IN Kansas City September 2023

Fash fall as ion

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER

1his is our Oyster case, the world's first waterproof wristwatch case, conceived by Rolex in 1926 and patented. A one-of-a-kind feature, which holds within it an intricate world of cogs and minutely crafted parts. Made ofsome ofthe most refined alloys, the Oyster case is incomparably resistant to all sorts of external aggressions. Yet no object so hermetic, so immovable, has ever opened the door to so many

possibilities. With its original patented design consisting ofa bezel,a case backand a winding crown screwed down against the middle case, it profoundly changed the course of watchmaking history and set new standards of waterproofness for all wristwatches. To this day, the Oyster case continues to protect our watches and our movements within them. It stands as undeniable proof of our constant quest for reliability.

#Perpetual

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Raja

JULIE BLACKMON

MAKING SURE YOUR DIAMOND IS NOT JUST SEEN, BUT SOLD

THE DIAMOND BANC PERSPECTIVE

For people wishing to sell their diamond jewelry, the path to a sale might seem difficult, but it can be more straightforward—and rewarding— than they imagine.

Situated in the jewel that is the Country Club Plaza, Diamond Banc shines in the diamond realm, presenting Kansas Citians with opportunities to monetize their jewelry. Diamond Banc’s attractive services include immediate sale, Jewelry Equity Loan, or their Sellers Agent Service.

Sicily Von Overfelt, director of Diamond

Banc’s Kansas City branch, breaks down Diamond Banc’s Sellers Agent Service and how it surpasses conventional diamond consignment.

UNDERSTANDING THE EMOTIONAL VALUE OF DIAMONDS

No matter the client’s personal story or reason for selling, Overfelt knows that diamonds often have a multi-faceted value. "Diamonds are more than a pricey piece of jewelry; they are carriers of memories and emotions,” she says. “That’s why it’s im-

portant to find a balance between the sentimental value and the current market value of the diamond.”

THE REALITY OF DIAMOND CONSIGNMENT

Sellers might have the misconception that every diamond on consignment will be sold. The reality is that many diamonds simply go unsold and become museum pieces. “Some consignors might paint a rosy picture with high selling prices, but the real metric of success is the percent-

age of diamonds that actually result in a closed sale.”

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CONSIGNOR

For people wanting to sell their diamonds, navigating the consignment waters can be daunting. Sicily advises choosing a consignor known for integrity and dedication. "It's imperative to collaborate with someone who understands the current market and is wholeheartedly invested in ensuring your diamond sells," she advises. "At Diamond Banc, our interests are intrinsically tied to our sellers. That’s why we describe ourselves as a ‘Sellers Agent’ instead of ‘consignor.’ Our primary goal is ensuring our client secure the highest return on their diamonds."

COMMON MISSTEPS IN THE CONSIGNMENT PROCESS

Sometimes clients wanting to sell their diamonds focus on the wrong thing—profit splits.“While it's essential to understand the financial dynamics, the more pressing question should revolve around the consignor's ability to secure a compelling selling price and, more crucially, finalize the sale," she emphasizes. “The question clients should ask is: How many diamonds

have they sold on consignment?” A higher profit split means nothing if the diamond does not sell.”

HOW DIAMOND BANC’S SELLERS AGENT SERVICE WORKS

“Our exclusive Sellers Agent Service ensures that Diamond Banc and our clients have a shared goal of maximizing the value of their diamond,” maintains Overfelt.

To maximize its value, the diamond needs to be seen by as many potential buyers as possible. Diamond Banc employs an exclusive nationwide marketing strategy, prominently featuring the diamond on various platforms, including the renowned Rapnet.com, which is the world's largest diamond dealer platform. Throughout the process, “Diamond Banc prioritizes the strict confidentiality of our client’s identity,” explains Overfelt. “Once the diamond sells, we provide a comprehensive closing statement that outlines all the financial details of the transaction.”

She adds, “You can think of our Sellers Agent Service as an elevated version of traditional consignment. At Diamond Banc, your diamond doesn’t sit in our case for months waiting for the ‘perfect’ buyer to hopefully walk through the door. We

actively work on your behalf, marketing your diamond nationwide to ensure your diamond sells.”

FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM

Overfelt o ers some parting advice for diamond owners considering selling their diamonds through consignment: "Always conduct thorough research before committing. Choose a consignor who understands your diamond's worth and is committed to selling your diamond. Remember, true success in diamond consignment isn't just listing, but ensuring that the diamond captivates the right buyer. And that's our daily mission at Diamond Banc."

With Diamond Banc’s Sellers Agent Service, you aren't just finding a firm to sell your diamond—you're gaining a trusted partner in the industry. “Our combination of expertise and unparalleled service ensures your diamond is not just seen but sold,” she says. Find out what Diamond Banc’s Sellers Agent Service can do for you at diamondbanc.com

Sicily Von Overfelt is a GIA Diamonds Graduate with over 16 years of experience in the jewelry industry and 10+ years with Diamond Banc. She began her career in retail diamond sales, where she gained extensive experience with designer brands, the intricacies of the diamond market and providing luxury client experience. Sicily is the Director of Diamond Banc in Kansas City, authenticating and purchasing pre-owned luxury designer jewelry, diamonds, and watches from the public.

Cover Story

Here’s to five years of producing creative covers 12 times a year, some more popular among our team than others. Each of us has our favorite; we wanted to share them with you.

October 2018

It’s one of the prettiest food pics I’ve ever seen, and it always makes me hungry!

Krista Markley

August 2019

It seems like she is just holding on to a few more days of summer—like I am now!

Nicole Kube Fall Arts

January 2021

Maybe I’m a bit biased because I took the photo, but I love the bright happy colors— plus it features my favorite thing to eat at Billie’s Grocery!

Alice Govert Bryan

April 2022

Such a fresh, clean cover—it’s a delicious dish from a new restaurant and it’s beautiful photography.

Michelle Jolles

July 2019

Summer is my favorite season, and something about that cover brought me back to great summer memories as a kid!

Katie Delzer Summertime!

December 2018

Vol. 6 | No. 9

SEPTEMBER 2023

Editor In Chief Zim Loy

Digital Editor Liz Schroeder

Art Director Alice Govert Bryan

Contributing Writers Judith Fertig, David Frese, Cindy Hoedel, Cody Hogan, Damian Lair, Patricia O’Dell, Jenny Vergara

Coale

It’s so beautiful it looks like it’s from a movie! Kansas City really comes alive during the holidays. Brittany

October 2020

Derrick Nnadi has had such a giant impact with his partnership with KC Pet Project, and that dog is so cute!

Liz Schroeder

November 2021

I love the holiday season and spending it with family making fun treats and dishes.

Josie Rawlings

May 2019

It was our special Pet Issue, and that’s my dog Major on the cover. He looks so happy!

Zim Loy

Those are our favorites. How about yours?

Zim

Contributing Photographers Amber Deery, Corie English, Kenny Johnson, Aaron Leimkuehler

Publisher Michelle Jolles

Media Director Brittany Coale

Senior Media Consultants Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley, Josie Rawlings

Business Consultant Chad Parkhurst

Newsstand Consultant

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

Editorial Questions: zloy@inkansascity.com

Advertising Questions: bcoale@inkansascity.com

Distribution Questions: mjolles@inkansascity.com

Magazine Subscriptions: Mail: IN Kansas City Subscriptions PO Box 292374, Kettering, OH 45429 Phone: 888-881-5861 Email: SUBS@inkansascity.com Subscribe Online: inkansascity.com/subscribe

Discourse is brewing—literally.

A new Overland Park brewery is causing a stir. Owner Matt Britton has been renovating a 2,975-square-foot space in Windmill Square to prepare for the September opening of Discourse Brewing. Partnering with his wife, Amanda Luiso, Britton has overhauled the space into a local neighborhood spot that highlights the brewing process. Britton, a former history teacher, sat down with us to talk about his vision, fostering community, and how everything came together. Find the full interview at inkansascity.com

ENTER TO WIN

Radiating beauty. Get your glow on this fall! Overland Park’s Radiance Beautiful Skin is o ering a spa experience like no other. e team at Radiance knows many factors contribute to the health and appearance of your skin and tailors each experience to the individual. Enter to win a $100 gift card towards any of their facial or brow services—including hydrafacials, dermaplaning, and anti-aging treatments. Try your luck, and treat yourself! Enter by September 30 at inkansascity.com/ the-magazine/enter-to-win

Ye olde festival. Rain or shine—the Renaissance Festival goes on! rough October 15, every weekend gets medieval. Our favorite costumed jousters, jugglers, and royal court jesters come out to entertain in the Bonner Springs fairgrounds. Beginning in 1977, the festival is the largest Renaissance Faire in the Midwest. We spoke to historical blacksmith Rita urman on the trade of swordcraft, learning the ropes behind such a long-running festival, and how to stand the heat. Find the full interview at inkansascity.com

A miniature museum inside a miniatures museum. Full-size museums are so last month. e National Museum of Toys and Miniatures is opening the Miniature Art Museum on September 9. e museum-in-a-museum concept was created by Los Angeles-based artist Chris Toledo, and it’s housed right here in Kansas City. Despite featuring ve gallery rooms with curated exhibits of more than 30 miniature artworks, this is one museum you won’t be able to get lost in (though it will be tempting). Check out inkansascity.com for the story.

@inkansascitymagazine

@inkansascitymag

Social calendar need a reboot? Discover the most comprehensive calendar in the metro—art galleries, dance, theater, social events, food, music and so much more at inkansascity.com/events.

We represent the vendors and offer the best design resources in the industry. top

This Month IN KC

September

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE

by Liz Schroeder

SEPTEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Night at the Tower

September 30

KC Underground Film Festival

September 7 to 16

Charlotte Street Foundation kcunderground lmfest.com

SCREEN TIME. Kansas City’s independent movie scene is thriving, largely due to the annual Underground Film Festival and Film Society KC. With a mission to bring under seen and underappreciated independent lms to the community, the festival holds free, monthly screenings year-round at the Stray Cat Film Center, culminating in this fall’s juried festival—also completely free and open to the public. Last year’s festival brought 91 lms from 20 countries, including 26 local titles, and they’re just getting started.

Art Westport

September 8 to 10

Westport westportkcmo.com/ artwestport

LOCAL COLOR. Located in the historic Westport District, Art Westport is currently Kansas City’s only outdoor art show and festival that exclusively showcases local artists. Painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and pottery exhibitions annually attract more than 30,000 visitors. e show features a maximum of 150 artists, including a special “Emerging Artist” section for those artists who are exhibiting their work for the rst time. Walk the streets of Westport and celebrate local artists for the 43rd year in a row.

National WWI Museum and Memorial theworldwar.org/night-tower

OH, WHAT A NIGHT.

is isn’t a regular sit-down gala—it’s a fun gala! Dine the night away in support of Kansas City’s National World War I Museum and Memorial. As our nation’s only museum sharing stories of WWI through the eyes of those who lived it, the museum is in a unique position to keep history alive. e gala promises fun, entertainment, and an opportunity to support a local cultural icon in furthering its mission. Plus, who could say no to an after-hours museum party?

Plaza Art Fair

September 22 to 24

Country Club Plaza plazaartfair.com

FINE ART. You’ll know when the Plaza Art Fair is in town. Encompassing nine city blocks in the heart of the Country Club Plaza, this national art event annually brings a crowd of over 250,000 to our community to celebrate art, artists, and each other. One weekend is hardly enough time to browse through 240 artists, three live music stages, and booths from local restaurants. Come early and bring your wallets—or get ready for a serious case of regret.

18th and Vine Arts Festival

September 29 to October 1

18th and Vine District

18thandvineartsfest.com

ON THE VINE. Celebrate Black art during the new 18th and Vine arts festival! e inaugural three-day event includes art from many di erent artistic disciplines, including outside the visual arts. An Afro-futuristic fashion show shows o the textile skills of many local makers, and live music and food vendors round out the weekend. Find out how art is breaking through barriers, nding new innovation through tech, and honoring heritage.

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

Get Your Elbows Off My Column

OUR ACE OF ENTERTAINING GIVES A BRIEF PRIMER ON TABLE MANNERS

As I write this, I am awaiting a shipment from Italy of eight summery-looking ceramic dinner plates ordered on a July trip to the Amalfi Coast. By the time they arrive, I fear they won’t be the most seasonal-looking thing for an autumn dinner gathering. Perhaps you are rolling your eyes, reader, at my attempt to casually drop that I have recently been on vacay in Italy. As long as I am humblebragging, I’ll add that after my week there, I spent a week in Portugal. A very fun and beautiful vacation.

But I digress. The reason I liked the yetto-arrive dinner plates is because they are large enough to double as service plates, also known as chargers, the underplates that anchor a first course, and which are meant to be cleared away for the entrée course, never to return until the next dinner party. I learned that last bit rather late in my hostessing career from my friend Jim Blair, Kansas City’s own version of Lawrence Lefferts,* when we were helping serve a charity dinner party. I was abashed to think of all the dinners I’d hosted, ignorant of the charger rule. I write a column. I’m supposed to know these

by Merrily Jackson

photo by Corie English

*In Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, Lawrence Lefferts is considered the utmost authority on “form” in New York Society.

The Elbow Question

FOR ALL WE HEAR about “elbows off the table,” there are some situations where elbows are not only permitted on the table but actually necessary. This is true in noisy restaurants or clubs, where the only way to hear above the music and chatter is to lean far forward. Just as a point of vanity, we all look far more graceful leaning forward supported by our elbows than doubled forward over hands in our lap. At a home dinner party, elbows may be on the table because we have to lean forward in order to talk to a companion at a distance across the table. The best conversations often happen when we are lingering over a completed meal, and it’s perfectly fine to do so with your elbows on the table. But never put your elbows on the table when you are eating.

things. And if you’re reading this column, you probably want to know these things, or maybe you feel you could use a refresher, or affirmation that you’re doing things properly. Here then, are a few points about table manners.

RELAX, HAVE FUN AND MANGIA, MANGIA!

Sharing a meal is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Both as guests and hosts, most of us are enjoying ourselves too much to scrutinize other people’s table manners, unless they do something egregious, like summon an Uber and leave in the middle of the main course (yes, that really happened at one of my dinner parties). In fact, I can forgive a guest almost anything if they are adding bounce to the conversation. Still, it feels good to have confidence that one is choosing the right fork.

UTENSILS: WORK FROM THE OUTSIDE IN

The placement of utensils is based on simple logic dictated by the order in which they will be used. Forks are placed on the left of the plate: the one farthest from the plate is for the course you eat first. The same applies to knives. Etiquette books will tell you knives should be placed with cutting sides closest to the plate, one for each course, on the right of the plate, with the one to be used first farthest from the plate.

I will tell you I seldom have a dinner party so fancy it requires the use of two knives. I have exactly 12 place settings of my Joan of Arc sterling pattern, which means I have 12 dinner knives. But please know, darling, you don’t need silver flatware—or chargers!— to have a wonderful dinner party. Your everyday flatware is fine, and it doesn’t even need to match. Use your best stuff joyfully, no matter how humble it is. People are thrilled to be invited to your house for a meal. Always, always remember that.

NO SOUP FOR YOU!

When soup is the first course, the soup spoon is placed to the right of the knife or knives. Opinions vary on where the soup spoon goes when a soup or stew is the main course. If I’m serving Terry Anderson’s divine White Chili (email me for the recipe), I put the soup spoon in the same spot I would the dinner fork. But you could, when setting your table for a soup-centered dinner, plop those spoons down to the right of the knife and be perfectly correct.

When, as a diner, you are finished with your soup, put your spoon on the underplate, or anywhere it won’t flip over when being cleared. By the way, all dishes are supposed to be served from the left and cleared from the right, but sometimes we’re talking and clearing, and we forget and who cares, anyway? We’re not professional servers.

FORK OFF, DUDE

Any silverware directly above the plate is for dessert. I always leave dessert utensils off the table until I serve the final course, because to have that dessert flatware staring at me feels like I’m at a fundraiser in a hotel ballroom. But that’s just me.

If you’re setting your table for a dinner party, leave off any flatware that won’t be used for the meal, even though it may be part of a proper place setting. Extra flatware clutters the table and confuses guests.

LET’S BE CLEAR ABOUT GLASSWARE

At a minimum, crystal at a dinner party should include glasses for wine and water. Stemmed wine glasses look prettiest on a table, but

I have been at casual dinner parties where stemless wine glasses were used for both water and wine, and no one cared. Stemmed wine glasses have a tapered bowl while water goblets are rounder and flatter where the stem meets the bowl.

No order-of-usage maxims prevail with stemware. Set the taller glasses toward the center of the table, and the water glasses just above the knife on the right.

WHEN YOU’RE PUTTIN’ ON THE DOG

For a formal dinner, put out separate wine glasses for each different wine you plan to serve during the meal except for dessert wine or liqueur, such as a limoncello; these make their appearance along with the dessert service. If you plan to serve Champagne as your dessert wine, place Champagne glasses on the table from the beginning. Glasses don’t all need to be of the same pattern; it’s fine to mix. Many dinners I go to are casual enough that people just bring to the table the wine glasses from which they were drinking during cocktails.

You want your glasses to be impeccably spotless, for both aesthetic and hygienic reasons. Our dishwasher machines can’t be trusted to remove spots. Use a lint-free cotton or linen cloth to wipe each glass. Then set it by its stem on the table.

A FEW POINTS OF GUEST ETIQUETTE

Leave your phone off the table unless you have a babysitter at home or other extenuating circumstances.

If you find you need to remove food from your mouth during the meal, it should be taken away the same way it entered. Did you take the bite using a spoon? Extract the food using that spoon. The same goes if you use a fork or your fingers.

Please resist the temptation to discuss politics, religion, sex, money, or anything in excruciating detail.

SUNDRY BITS OF ADVICE FOR HOSTS

Ring a pleasant-sounding little bell to signal your guests that the cocktail hour is over and it’s time to move to the table. This feels so much more genteel than using your voice to interrupt their conversation. Drinks should be served in glasses only half full—not out of stinginess, but because people gesticulate when talking and the drinks slosh over.

Remember to keep the centerpiece well below eye level so guests can see each other.

It’s not stuffy to use place cards; guests really appreciate knowing where you want them to sit after you’ve gone to all the work of hosting. Have fun with your place cards. Use endearments or nicknames to make your guests feel loved. Sit people boy girl boy girl, not next to their spouses.

Always use cloth napkins for a dinner party. Paper cocktail napkins are fine any time, although linen cocktail napkins add an extra bit of swank. Set out pretty little bottles of Pellegrino or Perrier water for guests to take for the ride home. People are thankful for the extra hydration and it’s a hospitable way to signal the party is winding down.

by Damian Lair

dlair@inkansascity.com

: @damianlair #OurManINKC

Party in the USA

On a relatively mild and storm-free summer evening, I met a longtime friend and Broadway a cionado (and Leawood Chamber of Commerce CEO), Stephanie Meyer, for an evening at Starlight Theatre

Each time I approach the ten-story, grand Shakespearian tower-framed stage, I get a jolt of endorphins. It’s as if my body senses how fortunate we are to have one of just two remaining outdoor Broadway-producing theaters in the U.S. It’s hard to believe that, were it not for Queen Marie of Romania’s 1925 visit to Kansas City—and funds that resulted from the musical showcase in her honor—we may not have this renowned venue. Did you know?

In the years since, the nearly 8,000-person amphitheater has undergone a series of major changes. Depending on when you last visited, you’ll likely notice many updates and additions. ere are large LED screens on both sides of the stage for a zoomed-in view of the performers. Four ultra-quiet mega fans in the seating bowl now generate a gentle, cooling breeze. [High-summer pro tip—you are cooled even further by air conditioning coming from the climate-controlled stage if you snag tickets in the very front section.] ere’s also a museum chronicling Starlight’s long history and more robust pre-show dining options (more on that in a bit).

e occasion for Stephanie and me meeting at Starlight was a late-summer “Party in the USA.” Who doesn’t love a big blowout (Stars and Stripes bunting included) for America? Having nothing to do (sadly) with the same-titled and greatest Miley Cyrus song of all time, the evening was instead centered around a musical neither of us had yet experienced: 1776

1776 originally debuted on Broadway in 1969, winning three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It was made into a lm in 1972 and revived on Broadway in 1997 and 2022. is all-new production was a Kansas City debut. e musical is based on events leading up to the

Declaration of Independence signing, telling the story of John Adams’s efforts to persuade his Continental Congress colleagues to vote for American independence and sign the declaration document.

HOT GOSSIP:

Who was locked out of the house as punishment for late-night lawn shenanigans?

is latest 1776 revival production was exclusively cast with people who identify as female, transgendered, or non-binary. e non-traditional casting model, called conceptual casting (or conscious casting), is when a non-white actor, female actor, or actor with a disability is cast in a role to give the performance greater resonance. It’s a deliberate choice, intended to punctuate the issues being addressed onstage for the audience. I found it interesting how, through casting, one is coaxed into thinking a little more deeply about some topics—e.g., fundamental rights, women’s roles, slavery, etc.—when gender and race have been dropped into a theatrical blender. ink, Hamilton with its primarily Black cast. Which, on the note of Hamilton, it’s impossible not to compare these two early-American history, conceptually cast sagas. With both of us being major U.S. history and politics nerds, the 1776 storyline was a fun way to reconnect to that history—and frankly, each other. I’m here to report, however, it was no Hamilton. Still

Damian Lair at Starlight Theatre for the musical 1776.

Our Man IN KC

completely fun, thought-provoking, engaging, and worthy of an evening of outdoor live theater.

Prior to the performance, we thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor patio barbecue buffet and cocktails for a “dinner and a show” experience. There were beef brisket burnt ends (smoked on site), cherry-smoked chicken, mac ‘n’ cheese, cornbread, buttered corn cobs, and fruit cobblers. It was everything I needed to feel proudly American. Indoors, there was an alternate (less backyard, but still very American) buffet. We were happy with our choice to dine alfresco, though. Both options are available throughout the summer Broadway series at Starlight and offer a more proper alternative to the concession stands, which themselves have seen a major upgrade. While (thankfully) you can still get nachos with fluorescent-yellow cheese, options also include pizza, veggies and hummus, burgers, street tacos, etc. While waiting for the show to begin, we also got to test our show-tune knowledge with some Broadway-themed music bingo.

Finally, just because summer is drawing to a close doesn’t mean you must wait until next year’s season to enjoy live performing arts at Starlight. The venue’s indoor off-season programming provides entertainment year-round and focuses on small comedies, musicals, parodies, and more unconventional shows. The autumn/winter schedule is forthcoming.

DOWNTOWN IS LIT

PERIODICALLY, I like to use this space (especially during party-quiet times, à la late summer) for unstructured adventuring. Often, I’ll choose a part of the city I haven’t properly explored lately—or at all. With that sense of discovery in mind, I invited a group of good friends to join me for a Saturday in downtown Overland Park.

We met late morning at the biggest Saturday draw in the area: the Overland Park Farmers Market. There, next to Clock Tower Square, you will find an eye-popping hive of activity. If endless vegetable stands come to mind, you’ve mirrored my own misperceptions. There was fresh local produce—yes. But because I was days away from a long vacation, I was not in the market for perishables. Had I been, there was a bounty of formidable options.

HOT GOSSIP:

First on my agenda was something to eat. Fortunately, I stumbled upon the Green Truck Bakery, and spotted the perfect, flaky pain au chocolat. Green Truck’s presence at the market is an extension of its shop in Warrensburg. My friends each helped themselves to generous hunks of my breakfast, and we were on our way.

Who chucked a storied philanthropy’s scrapbook in a recent feng shui cleanse?

Nearby, I spotted a stand for Kansas City Canning Co.. While their cocktail shrubs looked delicious, I smartly veered toward items I could mix into my

OVERHEARD

“I

occasional evening salads at home. It’s still “swimsuit season” after all. I picked up some candied jalapeños and pickled red onions (to the inevitable shock of many—I typically make my own). Still hungry, we also swung by Prairie Village-based Dolce Bakery for a nice lemon poppyseed scone and one of their adorable “cake cups.” If you’re sensing a trend, you’re on to something. Many of the farmers market vendors are familiar local shops with brick-and-mortar storefronts planted in other parts of the city.

With our market path complete, we sauntered to the main drag— Santa Fe Drive. It’s worth mentioning that Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop has a brand-new location in OP—right next to the clock tower where we began. We passed by, however, because my UberEats app can verify that I’m already very familiar with their delivery menu. We were here to try new things—next! Still too early for lunch, but also still hungry, we dropped into Kate Smith Soirée. Their rows of delicate French macarons were singing my name, but we were in the mood for something savory. In the spirit of sharing, we ordered a bacon, egg and cheese croissant and a prosciutto caprese sandwich. My velociraptor-style splitting of the items left my friends nonplussed. But the food itself was absolutely top-notch. And the shop is adorable. I’ll also add that a while back, I enrolled in the bakery’s macaron cooking class at Lenexa Public Market, and it was the coolest experience. Highly recommend.

Speaking of cooking classes, our next stop was the Kitchen Shop We were entranced by the array of both unusual and useful kitchen gadgetry. Onion-cutting goggles anyone? On the more handsome side, they had a full array of premium larch-wood cutting boards and a library of solid cookbooks. My friend picked up Stanley Tucci’s The Tucci Cookbook. If you haven’t watched his Italian cooking travel series on CNN, you must. Besides retail, the Kitchen Shop offers a diverse variety of cooking classes (more than 600 per year) at their massive cooking center behind the shop. Check out their ever-rotating course calendar online.

Making our way down the street, we dropped into the General Store & Co.—positively the most precious shop we’d visit that day. It’s a modern mercantile that’s chock-a-block bursting with design-conscious curiosities and gifts. If you’re a Mixture fan—they’ve got you covered from personal fragrance to laundry to candles. Trapp and Company and Pickwick & Co. are also well-represented with full candle lines as well. There’s wall art, books, socks, T-shirts, puzzles, nostalgic candies, and children’s toys. I picked up a hefty stack of clever greeting cards and a mass of bud vases. I’m organizing an autumn trip for friends, and every guest should have fresh flowers in their rooms and bathrooms.

If there were another theme for the day, it would be the culinary focus shared by a good deal of the retail shops here. Practically next door to each other were Penzeys Spices and The Tasteful Olive. As the name might imply, Penzeys has any cooking spice you could possibly desire. We discovered the most beautiful French fine gray sea salt that was almost too pretty to sprinkle. And at the Tasteful Olive, the focus is on specialty olive oils and both dark and white balsamic vinegars. Everything from a blood orange-infused olive oil to a habanero and honey dark balsamic can be yours. Seeking something I couldn’t simply

just want to retire and care about shoes.”

pluck off the shelves at Price Chopper—but not so exotic to render it a dust-collector in my well-edited kitchen—I selected a bottle of the Coratina olive oil. It ranked the highest on their polyphenol scale, giving it an especially robust flavor and pungency. I’m eager to give it a whirl. The final stop on our Santa Fe trail was The Upper Crust. I’ve ordered pies here before. Pro-tip: they make the perfect summertime host gift for a dinner party or party-party. At this late-afternoon hour, however, they were completely sold out of pies. Sad. I picked up some good ol’ chocolate chip cookies and “pie fries” for later.

With our shopping complete, we made it to our final-final destination, just around the corner: Strang Hall. I’ll begin by saying that it’s downright embarrassing it has taken me so long to finally get here. With a vast variety of options, I already need to plan a return trip.

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OVERHEARD

“What’d

Strang Hall is the sort of cavernous food emporium I’ve stumbled into on many occasions roaming through New York City. It’s a chefs’ collective of five distinctly different restaurant concepts: Anousone, (southeast Asian), Fénix (reinvented tacos), Norcini (craft pizza and sandwiches), Solstice, (light and fresh), and Tora Zushi (Japanese). You can order at any place individually or do an examination tour (as we did), and head back to your table to place one comprehensive order from your phone. With there being four of us, our focus was on shareables. That is, however, except for the dunce who added a heaping bowl of vegan pho to our order. I will not divulge identities. Oh, how I love the communal slurping of hot noodles … For the sake of representative sampling, we ordered at least one item from each of the five restaurants; from some places—several items. There were crispy pork egg rolls, fluffy steamed buns, and pho(!) from Anousone. Fénix provided a birria-dipped short-rib quesadilla and a variety of street tacos. From Solstice, we nibbled on grilled bread and ricotta, a Cali club, and sweet potato fries. Gyoza, “sushi nachos,” and a delicate sushi roll tumbled in from Tora Zushi. And finally, the meat-shed pizza (pepperoni, bacon, and cream cheese) was provided by Norcini. It was a tall order narrowing to these “few” items—which barely fit on our table. So much more that we wanted. We had the absolute best time trying everything on this tour de Strang, and each of us left with a tower of take-out boxes.

Inspired to plan your own downtown Overland Park adventure? Why not drop in for the Fall Festival taking place on September 29 and 30? They’ll have an artisan fair with more than 100 artist booths, live performances, the farmers market in full swing, and scattered food trucks. Not for sale: your spirit of adventure.

So, KC—where do you want to go? XO

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Thursday: 6pm - 1am

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Saturday: 2pm - 3am

Sunday: 2pm - 1am

Where ANYTHING can happen and everyone is WELCOME!

you think of her Disney princess TED talk eulogy?”

Downtown Overland Park.

PARK PLL\CE

Movies in the Square

EverySaturdayinSeptember(AtDusk)

Freemoviesonthe bigscreenunder thestars!

- Sept 2: FerrisBueller's Day Off

- Sept 9: Top Gun: Maverick

- Sept16: The ParentTrap (1998)

- Sept 23: Black Panther

- Sept30: TheAddams Family (1991)

Second Saturdays for Kids!

EverysecondSaturday{10am - Noon)

Kidsrule! Freeentertainmentformorningsfilledwith play, laughter, andmeaningfulmomentstogether.

- Sept 9: Bouncehouse &livemusic

- Oct14: "Boneyard" Halloweenmarionette show & puppetworkshopw/ StoneLion Puppet Theatre

Wednesday Date Night

EveryWednesdayinSeptember (6pm - 8pm)

Livemusicforamid-weekdatenight! Connectovera greatline-up: popcovers, DJs,jazz, evenreggae!

- September6: Gus Duo

- September 13: DJ Joe

- September 20: Lester Estelle

- September 27: "Wednesdays" trio

Guitars & Games

EveryFriday(6pm-8pm)

Freeliveacousticmusic &lawngamesinthe Square.

INTRODUCING

A SEASON OF CONTENT . . .

T RAPP AND COMPANY

Birger Sandzen (1871 - 1954) 40 x 30 Inch Oil on Canvas, 1929

A Collection of Fifteen Thomas Hart Benton Lithographs

A Very Rare Louis Vuitton Chassure Circa 1920

Birger Sandzen (1871 - 1954) 30 x 40 Inch Oil on Canvas, 1921

Classic 19th Century Decorative Arts from a Home at The Walnuts

by Judith Fertig

Lily Mueller

THE MIXED-MEDIA ARTIST ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS

Just three years after graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute, mixed-media artist Lily Mueller had her debut solo exhibit at Weinberger Fine Art this summer.

The Kansas City native, whose father is an architect and whose Nicaraguan mother loves fashion, channels a ’60s vibe through vibrant works of silk satin, organza, and cotton, all of which are hand-dyed.

The quilting seems to give each abstract piece a rhythm that almost makes it seem three-dimensional.

Says Mueller, “I view the quilting part of my practice as an extra element of composition. It gives each pattern/composition more of a “lived in” look while referencing retro design yet still feeling contemporary. The way I decide to quilt a piece usually depends on the pattern already happening. I start by tracing the shapes that already exist and the quilting eventually takes on its own pattern. It is one of the most satisfying parts of my whole process because I never know exactly how the finished quilt is going to look.

“There are other instances where I finish the top of the quilt and decide there is enough movement happening,” she continues. “In those cases, I prefer to finish the work with simpler quilting such as stitching straight across. In other words, I think it is important to let each work breathe and tell you what exactly it needs.” lilymmueller.com

INKC: As a 2020 BFA graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, what has it been like going from student to artist/business person?

Lily Mueller: The transition was very abrupt. We went into Covid lockdown when I was finishing my

photo by Amber Deery

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Arts & Culture IN KC

last semester. Classes continued over Zoom but everyone was on their own. At that time, I decided I was going to push myself to keep making and use that time to really grow as an artist. I didn’t have very speci c goals, but I knew I wanted to try my best to share my work with the world. I feel very lucky that I am now exhibiting at Weinberger. is opportunity has encouraged me to make new work and keep trying new things. It has also been wonderful having my former professors go from teachers to mentors/friends. ey have taught me so much, and I would not be in this position without them.

INKC: Why do you hand-dye your fabrics?

LM: Hand dyeing was the rst thing I learned at KCAI, and I instantly fell in love with it. I’ve always been a very color-driven maker but never realized how particular I could be with it. I work with several di erent kinds of fabrics and dyeing gives me the freedom to make di erent fabrics, di erent colors.

Since dyeing takes time, it also allows me to think through color stories. Sometimes I dye one color and realize that the color I have planned next might not work as well as I thought, and sometimes it’s the opposite. I also come across “happy accidents.” Dyeing leaves room for me to experiment with colors in my art practice.

INKC: Where and how do you like to shop for your fabrics?

LM: I always buy my fabric from Dharma Trading Co. I found them through the KCAI Fiber department and really love their products. I also buy all of my dying supplies through them. My orders typically consist of cotton print cloth, silk organza, silk velvet, and silk satin. All the fabric comes ready to dye. I use these types of fabrics because they consist of natural bers which works with precision mix dyes—not to mention they are also just beautiful fabrics! Having the di erent sheens and textures brings a lot of variety to a composition and gives me another fun design element to play with.

INKC: You live and work in Kansas City. How has this community nurtured you creatively?

LM: My parents could tell I loved art from a very young age, so they kept me busy trying all di erent kinds of art programs/classes in Kansas City. Being exposed to these kinds of programs helped me feel more comfortable expressing my creativity. e more classes I take, the more people I meet, the more inspired I become.

Something I really enjoy about the art community in Kansas City is how supportive everyone is of one another. People really make it a priority to show up for local art, and I think that has nurtured me the most of all. Also just having wonderful parents who have encouraged me to follow my passion my whole life. It helps to have people in your life who believe in you.

Be Inspired.

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Arts & Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

CYRANO DE BERGERAC SALUTES KCREP’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

TALK ABOUT high concept with legs.

Cyrano de Bergerac, based on a real-life 17th-century nobleman/soldier, started off in 1892 as a play by Edmond Rostand told in rhyming couplets on the French. From there, for over a century, it has been adapted, filmed, and put to music.

The role of Cyrano, the not-much-to-look-at hero who is A-list at writing love letters, has been played by José Ferrer, Gérard Depardieu, Steve Martin, and Peter Dinklage. The heroine Roxane, whose love language is “words of affirmation,” must decide if a handsome yet “duh” hunk or an unattractive guy with verbal superstardom will win her hand.

KCRep will stage the newest adaptation by British playwright Martin Crimp in a script praised by the Washington Post as “whip-smart.” Instead of rhyming couplets, we get rap and rhythm and a physicality that makes this story fresh and appealing.

Directed by the associate artistic director Nelson T. Eusebio III, Cyrano de Bergerac runs from September 5 through 24. For more information, visit kcrep.org.

James Chen plays Cyrano in the KCRep production of Cyrano de Bergerac.

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OPUS 76 QUARTET PLAYS MUSIC OF THE REGENCY—WITH HIGH TEA

WHY HAVE a ho-hum dinner and a movie when you can be social like “le bon ton” or London’s tiny upper class during the time of Jane Austen and Bridgerton?

According to the romance novel sub-genre of Regency (made popular by author Georgette Heyer) and the Bridgerton series, Regency requires sparkling dialogue, strict social rules, an unusually independent heroine (at least for the times), a rake in need of reforming, vicious gossip that spreads quickly, and a happy ending worthy of a Hallmark movie.

And music. Lots of music.

On September 9 during two concerts at the Midwest Trust Center on the Johnson County Community College Campus, you can enjoy music by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Schubert. All for string quartets, of course. Opus 76 Quartet is a Kansas City’s favorite—London’s Spectator called them a ”brilliant young string quartet.”

You can also enjoy food t for the ton. After the 2 p.m. concert and before the 5 p.m. concert, you can sip and sup with high tea fare. If you really want to get into it, wear your best empire-waist gown or a cravat instead of a tie. Gavotte at your own risk. Visit jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center, for tickets and more information.

Arts &Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

EVELYN HOFER: EYES ON THE CITY

WE’VE ALL HEARD of Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, and Annie Liebowitz, who all helped raise the medium of photography to an art form. But what about Evelyn Hofer, an American born in Germany, whose work spanned five decades?

Despite her prolific career, Hofer remained under-recognized in her lifetime.

Until now.

Get to know Evelyn Hofer in a solo exhibit of over 100 vintage photographs that runs from September 16 through February 11, 2024 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Her noted photobooks captured everyday life from 1959 to 1967 in places around the world.

The Nelson introduces us to her work, which now seems textured, nuanced, realistic, and nostalgic all at the same time. Highly innovative, Hofer favored the detailed precision of large format cameras, and worked in both black-and-white and color. For information on tickets and times, visit nelson-atkins.org

Phoenix Park on Sunday, Dublin by Evelyn Hofer

MÚSICA LADINO

ON SEPTEMBER 20, Israeli singer-songwriter Noam “Nani” Vazana joins Kansas City’s Ensemble Iberica for a unique, one-night-only performance highlighting a rare and disappearing language—Ladino (Judero-Espanol). Ladino is an evocative mashup of Castilian Spanish and Hebrew, with a smidgen of Arabic, Greek, Turkish, and French thrown in for good measure. Says Vazano, “I want the language to survive, and I want the music to thrive, not as an ancient historical form but as something vibrant and contemporary.”

Vazano’s new album Ke Haber (What’s New) features songs in the spirit of this ancient matriarchal tongue with surprisingly modern themes—female empowerment, migration, and gender.

The music evokes flamenco with guitars and percussion, trombone, piano and cello, sometimes raw, sometimes magically real. Vazana on vocals, piano, and trombone joins Beau Bledsoe on guitar, and Ezgi Karakus on cello.

Vazana, who lives in Amsterdam, is a professor at the London Performing Academy of Music and the Jerusalem Music Academy.

Discover more about her at nanimusic.com

The performance begins at 7 p.m. on September 20. For ticket information, visit 1900bldg.com

Noam “Nani” Vazana

BY Liz Schroeder

All Dolled Up

BARBIE MANIA CONTINUES INTO THE FALL

Ever since the Barbie movie was unleashed on July 21, it’s been impossible to escape its in uence. Production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer created a practical, living, hot-pink set for star Margot Robbie and the cast to play inside, leaving the rest of us eager for ways to bring the magic back to our own lives.

Embrace your inner Barbie with pretty pieces in many shades of pink.

WELL SUITED

Baum und Pferdgarten corduroy blazer, $399, and trousers, $259. Available at Clairvaux (Fairway Shops and Hawthorne Plaza).

ROUND IT UP

Cult Gaia clutch, $348, available at Halls (Crown Center).

STAND TALL

Croc-embossed leather Gucci platform loafer, $1,190, available at Halls

LADY LIKE

Cashmere

IN STEP

Silent D knee-high faux suede boots, $158, available at anthropologie.com

A LOVELY TIME Tissot

SOFT TOUCH

Lisa Yang

turtleneck

cashmere

sweater, $770, available at Clique Boutique (Prairie Village Shops).

stainlesssteel watch with quartz movement, $450, available at Meierotto Jewelers (North Kansas City).

shrunken cable-knit sweater vest, $118, available at J.Crew (Country Club Plaza).

BY Liz Schroeder

Sun-kissed

THE

LATTE LOOK

Put down the blush and that popping red lipstick, because this look’s power is in its subtlety. e busy beauties are doubling down on e ortless neutrals and natural, bronzed tones. Like the creamy drink, the latte look leaves the face looking warm, velvety, and with a nude lip—good for all weather.

e makeup trend came to prominence in part due to its inclusivity—light, medium, rich, and deep complexions all look gorgeous going latte, with small adaptations made for individual undertones. e phrase was coined by TikTok in uencer Rachel Rigler based on a 2018 look by makeup artist Tanielle Jai.

“Another makeup trend?” I know what you’re thinking, but you can likely create this look from makeup basics already in your cabinet: a tinted moisturizer, concealer, bronzer, some eyeshadow, and a lip pencil will have you living your best latte life.

Had To Be Hue sheer shine lipstick, $30, from lover-cosmetics.com

Ilia NightLite Bronzing Powder, $34, available at Welwythn (Prairie Village Shops).

Glass lip gloss in Glamorous, $12, available at pinklippscosmetics.com

Kosas Glow I.V. Vitamin-Infused Skin Illuminating Enhancer, $38, available at Sephora

Mac Matte Eyeshadow, $38, available at Ulta

Get Friendly with Flax

ADD A LITTLE FLAX TO YOUR DIET

What is a superfood, really? Sprung from the same minds that brought us “all-natural” and “eco-friendly,” it’s not a term so much backed by science, but by feelings. As most of us are looking to buy foods to keep us and our families healthy, it makes sense we would seek out the most nutritional bang for our buck. But let’s look past the marketing and dive deeper into humble axseed, a time-tested health food beloved through many generations and cultures.

WHAT’S IN IT?

Often touted as a nutritional savior, axseed contains omega-3 fatty acids and ber, two nutrients we are famous for neglecting in our diets.

WHY IS IT GOOD?

Omega-3 fatty acids are the good fats—people often think of sh as another great source. ey help lower your cholesterol, reduce inammation, and potentially reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Fiber is all about that digestive tract. ose desperate for some constipation relief often turn to more potent sources of ber, and axseed does that and more—also keep-

ing you feeling full for longer.

WHERE DO I START?

Flaxseed can be a little nicky, but it’s worth it. Grind or crush it to reap the most of its nutritional rewards, or purchase it already ground as axseed meal. e very small downside? After axseed is ground it should be refrigerated in an airtight, non-transparent container so it doesn’t oxidize or spoil.

WHERE DO I USE IT?

Everywhere! No, seriously.

•Sprinkle some on a morning oatmeal, smoothie, or yogurt.

•Drop a teaspoonful in a salad or rice bowl.

•Bake it into your mu ns, cookies, and other treats.

ere are no speci c recommendations for axseed intake yet, but one to two tablespoons a day is considered a healthy amount. While there’s nothing new about favoring axseed—ancient civilizations around the globe both ate and spun axseed into textiles, using it for everything from rope to clothing—its longevity in human diets might say a little something about its place in our diets. In moderation, of course.

Natures Path Flax Plus Mulitbran Flakes, $4.99, available at Whole Foods Market

Spectrum Essentials Cold Milled Organic Ground Premium Flax Seed, $10.99 available at CVS

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Golden Flaxseed $2.99 available at Thrive Market

by Liz Schroeder

Is Surgery Necessary?

Once we see a surgeon, we’re destined for the operating room. That’s the long-standing myth, anyway, and its persistence can spark fear and resistance in those seeking medical care from a trained surgical professional. It makes a certain amount of sense to those of us without medical degrees— surgery is in a surgeon’s job title, after all. But orthopedic spine surgeon Stephanie de Vere, MD, FRCS, explains only “approximately ten percent of patients that present to a spinal surgeon will require surgery.”

Dr. de Vere’s surgical practice treats a wide range of conditions from herniated discs to spinal tumors, and her approach to individualized patient care means surgery is only one treatment option of many. “Before proceeding with surgery, I prioritize exploring conservative treatment options. These alternatives may include physical therapy, pain management techniques, anti-inflammatory medications, and targeted corticosteroid injections. By employing nonsurgical interventions first, I aim to avoid unnecessary surgical procedures whenever possible.”

It’s important to remember both conservative and surgical approaches have their merits. “A conservative approach is associated with reduced risks, shorter recovery periods, and the opportunity for spontaneous improvement in some cases,” says Dr. de Vere. However, “research also highlights that surgery can provide more immediate relief for severe or rapidly progressing spinal conditions, address the root cause of the injury, and improve long-term outcomes.”

According to Dr. de Vere, most cases of back and neck pain are not a cause for serious concern and can improve with time and self-

care. However, some “red flag” symptoms may indicate a more serious issue, including severe or progressive pain, pain after trauma or injury, pain at rest, numbness or weakness, loss of bowel or bladder control, and more.

One reason patients often feel uneasy about surgical treatments is the idea that surgeons have rushed to that decision without considering alternative courses of action. Dr. de Vere’s solution? “I was advised by a mentor to always book long appointment times. While it may seem counterintuitive from a “business” standpoint, it allows me the opportunity to discuss each available option with the patient.”

If surgery does end up being her recommended treatment, Dr. de Vere ensures the patient feels confident in the necessity of the procedure, understands potential outcomes and risks, and is well-informed about post-operative care. “Research suggests that patients retain very little of this discussion, so I also forward helpful videos and will have follow-up visits when the patient has family members if needed. My aim is to empower the patient with knowledge and instill confidence.” The best, most necessary treatment is the one that fits your needs. If you’re heading to the operating room, be sure you feel confident that your surgeon considered all the options first.

ADVENTHEALTH’S STEPHANIE DE VERE TALKS ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR SPINAL INJURIES AND PAIN

Stephanie de Vere, MD, FRCS

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UNPLUG. UNWIND. BE INSPIRED.

Pops Concert AUDRA MCDONALD WITH THE KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY

Friday and Saturday, Sept. 15-16 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.

ANDY EINHORN, GUEST CONDUCTOR

The record-breaking six-time Tony® Award-winner Audra McDonald (Porgy and Bess, Carousel) joins the Kansas City Symphony for an unforgettable evening of astounding vocal beauty. Tickets from $79.

Sponsored by

Rock ‘n’ Roll Tribute Concert

The Music of Led Zeppelin

Friday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m.

BRENT HAVENS, GUEST CONDUCTOR

RANDY JACKSON, VOCALIST

Don’t miss this spectacular tribute to rock legends Led Zeppelin, with the help of a blazing hot band, vocalist Randy Jackson, the Kansas City Symphony and more. Audiences will rock out to classic mega-hits such as “Whole Lotta Love,” “Heartbreakers” and “Stairway to Heaven.” Created by Windborne Productions Inc.

Tickets from $49.

Horn-Driven Funk and Soul Tower of Power with the Kansas City Symphony

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 8 p.m.

DAMON GUPTON, GUEST CONDUCTOR

Tower of Power has been rocking their sound since 1968, infusing “Soul

With a Capital ‘S’” into the music industry for more than 50 years. For their Kansas City Symphony debut, hear tunes from their latest album “Step Up,” plus explosive hits like “You’re Still a Young Man,” “What Is Hip?” and “So Very Hard to Go.”

Tickets from $49.

Classical Season Begins The Music is Calling

Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m.

MICHAEL STERN, CONDUCTOR

YEFIM BRONFMAN, PIANO ➤

GABRIELA ORTIZ Kauyumari

BÉLA BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

JOHANNES BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2

Where will the music take you?

Stunning masterpieces that are playful, thunderous, daring and mystical. You’ll be amazed as you are swept away by elegant melody. Tickets from $25.

Pops Concert Bond and Beyond: 55 Years of 007

Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13-14 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m.

MORGAN JAMES, VOCALIST

The music is Bond — James Bond — as the Kansas City Symphony takes you into the world of your favorite spy. The legacy of 007 comes alive in a symphonic tribute featuring music from five decades of Bond films, including “Casino Royale,” “Goldfinger,” “Diamonds Are Forever” and more. Tickets from $40.

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

AUDRA MCDONALD

SCAN FOR TICKETS

by Patricia O’Dell

Porter Teleo to Go

NATIONALLY PROMINENT DESIGN FIRM STARTEDAND THRIVESIN KANSAS CITY

Finally, I am getting around to a little redecorating. My husband and I were knee deep in starting a new business right after we were married last year, and pillows and paint—for home—were not on our minds. Recently we decided that it was time to make my home our home, and I nd myself shopping around town (okay, this isn’t exactly new) and online. Porter Teleo is a good site to click and stay.

e Flora and Fauna Gris canvas, with its graphic black bloom, would be great in a powder room, or on the walls of a particularly sophisticated teenager. Need something a little brighter? How about the Printemps canvas with its bold, bright blooms. Refracted – Green and Blue is a personal favorite. If I were shopping for myself, which I nearly always am, the Charcoal throw pillow would be high on my list. But the Zeta –Bleu throw pillow would be a clear winner. en again, the Fair Jardinier table runner would put a smile on my face rst thing in the morning, which is something that needs a little coaxing. porterteleo.com

1. Custom Floral - Printemps canvas, $400.

2. Refracted - Green & Blue linen canvas, $1,100. 3. Flora & Fauna - Gris canvas, $500. 4. Painted Plaid - Charcoal throw pillow $379. 5. Fair Jardinier table runner, $245.

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2.

3.

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by Patricia O’Dell

KC Hosts Design Stars

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AUTHORS WITH NEW BOOKS ARE IN TOWN

While it’s easy to cull inspiration from designers who work nationally and are widely published, it’s a special treat to see and hear them in person. While you may study their rooms in magazines and think, wow, it’s particularly interesting to hear what the challenges were in a project and how they solved them. Because all houses, rooms and clients have their challenges, even if they are small.

We are fortunate to have three such designers out and about in Kansas City this fall. New York City-based designer Ashley Whittaker will be at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Committee of 100 annual event September 18, 2023. e event is open to Committee of 100 members and their guests and includes a presentation by the featured designer and a stunning luncheon in Rozelle Court.

If you rewatch Queer Eye to shake o a dreary day, this will put a spring in your step. Bobby Berk, the show’s design expert (which you knew, of course) will be at Unity Temple, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. in conversation about his new book, Right at Home: How Good Design is Good for the Mind e event is hosted by Rainy Day Books.

And while there doesn’t appear to be an event on the horizon, local designer, author, preservation consultant, and founder of Design Gives Back, Kelee Katillac, has a new book—Historic Style: Honoring the Past with Design for Today, which features 40 rooms that illustrate the bene ts and challenges of working in historic homes. In an age where many people destroy old homes because it’s less expensive to tear down and build new, Katillac is dedicated to renovation and preservation. An admirable approach and an inspirational read.

Puttering About for Pottery

FILLING TIME ONLINE MAY LEAD TO FILLING SHOPPING CARTS AND SHELVES

I’VE DEVELOPED a huge passion for pottery. Silky smooth, sinuous and matte, or classically formed with high glaze. My recent crush are the tumblers, vases, and bowls by Katherine Moes of Katherine Moes Clay Co. Whether completely neutral and earthy, or with a wash of robin’s egg, the texture and forms are intoxicating. I cannot imagine being out of sorts if they are in your sights.

Her work is available on her site at katherinmoes.com, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Golden and Pine, and the House on Scott. katherinemoes.com

Clockwise from top left: Wood red vessel II, $200. Footed vase V, $250. Foggy tumbler, $40. Desert vase IV, $48.

FORWARD.

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THE BEST GIFT FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

YOUR NEW CUSTOM KITCHEN

IF YOU START RIGHT NOW, YOU COULD TRANSFORM THE KITCHEN YOU HAVE INTO THE KITCHEN YOU DREAM OF—FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, AND FOR YEARS TO COME.

By Judith Fertig Photos by Randy Van

There are so many demands on your time from November through January, having to work around the flaws in your own kitchen should not be one. When you welcome loved ones home for the holidays, you can enjoy the experience more if you have an invisible helper—a kitchen that works for you and with you. Not against you. Or in spite of you.

“The kitchen is the heart of the home and of the family,” says kitchen and bath designer Karin Ross of Karin Ross Designs. “It is a way of living. It’s the comforting feeling that everything is under control. And that feeling flows through every gathering.”

If that’s not the feeling that your kitchen emanates, then maybe it’s time to change that.

“It’s a perfect time to remodel,” says Ross. “You can save time

and money and your sanity when you hire a kitchen designer who knows what you want and can make it happen for you.”

YOUR HOLIDAY KITCHEN WISH LIST

Imagine gathering friends and family for your holiday traditions, but with a new twist. Everything fits. Everything works. Everything flows.

There’s space for the holiday buffet of special dishes passed down in your family. There’s a place to store those platters you’ve collected over the years. There’s a generous area for Christmas cookie decorating or povitica-making, latke frying, or holiday bread baking.

Maybe there is a spot to watch Christmas movies or a Chiefs’ game while someone rustles up hot chocolate or mulled wine. There could be a special place for a kitchen-themed tree or a beloved menorah.

“First, we ask lots of questions about what you want and how you and your family would like to use your space,” says Ross. “We look at the wish list from all angles. I do over 100 hours of research for a medium-size kitchen,” says Ross. “That comes with a price tag. Like an investment advisor, I can suggest where it is more important to spend money and where you could cut back.”

“We not only design a kitchen, but we design a lifestyle,” says Ross. “We give you the tools to create meals that will give your family pleasure. And make it easier on you. You push buttons and get faster results.”

MAKING A LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

Once your custom kitchen design is mapped out, then it’s on to fabrication and installation. “It’s plan, plan, plan,” says Ross. “The remodeling schedule has to flow. You must be quick on your feet because problems will occur. The truth is nothing is easy.”

Before installing in a client’s kitchen, Ross tests out all the appliances, technology, and lighting herself, so she knows first-

hand they will all work. She makes sure all the materials are ready, so supply issues are minimized.

For quiet luxury, Ross prefers to use quality materials such as marble, custom wood cabinetry, and hardware that will stand up to daily use and look even better over time. “There is also the richness of the feel. Quality materials are an investment that will pay dividends over time,” she says.

Karin Ross Designs employs a dedicated construction team, headed by Ross’ husband, to make sure the remodeling process goes as quickly and efficiently as possible. “A kitchen specialist can dig deeper and tackle issues more quickly, whether it is construction or supply. Projects move along faster when you have a dedicated team,” she says.

“We deliver on everything you ask for,” says Ross. “And it’s done in the time frame. I bring quite a lot of value for the money you spend.”

GIFT-WRAPPED AND TIED WITH A BOW

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And there’s no price tag on that.

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Evan Antin IN CONVERSATION WITH

words by Cindy Hoedel

The world’s sexiest veterinarian, according to People magazine, and most popular vet on Instagram, with 1.3 million followers, grew up in Overland Park, splashing around a woody backyard creek in search of snakes, lizards, and turtles.

Evan Antin, 38, is an associate veterinarian at Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California, star of Animal Planet’s Evan Goes Wild, and author of World Wild Vet (Henry Holt & Co.). Antin has treated wild animals on six continents and visited 47 countries.

After graduating from Blue Valley North High School, Antin earned a bachelors in evolutionary and ecological biology from University of Colorado Boulder and graduated from veterinary school at Colorado State University.

Antin chatted with IN Kansas City by phone from the Calabasas, California, home he shares with his wife, Nathalie Basha, and the couple’s five adopted cats and a tortoise called “Dodo” who lives in the yard.

Why do you talk to wild animals when you examine them?

It feels less clinical to me and I’m hoping for them too. Instead of some stranger touching them and putting a stethoscope on them, I’m trying to make it just another interaction with someone that’s friendly. I’m also trying to learn about them by looking at them when I’m talking to them.

Do wild animals understand language?

Not the English language, necessarily, although some are trained to, and they do know certain words if they are living in captivity. But they do understand tone of voice. They do understand how your face looks. Body language is an international language, and it crosses over from one species to another.

Have you ever felt threatened by an animal in the wild?

Yeah, I’ve worked with a lot of animals where they are beyond acting defensive, and they are actively striking or trying to bite me. It’s pretty clear what they are saying there. There are very few animals that are just maliciously wanting to hurt—elephants can do that. I absolutely love elephants, but if an elephant is not happy, they might just run you over and be jerks. Hippos can be the same. Buffalo, too.

Not just because they’re scared?

They’re not scared. The big guys don’t have much to be scared about. They are just territorially aggressive for no obvious reason. They don’t want you in their space.

Have you ever encountered an animal in the wild that was trying to interact with you in a friendly way?

Oh sure. Yeah, yeah. Pinnipeds are known for that.

What are pinnipeds?

Seals and sea lions. People call them the dogs of the ocean, and they actually are. A lot of marine mammals evolved from terrestrial wolves and dogs. There are transitional fossils that show in-between species when these wolves were becoming more and more aquatic. You can see their airway migrate to the top of their head. You see appendages becoming more conducive to swimming versus walking. That’s another story, sorry.

No, it’s fascinating, thank you.

Yeah, I remember learning that in undergrad, and I was blown away because it makes so much sense when you look at the behavior. I’ve met wild (seals) where they want to see what you are and what you’re doing, and they’ll swim in circles around you and do somersaults and flips. They’re not trying to take anything from you or get something to eat from you like some other wildlife might do. It’s just a genuine curiosity.

I’ve had that experience with other mammals, and some birds, where they are just curious.

Sometimes you come across wild primates and they are habituated to people, but they live in the wild. In my experience, most of those cases involve some sort of reward that they are seeking—they want you to give them food or they want to take your food.

That’s an interesting distinction.

Matter of fact, one time I was in Tanzania having a lunch picnic at one of the national parks and this big fish eagle just swooped and grabbed half a sandwich right from my hand with its talons. It was light work; it was nothing for him.

On the home front, it seems like dogs understand more than cats. Do they really, or do cats just not care?

In my experience cats have as much ability to understand, but a big difference between dogs and cats is that cats were domesticated in more of a passive manner.

How so?

Dogs for thousands of years have been selectively bred and trained to do certain things: sound alerts and warnings, catch vermin, hunt, pull sleds. Whereas with cats, domestication millennia ago was like, “Hey, let’s get some cats in here as pest control.” We didn’t train them or breed them for other tasks. They’re just phenomenal little hunters.

There are different breeds of cats, but it’s more about selecting for physical features rather than tasks. That’s why their personalities are so different than dogs. Part of the selection process for dogs was: “This dog’s a good dog. It’s not going to bite me or my kids or my friends and it wants to please me.” Whereas cats were initially mostly outdoor, and then indoor-outdoor, and, except when we are feeding them, they are out there living off the land.

Another aspect is that indoor cats are very sociable, and I always recommend people have multiple cats, because cats in most cases like to have someone to groom with and play with. But most wild cats—other than lions—are pretty independent species. Leopards, tigers, and other big cats hunt alone and do most things alone. The mother will take care of the babies for a while, and you might have young males in a group of two, maybe three, but they are just more independent. So, it’s not that cats don’t care—well, some don’t care, that’s pretty evident. (Laughs) But there are reasons for it.

If I talk to my cats, they know my tone. If I’ve got food on my coffee table and I’m eating and watching TV and I step away, I can say, “Willie, don’t do it.” He’ll be looking at my food, and he knows exactly what I’m talking about, and he won’t do it. He 100 percent knows.

A big part of being a vet is communication with animals in that way, using tone and body language and listening and reading their body language: What are they feeling? What are they showing me in terms of how I can approach them?

I saw on your Instagram that you were recently scuba diving with tiger sharks in the Bahamas. Was that for work or play? That was for play. I was with a conservation organization, so I want to promote shark conservation and raise awareness about the importance of sharks in our oceans, and why we don’t want to overfish them. But it was also for selfish reasons. Those are some of my favorite animal interactions on the whole planet. That’s very, very special to me to get to do that with them.

I grew up swimming in the ocean and it cracks me up how scared Midwesterners are of sharks.

It’s a lot of ignorance. And not just here. Even on the coast and in other parts of the world, there’s a serious fear of sharks. And, I mean, every once in a while, you see a gnarly shark attack. There was one recently in the Red Sea. I think that was a tiger shark.

Tigers are often listed as the second so-called deadliest shark after great whites, but without quantifying the actual risk. It’s very slim. If you just look at raw statistics, here’s one that’s horrifying and sad and crazy but true: More people get bit by humans in New York

City each year than get bit by sharks in the whole US. [Sources: New York City Health Department statistics reported by AP; International Shark Attack File] Dogs kill around 160 people a year give or take, and sharks kill about six people a year.

Statistically you are way more likely to get into an adverse event when you get behind the wheel than when you get into the ocean.

We’re not one of sharks’ food groups.

No, we’re not. And it’s obvious when you’re diving, when you get under them, they get a better look at you, they recognize you are foreign, you are not on their menu. It’s very rare that fully submerged people get bit. People that get bit are usually feeding sharks, so they are putting themselves at risk.

If people who are just innocently enjoying the ocean get bit, it’s usually because they are splashing around on the surface with a boogie board or a surfboard and the shark thinks, “What is this?” And even then, it’s only a bold few that are going to go make a move and take a bite to see what it is.

I wouldn’t just go try to swim with any tiger sharks around the world. At this spot in the Bahamas, these sharks are quite habituated to divers. It’s the number one spot in the world for diving with tiger sharks.

Especially outside the US, laws regarding wildlife can be not in the animals’ favor. Ninety-nine percent of the time when a company is offering interaction with wild animals, it’s not a good thing for the animals.”

What are some dos and don’ts you would give vacationers for booking interactions with wild animals?

Especially outside the US, laws regarding wildlife can be not in the animals’ favor. Ninety-nine percent of the time when a company is offering interaction with wild animals, it’s not a good thing for the animals.

If you go somewhere and they say, “Hey, you can have an elephant paint you something,” or “You can take a picture with a monkey,” those are not good things. Usually those are animals that are captured from the wild and exploited. And the sad thing is, the people that pay for these experiences probably have a heart for animals and have no idea that they are funding an industry that is not a good one.

The best way to see truly wild animals is in their native habitat. So go to a protected reserve or national park. Yeah, you’re not going to get to see them as close, and you’re not going to be able to touch them or pet them. But for the animals, that’s the healthiest and best way to see them.

Do you still consider Kansas City home?

I do! Every time I go back to Kansas, I tell people I’m going back home.

How often do you get back and what do you like to do when you’re here?

I’m still just an adult version of who I was as a 4-year-old kid. I still love

going to the creek. My mom lives in Leawood now and there are creeks running through that neighborhood. And sometimes I’ll take a little drive and go back to the creeks I played in when I was a kid and look for snakes and turtles or whatever’s in there. That’s always super, super fun. I love the wildlife in Kansas in summer.

I love going to Jack Stack [Barbecue]. That’s been one of my favorites my whole life. The last time back I took my wife there. It was her first time, and she still talks about it all the time. It’s impossible to recreate it here. I bought a bunch of the sauces, but there’s no way to recreate it.

I’ve also gotten really into woodworking lately, and my dad has been woodworking for a little over ten years. He has a totally unrelated profession, but he does commissions and special pieces on the side. I love getting in his shop and playing with him.

Is it tricky balancing a globetrotting career and a marriage?

It could be. I’m very lucky. Nathalie has known from Day One what I wanted to do professionally. We met before I was even in vet school. We were both very passionate about traveling so we would travel together and at least once a year go somewhere exotic. She’s super supportive. She’s super trusting. I’ve been in relationships where this wouldn’t work. She also loves wildlife. I’ve gotten to take her on some of the Africa trips, and those are very special and meaningful for her.

Are there any countries or wild animal experiences left on

your bucket list?

Oh my gosh, yeah. There’s like 200 countries and I’ve only been to fewer than 50. Some of the high ones on my list are in sub-Saharan Africa. I’ve never been to Mozambique. I’ve never been to Namibia. I’m talking to a friend about going and spending some time in Gabon and possibly Côte d’Ivoire. I’ve never been to India! India would be super cool.

I love crocodilians and there’s a couple of crocodile species I’ve never seen. There are pygmy hippos I would love to see. They live in dense jungle forests of west Africa. It would be cool to see lemurs in the wild and other weird primates. I’d love to go to Madagascar for that. I’ve never seen tigers in the wild. That would be really, really special.

If you could be reincarnated as a wild animal, which one would you choose?

You can’t help but think how cool it would be to be a big bird of prey. Just soaring on the heat currents up in the sky and seeing the land from above like that would be cool.

Being a dolphin would be pretty cool, too. They are highly intelligent, highly sociable, they don’t have too much to be afraid of in the open water. And they are one of the few animals that don’t just have a specific breeding season where they breed based on when is the best time to have offspring. They are sexually active for fun, too, so that’s more relatable to humans.

Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

Diving with the sharks.

WELL LAYERED

fall

For ward

COZY UP TO SOFT, EMBRACEABLE NEW LOOKS FOR THE SEASON

photos by Kenny Johnson

hair by Aezia Jardin Flock Salon and Gallery

makeup by Silvia Duckworth

Bellisima By Silvia at Plaza West Total Beauty Med Spa

Marant Etoile plaid coat, $850; Marant Etoile blouse, $390; Marant Etoile vest, $450; Tibi denim, $385; Rachel Comey mules, $425; Jenny Bird earrings, $130; Chimi sunglasses, $180. All from Clairvaux (Fairway Shops and Hawthorne Plaza).

SWEATER SET

On him: Marco Peserico cords, $438; Peserico sweater, $570; Hoodpost jacket, $998; Fradi sweater, $397; Randolph sunglasses, $279. All from Hudson & Jane (Crestwood Shops). On her: Peserico slacks, $535; Peserico sweater, $570. Both from Hudson & Jane. DelBrenna Crush pendant earrings, $489; from DelBrenna (Crestwood Shops).

ORANGE CRUSH

Joseph

Ribkoff jacket, $343; Joseph Ribkoff slacks, $223; Marble turtleneck, $112; Kaanas slides, $145. All from Trapp and Company (Midtown).

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

Left Coast T-shirt, $69; Naadam sweater, $420; Hogarth scarf, $55; Jack of Spades jeans, $165; Swims loafers, $160. All from Trapp and Company (Midtown).

BLUE JEAN BABY

Polo Ralph Lauren denim shirt, $115; Ralph Lauren jeans, $115; Ralph Lauren sport coat, $398; belt, $80; Ralph Lauren sneaker boots, $128. All from Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store (Legends Outlets).

COLOR STORY

Simon Miller sweater, $275; Simon Miller pants, $295; Simon Miller puffy jacket, $475; Gucci sunglasses, $450; Golden Goose sneakers, $655; Zenzii earrings, $32. All from from Halls (Crown Center).

BLENDING IN Freenote Ranchwear shirtjacket, $260; T-shirt, $75; Orslow Japanese denim, $265. All at Guevel (Crossroads).

IN NEUTRAL

On her: Scotch & Soda sweater, $98; Scotch & Soda pants, $168; Z Supply cropped cardigan, $89; Sierra Winter pendant, $349; link necklace, $310; Dolce Vita sneakers, $150. All from Luna (Westwood). On him: Wax London jacket, $210; Cuts T-shirt, $54; Neuw jeans, $179; York Athletics sneakers, $130; Raen sunglasses, $175. All from Ulah (Westwood).

A STEP ABOVE

Peruvian Connection Chido hat, $169; Essential Pima tank, $49; Punjab skirt, $159; Casco wrap cardigan, $159; Firebird earrings, $350. All from Peruvian Connection (Crestwood Shops).

DETAIL WORK

NN.07 sportshirt, $255; Goodlife T-shirt, $60; PT Torino slacks, $475; Zegna loafers, $890. All from Halls (Crown Center).

words by David Frese

Pennway Point

Drive by 25th and Jefferson now, and you’ll see a typical construction yard. Local developers, however, are working to make it a centerpiece of Kansas City.

“These few acres between two bridges,” says Dante Passantino, a managing partner for the project. “This was the center of activity 100 years ago. Literally, this site helped build Kansas City.”

What was abandoned to history has now inspired Passantino and company to create a part of the cultural future: Pennway Point, a family-friendly entertainment district bookended by a Ferris wheeltype “observation wheel” and a beer barrel hall with KC-themed beverages and foods.

Developers DaVinci KC, including Passantino and Vince Bryant, with operations led by Passantino and David Belfonte, hope the multimillion-dollar entertainment district at Pennway and Pershing will open in 2024. This despite the same supply chain issues and construction delays facing nearly every big development in the country.

“This is by Kansas City people, with Kansas City operators, featuring Kansas City investors,” says Passantino. “This will be a regional destination.”

The centerpiece of the entertainment district is the 6,000 foot Barrel Hall, named for the exposed “barrel” ceiling. Inside seats 150, and

DESPITE DELAYS, A SPRAWLING NEW ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATION IS RISING IN A MOST UNUSUAL LOCATION

Above: A massive observation wheel— with heated and cooled gondolas that would be operated year-round—will change the Kansas City skyline.

the adjoining Smoke Shack seats another 100. (Don’t like waiting in line? Some vendors will be using geolocation to bring your food to you.)

It aims to be the central gathering and entertainment place showcasing the spectrum of authentic KC beverages and foods.

That variety includes Boulevard Brewery’s Barrel Aged Tasting Experience and Taproom.

“This will be an actual Boulevard barreling warehouse where you can taste the beer at three months, six months, and nine months along the process,” Passentino says. “We went to Boulevard to see their interest in a brewery, and they brought back the idea of the barreling warehouse. It was a match made in heaven.”

The entertainment district also plans to include:

Würstl: Offering authentic old-world sausages by Nicholas Grünauer.

Chef J BBQ: Serving barbecue, sides, and specialty desserts, including many of Chef J BBQ’s Justin Easterwood’s grandmother’s recipes.

The Bull Creek Distillery: Featuring spirits and cocktails with a craft cocktail bar and crafty mixologists.

Adjoining Barrel Hall is the Smoke Shack, Chef J BBQ’s live working smokehouse.

Next door, the multi-level 30,000-square-foot Talegate concept by Whiskey Design and Davinci KC will feature:

Beef & Bottle: An elevated burger and cocktail concept serving Wagyu beef offerings and a large selection of bottled beers, wines, and spirits.

Funk House: Named in tribute to the building’s original use as the former Funkhouser Equipment Depot Building, Funk House serves as a lounge during the week and transitions to a hot nightlife venue during the weekends.

Talegate Park: Features a central stage and screen that will have year-round programming, from live music to ice skating. (So, why “Talegate” and not the traditional “tailgate”? “There’s been a lot of tales told on the site over the years, and we expect many more to be told—whether they’re tall or not,” Passentino says.)

Sitting betwixt Talegate and the Beer Barrel Hall will be Neon Alley, a collection of 50-plus KC vintage neon signs—including the old Katz Drug store sign—displayed in the alleyway between buildings.

Incredibly, plans for more are in the works. Retail spaces, seasonal programming, offices, and the real eye-grabber: a 170-foot Observation Wheel.

When it’s lit, the wheel is sure to be featured on every soccer, baseball, and football game broadcast from Kansas City. Construction on the wheel and accompanying miniature golf course has recently begun.

“Our goal is to create a family-friendly entertainment district in Kansas City for the region,” he says. “The ability to park 400 cars on site. The food we’re bringing in. What they’re doing with the Observation Wheel. We’re creating this destination that is right next to Crown Center and Union Station. Creating this hub that connects Crown Center, Union Station, Boulevard Brewery …”

To say nothing of the streetcar to the east circulating people back and forth all the way to City Market. As it comes together fully, Pennway Point could be the new heart of Kansas City.

Before developers started to clean up this long-sitting chrysalis, it was hard to see what exactly was in the area.

“We came down here and sort of started kicking the tires,” Passantino says. Walking the grounds amidst the skeletons of buildings brought to mind another age.

The existing wood-timbered canopy was enhanced with 100-yearold reclaimed timbers from another building, adding to the historic preservation throughout. Two bridges above and a nearby railroad create a kind of rackety industrial ambiance, calling back to when this was the industrial hub of town. “A train goes by every 20 minutes,” he says. “That’s part of the activity down here.”

As developers uncovered more, wheels (figuratively before literally) started turning. What’s emerging certainly could make a new entertainment garden downtown, bringing with it tourists and visitors.

Passantino is passionate for this project. Spotlighting the region, the town, the city, the downtown. His home and what it means, not only to him but to his business partners. Giving the world a taste of Kansas City.

“We live in one of the great cities in the United States, if not the world, and I don’t know if people realize it,” Passantino says. “Our little piece of it is going to say, ‘Have a great time and come back again.’”

The Talegate building will have an indoor-outdoor experience.

Pennway Point is comprised of former industrial buildings at the corner of West 25th Street and Pennway Street.

Vergara

Picnic Perfect

TEN PLACES FOR THE PERFECT OUTDOOR LUNCH AND THE TAKEOUT FOOD TO GO WITH

Ihave spent much of my adult life obsessed with the idea of the perfect picnic. When I was younger, I thought a picnic was an important and impressive romantic gesture. It was that thing that I wished someone special (hint hint) would do for me to show me how much I meant to them. e idea of having someone else take the wheel to plan and pack everything needed to enjoy the perfect picnic on a lazy afternoon was and still is a total turn-on.

I have thought about what this fantasy picnic would look like so often that I can picture it in my mind. ere would be a big, proper woven picnic basket with a large lid and inside would be a large, soft tablecloth to spread out and sit on with cloth napkins that match. Once we were seated comfortably, we would unwrap some paté or a terrine, open some cans of tinned sh, a small jar of good grainy mustard, fancy cheeses, berries, fruit, nuts, cured meats and pickles of di erent kinds. ere would be a loaf of crunchy bread we would tear with our hands, some lovely little cookies or pastries for dessert along with a chilled bottle of wine and proper wine glasses. e weather is perfect, sunny but with a nice breeze, no bugs, no critters, no dog poop, no kids, and no one around. I would be wearing a sundress, sunglasses, and maybe a hat. (I warned you. I have had a lot of time to think about this.)

Yet, for a woman who has never been taken on a proper picnic, I have had the most glorious collection of picnic baskets over the years. I inherited my grand-

mother’s modest 1950s metal picnic box with handles that I ended up using as a jewelry box, never once using it to picnic. I also put a giant wicker picnic basket complete with a plastic serving set for six people on my bridal registry, then promptly stuck the giant thing down in my basement, before moving it to the garage where it collected dust.

I nally got rid of it to hide my shame and failure as a wannabe picnic-er, only to replace it a few years later with a nylon backpack version that came with a setting for four people. Hope springs eternal, I suppose. It was more streamlined, sporty and lightweight to carry, I reasoned, I just knew I would use this one. It, too, sat in the cupboard until I sold it in a garage sale. When poking around thrift or antique stores I hear old picnic baskets calling out to me from the back of the store or booth. Some people rescue stray animals, I rescue stray picnic baskets and give them a good home.

One day, I nally decided to stop waiting around for someone to take me, and I started taking myself on mini picnics around the city. What follows is a list of some of my favorite spots and what boxed lunch I picked up to enjoy once I arrived. Doing this, I learned a lot about Kansas City and all the beautiful places contained therein, and the types of food that work best for a picnic. But most of all, I learned that I didn’t need a partner or a basket, linens, or silver ice bucket to go on a picnic. All I really needed was a sense of adventure and a lunch hour. Every day is special enough to celebrate with a picnic.

Better Cheddar Picnic to Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at Nelson-Atkins Museum

If there is a more iconic Kansas City picnic spot than the lawn at the Nelson-Atkins museum, then I don’t know where it is. e sprawling green lawn is the perfect backdrop for not only the museum itself but the Shuttlecock statues, and a host of other art installations with trees that provide plenty of shade. Consider e Better Cheddar in the Country Club Plaza your one-stop shop for everything you need to create the perfect picnic basket. Trust the incredibly knowledgeable sta , to put together a nice selection of quality cheeses, meats, snacks, sweets, and wine for the perfect picnic. thebettercheddar.com

Mildred’s at the Green Roof Park

In 2009, e Cordish Company built a 15,000-squarefoot park on top of the Main Street Parking Garage between 12th Street and 13th Street. e park is open to the public and can be accessed by the Cosentino’s grocery store parking garage elevator. With elevated 360-degree views of the high-rise buildings in the heart of downtown, nothing will make you feel more alive than sitting on a bench surrounded by breathtaking views of downtown Kansas City and enjoying one of Mildred’s famous BLT sandwiches purchased a few blocks away at 9th and Baltimore. mildredskc.com

Thelma’s Kitchen Boxed Lunch to the Liberty Memorial

While Kansas City’s pay-as-you-can cafe, elma’s Kitchen, is still under renovation on the corner of 31st and Troost, the executive chef, Natasha Bailey, and her culinary team continue their work to feed the people. Order a delicious boxed lunch from elma’s and have it delivered to you via Doordash to the Liberty Memorial. Choose from several rotating selections, like their bu alo cauli ower wrap, smoked-salmon egg salad sandwich or Italian sandwich. Once your food arrives, take it to the north side of the Memorial, nd a spot to spread a blanket, and enjoy the skyline while you eat your sandwich. thelmaskitchen.org

The Pairing KC at Berkley Riverfront

When it comes to food and drinks, it’s hard to resist the perfect pairing. is very idea impelled Mat “Slimm”

Adkins and Je Jones to open e Pairing: Crossroads Wine & Grocer in Kansas City’s East Crossroads in 2019. e store

o ers local and regional beers and national and international wines and spirits that pair with its impressive selection of local and imported cheeses, cured meats, chocolates, and condiments. Pick up a bottle of wine and some snacks and head north to the Berkley Riverfront for a picnic by the Missouri river. thepairingwinebar.com

Happy Gillis at George E. Kessler Park

The Historic Northeast continues to shine with beautiful green spaces that include fountains, parks, and interesting architectural details like The Colonnade. This breezy and beautiful structure was built in 1908 and provides a beautiful backdrop to any picnic. Make a stop at Happy Gillis in Columbus Park and grab a couple of canned drinks and the Gillis Cuban or Kale Caesar salad to enjoy at this peaceful pitstop. happygillis.com

Iron District at William E. Macken Park

North Kansas City continues to attract plenty of local restaurants and bars, but none as varied and unique as the container park known as Iron District. Open seasonally, offering an ever-changing list of food and retail vendors along with a great outdoor bar. Hit up Vegan Crave and grab a veggie burger then over to Elephant Wings for an order of Tikka Masala Poutine or samosas and take them to Macken Park, a 60-acre park offering walking trails, green spaces, soccer fields, restrooms, and playgrounds. irondistrictnkc.com

Bella Napoli at Jacob L. Loose Park

This Brookside institution dedicated to Italian culture and cuisine is the perfect place to order a hand-tossed pizza and Italian salad and take it to the popular and beautiful rose garden inside of Loose Park. The rose garden was dedicated in 1931 by the Kansas City Rose society and today it has over 130 varieties and 3,000 rose bushes in the one-and-a-halfacre garden inside the 75-acre park. kcbellanapoli.com

Mattie’s Foods at Swope Park

Chefs Arvelisha Woods and India Monique are offering some truly tasty vegan cuisine at Mattie’s Foods, their café and bakery located in East Brookside. Place your order online for their Brisket Samich made with sliced tofu “brisket” marinated in barbecue sauce then grilled, served with pickles on toasted bun and get a side of baked beans to take to what is considered the crown jewel in Kansas City’s parks system, Swope Park. This 1,805-acre park is one of the largest municipal parks in the U.S. and home to a golf course, Go Ape Zipline, Starlight Theatre, and the Kansas City Zoo. mattiesfoods.com

Go Chicken Go to Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden

Fried chicken with all the sides is quintessential picnic fare for many, and Go Chicken Go’s convenient drive through at 51st and Troost allows you to pull up to the window and order your favorite fried chicken dinner accompanied with a roll, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and a side of gizzards and livers along with a bottle of their G-sauce to take to the tranquil Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden. The botanical garden covers two acres surrounded by a tall wall that makes it feel like your own private garden complete with water feature and bronze sculptures. gochickengo.com

The Market at Meadowbrook in Meadowbrook Park

Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village was once a 136acre private country club and golf course, but today it serves as a modern amenity to everyone in the city. With new homes and townhomes popping up beside it, it offers several playgrounds, walking trails, a hotel and two restaurants, the finer-dining Verbena, and The Market at Meadowbrook. Stop into The Market and pick up a bottle of sparkling water, and some fresh grab-and-go salads or sandwiches along with a couple of freshly baked treats to end your meal. themarketkc.com

Renovation Sensation

A PRAIRIE VILLAGE RANCH WOWS WITH WIDE OPEN SPACES AND OLD-WORLD APPEAL

words by Judith Fertig

by Aaron Leimkuehler

In this story, you’ll meet a Paris-loving, espresso-drinking, Nikon-shooting former ranch kid who has become a successful marketing consultant and a serial renovator.

Quite by chance.

Growing up in southeast Kansas running cattle and riding his quarter-horse, the tall guy likes to make things happen. After 30 days of Covid lockdown in 2020, he admits, “I was bored.” He had recently renovated the house around the corner, and even though it was not the ideal time to look at other properties, the lure of a new project could not be quashed. “The lockdown actually presented an opportunity,” he says.

Enlisting the help of Nate and Jessica White of Trove Homes, with whom he had renovated the first house, the ranch guy lassoed a deal. The 1956 house had been added to over the years, with lots of terracotta and a layout that was far from ideal. But what it did have was an underused solarium, high ceilings, a fireplace in the primary bedroom, and lots of possibilities to create a modern vintage home with Old-World appeal.

“We love the challenge of these homes that have become a hodgepodge over the years,” says Jessica White, the design half of Trove Homes’ design/ build team. “Sometimes you just need someone with a fresh perspective. The original entrance was underwhelming, but we reconfigured it, so you enter through the solarium, and that is a wow.”

The brick barrel vaulting leading off the solarium to the soaring great room added character but presented yet another design challenge. A solo chandelier in the great room would not look centered. So, Jessica came to the rescue with a

photos

The living room gained a dramatic entrance with the addition of the whitewashed brick barrel-vaulted ceiling.

The original entry, now painted an earthy charcoal hue, is tiled in a classic checkerboard marble pattern. Opposite, both photos: In the solarium/foyer, light floods in from a series of skylights and windows.

Above: Stone walls and a lack of upper cabinets lend a European feel to the kitchen. Left: Doors flanking the Blue Star range lead into a spacious catering kitchen Opposite: The dining room, which opens to both the hallway and the kitchen, is defined by a wall of French doors and a grisaille Schumacher mural.

trio of shimmery glass pendant orbs in different sizes and heights to trick the eye.

Sometimes a design wish is also like that proverbial duck that seems to float serenely while paddling furiously underwater. The “incredibly bespoke” primary bath shower, with its walkway over stones, was like a “car wash,” says Nate White, who tackled the construction issues. “The many shower heads required several high-capacity gas hot-water heaters, so we had to make sure there was enough, and we could fit them in.”

He also made sure that the stone veneer on the kitchen walls around the range and custom range hood was sealed so that it could stand up to the ranch guy’s culinary efforts and clean as effortlessly as tile.

All of that is behind-the-scenes now in a home that is ready for its close-up.

Keeping to a neutral palette and off-whites— Dove White and Seapearl by Benjamin Moore—to

Above: Cozy materials, including black velvet curtains, a sheepskin rug, and a textured bed cover, warm up the generously sized primary bedroom. Opposite, top left: Onyx sconces frame the mirrors at one of two primary bathroom vanities. Opposite, top right: A contemporary brass pendant highlights the floating bathtub. Opposite, bottom: The primary bath shower is worthy of a luxe spa.

Take the Tour

RENOVATION SENSATION TOUR

On Wednesday, September 20 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., this home will be open to view as part of the 2023 Renovation Sensation, a benefit for the Shawnee Mission East SHARE program. This year’s homes tour includes four beautifully renovated and newly built homes in the Shawnee Mission East area, featuring different styles and trends in home design. For your Tour Pass and more information, go to bit.ly/RENSEN23.

In a powder room, a rustic sink sits atop a custom reeded vanity that’s backed by a wall clad in zellige tile.

work with the changing light throughout the day, the house is a show-stopper. Wide-plank European oak oors lightly distressed with a wire brush have centralsurfaces.com

trovehomes.com

Cabinets

Cabinets by King cabinetsbyking.com

Join us for the 51st SantaCaliGon Days Festival Labor Day Weekend, September 1-4. Learn more at santacaligon.com.

Creating legendary event experiences since 1927. O ering super star treatment from planning to event day. MidlandKC.com

Johnson County Museum

O ering innovative, engaging exhibitions and programs that spark curiosity and inspire learners of all ages.

Country Club Plaza—Plaza Art Fair

September 22 -24, 2023 Featuring 240 artists, three live music stages and over 20 restaurant booths. plazaartfair.com

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

Midland Theatre

Independence Parks/Recreation/Tourism Department

A Collaboration

Hosted by the Vanderslice Committee, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, Van dersli

A

A collaboration of Artists and Chefs

A collaboration of Artists and Chefs

A collaboration of Artists and Chefs

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023 AT THE 1900 BUILDING

Please join us for a delectable evening of cocktails, art, and food

Van dersli c e Co m m ittee. or g

Thursday, October 19th, 2023 at the 1900 Building

Thursday, October 19th, 2023 at the 1900 Building

Untitled-11.indd 1 8/11/23 3:31 PM

An Event hosted by The Vanderslice Committee to Bene t the Kansas City Art Institute

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit VandersliceCommittee.org or call 816-806-1308

The Vanderslice Committee would like to thank our 2023 media sponsor

Untitled-11.indd 1

Collaboration of Ar tists and Chefs, Hosted by the Vanderslice Committee, to Benefit the Kansas City Ar t Institute

JUDY & DON CULP LINDA & TOPPER JOHNTZ, HONORARY CHAIRS ARTFARE 2023 +

Sunday Night Live

4 to 7 pm | October 1, 2023

KC Live! Block - Power & Light District

All attendees will enjoy:

•The best of KC’s downtown dining

•Open bars offering your choice of refreshment

•Complimentary valet or garage parking

•Silent and live auctions

• Amazing raffle packages

Event Chairs: S. Sloane Simmons | Casey Simmons

Committee: Carol Barnett | Kiran Chandra | Patty Dykman

Cheri & Jon Gallion | Micah Hobbs | Marilynn Hoover

Kirk Isenhour | Amy Lucas | Wendy Maggiorotto

Zach Mallin | Barb McCoy | Kate McKinney

Debbie McWatters | Pam Puppe | Peggy Reese

Aimee Rohleder | Eddy Scanlon | Molly Wilson

Event proceeds support families served by Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care.

Honorary Chairs: Shelly Legler | Kevin Dunn & Bob Legler | Brady Legler

photo by David Moore, RPM Entertainment

photo by Allison Apple, Kansas City Hospice

In the Kitchen REMEMBERING LOU JANE

BY Cody Hogan PHOTOS BY Aaron Leimkuehler

inspiring nique, some

In my 30 years of professional cooking, I have had the pleasure of working with a number of inspiring chefs, some because of their technique, some for their love of hospitality and tradition, some for their idealism and vision. is year we lost a local culinarian whose enthusiasm for life, intrepid approach to established rules, and ability to nd the brightest spots in otherwise dreary situations was an inspiration to many—Lou Jane Temple. Among many other things, she was a chef, author, red-head-by choice, and all-around adventurer who somehow always landed on her feet. Lou Jane encouraged me with my rst bread baking, introduced me to celebrity chefs, helped me with my rst magazine article 24 years ago, and showed me that sometimes it’s simply necessary to misbehave.

One of my rst food memories of Lou Jane was her artichoke hummus, a staple in her catering repertoire. According to legend (romantic hearsay?—some might call it heresy), she was making hummus and found herself without any tahini, but in possession of a can

of artichoke hearts. e artichokes found their way into the purée and her signature dip was born. Whether or not any of it is true, it is perfect Lou Jane, putting her special spin on something and keeping the party going at any cost. I think it makes for a nice, light hummus, not as creamy as traditional hummus can be, but brighter, a little unexpected, and perfect for impromptu festivities. It reminds one that when entertaining, the food, although meaningful, is not as important as being able to share something with others and celebrate the little moments life gives us.

Lou Jane’s Artichoke Hummus

Versions of this recipe have been published by Lou Jane on at least two occasions, in her rst culinary murder mystery novel, Death by Rhubarb, and in her cookbook for entertaining she coauthored with A. Cort Sinnes, e Big Platter Cookbook. Here is my rendition, inspired by Louie and her skill at situational improvisation.

(i.e. 1 can, drained, liquid reserved), 2 cups cooked artichoke hearts (i.e. 1 can brined artichoke hearts, drained, liquid discarded), 3 to 6 garlic cloves (you know your guests and your own preferences), the juice of 1 or 2 lemons, and a half teaspoon each of cumin, paprika, salt, and white pepper

Turn on the machine and begin processing, drizzling in extra-virgin olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

My own twist was inspired by a situation similar to Lou Jane’s lack of tahini. Once, when making this at home, I got to the olive oil drizzling stage only to realize that I had just a few drops left in the bottle. A recent pantry article on nut oils had my fridge stocked with quite a variety, and knowing that hazelnuts and artichokes have an a nity for one another, I drizzled in about one quarter cup of toasted hazelnut oil and some of the reserved garbanzo bean juice (this naturally starchy liquid is also called aquafaba, and acts as a thickener, emulsi er, and stabilizer). e hazelnut oil supplies the nuttiness of tahini, provides a bit more depth, and is a delicious substitution for olive oil in this recipe. And, like Lou Jane, it’s a bit extravagant. To serve, spread the hummus in a wide, shallow bowl, garnishing it with marinated artichokes (the fancy, grilled, expensive jarred ones if you can), toasted hazelnuts, some dabs of goat cheese or feta, sprigs of parsley or cilantro, a generous glug of oil—olive or hazelnut—and a dash or two of paprika Serve, accompanied by a good atbread, pita, chips, crackers, or raw sliced vegetables, and drinks, being certain to enjoy your guests, make them feel cared for, and appreciate the moment for what it is, just as she would have. In hindsight, this dish really is a re ection of Lou Jane. It makes the best from a less than ideal situation, is a bit exotic with artichokes and spices, is sunny and bright, and I am certain that on more than one occasion her hair was the exact shade of red as the paprika sprinkled on top.

HAZELNUTS

ALTHOUGH PERHAPS not the rst nut that comes to mind when pondering nuts, the hazelnut (aka lberts or cobnuts) is certainly a delicious one. ey are grown in most temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, are versatile in the kitchen, and come in many forms. Hazelnuts are best when fresh because they take on bitter and rancid avors when stored improperly and for too long a period of time. Look for fresh hazelnuts in stores that do a high volume of business, especially those specializing in bulk foods. ey keep best when stored in the dark and in an airtight container. Not always conspicuous, be on the lookout for hazelnuts in various forms on your next trip to the market.

Raw and Toasted

After shelling, hazelnuts are eaten both raw and toasted, with or without the skins. However, toasting the hazelnuts increases their crunchy texture and emphasizes their complex nutty flavor. To toast, place the nuts on a sheet pan in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. While still warm, transfer the nuts to a dish towel and vigorously rub them around to remove the skins. Separate the nuts from the skins. (Although a few skins are part of the flavor, too much skin can impart a bitter, tannic flavor to the finished dish.)

Hazelnut Oil

Buttery and rich, hazelnut oil is a delicious alternative for dressing pasta and salads, especially those containing mushrooms and cheese. Try it as a substitute for vegetable oil in chocolate cakes or pancake batters to lend them a little “Nutella-like” quality. Keep it stored in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life.

Gianduja/Gianduia

Perhaps the most popular use for hazelnuts is in combination with chocolate. Invented in Turin, Italy, at the turn of the 19th century, gianduia is a paste made by adding hazelnuts to either milk or dark chocolate. It is delicious on its own, used as a filling for wafers and cakes, and as part of other confections. For the full gianduja experience, visit Kansas City’s own Andre’s Confiserie Suisse for a wide assortment of chocolate-hazelnut combinations, including Ankara (a dark roasted hazelnut praline covered in dark chocolate, named after the capital of Turkey, the largest producer of hazelnuts in the world), “Swissair,” Noisette truffles, and Nussbergerli sticks.

Spreads

in

with other nuts and/or chocolate. Nutella is by

mindful of those. Hazelnuts in paste form have a very long shelf life, so don’t be afraid to stock up.

Unless you work in the culinary industry, finding 100 percent hazelnut paste is relatively challenging (and expensive!). It is most often found in combination with other nuts and/or chocolate. Nutella is by far the most famous version, but thinking/looking outside the familiar jar can introduce you to a whole new world of luscious hazelnut-based spreads. The Italians excel in this field, so be especially mindful of those. Hazelnuts in paste form have a very long shelf life, so don’t be afraid to stock up.

Curry Club

by Jenny Vergara photo by Corie English

In Your Cocktail WILD CHILD

Located halfway to anywhere you want to be, downtown Shawnee is proving to be a convenient midway meeting place to stop in for a drink, with the City of Shawnee working hard to attract new businesses by being an affordable and welcoming place for food and drink development right now.

Wild Child is the second cocktail bar that Jay Sanders and his partners, Derek and Shelley Shackelford, opened together in downtown Shawnee. Their first, Drastic Measures, recognized this year by the James Beard Foundation as a finalist for Outstanding Bar, is located right around the corner from their newest spot, on a corner that has recently seen new restaurants, a new brewery, and now this new bar.

When you have two places in this business, the first thing people tend to do is compare them, but I am not sure you can in the case of Drastic Measures and Wild Child. So this is how I would describe them to a stranger: If having a drink at Drastic Measures feels like the adults enjoying conversation and cocktails in the sunken living room of a 1970s home, drinking at Wild Child feels like the teenagers partying

in the basement rec room below. It is like Sanders and his team of talented bartenders are hosting two totally different parties in the same house, both serving exceptional drinks but each with their own stylish, unique vibe and crowd.

At Wild Child, you’ll find midcentury-modern wood paneling on some walls, while a colorful, giant floral-print wallpaper decorates others. In addition to the hairpin-legged tables and chairs, glam atomic light fixtures hang from the ceiling, and green plants drape across the room. Wild Child feels like the party you wish you would have thrown (or at least attended) in high school.

The drink menu is broken up into four distinct sections. First is the wine list, with 20 natural wine selections from small and independent producers across the globe, which are served as a six-ounce pour.

Next, there are three cocktail divisions. The first is simply referred to as “cocktails” and these are full strength, fully leaded alcohol-based cocktails. That’s followed by bottled cocktails. These delicious drinks lean into seasonal vegetable and fruit juices that are mixed with alcohol then bottled and forced carbonated to create a lower ABV (alcohol by

volume) with just a bit of effervesce to them, available by the glass or bottle for the table to share.

Lastly on the Wild Child menu are non-alcoholic cocktails that are booze-free but are creative and tasty all the same. The N/A negroni is made with de-alcoholized gin, vermouth, and Campari, and I promise, you will never miss the booze, the flavor is so very close to that of a traditional negroni cocktail.

No- and low-alcohol menus can be found across the city in many fine restaurants and bars, and I think Wild Child will soon be one of many spots that cater to enjoying a drink depending on how you feel on any given day.

On a recent Friday Food show on KCUR 89.3 FM Up to Date with Sanders, I was in the studio when he explained to the host, Brian Ellison, that when he is creating a new cocktail for his menu, he tends to follow a special formula that his staff has nicknamed the “golden Jaytio,” after Sanders himself. The name comes from the mathematical concept of the golden ratio, an equation the Greeks gave to something with divine proportions.

For Sanders, he always starts his drinks with 1.5 ounces of a main spirit, .5 ounces of a secondary modifying spirit, .75 ounces of an acid, like citrus juice, and .75 ounces of something sweet, like a simple syrup. He then tweaks the formula until he gets the cocktail just right.

For the Curry Club, a drink from the full-strength portion of Wild Child’s cocktail menu, Sander’s “golden Jaytio” is almost achieved with Opihr gin, a London dry gin made with spices and botanicals, shaken together with raspberry liqueur for flavor and color, lime juice, and simple syrup, along with dashes of Fee Brother’s Foamer to create the foam floating on top. The result is a pink drink full of deep spice and sweetness. wildchildkc.com

Curry Club

1.5 ounces Opihr gin

5 ounce Gif fard raspberry liqueur

.75 lime juice

.5 ounce simple syrup

4 drops Fee Brothers Foamer*

In a shaker, combine all ingredients and ice. Shake well. Double strain (which means straining your cocktail through the Hawthorne metal strainer that typically comes with a Boston shaker at the same time you pour it through a fine mesh strainer held over your cocktail glass) the contents of the shaker into a coupe cocktail glass.

*Fee Brothers Foamer is a way to add a foamy head to any cocktail, just by adding a couple of dashes to your cocktail of choice and shaking it. Use in place of egg white or aquafaba. It is vegan as it does not contain egg or egg products and the taste is neutral.

by Jenny Vergara

FOUNTAIN CITY SCOOPS AND FLOATS

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME you thought about having an old-fashioned float? Lucas Thompson thinks it is high time you did, because he recently opened Fountain City Scoops and Floats next door to his popular soda pop shop, KC Soda Co., located in the City Market. Choose from hundreds of different soda flavors at KC Soda Co. and they will pass it next door to have it made into a float for you, or you can order one of their specialty floats instead. Thompson has chosen to focus specifically on the art of making a delicious float but will happily sell scoops of ice cream on a cone for those that prefer to keep their ice cream eating and soda drinking separate. He also wants to keep things affordable, so everything in his shop is $5 or less. Going forward he wants to shop for fresh fruit from the market to create produce-inspired floats that will seasonally change. Peach float? Yes, please. fcscoops.com

by Jenny Vergara

FRICTION BREWING CO.

THE NEWEST CORNER to wet your whistle is in Shawnee where Johnson Drive and Nieman Road meet. With Transport Brewery and Servaes Brewing Co. open and serving their own signature suds, the long-awaited, much anticipated Friction Brewing Co. is now opening, adding their signature pilsners, hazy IPAs, and milk stouts to the neighborhood offerings. Co-owners Brent Anderson and Nathan Ryerson bonded over their mutual love of beer and tried to secure locations in four different parts of town before finally finding the perfect spot in downtown Shawnee to both make and drink beer. Friction opened inside the 100-year-old Hartman Hardware building that Anderson and Ryerson have made into a topnotch brewery and a tune-themed tasting room with plenty of eye-candy appeal and personality. There are plans for a second-floor beer hall, event space, and rooftop deck down the road, but no need to wait for that—the time to tour the beer halls in downtown

Flavor IN KC

by Jenny Vergara

THE SPOT KANSAS CITY

CHEF AND CIVIC ACTIVIST Shanita McAfee Bryant is finally ready to feed the community. The mission of The Prospect KC, her nonprofit, is to end hunger, homelessness, and poverty on Kansas City’s Eastside through programs—supported by a network of services—designed to address food access, nutrition education, and job creation. She is offering a 16-week culinary training program that her “prospects” will use working at The Spot Kansas City, a 1,200-square-foot space with a café, coffeeshop, and fresh grocer section. The Spot Kansas City is now open for lunch, offering a rotating variety of seasonal sandwiches, such as The Spot burger with bacon jam and collard green slaw, and Sweet N’ Toastie, which features smoked sweet potato, gouda, Havarti, and sautéed mustard greens on sourdough. There are daily soups and salads available along with barista-made coffee drinks and a variety of fresh-baked goods like strawberry cinnamon rolls and sweet potato coffee cake. Make this your new spot to meet for breakfast, lunch, or coffee. theprospectkc.org

Saturday, september 23 • 10am-4pm Crown Center Square - Kcmo

Please join us for this community-favorite event, at Crown Center Square, highlighting the artistry of current Hallmark employees and retirees, as well. The artists will be on-site for the event, so you can shop and chat with each creator about their work! Live music, food and drink vendors and more!

THE BLVD REVEL RUN RETURNS ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Last year, hundreds of women gathered at Boulevard Brewing Company for a fun-filled morning of running, shopping and—of course—revelry!

Created by WIN for KC (Women’s Intersport Network) and Boulevard Brewery in 2022, the BLVD Revel Run is a 6-kilometer run/walk exclusively for women. Proceeds support WIN for KC in its mission to empower girls and women through sport.

This approachable yet challenging distance, approximately 3.7 miles, is a playful nod to the classic six-pack of beer or hard seltzer, while adding a little bonus effort to the typical 5k. The empowering and festive environment inspires women to lace up their shoes, go that extra kilometer, and celebrate their accomplishment at the post-race fun-filled Finish Line Festival.

Participants receive exclusive race apparel, free Boulevard beverages at the end of the race and access to a dozen of Kansas City’s best women-owned businesses who will be selling sweet treats, jewelry, clothing and so much more!

As one of the leading nonprofit organizations in the region for women’s sports, WIN for KC is known for hosting the Women’s Sports Awards, which honors local women and features an internationally-recognized keynote speaker, and Camp WIN, an annual summer camp for girls ages 6-12, which introduces them a variety of sports in addition to leadership and interpersonal skills.

Space is limited for the BLVD Revel Run, so gather your squad and get registered for one of Kansas City’s only women-focused race events!

Reservation for One BIJOU

by Jenny Vergara

Leimkuehler

As much as I consider eating and drinking part of my job, there are times when it does feel like a job. This can be a real hazard in my line of work, as no one wants to feel like they have lost their real or perceived culinary mojo.

At that point, the only thing that helps is to force myself to take a break from food. I eat boring salads for a few weeks, drink a lot of water, get in my exercise, and get eight hours of sleep. I try not to cook much, or read or watch anything that has to do with food. This process somehow helps me reset, until I find myself curiously hungry again.

I think I successfully came out the other side the night I went to eat

at Bijou, the elegant new bistro located in the original Ragazza spot in Westport. It’s operated by Chad Alexander, a former entertainment entrepreneur who sold his business and decided for his next act he would open his own restaurant.

This always gives me a bit of pause, as most people who have never run a restaurant have no idea what it takes to do it well, but I was pleased to find Alexander impeccably dressed, warm and charming when he greeted me upon my arrival. He has a way of making you feel like you are the only person in the room when he is talking to you, which is such an incredibly important skill in this business, doubly so in

photos by Aaron

this post-pandemic world, as it leaves each guest feeling appreciated. With only 40 seats in the restaurant, Alexander makes a point to stop by and chat with every table, and that is the special sauce that can’t be taught, you either have it or you don’t.

Inspired by European café culture, Alexander endeavored to make the inside of Bijou resemble the small, but elegant “jewel” that inspired its name. Teal-hued molding and brass-trimmed shelves stand out against the red-brick walls and classic black-and-white floor tile. It’s anchored by a large, handsome bar with plenty of seating and a regal black-and-white photo of a smiling Farrah Fawcett wearing a stunning evening gown that will simply stop you in your tracks. The picture provides the perfect pop culture “all hail the queen” moment that tells you Bijou is not taking itself too, too seriously.

The jewel-toned restaurant also has some interesting facets within its team. Brian Mehl, the executive chef, came from Plate in east Brookside and The Peacock, the short-lived spot that opened in the same space as Bijou. Tristan Uhl, who serves as beverage director, arrived from the now-shuttered Julep in Westport and has created a solid list of eight signature cocktails, along with a focused, and mostly European, wine list.

The restaurant’s signature Bijou Nouveau cocktail, based on a traditional Bijou cocktail from the 1800s, packs a pleasing punch. It’s crafted with Ahus Akvavit, Cocchi di Torino vermouth, China China Amer Liqueur (bitter orange, black pepper, cardamom, and beet), bitters, and topped with a sprig of rosemary.

There are nine small plates on the menu, and two larger dinner entrées. Small plates allow one to experience a wide variety of dishes, with an impressively equal mix of vegetables dishes to seafood and meat.

The miso mushrooms came to the table with an array of locally grown mushrooms sautéed in a citrus miso sauce perched on top of silky, ancient black rice and sprinkled with green onions and cilantro. The dish was perfectly seasoned and was velvet in my mouth.

When the pimento risotto arrived, I pictured a furious Italian nonna muttering under her breath and shaking her fists at the heavens at the audacity, but this Southern-lite lass could find no fault with the flavor or texture of the dish. Each piece of arborio rice had been slowly cooked until tender and coated in a light cheese sauce that was studded with tiny bits of pimento peppers, asparagus, and shiitake mushrooms lightly dusted with Parmesan cheese. Was it traditionally Italian? No, but it tasted like a refined version of the popular Southern spread.

The short rib dish included a tangle of wide ribbons of stracci pasta floating in a light pan jus topped with beechwood mushrooms and grilled corn pico. I wanted more beef and less pasta for this dish to be simply called “short rib” on the menu.

Pomme frites were as expected, hot and satisfyingly crisp and salty, with garlic aioli for dipping.

The salmon small plate appears to be a work in progress in terms of the plating and execution. The dish was served on two small saucers. The first had three petite piles of gravlax-cured salmon, slices of sweet red pepper, and aged balsamic onions. The second saucer had a dollop of ricotta cheese and stacked planks of house-made focaccia. It wasn’t enough to share and served on two plates, rather it looked like two different dishes, neither very impressive.

All in all, I walked away from Bijou pleasantly impressed with the polish of the drinks, food, atmosphere, and service. My culinary mojo was officially reinvigorated and ready for more. bijoukansascity.com

RUN KANSAS CITY’S LARGEST AND MOST EXCITING ROAD RACE

Each year, thousands of runners from around the country gather in the City of Fountains to participate in one of the Midwest’s favorite marathons and finish line festivals. And with a half marathon, 10k and 5k option, there’s a race distance for everyone!

INKansas City, we’re known for our jazz, barbecue and passionate sports fans. But we’re also home to one of the best road races in the country: the Garmin Kansas City Marathon. As the largest race in the city, and one of the oldest in the region, it encapsulates much of what makes us one of the most captivating cities in the Midwest.

The weekend’s festivities begin with the two-day Health and Fitness Expo at Union Station. In addition to packet pickup, runners will be able to see the latest and greatest running technology from Garmin, as well as other vendors selling shoes, gear, fitness accessories and nutrition.

An enhanced VIP experience returns this year with premium amenities like parking at the closest designated lot, a tented and heated private space with its own bathrooms, coffee,

snacks and gear check.

The course, which begins in front of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, takes runners on a scenic tour past some of our city’s iconic landmarks like the Country Club Plaza, WWI Museum and Memorial, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, historic 18th and Vine District and Ward Parkway. While considered moderately challenging, this Boston Marathon Qualifying Course sees a diverse mix of elite, amateur and new runners each year.

After the race, participants and spectators gather at the Finish Line Festival presented by T-Mobile, where runners receive complimentary barbecue and beer to celebrate their accomplishment, while enjoying live entertainment from local musicians. With the Nelson-Atkins on one end and Brush Creek on the other, it’s a beautiful Kansas City backdrop for everyone involved.

Garmin Kansas City 5k, 10k, Half and Full Marathon

Saturday, October 21

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art South Lawn

www.kcmarathon.org

This is the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation’s biggest annual fundraiser, which means your support directly impacts our ability to secure major sporting events like the Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, the 2023 NFL Draft and—most recently—the history-making FIFA World Cup 2026. Those events create tens of millions of dollars in economic impact for the city and region, which help to drive opportunity and growth for local businesses.

The Garmin Kansas City Marathon has been recognized by RaceRaves, the leading online race finder and community review site for runners, as the “Best Marathon in Missouri.” It was also rated one of the top 20 Marathons on BibRave.com thus qualifying for “The BibRave 100: a Definitive List of the Best Races in America.”

Jazzoo

PARTY ANIMALS from across the metro gathered on June 2 to enjoy delicious bites and refreshing cocktails along with fun entertainment—all while raising money for the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium. For more photos go to inkansascity.com/events.

AdventHealth Championship

ON MAY 18–21 the The AdventHealth Championship, a PGA Toursanctioned event on the Korn Ferry Tour, was conducted at Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City. This four-day, 72-hole competition featured 156 players from around the world vying for a total purse of $750,000, which was won by Greyson Murray. For more photos go to inkansascity.com/events.

photos by sherri schwinn

Sunset Music Fest: Danielle Nicole Band, Casi Joy, and Henry Conlon

TOWN CENTER PLAZA’S Sunset Music Fest returned on June 8 with the Grammynominated Danielle Nicole Band, Casi Joy, and Henry Conlon.

e free, family-friendly live outdoor concert included local eats and drinks to purchase along with face painting and giant in atable slides for the kids. For more photos go to inkansascity.com/events.

PHOTOS BY BRIAN RICE

ATASTEOFLEAWOOD

OCTOBER6,2023

JoinusontheeveningofFriday,October 6thatTownCenterPlazatokickoffthe CityofLeawood’s75thAnniversary weekendinstyleatthisyear’sATasteof Leawood.ThisannualFUNdraiserand foodieeventissuretosatisfyyour cravings,asguestsareinvitedtoindulge inavarietyofdishesfromthearea’stop restaurantsandsiponanarrayof carefullycuratedwineandbeer.With livemusic,photoopportunities, giveawaysandmore,it’sgoingtobean eveningyoudon’twanttomiss!

Thisyear’seventisopentothepublic (mustbe21+toenter).Topurchase tickets,visitatasteofleawood.com.

Sunset Music Fest: Jackson & Mars and Quite Frankly

ON JUNE 15, the Town Center Plaza’s Sunset Music Fest continued with a performance from the Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars impersonator tribute band, Jackson & Mars, and the band Quite Frankly. For more photos go to inkansascity.com/events.

photos by brian rice

Sunset Music Fest: The Elders with Michael Shaun Brown

THE LAST OF the 2023 Town Center Plaza Sunset Music Fest concerts took place on June 22 with the Emmy-award winning and Kansas Music Hall of Fame Celtic rock band e Elders with Michael Shaun Brown. For more photos go to inkansascity.com/events.

PHOTOS BY BRIAN RICE

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My Essentials IN KC

by Liz Schroeder

ANGELA BROWNKENDALL

ENTREPRENEUR. DESIGNER. CHIEFS FAN

Self-taught seamstress and designer Angela Brown-Kendall has been a trendsetter since the age of ten, creating new fashions on a makeshift runway in the living room of her childhood home. Today, she’s a well-known Kansas Citybased fashion designer, creator of the Rock the Vine fashion show, and owner of AnjiB Designs.

Brown-Kendall is full of pride for the city. “I’m a hometown girl and so proud of our thriving metropolis,” she says, pointing to our culture, arts, cuisine, and history. She loves a good margarita—her recent favorites are the PS Margarita and the Pineapple Smash from Prime Social—especially enjoyed on a patio with friends. And at night, check out our local jazz bars to nd her looking fabulous.

Brown-Kendall’s AnjiB Designs combines femininity with sophistication and re ects her take on “the power of a rst impression.” With a focus on quality and high fashion, her style is sought after by women and men alike. When the weather begins to cool in the fall, Brown-Kendall nds herself inside more and more to focus on her designs. “ e creativity just seems to ow,” she says.

e other thing she looks forward to in the fall? “Two words: Chiefs season. Need I say more?” She and her husband have been season ticket holders for years.

See Brown-Kendall’s designs on Instagram at @anjibdesigns.

Angela’s essentials...

DINING OUT:

Chef’s kiss to JJ’s restaurant on the Plaza and their bacon-wrapped shrimp! My brother introduced it to me at their rst location. Great atmosphere, perfect for any season—hiding behind my favorite sunnies on the patio with friends and people watching is the best.

SELF-CARE SESH: A deep-tissue body massage does a body good, and The Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs is my favorite place to relax and rejuvenate—either with friends or solo. I always feel swept away when I’m there.

ON THE TOWN: I’m an old-school jazz lover, so I take any opportunity to listen to some good jazz. A visit to The Phoenix to check out some Lee Langston or Lonnie McFadden or The Blue Room in the Historic Jazz district on 18th & Vine—music to my ears!

LOCAL MAKER: Made Mobb in the Crossroads for their KC tees and hats.

ey’re inspiring and have their own factory where they make their creations right in the store. Love their ingenuity!

HIDDEN GEM:

18th & Vine is a KC jewel, especially The Negro League Baseball Museum. It’s rich with history and pride for KC and the AfricanAmerican community. It’s a model for other Negro League Baseball museums throughout the country, and every Kansas City resident, teacher, baseball lover, or history bu needs to experience this incredible museum. It also holds a special place in my heart because it’s where I was able to launch my inaugural fashion show as an homage to Buck O’Neil’s legacy and his love for all things fashion. I’m proud to have had the opportunity to collaborate with the nationally renowned NLBM president, Bob Kendrick, to bring fashion to showcase this historic district.

FASHION FIND: I found a really nice boutique called Revive. I love nding unique one-of-a-kind items and designer handbags. A few years ago, I found a Louis Vuitton handbag I had wanted forever—it was like it called out my name in a gentle whisper only a Louis could make, “Angie! Come get me. I’m waiting for you!”

KC SCENT:

Lee’s Summit has a hidden gem called the Embers Candle Bar. You can create your own scented candles—my signature scent is Eucalyptus.

photo by corie english

Host with the MOST

Bringing people together takes a lot of work, the last thing you need to worry about is where to put them all! NFM’s huge selection of dining sets you up for success no matter your budget or aesthetic. So let us handle the tough stuff from delivery to decor and you can get back to what matters most.

Bringing people together takes a lot of work, the last thing you need to worry about is where to put them all! NFM’s huge selection of dining sets you up for success no matter your budget or aesthetic. So let us handle the tough stuff from delivery to decor and you can get back to what matters most.

©2023