The Pitch: TASTE 2015 by FW Publishing

Taste 2015

YOUR GUIDE TO

EATING DRINKING AND

ACROSS

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Taste

2015

Thai Orchid restaurant Award Winning Authentic Thai Cuisine Serving Kansas City Since 1991

MENU ROOTING DOWN THE AMERICAN’S E XECUTIVE CHEF, MICHAEL CORVINO, TELLS US WHAT HE LOVES ABOUT K ANSAS CIT Y. 4

POWER & LIGHT DISTRICT 6 CITY MARKET/COLUMBUS PARK 6 EAST BOTTOMS 10 WEST BOTTOMS 10 DOWNTOWN/CROSSROADS 11 WEST SIDE 16 MIDTOWN 16 PLAZA 20 BROOKSIDE/WALDO 26 EAST SIDE 27 SOUTH KANSAS CITY 28 KC METRO EAST 29 LEE’S SUMMIT 29 NORTHLAND 30 PARKVILLE 31 LIBERTY 32 KC METRO NORTH 32 INDEPENDENCE 32 GLADSTONE 35 KANSAS CITY, KANSAS 35 WESTWOOD 36 FAIRWAY 36 MISSION 36 PRAIRIE VILLAGE 38 LEAWOOD 39 OVERLAND PARK 40 LENEXA 43 SHAWNEE 45 OLATHE 45 LAWRENCE 46

ON THE COVER:

POKE STACK

Marinated raw ahi, crispy wontons, avocado, wasabi soy sauce from

YARD HOUSE STAFF WRITER: CHARLES FERRUZZA ART DIRECTOR: JEREMY LUTHER

Lunch: Mon-Sat 11am to 2:30pm Dinner: Mon-Thu 5pm to 9pm Fri & Sat 5pm to 9:30pm Closed Sundays 6504 Martway St. Mission West Shopping Center www.thaiorchid.us | 913-384-2800

Brunch Brunch how will you how will you

enjoy either of enjoy brunch ofour ourlocations locations joy brubrunch ch atat t either loc tio s

boulevard 11-2pm or leawood 10-2pm boulevard 11-2pm or leawood 10-2pm the boulevard “originale”

703 boulevard sw blvd kansas city, mo the “originale ” (8272) 816.472.tapa

703 sw blvd kansas city, mo

816.472.tapa (8272)

leawood “at one-nineteen”

4311 w 119th stleawood leawood, ks

“at one-nineteen” 913.428.tapa (8272)

4311 w 119th st leawood, ks

913.428.tapa (8272) 3 TA S T E 2 015

ANGELA C. BOND

ROOTING DOWN T H E A M E R I C A N ’ S E X E C U T I V E C H E F, M I C H A E L C O R V I N O , T E L L S U S W H A T H E L O V E S A B O U T K A N S A S C I T Y.

BY NATALIE GALLAGHER

t hasn’t been two years since Michael Corvino took over the kitchen of Kansas City’s prestigious American Restaurant, but by all accounts, the Washington-state native seems to have settled into his new city with an air of permanency. This is big news, at least for Corvino: The chef admits that he is something of a nomad, having spent the last decade or so bouncing from kitchens in Washington to those in Chicago (at the Peninsula Hotel); Naples, Florida (the Ritz-Carlton); Portland, Oregon (Urban Farmer steakhouse); and Dallas (Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek). So what about Kansas City has stuck with him? This was what we wanted to find out when we visited with Corvino during happy hour in the American’s lounge. Corvino, in jeans and a T-shirt, settled into one of the plush bar chairs against the wall. Sipping champagne, he gave us an honest snapshot of what convinced him to call Kansas City home. “It’s not the gorgeous mountains or the coast that I love about this city, right?” Corvino jokes. He’s tattooed on both arms from his wrists up, and he’s smiling more often than not. The thing he loves best about Kansas City, the thing he can’t wait to talk about, is a farm located about 45 minutes out of town — a sprawling acreage belonging to the family of his fiancée’s best friend. “Christina [Eldridge] took me there after we’d only been dating a couple of weeks, not only to get the seal of approval but to make sure I wasn’t

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just a city guy,” Corvino says. “I feel like meeting those people at that farm, I’ve really gotten to know what the Midwest really is.” He goes on: “I said it the whole time I was in Chicago: ‘I hate the Midwest.’ But most of Chicago is sprawling suburbs as far as you can go. I think it was when I drove here from Dallas and I found these rolling hills, and it was green, that’s when I started to think, ‘Oh, the Midwest is beautiful.’ This farm does the same thing to me. It’s peaceful, and all I hear are the birds and the wind in the trees, and it’s pretty cool.” I have a slew of questions to ask Corvino: where he gets his coffee, where he drinks when he’s not at his bar, which restaurant — besides his own — he would take a group of out-of-town friends. But as we move through those questions, Corvino’s responses seem driven less by his liking of a menu at any given place and more by his appreciation for and affection toward the person putting it together. He likes plenty of places, he tells me with a shrug, but good food is easy to find. “I fell in love with Kansas City, and it’s treated me very well,” Corvino says. “I fell in love with a lady here and her family, but honestly, I think it’s the people. When I worked for the Peninsula Hotel, their little catchphrase surrounding their concept was ‘Eastern graciousness meets Midwestern hospitality.’ I picked up a lot of what I do in food because of my work there, but I didn’t really get it — Midwestern hospitality — in Chicago at that time in my life. I think it’s changed, but it was very cliquish, and every different neighborhood was cutthroat.

“I get Midwestern hospitality in Kansas City because of the people,” he adds. “They’re friendly, and it’s tightknit, and maybe it’s the small town of it. I think it’s that vibe of people and community as opposed to anything else.”

CORVINO’S PICKS

WE SMOKE THE GOOeD STUFF sinc 1992

E-MAIL NATALIE.GALL AGHER@PITCH.COM

COFFEE: ONE MORE CUP

Corvino lives in Waldo, and his regular coffee shop is based more on convenience than anything else. But he likes One More Cup for reasons beyond proximity to his apartment. “I do coffee at home,” Corvino says. “It’s my time. I have a little sun porch and sit out there in the morning. I take my coffee from work, and we do Roasterie here. But when I run out of coffee, I’ll go to One More Cup because they carry Roasterie, Oddly Correct, Thou Mayest. I like that because they buy from all three places, and they’ll have a different bean every time. I love the taste of coffee, and there’s different characteristics, so I like to try different stuff.”

LUNCH: HAPPY GILLIS

“I used to think Howard Hanna [chef-owner at the Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange] was the nicest chef in Kansas City, but I’ve recently decided that Josh [Eans] took him out,” Corvino says of the chef and co-owner of Happy Gillis. It’s easy to love Eans’ Columbus Park hangout, but not just because he’s unequivocally pleasant. “His food is so delicious,” Corvino continues. “It’s casual and homey and fun. The sandwiches are great, and there’s no lack of refinement with what he makes as far as ingredients, but it’s simple. Everything is seasoned perfectly. I love that place. That’s my lunch or breakfast in the morning. If I need to get out of my house, I’ll take my laptop and set up there.”

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VISITING FRIENDS: RYE

“If I had friends coming in from out of town, I would take them to Rye,” Corvino says. “You get a mix of everything there, and it’s very Midwestern. Plus, Colby [Garrelts, chef and co-owner] and I are very good friends. And the pie. First and foremost, the pie. They do it all right.”

DESSERT: BLUESTEM

A look of bliss crosses Corvino’s face as he reminisces over Rye’s lemonmeringue pie, which inspires his answer to my dessert question. “Bluestem, definitely, and sit at the dessert counter,” Corvino says, adding that chef and co-owner Megan Garrelts and pastry chef Jess Armstrong have an endlessly tempting dessert menu. “If I didn’t work here [at the American], it [dessert] would be here because of [pastry chef] Nick Wesemann. There’s never a large inf luence of really highquality pastry chefs in a small city, in my experience, and maybe there’s more, and I just haven’t had them yet. But those are the people that do it exceptionally well here.”

DRINKS: THE RIEGER, PORT FONDA, ÇA VA

Corvino pauses when I ask him where he drinks when he’s not at his bar. “The Rieger,” he says. “But I usually drink his [Hanna’s] Pabst that he doesn’t sell, that he just keeps for his friends. Maybe that’s not the right answer, but I like that I can drink at the kitchen counter with the chef. Or, now, because of where I live, sometimes I’ll stop at Port Fonda and Ça Va on my way home. Usually if I’m at one, I’m at the other. And I love champagne.”

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ANGELA C. BOND

stery and white tablecloths. The food is so good and expertly prepared that if you’re flush enough, you can laugh off a $52 rib-eye or a $32 pan-roasted chicken.

FLYING SAUCER

101 East 13th Street, 816-221-1900

T he me nu at Fly i n g S auc e r doesn’t play it safe, which says a lot. Featured dishes include green chili pork stew, a stroganoff burger, a vegetarian hippie burger, and IPA mac and cheese.

GORDON BIERSCH

100 East 14th Street, 816-471-2340

By local brewpub standards, this outpost of the Tennessee-based chain is downright glamorous. The setting is sleek, the servers are polished and well-trained and most of the dishes are made from scratch in the restaurant’s kitchen.

Il Lazzarone

JOHNNY’S TAVERN

1310 Grand, 816-268-2260

POWER & LIGHT DISTRICT ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE MAINSTREET 1400 Main, 816-474-4545

This dine-in movie theater serves bottomless popcorn bowls, pretzels, burgers, pizzas, wraps, mac and cheese, and other crowd-pleasers such as ice cream and adult shakes. Even better, get brunch with a mainstream film or cult classic.

BAR LOUIE

and restaurateur Alex Pope to help create a menu filled with interesting dishes. The choices, primarily meat, are as appealing to local patrons as to tourists wanting to indulge on the bounty of the heartland: charcuterie plates, pork soup, smoked pork ribs, pork osso buco and a juicy Kansas City strip.

DRUNKEN FISH

BRGR

11 East 14th Street, 816-221-2747

The Power & Light outpost of the popular suburban burger restaurant offers a terrific selection of sandwiches (including its own spin on the iconic Big Mac, called the Big Mock, that’s better than its inspiration), salads and build-your-own mac and cheese.

CLEAVER & CORK

1333 Walnut, 816-541-3484

The owner of this Power & Light venue wisely hired local chef, butcher

KOBE JAPANESE STEAK & SEAFOOD

14 East 14th Street, 816-474-7177

1303 Baltimore, 816-471-3339

This St. Louis-based sushi chain is big on cleverness with artfully executed and imaginative sushi and nigiri. It also boasts an impressive cocktail list.

Kobe is a full-service Japanese teppanyaki steakhouse that, in addition to the grilled items, offers sushi and gyoza dumplings.

MCFADDEN’S SPORTS SALOON

101 East 14th Street, 816-841-9100

The Texas-based chain — not to confused with another chain, Louie’s Wine Dive, in Waldo — offers a menu of casual sandwiches, salads, flatbreads and burgers.

There are now nine locations (including two in Lawrence) of this popular saloon, a Lawrencebased institution since 1953. It serves food quite late, including soft pretzels, blue-cheese chips, crispy peppers, salads, burgers, sandwiches and wraps.

THE DUBLINER

170 East 14th Street, 816-895-7050

When the oversized Irish pub Raglan Road vanished from the Power & Light District, it left behind beautiful Irish-made woodwork and fixtures. Reborn as the Dubliner, the venue serves a few Irish-inspired dishes (including a very fine Ploughman’s platter of bangers, cheeses and charcuterie) and traditional American saloon fare, such as spinach-artichoke dip and burgers.

801 CHOPHOUSE

71 East 14th Street, 816-994-8800

This expensive steakhouse has an appealing dining room that evokes a 1930s beefsteak palace with its dark woodwork, leather uphol-

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1330 Grand, 816-471-1330

One of the first watering holes in the Power & Light District, McFadden’s is a sprawling and noisy venue but a great place to gather for an early dinner or a late-night snack or drink, especially if the Royals are buying. It also offers inexpensive weekly food specials.

THE MIXX

1347 Main, 816-283-0300

See Plaza.

PIZZA BAR

PROVIDENCE NEW AMERICAN KITCHEN

President Hotel, 1329 Baltimore, 816-303-1686

This hotel-restaurant serves an eclectic menu, including duckfat fries, whiskey-cured salmon, lobster potpie and other equally intoxicating choices.

TENGO SED CANTINA

1323 Walnut, 816-442-8124

The frolicsome saloon serves a menu of Tex-Mex dishes (Port Fonda’s awa rd-w i n n i ng c hef Patrick Ryan did some consulting work on the menu), including fresh seafood ceviche, taquitos, chicharrones and plantain nachos.

12 BALTIMORE

Hotel Phillips, 106 West 12th Street, 816-346-4410

The former lounge in this historic hotel was transformed into a com for table ba r-restau ra nt ser v ing brea k fast, lunch a nd dinner; the kitchen stays open later Friday and Saturday nights. The menu includes sandwiches, a first-rate burger, salads, and a solid collection of dinner entrées.

YARD HOUSE

1300 Main, 816-527-0952

This California-based chain claims to have the world’s largest selection of draft beers. Customers can sip everything from Pabst Blue Ribbon to Cinder Block beers, as well as dozens of other ales, stouts, lagers and Pilsners. The menu is a global affair, too, with moo shu egg rolls, Korean barbecue beef, Thai chicken pizza, New Zealand lamb chops and a Hawaiian hamburger.

CITY MARKET/ COLUMBUS PARK BLUE LINE

529 Walnut , 816-472-7825

Kansas City’s “only hockey bar” lures sports lovers of every stripe to partake of its drink specials and modestly priced starters, sandwiches, salads and snacks.

1320 Grand, 816-221-8466

The pizzeria in the Power & Light District offers whole pizza pies or slices, as well as toasted ravioli, wings, garlic bread and lasagna.

BO LINGS CITY MARKET

20 East Fifth Street, 816-423-8036

B e c au s e t h i s lo c a l C h i ne s e A mer ica n restau ra nt c ha i n

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Modern Mediterranean Cuisine O N

T H E

C O U N T R Y

C L U B

901 W 48th St, Kansas City, MO For reservations call (816) 437-8420 hotelsorella-countryclubplaza.com

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P L A Z A

started in the suburbs, this urban incarnation of the concept is sel f-consc iously “h ip,” but the laid-back coolness – there are rarely noisy youngsters in the dining room – adds an unexpected kick to the traditional Bo Lings menu.

BURRITO BROS.

407 Main , 816-842-0152

The beloved City Market vendor offers generously stuffed burritos, quesadillas and tacos. The prices are higher than fast-food Mexican fare, but the quality is far superior.

CADDY SHACK

700 East Third Street, 816-421-4742

A family-owned saloon near Columbus Park that’s famous for its Sicilian-style thin-crust pizza, Caddy Shack serves food until well after midnight. The menu includes fried chicken w ings, burgers, fried pork tenderloins, and stuffed jalapeño poppers.

the fresh produce sold there and uses plenty of regional meats and cheeses in his dishes as well, including lamb and goat cheese from Weston’s Green Dirt Farm.

GAROZZO’S RISTORANTE 526 Harrison, 816-221-2455

This was the first dining room that St. Louis-born restaurateur (and occasional actor) Michael Garozzo opened in 1989. Customers still pack the place for Garozzo’s signature chicken spiedini dishes, fresh fish, hearty pastas and bowls heaped with tender — and inexpensive — pork neck bones.

HAPPY GILLIS CAFÉ & HANGOUT 549 Gillis, 816-471-3663

Now owned by chef Josh Eans and his wife, Abbey-Jo, the breakfast and lunch-only venue is a class act, with wonderful soups and sandwiches.

HARRY’S COUNTRY CLUB

112 East Missouri Avenue, 816-421-3505

CAFÉ AL DENTE

412 Delaware, 816-472-9444

Let’s be real here — the service in this neighborhood Italian restaurant is eccentric as hell and isn’t going to be everyone’s glass of grappa, although it does have devoted fans who come in regularly for the salads, pizza and cheesy lasagna.

CASCONE’S GRILL

17 East Fifth Street, 816-471-1018

The Cascone family has been a major presence on this stretch of Fifth Street for more than half a century — ever since patriarch Sam Cascone and his wife, Vita, moved from a three-stool diner to a slightly bigger space in the City Market. The menu hasn’t changed much in five decades: fluffy pancakes, eggs cooked almost any style, Italian sausage, thick slabs of buttered Italian toast, spaghetti, cheeseburgers and hot beef sandwiches. Sam and Vita’s children now run the place, with George and Frank in the kitchen.

THE FARMHOUSE

300 Delaware, 816-569-6032

Chef Michael Foust’s artistic café blends the traditions of homey Midwestern dining with the sophistication and polish he learned while working in more upscale venues around the country. Because his restaurant is so close to the City Market, Foust takes advantage of

Opened in 2003 by legendary local bartender Harry Murphy, Harry’s is the closest thing you’ll find to a 1940s roadhouse (with memorabilia from Genova’s Chestnut Inn, which was a honky-tonk), serving really tasty bar favorites (housemade chips, pork tenderloins, Philly cheesesteaks, patty melts and classic hot turkey sandwiches).

KIM LONG ASIAN MARKET & RESTAURANT 511 Cherry, 816-221-8892

Ref lecting the changing ethnic identity of Columbus Park, this building held an Italian restaurant for decades but now features a well-stocked Asian market and a restaurant serving pot stickers, sweet-potato fritters, streaming pho bowls and General Tso’s chicken.

IL LAZZARONE

412 Delaware, 816-541-3695

Erik Borger, who opened his first Il Lazzarone in St. Joseph, has such high standards for his Neapolitan pizza that the St. Joseph restaurant is the first pizzeria in Missouri and Kansas to be given approval by the American Delegation of the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana. He’s seeking approval for his River Market place, too. The service is awkward, but Borger’s simple, creative pizza, following the strictest requirements, is quite good.

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The American Restaurant

LE FOU FROG

VIETNAM CAFÉ

400 East Fifth Street, 816-474-6060

522 Campbell, 816-472-4888

It’s always the louche life at this popular French bistro in the historic north end. It has all the sexy French components: an attractive staff, a dim and sultry dining room, and moments of dramatic tension — Marseilles-born chef and owner Mano Rafael is notorious for banning customers who annoy him. The food is delicious, and the vast menu selections — there are often as many as 20 nightly specials — are all tempting.

This bistro in historic Columbus Park, now a predominantly Vietnamese neighborhood, serves the best pho in the city, as well as other delicious choices, including salads, rice and noodle dishes and fresh-tasting spring rolls.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR 427 Main, 816-421-1122

See Plaza.

OPERA HOUSE COFFEE & FOOD EMPORIUM 500 Walnut, 816-888-4858

The sweet little breakfast and lunch restaurant with a high falutin name — the original Gillis Opera House on this site burned down in 1925 — serves early dinners, too. In addition to breakfast dishes, the menu includes burgers, pastries, salads, alcoholic beverages, and items from the Paleo Diet repertoire.

TAPCADE

WINSLOW’S BBQ

20 East Fifth Street, 816-471-7427

A longtime fixture in the City Market complex, this fragrant smokedmeat venue features live music on the patio on Friday nights and succulent smoked wings, burnt ends and slabs of ribs.

EAST BOTTOMS KNUCKLEHEADS SALOON 2715 Rochester, 816-483-1456

Located in the historic East Bottoms, this club has become a premier live-music venue over the last decade. The place boasts “Mama Mary’s Dining Car,” an in-house commissary selling an extensive menu of snacks and meals, ranging from deep-fried pickles and taco dogs to an 8-ounce rib-eye dinner.

WEST BOTTOMS

1701 McGee, 816-492-6577

This arcade bar and grill offers a mix of rotating ’80s and ’90s arcade games with a simple menu evok ing those ea rly a rcades: candy, hot wraps, popcorn, and pretzels with cheese.

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GENESSEE ROYALE BISTRO 1531 Genessee, 816-474-7070

This charming casual diner is run by Todd Schulte, who created an offbeat but engaging spot for breakfast, lunch and happy hour. What other venue in town serves

ANGELA C. BOND

It’s not a one night stand if you buy them breakfast in the morning.

WOODSWEATHER CAFÉ

1414 West Ninth Street, 816-472-6333

This breakfast-and-lunch-only café serves robust meals (the pancakes are the size of platters, and the omelets could easily feed two), hearty homemade soups and huge cheeseburgers.

DOWNTOWN/ CROSSROADS AFFÄRE

1911 Main, 816-298-6182

Veteran hotel chef Martin Heuser, a native of Germany, incorporates classic culinary techniques to create visually elegant, delicious meals. He first described his 2012 restaurant as German, but his cui-

Kansas City’s most elegant restaurant turned 40 years old in 2014 and still retains, thanks to Warren Plattner’s classic design, a timeless ambience. Executive chef Michael Corvino’s dishes are imaginative, delicious — and unapologetically expensive.

ANTHONY’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 701 Grand, 816-221-4088

The Spino family opened this Italian restaurant as a 13-booth café, and it was expanded into a full-service restaurant in 1978. This place represents what fancy Italian dining was like in the 1970s: warm and comfortable, with classic vocalists (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett) on the sound system, hefty and delicious pasta dishes, excellent veal choices. Now operated by the second generation — Vito and Anthony Spino III — the family matriarch, Teresa, still makes the lasagna, the cheesecake, a gorgeous four-layer cake and the house salad dressing.

4059 BROADWAY (816) 931-4401 THECORNERKC.COM

Steak Night EVERY THURSDAY 16 oz 8 oz Strip Filet -

This West Bottoms restaurant has style, verve and, thanks to the personable owners — Jill Myers and chef Wes Gartner — a delectable and wildly imaginative menu. The building, dating back to the old Stockyards days, is comfortable and may be the best place in town to assemble large groups for drinks and dinner.

THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT

200 East 25th Street, 816-545-8001

Breakfast è Brunch è Lunch è Coctails è Events

-OR

VOLTAIRE

1617 Genessee, 816-472-1200

sine is from Germany, Austria and Switzerland (among others). The desserts are small works of art.

shakshuka (a popular Israeli breakfast dish), made with baked eggs, spicy tomato sauce, cilantro and bread? The lunch menu features a good burger, chicken salad, and a house-made garlic sausage and fried-clam sandwich. A full bar is available.

SERVED WITH BAKED POTATO

ANTON’S TAPROOM AND RESTAURANT

1610 Main, 816-888-8800

Anton Kotar took a sorrowful downtown restaurant (which had various short-lived personas, including a gay bear bar) and gave it a dashing makeover for the patrons who love the venue’s raucous

WALDO 7425 BROADWAY STREET • KANSAS CITY, MO 64114 816-822-7525 • TANNERSBARANDGRILL.COM

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saass CCiitttyyin’’ssg n a s K n a Kngestt llaassting lloonugseisc vveennuuee music m

Owned and operated by the Markowitz family since 1950 in midtown Kansas City, MO. Original live music up to six nights a week, from bluegrass to punk rock. Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club opened its doors in 1925 on Broadway Ave and has been at its current location on Main St since 1950.

Kansas City’s best sound, best cheap drinks, and 2006’s Best Bartender in Kansas City (“Mokie”) all in a neighborhood bar atmosphere. “J.B. Morris, of local country-rockers Rex Hobart and the Misery Boys, calls this honky-tonk the “last great venue”in Kansas City. From tough-guy Dale Watson to the sweet and sexy Eleni Mandel, a variety of country and folk stars

3402 Main Street, Kansas City, MO | 816-753-1909

FOUNDED LOCALLY IN 2005

Create your own mixx ...

Plaza

HaWTHORNE Plaza

4855 Main St. Kansas City, MO 64112

11942 Roe Avenue Overland Park, KS 66209 COMING JUNE 2

www.mixxingitup.com 12

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P&l 1347 Main St. Kansas City, MO 64105

ANGELA C. BOND

GRINDERS

417 East 18th Street, 816-472-5454

Local artist “Stretch” Rumaner opened this East Crossroads pizzeria in 2004, and it quickly caught on as a hipster hangout serving grownup, kid-inspired delicacies such as “Big Ass Fries,” soft pretzels, crab Rangoon made with real crab, nachos, chicken wings, pizza, burgers and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. The service isn’t polished, but then again, neither is the dining room.

GRINDERS WEST

415 East 18th Street, 816-472-5454

Charisse

vitality and the chance to indulge in juicy steaks cut from both grainfed and grass-fed beef, beautifully prepared. The menu isn’t complicated, but almost everything is delicious, including the burgers, the fries and the desserts.

THE ART OF PIZZA

1801 Baltimore, 816-421-1888

This pizza joint is eccentric, but those who love it swear by the New York-style pies.

BELFRY

1532 Grand, 816-471-7111

Celebrated c hef Cel i na T io’s “neighborhood joint” is a coffee bar during the day and an intimate saloon at night, with a limited but tasty menu of dishes, many easy to share.

BLVD. TAVERN

320 Southwest Boulevard, 816-421-1023

Chef Derek Nacey, who co-owns Blvd. with his wife, Meghan, created a menu that runs the gamut, from Korean fried chicken wings with kimchee to a 14-ounce rib-eye rubbed with Roasterie coffee. For diners with wildly eclectic tastes, this place scores.

THE BULLDOG

1715 Main, 816-421-4799

The casual, comfortable urban saloon has a saucy bar side and, over a pa r tition, a somewhat more refined dining room — and both are perfect for large gatherings. The food includes risotto balls, street tacos, wings, burgers, fish and chips and … ramen!

CAFÉ GRATITUDE

333 Southwest Boulevard, 816-474-5683

This vegan restaurant is filled with good intentions, good ideas and very good food. It’s not a good venue for cynics: The dishes all have affirmations (“I Am Beautiful,” “I Am Magical”) instead of names, but most people really love the concept, so just go with it.

CASHEW

2000 Grand, 816-221-5858

The booze, the balconies and the convivial ambience have always been the lure to this urban bistro. But for sharing a bite over a beer or cocktails, this venue’s options — hummus, salads, sandwiches, chicken wings — are welcome sights.

CHARISSE

1006 Walnut, 816-474-0000

THE BRICK

1727 McGee, 816-421-1634

The dow ntow n mu sic venue serves a menu that may not be lyrical but it hits all the right notes, including chili — both meat and vegetarian versions — hot dogs, patty melts, burgers and Fluffernutter sandwiches.

Chef Jason Craine’s version of an urban French bistro is so appealing in almost every way that it’s practically a sin not to be seduced by the menu and the service.

LOS CORRALES

408 West Ninth Street, 816-421-9440

One of the oldest Mexican restaurants in Kansas City, the 66-yearold venue still sells its most

popular dishes: cheesy burritos, tacos and enchiladas.

D’BRONX

2450 Grand, Crown Center, 816-842-2211

See midtown.

EXTRA VIRGIN

1900 Main, 816-842-2205

Chef Michael Smith took over the former art gallery adjacent to his namesake restaurant and turned it into a sexy tapas temple. The cuisine is predominantly Spanish, with such unexpected dishes as pig ear salad, braised pork cheeks and roasted baby goat. For casual, European-style dining, customers can sip wine and nibble on grilled bread with a creamy house-made ricotta spread or a sliced fresh orange salad.

FIORELLA’S JACK STACK BARBECUE

101 West 22nd Street, 816-472-7427

This old freight house may have been destined to be a barbecue joint. With the striking space’s soaring ceilings and theatrical lighting, even plates of burnt ends or tender barbecue chicken and stacks of fried onion rings seem like cosmopolitan, gourmet fare. Tourists and residents alike come for restaurateur Jack Fiorella’s signature dishes, such as Crown Prime Beef Ribs, barbecue fish and those rib-sticking side dishes, such as Cheesy Corn Bake and the city’s meatiest baked beans.

FRITZ’S RAILROAD RESTAURANT

Crown Center, 2450 Grand. 816-474-4004

See Kansas City, Kansas.

A few years after opening Grinders, “Stretch” leased the space next to it and opened a less raucous but with-it sort of delicatessen serving the same menu as Grinders but with a quieter ambience.

GRÜNAUER

101 West 22nd Street, 816-283-3234

Austrian-born chef Peter Grünauer — with his son, Nicholas — re-created the sort of Old World Viennese restaurant of his childhood in a historic Kansas City freight house, serving elegant European meals: salads, soups, schnitzel, sausages, the best chicken cordon bleu in town and real Hungarian goulash.

THE JACOBSON

2050 Central, 816-423-2888

This sleek urban bistro, with a great outdoor patio, captures the artistic sensibility of the Crossroads neighborhood in both its design and its creative menu, including one of the most costly — but delicious — burgers, topped with short-rib marmalade and bone marrow butter. The cocktail list is imaginative and refreshing.

JOHN’S BIG DECK

928 Wyandotte, 816-255-3396

People come here to drink and socialize. They might drink too much and socialize too loudly, but that’s part of the appeal of this 35-yearold saloon, where conviviality is the theme, and the menu includes ha nd-battered stuf fed mushrooms, pulled pork nachos, fried shrimp with cocktail sauce, and very good fried pork tenderloin.

LIDIA’S

101 West 22nd Street, 816-221-3722

This Midwest outpost of successful New York chef, restaurateur and

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CHRIS MULLINS

Plowboys Barbeque

TV personality Lidia Bastianich presents extraordinary Italian cuisine. Crispy frico appetizers are filled with crabmeat or vegetables; fork-tender chicken breasts are cooked with Italian olives and roasted lemons; and the osso buco is slow-braised with vegetables and a hint of fresh orange.

LULU’S THAI NOODLE SHOP 2030 Central, 816-474-8424

This off beat Asian noodle venue in the heart of the Crossroads ser ves a n ex tensive menu of starters, curries, salads, soups and, of course, noodles.

THE MAJESTIC RESTAURANT 931 Broadway, 816-221-1888

The historic building near the old Garment District formerly was a saloon and brothel in Kansas City’s more raucous past. Today, it’s a classic steakhouse where the price of a dinner still includes a salad; vegetables; a choice of rice, garlic mashed potatoes, a baked or twicebaked potato or fries; and a dinner roll. The great old-fashioned bar also has a first-rate wine list.

MAMA TIO’S DOWNTOWN 1111 Main, 816-221-0589

This Tex-Mex restaurant serves appetizers, lunch specials and inexpensive dinner entrées.

the El Gordito (suggested “for the grande appetite”).

MICHAEL SMITH

1900 Main, 816-842-2202

Chef Michael Smith’s namesake restaurant isn’t too stuffy or formal, considering his impeccable credentials as a James Beard Award winner. It’s not inexpensive, but Smith’s kitchen puts out beautiful, extraordinary fare that more than lives up to the price tag. It’s a warm, comfortable dining room with padded tables cloaked in linen and set with heavy flatware. It’s showy enough for special occasions, but Smith and his wife, Nancy, want the dining room to be busy at all times, so the menu puts a creative spin on traditional comfort foods: roasted meats, silky soups, hearty risotto and sinful desserts.

MILANO

2450 Grand, 816-398-4825

The sunny, greenhouse-style dining room serves a tasty mix of sophisticated Northern Italian dishes and heartier Sicilian fare. Now operated by the Sheraton Hotel chain, Milano is sometimes overlooked in favor of Lidia’s, its more high-profile neighbor just north of Union Station. Still, it has all the right ingredients for success (including free garage parking).

MANNY’S

MILWAUKEE DELICATESSEN CO.

One of the first Mexican restaurants to open on the Boulevard, Manny’s is always packed with fans of its selection of tacos, burritos and homemade tamales. Portions are generous, especially dishes like the Mexican Plate or

This cozy saloon in the historic Cosby Hotel is named for an actual business that operated in this space (orig inally Dixon’s Bar) from 1908 to 1938. It serves a tasty Reuben sandwich that’s carefully billed on the menu as a

207 Southwest Boulevard, 816-474-7696

101 West Ninth Street, 816-471-6900

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Milwaukee-style Reuben — it uses whole-grain mustard instead of Russian dressing — as well as ma ny other good sa ndw iches and pizza.

MIXING BOWL NOSHERY

520 Southwest Boulevard, 816-283-8238

The urban diner serves big, hefty breakfasts and solid lunch dishes ( burgers, sandwiches, tenderloins) in a casual, likable setting.

NARA

PIERPONT’S

Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road, 816-221-5111

Pierpont’s is a striking restaurant, particularly the central room, with its soaring 25-foot ceilings, stone f loors and intimate banquettes. Service is formal and attentive, and the cuisine melds reg iona l i ng red ient s ( g r i l led steaks, rotisserie chicken) with French-inf luenced sauces.

PIZZABELLA

1617 Main, 816-221-6272

1810 Baltimore, 816-471-3300

Th i s e ccent r ic, enter t a i n i ng “Japanese Robata” offers more than sushi and items cooked on a Japanese-style hardwood-burning grill — although those dishes are popular here. So are the fabulous Szechuan sirloin chili (a refreshing spin on the diner classic), flat iron steaks, Kobe-beef burgers, stir-fried sirloin and grilled Berkshire pork tenderloin, among other choices that aren’t necessarily of Asian origin.

Pizzabella’s delicious, beautiful rustic pizzas are baked in wood ovens. A lovely menu also features antipasti and desserts.

THE PEANUT

418 West Ninth Street, 816-221-7470

See Plaza.

PLANET SUB

1111 Main, 816-471-7827

This downtown sandwich shop is a go-to lunch spot for downtowners, with reliable subs (hot and cold) and great vegetarian options. And several locations throughout the city serve the same tasty menu.

PLOWBOYS BARBEQUE 1111 Main, 816-221-7569

PEZZETTINO ITALIAN DELI & MARKET 2101 Broadway, 816-612-8333

This attractive European-style deli offers a variety of fresh salads, f latbreads, panini and featured specials.

THE PHOENIX

302 West Eighth Street, 816-221-5299

The popular local jazz club offers a menu of wings, sliders, burgers, and a few nice entrées including fish and chips.

See KC metro east.

THE QUAFF BAR & GRILL

1010 Broadway, 816-471-1918 (bar), 816-842-4745 (grill)

This saloon has been a nightlife f i x t u re i n dow ntow n Ka nsa s City since, at least, the 1920s, although the current owners have operated it since 1946. For years, it was called the Quaff Buffet, although it was never a food buffet in any traditional sense: The joint started serving food only 20 years ago and now offers nachos,

ANGELA C. BOND

WEEkly SPEcIAlS MONdAy NITE

$3.50 BurGErS TuESdAy NITE

Reserve

chicken tenders, quesadillas and club sandwiches.

RESERVE

Ambassador Hotel 1111 Grand, 816-298-7700

Irish-born chef Shaun Brady has taste and culinary flair, and it shows in the menus he creates for this stylish venue. Serving as both lounge and dining room off the hotel’s lobby, Reserve is a classy gathering place for cocktails or a good meal.

THE RIEGER HOTEL GRILL & EXCHANGE 1924 Main, 816-471-2177

The tiled lobby of the historic Rieger Hotel had been a saloon of some kind for decades. Bartender Ryan Maybee and chef Howard Hanna returned the venue to a kind of early 20th-century elegance and polish, serving extraordinary cuisine and creative cocktails.

$1.00 TAcOS WEdNESdAy NITE

snacks, Snow & Co. also offers panini, pizzas and sliders.

75 cENT WINGS

SPIN NEAPOLITAN PIZZA

THurSdAy NITE

Crown Center, 2450 Grand, 816-221-7746

$4.50 POrk TENdErlOIN

See Overland Park.

SUCCOTASH

2601 Holmes, 816-421-2807

When Beth Barden moved her sassy breakfast-and-lunch restaurant out of the City Market and over to the Dutch Hill neighborhood at 26th Street and Holmes in late 2009, she transformed a long-vacant saloon into a lightf illed storefront gallery filled with interesting art, music and patrons. There, she stylishly recreates classic diner dishes, including pancakes, omelets and smoked-salmon eggs Benedict in the morning, and sandwiches and salads for lunch.

1036 N AGNES

IN THE EAST BOTTOMS

816-241-4626

PlowboyBBQ

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TANNIN WINE BAR & KITCHEN SCRATCH BAKERY + CAFÉ

310 West Eighth Street, 816-474-9966

The attractive downtown bake shop prepares breakfast burritos, and lunches that include salads, sandwiches and pizzas. It’s also noted for fritters, macaroons, doughnuts and all kinds of other delectable pastries.

SHERIDAN’S FROZEN CUSTARD

Crown Center, 2450 Grand, 816-421-5151

A hot summer is made better with frozen treats, and Sheridan’s provides the needed relief with cones, shakes, malts and concretes.

SNOW & CO.

1815 Wyandotte, 816-214-8921

With handcrafted frozen cockt a i l s a nd a l i m ited menu of

1526 Walnut, 816-842-2660

This smart urban w ine bar is comfortable, unpretentious and just as memorable for a casual lunch as it is for an intimate dinner. The menu has wonderful sharing plates: cheeses, pommes frites, lump crab dip. The excellent larger plates can be shared or hoarded, such as the $30 Executive Burger with lobster, bacon, blue cheese, arugula and frizzled onion — add foie gras for an extra ten spot.

TEOCALI

2512 Holmes, 816-221-4749

This popular, unassuming Mexican cantina in historic Dutch Hill is a bar serving homestyle TexMex cuisine.

Two Locations 3111 Missouri 7 Blue Springs, MO 816.228.PLOW

1111 Main St Kansas City, MO 816.221.PLOW

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TOWN TOPIC

2021 Broadway, 816-842-2298

Kansas City’s most iconic diner is a relic of downtown’s days as the vibrant hub for shopping, dining, movies and nightclubs. It has outlasted almost all of its contemporaries, but the worn counters suggests a million stories, and the staff can actually tell them. This location stays open 24 hours a day. The other two close earlier but have the same great burgers, breakfasts, malts and shakes. Also: 1900 Baltimore, 816-471-6038

WEBSTER HOUSE

1644 Wyandotte, 816-221-4713

The meals here — both lunch and dinner — are absolutely superb, created with great imagination and f lair, and the service is firstclass, too. The ambience in the main dining room — a former classroom in the 19th-century schoolhouse — is somewhat formal, but the dining area near the kitchen can get downright raucous. The bar in the Library room hosts one of the best happy hours in town.

YOU SAY TOMATO

2801 Holmes, 816-756-5097

Randy Parks and Mark Wingard opened this combination coffee shop, grocery store and luncheonette in the old Weneck Brothers grocery shop at 28th Street and Holmes. Patrons can buy a stick of butter, a freshly made cappuccino or a snow cone. In the morning, the owners offer a breakfast sandwich, cinnamon rolls and quiche; sandwiches, soup and more quiche are available until the late afternoon.

WEST SIDE BLUE BIRD BISTRO

1700 Summit, 816-221-7559

For two decades, ow ner Ja ne Zieha has served a combination of vegan, vegetarian and organic meat dishes in a 19th-century drugstore building (that later was a billiard parlor and a spiritualist church). The weekend brunch is particularly delicious.

LA BODEGA

703 Southwest Boulevard, 816-472-8272

One of the first local restaurants to focus on Spanish-style tapas, La Bodega is noisy, vivacious and

wildly popular, serving an excellent array of small plates that are perfect for sharing.

CHEZ ELLE

1713 Summit, 816-569-2616

Chez Elle is a creperie more in the spirit of a Paris bistro than the trendy Magic Pan of the 1970s. Occupying a space that was once the lobby of the old Summit Theatre, Chez Elle serves savory, sweet and breakfast crepes, an eclectic mix of creations that range from the Greek-inspired Acropolis to the Tour Eiffel, which is a freshly griddled crepe folded around smoked salmon, capers, caramelized onions, artichokes and cream cheese — it evokes Miami more than Montmartre.

MARGARITA’S AMIGOS

2829 Southwest Boulevard, 816-931-4849

The food is quite good, but this restaurant’s reputation was really built on the conviviality of the dining experience and the attentive service.

NOVEL

815 West 17th Street, 816-221-0785

Chef-ow ner Ryan Brazeal has created a restaurant that positively vibrates with creativity and style. The upstairs dining room is a shade too intimate, but such fabulous patrons go there, it’s too alluring to even think of complaining.

EL PATRÓN COCINA & BAR

2905 Southwest Boulevard, 816-931-6400

Chicago-born A rturo Cabral’s Mexican restaurant is much more vibrant and sexy than many of his Southwest Boulevard competitors, including the kitchen’s offering of parrilladas — stainless-steel tabletop grills heaped with pork, chicken, steak, roasted chili peppers and cheese. Be careful with starters before ordering these communal dishes; it’s easy to overindulge on the turnover-sized empanadas — light, flaky pastries filled with beef — or thick wedges of a steak-stuffed quesadilla.

PONAK’S

2856 Southwest Boulevard, 816-753-0775

Dining at the only Mexican restaurant on Southwest Boulevard with a Balkan name (owner John Ponak’s Croatian grandmother started the place) is like eating in a 1950s knotty-pine rec room.

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Bluestem The traditional Mexican dishes are hearty and inexpensive, with especially fine pork and shredded beef burritos, and a piquant chicken mole.

EL PUEBLITO

810 Southwest Boulevard, 816-471-5442

This unassuming Mexican restaurant serves — until quite late — excellent food. On Friday and Sat u rday n ig hts, t he k itc hen stays open until 4 a.m.

TAQUERIA MEXICO

910 Southwest Boulevard, 816-221-1399

The no-frills, honest Mexican fare comes out of the kitchen fast at t h is ung la morous but com for table restaura nt. (The Independence Avenue location w a s once a pa nc a ke hou se.) You’ll find dishes that you won’t encounter in many local Mexican restaurants, including beef tongue with green salsa, shrimp c o c k t a i l , a n d b e e f s ke w e r s wrapped with bacon and simmered in peppers and onions. Also: 5920 Independence Avenue, 816-241-4250.

WESTSIDE LOCAL

1663 Summit, 816-997-9089

This excellent West Side bistro has evolved beautifully over the years and has really hit its stride with new chef Justin Voldan. The focus is still on fresh, regionally sourced dishes, and no matter if you’re there for lunch, dinner or brunch, the food, ambience and people watching make the experience memorable.

MIDTOWN ALADDIN CAFÉ

3903 Wyoming, 816-531-5982

When the owners of Café Rumi packed up at this location, they took the sumac chicken recipe but left the hookahs and the outdoor tents for the current owner, Zade Iskandrani, who also owns the popular Aladdin Café in Lawrence.

ANNA’S OVEN

1809 West 39th Street, 816-753-6661

You have to love a restaurant completely devoted to comfort food: meatloaf, roast chicken, macaroni and cheese, lasagna. Dinner here works better than psyc hot herapy a nd i s muc h, much cheaper.

ARTEGO PIZZA

900 West 39th Street, 816-960-4787

Owner Joe Perez — a former Kansas City Chiefs player and one of the original founders of the Jacobson restaurant — opened the 65-seat pizzeria in a location that has had several restaurant tenants, but none very successful. Perez thinks that he has found the right formula: chicken wings, salads, soups, three pasta entrées, and 11 signature pizza pies that are pretty damn good.

BAKED IN KANSAS CITY

706 Westport Road, 816-561-2253

Frank Sebree, the owner of the Majestic Restaurant, finally assumed control of the former Napoleon Bakery in Westport and gave it a European sensibility with

ANGELA C. BOND

a series of missteps (overexpansion, unlikely location choices) turned the operation into a soap opera: “As the Burger Turns.” It finally returned to Westport.

BLUE KOI

1803 West 39th Street, 816-561-5003

very good pastries, breads, tasteful lunches and interesting dinner selections — with a wine list.

BARREL 31

400 East 31st Street, 816-569-3801

The saloon formerly known for years as Velvet Dog has been stylishly reincarnated into the multilevel, whiskey-centric gastropub known as Barrel 31. In addition to its new persona, talented chef Eric Carter, most recently with the President Hotel, has brought a new degree of professionalism to the kitchen.

BEER KITCHEN

435 Westport Road, 816-389-4180

James Westphal and chef Mark Kelpe’s saloon doesn’t use the word kitchen lightly here (executive chef Mike Peterson is a local culinary celebrity), with creative lunch and dinner dishes that pair well with the featured ales and signature cocktails. Three all-day breakfast dishes are superb.

BISTRO 303

303 Westport Road, 816-753-2303

This old-school gay bistro — think 1960s, good manners, perfectly chilled martinis, well-appointed gentlemen of a certain age — serves dinners, starters and a very respectable weekend brunch.

BLANC BURGERS + BOTTLES 4120 Pennsylvania, 816-931-6200

Ernesto Peralta and his ea rly partners had a great idea for a stylish but casual bar and burger venue that took the lowly grilled beef patty to a level of nirvana. It was the hot saloon scene until

This hip and stylish dumplingand-noodle shop started a culinary Chinese revolution on Kansas City’s Restaurant Row by presenting unexpected dishes — Ants on a Tree (cellophane noodles with minced pork), Chinese pot roast, flavored bubble teas — in an unabashedly California-cool setting. There are lots of vegetarian choices (the vegan set flocks to the place) and an excellent selection of fragrant hot teas, for those who might prefer jasmine to gin with their roasted duck wraps.

KC'S BeSt IndIan dInIng LunCh & dInner Buffet - CaterIng gLuten free and VegetarIan optIonS

BLUESTEM

900 Westport Road, 816-561-1101

Midtown’s little jewel box of a boîte had a recent design overhaul that made the formal dining room even more regally cool and expanded the saloon half of the restaurant, which now has its own menu, staff and very distinctive personality. The perfection-driven husband-and-wife team of Colby and Megan Garrelts have innovated a restaurant concept that’s sleek and sophisticated on one side and vivacious and bawdy on the other. But the food is terrific, no matter where you’re sitting.

BROADWAY JAZZ CLUB

3601 Broadway, 816-298-6316

The live-music venue — which is changing its name to Broadway Kansas City — focuses on Kansas City’s signature musical style. And the menu reflects the town’s culinary diversity.

CALIFORNOS

4124 Pennsylvania, 816-531-7878

A popular Westport venue for parties and receptions, this is one of the few dining rooms in the metro offering a variety of live entertainment (opera suppers, jazz, classical, drag shows) along with signature dishes: grilled lamb chops, meatball grinders, and spaghetti with meatballs.

CANCUN FIESTA FRESH 3959 Broadway, 816-561-1111

After several years in the small, pistachio-green building across

Three Convenient Locations in the Metro Korma Sutra I

7217 West 110th Street • Overland Park, KS 66210 913-345-8744

Korma Sutra II

4113 Pennsylvania • (Westport) Kansas City, MO (816)-931-7775

Korma Sutra III

917 W Liberty Dr • Liberty, MO 64068 (816) 781-4800

KCKormaSutra.net TA S T E 2 015

the street from Tivoli Cinemas, this family-owned restaurant opened this second location on Broadway that is bigger and snazzier. It still serves fresh-tasting street tacos, taquitos and burritos — all very inexpensive. Also: 4019 Pennsylvania, 816-756-2120

ÇA VA

4149 Pennsylvania, 816-255-3934

Howard Hanna, the chef and coowner of the Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange, opened this charming, sophisticated champagne bar in 2014, serving the kind of small plates to share with friends and a bottle of chilled F. Pelliot Bugey: fine cheeses, marinated olives, fresh oysters, deviled eggs, a croque madame. Sunday brunch is excellent, too.

CHAR BAR SMOKED MEATS & AMUSEMENTS

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$ Only

THE FOUNDRY

4059 Broadway, 816-931-4401

424 Westport Road, 816-960-0866

Restaurateur Dawn Slaughter revived the long-moribund Corner, once an iconic Westport diner, in 2014, giving the venue a longoverdue makeover. The menu — offering breakfast and lunch — is as stylish as the physical transformation. The restaurant now serves liquor, too.

A good place for drinking — it has an impressive beer selection — and shared plates, the Foundry ser ves ver y good ba r snacks: pizza, wings, sliders, sandwiches and sliders.

T h i s r e s t au r a nt ’s c h a r m i n g ow ner, Laura Norris, a nd her most popular bartender, actress Missy Koonce, have assembled a small, intimate Italian deli with very good food, excellent wines and the best mojo in midtown.

CUPINI’S

Talented chefs Franco Cupini and his son, Eddie, serve casual lunch and dinner in the dining rooms of their rambling but lovable Westport restaurant. Patrons order superb salads, pasta dishes, and cold and hot panini at the counter; the orders are delivered to the table. The carryout service is terrific, too.

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DRUNKEN WORM

This tiny, sometimes raucous tequila bar has a limited but likable menu of Mexican dishes, including tacos, nachos, tamales and salads.

1809 Westport Road, 816-753-7662

The Drop was originally conceived as a neighborhood bar with an uncomplicated menu of small plates and bruschetta options. Chef Hope Dillon hasn’t changed the format much but she has expanded the choices — and added a weekend brunch. There are soups, sandwiches, 11 bruschetta choices and much-improved service.

The latest restaurant concept by restaurateur James Westphal and chef Mark Kelpe is fun and imaginative, and has one of the very best barbecue menus in town.

CUCINA DELLA RAGAZZA

NEW!

THE DROP

409 East 31st Street, 816-756-3767

1405 West 39th Street, 816-326-7209

301 Westport Rd., 816-960-4744

Kansas City Style Pizza Oven-Toasted Sandwiches • Signature Salads Oven-Baked Pastas

Although mostly revered for its chewy pizza, this is as close to a real New York-style deli as you’ll find in Kansas City, with housemade matzo ball soup, calzones, salads, hot and cold sub sandwiches, potato latkes, and a thick hot pastrami on rye.

4050 Pennsylvania, 816-389-8600

CORNER RESTAURANT

ight day N Tues

D’BRONX

3904 Bell, 816-531-0550

FRIC & FRAC

1700 West 39th Street, 816-753-6102

For three decades, this popular, tile-floored saloon — still owned by founders Rudy and Judy Ross — has been an almost iconic hangout for drinkers and eaters. When the bar opened in 1981, it didn’t have a grill, but it has since gained a reputation for juicy burgers, gyros, Philly sandwiches and cheap dinner specials. Breakfast is served only on Sundays, and Monday nights lure crowds for two-for-one burger specials. Saturday’s taco special (three for $1.50) attracts revelers from all corners of the metro.

FRIENDS SUSHI & BENTO PLACE 1808 West 39th Street, 816-753-6666

The sushi is excellent here, but for dining companions who don’t share your fondness for crunchy spicy salmon rolls, this venue also offers a vegetarian noodle

S A B R I N A S TA I R E S

soup, Mandarin shrimp, fried rice and beef sukiyaki.

GENGHIS KHAN MONGOLIAN GRILL

3906 Bell, 816-753-3600

For two decades, this independently owned Asian restaurant has offered numerous dining options, such as having patrons fill bowls with individually selected raw ingredients and sauces and grilling their creations on a giant whitehot grill. Dishes served at the table include noodle soups and bowls, aromatic hot pots, and traditional Chinese-American dishes, such as crispy pineapple lemon chicken. A full bar is available.

GREEN ROOM BURGERS & BEER 4010 Pennsylvania, 816-216-7682

This exceptionally likable, totally unassuming Westport hangout serves great burgers, fries and good beers.

HAMBURGER MARY’S

Char Bar

it’s a dive, you can get cheap beers from a vending machine.

3700 Broadway, the Uptown Theater building, 816-842-1919

This openly and ambitiously gay burger joint packed up and left its former purple digs in the Crossroads at the end of 2014 and reopened in the Uptown Theater. Mary’s has more in common with a small-town malt shop or a diner than a big-city burger bistro. There are a few nonburger entrées and salads, but those items lean toward the nostalgic: patty melts, meatloaf platters and root-beer floats.

HARPO’S

4109 Pennsylvania, 816-753-3434

The congenial Westport pub has a lively vibe and a menu of appealing burgers, sandwiches and starters.

HARRY’S BAR AND TABLES

501 Westport Road, 816-561-3950

The building that houses this tilef loored saloon is — like Kelly’s across the street — a relic of Westport’s wild cowboy past. There’s a menu of good bistro fare, including hazelnut-encrusted goat cheese. And the kitchen stays open late.

HI-DIVE LOUNGE

IPHO TOWER VIETNAMESE FRENCH BISTRO 3623 Broadway,-531-2353

The Vietnamese-born restaurant owners, Spike and Jessie Nguyen, wanted their French-Vietnamese bar and restaurant to have a little something for everyone. And they’ve succeeded. It serves food quite late, has an addictively positive vitality and – karaoke!

JAZZ, A LOUISIANA KITCHEN

1823 West 39th Street, 816-531-5556

There aren’t that many venues for Cajun and Creole cooking in Kansas City, but for over a decade, this unglamorous but popular midtown venue has been serving blackened seafood, po’boy sandwiches, gumbo and all the traditional Southern favorites.

JERUSALEM CAFÉ

431 Westport Road, 816-756-2770

For three decades, this Middle Eastern restaurant has been a crowd-pleaser for Westport patrons, thanks to the fresh-tasting hummus, stuffed grape leaves, falafel and vegetarian lasagna.

1411 West 39th Street, 816-931-5800

This midtown dive serves starters, salads and entrées, including tomato-glazed meatloaf, 12-ounce grilled fennel pork chops and grilled beer brats. And because

JOE’S PIZZA

4058 Pennsylvania, 816-931-2777

This pizzeria isn’t very big, but it’s attached to the iconic Kelly’s Westport Inn, so patrons of that saloon

and others in this entertainment district have come to depend on the satisfying slices of Joe’s New York-style pizza, appetizers and sandwiches for a late-night meal.

JULEP

4141 Pennsylvania, 816-216-7000

Popula r loca l ba r tender Beau Willia ms a nd h is w ife, Keely Edgington-Williams, opened this compact, sophisticated cocktail lounge in 2014, proving that a snazzy little boîte is an alternative to some of the bawdier Westport bars. The small kitchen prepares snack foods, including charcuterie boards, cheese plates, muffuleta sandwiches, deviled eggs and lump crab dip.

LOCAL PIG

MURRAY’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAMS

4120 Pennsylvania, 816-931-5646

This seasonal ice-cream shop opens in mid-March, and for the nine months it’s open, it’s a Kansas City tradition not to be missed.

NEW PEKING CHINESE RESTAURANT

540 Westport Road, 816-531-6969

The turquoise-and-mauve lobby and the mirrored dining room’s décor seem a little dated, but the food is glamorous (though inexpensive). This place still packs in customers because of its little touches, such as the sauces — hot chili or soy, steeped in garlic and herbs — that accompany the excellent steamed dumplings.

510 Westport Road, 816-531-2337

Chef Alex Pope already owned a butcher shop in the East Bottoms called Local Pig. He expanded his brand by taking over a former retail beer shop in Westport to create a full-service restaurant that uses his specialty meats in an array of starters, sandwiches and dinners.

MCCOY’S PUBLIC HOUSE

4057 Pennsylvania, 816-960-0866

The comfortable, noisy and lovable Westport institution serves an array of beers, cocktails, generous meals, and some of the best mac and cheese in town.

PORT FONDA

4141 Pennsylvania, 816-216-6462

Chef-owner Patrick Ryan’s Mexican restaurant — loud, raucous, bawdy — is like no other restaurant in Westport and, possibly, Kansas City. The food and cocktails are extraordinary.

POTPIE

904 Westport Road, 816-561-2702

I n a n i nt i mate d i n i ng room, PotPie serves a fresh, appealing menu of dishes, including a flaky potpie, goat-cheese salad, panseared scallops, and chocolatechip bread pudding.

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Q39

1000 West 39th Street, 816-255-3753

Veteran chef Rob Magee was a competitive barbecue pitmaster until he melded his two loves into Q39, a classy full-service restaurant with real flair for fork-tender smoked meats and distinctive barbecue sauces. There are other terrific choices on this menu, including honey-glazed spare ribs; cheese fondue; juicy steaks; and fresh, interesting side dishes, such as apple coleslaw.

RECORDBAR

1020 Westport Road, 816-753-5207

Better k now n as a live-music ve nue, Re c o rd B a r ke e p s it s kitchen open late, offering such delicacies as the “Hip to Be Square Burger” and the “Bat Out of Hell” meatloaf sandwich as well as pizzas and wraps.

ROOM 39

1719 West 39th Street, 816-753-3939

This sunny, attractive restaurant, which originally opened as a breakfast-and-lunch venue, serves one of the city’s most expensive hamburgers at lunch and some pricey salads and starters during dinner. Main courses — seafood, beef, poultry, and one vegeta r ia n choice each n ig ht — seem almost modest by comparison. The ambience can be boisterous, depending on the crowd and how much w ine is f lowing, but it’s a good energy.

SOL CANTINA

408 East 31st Street, 816-931-8080

Best-known for fried fish tacos, the convivial Sol Cantina serves a range of Tex-Mex cuisine. Its “cowboy quesadilla” is stuffed with burnt ends.

SOSA’S 39TH STREET DINER 3906 Waddell, 816-531-4400

This uncomplicated diner has a casual, good-natured atmosphere and serves inexpensive and quickly prepared breakfasts — with great pancakes and omelets — lunches and dinners.

TAJ PALACE

1706 West 39th Street, 816-756-0134

When Sangeev “Harry” Kumar took over the space formerly occupied by the Great India Restaurant, he gave the interior a tasteful makeover and expanded the offerings at this ven-

ue’s well-laden lunch buffet. During the evenings, Kumar’s kitchen serves tasty, well-presented Northern Indian fare — including “Clay Oven Weight Watchers Specials” for patrons who want to indulge without guilt in tandoori chicken and sensually seasoned lamb seekh kebab sausages.

THAI PLACE

4130 Pennsylvania, 816-753-8424

For two decades, this restaurant has introduced diners in the metro to the visually beautiful and sensually spicy signature dishes of Thailand, from soothing and comforting soups to delicious starters to memorable delicious rice and noodle dishes.

WESTPORT ALE HOUSE

4128 Broadway, 816-756-5277

A v ibrantly cheer y joint w ith lots of TV monitors, beer and cocktails, Westport Ale House features a menu with many of the dishes you’d expect to find in a pub and many more that you wouldn’t, including pulled pork spring rolls, smoked corn dogs, Tank 7 Reuben sandwiches, and an apple-bourbon fried pie.

WESTPORT CAFÉ & BAR

419 Westport Road, 816-931-4740

Ow ner Aa ron Con fessor i did an artfully created a laid-back, French-inspired brasserie with a great wine list; attentive service; and dishes such as crispy chicken confit, steak frites, a divine burger and, for late diners, a nice omelet with herbs and delicate pancakes.

WESTPORT FLEA MARKET

817 Westport Road, 816-931-1986

For well over three decades, this iconic tavern and flea market in Westport has served hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries and other intoxicating bar food. Fans don’t seem to mind the neon beer signs, the uncomfortable tables, the noise or the Keno monitor. They also happily ignore the grungylooking, often-closed stalls ringing the dining room and stacked floorto-ceiling with so-called collectibles. The real treasures here are those burgers and the inexpensive daily dinner specials.

WESTPORT SALOON

4112 Pennsylvania, 816-960-4560

This live music venue serves food prepared by a tiny carryout venue,

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Eat Me Gourmet, located at the rear of the building.

WHICH WICH

554 Westport Road, 816-569-5965

The Dallas-based sandwich chain sells 50 kinds of sandwiches, prepared traditionally with bread or as lettuce wraps.

SAMA ZAMA

425 Westport Road, 816-756-3600

Yokohama native Erika Koike started w ith a tiny space for dr in ks a nd A sia n-inspired sma l l plates c a l led One Bite. She moved, i n 201 2, to Westport and changed the concept to S a m a Z a m a, t he Japa nese word for “variety.” Koike says her storefront is Kansas City’s first izakaya: a casual drinking establishment that serves more substantial — and stylish — food than a traditional lounge might. Think Asian tapas.

TOWER TAVERN

401 East 31st Street, 816-931-9300

This congenial Martini Corner sports bar has had a couple of ow ners but has never lost its identity as a pleasing neighborhood joint serving dishes ideal for sharing, such as bean dip, Buffalo wings, sliders, baconwrapped shrimp, and pizza. It’s all about sports here.

PLAZA ANDRE’S CONFISERIE SUISSE 5018 Main, 816-561-3440

One of the best-loved pastry shops in town also serves a Swiss-style lunch Tuesday through Saturday; this includes one of four entrées (two are always quiche), a salad, beverage and a maddeningly decadent pastry from the dessert tray, which a server dramatically presents at the end of the meal. Recently, the longtime owners, the Bollier family, added a sunny coffee and wine bar with its own menu of savory and sweet delicacies.

BO LINGS

4701 Jefferson, 816-753-1718

Named for its owners, Richard “Bo” Ng and Theresa Far “Ling” Ng, the Bo Lings empire was built on their well-prepared versions of traditional Chinese-American dishes and classic Cantonese and Szechuan fare, served in sleek, at-

tractive dining rooms. This dining room is the most outrageously theatrical of all: more Vegas than Hong Kong.The weekend dim sum is wildly popular, so arrive early.

BRIO TUSCAN GRILLE

502 Nichols Road, 816-561-5888

The slightly more sophisticated and expensive cousin of the suburban Bravo restaurants (they’re owned by the same Ohio-based company) is also the noisiest dining room on the Country Club Plaza. The biggest differences between the two restaurant concepts are that Brio offers brunch (on both Saturdays and Sundays) as well as a couple of signature Brio dishes (such as crab cakes a nd c a r pacc io). The décor is theatrical, the service entertaining and the portions, as they say in Rome, molto grande.

CAFÉ SEBASTIENNE

4420 Warwick, 816-561-7740

Fittingly, the food in this museum restaurant is often as visually sumptuous as the art on the walls, though many patrons prefer the intimate dining room for lunch rather than dinner, which is served only on Friday and Saturday nights, when the menu is more limited and the food can be inconsistent. But when the artistic sensibilities of chef Jennifer Maloney — whose larger-thanlife personality is as integral to the restaurant’s identity as the Frederick James Brown paintings and the sculptural Stefan Lindfor chairs — are in full f lower, her suppers are as emotionally satisfying as any work of art.

CAFÉ TRIO

4558 Main, 816-756-3227

This sassy midtown bistro, operated by Chris Youngers and Tai Nguyen, evokes a 1940s supper club (there’s frequently live entertainment in the dining room) with a menu of old-school favorites — grilled beef, roasted Idaho trout, chicken cacciatore, braised beef brisket — and excellent housemade desserts. It’s one of the few independently owned restaurants left on the Country Club Plaza.

CAPITAL GRILLE

4740 Jefferson, 816-531-8345

So what if the steaks, chops and seafood at this Atlanta-based chain restaurant are among the most expensive in the city? High

SALTED CARAMEL

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NEW LOCATION COMING SOON

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prices are all part of the allure for the powerbrokers and high rollers who find more glamour in its faux 19th-century ambience than in Kansas City’s real historic steakhouses.

CHAZ ON THE PLAZA

Raphael Hotel, 325 Ward Parkway, 816802-2152

For years, this was the stodgy but lovable Raphael Restaurant, a dark and intimate — and very 1960s New York — dining venue with a piano, a tiny dance floor, and a menu so square that by the time noted chef Charles d’Ablaing took over the kitchen, it was nearly “in” again. The talented d’Ablaing freshened up the cuisine in a remarkable way, putting a new spin on old favorites: steak Dianne, fried chicken and braised short ribs.

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY 4701 Wyandotte, 816-960-1919

The Cheesecake Factory is as famous for its long wait for a table (sometimes two hours on weekends) as it is for its huge portions of food. The menu is a polyglot of dishes (Chinese, Mexican, Thai), as well as oversized servings of such mainstays as hamburgers, meatloaf and salads. And, of course, there’s plenty of rich cheesecake.

CHUY’S

209 West 46th Terrace, 816-931-2783

The Texas-based Tex-Mex restaurant chain turned the tired former Figlio location on the Plaza into a warren of wildly colorful, over-thetop dining rooms. Noisy, vibrant and lovable — you have to love any place where the flatware is sheathed in sanitary paper wrappers — it serves inexpensive but tasty dishes.

THE CLASSIC CUP

301 West 47th Street, 816-753-1840

For more than a decade, this independently owned bistro has more than held its own against its corporate competition on the Country Club Plaza. But the Classic Cup’s success has less to do with its menu and more to do with customer loyalty, an excellent wine list, a shady outdoor deck, and a terrific people-watching dining strip on well-traveled 47th Street.

COAL VINES

616 Ward Parkway, 816-912-2690

This link in the Dallas pizzeria chain has a loyal following on

JJ’s Restaurant

the Country Club Plaza, where it serves very good thin-crust pies, salads and a half-dozen entrées (chicken parmesan, vodka penne pasta) in a cozy dining room that’s so much more inviting when all of the windows are open.

COOPER’S HAWK WINERY & RESTAURANT 4686 Broadway, 816-531-1500

All the vintages on the menu are bottled at the Cooper’s Hawk Winery, in Illinois, and the street-level entrance here is a gift shop that stocks wine-related trinkets and tools, including the decanters used in the dining rooms. The food is perfectly serviceable, the staff is polished and attentive, and the wines are better than you might guess.

EDEN ALLEY

707 West 47th Street, 816-561-5415

Sandy Corder-Clootz has taken an unlikely location for a restaurant — the basement of Unity Temple on the Plaza— and made it a popular and comfortable destination for diners who prefer vivacious vegetarian fare. The service is friendly, the food fresh and imaginatively prepared, and the desserts surprisingly sensational (not always the case in vegetarian restaurants).

EGGTC.

5107 Main, 816-561-0116

Greg g Joh nson, ow ner of the crowd-pleasing Osteria il Centro, turned a former barbecue joint into a breakfast-and-lunch café, which fills quickly on the weekends. The menu ranges from pancakes and crepes to eggs Benedict and sandwiches.

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FOGO DE CHÃO

222 West 47th Street, 816-931-7700

Visitors to the Country Club Plaza have a choice in steakhouses: the traditional (Capital Grille, Plaza III) or a Brazilian churrascaria — an allyou-can-eat orgy of grilled beef, pork, chicken and lamb, carved tableside by skewer-toting passadores. It’s not inexpensive, but it is, as the Dallas-based chain likes to proclaim, “an experience.”

GRAM & DUN

600 Ward Parkway, 816-389-2900

This Plaza gastropub has an extensive menu of highly creative dishes.

GRAND STREET CAFÉ

4740 Grand, 816-561-8000

Now over two decades old and on its second set of owners, this stylish dining room is middle-aged by restaurant standards, but it retains a sense of glamour, even if it’s located on the less fashionable east side of the Plaza. The menu is appealing, the service is consistent, and it has a great Sunday brunch.

JAX FISH HOUSE & OYSTER BAR 4814 Roanoke Parkway, 816-437-7940

This local outpost of the Coloradobased chain serves a limited but outstandingly delicious menu of fresh seafood dishes. It can get very crowded and very noisy, but really, that’s part of this venue’s charm.

JJ’S RESTAURANT

900 West 48th Place, 816-561-7136

This restaurant was revived from the dead after a tragic explosion ripped through the original res-

taurant, a block or so away, in 2013. The affable owner, Jimmy Frantze, knew that he couldn’t re-create his first restaurant, but the new place is more like an homage to the spirit of that beloved wine bar, featuring almost all of the signature dishes and, happily, most of his fabled wine list.

JOHNNY JO’S PIZZERIA

1209 West 47th Street, 816-401-4483

Local pizza maven John Milone’s midtown pizzeria isn’t much bigger than one of his signature 18inch tomato and artichoke pies — almost all of the business here is carryout — but the quality of the ingredients and the stone oven-baked crusts quickly established it as a favorite.

KIN LIN

314 East 51st Street, 816-561-4334

Students at nearby UMKC and Rockhurst University love this family-owned Asian restaurant for its bargain lunches and dinners. The menu, the choices and the dining rooms have expanded over the years, and there’s now liquor, too.

KONA GRILL

444 Ward Parkway, 816-931-5888

A slickly packaged concept restaurant exported from Arizona does for Pacific Rim cuisine what rival P.F. Chang’s does for Chinese-American fare, in much the same style — sexy servers, a dimly lit dining room and crowded bar, and moderate prices. The Kona Grill menu is a hyper cross-cultural mix: Hawaiian fish shack meets Mexican coastline resort, with periodic stops in Italy, Thailand and New Orleans. To be more specific, that means the menu

includes sushi, pizza, avocado egg rolls, Szechuan beans, chicken satay, barbecue ribs and meatloaf.

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S

448 West 47th Street, 816-531-6800

This upscale seafood house has an expansive — and frequently changing — menu of fresh fish dishes that are beautifully prepared.

THE MELTING POT

450 Ward Parkway, 816-931-6358

It’s all about dipping in this basement-level fondue restaurant. Patrons gather in a group and chatter away while dipping chunks of tart apple, crisp celery or fresh bread into a metal pot of bubbling gruyère or cheddar cheese. Diners who are feeling flush can treat the gang to the more time-consuming “classic” version of fondue, dunking — and slowly cooking — beef tenderloin, shrimp and teriyaki sirloin in a pot of boiling wine and herbs.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

THE MIXX

4855 Main, 816-756-2300

Midtown’s locally owned fast-casual joint is the brainchild of chef-caterer Jo Marie Scaglia, who offers stylish sandwiches, salads and daily pasta specials in a clean, well-lighted dining room. Although it’s a moderately priced, order-at-the-counter operation, Scaglia’s culinary creations include a grilled beefsteak sandwich with balsamic-grilled onions and blue-cheese aioli, and tarragon chicken salad on a buttery croissant.

MORTON’S GRILLE

4646 J.C. Nichols Parkway, 816-531-7799

After the ultra-expensive Morton’s the Steakhouse decamped from Kansas City in 2008, the company’s owner, Landry’s, decided to test a new, moderately priced concept on the Plaza that offers less costly steaks and a variety of other very good entrées, including pot roast and bacon fatbraised baby back ribs.

NICK AND JAKE’S

5105 Main, 816-561-5100

This iconic local pizza parlor is comfortably laid-back and very family-friendly.

mostly comfort-food favorites, and serves a popular buffet-style Sunday brunch.

salads in a casual, comfortable setting.

OSTERIA IL CENTRO

Hotel Sorella

ROSSO

5101 Main, 816-561-2369

901 West 48th Street, 816-753-8800

For a decade, Osteria owner Gregg Johnson has been serving inexpensive dinners in a cozy, unpretentious dining room that feels more like Europe (or New York’s Little Italy) than Kansas City. The restaurant’s name translates, roughly, as tavern in the center, and the menu takes the middle road as well. It’s neither too rustic nor too sophisticated. Signature dishes, such as the excellent cannelloni, walnut-chicken pasta and lamb chops, are among the alluring reasons to snuggle into one of the banquettes and do as the Romans do.

Rosso, the Italian word for red, is the Mediterranean restaurant on the top f loor of Kansas City’s boutique Hotel Sorella. The menu includes antipasti, pasta, beef, seafood and creative sweets.

THE PEANUT

5000 Main, 816-753-9499

The former pre-Prohibition speakeasy is famous for its chicken wings and BLT sandwiches.

PIZZA 51

5031 Main, 816-421-1111

5060 Oak, 816-531-1151

The locally owned casual-dining venue has an eclectic menu of

The neighborhood pizzeria offers delicious pizzas, wraps and

SEASONS 52

340 Ward Parkway, 816-531-0052

The casual but not too casual Plaza restaurant serves fresh, lighter fare (some of the best entrée salads in town) that includes f latbreads, starters, excellent seafood and beef — and desserts in shot glasses that supposedly have few, if any, calories.

WINSTEAD’S

101 Emanuel Cleaver III Boulevard, 816-753-2244

Kansas City’s most iconic burger restaurant has been an institution on the Country Club Plaza since 1940, and the menu has changed very little: thin patties

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7901 SANTA FE DRIVE, | OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS 66204 OPEN SUN - WED 11AM - 9PM | THURS - SAT 11AM - 10PM

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of grilled chopped steak (topped with “everything” — mustard, ketchup, pickle and raw onion), sandwiches, chili, milkshakes and malts, and damn good fries. It also serves one of the best cheap breakfasts in town.

ZÓCALO

620 West 48th Street, 816-756-5555

This Mexican restaurant and tequileria on the Country Club Plaza is more chic than its Tex-mex contemporaries with a sophisticated menu that includes creative spins on familiar favorites.

ZOËS KITCHEN

100 Ward Parkway, 816-531-2044

A fast-casual operation out of Texas, Zoës g ives Mediter ranean the light-and-easy treatment, offering grilled kebabs, salads, sandw iches and hummus platters (wine and beer are also available) in an inexpensive, family-friendly setting.

BROOKSIDE/ WALDO AIXOIS

251 East 55th Street, 816-333-3305

This bistro, one of midtown’s sexiest restaurants, was created by chef Emmanuel Langlade (a native of France’s Aix-en-Provence) a nd h is A mer ica n-bor n w i fe, Megan, as an intimate venue for sharing the wealth of France’s provinces: roasted chicken and duck, trout in lemon butter, and beef tenderloin draped in a demiglace of pungent roquefort.

AVENUES BISTRO AND L’COVE 338 West 63rd Street, 816-333-5700

Former Ritz-Carlton chef Joe Birch first turned the old Saper Cleaners space in Brookside into a snazzy little bistro. Eight years later, he took over the former Baskin-Robbins store and added an intimate wine bar, L’Cove; he also renovated the Avenues dining room in a stylish manner. The venue serves lunch, dinner, and weekend breakfast and brunch. Recently he has made portions smaller in order to keep prices lower, but the reductions aren’t noticeable.

BIER STATION

120 East Gregory, 816-548-3870

This bottle shop and beer bar serves the kinds of dishes that

Summit Grill & Bar go particularly well with ales, stout s a nd a ny t y pe of beer: cheese and charcuterie, pretzels and bratwurst.

BLUE GROTTO

6324 Brookside Plaza, 816-361-3473

There’s nothing blue or cavelike about this chic pizzeria, which turned a long-neglected Brookside retail space into a soaring two-story restaurant. With an exhibition kitchen on the first f loor, it’s a sleek, stunning series of dining areas in tones of charcoal, slate and ebony.

CAFÉ EUROPA

323 East 55th Street, 816-523-1212

There a re Europea n-inspired dishes at this sweet, small midtown café — including a divinely spicy cavatelli puttanesca — but the menu is mostly American in execution, including a burger, hanger steak and Caesar salad. Truly memorable desserts include the best lemon cake in town.

CARMEN’S CAFÉ

dishes. Particularly good are nine street tacos, including a fine barbacoa version and an excellent al pastor taco made with spicy marinated pork, chopped pineapple, onions and cilantro. Breakfast dishes are served at 10 a.m.

LA CHULA MEXICAN GRILL

409 West Gregory, 816-444-1933

The name is a little precious, but the Classic Cookie is no prissy l it t le tea room. O w ner L esl ie Stockard serves some surprisingly solid breakfast and lunch fare that’s anything but dainty. Her pancakes, waff les and omelets are terrific, and the breakfast casseroles and sandwiches are satisfying. The fried potatoes (cooked in bacon grease) are among the best you’ll find anywhere.

DISTRICT POUR HOUSE + KITCHEN 7122 Wornall, 816-333-0799

A n ec lect ic menu of com for t dishes, well-executed, and a cozy bar are the main draws for this Waldo saloon.

FOO’S FABULOUS CUSTARD

6235 Brookside Plaza, 816-523-2520

Betty Bremser’s custard shop underwent renovations last year, but it’s open and serving the irresistible cool treats it has for more than 26 years.

GOVERNOR STUMPY’S GRILL HOUSE

8314 Wornall, 816-237-1199

321 East Gregory, 816-444-2252

The newest Mexican cantina in south Kansas City is family operated a nd ser ves traditiona l

This cozy, friendly neighborhood restaurant serves generous portions of those fake ethnic delica-

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HEIRLOOM BAKERY & HEARTH 401 East 63rd Street, 816- 492-7259

CLASSIC COOKIE

6307 Brookside Plaza, 816-333-4048

This Brookside Italian restaurant is enormously popular; it’s dark, cool, romantic and, best of all, inexpensive. Garlic is a key ingredient in most of Carmen’s dishes, particularly the signature chicken spiedini drenched in garlic butter.

cies (chili con queso, pizza, Asian stir-fry, fish and chips, chicken parmigiano) that Midwesterners love so passionately, as well as tavern-style favorites.

The young Scott Meinke — who opened this bread and pastry bakery with his wife, Kate — is already a veteran baker. The combination café, coffeehouse and retail bakery offers a variety of seasonal breads, cookies, muffins, biscuits and scones, as well as breakfasts and lunches.

JALAPENO’S

6318 Brookside Plaza, 816-523-5462

This busy Brookside restaurant feels like a neighborhood bar that just happens to serve big plates of mildly spiced Mexican food, salads and sandwiches (like the Mexicaliburger).

LEW’S GRILL & BAR

7539 Wornall, 816-444-8080

A popular Waldo watering hole, Lew’s attracts a varied mix of drinkers and diners. The menu ranges from nachos, tots and Frito pie to meatloaf and patty melts.

LOUIE’S WINE DIVE

7100 Wornall, 816-569-5097

Unabashedly noisy, this compact Waldo restaurant, a chain operation out of Des Moines, serves an eclectic wine list and a menu to match: sandwiches, pasta and entrées that are all well-matched with vino.

MCLAIN’S BAKERY & COFFEEHOUSE

201 East Gregory, 816-523-9911

One of Kansas City’s oldest bake shops (it opened in its original Waldo location in 1945) moved into a new space in 2011 that now boasts comfortable seating, and serves freshly brewed Thou Mayest coffee in addition to all those fabulous pastries.

OAK 63

408 East 63rd Street, 816-569-6310

Chef-owner J.B. Bremser is one of the more iconoclastic culinary talents in the city. The menu here is simple but elegant: excellent soups and salads, sandwiches and beautifully composed meals, such as grilled lamb chops marinated in olive oil, rosemary and black pepper; Parisian-style steak frites; fish tacos prepared with sautéed fresh tilapia; a first-class wine list; and excellent desserts.

75TH STREET BREWERY

520 West 75th Street, 816-523-4677

The 75th Street Brewery is a noisy, cheerful gathering place where the dark dining room is separated from

the bar by a glass-enclosed mini brewery. The food runs the gamut, from pizza to a Kansas City strip, but the restaurant mostly serves the kind of starters and dinners that taste particularly good with cold beer — roasted chicken, burgers, fish and chips, and hickory-smoked ribs. Even the french fries are spicy.

SUMMIT GRILL & BAR

500 W. 75th St., 816-361-9788

T wo restaura nt vetera ns, Andy Lock and Irish-born chef Domhnall Molloy, had such great success with their Lee’s Summit version of this full-service but casual gastropub that they opened a second location in Waldo. They found im mediate success for their signature dishes: Togarashi fried shrimp, French onion soup, thick burgers, fish and chips, and prime rib sandwiches.

TAJ MAHAL

7521 Wornall, 816-361-1722

This pleasant purveyor of Indian cuisine is located, with little of its namesake’s glamour, in a Waldo shopping center. But the traditional dishes are good and spicy, including the hot-pink tandoori

chicken baked in a white-hot clay oven, the puffy and yeasty breads, and a rich butter chicken sautéed in unsalted butter and cumin.

TANNER’S BAR & GRILL

7425 Broadway, 816-822-7525

See Lenexa.

TASSO’S

8411 Wornall, 816-363-4776

There really aren’t that many restaurants here serving classical Greek cuisine — those dishes not found in traditional Middle Eastern restaurants — but Tasso’s owner Tasso Kalliris offers delicious moussaka, kotopoulo riganato (broiled chicken with lemon and oregano) and baked leg of lamb. He also creates a raucous party atmosphere with belly dancers, singing musicians, breaking plates and flowing ouzo.

WALDO PIZZA

7433 Broadway, 816-363-5242

Yes, there are other pizza parlors in town that are more attractive and less noisy and offer more eclectic culinary choices. But Wa ldo P izza is a comfortable neighborhood pizza joint that

makes up for its lack of ambience by offering consistently tasty, reasonably priced pies. Diners have three options for crust — traditional. St. Louis-style thin, or thick and chewy honey-wheat — and a wide gamut of ingredients. The salad bar is a throwback to 1987, but it’s fresh and cheap, and service is friendly and attentive.

THE WELL

7421 Broadway, 816-361-1700

This casual but inviting Waldo restaurant, with a popular rooftop deck, serves lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch and a late-night menu. Some great signature dishes include tequila-lime smokedchicken quesadillas, beer-battered fish and chips, Creole pasta and many other tasty entrées.

EAST SIDE ARTHUR BRYANT’S BARBECUE 1727 Brooklyn, 816-231-1123

The most famous barbecue joint in Ka nsas Cit y isn’t fa nc y. In fact, it looks pretty much like it did in 1946. But it’s not the at mosphere t hat br i ng s v i si-

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tors to Arthur Bryant’s; it’s the tender beef brisket sandwiches, ribs and crispy lard-fried potatoes. For barbecue fans, this is a mouthful of heaven.

CHICKEN MACARONI & CHEESE 7025 Prospect, 816-912-2438

You think you’re an adventurous eater? Better try restaurateur Dya mund Sh ields’ celebrated “Chick-A-Roni” sandwich at his attractive East Side restaurant. It’s a soft hoagie bun filled with chopped pieces of crunchy, spicy fried chicken, and then blanketed with an absurdly rich and smartly seasoned macaroni and cheese. The rest of the menu consists of seafood, barbecue, chicken and waff les, and a few Chinese-inspired dishes. You can now get a cocktail, too.

’37 Steak

TERESA’S DRIVE-IN

GATES BARBECUE

1221 Brooklyn, 816-483-3880

With locations throughout the city on both sides of the state line, Gates has become a Kansas City tradition, serving some of the best ribs and the meatiest beans in town, along with smoky, f lavorful chicken and monster beef, ha m a nd t urkey sa ndw ic hes. And it passes the true test of a local barbecue joint: The lines at Gates are particularly long before Chiefs home games.

1310 Carondelet, 816-942-8870

Teresa’s is a n old-fa sh ioned, fa m i ly- ow ne d l it t le d r ive -i n that serves big ol’ burgers, Italian steak sandwiches, tacos, fried shrimp and corn dogs, hand-spun malts and shakes in a variety of flavors. Eat there and play pinball or take it all home.

Back in 1973, United Missouri Bank razed the downtown building that housed one of Kansas City’s best department stores, Emery Bird Thayer. The bank saved a number of architectural relics — brass elevator cages, a few leaded-glass windows, carved brownstone column ornaments — and used them as drawing cards for a lobby-level upscale restaurant in the UMB branch in south Kansas City. The name EBT honors the former store. In keeping with the nostalgic elements of the décor, the menu includes many classic dishes.

SOUTH KANSAS CITY B.B.’S LAWNSIDE BBQ

HOBO’S GRILL & BAR

1036 North Agnes, 816-241-4626

The modest saloon near train tracks on the city’s East Side serves a really good fried pork tenderloin sandwich, burgers, s a l ad s, Ph i l ly c he e s e stea k s, wings, spaghetti and meatballs, and chili dogs.

MAMA TIO’S

8026 Paseo, 816-361-6255

See Downtown/Crossroads.

1205 East 85th Street, 816-822-7427

This 50-year-old roadhouse was once located on the wild side of Kansas City’s outer limits, before the town grew south of 85th Street. But the bawdy spirit of those Prohibition-era days lives on in this combination nightclub and barbecue joint, thanks to owner Lindsey Shannon’s passion for the blues; local and national artists perform there five nights a week.

NIECIE’S

6441 Troost, 816-444-6006

CHELLY’S CAFÉ

218 West 85th Street, 816-237-1110

Denise Hayes created her namesake neighborhood restaurant as a place where patrons could dine comfortably and well on hefty breakfast platters and soul-food suppers. The list of daily specials, handwritten on a whiteboard at the front entrance, changes each morning, but there’s almost always fried chicken and beef stew, salmon croquettes, smothered chicken, oxtails and Salisbury steak.

Chelly and Ruben Campos created a brightly colored space serving inexpensive but tasty MexicanAmerican cuisine in a casual, nofrills style. This is one of the few Mexican-American restaurants that offers two kinds of guacamole: the traditional, mashed-avocado variety and an oddball innovation called “avocado dip,” made with sour cream that’s the same color as a 1974 Maytag dishwasher.

EBT RESTAURANT

6450 Truman Road, 816-483-0370

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JASPER’S RESTAURANT

1201 West 103rd Street, 816-941-6600

When the Mirabile brothers — Leonard and executive chef Jasper Jr. — moved their late father’s namesake restaurant from 75th Street to its newer location on 103rd Street, the restaurant changed from fancy to less formal. But it’s still sophisticated, and gracious attention to detail (chilled forks with salads, cocktails delivered on silver trays) lives on. But instead of dramatic tableside dishes, Jasper Jr.’s kitchen now offers pastas, veal, beef and chicken creations and fresh seafood; the five-tier dessert cart is to confections what Italy’s famed Uffizi Galleries are to classic paintings.

JESS & JIM’S STEAKHOUSE

517 East 135th Street, 816-941-9499

Dating back to 1938, Jess & Jim’s is a beloved old beef barn to be sure, unpretentious and even a bit dowdy.

Still, the place deserves attention for keeping its focus on steaks: wellmarbled, hand-cut Angus beef, offered as part of a complete dinner with a choice of soup or salad, an array of potato possibilities (the twicebaked spuds are fantastic) and garlic toast. And because it’s owned by the Van Noy family, which also owns Martin City’s R.C.’s Restaurant & Lounge, fried chicken is on the menu, as well as broiled fish, fried shrimp, lobster tail — and frog legs.

MARGARITA’S AMIGOS

13401 Holmes, Martin City, 816-326-7421

See West Side.

MARTIN CITY BREWING CO.

500 East 135th Street, 816-268-2222

In addition to its extensive list of cold beers, this brewery also serves tasty hot meals, including pizza.

PIZZA SHOPPE

13612 Washington, 816-942-0900

See Northland.

THE PIZZERIA

516 West 103rd Street, 816-941-4444

The second – and larger – pizza empor iu m c reated by Joh n Milone of midtown’s Johnny Jo’s Pizza offers a similar menu.

PRINCESS GARDEN

8906 Wornall, 816-444-3709

The dining room is a throwback to an era of gilded dragons, and the menu is a thickly bound, 14-page book. Nearly three of those pages are devoted to wine and cocktails — hypnotic con-

coctions such as the Princess Garden Grog (“Strong but very passionate,” the menu notes) or the Shark’s Tooth (with a bite “so sharp you won’t feel a thing”). Old favorites such as pineapple chicken, Mandarin noodles and 11 versions of the meat-and-seafood combination called Triple Delight are dishes you won’t find at trendier local Chinese venues.

this tiny restaurant’s aromatic pit. The side dishes are almost as famous as the meats — the hearty, molasses-rich baked beans, mixed with so many pieces of tender beef, could make for a satisfying meal.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR Blue Springs, 816-224-1001

RC’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

The Van Noy family’s pan-fried bird, served here as family-style dinners since 1973, is right up there with the iconic Stroud’s. This reputation lingers because the restaurant’s first cook was the legendary “Chicken Betty” Lucas. Betty flew the coop but not before teaching her pan-frying secrets to the sons of founder R.C. Van Noy. A few things have changed since the 1970s: The bird is now fried in both vegetable and soybean oils instead of lard. But the reasonably priced dinners still include a tossed salad, potatoes, gravy, green beans and biscuits.

RED SNAPPER

Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre

2201 Northwest State Route 7, 812 West Foxwood, Raymore,

330 East 135th Street, 816-942-4999

The Mystery Train

816-331-1700

See Plaza.

PIZZA SHOPPE

1105 West Main, Blue Springs, 816-220-8848

See Northland.

PLOWBOYS BARBEQUE

3111 Southwest Missouri 7, Blue Springs, 816-228-7569

Four years af ter winning the American Royal Invitational Grand Championship, competitive pitmaster Todd Johns opened his first barbecue restaurant, serving ribs, brisket and all the traditional smoked meats and sides. The dishes are blue-ribbon quality.

...bringing you a taste of Mystery, Murder & Mayhem! Performances in your favorite restaurants. See our website for a complete schedule.

Get your tickets at 816-813-9654, or www.kcmysterytrain.com

8430 Ward Parkway, 816-333-8899

Chef and owner Casey Chao has found his groove, serving Vietnamese, Thai and Korean fare along with the Chinese-American dishes he learned how to cook in his parents’ restaurants (General Tso’s chicken, lo mein, orange beef). Chao’s best dishes are his spicy ones, but there’s also a Thai-coconut red curry that isn’t red at all but ivory; it feels like Asian comfort food.

THAI HOUSE

9938 Holmes, 816-943-1388

A former cook bought this south Kansas City restaurant from its previous owners several years ago, and the menu and food quality have remained very good, including three excellent duck dishes, spicy curry dinners, and coconut ice cream with fried bananas.

KC METRO EAST LC’S BAR-B-Q

5800 Blue Parkway, 816-923-4484

Many purists consider LC’s the best place to eat authentic Kansas City-style barbecue: succulent slow-smoked ribs, meaty rib tips and hefty beef sandwiches on soft white bread. The LC’s pit crew also pulls homemade sausage, chicken wings, turkey and shrimp out of

WINSTEAD’S

905 North Highway 7, Blue Springs, 816-228-6644

Great Food. Great Drinks. Great Setting.

See Plaza.

LEE’S SUMMIT BLEU BURGER

320 Southwest Blue Parkway, Lee’s Summit, 816-347-9393

The lure here is stuffed burgers. The fillings give each sandwich its own distinctive personality: the “Surf and Turf” is a grilled meat patty with an interior of shrimp and gouda. It’s topped with a spicy shrimp remoulade sauce and greens, and tucked into a black pepper bun.

THE BREWTOP PUB AND PATIO 700 Northeast Woods Chapel Road, Lee’s Summit, 816-373-4300

See Overland Park.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

632 Northeast State Route 291, Lee’s Summit, 816-524-3112

See Plaza.

Visit Providence New American Kitchen and sample our menu highlighting steaks, chops, fresh seafood, and beautifully crafted cocktails, all prepared with fresh, local ingredients. • • • •

Lunch and dinner served daily Happy Hour in the Drum Room Lounge Monday-Friday Perfect setting for private parties for lunch or dinner Free Wi-Fi and Valet parking for guests

THE PEANUT

219 Southeast Main, Lee’s Summit,

1329 Baltimore providence-kc.com

816-524-9966

See Plaza.

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4/26/15 3:32 PM

PIZZA SHOPPE

Announcing KC's first

FREE BEER

FESTIVAL AUGUST 1 Over 100 beers available for purchase.

No entry fee!

6334 North Lucerne Avenue, 816-746-8179

816-537-7111

Th is w i ld ly popu la r Flor idabased seafood restaurant chain really knows how to reel diners in: generous portions of fresh fish (grilled or sautéed with delicious sauces), superb salads, hot bread and memorable desserts.

See Northland.

SPIN NEAPOLITAN PIZZA

1808 Northwest Chipman Road, Lee’s Summit, 816-246-7746

See Overland Park.

SUMMIT GRILL & BAR

4835 Northeast Lakewood Way, Lee’s Summit, 816-795-1299

See Brookside/Waldo.

SUMMIT HICKORY PIT

1012 Southeast Blue Parkway, Lee’s Summit, 816-246-4434

Out on Highway 50, the parking lot of this big, casual restaurant is always full. Night or day, the joint is hopping with customers — lots of families — filling themselves with succulent smoked ribs, brisket and chicken, and sides that include pots of meaty, tangy baked beans and steaming sweet potatoes baked with cinnamon-honey butter.

This member of the Texas-based restaurant chain seems glamorous and palatial by local Mexicanrestaurant standards. Though its dishes lack drama — they’re not very spicy — the ingredients are fresh and the dinners tastefully composed.

Drive, 816-414-7000

This casino sports bar is a great place to watch a televised sporting event (there are 32 plasma screens) and enjoy a tasty meal. The menu features traditional bar fare, including 100-percent Angus beef burgers and a terrific Reuben sandwich.

BO LINGS

8670 Northwest Prairie View Road, 816-587-7880

brought to you by 30

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See Overland Park.

BURGERS AND CHICKS

5018 Northeast Parvin Road, 816-459-8840

This fast-food shack is off the beaten path, but the reasonable prices for big and juicy cheeseburgers and crispy fried chicken make it worth the trek.

EL BURRITO LOCO

900 Swift Avenue, North Kansas City, 816-612-8383

CHAPPELL’S RESTAURANT & SPORTS MUSEUM

AMERISPORTS BREW PUB

STIVAL

816-584-9292

ABUELO’S MEXICAN FOOD EMBASSY

Ameristar Casino, 3200 North Ameristar

8614 North Boardwalk Avenue,

NORTHLAND 816-584-8557

THE BREWTOP PUB AND PATIO

This year-old North Kansas City venue serves one of the best Cuban sandwiches in the city, as well as nachos, tacos and a substantial Mexican breakfast.

8541 Northwest Prairie View Road,

R MARK E V

BONEFISH GRILL

3504 Southwest Market, Lee’s Summit,

The first Northland restaurant in the Ng family empire, it’s the least assuming and, oddly enough, the most comfortable, and it’s particularly family-friendly.

323 Armour Road, North Kansas City, 816-421-0002

This is not a sports bar but a real museum with an amazing collection of sports memorabilia (uniforms, trophies, photographs, equipment) displayed helter-skelter on walls, ceilings, hallways. And the food scores lots of points. Everything you’d expect — burgers, ribs, steaks — is complemented by unexpected surprises, such as a slab of cheesy quiche, a great chicken and spinach salad, and house-made desserts including a hot apple-and-walnut cobbler that’s a knockout.

CORNER CAFÉ

4541 Northwest Gateway Avenue, Riverside, 816-741-2570 8301 North Flintlock, 816-415-0050

Open early, this old-fashioned diner serves hearty breakfasts, freshly baked biscuits and rolls, traditional lunch dishes and generous dinner platters.

EM CHAMAS BRAZILIAN GRILL

6101 Northwest 63rd Terrace, 816-505-7100

A comfor table, casua l South American-style churrascaria, this

restaurant doesn’t have a menu. Instead, a single price (which doesn’t include drinks, dessert or gratuity) pays for as much freshly grilled meat as you want to eat, sliced off a metal rod right at your table by a team of strolling passadores, as well as unlimited trips to a “gourmet bar” generously stocked with salad items and cold specialties.

the 10th anniversary of this restaurant in early 2015. The menu has expanded over the years, but Esqueda will still serve, begrudgingly, a few Tex-Mex dishes; the menu is primarily focused on the spicy fare traditional to Esqueda’s birthplace in Guadalajara.

KELSO’S

300 Armour Road, North Kansas City,

GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY 8461 Northwest Prairie View Road, 816-587-3838

This Minneapolis-based brewpub creates its own handcrafted lager, ale and stout using its patented “Fermentus Interruptus” process. Seriously.

HAWG JAW FRITZ BBQ

4403 Northwest Gateway Avenue, River-

816-221-8899

Former professional athlete Jeff Kelso’s namesake lounge and restaurant is, by far, the swankiest joint in this neighborhood, although it’s basically an upscale pizzeria offering very good New York-style pies (served on retro aluminum plates) and pasta dishes.

L.C.’S HAMBURGERS

side, 816-741-4294

7612 Northwest Prairie View Road,

Once you can find this Northland spot — now operated by the Silvio brothers, who also run the Brazilian steakhouse Em Chamas — you’ll be sold on the quality of its cherry wood– smoked chicken, ribs, brisket, ham, turkey, sausage and pork shanks (sold as “pork wings”). This the same barbecue joint that sells crispy sweetpotato fries dusted with nutmeg and served with a sweet, vanilla dipping sauce. Not all of the customers love it, but so many do that the Silvios are afraid to take it off the menu.

There was genuine heartbreak when this respected burger shack suffered a crippling fire in 2014, closing for nine long months. It reopened in March and is once again serving thick, hearty, expertly grilled burgers topped with a jumble of caramelized onions on a bakery-style bun. The counter joint also offers hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, excellent pork tenderloins, tater tots and creamy milkshakes.

HAYES HAMBURGER & CHILI

816-741-6027

816-453-5575

HORIZONS BUFFET

Ameristar Casino, 3200 North Ameristar

6269 North Oak Trafficway, 816-454-0008

See Mission.

When Vietnam native Kieu (pronounced Q) Cao, moved to Kansas City, she missed the ability to share, with friends, shabu shabu — the cooking of meats and vegetables in hot flavorful broths and eaten with cold beer or cocktails. So she created Q Hot Pot as a venue to do just that. The intimate lounge serves appetizers, lunch and dinner in a lively, casual setting.

SEVA CUISINE OF INDIA

8674 Northeast Flintlock, 816-407-9700

This tidy, good-natured Indian restaurant serves a terrific lunch buffet and generous dinners.

SHERIDAN’S FROZEN CUSTARD

See West Side.

See Downtown/Crossroads.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

221 Northeast Barry Road, 816-436-8818

See Plaza.

PIZZA SHOPPE

7687 Northwest Prairie View Road, 816-741-6111

Horizons is the biggest and most elaborate of all the casino buffet restaurants in the city. There’s typically a long line to get into the restaurant for Sunday brunch or holidays.

9329 North Oak Trafficway, 816-420-0111

This 1960s pizza restaurant has retained its popularity for nearly a half-century, with many locations in the metro.

IXTAPA MEXICAN CUISINE

Briarcliff Village, 4141 North Mulberry

PIROPOS

7103 Northwest Barry Road,

Drive, 816-741-3600

816-746-4848

This upscale Argentinean restaurant is famous for its grilled beef dishes, crispy empanadas, pan-

Kansas City, 816-889-7037

The powers that be at Harrah’s Casino took a calculated culinary gamble when they removed the long-popular but dull Range Steakhouse (a moderately priced beef emporium where one could still order a filet mignon and fill up at a salad bar) in 2014 and replaced it with the much more expensive and more haughty ’37 Steak. It’s excessively theatrical, both in décor and menu offerings, and while it’s clearly meant for the high rollers, the high-style venue is to casino steakhouses what the American is to gourmands.

WINSTEAD’S

6260 Northwest Barry Road, 816-587-7333

SMOKIN’ GUNS BBQ

See Plaza.

1218 Swift, North Kansas City, 816-2212535

There a re better-k now n loca l barbecue joints, but this NKC restaurant serves up some terrific combo platters, pork butt dinners, starters, ribs and sides.

STONE CANYON PIZZA CO.

8630 Northwest Prairie View Road, 816-741-4444

SWAGAT

7407 Northwest 87th Street, 816-746-9400

7007 Northwest Barry Road, 816-741-2737

’37 STEAK

Harrah’s Casino, 1 Riverboat Drive, North

6248 Northwest Barry Road

See Parkville. 7013 North Oak Trafficway, 816-468-0337

sesame chicken, stuffed with fried eggs, spinach, crabmeat and cream cheese, dipped in batter and deepfried. Thai beer or syrupy Thai iced tea cools down the spicier dishes.

816-741-5773

MARGARITA’S AMIGOS

Drive, 816-414-7000

O w ne r s Vic tor E s que d a a nd Alejandro Hernandez celebrated

Q HOT POT

8610 Northwest Prairie View Road,

LONGBOARDS WRAPS & BOWLS

2502 Northeast Vivion Road,

Since 1955, this tiny 24-hour diner (just 12 stools at a counter and five small blue booths) has served classic American-diner fare: breakfast all day, grilled burgers, hot dogs, chili, tenderloins. The burgers are paper-thin — you might do a double take at the size of a double cheeseburger — but fabulous anyway, smothered in onions.

seared rack of lamb, and seafood. It has a great wine list, too.

This quiet, refined Indian bistro prepares traditional Indian dishes with a delicate but artful use of the Indian spice palette, including tandoori chicken, biryani rice plates, and all of the luscious dinners smothered in thick, creamy sauces, such as rogan josh.

TASTY THAI

7104 Northwest Prairie View Road, 816-584-8801

Owners Marisa and Dom Wiruhayarn oversee the narrow dining room, where they serve generous portions of sensual Thai dishes, f lavored with peppers, basil, lemongrass and coconut milk. Besides excellent curry dishes and fragrant soups, there’s the Wiruhayarns’ own version of

PARKVILLE CAFÉ DES AMIS

112-1/2 Main, Parkville, 816-587-6767

A supper here really does feel like an evening in Paris, particularly when Edith Piaf is warbling over the speakers and young lovers are holding hands, sipping wine and indulging in succulent lamb or sherryscented scallops. It’s also one of the few restaurants in town that serves sautéed frog legs — reportedly one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs— in an exquisite garlic-wine sauce.

CAFÉ ITALIA

160 English Landing Drive, Parkville, 816-584-0607

For 18 years, childhood friends Guy Tamburello and Paul Anselmo operated a popular Northla nd Ita l ia n restau ra nt, Ca fé Italia. They moved the venue to bigger, nicer quarters in Parkville in 2012, serv ing an expanded menu of fresh pasta dishes, veal and seafood, and fresh-baked bread and house-made desserts.

THE FRENCH BEE BAKERY

404 East Street, Parkville, 816-673-0117

Tracy Torres operates this cozy and casual Parkville coffee shop and bakery that also serves soups, salads, quiche and sandwiches.

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Longboards Wraps & Bowls

NICK AND JAKE’S

6325 Lewis, Parkville, 816-584-8535

See Plaza and Overland Park.

PARKVILLE COFFEE

103 Main, Parkville, 816-216-6560

Frozen yogurt, good coffee drinks, sandwiches, Italian frittata dishes, and featured specials make this a must-stop in downtown Parkville.

STONE CANYON PIZZA CO.

15 Main, Parkville, 816-746-8686

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MetropolitanKC MetropolitanKC R E S T A U R A N T R E S T A U R A N T

This downtown Parkville spot has excellent pizza and other delicacies that taste so good with cold beer and mixed drinks: spinach dip, nachos, cheese toast, chili and grinders.

LIBERTY LONGBOARDS WRAPS & BOWLS

1173 West Kansas, Liberty, 816-407-9528

See Mission.

MARGARITA’S AMIGOS

1910 Victory Drive, Liberty, 816-781-3031

See West Side.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

205 North Highway 291, Liberty, 816-407-9000

See Plaza.

PIZZA SHOPPE

8584 North Church, Liberty, 816-407-1011

See Northland.

ROCK & RUN BREWERY AND PUB

200 West 12th Street 200 West 12th Street

Kansas City Kansas City

TA S T E 2 015

Missouri 64105 Missouri 64105

816.421.6800 816.421.6800

The menu features pizza, burgers, brats and sausages, and really good spaghetti and meatballs.

SHERIDAN’S FROZEN CUSTARD

602 Highway 291, Liberty, 816-415-2929

See Downtown/Crossroads.

TANNER’S BAR & GRILL

8250 North Church, Liberty, 816-415-3536

See Lenexa.

KC METRO NORTH JUSTUS DRUGSTORE

106 W. Main, Smithville, 816-532-2300

This sleek, shiny 66-seat bistro was once a small-town pharmacy run by the parents of the current tenant, chef Jonathan Justus. Jonathan and his wife, Camille, returned to Smithville from France in 2006 and turned the empty building into a sophisticated restaurant specializing in exquisitely prepared dishes made from regional meats, fruits and vegetables. The menu features four or five starters, four salads and 10 entrées. Justus is a talented chef who has assembled a top-notch staff. The wine list is excellent, and the desserts are wonderfully creative.

PIZZA SHOPPE

101 North Highway 169, Smithville, 816-532-1101

See Northland.

INDEPENDENCE THE BIG BISCUIT

110 East Kansas, Liberty, 816-415-2337

16506 East U.S. Highway 40,

This suburban brewpub features 10 Rock & Run house-brewed beers on tap at all times. Five flagship R&R beers are on tap year-round.

Independence, 816-478-6958

This modern spin on the 1950s diner offers breakfast and lunch dishes (it closes at 2:30 p.m. every

B R O O K E VA N D E V E R

day), including big square biscuits that crumble against an omelet or scrambled eggs but hold their own when smothered with sausage gravy or used as a base for a sandwich.

BD’S MONGOLIAN GRILL

ing — including an 11,000-gallon aquarium behind the bar — and the menu is ambitious, with both casual fare (sandwiches, fish and chips) and fancier seafood.

LITTLE RICHARD’S FAMILY RESTAURANT

19750 East Valley View Parkway,

301 North Highway 291, Independence,

816-795-5430

816-257-7295

See Overland Park.

CAFÉ VERONA

206 West Lexington, Independence, 816-833-0044

A former Jones Store near the Independence courthouse has been transformed into a pleasant but not fancy restaurant that serves Nor t her n Ita lia n a nd Ita lia nAmerican cuisine. The service isn’t polished, a nd the décor doesn’t exactly evoke a rustic trattoria on the Adige River, but everything in this casual café takes second place to the food. That means generous portions of excellent pasta dishes (available in full and half orders), steaks, veal and seafood. It’s the same menu at lunch and dinner; for lighter fare, diners can order a salad and a grilled panini.

CORNER CAFÉ

4215 South Little Blue Parkway, Independence, 816-350-7000

See Northland.

ISLAMORADA FISH COMPANY 18001 Bass Pro Shop Drive,

Independence, 816-795-4200

The fact that this massive store devoted to the outdoor sporting life would even have a restaurant, let alone an attractive, full-service venue, is reason enough to seek it out. The interior design is strik-

Owner Richard Cash’s unassuming place is part diner, part truck stop and all-American, serving daily dinner specials (tuna casserole, liver and onions, pot roast, taco salad) and inexpensive full dinners (country-fried steak, fried shrimp, three kinds of pork chops), and the best fried chicken livers in town. Like any good diner, Little Richard’s serves all kinds of burgers, patty melts and hot beef sandwiches, and there’s a dry-erase board listing that day’s homemade pies, cakes, cobblers and dumplings. For homesick customers longing for a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese, those items are always on the menu.

LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE

19401 East 39th Street South, Independence, 816-795-7925

Tennessee-based chain Logan’s Roadhouse Inc. doesn’t try to recreate the smoky, raucous honkytonks that used to be called roadhouses. Yes, the décor here is rustic, with lots of neon beer signs, but this smoke-free, family-friendly steakhouse is more focused on serving sandwiches, terrific burgers (including the mini “Roadies” tucked into buttered yeast rolls), inexpensive but choice steaks, baby back ribs and lots of tasty sides. Customers come to this roadhouse not to booze up – though the restaurant does serve liquor – but to bulk up.

Slice of the

Good Life Open Everyday

11am - 3am

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MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

2551 South State Route 291, Independence, 816-478-8666

StOp by &

enjOy the

beSt Middle Eastern

Mediterranean

fOOd in KanSaS City!

See Plaza.

Jerusalem Bakery 1404 Westport Rd, KCMO (816) 931-8575

See Prairie Village.

MUGS-UP ROOT BEER DRIVE-IN 700 East 23rd Street, Independence, 816-254-7040

Root beer is still made in the basement at Mugs-Up Root Beer DriveIn, as it has been for decades. Sassy carhops dash in and out of the angular orange-and-white building, carrying metal trays heaped with frosty glass mugs and loose-meat Zip Burgers, Whiz Burgers (Zips with cheese), crunchy onion rings, tangy barbecue-pork sandwiches and Chili Whiz Dogs. Relive the Steely Dan song and order a Big Black Cow — root beer and vanilla ice cream — with your meal.

201 North Main, Independence, 816-836-4004

A somewhat fancy venue, Ophelia’s boasts innovative culinary creations – Portobello Rangoon rolls, smoked shrimp and grits — in an attractive setting. It’s one of the few places in town still serving châteaubriand.

THE RHEINLAND RESTAURANT 208 North Main, Independence, 816-461-5383

resturants ● resturants guide

BUY LOCAL EAT LOCAL

TA S T E 2 015

17717 East Highway 40, Independence, 816-350-8003

OPHELIA’S

431 Westport Rd, KCMO (816) 756-2770

SALTY IGUANA MEXICAN RESTAURANT

It’s worth traveling to Independence Square just to devour hearty German fare in this former storefront, now spruced up with green Tiffanystyle lamps, a green tin ceiling and green vinyl tablecloths. But you won’t spend too much green on the solid suppers. There are smoked pork chops; Wiener schnitzel; a beef rouladen stuffed with bacon, pickles, onions and spices; and spicy Gypsy schnitzel. While the dessert list includes the unexciting Black Forest cake, the only pastry actually made here is the warm apple strudel, and it’s perfection.

SALVATORE’S

12801 East U.S. Highway 40, Independence, 816-737-2400

Salvatore “Sam” Garozzo, the congenial nephew of restaurateur Mike Garozzo, took over this Independence location formerly run by his uncle and father. A comfortable, intimate trattoria, Sam’s place offers a few signature items, including a garlic-broiled Tuscan filet and thin-crust St. Louis-style pizza as well as excellent salads, veal dishes and five variations on the broiled chicken innovation known as spiedini. The most decadent dish on the menu is a hunk of beef tenderloin stuffed with lobster in a white wine sauce. But for big eaters on a budget, there’s a hefty Three-Way Pasta loaded with ravioli, spaghetti and mostaccioli, topped with a fat meatball or Italian sausage.

SAMURAI CHEF STEAKHOUSE 12712 East U.S. Highway 40,

Independence, 816-350-3777

Without too much change in decor, a former Steak & Ale restaurant has been transformed into a combo sushi bar and teppanyaki steakhouse. Here the “Samurai” chefs look more like Elvis (thanks to those bejeweled leatherette holsters) than any warriors in The Seven Samurai. This restaurant features “smokeless Hibachi tables,” so there’s no noisy overhead hood to interfere with the, um, show of twirling knives, onion volcanoes, cracking eggs and flying shrimp. Chefs don’t hide their boredom performing the same tired culinary act over and over again, but by local Japanese steakhouse

standards, this one’s cheap enough that the experience is both filling and unexpectedly hilarious.

outdoor patio and a surprisingly sophisticated menu.

SHERIDAN’S FROZEN CUSTARD

10819 E. U.S Highway 40, Independence,

4052 South Lynn Court Drive,

816-353-1241

Independence, 816-461-7200

Unlike newer, trendier trattorias, V’s has never stopped serving toasted ravioli, spaghetti and meatballs, prime rib and Southern fried chicken. Foodies might find the menu unsophisticated, but devotees of this grapevine-covered restaurant wouldn’t have it any other way.

See Downtown/Crossroads.

SQUARE PIZZA

208 W. Maple, Independence, 816-461-2929

No, it’s not pizza for political conservatives, though this storefront pizzeria near Independence Square does evoke a tidy 1960s pizza parlor, the kind where clean-cut kids came for a hot slice and a frosty Coke. They still can. Eight featured pizzas are all baked in square pans; the crust is thick and doughy, and the more imaginative creations include a barbecue-chicken pizza and a taco version. The restaurant serves calzones and two kinds of salad, too.

V’S ITALIANO RISTORANTE

Café, both. The chicken wings themselves, some of the best in the metro, are sumptuously meaty, lightly battered and expertly fried. Even better are the house-made dry rubs or any of the distinctive, f lavorful sauces.

KANSAS KANSAS CITY, KANSAS

GLADSTONE SNOW & CO.

504 Northeast 70th Street, Gladstone, 816-420-0303

See Downtown/Crossroads.

TANNER’S BAR & GRILL

6221 North Chestnut, Gladstone, 816-455-8266

See Lenexa.

CASA AGAVE

1340 Village West Parkway, 913-328-0227

Casa Agave is famous for its steak specialties, such as carne asada and grilled steak Vallarta. Steak dishes are served with rice and beans, fresh vegetables, tortillas or bread, and a choice of baked potato or baked sweet potato.

VIVILORE

10815 East Winner Road, Independence,

CHIUSANO’S BRICK OVEN PIZZERIA

WINGS CAFÉ

816-836-2222

516 Northwest Englewood, Gladstone,

This combination restaurant and bar, art gallery, antique shop and event space features a charming

816-413-9464

What makes the wings: the sauces or the bird? In the case of Wings

CrEatE.

1713 Village West Parkway, 913-299-8787

A family-friendly pizzeria in the Legends complex in Kansas City, Kansas, serving big, generously

SharE.

cheesy pizza pies, a few tasty Italian entrées, fine salads (best eaten with yeasty “garlic knots”) and a decent wine list.

FRITZ’S RAILROAD RESTAURANT 250 North 18th Street, 913-281-2777

Children love this restaurant, a local treasure since the 1950s. A toy train carting the orders for burgers and tenderloins — the “Skat Kat” system — came in the 1970s. The Skat Cat travels out of the kitchen and around the ceiling of the restaurant until it arrives above the correct table, where a hydraulic lift lowers it.

JAZZ, A LOUISIANA KITCHEN

1859 Village West Parkway, 913-328-0003

See midtown.

JOE’S KANSAS CITY BAR-B-QUE

3002 West 47th Avenue, 913-722-3366

Located inside a gas station and convenience store, the former Oklahoma Joe’s has developed a devout following. The winner of numerous barbecue competitions (including three grand championships at the annual American Royal contest), Joe’s serves meaty ribs and luscious smoked chicken.

Enjoy.

8610 NW Prairie VieW rd

Japanese Fondue & Asian Tapas Bar

l o c at e d i N Z o N a r o s a ( 8 1 6 ) 74 1 - 5 7 3 3

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ANGELA C. BOND

Lulu’s Asian Bistro

STROUD’S FAIRWAY

4200 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, 913-262-8500

Kansas City’s most iconic friedchicken restaurant started out as a roadhouse at 85th Street and Troost. The original location closed in 2005. Longtime owner Mike Donegan reopened in this suburban building and had it painted and decorated to look much like the old place, and the menu is the same: juicy chicken, terrific fried chicken livers, pork chops, and the familiar side dishes.

Taco Republic

ROSEDALE BAR-B-Q

TORTILLERIA SAN ANTONIO

600 Southwest Boulevard, 913-262-0343

830 Kansas Avenue, 913-281-6433

People still stand in line to get into Rosedale’s clean, spacious dining room and order at the counter, where slabs of ribs share the menu with hearty beef, pork and ham sandwiches, barbecue chicken and crispy french fries served hot in a waxed-paper bag.

This tortilla factory is also a café — the pork tamales made here are legendary — and a grocery store and a meat market, but the café serves such wonderfully fresh and inexpensive dishes that it has become a see-and-be-seen venue on Saturday mornings.

SABOR Y SOL

VIETNAM CAFÉ

542 Southwest Boulevard, 913-362-0817

2200 West 39th Avenue, 913-262-8552

This vibrantly painted restaurant has imagination and style (a “Popeye quesadilla” is made with spinach, vegetables and cream sauce) and is very modestly priced. It also has a full bar.

This restaurant doesn’t attract the same hipster demographic as the Columbus Park restaurant of the same name but different ownership. But for years, it has served an expansive menu of tasty, authentic Vietnamese dishes — and it has a full bar.

SLAP’S BBQ

553 Central Ave., 913-213-3736

Brothers Mike and Joe Pearce and their teammate, Brandon Whipple, had a successful competitive barbecue team, Squeal Like a Pig. In 2014, they opened a barbecue pit with the team’s acronym, Slap’s, and the ribs, pork sausage, brisket and side dishes caught on so quickly that this venue, which is primarily carryout, usually sells out by 1 p.m.

TAQUERIA MEXICO

WOODYARD BAR-B-QUE

3001 Merriam Lane, 913-362-8000

You know this is a stellar site for smoked meats when you see, from the windows, the hand-built brick smoker and all the woodpiles (the place sells oak, hickory, pecan and four kinds of fruitwoods for smoke-at-home enthusiasts). The menu is simple, but superb: ribs, smoked wings, hefty sandwiches, chili and brisket.

popular Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop in the Crossroads, it lacks the vibrant energy of the downtown version, but the intimacy and a mostly attentive staff hit all the right notes. There are dishes on this menu that aren’t featured at the original location.

SUTERA’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

4730 Rainbow, Westwood, 913-262-7883

The Sutera family has served pizza and Italian-American dishes for four decades. Here, the pizza is terrific, and spaghetti and meatballs come smothered in a savory herbed sugo.

TOPP’D PIZZA

3934 Rainbow Boulevard, 913-677-7070

500 County Line Rd., 913-262-8226

This is a fantasy upscale version of those inexpensive, unglamorous taquerias found in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, or on Independence Avenue. The quality of the ingredients in the street tacos, tostadas and entrée platters is extremely high, and there’s a full bar with a terrific cocktail list.

FAIRWAY HOULIHAN’S

Many people assume that this slick little fast-casual operation, which prepares both signature and custom-made 9-inch pizza pies in less than five minutes, is a chain. No, it’s the creation of young restaurateur Chad Talbott, who has become a pro at making tasty small pizzas — fast.

YARD HOUSE

2820 West 53rd Street, Fairway,

The Legends, 1863 Village West Parkway,

913-789-0808

913-788-4500

The menu carries plenty of signat u re d ishes f rom t he days when Houlihan’s was considered sexy and stylish, though it’s now mostly a middle-classneighborhood watering hole.

See Power & Light District.

WESTWOOD LULU’S ASIAN BISTRO

A modest, 65-seat restaurant by Malisa Monyakula, owner of the

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913-432-4615

Behind the steam table, a speedy kitchen crew whips up tacos, enchiladas and six different burritos, splashing them with one of four sauces and popping them into shiny microwave ovens. It’s devoid of any glamour, but fans love the cheap prices.

D’BRONX

6846 Johnson Drive, Mission, 913-432-0101

See midtown.

5415 Johnson Drive, Mission, 913-236-2523

This fast-casual sandwich and wrap venue uses quality ingredients in a creative fashion for salads, hot noodle bowls and tasty handhelds.

LUCKY BREWGRILLE

5401 Johnson Dr., Mission, 913-403-8571

This combination saloon and dining room has a savvy serving staff and an appealing selection of salads, starters, sandwiches and steaks.

RJ’S BOB-BE-QUE SHACK

5835 Lamar, Mission, 913-262-7300

This barbecue joint is the crea tion of award-winning chef Bob Palmgren, whose tender baby back ribs may be the best you’ll find on the Kansas side of the state line.

THAI ORCHID

6504 Martway, Mission, 913-384-2800

2701 West 47th Street, Westwood, 913-677-5858

DON CHILITO’S

7017 Johnson Drive, Mission,

LONGBOARDS WRAPS & BOWLS TACO REPUBLIC

3300 Rainbow Boulevard, 913-722-9200

See West Side.

MISSION

PIZZA 51

5938 Mission, Fairway, 913-766-1133

See Plaza.

With a pretty dining room, this cozy Thai restaurant serves traditional dishes, including phad Thai, soups, curries, rice spe-

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cialties, and roast duck in garlic sauce. It also offers a full bar.

TOWN TOPIC

6018 Johnson Drive, Mission, 913-362-8830

Sat.

9AM THRU 2PM

RURALGrit

DAILY LUNCH AND DINNER SPECIALS LIKE BRUNCH BUT BETTER. CAJUN BLTS, BREAKFAST BURRITOS, GIANT CINNAMON ROLLS... AND BLOODY MARYS SO CHEAP THEY’RE ALMOST FREE!! T

75¢ TACOTuesdays DOGdays 1727 McGEE ST KCMO 816•421•1634

LOCATED DOWNTOWN IN THE CROSSROADS ARTS DISTRICT.

BURGER& a Blvd

See Downtown/Crossroads.

VILLAGE INN

5800 Broadmoor, Mission, 913-236-7088

This inexpensive diner-style restaurant has been a fixture in Mission since 1967, and the decor and menu still ref lect the sensibility of the Beatles era. The pies here are particularly delicious.

yeasty cinnamon or orange rolls, savory and sweet croissants, cakes and cookies, and seasonal favorites.

JOHNNY’S TAVERN

8262 Mission, Prairie Village, 913-901-0322

See Power & Light District.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

6921 Tomahawk Road, Prairie Village, 913-262-6226

See Plaza.

SALTY IGUANA MEXICAN RESTAURANT

8228 Mission, Prairie Village,

PRAIRIE VILLAGE BLOOMSBURY BISTRO

4101 West 83rd Street, Prairie Village, 913-642-9900

Bloomsbury Bistro is an unexpected culinary treat hidden in the center of a Johnson County antique mall. Despite the location, this isn’t an uptight ladies’ tearoom. Well, not always. The venue serves reasonably priced lunches.

BRGR

4038 West 83rd Street, Prairie Village,

Barcentral Taste Ad 4.5" x 5.5".qxp 4/6/15 1:29 PM Page 1

913-825-2747

Bread & Butter Concepts’ original burger spot has animpressive array of upscale burgers, and the quality is always consistent. The Big Hoss burger is always memorable.

CAFÉ PROVENCE

The best place to meet someone for the first time is where a tall cool one awaits. BARCENTRAL... A short step up from Power and Light.

3936 West 69th Terrace, Prairie Village, 913-384-5998

This tiny French boîte has proved to be the Quillec family’s most successful restaurant by not being trendy in any fashion. Chef Philip Quillec, founding chef Patrick Quillec’s son, serves traditional Provencal dishes, including a deliciously robust onion soup, crusty bread, escargot, luscious veal scaloppine and filet mignon au poivre. And a very fine tarte tatin.

CHOCOLATE FROG CAFÉ

3935 West 69th Terrace, Prairie Village, 913-601-5250

big sips l small bites l best times

KANSAS CITY MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN 200 West 12th street Kansas City, MO 64105 816. 421.6800 barcentralkc.com

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The former Standees restaurant is undergoing a makeover and menu redesign by Leap Hospitality. It’s expected to open this summer.

DOLCE BAKERY

3930 West 69th Terrace, Prairie Village, 913-236-4411

The charming and stylish bakery sells glorious sweets, including

913-381-3888

The or ig i na l Sa lt y Ig ua na is vibrantly colored (with paintings of lizards behaving like humans, which even the most ill-behaved toddlers find entrancing) and overseen by a quick-witted, friendly staff of very young servers.

SPIN NEAPOLITAN PIZZA

8224 Mission, Prairie Village, 913-341-7746

See Overland Park.

STORY

3931 West 69th Terrace, Prairie Village, 913-236-9955

The i nt i mate, elega nt bi st ro created by award-winning chef Ca rl Thor ne -Thom sen scores on almost every level, from the exquisite quality of the food to the graciousness of the polished service.

TATSU’S FRENCH RESTAURANT

4603 West 90th Street, Prairie Village, 913-383-9801

Tatsu’s is indeed intimate, with the tables placed so close together that diners would be welladvised to be careful about their conversations while savoring the continental cuisine. The pale peach-colored seafood bisque is beyond decadent, and the teriyaki chicken.

TAVERN IN THE VILLAGE

Prairie Village Shopping Center, 3901 Prairie Lane, Prairie Village, 913-529-2229

This suburban pub is a success story because of the consistency of the food and service. The menu is hot, fresh and delicious. Signature items include an herba nd-ga rlic roasted ch icken, a scrumptious old-fashioned stroganoff and fresh-grilled trout.

ANDRE’S CONFISERIE SUISSE 4929 West 119th Street, Leawood,

ANGELA C. BOND

LEAWOOD 913-498-3440

The south Johnson County outpost of the south Plaza venue, like the original, sells beautiful handmade candies and pastries and offers an elegant European-style lunch.

BARLEY’S BREWHAUS

5031 West 135th Street, Leawood, 913-322-0135

See Shawnee.

Rye

BLUE KOI

10581 Mission, Leawood, 913-383-3330

T he de le c t a ble A si a n d i she s that made midtown’s Blue Koi so popular have transferred well to this second location in the M i ssion Fa r m s development. The menu is t he sa me — predominantly boiled or pan-fried dumplings and a variety of noodle and rice dishes.

LA BODEGA

DRUNKEN FISH

4900 West 119th Street, Leawood,

913-339-9335

913-663-2161

See Power & Light District.

801 CHOPHOUSE

11616 Ash, Leawood, 913-322-1801

See Power & Light District.

801 FISH

4311 West 119th Street, Leawood,

11615 Rosewood, Leawood, 913-322-3474

913-428-8272

It’s costly but boasts an impressively imaginative menu with alluring, expertly prepared food — a creamy, sumptuously decadent lobster bisque, a butter-poached lobster-tail risotto — that’s worth every cent. If you have room for dessert, go for it. It’s wonderful here.

See West Side.

BRAVO CUCINA ITALIANA

5005 West 117th Street, Leawood, 913-661-9207

Here, it’s possible to indulge a passion for decadently rich pasta — the lasagna Bolognese weighs a pound and a half — or expertly grilled meats at reasonable prices, which is why the place is a hit with the value-conscious suburban crowd.

THE BRISTOL SEAFOOD GRILL

FOO’S FABULOUS CUSTARD

9421 Mission, Leawood, 913-383-3667

See Brookside/Waldo.

GASLIGHT GRILL

5020 West 137th Street, Leawood,

5400 W. 119th St., Leawood,

913-897-3540

913-663-5777

The dinner-only Gaslight Grill boasts both a comfortable dining room and a separate back room (where prime rib dinners — and jazz — are served Sunday nights). The menu is a lso old-school, with crab dip, goat-cheese fondue, veal liver, bone-in dry-aged steaks, and fried lobster tail.

A superb menu (luscious Maine lobster bisque, fluffy baked crab cakes, steamed mussels and daily fish specials), along with traditions such as drop biscuits and exquisite service, keep this seafood restaurant bustling.

BURGERFI

11635 Ash, Leawood, 913-499-6294

The f irst local outpost of the Florida-based fast-casual burger chain uses fresh, grass-fed, freerange, antibiotic- and hormonefree beef with a choice of more than 30 different toppings. The fries are fresh and hand-cut.

HOULIHAN’S

4331 West 119th Street, Leawood,

GATES BAR-B-Q

2001 West 103rd Terrace, Leawood, 913-383-1752

A longtime favorite outpost of the local smoked-meat chain created by Ollie Gates, it’s famous for its beef sandw iches, burnt ends, ribs, wings and side dishes.

or a robust Bolognese pasta, are more than memorable.

PIG & FINCH

See Fairway.

11570 Ash, Leawood, 913-322-7444

LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE

4500 West 119th Street, Leawood, 913-661-0373

LongHorn restaurants are the moderately priced steakhouses i n t he Da rden Restaura nts empi re, wh ic h a lso ow ns t he more upscale Capital Grilles — and there’s a bigger difference b et we en t wo t h a n ju st pr ice points. LongHorn dining rooms are done up to look like Souther n road houses w it h sc u f fed wooden f loors a nd neon beer signs and with country music.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

12920 State Line Road, Leawood,

This is a gastropub with both an unabashed Midwestern sensibility — pretzel bites, burgers, Duroc pork chop, Kansas City strip — and European aspirations (duck cassoulet, seared foie gras, French onion soup). More often than not, it works.

RED DOOR GRILL

11851 Roe, Leawood, 913-227-4959

The unpretentious bar and grill fo c u s e s o n q u a l it y b u r g e r s , starters and home-style entrées (f ish and chips, meatloaf ) in a setting so casual that you could probably dine in your pajamas without a comment.

913-317-9965

RYE

See Plaza.

10551 Mission, Leawood, 913-642-5800

MIO: AN ITALIAN TRATTORIA

4800 West 135th Street, Leawood, 913-685-9646

The unpretentious dining venue serves modestly priced pasta dishes and lamb, beef or seafood entrées (with a slight upcharge for soups or salads), and it’s very family-friendly.

NORTH

If Bluestem is one of midtown’s fancier dining spots, Rye — the more homespun vision of Bluestem owners Colby and Megan G a r re lt s — t a ke s t r ad it ion a l c o m fo r t s up p e r s ( i n c l u d i n g deep-fried chicken, steaks and smoked meats) to a more sophisticated level. The place has an energetic vibe and outstanding desserts.

4579 West 119th Street, Leawood, 913-232-5191

Just remember th is: Nor th is south. The menu changes frequently, but most meals begin with a tiny dish of marinated olives and a basket of breads, served with an excellent neonorange sun-dried-tomato butter. The secundo courses, such as grilled seafood, creamy risotto

TAVERN AT MISSION FARMS 10681 Mission, 913-213-6588

See Tavern in the Village, Prairie Village.

WINSTEAD’S

4971 West 135th Street, Leawood, 913-897-5406

See Plaza.

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OVERLAND PARK ABC CAFÉ

10001 West 87th Street, Overland Park, 913-859-0089

The ABC Café has a wonderful assortment of inexpensive dim sum choices (curried beef puffs, spare ribs with black bean sauce, and siu mai, for example) and solid ent rées, including a luscious honey-garlic pork chop.

BANGKOK PAVILION

7249 West 97th Street, Overland Park, 913-341-3005

Bes

Gizzar t teNde ds & rLoiN

N o w o p e N at :

iN Kc!

520 SouthweSt Blvd. 816.283.8238 • L o c a L F a m i L y - o w N e d & o p e r at e d •

The dinner menu boasts dishes with such lively names as Kiss Me and Lovely Sweet Honey Bunch. Even though Bangkok Pavilion lacks the style of its younger Thai restaurant rivals, there’s a reason it has such a loyal following: friendly service and traditional Thai fare that’s not too spicy (unless you insist otherwise).

BARLEY’S BREWHAUS

11924 West 119th Street, Overland Park, 913-663-4099

See Shawnee.

THE BASHA

7016 West 105th Street, Overland Park, 913-341-7778

This attractive Middle Eastern restaurant serves the traditional dishes of Greece, Jordan, Syria and Turkey (the word basha is the familiar Arabic pronunciation of the Turkish term pasha, meaning high-ranking official) in a comfortable suburban setting. No liquor is served here.

BD’S MONGOLIAN GRILL

11836 West 95th Street, Overland Park, 913-438-4363

DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY

1215 WYANDOTTE ST, KANSAS CITY, MO 64105 TEL: 816-421-8888 | FAX: 816-817-1883 FOR MORE INFO GO TO HIALADDIN.COM

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Diners can load up little bowls with a selection of ingredients from a buffet filled with vegetables, ribbons of frozen meats and seafood, sauces, condiments, oils, and spices. One of the employees then takes the bowl and dumps it on the circular, 600-degree grill and pokes it with wooden rakes until the whole concoction is perfectly grilled. It’s allyou-can-eat, so a hungry diner can experiment with many variations and ingredients in a single visit.

BO LINGS

9055 Metcalf, Overland Park, 913-341-1718

This original location of the local Chinese restaurant empire, created in 1981 by the husband-and-wife

team Richard and Theresa Ng, launched five other restaurants in the metro, all popular.

THE BREWTOP PUB AND PATIO

6601 West 135th Street, 913-897-5500, Overland Park

This popular suburban sports bar serves a menu of saloon favorites, including chicken wings, spinach artichoke dip, fried vegetables, pizza and burgers.

BROBECKS BBQ

4615 Indian Creek Parkway, Overland Park, 913-901-9700

This may be the only barbecue joint in town that still serves ham salad as a dip (the sandwich is better). The burnt ends are great, the chicken is supple and moist, but the best dish here is the exceptional barbecue salmon, offered only on weekends and served with mustard-dill sauce.

BURG & BARREL

7042 West 76th Street, Overland Park, 913-649-2525

A more recent addition to the local gastropub scene, this venue, just off Metcalf, serves a variety of cold beers, signature cocktails and a lovable but oddball mix of starters (edamame! fried pickles!) and sandwiches, including a bourbon-glazed certified Angus beef burger with bacon, cheddar, onion and pickles.

CHEDDAR’S CASUAL CAFÉ

11865 West 95th Street, Overland Park, 913-599-3111

Crowds come to this Texas-based chain restaurant for the homestyle cooking — steaks, burgers, salads, chicken potpie, a pasta creation called Spasagna — and most items are listed on the menu for less than 10 bucks. The portions are big, and the service is quick and attentive. And because of the prices, the restaurant is a magnet for large families.

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

6675 West 119th Street, Overland Park, 913-451-6272

See Plaza.

CHILLI N SPICE INDIAN BISTRO

8562 West 133rd Street, Overland Park, 913-681-3663

Despite the name of the place — in a pretty little storefront dining room in a strip mall — nothing is particularly over-spiced. The

ANGELA C. BOND

restaurant serves a variety of favorite Indian dishes, including fried pakoras and samosas, butter chicken, tandoori-roasted meats, biryani rice dishes and even goat curry. And it’s very inexpensive.

CHOGA KOREAN RESTAURANT

6920 W. 105th Street, Overland Park, 913-385-2151

What the dining room lacks in style or personality, the kitchen more than compensates for in deliciously seasoned grilled meats, soups and rice dishes. Dinners include banchan, an array of little plates — mostly pickled condiments and pastes like fiery kimchi, marinated tofu, vinegared cucumber slices and bean sprout salad — that are wonderful accompaniments for the beef bulgogi or the signature rice bowl called bimimbap.

CHOSUN KOREAN BBQ

12611 Metcalf, Overland Park,

Cocobolos a “bananas Foster” dessert with plantains.

D’BRONX

7070 West 105th Street, Overland Park, 913-649-9000

See midtown.

913-339-9644

Keun-Bae Jeon has created a sleek, suburban dining room with little gas-powered grills embedded in the tabletops. Customers can watch two kinds of beef short ribs — or, for the brave, pork belly — sizzle on the grill and then eat the hot meat folded into cool lettuce leaves with spoonfuls of many spicy condiments. The rest of the menu is devoted to traditional Korean dishes made in the restaurant’s kitchen.

The oldest Chinese-American restaurant in Johnson County still evokes an era of potent fruity cocktails in decorative glasses a nd 19 60s d ishes l i ke lemon chicken and empress shrimp.

CINZETTI’S ITALIAN MARKET RESTAURANT

Jose Garcia brings a mix of South American favorites to this comfortable but unassuming restaurant.

7201 West 91st Street, Overland Park, 913-642-0101

This Denver-based all-you-caneat buffet restaurant serves lots of different Italian salads, pizza, entrées and desserts in a faux Tuscan “piazza,” with cobblestone floors, stucco and stone walls, and lots of props evoking an outdoor market. It’s cleverly done, and many of the choices offered at the different “food stations” are surprisingly tasty.

COCOBOLOS

5621 West 135th Street, Overland Park, 913-766-5000

A fresh spin on Mexican-American cuisine (the kitchen is no longer under the direction of celebrity chef Michael Smith) featuring unexpected preparations of familiar Tex-Mex dishes, including an ancho-braised short rib, roast chicken in a red mole sauce, and

DRAGON INN

7500 W. 80th St., Overland Park, 913-381-7299

EL PORTÓN CAFÉ

4671 Indian Creek Parkway, Overland Park, 913-381-8060

ELSA’S ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT 8016 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, 913-648-5000

This restaurant serves most of the classic Ethiopian repertoire: doro wat and key wat, and those wonderfully aromatic, sautéed and stewed meat dishes seasoned with berbere, a seductive blend of garlic, red peppers, coriander, cardamom, fenugreek and cinnamon. Delicious baklava, too.

FIREBIRDS WOOD FIRED GRILL

6601 West 135th Street, Overland Park, 913-202-1761

The North Carolina-based chain offers a wide variety of dishes, mostly familiar comfort dishes like meatloaf, burgers, and prime rib, at a very appealing price point.

FRIDA’S CONTEMPORARY MEXICAN CUISINE

7200 West 121st Street, Overland Park, 913-897-0606

Named after iconic artist Frida Kahlo, this Mexican restaurant is serious about incorporating Kahlo’s creative sensibilities into the cuisine and its visual presentation. Most of the fare is dramatic and memorable, like its namesake.

FÜTBOL CLUB EATERY & TAP

12030 Blue Valley Parkway, Overland Park, 913-563-4625

Sometimes it seems as if there’s a sports bar for every sport — except soccer. This venue fixes the omission. It also serves a very good collection of appetizers, salads, pot roast, and fish and chips.

GREEN MILL

8787 Reeder, Overland Park, 913-492-1111

What once was a nondescript hotel dining room is now the first Kansas City location for the Minneapolis-based Green Mill Pizza chain, a sit-down restaurant serv ing pizza variations, from deep-dish to thin crust to double crust to build-your-own pizza with any possible combination of ingredients.

ferent from competing Japanese steakhouses, but the place is prettier and prices are steeper.

HEREFORD HOUSE

5001 Town Center Drive, Leawood, 913-327-0800

An iconic downtown Kansas City steak joint for years, the original burned down in 2008. The satellite locations, including this one, had to carry on. Big food, big portions.

HOULIHAN’S

11851 West 95th Street, Overland Park, 913-492-3926

See Fairway.

J. ALEXANDER’S RESTAURANT 11471 Metcalf, Overland Park, 913-469-1995

There’s a reason that J. Alexander’s parking lot is full all the time: polished service and an uncomplicated, eager-to-please menu. Like American restaurants of an earlier era, the entrées at J. Alexander’s include potato or side dish. Side salads cost a little extra, but they’re huge and served with flaky, freshly baked croissants. Signature dishes are steaks, prime rib and a delectable grilled pork tenderloin.

J. GILBERT’S

HAN SHIN JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE

8901 Metcalf, Overland Park,

7254 West 121st Street, Overland Park,

913-642-8070

913-327-1118

Named after Kansas City’s legendary restaurateur Joe Gilbert (founder of the former Gilbert/ Robinson restaura nt empire), this steakhouse pays tribute to a style of hearty American dining that has been vanishing since the Vietnam War. Everything is big at J. Gilbert’s: the booths, the drinks, the steaks — even the appetizers.

Teppan-yaki cooking, with Asian chefs doing choreographed slicing, dicing, grilling and much flipping of shrimp, is a kind of dinner theater. Han Shin is Kansas City’s showcase spot for the flashy pans. The menu — grilled vegetables and such distinctly American fare as beef and chicken — isn’t any dif-

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ANGELA C. BOND

tandoor-baked breads, chutneys, raita and rice.

THE PEANUT

7938 Santa Fe, Overland Park, 913-499-8565 12663 Metcalf, Overland Park, 913-491-0288

See Plaza.

PINSTRIPES

13500 Nall, Overland Park, 913-681-2255

Renée Kelly

JOHNNY CASCONE’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

6863 West 91st Street, Overland Park, 913-381-6837

Eating at the Johnson County outpost of the Cascone family’s North Kansas City restaurant is like eating in a bustling Italian home: lots of lovingly prepared food and encouragement to eat more.

JOHNNY’S TAVERN

8719 West 95th Street, Overland Park, 913-948-9500 6765 West 119th Street, Overland Park, 913-451-4542

tionally satisfying — and not just in this suburban strip center, but also in Westport (4113 Pennsylvania) and Liberty (917 West Liberty Drive).

LEMONGRASS THAI CUISINE

7316 West 80th Street, Overland Park, 913-674-4846

913-681-8535

This faux roadhouse offers traditional roadhouse cuisine (steaks, sandwiches, meatloaf) in a Prairieinspired dining room. There’s also a state-of-the-art sports bar on the other half.

See Power & Light District.

10142 West 119th Street, Overland Park, 913-696-1101

The menu in this little restaurant predominantly focuses on familiar Indian fare — tandoori-grilled meats, breads, curries and biryani dishes — but there are a handful of traditional Pakistani dishes, too, including paya (a spicy soup made from goat feet) and haleem, a sticky beef-and-lentil paste.

KOREAN RESTAURANT SOBAHN 7800 Shawnee Mission Parkway., Overland Park, 913-384-1688

The stylish, family-operated restaurant serves excellent, spicy Korean dishes featuring the traditional selection of small accompaniments, banchan, to season the food as you wish.

KORMA SUTRA

7217 West 110th Street, 913-345-8774

There’s plenty of sex appeal here. Some dishes evoke aphrodisiac powers, and the korma offerings are emo-

NICK AND JAKE’S

LOCAL TAP

14319 Metcalf, Overland Park, 913-685-4500

913-451-0444

The sunny, small Thai restaurant offers popular choices in the Thai repertoire, including stir-fry, curry choices, and slow-roasted duck.

7148 West 80th Street, Overland Park, 913-667-0224

Until this inexpensive cantina started serving cold margaritas and hot bean dip in this location — across the way from the Rio cinema — this building seemed to have a curse, but the bad mojo is definitely gone, and customers frequently stand in line for a table. The secret to its success is the combination of good-natured servers and solid, inexpensive food.

PIZZA SHOPPE

8915 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, 913-341-1491

See Northland.

RUCHI

11168 Antioch, Overland Park,

This Indian restaurant serves authentic dishes from North as well as South India. For lunch, it offers a bountiful buffet with such options as tandoor chicken and aloo palak.

EL SALVADOREÑO

PAPA KENO’S 913-648-1313

This pizzeria makes delicious slices of pizza with more than enoug h toppi ngs to c hoose from.

PARADISE DINER

5501 West 135th Street, Overland Park, 913-894-2222

The basic “d i ner” d ishes a re fine, but the fancier options are great. And when it’s good, it’s very good.

PARADISE INDIA

913-871-6165

The cuisine of El Salvador resembles that of its neighbor Guatemala: fried pupusas, tamales, the spicy and vinegary slaw called curtido. The food is deliciously uncomplicated with a surprisingly nuanced array of flavors.

SALTY IGUANA MEXICAN RESTAURANT

8420 West 135th Street, Overland Park, 913-402-0200

See Prairie Village.

STROUD’S OVERLAND PARK

NEWPORT GRILL

7119 West 135th Street, Overland Park,

5501 West 135th Street, Overland Park,

8301 West 135th Street, Overland Park,

913-814-0177

913-239-0807

913-499-0135

Delhi native Yogi Gupta’s storefront dining room is dominated by a shiny steam table that, during the lunch hours, is stocked with a generous buffet of meat and vegetarian dishes as well as

At this outpost of Kansas City’s most iconic chicken shack, the menu is the same one that Stroud’s has been serving for decades. The food is as comforting and satisfying as a good Sunday sermon.

The stylish and expensive suburban seafood bistro was created by Paul Khoury (of the locally based PB&J restaurant empire). It has exquisite service — veteran restaurant manager

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See Downtown/Crossroads.

7926 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, 7901 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park,

MI RANCHITO

Park 913-341-7700

913-661-9088

PAD-THAI

7300 West 119th Street, Overland Park,

This interesting saloon concept mixes up live entertainment and a menu of small-plates — mini tacos, fried pickles, pizza — that are designed to be paired with beer.

PIZZABELLA

4000 Indian Creek Parkway, Overland

6830 West 135th Street, Overland Park,

The low-key, family-owned Thai restaurant serves all of the traditional Thai-American choices (curries, phad Thai, satays) and a few dishes that aren’t on the menu — the servers will tell you what they are — that are very tasty.

11316 West 135th Street, Overland Park, 913-851-5165

KABABESH GRILL

Joe Wilcox oversees the venue — and some exceptionally creative dishes, including a hot lobster souffle that must be tasted to be believed.

The place essentially is a venue for bowling and bocce ball with a lively bar and a dining room with delusions of grandeur — which, on a culinary level, it sometimes lives up to. For a night of balls, beers and burgers, it can be rewarding.

SAWASDEE THAI CUISINE

TAKE FIVE COFFEE + BAR

11838 Quivira, Overland Park,

6601 West 135th Street, Overland Park,

913-338-1673

913-948-5550

Many of the vibrant Thai dishes are low-key — in terms of spice and intensity — in a dining room with an excess of personality and a menu with too little style and f lair.

Part groov y coffeehouse, part cozy jazz club, Take Five offers breakfast, lunch, casual dinners, brunch — and live jazz performances.

SPIN NEAPOLITAN PIZZA

6541 West 119th Street, Overland Park,

TANNER’S BAR & GRILL

10146 West 119th Street, Overland Park,

913-451-7746

913-345-1217

6501 West 135th Street, Overland Park,

14337 Metcalf, Overland Park,

913-897-7746

913-681-8313

This upscale pizzeria takes the It a l ia n-A mer ic a n i n nov at ion bac k to its Neapolita n roots, with traditional ingredients in “designer” models and custom versions.

SUNSET GRILL

14577 Metcalf, Overland Park, 913-681-1722

The t ropics-i nspi red beac h shack in the middle of a suburban blacktop parking lot is so eccentric, you can’t help but like it. The fare sounds like vacation food at its best: burgers, shrimp tacos, salads, a respectable Key lime pie.

resonates with cinnamon and cardamom.

UNFORKED

7337 West 119th Street, 913-661-9887

Jim Sheridan, the local custard maven, created this distinctive fast-casual venue as both a location for his Sheridan’s custard and a dining room offering tacos, burgers — made with beef that’s free of antibiotics and growth hormones — salads and quesadillas.

WINSTEAD’S

See Lenexa.

THAI PLACE

9359 West 87th Street, Overland Park, 913-649-5420

8036 Metcalf, Overland Park 913-381-0200 10313 Metcalf, Overland Park, 913-381-4080 10711 Roe, Overland Park, 913-649-7755

See Plaza.

See midtown.

LENEXA

TOUCH OF ASIA

6860 West 105th Street, Overland Park, 913-648-9700

The menu of curry dishes, vegetarian offerings, and distinctive meats and breads baked in a tandoor oven is strictly Indian. Even newcomers to this culinary style should be entranced by such offerings as soft, moist chicken Cashmere in a velvety sauce that

Lenexa restaurant, which offers both the distinctive family pizza recipe (thin chewy crust, lots of toppings) and a few traditional Greek dishes.

ARRIS’ PIZZA

12812 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, 913-438-5555

The name of this Greek-style pizzeria is iconic to patrons who grew up eating at the original venue, opened in 1961 by Arris Pardalos in Jefferson City, Missouri. The Pardalos family has franchised several venues, including this

BO LINGS

9576 Quivira, Lenexa, 913-888-6618

One of the less showy venues in the Bo Lings restaurant empire, this quiet dining room features all of the signature dishes in the Ng family repertoire, and the service is top-notch.

CARLO’S COPA ROOM

14944 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, 913-825-5200

Tucked into a Lenexa strip center, the Copa Room offers excellent food — from the addictive fried meatballs and stuffed artichoke to the big bowls of pasta, fine chicken dishes and famous spumoni cake. The restaurant hosts live entertainment, but the real show is the cuisine.

FOUR SEASONS PIZZA & PASTA 7820 Quivira, Lenexa, 913-248-1554

Sicilian-born Giulio Covello was missing true Italian pizza here, so in 2013 he opened his own pizze-

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ria with his friend, Marino Moccia, from Bari, Italy. The Lenexa pizza shop serves thin-crust Neapolitan pizza and Covello’s native thick and yeasty Sicilian pizza.

THE FRENCH BEE BAKERY

8805 Renner, Lenexa, 913-499-0117

See Parkville.

MARGARITA’S AMIGOS

7890 Quivira, Lenexa, 913-631-5553

See West Side.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

13400 College Boulevard, Lenexa,

BUFFALO WILD WINGS

7030 West 105th Street, Shawnee, 913-341-9464

It’s those popular fried chicken wings that put this joint on the m ap. T hey ’re d a r ne d me s s y, but the server will bring a foilwrapped moist towelette if the paper napkins don’t do the trick.

EGGTC.

7182 Renner, Shawnee, 913-631-4400

See Plaza.

FRITZ’S RAILROAD

13803 West 63rd Street, Shawnee, 913-375-1000

913-491-5252

See Kansas City, Kansas.

See Plaza.

PANZON’S

8710 Lackman, Lenexa, 913-543-4114

There are six kinds of quesadillas, eight versions of nachos, and lots of spicy salsas perfect for scooping onto freshly fried tortilla chips or dousing one of seven types of enchiladas.

SPIN NEAPOLITAN PIZZA

9474 Renner, Lenexa, 913-438-7746

See Overland Park.

SWEET SIAM

7809 Quivira, Lenexa, 913-322-7285

With a pretty little dining room tucked into a modest retail strip, this Thai restaurant might blow you away with the quality of its food and service: highly flavorful Thai favorites and the best fresh coconut cake in the metro.

JOHNNY’S TAVERN

13131 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Shawnee, 913-962-5777

See Power & Light District.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

7198 Renner, Shawnee, 913-631-0059

See Plaza.

PAULO & BILL’S

16501 Midland Drive, Shawnee, 913-962-9900

This Italian restaurant has been a suburban success story for numerous reasons: modest prices, large portions, and stylish dishes.

PIZZA SHOPPE

22014 West 66th Street, Shawnee, 913-422-9600

See Northland.

RENÉE KELLY’S HARVEST

TANNER’S BAR & GRILL

12401 Johnson Drive, Shawnee,

12906 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa,

913-631-4100

913-541-0137

Renée Kelly is a talented and engaging chef, with a larger-than-life persona that probably demands a sitcom. The food is fresh and delicious, and probably deserves a cookbook.

Accessible and uncomplicated, Tanner’s is thoroughly likable.

WINSTEAD’S

12056 West 95th Street, Lenexa, 913-599-4499

See Plaza.

SHAWNEE BARLEY’S BREWHAUS

16649 Midland, Shawnee, 913-268-5160

This beer-centric saloon has a solid but eclectic menu of pub favor ites, ra ng i ng f rom f r ie d c a l a m a r i , p u b c h ip s , s a l a d s a nd c h ic ke n te nde r s to comforting full meals. The 8-ounce hickor y-grilled f ilet mignon is excellent.

TANNER’S BAR & GRILL

22374 West 66th Street, Shawnee, 913-745-8100

See Lenexa.

OLATHE JOE’S CRAB SHACK

11965 South Strang Line Road, Olathe, 913-393-2929

The food is no-nonsense, with all the traditional seafood dishes found in Florida fish joints.

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11950 South Strang Line Road, Olathe, 913-782-6858

The long success of the original Joe’s in Kansas City, Kansas — the one in the gas station — spawned a shinier, newer version in the southern suburbs, but with the same popular smoked meats.

LA PARRILLA

ANGELA C. BOND

JOE’S KANSAS CITY BAR-B-QUE

724 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-841-1100

At this laid-back storefront joint, patrons order Latin-American cuisine at the counter and then wait for servers to bring the food to the uncloaked tables. It’s not fancy, but chef and co-owner Alejandro Lule puts a lot of f lair in the food, which includes dishes native to Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and El Salvador.

JOHNNY’S TAVERN

10384 South Ridgeview, Olathe, 913-378-0744

See Power & Light District.

RUDY’S PIZZERIA

704 Massachusetts, Lawrence,

KMACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

785-749-0055

1229 East Santa Fe, Olathe, 913-768-7777

This modestly priced Mexican restaurant serves traditional dishes and house specialties — carnitas, steak and seafood.

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

15983 South Bradley, Olathe, 913-780-9922

Limestone Pizza

See Plaza.

PIZZA SHOPPE

12750 Pflumm, Olathe, 913-397-7117 1805 South Ridgeview, Olathe,

town burger joint serves juicy beef patties and even has something for vegetarians to love.

913-393-1234

GENOVESE ITALIAN RESTAURANT

736 West Park, Olathe, 913-764-4555

941 Massachusetts, Lawrence,

See Northland.

THE RUB BAR-B-QUE

10512 South Ridgeview, Olathe, 913-894-1820

This very casual, not very cozy barbecue joint is the product of Kevin Boetcher, David Tines and former Applebee’s executive Dan Janssen. This trio of smokers had a competitive barbecue team, Tender Racks ‘n Smokin’ Butts, which placed in the 2010 American Royal Open Barbecue Competition. They serve tender smoked meats and appealing sides.

SALTY IGUANA MEXICAN RESTAURANT

714 Vermont, Lawrence, 785-856-7827

This appealing, very casual Italian restaurant is owned by Subarna Bhattachan and Alejandro Lule — proprietors of Lawrence’s popular La Parilla and Zen Zero dining spots — and Mexican-born chef Armando Paniagua.

Hilary Brown opened this organic fast-food shack in 2005, w ith burgers made with grass-fed beef, buffalo, elk and turkey as well as chili and a tasty veggie burger. In addition to health-conscious side dishes, Brown sells unusual salads, fresh smoothies, peppermint iced tea and organic desserts.

JOHNNY’S TAVERN

401 North Second Street, Lawrence, 785-842-0377

913-764-7746

See Overland Park.

785-843-4111

L oc ated i n t he h i stor ic ba n k building that formerly housed Teller’s, this chef-owned bistro is, by far, the best dining venue to operate in this soaring space. The cuisine is inspired, fresh, and prepared with style and elegance.

LADYBIRD DINER 785-856-5239

Maybe this is the Hollywood version of a college-town diner, but owner Meg Heriford assembles some terrific home-style meals, and her pies are the best in Kansas.

This thoroughly likable college-

785-856-5252

See Plaza. 814 Massachusetts, Lawrence,

785-856-0543

MINSKY’S CAFÉ & BAR

934 Massachusetts, Lawrence,

LIMESTONE PIZZA KITCHEN BAR

BURGER STAND AT THE CASBAH 803 Massachusetts, Lawrence,

746 Massachusetts, Lawrence,

785-843-0704

721 Massachusetts, Lawrence,

LAWRENCE

MERCHANTS PUB & PLATE

721 Wakarusa, Lawrence,

See Power & Light District.

See Prairie Village.

SPIN NEAPOLITAN PIZZA

LOCAL BURGER

785-842-0300

10478 Ridgeview, Olathe, 913-310-9003

14230 West 119th Street, Olathe,

superb: light, simple, gorgeously chewy. But the nonpizza menu choices are equally rewarding, and the bartenders can whip up some awe-inspiring cocktails.

785-856-2825

The pizza pies baked by chefowners Rick Martin, Mikey Humphrey and Charlie Rascoll are

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PAPA KENO’S

1035 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-841-7272

See Overland Park.

This basement-level pizza shop ma kes perfect ly c ravewor t hy pies, either by the slice or on the whole. The options are seemingly endless with more than 40 toppings and several crust choices, including traditional white crust, St. Louis-style and, of course, wheat.

715

715 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-856-7150

Excellent food and service are the hallmarks of chef Michael Beard’s imaginative bistro, which serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch in a historic building. The Italianinfluenced menu is superb.

TEN

701 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-749-5011

When Lawrence’s Eldridge Hotel had its most recent renovation, the ground-f loor dining room was transformed into a pretty, slightly formal restaurant called Ten (named for the number on the basketball jersey worn by 1968 AllAmerican KU football star Bobby Douglass). It’s one of the most appealing upscale dinner spots on the busy Massachusetts corridor.

ZEN ZERO

811 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-832-0001

At this cool and delightfully hip pan-Asian palace, owners Alejandro Lule and Subarna Bhattachan took the restaurant’s name from the Italian word for ginger, zenzero. That said, there are no Mediterranean dishes and not too many gingery ones, either. What the restaurant has in abundance are tasty and satisfying dishes inspired by the cuisines of Nepal, Tibet, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan.

FINE BRAZILIAN

STEAKHOUSE

Slow Cooked Meats 30+ Microbrews 10+ Artisan Root Beers 4403 NW Gateway Ave Riverside, MO 64150

816-741-4294

hjfbbq.com

THE VILL AGE AT BURLINGTON CREEK 6101 NW 63rd Ter. | Kansas City, MO 64151

(816)•505•7100 E MCHAMAS.COM

Open For Dinner 7 Nights a Week Monday - Thursday 5:00PM - 9:00PM Friday 5:00-9:30PM | Saturday 4:00-9:30PM | Sunday 4:00 - 8:00PM

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~ Dough Kneaded By Hand ~ Locally Owned and Operated

Legends

1713 Village West Parkway Kansas City, Kansas

Come in Relax and Enjoy! Family Recipes from the Coastal Mountains of Southwest Italy

Excellent Wine List, Beer Selection and Full Bar!

913-299-8787 1713 Village West Parkway, Kansas City, KS 66111