOCAL ARTISTS, entrepreneurs, and now restaura teurs, Lyndon and Lindsey Wade, and their mother, Judy Rush, have opened a second location on Troost Avenue for Tiki Taco, near the University of Missou ri-Kansas City and Rockhurst University in a former 1950’s gas station offering the same food and drink menu, skateboard-inspired décor, and dedication to local artwork as the original Tiki Taco on 39th Street. New to this location is a nice-sized outdoor patio and an opportunity to partner with their neighbors, in cluding their recent collaboration with Jamie How ard, chef/owner of High Hopes Ice Cream, who had been working with them for months on their own version of the popular ice cream treat Choco Taco, when Klondike announced it planned to discontinue the ice-cream treat in July. Their version, Tiki Choco, is a taco-shaped waffle cone filled with cinnamon churro-flavored ice cream and dipped in chocolate. With a host of California-inspired tacos and burritos on the menu and a full list of tropical cocktails, the Tiki Choco is not the only reason to go check out Tiki Taco, but it is a darn good one. tikitaco.com

by Jenny Vergara

In Culinary News

FOX & BULL BAKING CO.

CROISSANTS, cinnamon rolls, and scones, oh my! Fox & Bull Baking Co. has gone from a pandemic pop-up to a permanent bakery that opened in August in a handsome dark gray building south of the city on Grandview Road. Christopher Fox Wilson and Daniel Toro (Spanish for bull) used their names as the inspiration for their new business, with Wilson, who has always loved to bake, serving as the head pastry chef and Toro managing the business side of the partnership. The two got their start during the pandemic selling pastries to local coffeehous es, which they will continue to do in addition to serv ing hot coffee, egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwiches on house-made brioche buns, lemon- and blueberry-filled doughnuts, house-made pop-tarts, cookies, and freshly baked sourdough bread at their new location. Fox & Bull is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday. foxandbullkc.com

by Jenny Vergara

In Culinary News

TRUMAN GENERAL

WHEN PEOPLE ASK Anna Sorge, the owner of Housewife, the popular breakfast and lunch spot, why she opened her first restaurant on the quaint, but rel atively quiet, Main Street in downtown Grandview, she says it is because she felt the city of Grandview needed something that she could provide, something that had been missing. Now she has expanded her mission with the opening of her second storefront. Truman General is her new ice cream shop and gen eral store that is now open in the charming little blue house that sits right next door to Housewife. The shop sells handmade ice cream by the scoop, bulk dried fruit, nuts, candy, packaged foods, floral, gifts, local artisan-made goods, a selection of new and used books, and a reading lounge upstairs to enjoy it all. Her goal was to create a gathering spot for all ages, and with both Housewife and Truman General, she is well on her way to putting downtown Grandview on the must-not-miss map. Monday - Saturday from 9 to 6 p.m., closed Sundays.

As The Committee of 100 at

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art begins its second decade, we want to acknowledge the wisdom of our founders, the excellence of museum staff, and the most generous support of our board members, event chairs, volunteers, members, and corporate sponsors. Our hearty thanks to all of you!

To date, The Committee of 100 has raised more than $2.1 million dollars, 100% of which has gone to support the Nelson-Atkins mission and commitment to offer free admission to all. We celebrate the role that art plays in fostering an understanding of humanity, bringing history to life, expanding our thinking, and enriching both travel and one’s day-to-day life.

As internationally renowned party planner Bronson Van Wyck noted, it is our community’s very good fortune to have a world-class art museum so easily accessible to us and to those who visit our Kansas City metropolitan area.

The Committee of 100 is also devoted to providing art enrichment experiences and fun times of friendship for our members and their families. The committee is part of the Friends of Art at the Nelson-Atkins, so those offerings are also available to our members. If this is of interest to you, please consider joining us! For membership information, please contact Sara Hale at shale@nelson-atkins.org or 816.751.0426

Guest Speaker: Elle Decor designer Ashley Whittaker, author of The Well-Loved House: Creating Homes with Color, Comfort, and Drama.

The Committee of 100 Benefactor and Patron Party Photos by David Riffel

Reservation for One MEAT MITCH

With over 100 barbecue restaurants operating in Kan sas City, competition isn’t just fierce, it is every where. So, when a new barbecue spot opens, even if it is a good one, it is easy to wonder if this town needs or can support one more. To get noticed, you typically need to offer something new and improved, or you can simply keep the main thing as the main thing by serving hot, juicy, quality smoked meat with a killer sides game and a sauce that is boss.

Mitch Benjamin, the namesake of the award-winning competition barbecue team Meat Mitch, has enjoyed a strong sauce game for the last 20 years. The sauce was developed first for his barbecue team, then used at Char Bar Smoked Meats & Amusements, and now finally at his own barbecue restaurant, Meat Mitch Barbecue, which he opened at the end of last year with his Char Bar partners James Westphal and Mark Kelpe. The trio has added a new partner, Scott Redler, who is the co-founder and chief experience officer for Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers out of Wichita, Kansas.

Four years ago, Benjamin and his partners leased a 6,300-squarefoot space at the end of the soon-to-be remodeled Ranch Mart North Center, but supply chain and construction delays during the pandemic slowed progress on the renovation. Now with the doors finally open, it is hard not to be impressed with the results. The restaurant is massive in size with a gray cinder-block, red-brick, and wood motif that is made up of several large and airy dining rooms and a horseshoe-shaped bar with TVs all around. There is an intended “industrial butcher shop” vibe to the restaurant, with a sizeable covered outdoor patio where guests can eat, drink, and play a few yard games.

You’ll smell the smoke before you’ll find the front door, but once inside you’ll see an open kitchen and a long stainless-steel countertop with enough space in front of it to make you think you might need to queue up and place your order at the counter, but Meat Mitch Barbecue now offers full table service, something they recently moved to after opening with a hybrid “order at the counter, pay at the table” model that was a bit confusing for guests.

by Jenny Vergara

photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

Table service makes more sense at a barbecue spot that offers a full bar, and Meat Mitch has a comprehensive list of about 30 beers, includ ing both local and national craft brands and favorite macro brews, and a host of quaffable wines by the glass, and a few by the bottle. There is also a nice list of specialty cocktails, including everything from a Black Walnut Old Fashioned to a Frosé of the Day.

Meat Mitch’s menu offers some playful appetizers and a few entrée salads, but I was here for the smoked meats. The menu listed barbecue platters and sandwiches you could get with a combination of 16-hour smoked black-angus hand-carved brisket, smoked burnt ends, pulled pork, turkey breast, smoked rope sausage, jackfruit, or St. Louis-style pork ribs.

The two-meat platter seems like a classic way to start, and I got mine with burnt ends and rope sausage, and although the burnt ends did not resemble the shattered pieces of charred beef brisket from days gone by, they were cut in large juicy chunks and ate more like juicy pieces of Texas-style barbecue beef brisket. If I had it to do over again, I would go all in on the competition-style burnt-ends platter, and with Texas toast and two mini sides included, I think you should too.

The Texas Ranger sandwich came with shaved black-angus bris ket, pepper jack fun-do (a spicy molten cheese spread or sauce), and charred mayo, all topped with an onion ring. There were plenty of ten der slices of beef brisket in my sandwich, but Martin’s Famous potato bun was no match for the combination of moist meat, cheese sauce, and mayo. You had to eat it with a knife and fork, as there was no way to pick this sandwich up, with the bottom bun melting away under neath the heft of the sandwich.

A word about the sides at Meat Mitch, my server swore by the bacon broccoli slaw, but I found it a bit lacking in crunch, dressing, and flavor. The jalapeño cheesy corn bake was liquid, like a thin cheese soup, and just not what I think most of Kansas City would recognize as a cheesy corn bake. My French fries were served cold and limp. All things being equal, most barbecue restaurants do a good job with their meat, so the sides are something that can set you apart from the pack. With some small operational tweaks, their sides could sing.

When my server came back to the table ready to drop my check, I placed my order for the Royal Double smash burger that comes with two patties, topped with American cheese, pickles, grilled onions, and smash sauce and a homemade whoopie pie for dessert. He snatched up the check from the table and asked me if I wanted a chocolate or banana whoopie pie. Banana was the only answer, and it was one of the best things about my visit. When I asked my server who made them, I was told a pastry chef comes in very early every morning to make them for the restaurant. I am going to need to know her name because my banana whoopie pie was large, perfectly round, moist and bursting with real banana flavor. Chef’s kiss. As for my smash burger, it came out hot, juicy, made to order, and positively delicious. If this is Redler’s smash-burger influence on the menu, I am here for it and would absolutely order that burger again.

Meat Mitch Barbecue has all the right ingredients to make the time and money spent making this place look and feel like the next big thing in barbecue to actually become the next big thing in barbe cue. All they have to do is put a little of their signature Whomp! on it. meatmitch.com

Symphony Ball Benefactor Party

THE BENEFACTOR PARTY for the Sym phony League of Kansas City’s 2022 Symphony Ball, “Royal Gala: Let’s have a Ball!” was generously hosted by The Capital Grille on August 28. Sue Ann Fagerberg and Ursula Terrasi were cochairs for the party, and Marny and John Sherman were honorary chairs for the ball. For more photos go to inkansascity. com/events.

photos by rita clark

CHEF-PROVEN PERFORMANCE. DREAM BIG. DREAM

Hestan’s award-winning design and performance are born from years building kitchens for America’s most acclaimed chefs. Performance innovations like Hestan’s Smart Gas Range that provides precision control over the burner temperature – not just the size of the flame! Set the burner to the exact degree you need, and the Smart Gas range automatically maintains it for perfect results. From ranges to refrigeration and everything in between, Hestan brings even the dreamiest dream kitchen to life.

AVAILABLE FROM THE FOLLOWING LOCAL RETAILERS

Factory Direct Appliance kcfda.com

14105 Marshall Drive Lenexa, KS 66215 913.888.8028

Alexander and Ray’s TV & Appliance alexraytv.com

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Benefactor & Patron Party

THE COMMITTEE OF 100 (C100)—a volunteer committee that works to plan and implement signature fundraising events, deepen engagement, and further the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art mission—held their benefactor and patron party at the home of Stephane and Chris Cooch on September 19. For more photos go to inkansascity.com/events.

photos by david riffel

LUNCH & DINNER, MONDAY-SATURDAY

PHOTO BY CORIE ENGLISH

My Essentials IN KC

BY Emily Park

CHRISSY DASTRUP

ACTIVIST. CREATIVE. CANDIDATE

SHOP TIL’ YOU DROP:

One of my favorite new shops in the Crossroads is Black Rose Co., where I nd a bit of the unusual and macabre that matches my very eclectic palette.

MADE-IN-KC SCENT: Wildcraft Co.’s (@wildcraftco)

Sacred Smudge is my favorite year-round scent—the smell of Palo Santo soothes my soul. It’s made locally in the Crossroads at e Bauer.

When Chrissy Dastrup moved to Kansas City 14 years ago, the city instantly felt like home. “I’ve lived all over the country—Seattle, Norfolk, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Utah— and I recognized Kansas City as the place I wanted to raise a family and put down roots,” she says. “Our city is still de ning who it wants to be and feels like a place where you can make an impact. at was an exciting prospect 14 years ago when we saw the skyline for the rst time and remains true today.” Dastrup quickly got involved in the KC community as the founder of Troost Market Collective (TMC), a nonpro t focused on creating equitable economic opportunities for creative entrepreneurs of all backgrounds—especially along the Troost corridor. Today, she serves as TMC’s board chair, as vice president of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, and she’s running for a 4th district seat on Kansas City’s City Council. crissyforkc.com

LOCAL SIP:

e Cherry-O from Ruby Jean Kitchen & Juicery on Troost is my go-to. I know it’s healthy, but it tastes like a serious indulgence. I always see some of my favorite faces at Ruby Jean’s and appreciate the focus on health they bring to the Troost Corridor.

FALL ACTIVITY:

LOCAL MAKER: I’m obsessed with the one-of-a-kind earrings handmade from natural and vintage nds by Lashon Mack (@soulrebel_).

e entrepreneur and mother of nine vends at 18th & Vine and will be at Troostapalooza on October 8. She’s one of the many KC women I admire for her strength and resiliency.

SELF-CARE:

Midtown Kava on 39th Street is lled with my favorite self-care nds. It’s owned and curated by one of my favorite women small business owners, Sarah Waters. I love all their products and treat myself to a fresh CBD-infused cold brew or artisan soda when I need a quick refresh! I source my doggy self-care CBD chews there, too.

Troostapalooza!—watching historically divided communities come together and build the future they want while supporting local creatives.

BREAKFAST SPOT:

Anchor Island Coffee on Troost is an LGBTQ+/minority-owned co ee and food place with the best breakfast burritos and avored co ee drinks—the Choripapa can’t be beat, and their hot chai is always on point.

Chrissy’s

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