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Home can mean a lot of things. It can be a building, like the house where we live. It can be a place, like a city or a town. Or it can be a feeling — the smells and food and people that make us feel loved and flood us with good memories.
For a lot of my upbringing, home wasn’t really a place. We moved around a lot, so my home was more my family — it was wherever my parents and sisters and pets were. Later in my life, my husband and I also bounced around while he was in the military. When we were stationed in Italy, home was an even bigger concept — it meant the food that I missed or just the way I interacted with strangers around me. Being in a foreign place was exciting but also hard. Home sometimes meant grabbing peanut butter off of a grocery store shelf while you smiled and said “ope, sorry” to the person next to you.
This month, we look at lots of definitions of home for our annual home issue. Amy Eastin, originally from Texas, makes the Midwest her home by learning to love its geography and all the nature it has to offer, even if outsiders think it’s no more than flyover country. She’s traveled extensively around the region and shares with us some of her favorite Midwestern destinations.
Home cooking is also a huge part of that idea of home, and if you ask anyone in Kansas City where the best American comfort food is, Stroud’s is it. I, however, didn’t know that it was actually literally in a building that used to be someone’s home! Jenny Vergara digs into the impressive and deep history of the Kansas City institution.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be our home issue without an actual home tour. I’m a sucker for some gorgeous home and design photos, and I’m always on the lookout for unique and beautiful places. Anne Thorne’s midcentury home in Liberty is both. It was so fun touring her house and gushing over all of the interesting secondhand decor and unique character. Most people would not have welcomed that emerald carpet with open arms, but man, she makes it work. And I can confirm it’s as soft and plush as it looks.
As always, we appreciate you welcoming our magazine into your own homes this month.
Until next month,
KATIE CURRID, EDITOR
PUBLISHER
Katie Bode | katie.bode@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Katie Currid | katie.currid@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Amy Eastin, Gilbert Randolph, Jenny Vergara
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Aaron Blackschmidt, Jordan Darley, Amy Eastin, Hannah Schreiner
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
CTO Ajay Krishnan
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF SALES Andrew Leaders
AD DESIGNER Andrew Sapad
LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Anna Minnick Learn
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Amy Eastin is on a mission to show that the Midwest is more than just flyover territory
I will never forget the time I was talking to a friend when I was visiting Washington DC and I told her she should come visit me in Kansas City. She laughed and said, “Let’s meet anywhere else.” Shortly after, she asked me why I lived here and when I would leave.
As miffed as I was, I cannot entirely blame her. I didn’t even realize all that was here in the Midwest until I had been living here for about 5 years. I loved the vibe of Kansas City, the kind people, and the culture, but outside of the things in the city, I thought the Midwest was flat wheat fields as far as the eye could see.
Traveling is my absolute favorite thing to do, so my husband and I would save up each year to go to a big exotic location far, far away. This and a few small weekend trips each year were enough for me to continue to enjoy living here even if it was “flyover country.”
Then our world turned upside down when we had preemie 27-week-old twins that spent over 3 months in the NICU. We were slammed with medical debt and daycare expenses and medically complicated children, which made it much more difficult to jet set off to Peru once a year.
Traveling is a part of who I am. I remember looking at my dad’s National Geographics as a child and telling him I wanted to go everywhere. I studied abroad both for my undergrad and master’s degrees. As soon as I graduated, I left the country to teach English in South Korea and then served in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria. We didn’t have the funds to do big trips anymore but I needed to go somewhere, anywhere.
I started researching places in the Midwest and couldn’t believe what I found. I stumbled across more and more interesting places just a couple of hours from Kansas City. For the first time, I started to question the flyover territory
“Traveling is a part of who I am. I remember looking at my dad’s
a child and telling him I wanted to go everywhere.”
rhetoric and knew I wanted to change people’s perceptions. How did I not know how amazing the Midwest was? Everyone needed to know.
We began taking road trips around the Midwest and I was continually amazed with what we found. We camped on a remote island in a national park in Minnesota, canoed in a national lakeshore in Wisconsin, found the most incredible rock formations in Kansas, and went backpacking in Iowa. The adventures were endless. How had I not realized how much was in the Midwest before?
In 2022, I started sharing our adventures on Instagram under the handle @everydayoutdoorfamily. I wanted to help people find cool and interesting places and to inspire families to explore.
As my account started to grow, I realized I wasn’t the only one who previously believed the Midwest had little to offer. People started commenting things like, “I have lived here my whole life and didn’t realize this was here!” or “This is literally 10 minutes from my house and I never knew it was there.”
Since starting my account, I have connected with so many people and parents looking for fun and interesting places in Kansas City and beyond both online and in person. I have learned so much from my community and no longer feel like I am the only parent looking for outdoor spaces for our family. I have connected with a group of moms who make my adventures look quite mild. I love being inspired by them.
Embracing my city has changed my life. I feel happier being grounded in my friends, community, and local,
“For the first time, I started to question the flyover territory rhetoric and knew I wanted to change people’s perceptions.”
the paved trail. In the summer, there is a swim beach with a giant inflatable obstacle course, as well as kayaks and stand-up paddleboards for rent. The Lake Olathe Sprayground is unlike anything I have ever seen, with a river running through it and a waterfall at the top. My kids always love playing in the sand area as well.
Carl L. Chinnery Nature Trail: This trail is on the property of Unity Village in Lee’s Summit, but it is open to the public. It has a few small waterfalls and will take you past a dam and “hoboglyphs” or carvings in stone by hobos who traveled by train in the 1930s. My personal favorite spot on this trail is the rock bridge which looks like a cave, but it is open on both sides.
accessible adventures. I hope I can inspire others to find that same joy in exploring as I slowly work to change the Midwest stereotypes.
Here are some of my favorite local and Midwest adventures, to inspire you to get out and explore:
Lake Olathe: This is one of our family’s favorite spots because there is so much to do in a small area. We love paddling to the Cedar Creek waterfall or viewing it from
Lost Cave Canyon: This fun experience near Branson, Missouri, takes you through the Ozarks in the most unique way: on your own personal golf cart. You will drive past tons of waterfalls, through a cave (complete with more waterfalls and a bar for refreshments), and you can hop out at any point for photos or just to take in the view.
Arbor Day Farm: This cute lodge and vast property is only two hours away from Kansas City, in Nebraska City. The lodge is great for families looking for a pool
and family fun and people looking for a relaxing vacation with a spa. The Tree Adventure has a series of tree houses connected by rope bridges which my kids loved. They have fun festivals and events throughout the year, so be sure to check out their calendar before you go.
Rail Explorers in Boone, Iowa: This was one of my favorite Midwest experiences. I took my three little kids on a 4-person electric-pedal-powered rail car. I loved the views and going over two suspension bridges, making it feel like even more of an adventure. If you’re in Boone, also make sure to stop at Ledges State Park and the Iowa Arboretum.
Minnesota’s North Shore: I think this is one of the most beautiful places in the USA. The North Shore is the stretch of Minnesota on Lake Superior from Duluth to the Canadian border. This area has beautiful pine forests and waterfalls on one side of the road and crystal blue water stretching as far as the eye can see on the other. There aren’t many big hotels here, so it still feels like a secret.
You don’t need to get on a plane to find an adventure. I hope the next time you hear someone say the Midwest has nothing to offer, you can share many stories about places you have been that prove it otherwise.
You can find more travel tips from Amy on Instagram at @everydayoutdoorfamily or on her blog at everydayoutdoorfamily.com. She also puts out a newsletter that you can subscribe to on her website.
Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor — and its pan-fried chicken — stand the test of time
If we think of a home as a vessel that holds the history of every person who has ever lived there, then every milestone celebrated within its walls becomes forever etched into its very foundation. It is almost as if the house itself was built to safeguard those memories. Those fleeting moments linger—whispered in the creak of a floorboard or glimpsed in the flutter of a curtain at an open window.
When a family home transforms into a restaurant, its walls absorb the hum of conversation, its kitchen becomes a stage for culinary storytelling, and its dining rooms swell with the laughter and memories of strangers who soon feel like family. A house, once a keeper of intimate milestones, becomes a vessel for shared experiences, where every meal carries the weight of tradition and the promise of new memories waiting to unfold.
Such is the case with Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor—a home-turned-restaurant that holds memories for so many Kansas Citians and has a rich history worth remembering right here in the Northland.
The building we now know as Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor began as a two-room log cabin, built on a parcel of land granted to David Hale in 1827. Using the walnut and white oak wood available on the property, he constructed a sturdy home for his family. Today, when you enter the front door at Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor, you can still see the walls of the original log cabin, along with historical artifacts and antiques collected from the families who have called this place home over the years.
Perhaps the most interesting artifact hanging on the wall at Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor is a framed copy of the original land deed given to Hale and signed by the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams.
Thirteen years later, in 1840, Hale sold the property to James and Mary Anne Compton, who began clearing the trees on the land to plant crops and make a living. Farming proved successful, and as the couple started having children, they expanded the two-room cabin into a proper ten-room homestead. Over the years, their sprawling estate became the center of social life in Clay County, hosting parties, dances, dinners, and more.
The next stewards of the property were Darwin and Louise Sandstrom, who purchased the home and its furnishings from Miss Emma Compton—the last surviving member of the Compton family—in 1954. Her family had owned the property for over 114 years before she sold what was left to the married couple. The Sandstroms upgraded the home with indoor plumbing and electricity, intending to run a restaurant while keeping a few of the upstairs bedrooms intact for their own occasional use.
They called their restaurant Sandy’s Oak Ridge Manor, quickly gaining fame for serving German specialties like sauerbraten and Louise’s beloved peanut butter pie. Louise was so protective of these recipes that she wouldn’t make them in front of the cooks she hired, preferring to prepare them in secret after everyone had gone home.
This is where the story of Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor takes a slight turn, leading us to south Kansas City. In 1977, two young bartenders from Kelly’s Westport Inn, Mike Donegan and Jim Hogan, purchased the original Stroud’s restaurant at 1015 E. 85th Street, near 85th and Troost Avenue. The restaurant, located in an old roadhouse under a bridge, was dark inside, with creaky wooden floors, but people came from miles around for its legendary pan-fried chicken.
While other long-standing restaurants have come and gone, Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor remains a cherished institution after 92 years in business.
Interestingly, Stroud’s originally opened as a barbecue restaurant. However, during World War II, when beef became too expensive, owner Helen Stroud made the switch to pan-fried chicken—and it was that change that put the restaurant on the map.
Helen had been running the restaurant with her husband, Guy, since 1933, but after 44 years, she was ready to retire. Mike and Jim, eager to step into ownership, struck a deal. They inherited two of Helen’s original cooks and her treasured recipe book, creating the menu that remains largely unchanged today.
Known for their family-style chicken dinners, Stroud’s menu continues to offer pan-fried chicken with a choice of iceberg lettuce salad or homemade chicken soup, a selection of potatoes (baked, mashed, French fries, or cottage fries), green beans, chicken gravy, and a basket of homemade cinnamon rolls. While they also serve steaks, pan-fried pork chops, fish, and a solid cheeseburger, it’s the panfried chicken that made Stroud’s famous.
The original Stroud’s location in south Kansas City operated until 2006 when the city demolished it to widen 85th Street. By then, Mike and Jim had already set a new plan in motion involving Oak Ridge Manor.
In 1983, Mike, his twin brother Dennis Donegan, and Jim Hogan purchased the Oak Ridge Manor property from the Sandstrom family, officially converting the home-restaurant into a full-fledged commercial operation. Stroud’s thrived in its new location, with diners spilling out onto the lawn on busy nights, waiting for a table. Business was booming, and in 1997, they expanded the restaurant—enclosing the former home’s screened-in porch for additional seating and adding a larger kitchen with a walk-in freezer and a proper dishwashing area.
The following year, in 1998, Kansas City received its first James Beard Award when Stroud’s was honored as an “American Classic.” The James Beard Foundation had been giving out chef and restaurant awards—often called the “Oscars of the food world”—since 1990, but this was the first year they created a category for comfort food establishments. Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor became one of Kansas City’s most iconic restaurants, a distinction that still holds true today.
Many more national accolades followed. In addition to the James Beard Award, Stroud’s has received a Zagat Award for Best Restaurant and has been featured in major publications like The Wall Street Journal, Gourmet Magazine, The New York Times, People Magazine, Esquire, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast, and even Playboy.
In 2000, Jim Hogan left Stroud’s to pursue other interests. Dennis Donegan passed away in 2004, followed by his twin brother, Mike Donegan, in 2021. Today, Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor still has two family shareholders—Paul Donegan, Dennis Donegan’s son, and Mike Donegan’s nephew. The restaurant is now run by a team of long-time key employees and shareholders, including President and General
The following year, in 1998, Kansas City received its first James Beard Award when Stroud’s was honored as an “American Classic.”
Manager Tammy Ruff, along with Chris McSorley, Craig Sailor, Andy Myers, and Nathan Bechthold, who no longer works at the restaurant but still retains company shares.
Then in 2013, KC Hopps partnered with Stroud’s to open additional locations in Kansas City and beyond. However, the only remaining location still operating today, aside from Oak Ridge Manor, is in Overland Park, Kansas.
While other long-standing restaurants have come and gone, Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor remains a cherished institution after 92 years in business. Perhaps it’s because of the loyalty and consistency that has defined this restaurant from the very beginning—after all, the same two cooks who moved from the original Stroud’s in 1983 are still in the kitchen, frying up the chicken that generations have come to love. It’s that unwavering dedication, paired with warm hospitality and a touch of nostalgia, that has kept Stroud’s Oak Ridge Manor open in Kansas City, always ready to serve up a little home-cooked comfort to anyone who walks through its doors.
Anne Thorne embraces all of the bold character in her midcentury Liberty home
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE CURRID
When looking at homes to live in, buyers see it all — crazy paint colors, carpeted bathrooms, hodge-podge layouts and questionable DIY jobs. And there can be design choices that scare many folks off. But it can also be a selling point for others.
When Anne Thorne and her husband, Mike, toured a custom midcentury home in Liberty, the place was full of bold design choices. The elderly sellers were the original owners of the 1960s home and had clearly decorated the home
to their individual taste instead of worrying about future owners. The house was full of pink and green decor — pink kitchen tile, green-washed paneling, pink window trim, pink blinds, and — most notably — plush green carpet.
Many buyers, if they weren’t scared off by the bold decor, would be itching to rip it all out the second they moved in. But not Anne.
Anne and Mike fell in love with the home the second they walked in. A family friend owned it, and it hadn’t even hit the market. They found out about the home being put up for sale through the grapevine, and asked to see it immediately, leaving in the middle of their dinner to tour it.
They never even looked at another house. This was the one.
That was 2016. While Anne and Mike did change some of the original owner’s decor (sorry, pink window blinds), Anne loved their bold taste. She appreciates the thoughtful and unique design the owners incorporated throughout the home and tried to incorporate as much of it as possible when bringing in their own design plans
and furniture. She loves the solid wooden doors, the built-in planters and — yes — the plush green carpet. After they moved in, Anne said longtime neighbors stopped by and asked to walk on it because it had been previously covered in plastic and they had never been allowed to.
And yes, it’s as comfy and soft as you can imagine. The kind you can sink your toes into.
Eight years later, the Thornes and their four children love this home and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
The house is a bit on the smaller side — 2,000 square feet — but the family of six makes it work.
“We like being in a really small space together,” says Anne. “I like how I have to be creative with space and mindful of what I bring in since the house is small. Everything has to have a place. It’s freeing.”
Anne is a florist with her own business, Thorne Floral , and her favorite part of the home is all of the plants. She’s filled the built-in planters inside with monsteras, snake plants and ZZ plants. And she’s doing her best to care for the amazing landscaping outside — like the tall rhododendron, the ginkgo tree, a huge Japanese maple and the bright pink azaleas.
Also filled with plants is Anne’s favorite room, a solarium off of the sunken dining room with original emerald green square tile. Anne says the space is dreamy at night, and she’s decorated it with disco balls and twinkle lights so it’s extra cozy and sparkles in different ways throughout the day. The thrifted wooden armoire in the solarium is filled with secondhand quilts that Anne buys up to sew into clothing — a big commitment of storage in such a small space, but, to Anne, it’s worth it.
Thrifted and antique decor adorns most of the house, from quirky handmade planters in the kitchen to sentimental art from when her children were little in the dining room.
The Thornes’ home is all, really, a secondhand find – but in the best way possible, like when you stumble upon a holy grail of an object at the thrift store. Anne and her family are loving stewards of their midcentury home, honoring the people who so lovingly built it and crafted it from the start while still modernizing it to suit their taste and needs, making sure it still has plenty of character and charm for future generations.
ARTICLE BY GILBERT RANDOLPH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JORDAN DARLEY
The biggest gathering of upland hunting enthusiasts is coming to the Kansas City Convention Center March 7-9. It’s been ten years since the National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic visited the City of Fountains, and it’s a perfect weekend activity for any outdoors enthusiast.
“We’re excited to be back in Kansas City. We’ll be right at the meeting point of Missouri and Kansas, two states with deep ties to upland bird hunting,” says Marilyn Vetter, CEO of Pheasants and Quail Forever.
“It’s a unique opportunity for upland hunters, conservation professionals and wildlife enthusiasts to come together to celebrate our shared passion for hunting and conservation.”
The event will be headlined by a conservation benefit concert featuring Muscadine Bloodline. For dog lovers, proceedings will be kicked off by a bird dog parade, which in past years has featured over 100 dogs representing over 40 different sporting dog breeds.
National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic comes to Kansas City
There will also be over 400 exhibitor booths including upland gear, bird dog supplies, camping gear and more! Attendees can visit a variety of stages, which will feature talks and Q&As covering topics such as how to improve upland habitat, wild game cooking, how to get into upland hunting and more. Families can explore the Youth Village, which will feature a variety of hands-on nature-focused activities.
There will also be the opportunity to talk with Pheasants and Quail Forever biologists at the Habitat Help Desk. If you’ve wanted to plant pollinator habitat in your yard or learn about conservation practices to grow wildlife populations, the Habitat Help Desk is for you.
To buy tickets and learn more about the event, visit PheasantFest.Org
• Friday, March 7 - Sunday, March 9
• Kansas City Convention Center
• 301 West 13th Street, Kansas City, MO
• Single day tickets $10 for youth, $15 for adults
• More information at PheasantFest.Org
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MARCH 15TH
Snake Saturday Parade and Festival
Throughout downtown North Kansas City | 11:00 AM
Snake Saturday Parade and Festival is the destination for family-oriented Irish fun and festivities. Every detail is focused on multi-generational fun while experiencing true Irish spirit. 2025 marks the 41st year of this Northland tradition. Make plans now to spend the weekend celebrating your Irish heritage.
MARCH 15TH
201 Main Street, Platte City | 10:00 AM
Shop local makers and vendors at the Firehouse Market in downtown Platte City.
MARCH 29TH
Sippin’ Into Spring
Downtown Excelsior Springs | 12:00 PM
Spring is in the air, and so are the flavors! Sippin’ Into Springtime is your chance to taste your way through Downtown Excelsior Springs and some of the most charming local small businesses. Stroll through the district, discover hidden gems, and toast to the arrival of spring with great wine in hand!
