A technological masterpiece that combines elegance and ease of use. The Sky-Dweller allows travelers to keep track of time across the world. Its Saras annual calendar, which distinguishes between 30- and 31-day months, and the dual time zone feature can be quickly and securely set via the ingenious Ring Command system. With cutting-edge performance, it embodies Rolex's unique culture of innovation that constantly pushes the bounds of mechanical watchmaking. The Sky-Dweller.
The Beauty of Change
Embrace and Enjoy
up to 50% OFF thru November 4th
Fall is a brilliant reminder of the beauty of change. And this October – as you begin planning to welcome home family and friends –change can be especially satisfying.
A complete refresh. A tasteful update. Or a stunning statement piece. We can help transform your home to be holiday ready.
Right now, our gallery is filled with remarkable furniture featuring kiln-dried hardwood frames and the finest leathers and fabrics. Styled to cause a conversation and crafted to meet your highest standards.
The beauty of change starts here, at your local, family-owned, Seville Home Furniture & Design!
October Featured Savings Include:
•50% OFF Massoud
•50% OFF Wesley Hall
•40% OFF Bernhardt Interiors
•Includes In-Stock AND Custom Orders
Kimberly Karen Becky
Carrie Dave Meredith
What’s NEW at Town Center?
Gorjana | 4ever Young | Whole Harvest Kitchen | Yeti | Frannie Franks | Tommy Bahama
Specialty Stores for Kansas City CHIEFS Fans.
Rally House | The Art of Sports | Blue Chip Cookies | Kendra Scott | Treats Unleashed
Williams Sonoma | Pottery Barn | Arhaus | Crate & Barrel
Bath & Body Works | Lovesac | RH | Yankee Candle | Anthropologie
TOWN CENTER PLAZA
4EverYoung
Aerie
Allen Edmonds
Altar’d State
Amazing Lash Studio
American Eagle Outfitters
Anthony Vince Nail Spa
Anthropologie
Arhaus
Athleta
Banana Republic
Barnes & Noble
Bath & Body Works
Blue Chip Cookies
Brighton Collectibles
Bristol Seafood Grill
Brooks Brothers
Brow Studio
Buckle
Chicos
Claire’s
CycleBar
Dry Goods
Francesca’s Collections
Frannie Franks (Now Open)
Gap Body
Gap Kids/Baby
Gorjana
Hudson/Hawk Barber & Shop
J.Jill
Kansas City Aerial Arts
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LOFT
Macy’s
Madewell
Natalie M. Studio
OFFLINE by Aerie
Pandora Jewelry
Panera
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Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn Kids
Power Life Yoga Barre Fitness
Rally House/Kansas Sampler
Restoration Hardware
Revocup Coffee
Salon Ami Aveda
SandboxVR
Scout & Molly’s Boutique
Sephora
Sola Salon
Soma
Sundance
Sunglass Hut
Sushi House
Tabu Knits Boutique
TAO Reflexology
Tempur-Pedic
The Art of Sports
The North Face
Tommy Bahama (Coming Soon)
Vera Bradley
White House | Black Market
TOWN CENTER PLAZA • CROSSING
Conveniently located at the NW & SE corners of 119th Street & Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas
Whole Harvest Kitchen
Williams-Sonoma
X-Golf
Yankee Candle Co.
Yeti
TOWN CENTER CROSSING
Apple
Blue Mercury
Body Lab
Cold Stone Creamery
Crate & Barrel
Evereve
Fabletics
Kendra Scott
Lovesac
Lululemon
North Italia
Paper Source
Purple
Roasterie Café
Salonone19 & Spa
Sullivan’s Steakhouse
Tecovas
The Shade Store
Trader Joe’s
Treats Unleashed
Vineyard Vines
Warby Parker
Woodhouse Day Spa
ReeceNichols is proud to welcome the Fisher Hiles Team, recognized as one of the top-producing teams in the city by the Kansas City Business Journal and IN Kansas City Magazine. Specializing in concierge real estate, Adrienne Fisher and Amy Hiles combine their marketing, project management, and education backgrounds to deliver personalized experiences tailored to each client’s unique needs. We’re excited to join forces with this nationally-ranked team, further strengthening the top brokerage in Kansas and Missouri.
Over the years, for this column I’ve often relied on reminiscing about my years growing up on the farm. Often my mom was at the center of it. Her garden, her kitchen, her humor, her outlook on life have all been the subject of my editorials.
Grace Henrietta Moenk Zimmerman passed away the week this magazine went to press, so rather than putting together this issue, I’m in Iowa planning her visitation and funeral with my family.
She led an amazing life. From being born in the depths of the Depression on a farm in a township called, literally, Hardscrabble, to being one of the most well-known (and well-loved) citizens of northeast Iowa and beyond, her story is one for the ages.
My nieces, brother, and I spent yesterday going through more than a hundred years of photographs to select what will be displayed at the services. As a child of the Depression, Mom never threw anything away. (Some of her quirks have passed down to me. See my drawer full of saved bread bags for reference.)
Stacks of beautiful monochrome wedding photos of great aunts and great uncles, solemn photographs of young men before they shipped out for WWI, baptized roly-poly babies—now all long dead and now forever anonymous with the loss of Mom’s knowledge—are marked for disposal.
With one semester of college, she began teaching right after high school. Thirty-one years later, she quit teaching, but not before she graduated with honors—20 years after her teaching career began—from the University of Iowa.
Then she launched a second career in politics. Running for state legislature (and losing); running for county treasurer (and winning); if you wanted something done for the Democratic Party in Iowa, you called on Grace.
You’d probably think that would be enough for a well-lived life. You haven’t met Grace. Theater was her next calling. Active in the local theater group, she played parts large (Maude in Harold and Maude) and small (the chorus in Brigadoon). She developed a stand-up comedy routine she called “Lina mit Ole” and performed all over Iowa. This you may find hard to believe, but it’s true: in her 80s, she regularly participated in improv performances at the Theatre Cedar Rapids and was almost always the star of the show.
There’s so much more. Grace was a freelance writer, and she also was a much-requested humorist and educator. Her motto was “give me a topic and I’ll give you a spiel.” Her speaking engagements included promoting agriculture, conservation, historic preservation, and hunting for morel mushrooms.
As an accomplished writer, she wrote her obituary. I was lucky enough, with my niece, to edit it. My favorite paragraph:
“I may have moved to town, but I’m a country girl at heart. My spirit lingers at the farm pond, enjoying the wildflowers and searching for morels. I loved life with a fullness, enjoying dancing, bowling, humor, gardening, making homemade salsa, and entertaining others. No matter what decision is made by the higher authority, I’ll be dancing to rock ‘n’ roll, singing whenever the mood hits.”
We aren’t mourning her death; we’re celebrating her life.
Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley, Josie Rawlings
Intern Annie Woodson
Newsstand Consultant
Joe J. Luca, JK Associates 816-213-4101, jkassoc .net
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ENTER TO WIN
Deliberating what to do tonight?
Find your fright. Is anyone going to handle Kansas City’s paranormal problem? Every October, we’re overrun with haunted houses, trails—even a tower and a theater. It’s an issue… but eh, let’s embrace it. We listed the latest and greatest on inkansascity.com a cut. One lucky reader will win a $100 gift card
Seize the day. Stock your freezer. is month, we’re teaming with Carne Diem Fine Meats & Pantry—an upscale butcher shop launched by the owners of OMBRA—and you could get a cut. One lucky reader will win a $100 gift card to Carne Diem; just sign up (or “take a number,” so to speak) by October 31 at inkansascity.com/the-magazine/enter-to-win. Best of luck!
Discover the most comprehensive calendar in the metro—art galleries, dance, theater, social events, and music, music, music at inkansascity.com/events
Heartland Book Festival is back. It’s unbelievable that this festival—with its author talks, book signings, writing workshops, and plenty more— takes place over just one day: October 12, at the Central Library. Our preview on inkansascity.com will help you get the most out of it.
Fall vibes. e leaves are turning, and with them the avors, scents, and events all around us. is month, each member of our team weighed in on their favorite fall experiences in the Kansas City metro. Fill your fall calendar with our October sta picks on inkansascity.com.
Hungry? Try out a new, local eatery tonight! From happy hours to the local restaurant scene, we’ve got the city’s most comprehensive dining guide. Check it out at inkansascity.com/eat-drink/dining-guide
This Month IN KC
October
Gold Over America Tour
October 16
WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE
T-Mobile Center goldoveramericatour.com/goat/tickets.html
See the GOATs. e Olympics never last long enough. Luckily, the Gold Over America Tour is tumbling into the T-Mobile Center this month to keep that gymnastics fan in you alive. Simone Biles leads the tour, and she’s bringing her 2024 teammates Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, and Hezly River, along with several additional Olympians. It’s the Olympics taken to the next level; dramatic lighting and music make the high- ying routines seem even higher. e 110-minute show is wild enough—and tickets start at $30—but the VIP packages include on-stage experiences, access to gymnast Q&A panels, and more.
OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT
Dark Forest
by Evan Pagano
Botanical Brewfest
October 19
October 18–19, 24–26, 31, and November 1–2 Powell Gardens powellgardens.org/dark-forest
Enter the forest. e creative minds at Quixotic and Powell Garden are busy this time of year. Dark Forest combines innovative lighting, music, and performance art to transform this botanical garden into a spooky walk you won’t soon forget. It’s for people 13 and up. ere’s no gore or outright jump scares—though we can tell you where to nd them—but it’s pretty eerie and a great way to get into the spooky season. And remember, you’re in a botanical garden with datura and moon ower, beautiful plants that bloom at night.
Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens artsandrec-op.org/arboretum/botanical-brewfest
Drink it in. It seems like the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens has a can’t-miss party every month. On the 19th, it’s the return of Botanical Brewfest, where you can sample hundreds of beers from almost 40 breweries and beverage companies from KC and its surroundings. Beer, spirits, ciders, seltzers, and non alcoholic options abound throughout the garden grounds in their full autumn splendor. With food trucks and re pits added to the scene, you’re in for a cozy fall night. Tickets start at $55.
Boo at the Zoo
October 26–27
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium kansascityzoo.org/events
Lions, tigers, tricks, and treats. e weekend before Halloween, bring the little ones to the zoo to trick or treat between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Boo at the Zoo isn’t spooky at all, but it’s sure to get everyone wrapped up in the season all the same. Plus, it’ll be the last weekend of Hoots & Howls, which has tons of fall fun, including pedal tractors, a corn maze, and fall yard games. e event is free with the purchase of zoo entry (and, as always, for Friends of the Zoo members).
spooky at all, but it’s sure to get everyone wrapped up in
Taste the best barbecue in the world. We’ve talked a lot about atmosphere—the feeling of the season and we’re hard pressed to nd a more atmospheric place than the center of Kansas Speedway during the American Royal World Series of Barbecue. At this four-day event, you’ll see hundreds of pitmasters at work, cooking up barbecue and throwing a delectable haze into the sky over KCK in an e ort to win the competition. ere will also be games (barbecue wrestling, anyone?), live music, and, of course, barbecue for sale. Single-day tickets are $22 for adults and $7 for kids. like
For Kansas City’s most comprehensive calendar of events, go to inkansascity.com/events
BY Merrily Jackson
Say Hello to Cozy, CoolWeather Entertaining
Iam among the scant few who actually like “falling back.” For me, the end of daylight-saving time ushers in the season of cozy comfort food: soups, stews, casseroles, hearty pasta dishes. Although such fare may not be considered sophisticated, I do not shy away from serving it to dinner guests. Nor, reader, should you. Here are ideas for casual fall gatherings that feature comfort food.
CASSEROLES CAN BE ELEGANT. ISH.
You might think of casseroles as being lowbrow. Really though, darling, what’s not to like about the conglomeration of a protein, a carb, and a veggie bound with a thickener and baked into a crispy, cheesy, bubbling mass? Served with a fresh green salad at a prettily set table, paired with a good wine, the humblest of casseroles soars high above its station. Among my (too) many cookbooks is Park Avenue Potluck, published as a fundraiser for a tony NYC charity, which contains many exceptional casserole recipes, such as Palm Springs chile con queso and a stellar recipe for moussaka (the Greek version of lasagna, but you probably already know that). You can email me at mjackson@inkansascity.com for these recipes and for my cooking buddy the Insu erable Food Snob Don Loncasty’s legendary tuna noodle casserole and Chicken Divan. I’ll include Ina Garten’s endive, pear and Roquefort salad, which would be perfect in the role of the aforementioned fresh green salad.
EVERYBODY LOVES NOODLES
Pasta is a universally loved comfort food that pleases a wide range of palates. I have a magni cent recipe called rigatoni country style, made with sausage, beans, and broccoli, perfect for a casual fall dinner party. Ina Garten’s baked rigatoni with lamb ragu (Can you tell rigatoni is my favorite pasta?) is fabulous and you can make the whole thing a day or two ahead. If you’re feeding vegetarians, they will love cacio e pepe from the Farina cookbook, and other pasta recipes that make it easy to remove meat or seafood. I also have a recipe for one-pan linguine (see page 24). It’s so easy you can prepare it on one burner while on another you’re making the meat-based pasta sauce you’re serving your carnivore guests.
CHIEEEEEFS, BABY!
Even if you serve only Fritos and beer, it’s fun to gather friends around your telly to watch our world-famous Chiefs go for a three-peat. When providing something more substantial than snacks, you want makeahead things so you don’t miss a minute of the game. Chili with toppings is a can’t-miss option. Ina Garten’s sliders with gruyere are a bit fancier, as are pulled pork sliders with slaw. Email me, I have recipes! Or you could pick up the most excellent bu alo wings with blue cheese sauce from e Peanut. en again, you could go all-out and get the whole thing catered from Q39. Don’t forget you need something sweet, like Ina Garten’s peanut butter globs recipe or mine for blondies. Both are yours for the asking.
Entertaining IN KC
COMFORTING
Trays are a must for dining in front of the tube, with or without guests. Sturdy, stackable bamboo wicker serving trays can be found on Amazon, six for about $70.
Barilla gluten-free pasta is closest to regular pasta when it comes to taste and texture. You can nd it in larger grocery stores. Your GF guests will love you for it. Modern-American cuisine from
Farina by Michael David Smith, the chef/ owner of the popular restaurant Farina, o ers brilliant takes on classic pasta recipes. Buy a signed copy at Rainy Day Books, Pryde’s Kitchen and Necessities, or the restaurant.
Sempre Beve Saluté scented candles, made in Kansas City, are my favorite candles to burn and give. Presented in reusable, sand-etched cocktail glasses, each candle comes with its own aperitif recipe. You can nd them at Terrasi Living on the Plaza, or on the store’s website.
Emile Henry baking dishes can go from freezer or fridge straight to the oven and clean up in a snap. Perfect for casseroles! You can nd them at Pryde’s Kitchen and Necessities in Westport. on the Plaza, or on the cious corner crust. Available at or online.
If you love the chewy crust on brownies, a brownie edge pan is for you. Each brownie in the batch will have its own deliWilliams Sonoma
IF YOU COOK, you need this classic recipe in your arsenal because it’s so easy and delicious. Make it once following the recipe, and then experiment with the ingredients. Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart
ONE-PAN
LINGUINI: THE PASTA THAT MAKES ITS OWN SAUCE
ounces linguine
ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
ves garlic, thinly sliced
teaspoon red-pepper flakes or to taste
Large sprig basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
cups water
eshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and water in a large straight-sided skillet. (A 14-inch skillet is ideal.) Bring to a boil over high heat.
Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 12-15 minutes. (The original recipe says nine minutes, but that’s never been the case for me. Start checking at nine, just to be safe.)
Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among four bowls, and garnish with basil. Serve with oil and Parmesan.
Entertaining IN KC
ASK MERRILY
Q: I’m not in a position to entertain at home. What are some ways I can reciprocate the hospitality of friends who invite me over?
A: Most frequent hosts understand that not everyone can entertain as easily as they do. Don’t assume your friends expect you to reciprocate with the same type of hospitality they o er. What matters is that you stay in touch. Treat your friends to dinner at a nice restaurant. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend, call or text your friends and ask them to meet you somewhere for pizza and beer. Or buy tickets to a play or fundraiser and ask them to join you. Just make the e ort to maintain the friendship and to let your friends know how much you appreciate their invitations, and that you’d like to do something to reciprocate. And when you do have a party, put them at the top of your list.
Do you have a question about entertaining? Email it to mjackson@inkansascity.com
Create Where You Belong
PRIORITIZE PRESENT NEEDS
by Damian Lair
dlair@inkansascity.com : @damianlair #OurManINKC
Love = Leaders
Last year’s inaugural Leading with Love gala bene ting the Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy (KCGPA) was held on what I referred to as an otherwise sleepy ursday. is year, the event spectacular moved to Friday night primetime where it likely always belonged. Held again at the stunning Loews Kansas City Hotel, I walked there this year with a much rmer understanding of KCGPA’s mission and power.
For a refresh, KCGPA is the state’s rst and only tuition-free, open-enrollment, single-gender, public charter school. Located on Kansas City’s east side, the school is intentionally situated amid the highest rates of poverty and unmet demand for performing school seats. e academy is led by a mission to prepare young women—particularly black and brown women—to use their voices, to succeed in college, and to lead impactful, meaningful lives.
Former KC news anchor Dia Wall returned from her new home in Dallas to emcee the special event and celebrate the school’s sixth year of operation. In the most touching portion of the evening, Dia introduced Kei’Mauri and her mother, Gloria. Together, they shared a heartfelt story of discovering and experiencing KCGPA.
HOT GOSSIP: What elevator-riding sister duo was mistaken for mother and daughter?
As Gloria put it, “Bouncing from hotel to hotel, even for a short period of time can be hard. But I always knew through our journey that I was a good mother who had run into a bad set of circumstances. at’s life sometimes, and life happens. I also knew that I was resourceful enough to get myself into a home, get my kids into school, and I never once
doubted we’d be ok.”
Late one night, on her way home from work, Gloria heard a KCGPA advertisement on the radio. Soon she made plans to enroll both daughters at KCGPA. She said of her daughter Kei’Mauri, “She talked about how she was able to t in from the rst moment she met the girls at KCGPA. Do you know, as a mother, how good it feels to say that? To know that I made a decision that ended up with my child at a school that understood her, brought out the best in her, cared for her, and most importantly—loved her. A school that wasn’t just judging me, or my life, or my decisions, but instead was helping me do everything I could to turn out this magni cent daughter you see before you.” At this point, guests surrounding me were audibly sobbing.
Kei’Mauri’s journey with KCGPA is but one of hundreds, where mothers, daughters, and families experience the transformational power of a thoughtful education. Inspired by this family’s story and more, KCGPA exceeded last year’s fundraising total at nearly $1.4 million.
Congratulations on a tremendous evening to KCGPA founder and chair Christine Kemper and event co-chairs Kim & Nikki Newton, Ellen & Eli Bresky, and Teri Miller & Julie Quirin. When we invest in our city’s daughters, we invest in the future of our community.
SPOTTED: Sandy Kemper, Maurice Watson, Heather Pluard, Regina Nouhan, Debby Ballard, Lynn Carlton, Gloria Rudd, Missy & Bill Love, Holly Post, Troy Lillebo, Brian Ellison, Melanie & Chip Miller, Peg VanWagoner, Sheryll Myers, Lorece Chanelle, Amy & John Felton
Damian Lair with Christine Kemper at the KC Girls Preparatory Academy gala.
Project: Sunset Hill Custom Build | Designer: Richard Lippincott
Our Man IN KC
THEATER UNDER THE STARS
I AM GRATEFUL for a recent invitation to Starlight Theatre to see the nal performance of the acclaimed Broadway show, Come From Away. It’s the remarkable true story of how 7,000 airline passengers were stranded in a tiny town in Canada after 38 planes were unexpectedly re-routed there as the events of 9/11 unfolded.
Despite a bit of rain, my attention was captivated. Frustrated, long delayed, and confused passengers land in an unknown place and turn their attention to the airport TVs broadcasting the tragic news. As they watched, in shock and horror, an actual airplane roared across the Swope Park sky. It was a moment so eerie and triggering that I was unexpectedly teleported back to the moment I’ll always remember—when I also learned what had happened on that day. Errant tears streamed down my face. It was an emotional occurrence that only live theater under the stars could manifest.
Prior to the show, I met with the Starlight eatre president and CEO (and my friend), Lindsey Rood-Cli ord, who overviewed Starlight’s ambitious 75th Anniversary $40 million capital campaign and proposed campus improvements. Most notably, a performance shell will cover a large portion of the audience. ere will also be a new production truss and light bridge, restrooms, and kitchen. Finally, the plans include expanded community programming and education.
CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA
OVERHEARD
“A linen blazer in September? How brave.”
“YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED… to the debut of a new star.” ese were the excitement-piquing words on my invitation to this year’s Symphony Ball, organized by the Symphony League and bene ting the Kansas City Symphony is year’s ball was adroitly led by the chair, Barbara Haviland and honorary chairs, Linda & Paul DeBruce at bright burning star is, of course, Matthias Pintscher, the symphony’s new music director. Matthias is a German-born conductor and composer—a leading light in Europe, who recently arrived in Kansas City from his previous music director position in Paris. He’s the recipient of many prestigious awards and has been on the composition faculty at the Juilliard School for the past ten years. I was attered by the opportunity to speak with our new maestro and was thoroughly impressed by his unbridled joy, soothing energy, and ambitious plans for the future.
Following hors d’oeuvres and cocktails on the Muriel Kau man eatre stage, inside the Kau man Center for the Performing Arts, we progressed next door to Helzberg Hall for Maestro Pintscher’s debut performance, launching a new era for the symphony. Matthias’s vigor and enthusiasm was infectious—not only for the audience, but seemingly for the orchestra itself.
Over a terri c dinner, I had the most engaging conversation with my seatmate, Jackson County Prosecutor candidate Melesa Johnson. I eagerly shared my observations as a proud (but occasionally frustrated) downtown resident, and Melesa spoke extensively and thoughtfully about creative opportunities for addressing the thornier issues a ecting our city. When people talk about candidates they’d have a beer with, I ask—does sparkling champagne count?
Yes , there actually was sparkling champagne. Waiters made the rounds with pours for the celebratory toast. Hidden at the bottom of each ute was a pinch of edible glitter that turned every glass into a di erent glittery shade of the rainbow. It was a tting aurora borealis of bubbles.
HOT GOSSIP: What couple learned that their latest art acquisition was being simultaneously sought by both the Tate Modern and The Met?
Like the show’s Gander, Newfoundland, location, Starlight is also a place for coming together. In fact, more than a quarter million people visit each year, including hundreds of volunteers who provide thousands of service hours. It is a special place for connecting the community via live arts experiences that inspire and engage. Starlight shows are among the highlights of my year. I can’t wait to enjoy them with a bit more shade and fewer raindrops.
As we clanked our glasses, reworks exploded above us. I’ve experienced countless balls inside the Kau man Center, but never while entirely enveloped in reworks. e suspended glass shell o ered protection as we were, quite literally, inside the reworks display itself. It was an absolutely breathtaking experience, and one tting for, yes, our new star.
SPOTTED: Mayor Quinton Lucas, Shirley Helzberg, Ursula Terrasi & Jim Miller, Marny Sherman, Christy & Bill Gautreaux, Melanie Fenske, Edward Milbank, Sharon & John Ho man, Jackie & John Middelkamp, Marylou Turner, Rachael & Nelson Sabates, Amy & David Embry, Karen & Dr. John Yungmeyer, Peggy & Andrew Beal, Pam & Robert Bruce, Robin & Scott Boswell, Graham Boswell, Don Loncasty & Charles Bru y, Julie Anderson Clark & Vince Clark, Kim Klein & Dr. Je rey Goldstein, Gina & Charlie Penner, Jackie Reses, Morgan Said, Pamela & Irvin Bishop, Chadwick Brooks, Nicki & Myron Wang, Julie & Mike McCann, Mary Leonida, Tricia Scott, Michele Hamlett-Weith, Katherine Schorgl
WINE & ROSES
AS SOMEHOW ALWAYS MANAGES TO TRANSPIRE, the weather was perfect for the Kansas City Rose Society’s annual Wine & Roses event at the Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden in Jacob L. Loose Memorial Park Taylor Smith and Dr. Mark Gilmore co-chaired another gorgeous iteration of this event I look forward to each year. For me, it serves as the official “close of summer” party.
The elegant evening’s rose-inspired festivities included passed hors d’oeuvres, an Underdog Wine Co. wine bar, and vibrant alfresco conversation. The UMKC Conservatory Graduate String Quartet provided a harmonious backdrop for this garden revelry. Oh, and did I mention this year’s honorary chair, the legendary actress Morgan Fairchild?
Wine & Roses is the primary source of funds for the Rose Society, allowing continued care for the 1.5-acre garden that boasts more than 3,000 rose bushes in 130 varieties. This past year, volunteers clocked in 1,300 hours of careful grooming and tending of these delicate florals. This year’s event also officially kicked off the Save the Pillars campaign. Encircling the garden are beautiful limestone-columned pergolas. After withstanding our often-harsh midwestern weather for roughly 80 years, all 64 pillars require restoration. Unfortunately, this comes with a million-dollar price tag. Work will soon begin on the pillars requiring the most urgent attention. The goal is to have all restored by 2026, fundraising dependent.
How can you help? If your pockets are deep, why not sponsor a column? If not (understandably), there are other avenues. For as little as $30, you can donate a rose bush commemorating someone special. It’s a beautiful gesture of recognition—be it a birthday, Mother’s Day, anniversary, etc.
On a personal note—one of my very best friends suddenly lost his mother just a month ago. Not sure how to honor her appropriately, I reached out to other mutual friends and suggested a full rose bed in her memory. With generosity that exceeded my imagination, we commemorated her life with two rose beds. I humbly offer this as a suggestion for the next time you’re perplexed about what to get a person who appears to have everything, or you’re just out of ideas. You might consider a lasting tribute with roses. It’s a gift that lives on and can be enjoyed not only by the recipient, but by a grateful community at large.
SPOTTED: Heather Paxton, Joe Vaughan, Carmen Sabates, Deanna Deiboldt, Frances Baszta, Liesl McLiney, Heidi Peter, Betsy Parker, Nancy & Bruce Schall, Terry Anderson & Michael Henry, John Rufenacht & Richard Lara, Sidonie Garrett, John Rensenhouse, Jan Kyle, Rachel Sexton, Tom Mentzer, Kenneth Sherman, Nicholette Haigler, Karla Deel, George Embry, Meredith & Anthony Durone, Kayleigh & Jason Aytes, Kelly & Chad Esslinger, Katherine & Billy Taylor
OVERHEARD
“I heard he joined the circus.”
So, KC—where do you want to go? XO
KARIN ROSS WILL HELP YOU ACHIEVE THE SPACE OF YOUR DREAMS
A full-service, in-house construction and design team: Ross offers both construction and design services under her supervision which significantl impacts the client experience for the better.
Impeccable attention to detail: Like the show-stopping interiors she creates, Ross understands the art of details and will bring the smallest of project elements to new heights.
The embodiment of luxury: When infusing luxury into a home remodeling project, Ross looks beyond price tags and instead embraces not only what luxury is, but how it makes a client feel.
Invest where it counts: When you work with a kitchen and bath designer it can save you time—and money, not to mention stress.
The art of trend-setting: Ross isn’t shy about crediting her Western European heritage for helping her cultivate a keen eye for interior trends. “I set the trends; I don’t follow them,” she says.
Every Todd Reed piece is handforged in Boulder, Colorado using ethically-sourced and upcycled materials, employing a combination ofclassic and modern-day metalsmithing techniques. These heirloom objects are each one of a kind and contain character completely unique totheir designand construction.
SHOP TODD REED'S COLLECTION AT MAZZARESE JEWELRY
BY Judith Fertig
Porter Wyatt Henderson
TROMBONIST ANSWERS OUR QUESTIONS
hen it came time for Wyatt Henderson to choose an instrument to play in school, it was surprisingly easy. “Hey, the sixth-grade band at Woodrow Wilson Elementary needed trombones!” he recalls. Little did he know that he was also mapping out his future with the Kansas City Symphony.
He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music from Northwestern University; his teachers include Leon Brown, John Kitzman, Per Brevig, Frank Crisafulli, and Arnold Jacobs.
He currently maintains a private trombone studio and has taught previously as an adjunct instructor at MidAmerica Nazarene University and Baker University. In addition
photo by Corie English
equitybank.com/earlypay
Arts & Culture IN KC
to his musical activities, Henderson is a certified Iyengar yoga instructor and has trained in the martial art of Ki Aikido for many years.
“My family consists of me, my wife Karen (a high school math and engineering teacher), my daughter, Elise, and son, Elijah, and our two rescue dogs, Morgan and Ginger,” he says. Just don’t expect him to make dinner.
INKC: As a trombonist, do you have to try out for the symphony each year—with blind judging at that? Is that one reason for your interest in and practice of Iyengar yoga and the Ki Aikido martial art? Do you find that your yoga practice contributes to your musical career?
Porter Wyatt Henderson: Fortunately, no. As a tenured musician, I don’t have to re-audition. That would be stressful! But of course, I have live performances every week during the season, so that does require a degree of intestinal fortitude. I do find that my practice of Iyengar yoga—and before that, Ki Aikido—helped develop a mental calmness that greatly aids in an enjoyable performing experience. And like most professional musicians, I spend a lot of time with my body in an unnatural playing position, and yoga really helps put my body back into a healthy alignment!
INKC: Is there a piece of music that is really trombone-friendly that
you’d love to see the symphony perform?
PWH: I enjoy playing the music of Mahler and Strauss, which we do regularly, and that of Bruckner and Elgar, which we do more rarely. After this many years in an orchestra, I especially like playing works I haven’t done before.
INKC: What is a typical (if there is such a thing) day for you? Do you practice every day? Are you the cook in the family? How does daily life work?
PWH: I don’t really have a “normal” schedule. We usually have eight “services”—some combination of rehearsals or performances—in a week. A somewhat typical week is Monday and possibly Tuesday off, Wednesday and Thursday a couple of rehearsals in the morning and afternoon, Friday morning rehearsal, concerts Friday and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. However, this is highly variable, and we may have two or three programs we are rehearsing or performing in a week. No matter what, I try to get some yoga in first thing in the morning—between 40 minutes and 1½ hours, depending on whether I have to head to work or not. I practice trombone for a couple of hours daily, as we’re expected to have our parts mastered before rehearsals begin. And I teach a couple of yoga classes weekly at Yoga Gallery in Overland Park. Then I fit in things like mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, feeding the dogs, etc. Fortunately, my wife is a good cook, since I’m not.
Arts & Culture IN KC
by Judith Fertig
SONIA DE LOS SANTOS SINGS A CELEBRATION OF LATIN AMERICA
YOU MAY RECOGNIZE salsa music, but can you identify huapango, cumbia, or festejo?
Well, now is your chance. On Friday morning, October 25, pack up your little ones for Latin music at the Midwest Trust Center that will put a smile on your face. This concert may be the perfect antidote to all the negative campaign ads we suffer through before the election.
And who better to snap us out of the political funk than Latin Grammy-nominated Sonia De Los Santos.
Says one critic, “Sonia De Los Santos has a story to tell. Or better put, a story to sing. She brings messages of hope and joy to children with her songs.”
She shares some of her favorite things—migrating birds, friendship, chocolate, and anecdotes about growing up in Mexico and realizing her childhood dream of moving to New York.
De Los Santos has earned special recognition with her band performing at renowned venues and festivals, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, the Getty Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and many more.
Visit jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center for more information and tickets.
A RAILROAD RUNS THROUGH IT: THE LIFE AND LESSONS OF WALT DISNEY AT UNION STATION
AT UNION STATION on Saturday, October 12 at 10 a.m., historian and author Michael Campbell will take us through the years as a young fellow named Walt Disney fell in love with trains near his home in Marceline, Missouri.
Through rare images, artifacts, and first-hand accounts, you’ll see how a passion for railroading—coupled with lessons in hard work and determination—helped young Walt realize his dream. Taking Saturday classes at the Kansas City Art Institute and a correspondence course in cartooning, Disney could imagine the possibilities of animation when others could not. In 1923, Disney departed from Union Station for California with a cardboard suitcase, two pairs of pants, $40, and a vision for his future.
And the rest is history.
For more information and tickets, visit
Arts &Culture IN KC
by Judith Fertig
THE OG OF HORROR MOVIES AT THE KAUFFMAN CENTER
IF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE to visit the coastal town of Whitby in northeastern England, you’ll understand the creepy imagery in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, published in 1897. Stoker visited Whitby in 1890 and learned of a Russian shipwreck that ran aground there, carrying a cargo of silver sand (full of quartz particles, used in landscaping). It wasn’t much of a stretch to have Dracula on board the ghost ship, with a cargo of silver sand and boxes of earth. And oh, so much more.
But it was a stretch for a German filmmaker to adapt Stoker’s tale into a film without permission or compensation for Stoker’s family. The 1922 silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror starred Max Schreck as the Transylvanian vampire who preys on the wife of his estate agent, bringing a plague to the town.
After the German filmmaker lost the legal battle, all copies of the film, including negatives, were to be destroyed. But all were not. Thankfully, critics say, as Nosferatu set the style and tone for horror movies to come.
So, put on your creepiest costume and come to the screening on October 23 at the Kauffman Center. Organist Dorothy Papadakos will send musical chills down your spine.
For more information and tickets, visit kauffmancenter.org
THE INFLUENCE OF HOKUSAI AT THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART
YOU HAVE MOST LIKELY seen the most famous woodblock print of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. The Great Wave off Kanagawa depicts a rogue wave seemingly dwar ng Mount Fuji.
First, you might notice the stylized drama of the composition, then the enigmatic Prussian blue ink that suggests timelessness. But what you can’t see is the tidal wave of unintended consequences. When Admiral Perry and the United States Navy put an end to Japan’s isolationist status and the ports were opened in the 1850s, some of these prints were used as wrapping paper for commercial goods. By 1867, the Japanese pavilion at the Exposition Universelle in Paris made these prints even better known. Soon, Monet had 23 of Hokusai’s prints at his home in Giverny. Degas was a fan. Some art critics allege that Impressionism wouldn’t have happened without the work of Hokusai, who depicted the same subjects many di erent times, as Monet would go on to do.
A new exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art from the Boston Museum of Art celebrates the far-reaching in uence of this Japanese master’s work. e exhibit runs until early December.
For more information, visit nelson-atkins.org.
WILD, WILD WEST
Call it Cowboy Core or Cowgirl Aesthetic, but whatever you call it, this classic look is having a major moment.
Blame it on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album release last spring or Ralph Lauren’s perennial western-inspired looks. e cowboy trend has been spotted on haute couture runways and on street style in uencers.
Ten-gallon hats, oodles of fringe, suave suede, denim on denim, studded leather, bandana prints, and of course, the iconic boots—it’s all on focus for fall 2024. Add one piece to casually reference the Western-wear trend or get ready for the rodeo in a head-to-toe look.
Go up country and channel your inner cowboy this season.
Macie Bean suede boots, $230, available at Nigro’s Western Store
Gaucho hat, $349, available at Peruvian Connection
John Hardy sterling silver and heishi turquoise bracelet, $950, available at Meierotto Jewelers
Embroidered buttondown
$438, available at Anthropologie
Annie Bing denim shirt, $300, available at Clairvaux
Staud shoulder bag, $325, available at Clairvaux
Esqualo suede fringe jacket, $168, available at Alysa Rene Boutique
IT’S GLOW TIME!
ONE DONE &
While a drawer full of eyeshadows, lip colors, and blushes can make for head-turning special-event looks, a daily one-and-done product can make getting out the door faster a doable—and still pretty—proposition.
THE EYES HAVE IT
When you have the time, an eye shadow palette with multiple shades, including mattes, shimmers, and glitters, can amp up your party-ready bold-eye look. But there’s a place for simple eye makeup that replaces transition hues and blending brushes with one shade that does it all. Check out these colors, whether cream, powder, or stick, that do the hard work.
AT FIRST BLUSH
Multi-use tints for both lip and cheeks assure a perfect match and a quicker payo . Used together, these subtler hues create a soft, everyday look with pretty, ushed cheeks and a sheer pop of color on lips.
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize cream eyeshadow, $35, from Sephora.
eyeshadow and liner stick, $24,
Alleyoop 11th Hour cream available at
NARS single eyeshadow, $19, at Ulta Beauty
Kosas 10-Second gel watercolor eyeshadow, $15, from
Multi-Stick for lips and cheeks, $36, Welwythn
Welwythn
ILIA from
by Judith Fertig
New Guidelines for Mammograms
IF YOU ARE BREASTFEEDING, TO SCREEN OR NOT TO SCREEN? A CONVERSATION WITH MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST AND HEMATOLOGIST SIMRAN ELDER, MD
While it can seem confusing to have mammography guidelines change, it is all a product of continuing research and evolving societal trends.
It is important to keep up to date with new and evolving data to ensure you are advocating for your own health. Many women are waiting to have children later than the generation before, and that can also change how and when to screen for breast cancer. Hormones in the body change during and after pregnancy, and breastfeeding is an additional factor to consider. Historically, some clinicians have encouraged breastfeeding moms to wait to get screened until after they’re finished breastfeeding—but depending on their age and risk factors, that’s no longer the best advice.
Simran Elder, MD, medical oncologist and hematologist with the AdventHealth Cancer Institute and medical director of the AdventHealth High-Risk Breast Clinic, shares new mammography guidelines.
We think of breast cancer as a disease primarily affecting older women. But what does the new data show?
Other than skin cancers, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States. Thirty percent of new cancers in women are breast cancer, and the median age of breast cancer diagnosis in the United States is 62. In recent years, there has been a rise in breast cancer incidence rates by about 0.6 percent per year in the general population. Within that group, the rise is higher in younger women, with a breast cancer incidence rise of 1 percent per year in women under the age of 50 in particular.
How early should women be screened?
According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, women in the average risk category should undergo a screening mammogram starting at age 40 and should be screened on a yearly basis. Women should continue screening as long as they are expected to live 10 years or more and as long as they would accept treatment if breast cancer were diagnosed. However, because some people are at above-average risk, all women should undergo risk assessment, including family history, by age 25 to assess if they qualify for earlier and/or additional screening or genetic testing.
What if a woman is breastfeeding? Can she still have an accurate mammogram? Is there any danger to the mom or baby as a result of the screening?
Mammograms are still recommended in women who are breastfeeding, especially if there is a new concern from the patient or their provider. It is recommended to breastfeed or pump breast milk just prior to the mammogram to allow maximal visibility of the breast tissue and to increase comfort with the exam. It is important not to delay mammograms in patients with new breast-related concerns while breastfeeding. Data has shown that mammograms do not pose significant risk to the mother or the baby. A delayed diagnosis of breast cancer does increase the risk of larger tumors and more advanced disease. CancerCareKC.com
Simran Elder, MD
by Patricia O’Dell
As I type two lovely gentlemen are sledge-hammering through a kitchen wall in our new old house about ten feet away. e dogs are sound asleep. Je Bridges snores softly and Beau chases rabbits in his dreams as I imagine our new neighbors wondering what the heck is going on over here.
e wall enclosed the servants’ stairs from the rst to second—and perhaps third— oor. (More on that later.) e staircase is so narrow that I can just make goal posts with my arms if I am standing in the center. Some people have lamented its removal. “It’s so charming,” one person remarked, and I understand the sentiment. I’m con icted about old houses being modi ed in a way that erases their integrity.
I am not remorseful about this change. e staircase o ers no convenience. Literally, it runs parallel to the main stairs, and for me is a reminder of the prejudice that inspired it. We won’t miss it.
In addition, removing it allows us to pick up space for the kitchen, add a pantry, and recon gure a small bathroom behind the stairs. I was hoping that a bit of architectural salvage from our old house—that is a similar age of this house—would be put to good use here.
A previous owner had removed the 100+-year-old plumbing from our last house’s basement, but an old soapstone sink remained. We brought it with us unsure of where we’d put it. I was hoping that it might work in the reimagined powder room, but I think it’s too large and my husband’s enthusiasm for the idea is too small. Regardless, I feel as if we are adding more good energy—old and new—to this old house.
Soap Opera
HOW
THE RENO TURNS UP THE HEAT
INTERESTED IN SOAPSTONE SINKS?
Any of our local stone suppliers and professional designers can resource or manufacture them for you. In addition, national retailers have products with similar looks, including Rejuvenation. (No, they’re not local, but I keep hoping our KC orders will generate their interest.) If you need a more economical option, check out the concrete West Elm San Francisco Bucket Sink, which has a similar look at a more approachable price. Signature Hardware has a swell Fireclay sink in matte black that is worth a look as well.
Farmhouse NativeStone Rejuvenation San Francisco bucket sink, $1,999, from Elm. Signature Hardware’s Grigham farmhouse reclay sink, $826.80, available at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting/Factory Direct
THE ART OF HOME
ATLANTABASED ARCHITECT STAN DIXON HEADLINED C100 EVENT
THE ATLANTA-BASED ARCHITECT and founder of D. Stanley Dixon Architect, Inc., was raised in the South by a mother who was passionate about—and adept at—interior design. Growing up, he was exposed to and developed a passion for graciously designed homes. Dixon’s edited approach to the classical elements of architecture provides an understated aesthetic that is based in history while incorporating in uences of modern design.
Recently, Dixon was the featured speaker at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s annual Committee of 100 event. Planning an event in the fall in Kansas City is always a good idea and the cocktails and mocktails on the terrace overlooking the sculpture garden were nothing short of delightful. Just as the Shuttlecocks spread their feathers, the event’s guests dressed in a combination of taste and enthusiasm for the event, which added to the fun.
While it’s easy to settle into conversations with friends, this year’s speaker was the highlight. No one expects designers to be entertainers, though many are very entertaining indeed I’ve noticed some aren’t comfortable with presentations. is can lead to a description of the room that the audience can see on the slide. In contrast, Dixon relied on the visuals to speak for themselves and provided context by explaining the “why” of the room—what the homeowner wanted to accomplish, the challenges at hand, and how they were resolved—rather than ticking o objects.
His work includes gracious arches, stunning stairways, and classical moldings o set by whimsical interior windows that provide engaging light and views and jib doors that enable walls to be uninterrupted and still provide access to adjoining rooms. It was particularly delightful to see that there were no telltale signature marks. Each home seems completely personal to its owners. One of the designs that Dixon highlighted was a new beach home in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. He recounted that at the beginning of the process the owner told him, “I want my descendants coming here 100 years from now.” After seeing the images of the home, my guess is that will very much be the case. Kansas City was fortunate to have him as our guest at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art Committee of 100. e C100 is a volunteer organization within the membership that is dedicated to planning and executing events that support the museum. C100 membership is included in museum membership at the Art Lover level or higher. For more information visit nelson-atkins.org/hrf_faq/c100-group.
Above: A house Dixon designed on Jupiter Island, which is o the Atlantic coast of Florida. Right: The back entry of a new home on the North Shore of Chicago features brick ooring and a stair railing with a naive, cutout-wave motif.
Stan Dixon
by Patricia O’Dell
Ghostly Goodness
STYLISH GEAR FOR GHOULS
Iknow Halloween is probably your favorite holiday. So many people tell me this. I must admit, besides the excuse to have mini-Snickers in my house, I’m not a big Halloween fan. Usually, I smile and pass out candy and never say, “Honey, let’s just take one.” In fact, the number of pieces that each ghoul, goblin, or Taylor Swift gets increases as the evening goes on.
Last Halloween we were returning from a trip, and I took the easy way out. I left a huge bowl of candy on the front porch while we hid upstairs. But this is the exception. Normally, I do keep the light on and cheerfully pass out candy rather than hiding upstairs in the back of the house so that it looks dark from the front. (But you can tell that I’ve thought about it.)
I know this shouldn’t be so hard. I have friends who are Halloween fanatics. Perhaps like you, they say out loud, in public, “I love Halloween!” Oof.
If we must indulge in orange and black and trick-or-treaters who ring the doorbell at 10:30 when the light has been o for over an hour, then let’s at least do it in style.
Charming and colorful ceramic ghosts and glowing porcelain ghost lights will illuminate your table for guests both friendly and scary.
Why not arrange them around a melamine owl platter loaded with savory appetizers to balance the sugar of the miniature Snickers? It’s a high-low concept that will bring some civility to the “Boo!” heavy holiday.
Treating younger ghosts and ghouls to Halloween bedding and a pillow that makes spiders seem friendly can kick-o the holiday in style. If it seems too soon to start haunting, grown-ups can stir up a Negroni in ribbed glasses to take on a certain glow.
1. Ghost lights, $40 (small) and $42 (large); 2. Ceramic ghosts, $22 each; all from Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art’s Museum Shop 3. Melamine Halloween owl platter, $44, from A Store Named Stu 4. Trick or treat glow-in-the-dark sheet set, $69-$99; 5. Ed Emberley jumbo plush spider pillow, $79; all from West Elm Kids 6. Atwell stackable ribbed double old-fashioned glass, $5.95, and highball glass, $6.95, from Crate & Barrel
ILLUMINATION IS GOOD FOR
AND LOOKS GREAT, TOO
REGARDLESS of the month or day, I keep the porch light on. I stick with low-watt bulbs with a warm glow, because while I like the safety of keeping them on all night, I don’t want to disturb my neighbors. But if we’re going to pursue such a pragmatic practice, perhaps it should be pleasing.
I gravitate toward black lanterns, but I may be boxed into ush mount territory now. Certainly, you can nd your own way through brass, black, or pewter. e important thing is nding your way home. ese are all available from Renson House of Lights. rensenhouseo ights.com
Crittenden outdoor wall lantern, $152.98.
Medford Lakes outdoor wall lantern, $310.48.
Fredricksburg outdoor wall lantern, $310.48.
Halle hanging lantern, $1,449.
Hunnington outdoor ush mount, $220.48.
Fencing
Brian Vincent IN CONVERSATION WITH
words by Cindy Hoedel
Aquiet kid from Shawnee Mission West who remembers being “in his own world” because he didn’t wear needed glasses out of vanity went on to find success on both sides of a movie camera lens. Actor and filmmaker Brian Vincent was born Brian Vincent Kelly in Kansas City, lived in Raytown until age 10, then moved to Overland Park.
Vincent’s 2023 documentary, Make Me Famous, about the rebellious art scene in 1980s New York, is currently the third-highest grossing documentary in limited release, currently in its 16th month exclusive to theaters.
Vincent graduated from Juilliard in 1994, starred in Animal Room (1995) with Amanda Peet and Neil Patrick Harris and appeared in The Deli (1997) with Gretchen Mol, Blue Moon (2000) with Ben Gazzara and Rita Moreno, and Black Dog (1998) with Patrick Swayze.
Vincent lives in New York with his actress wife, Heather Spore, who performed in Wicked on Broadway for ten years. He spoke recently with IN Kansas City from the couple’s apartment in East Harlem about his formative years in Kansas City, the lucky breaks that changed the trajectory of Make Me Famous, and his next film project.
Shawnee Mission West has several famous acting alums, including Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis. Did you know them? Paul was a year older than me, but he was class president, and I was just a guy going to school there. [Laughs] His talent baffled me. I remember when he was in high school, and he came to my junior high and did improvisation. That was pretty unforgettable. Then I did forensics with the famous Sally Shipley, who also taught Jason, and Paul was in that class. But when I was in class with Paul, I was so shy I could barely talk. The very next year after he had left was when I decided I wanted to be an actor, and I was like a different person then.
All your bios say Juilliard, but I read that you also attended Emporia State University in Kansas. What was that like? I loved Emporia State University. Seth McClintock taught me drama. He was a legendary theater director at Shawnee Mission West. He really believed in me as an actor, even though I only picked it up in my senior year. He cast me in every play. He advised me not to go to [University of Kansas] because he thought I would get lost in the shuffle
there. He recommended Emporia because they had a brilliant theater program. I went there for two years, and there were talented people who worked with me. I’m almost 100 percent sure I would not have gotten into Juilliard if I had not gone to Emporia first.
Have you stayed in New York ever since you were at Juilliard?
Yes. I love theater, and New York has always been very good to me. I did live in Los Angeles twice for pilot seasons, but I just didn’t take to it.
Why not?
It’s a different lifestyle. It’s not theater driven. I just always had more luck and more love for the city of New York. I thrive better here.
How did Kansas City shape you as an artist?
In Kansas City, I always found so much support, and they love theater there. People really came out to see the shows and rooted me on. When I did forensics, I think I won state—I won something—and I got to go to nationals for drama. That made me think about this impossible dream—maybe I could do this
Do you still have connections to Kansas City?
Oh, yeah. My father still lives there with his wife and my mother lives in Independence, Missouri, and I have a huge family on both sides, and they are rooting every second for anything Heather and I do.
Do you have any sports allegiances?
Oh, yes. I never stopped being a Royals fan. And I never will. My dad didn’t want me playing football when I was a kid, so I wasn’t much of a Chiefs fan.
That’s a brave thing to say.
[Laughs] I support them!
Was your original idea for Make Me Famous to tell the story of the 1980s arts scene in the East Village or to examine the life of this painter, Edward Brezinski?
I fell in love with the 1980s arts scene when I first came to New York and read Cynthia Carr’s book, Fire in the Belly. It blew my mind.
When did you read it?
It might have been 2015. I had heard about the art scene before, but by the time I came to New York it was 1990 and the art scene was long dead by then. The book made me think, “Wow, what a different and exciting New York this sounds like, and all these different people came out of that scene—Madonna and Eric Bogosian and Basquiat and Keith Haring. And I was like, why? Why did New York produce so many artists in that moment and not as many now?
Reading that book and others reminded me of going to Juilliard, because you could do a project and just shout out, “Who wants to do this with me?” And you’d have an actor and a musician and everybody all performing together.
That’s how the arts scene was in the ’80s because they’d all come to New York, and New York was totally broke. It was coming off Gerald Ford’s “drop dead” to New York. [In 1975, when Ford denied the bankrupt city a federal bailout, the Daily News ran the headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead.”]
There was no way artists could get famous the conventional way, but rent was so cheap they could all live out their Bohemian fantasies. They rented storefronts or performance places in the Lower East Side and performed for each other. As Eric Bogosian said, the most creative people, the ones that surprised you the most, rose to the top. And all of a sudden, people started getting famous.
So, you’re interested in the scene, but when do you trip across Edward Brezinski?
So Heather’s on Broadway but I’m in between work as an actor, so I’m working as a waiter in catering. And I tell a fellow waiter—his name is Lenny Kisko—“I’m really into the 1980s art scene.” And he says, “I collected this one artist all through the ’80s. You should come see this work.”
I go to his apartment and every surface is covered with Edward Brezinski paintings. He said, “I spent all the money I made paying for all this art thinking maybe he’d get famous, but then he disappeared, and no one knows what happened to him.”
What did you think of the paintings themselves that day, apart from Brezinski’s story?
The artwork spoke to me. It’s expressive, it’s beautiful. I thought it was really good.
The film draws raw energy from amazing contemporaneous videos. Did you know they existed when you started?
No! It was pure dumb luck. We stumbled on an incredible video on YouTube with Edward Brezinski in it, and the poet Miguel Piñero was performing. And Lenny Kisko said, “Hey, that’s Ed Brezinski’s apartment.”
So I reached out to the person who made that video, and he said, “I have 100 hours of this stuff.” And what’s so fabulous about that is, you can’t find that in 1980, 1981, 1982. And had we not picked Edward Brezinski, that footage may never have seen the light of day.
You’re not of the art world, but you immersed yourself in it for several years working on this project. Do you think if Brezinski had had more business savvy or if the right gallerist had taken him under their wing, he could have been famous, or do you think the work he was doing was not original enough to be in the top tier of that scene?
I think he could have broken through and been considered one of the finer artists of his time. There’s almost no doubt about that, because he’s talked about by almost all of the main players from that time. The way Lenny Kisko talked about him that first day was so animated and exciting. And then I started hearing these other stories about him.
Annina Nosei, who discovered Basquiat, was his first gallerist. She has an amazing story about Edward in the movie. It has to do with his inability to cooperate.
What were the most emotional moments for you conducting the interviews about this person you never met but who left such a large imprint on others?
It was easy to forget he was a real person. I’m an actor so I almost always think of people as characters anyway. But interviewing people when they would tear up and it was clear they missed him a lot and wondered what happened to him was emotional. And you have to remember, AIDS devastated this community. So many disappeared in 1990 and beyond that people almost didn’t want to find out what happened to him because the answer is almost always the same.
At the same time, the project brought a lot of joy to people because they are so used to people asking the same questions about Basquiat and Haring. So they were delighted by the angle.
Full disclosure: I liked the film a lot more than I thought I would. And my husband, who has very little interest in contemporary art, said, “I don’t care about the subject, but this is holding my attention.”
Yay!
It’s more interesting, more universal in a way to look at someone who is very talented, tried very hard and didn’t make it big. But the film is also technically excellent. Where did you learn how to write, direct, and edit?
In 2000 I decided I wanted to be a filmmaker. I had a friend who owned a quasi-television studio, and he hired me to make boring corporate
Vincent with Patrick Swayze.
videos. So I learned lighting and how to work with a crew while being in a place I wouldn’t fail.
Why do you think this movie hasn’t gotten a distribution deal yet?
When we finished the movie, we were offered distribution, but no one wanted to release it in theaters.
Why was that important to you?
Firstly, I thought it could potentially be a hit in New York but secondly, I had always made the movie thinking that it’s the kind of movie that should be seen with a crowd.
Why?
Heather and I are theater people, and it’s designed almost like a theater piece. So we thought, let’s just try it. Heather has a knack for calling theaters and getting them interested.
But it wasn’t New York that embraced it first. It was Toronto. We were offered ten screenings at the beautiful Hot Docs cinema in Toronto. We got that booking because Sundance was going on at the same time and nobody wanted to show their movie then. We got onto the cover of the Toronto Star arts section, and then Edward’s family, who are from Canada—they didn’t know about the movie—called Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and said, “Our long-lost cousin is in this movie,” and CBC did a show about them seeing the movie for the first time. Because of that, we were offered to come to London, and we were a
surprise hit there. It ran for three weeks.
Then the Museum of the City of New York offered us a screening. It sold out in 48 hours. That’s when three other theaters offered to run it, and it turned into a hit. We made $11,000 in box office in one week, which would be impossible with streaming. What streamers do is they say, “Thank you very much, we’ll send you a check, and I hear filmmakers all the time say, ‘Look, I got a 15-cent check’.”
So it would be foolhardy of us to stop this run in theaters.
What’s your next project?
We’ve actually been working on a new project for a year. Going around the country and abroad, I got a sense of who is coming to these theaters and the kinds of things that might appeal to them. When I was a kid, I was always interested in James Dean. I’d seen all his movies, and he got me interested in acting. And I thought, I don’t think there’s ever been a movie about James Dean in New York in the ’50s and what was it like for him here and how did he make it?
We interviewed his best friend. He was 95. He just recently passed away. His name was Lew Bracker, and he just blew us away. He told us all these interesting things about James Dean. So we’re trying to capture, again, an era that is long gone. And I’m trying to reintroduce Dean to young people—what was exciting about him but also what was exciting about New York in the ’50s.
Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.
Edward Brezinski Painting, a still photo from the documentary film Make Me Famous
Play Ball?
How much difference can a mile make? Fans of the Royals—and more specifically, the return of Major League Baseball to downtown Kansas City— might soon find out.
A plan to bring baseball back downtown with the construction of a ballpark in the East Crossroads area went up in the flames last April when Jackson County voters soundly rejected a $1 billion sales tax initiative meant to fund much of the project. But, like a phoenix rising from those ashes, a new proposal has arisen.
Back in January, four months prior to the ill-fated vote by county taxpayers and independent of the Royals, city and county, Vince Bryant of KC Crossroads developer 3D Development assembled a team of architects, real estate brokers, attorneys, and public relations professionals to conduct a deep investigation to see if Washington Square Park, which sits roughly between Crown Center and Union Station, would be a suitable site for a downtown ballpark. Perhaps that would be a location that could achieve the goals of both the community and the Royals.
“We didn’t believe that the vote was the end of the story,” says Bryant, 3D Development’s CEO. “As Crossroads businesses, we understood the concerns of our neighbors, but we also believed in the Royals’ desire to create something transformational for the city.
“After months of due diligence, which included sharing it quietly with our neighbors, we feel confident that this is a great home for the Royals.”
WHAT MAKES WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK DIFFERENT?
Washington Square Park sits about one mile south of the former proposed ballpark site. So, how much difference can a mile make? Quite a
IS THERE STILL A CHANCE FOR A DOWNTOWN ROYALS STADIUM?
words by Bob Luder
lot, according to 3D.
Perhaps the biggest difference—and one which was a major sticking point in the previous proposal—is the issue of business displacements. The East Crossroads site would have required major redevelopment which would have included razing some buildings and forcing existing businesses to move. Washington Square Park is surrounded by large office towers and hotels and 17 acres of underdeveloped surface lots, resulting in zero business displacements. There would be one building demolition—the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas City building at 2301 Main Street— but that building already was scheduled to be vacated next year.
Also, despite being in the city’s urban core, the proposed site appears to have an abundance of access points. There are nine interstate highway connections within a five-minute drive as well as a convergence of eight four-lane roadways surrounding the park. According to 3D Development, there are nearly 19,000 parking spaces within a four-block radius.
The new ballpark also would sit adjacent to the KC Streetcar line, positioned at the midpoint between the River Market and Country Club Plaza, and is capable of delivering up to 2,500 passengers per hour. In addition, the proximity to Union Station allows train commuters or outof-town travelers an easy walk to the park and other local attractions.
And then there’s the fact that Washington Square Park is surrounded by some of downtown’s prime real estate, including 1,770 hotel rooms and 150 retailers. Many of the city’s greatest attractions—Union Station, Science City, Crown Center, the National WWI Museum and Memorial, Pennway Point and its new Ferris wheel, restaurants, bars and hotels—all are within walking distance. Though it might be a bit more of a hike, fans even could hoof it up to the Power & Light District a mile to the north.
Erik Wullschleger, partner with 3D Development, also is quick to point out that the area recently has successfully hosted huge events like the NFL Draft and Boulevardia, making it an iconic backdrop for downtown.
And there only would be one seller to complete the assembly of land needed for the project.
“We’ve always been giant supporters of downtown baseball,” Wullschleger says. “We knew the site proposed (back in April) had its challenges. So, we thought, what’s the possibility of putting a ballpark down in Washington Square Park? We felt that it could fill in a vacant gap in midtown. It sits in a very centralized area of downtown, near a lot of historical and architectural places of value.
“We already have office towers and hotels right there. And there are great views of downtown.”
IS THERE ENOUGH SPACE?
Washington Square Park takes up 4.8 acres in the heart of the city. Once the Blue Cross/Blue Shield building is demolished, that increases the area to 11.6 acres. Kauffman Stadium’s lot currently takes up 18.8 acres, and the proposed stadium site for the East Crossroads was 17.3 acres.
“It is an urban ballpark site, so it’s going to be tighter,” Wullschleger says. “The width from Main to Grand is the same as the width from Main to Oak, which is where the [East Crossroads] site was. So, width is not an issue.”
Wullschleger says, in some ways, the tight quarters of an urban ballpark will add to its charm.
“We think we can still preserve some green space and park space,” he says. “It also gives us opportunities to do some collaborations with neighboring vendors.
“There’s a big difference in fan experience between suburban and urban [ballparks]. That downtown environment where people hang out at businesses or hotels surrounding the park … we have a lot of the coolest places in the city within walking distance.”
3D Development and its partners submitted plans for the project independent from the Royals, Kansas City, or Jackson County. As of now, there have been no decisions made about how the ballpark, which Wullschleger says will seat 35,000, will be paid for.
The East Crossroads development was, like the Truman Sports Complex, to remain in control of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. A 40-year, 3/8-cent sales tax was put to the county’s voters to help subsidize purchase of the land and stadium construction as well as providing structural updates to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs. But that tax issue was soundly voted down in April.
There is some talk this time around that funding for the Washington Square Park project can be raised without hitting up taxpayers. The stadium could be municipally owned. Revenue bonds similar to STAR bonds used in Kansas, which are repaid from tax revenue generated by the development, could be just one option.
What’s for certain now is that the Royals are going to have to state their intention of being fully on board with the idea before any serious discussions begin on how to pay for the ballpark. And, as of now, the Royals only comment on Washington Square Park is an official no comment, except to say through a spokesperson that, “the Royals have consistently said they’re open to exploring all options.”
WHAT NEIGHBORS SAY
Although it’s early in the process, putting a ballpark in Washington Square Park seems to have more than a few adjacent neighbors excited
about the prospects.
“I’ve been a resident and business owner in the neighborhood for 15 years, and I couldn’t be more for the location,” says Nicholas Grünauer, owner of Grünauer restaurant and the incoming president of the Crossroads Community Association. “Obviously, we need to know more about the plans. But I think it would be an excellent shot in the arm for downtown and the urban core. This site addresses concerns the neighborhood had. It seems like a slam dunk to me.”
Grünauer says he’s not concerned about extra congestion caused by pedestrians and street traffic coming into the area 81 evenings or days during an MLB season.
“If you look at the access from all directions … our neighborhood regularly has that number of people,” he says. “It’s just a matter of dispersal. If it is a problem, it’s a problem you like to have.
“I’d love to see this neighborhood become a 365-day neighborhood instead of just weekends.”
Matthew Naylor, president and CEO of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, says, “The proposed stadium development in Washington Square Park is an intriguing possibility. Enhancing economic opportunities in this area would provide benefits to residents and businesses, particularly given that nearly 80 percent of visitors to the National WWI Museum and Memorial come from out of town, often for sporting events.”
Gib Kerr, vice chair of the Downtown Council, points out that, while downtown represents only two percent of the city’s land area, it generates roughly 25 percent of earnings tax revenue, money that flows to all parts of the city.
“If we want a healthy city, we need a strong downtown,” Kerr says. “And nothing—nothing—would strengthen downtown more than a Major League Baseball stadium. This is our generation’s chance to really move the needle on Kansas City’s vitality. I hope we make the most of this incredible opportunity.”
Wullschleger says the site is pretty much shovel ready as soon as the project is green lit from all parties, and a stated target date for playing a game downtown is opening day of the 2028 Major League Baseball season.
“The site’s ready to start construction sooner than any other site,” he says. “Just clean and clear.
“We know this is good for downtown, and there’s a lot of excitement out there. Now, it’s up to investor parties to come together and get this done.
“I mean, if not this, then what?”
A rendering of the proposed Royals ballpark in Washington Square Park
grab it & go
Whether you’re a busy singleton with not enough time to even think about the next meal, or you have a spouse or entire family to feed and are too swamped to plan dinner tonight, much less cook one, you need to have at the ready some quick, easy meals that you can serve in a flash.
Convenience is what you need when it comes to meal planning. With a fine selection of shops, stores, and now even restaurants offering house-made menu items or grab-and-go meals you can heat and
eat at home, you can provide a feast for a family (and yourself) in minutes, if you know where to go and what to get.
To help you find your meal-planning mojo, here are a few places where you can quickly pick up something fresh and delicious for dinner tonight. You might even discover a new favorite dish you can drop into your weekly rotation.
Now that—and time spent eating around the table with your family—is worth its weight in gold.
words by Jenny Vergara
French Market
When the Quillec family moved their popular French Market to a much larger space in The Shops at Prairie Village, it allowed them to simply transform their operation into a one-stop shop to sip and savor. With a pretty dining room and full bar with both indoor and patio seating, the restaurant is bustling day and night. The market also grew with the inclusion of much larger grab-and-go cases filled with more prepared boxed meals, sides, soups, and salads, along with packaged
wine and beer. Their pastry counter offers delectable desserts and loaves of French bread to enjoy at home. Longtime customers are thrilled that they still carry retail items, including French dishware, table linens, and cookbooks perfect for that last-minute gift. frenchmarketkc.com
EV Grab & Go
Extra Virgin is a colorful and casual spot to land for delicious Mediterranean shared plates, fantastic cocktails, and excellent wine in the
Local Pig Baba’s Pantry
Crossroads. Now, Michael and Nancy Smith have expanded the seating for Extra Virgin into the former Michael Smith restaurant space, and opened a new market that sells an impressive selection of gourmet delights. Utilizing their enviable corner spot on Main Street, and with the original Michael Smith restaurant kitchen still intact, EV Grab & Go is making fresh pastas and a variety of sauces, dips, spreads, salads, lamb skewers, and duck meatballs you can pick up and enjoy at home. Shop the shelves stocked with gourmet olive oils, vinegars, marinated olives, cheeses, nuts, fresh herbs, produce, anchovies, and a ne selection of wine and cocktail ice to-go.
The Market at Meadowbrook
Open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., e Market at Meadowbrook sits in the middle of Meadowbrook Park, serving as a convenient social hub for those who live or work nearby. With the café menu
focused on casual, seasonal, house-made breakfast, lunch, and dinner items, you can also shop their fully-stocked market area and pick up meal planning staples. Choose from their selection of soups, stews, salads and sandwiches along with ready-to-reheat entrées and sides, including favorites like lasagna, shrimp pasta, barbecue pork, and chicken pot pie. ere are also take-and-bake cookies and cinnamon rolls you can make at home. themarketkc.com
Local Pig
e chef Alex Pope and his business partner, Matt Kafka, relocated their butcher shop, Local Pig, and their restaurant, Pigwich, to the City Market in 2019 to give their business room to grow—and grow it did. e move allowed Local Pig to expand its retail footprint to include more locally made food items as well as select local spirits and bottles of still and sparkling wine. Couple that with their excellent selection of sausages,
Left to right: Carne Diem Fine Meats & Pantry, Hemma Hemma, Ca etteria, Yoli Tortilleria
charcuterie, and various pickles, and dinner is done. But if you want to save your sausages for another meal, then round the corner to Pigwich and get a Pigwich pulled pork sandwich or the East Bottoms Burger and an order of French fries to eat for dinner tonight. localpig.com
Baba’s Pantry
Yahia Kamal has gone by a lot of nicknames in the more than 25 years he has been making Palestinian food for the people of Kansas City, but when it came to his family-run café and market, Baba’s Pantry, he goes by the name his family calls him: Dad. Inside the colorful storefront in East Brookside, you’ll find pita and wraps stuffed with creamy hummus, crunchy falafel, chicken shawarma and kebab meat, along with fresh salads, such as fattoush and tabouli. Don’t miss their fine selection of desserts. All menu items are made to order, and they’re meant to highlight the freshly made offerings in their refrigerated case so you can
enjoy them at home. babaspantrykc.com
Carne Diem Fine Meats & Pantry
The husband-and-wife culinary team of Sarah Nelson and Louis Guerrieri have opened the doors to their sleek new butcher shop and seafood spot, Carne Diem. The storefront offers cuts of beef, pork, chicken and duck from Barham Family Farms and lamb from Green Dirt Farm, along with their made-in-house sausages and sustainable seafood selection. But it’s the gourmet meal kits, prepared sandwiches, soups, salads and cheese and pantry staples, including tinned fish, pasta, sauces, and bread from Ibis Bakery, that you’ll head to for the handy grab-and-go selection. Wine and spirits also stock the shelves in the Briarcliff shop. carnediembutcher.com
Hemma Hemma
The word hemma means “at home” in Swedish, and that perfectly describes the style of food the chef and owner Ashley Bare is serving at her cute-as-a-button restaurant, cooking-class spot, and market located in the Waldo neighborhood. The market offers a variety of items that change weekly. You’ll find house-made soups, such as her fantastic Tomato Thai Basil, along with sandwiches, salads, and grain and veggie bowls. There are even heat-and-eat family-sized entrées and desserts. Swing in for lunch with a friend or for a coffee and pastry and leave with dinner for the whole family. hemmahemma.com
Caffetteria
Jo Marie Scaglia’s thoroughly modern café and market, Caffetteria, opened in The Shops of Prairie Village in 2018. Inspired by stylish cafés and coffee bars in Italy, Scaglia comes by her love of food honestly. Her menu reflects that, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner options along with a sizable market area where you can take a little love home with you. Her refrigerated cases are full of grab-and-go entrée meals lifted straight from her menu, including frozen house-made pizzas, enchiladas, lasagna, basil pesto salmon, and more. Look for queso dip, pimento cheese spread, hummus, chicken and tuna salads along with house-made salad dressings and sauces all packaged and ready to go. caffetteriamoderncafe.com
Yoli Tortilleria
Born and raised in Sonora, Mexico, owner Marissa Gencarelli started Yoli Tortilleria in Kansas City with her business partner and husband, Mark, in 2017, selling at farmers markets first, and then opening a small retail storefront and kitchen on Kansas City’s Westside. Today, you can find her James Beard award-winning stone-ground heirloom corn tortillas, Sonoran-style flour tortillas, totopos (corn chips), and salsas to feed your next fiesta. Additionally, Gencarelli has also added comforting scratch-made Mexican specialties that are ready to heat and eat at home, including chorizo burritos, tamales filled with pork, chicken, brisket, or vegetables and tlacoyos—blue-and-white corn masa filled with pinto beans and shredded queso Chihuahua. eatyoli.com
You Can
INTERIOR DESIGNER LAURA NORTON HELPS A FAMILY LAUNCH A NEW CHAPTER IN THE HUSBAND’S CHILDHOOD PRAIRIE VILLAGE HOME
Sometimes it’s a long and winding road, sometimes it’s serendipity that takes us back home. For this young family, it was a little bit of both.
A chance encounter paved the way for a return.
“We were living in Brookside, but we realized the house was too small for our growing family,” says the mom of two. “My husband’s mother is in real estate and she discovered the house he had lived in as a child was on the market.” A 1940s American traditional, the two-story had dormers and character, was on a quiet street with a large backyard. The interior also had a gothic vibe with dark beams, chunky metals, and lots of red.
“But when we walked in, this was exactly the kind of house I
words by Judith Fertig
photos by Aaron Leimkuehler
Above: This traditional Prairie Village home has evolved over the years, most recently with a new generation of former owners. Right: In the living room Thibaut’s Kalahari wallpaper lines the backs of bookcases displaying family treasures. An Abbey sofa with custom velvet upholstery completes the space.
Go Home Again
was looking for—the floorplan, the flow, the yard,” she says. With the help of designer Laura Norton, who is also a family friend, they achieved the “fresh, casual, easy breezy style with a mix of old and new,” the homeowner says. “I call it Grand Millennial. Stylish, easy to care for, not a lot of clutter, high quality. We wanted things that would last.”
Norton streamlined the decisions, which can be overwhelming, and sourced the best options. “She knew what she liked,” says Norton, “but it wasn’t from a photo in a magazine. It was a feeling. A concept.” Walls, ceilings, beams, and woodwork are painted in dif -
ferent finishes of Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. Coastal blues mix with textures—caning on the backs of dining room chairs and on cabinetry, rattan occasional tables, and woven bistro chairs. Contemporary lighting is anything but gothic. Performance fabrics mean that kids and the family dog can romp around. “Nothing is too precious,” the homeowner says.
As you walk in the front door, with the hallway smartened up with custom millwork, the office is to the right, with an antique desk, dark navy trim, and a plaid rug.
On the left, the living room is obviously the adult space, with re-
Above: Flanking the mirror in the living room are Alberto sconces from Visual Comfort. Opposite, top: Langham picture lights, large and comfy sofa, rattan coffee table, and throw pillows in Schumacher fabrics keep the family room fresh and uncluttered. Opposite, bottom: Thibaut grasscloth wallcovering, a Visual Comfort modern bamboo chandelier, and the caning on the chair backs weave texture through the room.
Right: Refurbished kitchen cabinets, thick quartzite countertops, and a pair of contemporary lantern pendants freshen up the kitchen. Woven bistro chairs from Serena & Lily can be hosed down outside.
Above: Custom gilded grillwork at the beverage station, complete with wine refrigerator.
Above: An antique desk takes pride of place in the office, with plaid Patterson Flynn carpet underfoot. Below: Schumacher’s iconic Bird & Thistle wallpaper and custom marble countertop and backsplash keep the powder bath elegantly simple. Opposite, top: The primary bedroom features a Serena & Lily bed, Matouk bedding, and Schumacher Watercolor fabric on the window seat. Opposite, bottom: Underfloor heating, a soaker tub, a vanity mirror with interior lighting from Ferguson, and tile from Designer’s Choice create a spa-like retreat.
purposed antique side chairs from the husband’s family and a sofa in a Delft blue cotton velvet. Family memorabilia and a three-dimensional charger from Christopher Filley dot the shelves. The homeowner found an antique base on Chairish and had the glass top custom made to create a coffee table.
Further down the hall, the dining room features a table (with an indestructible quartzite top) made by friend Adam Benton. It’s surrounded by MadeGood chairs with custom upholstery and a bit of caning detail.
Across the hall, the open kitchen already had great Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances. It just needed the cabinets painted, new hardware, and a new quartzite top for the generous island, surrounded by French bistro chairs from Serena & Lily that are eminently practical. “With two little boys who eat constantly, I can just take the chairs outside and hose them off,” the wife says. No muss, no fuss.
Even the great room, a family hangout space, works hard and looks good. A large sofa from Restoration Hardware stands up to roughhousing and spills. Dark walnut cabinetry surrounds the fireplace, with storage for games, books, and toys.
Upstairs the light and airy primary suite carries the blue-and-white theme with Matouk bedding. They created a window seat, which is where their dog likes to nap. The bath is also a marriage of practicality
and quiet luxury with a beautiful quilt-like marble-tile pattern on the floor, a generous walk-in shower, and his and her vanities—one of the keys to a happy marriage, the homeowner claims. She likes a soak in the sculptural tub, but “the boys like to play bridge with the wooden caddy when they take a bath,” she says.
On the lower level, the homeowners dug out a little more to find space for a guest room, a bar, another family hangout area, and a toy room.
The homeowner’s favorite moment is having coffee on the patio early in the morning. “It’s peaceful, like a Disney movie out here,” she says. “Owls, birds, squirrels. Just like we like it.”
The lower level luxury vinyl tile in a herringbone pattern, a tufted banquette from Pottery Barn, and a custom bar create a hangout space for adults to one side, with movie night and playroom areas in the back.
BY Jenny Vergara
Reservation for One AIXOIS SUD
For weeks the country watched as our incredible team of Olympic athletes performed in Paris, France. Everything from gymnastics to swimming and basketball to breakdancing, all the games were so inspiring to watch set against the backdrop of the Ei el Tower. For me, it mostly inspired my appetite for French food. I woke up wanting a café and a croissant for breakfast, salade niçoise for lunch, and moules-frites for dinner with crepes for dessert.
Lucky for me, Aixois Sud (South) opened right before the Summer Olympics kicked o , taking over the former Pig & Finch Gastropub
space in the Park Place shopping center in Leawood. e space had been vacant since 2022 when Emmanuel and Megan Langlade, who own Aixois Bistro in the Crestwood Shops, and the head chef Simon Soeun decided it was time to open a southern outpost of their popular French restaurant. Aixois Sud opened in late June.
Twenty-three years ago, Emmanuel and Megan Langlade opened their original Aixois bistro at the far west end of the historic Crestwood Shops, naming the restaurant after Emmanuel’s hometown in the south of France, Aix-en-Provence. Packed with hungry patrons from the moment they opened the doors in 2001, the menu has always re ected the
PHOTOS BY Aaron Leimkuehler
VERGARA
PHOTO BY JENNY WHEAT
chef’s favorite French bistro dishes, with a nice French wine list to match. The shady outdoor patio has always been a popular spot for neighbors to sit with a glass of wine or cup of coffee and enjoy views of lush green grass, tall trees and the cute cottage-style houses in the neighborhood.
The partners reached out to John O’Brien, owner of Hammer Out Design, with whom they had worked previously, for help making this former gastropub feel more like a chic Parisian bistro. A magic man with an artful eye, a builder’s soul, and a knack for finding the right antiques to give a place a sense of time and place, O’Brien and his team of artisans brought new charm to the space, adding plenty of dark wood, a handsome wine cellar and cherry-red upholstery on the French café chairs and banquettes. In the dining room, glossy mustard-colored tiles on the wall frame the open kitchen, and a smattering of white, round globe lights dot the space, giving it a proper Parisian bistro glow. Guests will find seating on one side of the bar with both high- and low-top tables surrounding it. Outside, a large patio faces Barkley Square centered
in the Park Place shopping center.
The menu is almost identical to the one at Aixois in Crestwood, with the notable exception of some pizzas that were added to the menu because the kitchen at Aixois Sud already had a pizza oven. As much as I love pizza, I knew what I was there to eat.
A chilly glass of perfectly pink Chateau Montaud Provence rosé and a fizzy Lillet Blanc spritz along with escargot bourguignon—Burgundy snails in garlic herb butter—kicked off our dinner. The basket of sliced French baguette and slab of European butter that arrived at our table simultaneously satisfied my French food craving with the first bite. Brown button mushrooms and tender escargot bobbed up and down in the bright green herbaceous and sinfully garlicky butter sauce that was eagerly sopped up with the bread.
The soup du jour, a zesty gazpacho listed on the specials menu, was made with perfectly ripened heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, garlic, vinegar, and an undefinable something that heightened
the perfect kick of heat. A drizzle of olive oil and slices of creamy avocado topped it off.
The menu featured four choices of steamed mussels: the traditional moules marinières, which are steamed with white wine, shallots, and fresh herbs; and three cream-based options: one with saffron, one with Roquefort blue cheese, and a new option with a curry cream sauce. The head chef Simon Soeun hails from Cambodia, where curry dishes are common, so that inspired my choice.
The perfectly steamed mussels were served in a squat, black-lidded pot. Inside, slick black mussel shells popped open to reveal the prize inside—a single bite of plump, moist, and tender meat. Although the intoxicating scent of each individual spice in the curry rose as I removed the lid, there was sadly little rich curry flavor in the cream sauce. It felt like the kitchen was fearful of adding too much curry in the dish. To that I say, people who order curry, want to taste the curry in the dish. However, the French fries aside the mussels were generously heaped on a large plate, and they were hot, thin, crispy, and perfectly seasoned. An absolute joy to eat, it almost made up for my less than curried cream sauce. Instead of dunking the fries in the sauce the mussels were steamed in, I requested mayo and ketchup.
The burger at Aixois Sud is playfully called the Royale with Cheese, which is a line from the movie Pulp Fiction. John Travolta relates that
at McDonald’s in Paris, they call a quarter pounder with cheese a royale with cheese because they use the metric system. Here, a royale with cheese is a thick, prime beef patty perfectly cooked to your preference, sandwiched between a soft bun, and topped with gooey gruyere cheese, lettuce, and tomato. It’s accompanied with the aforementioned fries and a mixed-greens salad that always tastes way more impressive than it looks due to the sublime French vinaigrette. It’s hard not to love a good bistro burger, and while the smash burger is having a moment in Kansas City, it was nice to bite into a thicker patty of ground beef for a change.
The dessert menu listed crepes filled with a variety of sweet things, and more traditional French desserts, such as profiteroles, mousse au chocolat, and Aixois’s famous île flottante. The floating island dessert consists of a steamed or baked meringue floating on a sea of crème anglaise. We discussed sharing but could not agree on which one, so we each ordered our own crepe. Each was folded into a perfect triangle and generously filled, one with rich, chocolate hazelnut spread and tart slices of strawberries, and the other slathered in that delicious European butter sprinkled with sugar, giving it a slight, sweet crunch.
With a restaurant this pretty serving a familiar French food and drink menu and a band of regulars thrilled to have this popular French bistro so close to their own home, Aixois Sud may not be competing for Olympic gold, but it looks like they are certainly winning. aixoisparkplace.com
by Jenny Vergara
In Your Cocktail MINERAL LOUNGE
When Wendy Sight opened KC Cork Dork, a wine storage and members-only tasting lounge in 2020, it was already in a primo spot—catty-corner from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts at 17th Street and Broadway Boulevard. The members-only lounge included a handsome marble bar with seating for 50 guests, right under the iconic Strahm Automation & Mailing neon sign that hangs on the outside of the building.
With 150-custom made, temperature-controlled wine lockers located in the back of the space and a luxurious and modern tasting room out front, KC Cork Dork was designed to make members feel both special and at home. They even raised the floor of the tasting room to offer
a better view of the Kauffman Center in addition to the urban hustle and bustle of the traffic coming and going along Broadway Boulevard.
With more people interested in the wine storage than using the tasting room, building owner Brian Dicker and Sight sat down with the team at Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen. Tannin also happened to be looking for a location where they could host private wine-tasting events and parties. A deal was struck, and for the last two years Tannin has been booking out the tasting room at KC Cork Dork for their own private events, expanding their own event and catering business in the process.
Seeing their success in the space, the partners came together again, this time to discuss the possibility of flipping the KC Cork
photo by Corie English
Atxa Pacharán Spritz
Dork tasting room into an intimate new bar and lounge. Mineral Lounge opened to the public in August, inspired by the food and wines of the Mediterranean, an expansive area comprised of many countries and parts of three continents.
Here, the chef Brain Aaron has assembled a creative menu of small plates with an eye on highlighting the flavors naturally found in Mediterranean cuisine. There’s a yellowtail crudo with capers and olives, bay scallop ceviche served with Spanish potato chips, heirloom tomato bruschetta, a charred carrot salad with crumbled goat cheese and pistachios, and Spanish tinned fish served with stuffed peppadews, olives, and crusty bread. For dessert, the creamy Turkish coffee panna cotta with toasted phyllo is a must to end your meal.
Each of the dishes were designed to complement the curated list of wines from all over the Mediterranean, including from France, Spain, and Italy as well as those from Greece, Lebanon, and Slovenia. The general manager and wine director, Barry Tunnell, is especially proud to be serving wines from long-established wineries, such as Chateau Musar located in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and Domaine Tempier located in Bandol, Provence, France.
But wine isn’t their only forte here, as a full cocktail menu is available along with non-alcoholic selections. The refreshing spritzes are all lower in alcohol and made with wines and spirits that tie back to the Mediterranean, like their Spanish-inspired Atxa Pacharán Spritz.
Pacharán is a sloe berry-infused liqueur, with ancient roots in the Basque country of Spain. It comes from a family recipe that uses two different maceration steps, one involving locally picked sloe berries and the other mixing three different kinds of anise. The product of both is then blended with sugar and more alcohol before it is bottled, giving it a distinctive red color and smooth, rich licorice flavor. Pair that with some sparkling wine and water for a refreshing lower-alcohol sipper you can easily make at home or enjoy at Mineral Lounge the next time you are in the neighborhood. mineralkc.com
Atxa Pacharán Spritz
1.5 ounces Atxa Pacharán
2 ounces Suriol Brut Nature Cava
2 ounces Mineragua Sparkling Water
1 star anise
Mix the first three ingredients in a Collins glass, add ice, and stir to combine. Top with a star anise for garnish.
by Jenny Vergara
Flavor IN KC In Culinary
MILDRED’S
FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, Debbie Luce Ashby and her sons, Evan and Clayton, have been serving the coffee, cooking the bacon, and steaming the eggs for their popular breakfast sandwich simply known as The Standard at Mildred’s. Now with two locations, one in the Crossroads Arts District and the other in downtown Kansas City, the local breakfast and lunch spot has announced plans to open a third location in the South Plaza area. Mildred’s will open in late fall after some renovations to the location that was formerly Mission Taco Joint. It’s located on the main floor of 51 Main apartment building, close to UMKC, the Country Club Plaza, and Brookside. Both the menu and hours will likely remain the same as its sister locations, but they plan to create a real workspace in the mezzanine upstairs, with more outlets and seating. mildredskc.com
A convergence of art and ideas, ArtSmash is a unique event that brings us together in support—and celebration—of the art of our
Honorary Chair
Bebe Kemper Hunt
Co-Chairs
Kim Hinman and Tyler Enders
Rachel Sexton and Brian King
Artist Honoree
Petah Coyne
November 2, 2024
sponorship and ticket info at gala.kemperart.org
Flavor IN KC
BY Jenny Vergara
In Culinary News
NOAH’S DELICATESSEN & MARKET
AFTER CLOSING THE DOORS to Noah’s Cupboard, the remarkable farm-to-table tiny restaurant located in Weston, the chef Nick Martinkovic and his wife, Andrea, have reopened in the same space as Noah’s Delicatessen & Market. For the last six months, the couple has been lling the cases with food items based on some of the favorite Noah's Cupboard dinner menu items so that now you can enjoy them at home. ere’s a selection of cured deli meats, local and house-made breads and cheeses, fresh cuts of meat, and homemade pastas, along with a pantry section lled with their favorite ingredients. Stop in and grab a sandwich or sticky to ee pudding you can take to-go. Additionally, they are using the space to host intimate cooking classes. A recent class highlighted some of Nick’s favorite dishes from Asian cuisine, with each evening ending in a three-course meal. Nick is also available to cook for private dinners and small events. You can book those by emailing noahscupboard@gmail.com. Noah’s Delicatessen & Market is open ursday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. eatnoahscupboard.com
Kansas City Marathon—KC Sports Commission
KC’s largest race event goes past the most beautiful landmarks and through the coolest neighborhoods in the city. Historic Lecompton— lecomptonkansas.com Visit historic Lecompton and learn the impact that the Kansas Territorial Capital had on the beginnings of the Civil War.
Faces IN KC
Renovation Sensation Patron Party
ON SEPTEMBER 17, the Renovation Sensation Homes Tour patrons party was held at the home of Amy Carter and Drake Zschoche. Renovation Sensation is the primary fundraising event for the Shawnee Mission East High School SHARE program, which is a student-led organization that encourages students to volunteer through student-led projects. For more photos, go to inkansascity.com/events.
christopher smith
by
photos
A Memoir Set in Kansas City and Wichita
Jackie’s naïve promiscuous behavior contradicts her determination to care for Jenny. e overarching reality is a God that Jackie has not taken seriously—until she has to.
November 21–24
PERFORMANCES
Thursday – November 21 – 7:00 pm
Friday – November 22 – 7:00 pm
Saturday – November 23 – 10:00 am | 2:30 pm | 7:00 pm
Sunday – November 24 – 1:00 pm For a $50 Family 4 Pack, use code: Fam4
Cable Dahmer Arena
My Essentials IN KC
Liz’s essentials...
I’m a big fan of Made in KC. It’s my go-to shop in Corinth Square. We see our friends in Minneapolis regularly now that my daughter is a student at UMN, and they are always appreciative of the Charlie Hustle T-shirts and shuttlecock merch we bring up north.
LIZ BENDITT
ENTREPRENEUR. GIVER. SURVIVOR. by Evan Pagano
In 2000, Liz Benditt moved from California to Kansas City to be closer to her mother, who was recovering from breast cancer. She fully expected the relocation to be temporary.
Twenty years later, she launched e Balm Box, a cancer care package service, from her Leawood home. “Kansas City has taken such amazing care of me and my family,” she says today. “ e people I love most are all here—it is my forever home.”
Benditt was diagnosed with cancer for the rst time in 2009. She survived, and she’s survived ve cancers since. e treatments had agonizing side e ects, and as she got through them, she noticed a disconnect between cancer survivors’ needs and the gifts they receive. Well-intentioned loved ones brought Benditt pink apparel as she underwent radiation treatment for breast cancer, but what she really needed was relief. Her skin was in pain—she needed ice packs, lotions, lip balms, and something to keep her arm’s weight o her body.
In 2020, Benditt put out a survey asking cancer survivors about items they felt were helpful in their treatment. “ e items that got the best scores were all functional,” she says. And when she asked friends and family of people with cancer how they feel, the most frequent response was “hopeless.”
Four years ago this month, she created e Balm Box to help both groups. e Overland Park-based business provides specialized gift boxes to ease the side e ects of speci c cancer treatments. Some include wire-free bandeau bras and padded seat belt covers; others include anti-nausea products and eyebrow pencils. For survivors and caregivers, e Balm Box provides relief. thebalmbox.com
SELF CARE:
I’ve been a client at Lumine Salon in Waldo for more than ve years. Colby is my stylist, and I’ve put her in charge of my hair color. Without Colby, I’d be a truly frumpy frump! She keeps me feeling and looking just a bit younger than the number on my driver’s license.
bras and padded seat belt covers; others include anti-nausea products and Taco
GET BOOZY:
I love a well-made margarita, and one of my favorite spots for one is Republic in Prairie Village.
BEST BITE:
I love sitting on the patio with a giant bowl of tortilla chips and spicy salsa and a gaggle of friends. It’s my happy place!
HIDDEN GEM:
Whenever we have friends come visit from out of town, my favorite place to bring them is the Arabia Steamboat Museum in the River Market. It’s such a unique and interesting place. I also love that it’s family-owned and operated!
LOCAL MAKER:
My favorite restaurant in KC is Billie’s Grocery in Ranch Mart. Depending on whether I’m feeling sweet or salty, I go for a gluten-free cinnamon roll (which are to die for—even my non-GF family loves them) or a lox and bagel plate with monster-sized capers.
Rachel Huck runs a business called Polish Your Parts. She makes phenomenal skincare products that are all-natural, vegan, and paraben-free. Her lavender-scented lotion is ah-mazing, but I also adore her mint lotion and lip balms.
photo by aaron lindberg
Sid Mashburn | Greyson Clothiers | Saint James | Drake’s | Seaward & Stearn | Edwin | Jack Donnelly | Sunspel
Chrysalis | Original Madras Trading Co. | Bennett Winch | Joseph Cheaney & Sons | Sanders Shoes | Pastori
