The Pitch: October 2019 by The Pitch KC

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THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

CONTENTS

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Publisher Stephanie Carey Editor in Chief David Hudnall Digital Editor Kelcie McKenney Staff Writer Emily Park Contributing Writers Traci Angel, Liz Cook, Riley Cowing, Karen Dillon, April Fleming, Roxie Hammill, Libby Hanssen, Deborah Hirsch, Dan Lybarger, Eric Melin, Aaron Rhodes, Barbara Shelly, Nick Spacek Little Village Creative Services Jordan Sellergren Jav Ducker Contributing Photographers Zach Bauman, Chase Castor, Joe Carey, Kelby Reck, Travis Young Graphic Designers Austin Crockett, Jake Edmisten, Lacey Hawkins, Jennifer Larson, Katie McNeil, Danielle Moore, Gianfranco Ocampo, Kirsten Overby, Alex Peak, Vu Radley, Fran Sherman, Zachary Trover Director of Marketing & Promotions Jason Dockery Senior Multimedia Specialist Steven Suarez Multimedia Specialist Becky Losey Director of Operations Andrew Miller Editorial Intern Gina Pepitone Multimedia Intern Itohan Amayo Design Intern Jon Tinoco

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The people, places, organizations, and trends making KC such a dynamic place at this moment.

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41 YOUR PICKS

The Best of Kansas City 2019, according to our readers.

DISTRIBUTION

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The contents of The Pitch are Copyright 2019 by Carey Media. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the express written permission of the publisher. The Pitch 1627 Main St., #600, Kansas City, MO 64108 For information or to share a story tip, email tips@thepitchkc.com For advertising: stephanie@thepitchkc.com or 816-218-6702 For classifieds: steven@thepitchkc.com or 816-218-6732

HELLO!

Thank you for picking up the 2019 edition of The Pitch’s Best of Kansas City. It’s always our favorite issue of the year—a chance for us writers to gush about KC (starting on page 8) and to hear from you about your favorite people, places, and things in the city (starting on page 41). In some unexplainable and unscientific way, each half of the issue informs the other, adding up to a big, messy, thorough annual snapshot of this city we all love. That’s how we think of it, at least. More people weighed in on this year’s readers’ poll than in any year previously. Fifty thousand unique voters cast over 535,000 votes (up from 337,000 last year) in determining the winners of nearly 400 categories. A few fun facts from behind the curtain: The Peanut, which won Best Chicken Wings, had the most votes in any one category, followed closely by KC Pet Project, which won Best Local Charity. Five nominees were disqualified for ballot-stuffing or other shady measures. The top three ZIP codes for voters were Midtown’s 64111 and Waldo’s 64114—not a shock—but also 66062 in Olathe (kinda surprising!). If you voted, thanks for voting. If you’re about to flip through the pages ahead, thanks for reading. We hope it adds depth and joy to the way you experience the city. See you next month. David Hudnall Editor in Chief

“BOKC 2019,”

Illustration by Nika Winn thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

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THE PEOPLE, PLACES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND TRENDS MAKING KC A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE IN 2019. BY LIZ COOK, EMILY COX, APRIL FLEMING, LIBBY HANSSEN, DAVID HUDNALL, KELCIE MCKENNEY, EMILY PARK, AARON RHODES, AND BARBARA SHELLY

OUR MURAL SCENE IS LEVELING UP Over the years, we’ve often envied other cities (Richmond, Philadelphia, Miami, and Brooklyn come to mind) their murals, an art form with a nearly unmatched capacity for reinvigorating public spaces. It’s not that KC was completely devoid of murals—KCK and the Westside boast lively street art; Rachel Helm’s massive, pink Whoop Dee Doo monster at 18th and Walnut (RIP) was a classic—but by comparison we seemed a bit...pale. That’s far less true in the past few years. Some of the new murals we see around town are one-offs and comBRAZILIAN STREET ARTIST ALEX SENNA’S MURAL AT MANNY’S. PHOTO BY STUART HEIDMANN.

munity projects. But many, particularly in the Crossroads, are the result of SpraySeeMO, a graffiti arts fest that connects artists (some local, some visiting) with property owners willing to turn the side of their buildings into a canvas, and finds sponsors like CBD company American Shaman to bankroll the creation of the art. In both 2017 and 2018, SpraySeeMO artists contributed about 20 new murals to the Crossroads: a blue jay babe in the backyard of Papa Keno’s, a dude-dog chillout session on the side of Manny’s, a drunk Barney from The Simpsons on the concrete in the alley near Mission Taco Joint. This year’s fest, held in September, added another 40 murals, including several beyond the Crossroads, in Midtown, the East Side, even the Plaza. Here’s hoping SpraySeeMO again doubles its output next year. We see no reason why every building in this city shouldn’t have a damn mural on the side of it. thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

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THE “QUEER EYE” GLOW UP WAS REAL We were merely pleased to learn, sometime last year, that the Fab Five from Netflix’s Queer Eye planned to film their third and fourth seasons here in Kansas City. We passively followed the sightings of Antoni, Karamo, Tan, Bobby, and Jonathan on social media as they traveled from hair salons in the River Market to boutiques in Westwood and restaurants all over the metro. Good for them, we thought. How nice. Then the shows aired, and—wow. We were immediately and completely sucked in. We cried through every episode, plowing through the entirety of each season within days of its release. Foolishly, we had not expected Kansas City to look so wonderful: the lush, aerial views of downtown and the Plaza, the color-saturated street-level views of the 18th and Vine District, the dazzling Queer Eye loft in the Crossroads’ Firestone Building. And with

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

THE FAB FIVE CRUISIN’ THE STREETCAR. PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX.

cameos from KC Pet Project, Urban Lumber Company, The Antler Room, Ulah, and Baldwin, it was apparent the show’s producers had really done their homework in identifying so many of the small things that make KC special. The best surprise, though, was falling for the made-over locals. We knew the cast was lovable, but what a joy to watch the transformation of “Shorty” and “Little” of Jones BBQ, single father Rob Elrod, Kenny Yarnovich from St. John’s Catholic Club (whom we’d written about just a few years prior), Wes Hamilton of Disabled But Not Really, and so many more. Each episode was designed to let these “heroes” open up and embrace vulnerability—a difficult thing to do privately, let alone in front of millions and millions of viewers. But there’s empowerment in that, and we loved seeing our locals rise to that occasion. As Jonathan might say: Can you believe?

WE’RE FAST BECOMING A COFFEE PARADISE Barbecue, jazz, fountains—yeah, yeah, yeah. We’re proud of ‘em. How about that coffee, though? We ain’t Portland or Seattle or New York, sure, but local coffee freaks know that KC’s scene has been brewing up something special for years. The spaces are increasingly dazzling: Messenger’s massive and highly Instagrammable three-story HQ in the Crossroads, Blip’s bad-ass West Bottoms hideaway, the dreamily elegant Monarch Coffee in midtown. But so is the coffee— and, of course, the locals making it. This year, the U.S. Coffee Championships—a pretty big deal in the coffee world—imported some of the country’s top baristas to KC for a week. Three of them didn’t have to book a flight; you’ve possibly ordered an Americano from Kaley Gann or Joel Bigelow at Messenger, or Gisel Alvarez at Monarch. In the end, Gann was crowned the national champion for

her coffee brewing skills in the competition’s Brewer’s Cup. “I didn’t feel like I won, I felt like we won,” Gann told us afterward—the “we” being Kansas City. She was being modest. But we love the sentiment.

KC REALLY MIGHT JUST BECOME THE FIRST MAJOR U.S. CITY WITH A FREE BUS SYSTEM A funny thing happened in June, right around the time Quinton Lucas was elected the next mayor of Kansas City: Robbie Makinen, the president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, went on KCUR and said, “Someone’s going to yell at me for this, but you know what? Public transportation should be free, as far

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as I’m concerned.” Lucas embraced the idea on Twitter shortly thereafter, as did several other council members. Then the Star’s editorial board chimed in with support. It turns out that only 10 percent of the KCATA’s operating budget comes from the fare box, meaning the city would only have to find about $8 million to make free buses a reality. In the context of municipal budgets, that’s not a lot of money—especially for a public policy change that would so dramatically improve the lives of working people in this city. As of this writing, the city hasn’t figured out where to find the extra $8 million, but Lucas—who mentioned free transportation in his inaugural address—Makinen, and the rest of the council keep signaling they’re still on board, with tentative plans to get something done by the end of next year. We’re going to hold them to that. The Kansas City metro would become the only major city in the country with a fare-free system if this is implemented. But more importantly, it would make KC a much better, and fairer, place to live.

FUSE IS BRINGING YOUNG BLOOD TO THE LOCAL HIP-HOP SCENE Life as a hip-hop fan in Kansas City can be tough, especially if you’re young and not earning enough money to afford the same Johnny Dang diamond grillz as your favorite stars. In a live rap scene littered with nightclub cash-grabs and messy, multiple-artist blowouts, FUSE has been a godsend. The all-ages concert series—organized by local record label and management team Fearless—takes over The Buffalo Room in Westport every few months and follows a simple formula: ten bucks (sometimes less); six or seven rappers, R&B singers, or producers; and it’s all over in three hours. The second FUSE offered raucous sets and new material from buzzing locals and Fearless rostermates Zarin Micheal and Aaron Alexander. The third—an all-ladies bill—featured both an Amira Wang dance party and an intimate moment with seasoned crooner Mae C. The talents of the teenage and twenty-something newbloods in Kansas City’s post-SoundCloud scene have

A SMOKIN’ BREASIA DENEE FUSE PERFORMANCE AT THE BUFFALO ROOM. PHOTO BY BRIANA THORNTON.

been evident for a hot second now, and FUSE has quickly become the most polished and painless platform to see much of that talent live in one room. We’re not saying the cliques and beefs that have long defined KC hip-hop have dissolved into kumbayas—just that it feels possible when you’re at a FUSE gig.

THE UNBEARABLE SWEETNESS OF HEIRLOOM BAKERY AND HEARTH A trip to Brookside’s Heirloom Bakery and Hearth can be many things: lunch, BUYER BEWARE: HEIRLOOM’S TREATS CAN BE HABIT-FORMING. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

a coffee date, a study session. Ultimately, though, it is a test of willpower. Can you get out of there without inhaling one of the bakery’s salted oatmeal whoopie pies filled with luscious buttercream frosting? Oh my, what’s that? A lemon goatcheese cheesecake? Dear god, is that a housemade s’more pop tart? A pumpkin cinnamon roll? Fresh-fruit galette? Worst of all, these beautiful, tempting, expertly crafted desserts are made fresh every day. So—we’ve given up. Even the oversized, shareable ones we now simply devour alone, guilty but deeply satisfied, grateful for the sweet moments of bliss we experience in the vanishing seconds before the treat is gone.

KU MED IS ANCHORING REVITALIZATION (THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH!) IN DOWNTOWN KCK It’s been a long seven years since the Environmental Protection Agency controversially departed its massive, custom-built facility at Minnesota Avenue and 5th Street in downtown Kansas thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

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City, Kansas, for the former Applebee’s headquarters in sprawling, suburban Lenexa. The move left 220,000 square feet of vacant space in a KCK building so prominent you can see it from downtown KCMO. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County failed to find a tenant for this monster structure until last year, when the University of Kansas Health System stepped up with a plan for a $61 million renovation that would create a 47-bed behavioral and psychiatric facility in downtown KCK. That this proposal is actually going to happen is remarkable and worth celebrating for several reasons. One is that KU Med was even willing to spend $61 million on mental health. Another is that we’ve seen virtually no NIMBYism from area residents, who’ve welcomed a much-needed inpatient mental health facility to their community (imagine the fear campaign that would have taken hold in the Kansas suburbs). And then there’s the knock-on effects: Suddenly, this sleepy corner of Strawberry Hill has a new hospital, a boxing gym, and, soon, a brand-new grocery store, when the Merc Co-op (yep, the same one as in Lawrence) opens next summer.

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

THE QUIET AND FUNCTIONAL BEAUTY OF INDIAN CREEK TRAIL We are city people for whom the surprises and grit of urban life are a feature, not a bug. The chain stores and cul-de-sacs and colorless comforts of suburbia generally hold little allure for us. Sometimes, though, during our travels in the ‘burbs, we stumble upon something special—something we wish we had where we live. The Indian Creek Trail is one of those things. It begins in south KCMO, where it connects to the Blue River Trail near the 3&2 youth baseball stadium off Bannister Road, and shoots west along Indian Creek for more than 20 miles: past Holmes, then Wornall, then Watts Mill, and on into the Kansas suburbs of Leawood, Overland Park, and Olathe. The path is paved and not too hilly (highly bike-

TWENTY-SOMETHING MILES OF SERENITY IN SOUTH KC AND JOCO. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

able) and lined with abundant foliage, bridges, birds, and other bits of serene, nature-y goodness. It’s also a practical way to get around, provided you live or work nearby. You could hop on at Leawood City Park, or Roe Park, or

Mission Farms, and take the trail to Topgolf, or Corporate Woods, or the Overland Park campus of Ottawa University, or the Gates on State Line (if you feel like nullifying all that exercise). Indian Creek Trail isn’t new, and many of you are likely already aware of its virtues. Like we said, though: We’re city folk. We didn’t know. Now that we do, we’re finding ourselves out south a little more often. It’s not so bad.

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KC TENANTS IS CHANGING THE HOUSING CONVERSATION For the last five years, Kansas City native Tara Raghuveer has been researching evictions in the KC area, but she’s been doing it from afar—first from Harvard, where she founded the Kansas City Eviction Project, and later from Chicago as housing campaign director at the People’s Action Institute. As of earlier this year, though, Raghuveer is officially walking the walk, having moved back to her hometown and launched the housing organization KC Tenants. In a remarkably short period of time, the group has grown into an impossible-to-ignore actor on the local political landscape. This summer’s municipal elections were a coming-out party of sorts for KC Tenants; members flooded mayoral debates and forums, asking tough questions about tenants’ rights and demanding action on issues

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

related to housing and development in the city. They put forth a “people’s housing platform,” tracked mayor and city council candidates’ reactions to it, and made voter cheat sheets based on those responses. (Not for nothing, the loudest advocate for housing reform in the race, Quinton Lucas, is now the mayor.) And recently, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders retweeted Raghuveer’s call for a homes guarantee, a plan to

ensure U.S. citizens have permanent and affordable housing. “We need a 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights,” Sanders tweeted, “and that includes a right to decent housing.” In a city that’s just now beginning to glimpse the corrosive effects of a haywire housing market, where evictions in poor parts of town are spiraling out of control, and where our leaders (and citizens) have for far too long shrugged while subsi-

KC TENANTS HAS GROWN INTO A FORMIDABLE MOVEMENT IN A REMARKABLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. PHOTO BY LOST THOUGHT PRODUCTIONS.

dizing real estate developments that exacerbate income inequality, KC Tenants is exactly the right group at exactly the right time.

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InInplaces Southern placeslike likeCentral CentralAvenue, Avenue, Southernneighbors neighborsand andtheir theirfantastic fantastic was wasnot notthe theonly onlydestination destinationofofthe thesouls. souls. cultural wherethis thistradition traditionisismore moreentrenched, entrenched, culturalpractices, practices,ofofthe thesymbology symbologyofofthe the InInMexican Mexicanpre-hispanic pre-hispanicculture, culture,there there where altars thealtars altarsbegin begintototake takeshape shapeononOctober October altarsand andthe thedifferent differentactivities activitiesthat thatframe frame was wasthe theTonatiuhichan, Tonatiuhichan,where wherethose thosewho who the the 28th,many manyresidents residentsand andbusiness businessowners owners thegreatest greatesttradition traditionofofMexico, Mexico,one onethat that died diedininwar warororininlabor laborlived, lived,the theTlalocán, Tlalocán, 28th, has entera acontest contestorganized organizedbybythe theCentral Central hascome comewith withgreat greatforce forcetotothese theselands lands where wherethose thosewho whodied dieddue duetotowater, water,lightlight- enter

Avenue AvenueBetterment BettermentAssociation Associationand anddisdisplay their altars to the public. The celebraplay their altars to the public. The celebration tionreaches reachesitsitspeak peakononNovember November2nd 2nd when the community comes when the community comesout outonto ontothe the avenue avenueand andcelebrates celebrateswith witha ajovial jovialspirit spirit the thevisit visitofoftheir theirlove loveones. ones.The Thecommucommunity decorates the street with nity decorates the street withcolors, colors,kids kids line lineupuptotoget gettheir theircalavera calaverapainted paintedonon their theirfaces, faces,musicians musiciansand andperformers performersare are playing every few feet and delicious playing every few feet and deliciousfood foodisis served servedright rightand andleft leftwhile whileeveryone everyonewaits waits for the night parade to start! for the night parade to start! For Forthe theofferings, offerings,it itisiscommon common for the first day of for the first day ofcelebration celebrationtotolight lighta a candle and place a white flower; the candle and place a white flower; thenext next day dayanother anothercandle candleisisadded, added,and anda aglass glassofof water waterisisoffered. offered.ByBythe the30th, 30th,a anew newcandle candle isislit,lit,another glass of water is placed another glass of water is placedininthe the altar, altar,and andwhite whitebread breadisisoffered; offered;the thenext next day dayseasonal seasonalfruits fruitsare areplaced; placed;tangerines, tangerines, guavas, oranges, apples guavas, oranges, applesand andthe theuncomuncommon monbut butdelicious delicioustejocote tejocoteare arefavored. favored.ByBy the thefirst firstofofNovember, November,the thesweet sweetfood foodlike like chocolate, pumpkin in honey, and chocolate, pumpkin in honey, andflowers flowers are areplaced. placed.On Onthe themain mainday, day,the thefavorite favorite food of the deceased, tequila, mezcal food of the deceased, tequila, mezcaland and beer beerare areincluded includedininthe thetreat. treat.The Theelement element that thatshould shouldnot notbebemissing missingononany anyofofthese these days is the burning copal. Copal days is the burning copal. Copalresin resinisis burned burnedtotorelease releasemore morethan thanjust justitsitspleaspleasant antscents. scents.ItItisissaid saidthat thatwhen whenweweburn burnthis this resin, resin,weweare areallowing allowingitsitssacred sacredsmoke smoketoto cleanse cleanseour ourbody bodyand andspace. space. The Thetraditional traditionalaltar altarpar parexcelexcellence lenceisisthe theseven-level seven-levelaltar, altar,which whichreprepresents resentsthe thelevels levelsthat thatthe thesoul soulmust mustgogo through throughininorder ordertotoreach reachthe theplace placeofofitsits spiritual spiritualrest. rest.Each Eachstep stepininthe theoffering offeringhas has a adifferent differentmeaning, meaning,each eachisiscovered coveredwith with tablecloths, tablecloths,confetti, confetti,banana bananaleaves, leaves,palm palm kernels kernelsand andcorn cornhusk. husk.InInKansas KansasCity, City, Kansas Kansasthe thecelebration celebrationinvolves involvesofferings offerings full fullofoflight lightand andcolor, color,but butmostly mostlythe thememmemory oryfor forthe theloved lovedones oneswho whohave havetraveled traveledtoto a abetter betterlife. life.

The TheCalavera Calavera

Unlike Unlikeother othercommunities communitieswhere whereskulls skullsare are associated associatedwith withfear fearororaggression, aggression,ininMexMexico icothe theskulls skullshave havea apositive positivemeaning meaningand and more moresosoduring duringthe theDay Dayofofthe theDead. Dead.InIn the theMayan Mayanculture cultureexposing exposingthe theskull skullofofa a dead deadbody bodyexpressed expresseda arebirth rebirthtotothe theafterafterlife. life.The The“Calaveritas” “Calaveritas”ororlittle littleskulls skullshave have their theirroots rootsininthe thetzompantli, tzompantli,ananaltar altarused used bybythe theMesoamerican Mesoamericanpeoples peoplestotorepresent represent the thedeceased. deceased.InInfact, fact,after afterthe thearrival arrivalofofthe the Spaniards Spaniardsand andwith withthe theincorporation incorporationofof All AllSaints’ Saints’Day Dayininthe thecalendar, calendar,a atechnique technique was wasintroduced introducedtotomake makethem themasassweets, sweets, these thesesymbols symbolsare aresold soldtoday todayinina acommon common way, way,they theyare aremade madeofofcane canehoney, honey,sugar sugar and andchocolate. chocolate. People Peoplealso alsoadopted adoptedthe therepresenrepresentation tationofofskulls skullsbybypainting paintingtheir theirfaces faceswith with spectacular spectaculardesigns, designs,adorned adornedwith withallegorallegorical icalfigures, figures,colors colorsand anddesigns designsthat thataccenaccentuate tuatethe thestructure structureofofthe theskull skullthat thatweweallall carry carrybelow belowthe theskin, skin,reminding remindingususthat that beauty is soft and weak beauty is soft and weaklike likeour ourskin skinbut but

SPONSORED the Spirit is strong and lasting like our bones. The flowers also have a symbolic importance. Many skull designs appear surrounded by flowers, especially the cempasuchil, a kind of yellow marigold that is known as the flower of the dead. In the Aztec belief, the marigold had spiritual properties because it was thought to help guide the souls of the deceased along the way. During the celebration in Central Avenue, volunteers decorate the faces of hundreds of people throughout the day’s long program. Children and adults enjoy the colorful face painting in a representation of “Calaveras” in acceptance that dead is inevitably the step to the next life where our spirit reigns.

The Catrinas

The Catrinas, have become the object of worship in many parts of the world and serve as a costume to celebrate this day in many countries, including as noted the United States. With the combination of skulls and flowers this character is so enticing that today it has become a symbol of these festivities outside of Mexico including Wyandotte County. In the past, the word “Catrín” defined an elegant and welldressed male, usually from the aristocracy, which was accompanied by an astonishing woman, “La Catrina”. The working classes of Mexico used these images as mockery, emphasizing the fact that, regardless of wealth, death comes to everyone and everyone ends up wearing a skull. La Catrina as such, is an image with more than 100 years of history created by Mexican cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada. During the 50’s the muralist Diego Rivera baptized her as “La Catrina” and gave this art wide promotion along with Frida Kahlo. Today, this version of skull mask with flowers, mystical and beautiful at the same time is a source of inspiration. Social networks have turned this symbol into a universal brand of Mexican Culture. The best way to enjoy it locally is to visit the celebration of Day of the Dead in Central Avenue KCK and take many pictures surrounded by the many living Catrinas that will walk the festival during this November 2nd.

The Day of the Dead Parade

A new tradition in the Celebration. For the third time, the Day of the Dead Parade will be held in Wyandotte County. In this nighttime parade you will see monumental skulls, floats and Catrinas dancing on Central Avenue from 6th street to 15th street. With more than 30 floats the parade will evoke the historical stages of Mexico from the pre-Hispanic era to the present times, this will include local participants, local businesses, motorcycle clubs, custom cars and dance groups. A spectac-

ular live show will be taking place on 4 stages from where local artists and musicians will entertain the crowd while waiting for the parade. More than 200 volunteers will help produce one of the most anticipated parties for everyone in the community. Makeup modules will be installed along the parade route and makeup artists will treat the attendees with skull face painting. The fantastic lineup of local Mexican restaurants and local vendors from La Placita Market at Bethany Park will delight everyone’s taste buds. The inspiration for this parade came from the big screen, when scenes from the movie “Specter” from the James Bond saga were shot in Mexico City, many in the big city took it to hearth and the first parade was produced 4 years ago. 3 years ago, the same inspiration was picked up in Kansas City, Kansas by the Central Avenue Betterment Association with the idea of offering something spectacular from the Mexican community to the entire city. This year the residents of Kansas City, Kansas expect a huge procession of visitors and the participation of many new faces. “The production of the parade will be epic,” said Edgar Galicia, Director of the Central Avenue Betterment Association. “This third edition of the parade will happen with many more participants and perhaps this time we will have some spectacular surprises, what I can say is that our volunteers are very excited and ready to celebrate in a phenomenal way” The day of the Dead Celebration is a production of the CABA. Central Area Betterment Association is a nonprofit dedicates to increasing the quality of life of its community. CABAKCK.org #SeeYouOnCentral #DayOfTheDead #KCK #WyCo

Come enjoy one of the Best

Mexican Traditions

Visit Central Avenue and enjoy

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Parade will travel Central Avenue, from 6th Street to 16th Street.

Music, Food, Sugar Skulls, Catrinas, Face painting, Alebrijes “spirit animals”, Offerings, Art vending and much much more!

The Celebration will last 4 days. October 30th and 31st Offering Contest, 11am to 7pm. Local Businesses, visit website for locations

November 1st, Offering Contest, 11am to 7pm. Bethany Park and Local Businesses.

Saturday November 2nd

Central Ave, KCK. 12th St. to 14th St.

Calavera Face Painting, 2:00pm to 5:30pm Walking Catrinas, 3:00pm to 6:00pm Food and Art Vending, 3:00pm to 9:00pm Live Music and Entertainment, 4:00pm to 6:00pm

Day of the Dead Parade, 6:00pm 9:00pm Closing.

For more information on volunteering, participating or visiting call 913-281-9222, email 1621central@gmail.com or visit us at CABAKCK.org DayOfTheDeadWeekend.com #DayofTheDeadParade #SeeYouOnCentral For GPS location use: 1120 Central Avenue K a n s a s C i t y, Kansas 66102

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THE MARLBOROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD HAS US BELIEVING IN SMALL MIRACLES There’s a place in south Kansas City where residents got ahold of a vacant lot and turned in into a hydrangea garden. Where the city solved sewer overflow and runoff problems by creating parks and rain gardens. Where a long-running partnership with a corporate law firm empowers the neighborhood association to take control of decrepit properties and turn them over to buyers with good intentions. Where folks aren’t waiting for the city or some mega-developer to come in and save them. Not everything is perfect in Marlborough—not yet. The long-struggling neighborhood (roughly: Gregory Boulevard to 89th Street, Troost Avenue to U.S. 71 Highway) is still coping with problems brought on by decades of abandonment and blight. Crime is too prevalent, and absentee landlords abuse the small houses that characterize the area. But residents decided a decade ago to take control of their destiny. They merged five small neighborhood associations into the Marlborough Community Coalition and incorporated it as a nonprofit. The coalition’s leaders are adroit at enlisting partners to help them solve problems. And they look

for maximum results. It’s not enough to just beautify the area, they say. A project must also contribute to the good of the community and the health of its residents. Examples include green spaces that look and function like parks but also contain stormwater runoff; remodeled houses that transform blighted blocks and help reduce crime; little surprises like pocket parks and frontyard water gardens; and a youth arts festival that gets bigger every year. The area is beginning to appeal to homebuyers who are drawn to the charm of some of the old houses and the neighborhood solidarity. But don’t look for teardowns and half-million-dollar homes to spring up any time soon. While Marlborough residents want improvements, they’re on guard against

gentrification. Neighborhood leaders are hoping to create a community land trust to provide quality housing for low- and-middle-income residents and also to put the brakes on rapid, exploitative property transactions that currently benefit unscrupulous landlords and could potentially be used to gentrify the area. Things are going so well in Marlborough that some realtors reportedly have taken to advertising it as “Waldo West.” But you won’t hear that from these imaginative and hard-working residents. They’re fine with calling Marlborough home.

MANOR FEST IS A GEM OF A LOCAL MUSIC WEEKEND Have you ever gone to a dive bar and watched a six-band local metal show that’s billed as a “music festival”? That shit sucks. We’re not crazy about “fests” that feature one big out-of-town band plus a whole bunch of local acts that are largely ignored by the crowd, either. Manor Fest 3, on the other hand? That shit ruled. LAWRENCE’S TOUGHIES PERFORMING AT BREWERY EMPERIAL AS PART OF MANOR FEST. PHOTO BY DOUG BYBEE.

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HOPE, SWEAT, AND GOOD INTENTIONS ARE ALIVE IN MARLBOROUGH. PHOTO BY CHASE CASTOR.

Upgraded from the dingy Shawnee-basement confines of its first two years, the third Manor Fest leveled up into a three-day August celebration clustered at venues in different KC neighborhoods each night: Midtown on Thursday, West Bottoms/KCK on Friday, Crossroads on Saturday. It was a delightful mix of regional acts you’ve been meaning to see and local groups you know and love. Memories: Olathe indie-pop wonder trio bigfatcat playing their first show (!) alongside Lawrence indie-rockers LK Ultra at Mills Record Company. Boozy, sweat-soaked sets from Arkansas garage rockers Bambis and The Phlegms in a jam-packed room at the Colonial Club in Strawberry Hill. The synthed-out double-whammy of Kansas City’s Fullbloods and Chicago’s Paul Cherry at miniBar. And a “Happy Birthday” singalong for fest organizer and Momma’s Boy guitarist Shaun Crowley at RecordBar on night three, followed by many, many hugs. Just a few months later, we’re already looking forward to Manor Fest 4—it’s the kind of vital grassroots community event that makes us proud to live around these parts.

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CARLOS MORTERA IS MAKING FOOD WE’RE ALWAYS IN THE MOOD FOR In 2014, Carlos Mortera opened The Bite (23 E. 3rd Street), a Mexican-Korean sandwich joint in the City Market. It’s a low-key, no-frills, workweek-lunch kind of place. But it has style—Mexican street art and social justice fliers dot the walls—and, most importantly, the sandwiches are dynamite. Mortera has keen instincts for flavor profiles and ingredient combinations, as evidenced by the Senor Chang (beef short ribs, queso, a sriracha crema, candied jalapenos, pickled onions, radish, cilantro) and the Bay of Pigs (roasted pork, prosciutto, smoked gouda, habanero pickles, mustard mayo), two sandwiches we order from The Bite with borderline-alarming regularity. So we were overjoyed to discover, late last year, that Mortera and his

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AT THE BITE AND NOW POI-Ō, MORTERA IS ZEROING IN ON GASTRONOMIC PLEASURE CENTERS. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

father (also named Carlos Mortera) were in the process of opening a new restaurant. In December, Poi-Ō (1000 West 25th Street) arrived on the Westside, specializing in the kind of woodfired chicken Carlos Sr. once served at rotisserie restaurants he once owned in Queretaro, Mexico. (If you’ve ever been to El Pollo Rey in Kansas City, Kansas, you’ll understand what the Morteras are going for at Poi-Ō.) The stripped-down options include a half-chicken ($8.50) or a whole chicken ($16), which come with tortillas and pickled veggies, or a halfslab of adobo pork ribs ($11.95), and one of about a half-dozen $3.50 sides such as kimchi fried rice or lemon roasted potatoes. And that’s it. (You’ll also want to sample the salsas on offer, particularly the verde and the charred jalapeno.) The servings are big—a half-chicken can easily get you two full meals—and the birds are juicy, and if you’re like us, pretty soon you’re going to have a hard time going longer than a week without finding yourself inside one of Mortera’s irresistible eateries.

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“30 AMERICANS,” A SUMMER HIGHLIGHT AT THE NELSON. PHOTO BY DANA ANDERSON.

THE NELSON IS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS Everybody knows the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a gem. The sprawling lawn, the shuttlecocks, the free admission, all that art—it’s a top-tier KC destination, one of the first places you tell people to go when they visit. But the Nelson has been really wonderful lately, and some general recognition of that excellence is in order. Community-oriented events like Yoga in the Park and the young-professional-friendly Third Thursdays consistently offer the art-shy a reason to get a bit closer to some paintings, as does the nine-hole mini-golf course (each hole designed to interpret a piece of art in the museum’s collection) that’s been erected out front. (You can play through October 14.) Andy Goldsworthy’s still-evolving “Walking Wall” installation has seen a stone wall take on a life of its own, roving the Nelson’s grounds, puzzling passersby, even jutting out into Rockhill Road. Best of all, to us, was “30 Americans,” this summer’s absolute stunner of an exhibition featuring sculptures, paintings, photos, and more from 30 African-American artists, including Kara Walker, Kehinde Wiley, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. We visited on a Saturday toward the end of the run and glimpsed a vision of an almost dreamlike Kansas City we’ve long yearned to see: a big, racially diverse crowd, young and old, gathered in the same place, interacting and engaging with powerful, challenging art. The Nelson’s vision

statement calls for the museum to be a place “where the power of art engages the spirit of community.” That’s precisely what it’s doing, and we’re all lucky to be here at such an ambitious moment for this essential cultural institution.

J. RIEGER & CO. IS INVESTING MIGHTILY IN THE EAST BOTTOMS Development is moving so fast in this city that we’ve ceased even batting an eye at news of historic renovation projects and luxury apartment towers in the Crossroads and downtown. It’s a different story in the East Bottoms, though, where new construction signals a prom-

ising breath of new life. This summer, J. Rieger and Co. unveiled a renovation at its East Bottoms distillery so beautiful, bold, and transformative that it seemed to immediately represent a sea change for a literally deteriorating neighborhood. The anchor of what they’re now calling the Electric Park neighborhood, J. Rieger’s distillery now occupies a massive, long-vacant brick building—60,000 square feet—formerly home to the Heim Brewery bottling plant. The Rieger team and its investors spared no expense. Upstairs, the spacious, work-friendly Monograph Lounge is open from morning to night, serving coffee and light breakfast items early and transitioning to snacks and cocktails as the day passes on. In the basement, the Hey! Hey! Club serves as the distillery’s showpiece cocktail bar, offering innovative, highend cocktails from one of Kansas City’s best bartending minds, Andrew Olson, and his team of cocktail obsessives. The distillery’s ground-level experience includes a historic exhibit and the distillery itself, which is open for tours and features a barrel-heavy dining room available for lavish dinners. We could go on about the details—the game tables, the big, goofy slide—but overall what we love best about the place is the obvious care and attention put into restoring such a significant property in a neglected neighborhood. You may have heard a bunch of hype about this place. Believe it.

SLIDING INTO ELECTRIC PARK LIKE ... PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMANTHA LEVI PHOTOGRAPHY.

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PARK UNIVERSITY’S ICM PROGRAM KEEPS PRODUCING WORLD-CLASS MUSICIANS Twenty years ago, the music program at Park University was nonexistent, a victim of 1990s budget cuts. But in the early 2000s, a decision was made to bring music back to the idyllic riverside university enclave—and to do so with a holy-shit level of ambition. Park founded the International Center for Music in 2003 and hired the Uzbekistani-born pianist and Van Cliburn Competition gold medalist Stanislav Ioudenitch to run it. The ICM aimed to emulate the European apprentice model of teaching, which pairs established masters with promising proteges in an environment that fosters excellence and genius. More playing, less books. Less structure, more freedom. Fifteen years later, Parkville is indeed an international center for music—a classical music destination unlike anywhere else in America. Ioudenitch has recruited award-winning faculty, and an impressive caliber of students has followed. With a roster of six faculty members and about 30 students annually, the ICM offers a face-time ratio unheard-of in modern academic conservatory training. These close-knit master-protege relationships go far beyond

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teaching and into career development and international opportunities. Stars include pianists like ICM artist-in-residence Behzod Abduriamov and Kenny Broberg, the currently enrolled 2017 Van Cliburn silver medalist. But award-winning young performers from all around the world are literally everywhere you look on this north Kansas City bluff. And for those of us who live south of the river, the ICM recently moved its recital series to the 1900 Building, where acclaimed international musicians now perform on the reg. Other cities would kill for such steady access to these performers and shows. Go enjoy it.

THE KANSAS CITY LIBRARY HAS ABSOLVED US OF OUR SINS Look, we could praise our local library system for a lot of things. The expansive catalog! The world-class events! The ability to ship books to our local

branch so we don’t have to drive our soft, moss-covered sloth bodies two minutes out of the way! But until recently, we praised it softly. You see, we were trying not to call too much attention to ourselves. We’d run up a hefty tab of late fees and were afraid an earthy woman in statement

glasses was going to come collect. This July, the Kansas City Library set us free, banishing late fees for overdue books and forgiving us our existing debts. Now, we’re less embarrassed to show our faces in the stacks—which is the point of the new policy. Fewer fines means fewer barriers to library resourc-

A CALM LIBRARY AFTERNOON FOR PLAZA PATRONS NO LONGER CONCERNED ABOUT LATE FEES. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

es, especially where low-income patrons are concerned. And wiping the slates clean unblocked thousands of patrons’

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accounts, allowing them to once again access critical library resources like public computers for job searches and books for, you know, reading. The announcement immediately sparked criticism among humorless “tragedy of the commons” types convinced free riders were going to strip the library of its bounty like the bread aisle before a snowstorm. But there’s scant evidence that banishing fines has any negative effect on the timeliness with which patrons return materials (in fact, the KC Library notes in its FAQ that some finefree libraries “have found that return rates actually go up”). And the loss in potential library revenue from fines is tiny in the context of the overall operating budget. So here’s to the librarians for absolving our guilt and keeping information accessible to everyone. Fewer fines, more fun. That’s a mission we can get behind.

UNBOUND IS LINKING KC TO VILLAGES ALL OVER THE WORLD Behind the QuikTrip on Southwest Boulevard sits a giant, warehouse-type building with the word “Unbound” emblazoned across the top. The structure doesn’t draw much attention—it looks a lot like the other industrial buildings along this stretch of the city. But what’s happening inside 1 Elmwood Avenue is extraordinary.

Unbound started out in the basement of farmhouse just outside Kansas City in 1981. Five people founded it: Bob, Bud, and Jim Hentzen, Nadine Hentzen Pearce, and Jerry Tolle. Bob and Jerry had been missionaries in Latin America and had seen the poverty there up close. These five social-justice-oriented Catholics saw the potential of a program that invited fortunate Americans to sponsor less-fortunate families in other countries. They used Christmas card lists and ads in Catholic publications to solicit their first donations, which added up to $14,000 and served people in Colombia and Honduras. Nearly 40 years later, they’re active in more than 15,000 small communities in 18 countries. Quietly, about 180 Kansas Citians work for this humble charity. Last year, Unbound

surpassed $2 billion in revenue since its founding. What’s Unbound’s secret? For one, it spends the vast majority of the money that comes in on the people who most need it. That sounds simple, but it’s hardly a given in the world of nonprofits. The American Institute of Philanthropy gives Unbound an A+ in its Charity Rating Guide, and in 2017, 92 percent of Unbound’s expenses went to its programs (the rest went to fundraising and administration). And its fundraising bucks the long-standing global charity tradition of using dark photos of frowning children dressed in ragged and dirty clothes. Instead, Unbound showcases its children and elders wearing smiles in a dignified environment. But perhaps most essentially, Unbound understands that there isn’t a single universal way to help families out of poverty. One family may need help putting food on the table; another might be lacking in access to education. So, rather than sending out aid in a uniform, cookie-cutter type of way, Unbound asks each family about its predicaments and goals, then tailors its resources toward those specific needs through a direct cash transfer system. Ultimately, Unbound has found, this practice gives families a better shot at achieving self-sufficiency. (If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, go to unbound.org.) Every week, thousands of letters pour into Unbound’s mailroom—correspondence between generous sponsors and the elders and children they help all QUIXOTIC IS COMING TO CROWN CENTER THIS FALL. PHOTO BY IVAN BELAUSTEGUI.

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KC-BASED DANZA GUADALUPANA JOINS MUSICIANS AND DANCERS REPRESENTING LATIN AMERICA, AFRICA, INDIA, THE PHILIPPINES, AND KANSAS CITY AT UNBOUND’S GLOBAL BLOCK PARTY. PHOTO BY MATT SESKIS.

across the planet. We love the idea that this massive and compassionate global hub is located in a nondescript building that straddles the metro’s state lines. You’d never know it. But aren’t you glad you do now?

QUIXOTIC’S HOMEGROWN, HIGH-TECH ACT CONTINUES TO AMAZE Mesmerizing, transfixing, captivating, enchanting: These are the types of words people tend to use to describe Quixotic performances. They’re all accurate enough. Ultimately, though, language fails when it comes to explaining a Quixotic show. The graceful leaps, incomprehensible stretches, and gravity-defying swings one witnesses are a kind of performance art that must be experienced to understand. It’s moody, it’s sexy, it’s technological, it’s avant-garde, and it is definitely cooler than Cirque du Soleil. Over the last year, the dancers, contortionists, and musicians of Quix-

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otic have donned Marie Antoinette-inspired garb and ambled through the Nelson’s annual Party Arty fundraiser; opened Reflecting Motion, a Union Station art installation; and blended with Calvin Arsenia’s harp-plucking and eerie vocals at COLLIDE, in Quixotic’s Broadway studio space. And while we’re grateful for the group’s various escapades and monthly shows, still we want more. So we were especially psyched to learn that, this fall, Quixotic would be staging “Sensatia” at Crown Center’s newly named Quixotic Theatre (previously the American Heartland Theatre). “Sensatia” is the collective’s cirque cabaret, which weaves together the acrobatics we love with projection mapping (those wild lights that manage to conform to objects and sometimes bodies), live music performances, film, and—in a new twist—culinary arts. The show runs every Friday and Saturday night in October and November.

ESPINOZA PLAYS AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN KC’S MUSIC COMMUNITY. PHOTO COURTESY OF AMADO ESPINOZA.

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AMADO ESPINOZA AND HIS ‘JUNKYARD ORCHESTRA’ The Bolivian musician Amado Espinoza moved to Kansas City in 2014, and it didn’t take long for him (or his wife, Karen Lisondra, a theater artist) to make a big dent in the music community here. Espinoza has a seemingly endless supply of sounds and songs both familiar (pop, rock) and foreign (the indigenous traditions of his South American homeland), and he plays over 40 types of instruments, some of which he’s collected along his global journey, others that he’s built himself. (We never really understood what sikas—panpipes—were capable of until we heard what he could do with them.) In Bolivia, Espinoza had a Museum of Musical Instruments that housed his collection of over 500 items, and here in KC he continues to make high-quality instruments for professionals and collectors. But he also creates recycled instruments informed by workshops he hosted in Bolivia for those too poor to otherwise afford musical equipment. These instruments—his “Junkyard Orchestra,” as he calls it—can range from a single plastic straw, to bagpipes made

with PVC pipe and a rubber glove, to a cello made with a trash can, a fork, and some wire. This summer, we caught Espinoza performing alongside Lisondra aboard the KC Streetcar as part of an Art in the Loop show involving songs, dance, and an abuela puppet. The riders were surprised and delighted. So were we. Espinoza’s global perspective and ferocious artistic enthusiasm is the kind of import we want more of.

A NEW GENERATION OF THEATER ARTISTS IS CHANGING THE GAME KC’s theater scene is going through some growing pains. Last November, multiple artists and technicians spoke out against abuses at the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre—a company that has since been placed on the “Do Not Work” list of Actors’ Equity, the union of professional actors and stage managers. But the community’s reactions made clear that MET wasn’t the only local institution in need of a house cleaning. Over the past year, a group of actors and techs

has begun hosting monthly “talk and squawks” to highlight unsavory behavior at other institutions. Fortunately, a younger generation of KC artists has stepped up to the plate, launching new theater companies that embody the kinds of changes they want to see. Take Terra Femina, a new collective formed specifically to fill programming gaps seen in the stories told at other institutions. In June, the collective produced two original plays by local writers that dealt with sexual and domestic violence against women and queer individuals. They’re also filling some gaps in process. “We’re not protecting actors in our community the way we always should be,” says one of the collective’s founders and playwrights, Lindsay Adams. “One of the things we’re really focused on is creating a process that allows these stories to be told in a way that is safe for everyone.” Part of that includes employing an intimacy choreographer to help actors safely navigate sexual assault scenes. Other companies, such as KC Public Theatre, are working to attract a new generation of audiences. Co-founder and executive artistic director Elizabeth Bettendorf Bowman launched the company with her husband, Nathan Bowman, in part because they couldn’t afford to see their friends’ shows. “We were beginning to get isolated out of our own art,” Bowman says. Even tickets to a smaller, less-established theater’s shows can run $40. Bowman notes that from a purely financial perspective, live theater is a lot less accessible to young audiences than, say, going to see a movie. As a result, every show at KC Public Theatre is free to attend. And although the company is a nonprofit and dependent on donations and grants for revenue, Bowman notes that the theater still pays all of the artists who work on its shows. Other companies have stepped up to lead similar shifts in how theater is made and whose stories are prioritized. The brand-new Forge Repertory Theatre is placing an explicit focus on helping emerging artists break out through partnerships with established actors and technicians. Bodhi Theatre, a recent import from Boston, focuses on the Theatre for Social Justice movement and amplifying marginalized voices. This is by no means a complete list. For KC to become a true theater town, it’s going to need to prune bad practices at established institutions. But it’s also going to need new growth. We can barely keep up with all of the new theaters and arts collectives sprouting in the city. That’s a good thing.

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WE ARE NOW THE PROUD HOLDERS OF A TUBA-RELATED WORLD RECORD Silver bells are OK for some around the holidays. But the truly galaxy-brained among us have access to a deeper truth: Brass is Best. The Kansas City Symphony has hosted TubaChristmas annually for over a decade now—the symphony’s former executive director, Frank Byrne, is a tuba player—but for its 11th anniversary, the group went big. Like, literally Guiness World Record big. Last December, more than 800 tuba (and euphonium, and baritone, and sousaphone) players—835, to be exact—gathered at Municipal Auditorium, where, led by the Kansas City Symphony, they broke the Guinness World Record for largest tuba ensemble while performing “Silent Night.” It was a glorious sight to behold. As the conductor’s arms rose, so did a wave of bells, like cannons poised to fire. The youngest tuba player was a sixth grader, the oldest an 86-year-old retiree; they wore Santa hats and ugly

sweaters; tinsel, ornaments, and string lights decorated their instruments and stands. Official Guinness adjudicators roamed the ensemble, checking to make sure enough players played simultaneously long enough to surpass the previous record of 502 tooters set in Disneyland in 2007. Sorry you missed this small slice of local history? Here’s some brass lining: The tuba party returns to Helzberg Hall this winter, on Monday, December 2, and Friday, December 6.

THE STRAY CAT FILM CENTER IS KEEPING KC WEIRD In a year when multiple arts spaces have shuttered or relocated, we’re looking for any excuse to remain optimistic about the scene. Stray Cat Film Center makes it easy. The nonprofit “neighborhood microcinema” (think: cozy, single-screen movie theater) has kept us occupied with a kaleidoscope of weird and challenging films, from contemporary German dramas (Hannah Arendt) to niche Soviet-era sci-fi (Aelita: Queen of Mars). Sometimes, they’re Serious and Important Works. Often, they’re movies we can imagine being made into Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes— though they’re funny enough without the riffs. No matter what’s playing, it’s a hell of a deal. Admission is $7, popcorn is $2, and yard beers are the unbeatable price of whatever you feel like donating. We’re also in love with the design of the 1662 Broadway space. In the front window, a neon sign of a disgruntled-looking cat glares out at the Kauffman Center across the street. The lobby is packed with artistic altars set up like scrappy still lifes. See: an enormous, three-dimensional cat face, heavy-lidded and leering. See: a tower of tube televisions stacked like cheerleaders. THE LARGEST TUBA ENSEMBLE EVER ASSEMBLED, AND IT HAPPENED AT MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM. PHOTO BY JIM BARCUS.

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See: a gloriously toony pinball machine called “Mousin’ Around!” Stray Cat was founded by UMKC professor and artist Caitlin Horsmon, writer and artist Jori Sackin, and weird film buffs Jaclyn Danger and Matthew Lloyd, who have been programming screenings as the “Cannonball Roarers” since 2014. We’ve been following the Cannonball Roarers for a while. In 2016, we gave their Psychotronic Film Series an award for “Best WTF Movie Series.” And Stray Cat has continued that series with Italian giallo films (gore-festooned thrillers full of soapy women getting stabbed in the shower). But there’s truly something for every film lover on the docket. Queer theory geeks have “I’m Here, I’m Queer, I Wanna Watch Movies,” a film series hosted by local artist Boi Boy. Wordsmiths have Sackin’s freewheeling series “Metaphors in Cinema.” The latter introduced us to the Hong Kong movie The Cat, in which a cute black cat from outer space teams up with a mystery novelist to murder aliens, break a metric ton of sugar glass, and perform some sweet kung fu. The cat is named “The General.” He suplexes a junkyard dog. The company’s core members have expanded over the past year, as have its offerings. Now, community members are invited to submit their own proposals for Stray Cat programming. There are a few rules—“we’re not going to show Independence Day,” Sackin says—but the founders are committed to letting independent film lovers come together and have a stake in the

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The nonprofit partnered with neighbor reStart to add an arts education program for kids experiencing homelessness. It has also added acting master classes, monthly readings of new plays, and workshops on topics like social justice in theatre. Local artists have taken note. Multiple small theaters are now resident companies at the Asylum, including Faust Theatre and The Barn Players. In September, the theater hosted a new production of Jesus Christ Superstar, a collaboration with former KC Rep associate artistic director Kyle Hatley. And next year, the Asylum is producing the musical The Boys in the Band under the direction of Darren Sextro, a veteran actor/director and core member of the Kansas City Actors Theatre. So, cheers to the Arts Asylum for getting bigger and better each year—and spreading the love to an underserved part of the urban core.

KC WILDLANDS IS PRESERVING SPACES WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WE HAD programming. No future’s guaranteed in this town, especially where art and real estate are concerned. The Stray Cat crew were the 2018–19 recipients of the Charlotte Street Foundation’s pilot StartUp Residency program, and they’ll age out of their rent-free agreement soon. They aren’t certain whether they’ll be able to hold on to the Broadway address. “We’d like to stay,” says Sackin. The good news is, you can support the center now. It’s here, it’s weird, it’s a hell of a good time. Go watch some movies.

THE ARTS ASYLUM IS BRINGING ART TO UNDERSERVED AREAS OF THE CITY Since 2011, the nonprofit theater and arts organization the Arts Asylum has been doing things a little differently.

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CREATIVE PROJECTS ARE SPILLING OUT OF THE ARTS ASYLUM AT NINTH AND HARRISON. PHOTO BY KELCIE MCKENNEY.

It started with the address: founders Alex and Courtney Perry gambled on a beautiful 130-year old building at Ninth and Harrison, an area of the city that hasn’t yet been gentrified into a haven for small-batch distillers and Instagram murals. To say the building needed work is an understatement. It wasn’t set up for a theater; the space had formerly housed a Calvary Baptist church. Eight years later, it’s hard to imagine the ornate stone building was ever anything else. Successive rounds of renovations have transformed the church nave into an accessible 200-seat theater; traded wooden pews for legit, raked seating units; and softened booming church acoustics with mosaic-tiled sound baffling. The organization has added a performing arts classroom and ample cheap studio space for visual and performing artists. Recently, the lobby and office spaces have had a glow-up, too. The changes weren’t just aesthetic. Over the past few years, the Asylum’s community offerings have snowballed.

Kansas City will never be known as a destination for outdoor enthusiasts. We’re at peace with that. But don’t let that knowledge fool you into believing we don’t have our share of beautiful wild spaces. In fact, KC has some rather high-quality wildlands, thanks in no small part to the work of the aptly named group KC Wildlands. With just a handful of small grants and a collec-

tive of volunteers, this under-the-radar organization identifies and safeguards natural resources in the metro; protects our natural prairie, glade, savanna, and forest by eradicating invasive species like honeysuckle and tree-strangling wintercreeper; collects rare seeds from native plants in KC parks that are then spread in areas at risk of being overtaken by non-native species; and literally saves our few remnant areas for migrating birds and future generations. (They’ve also taught us what a remnant area is: a space full of native plants and species that dates back to before the European settlement of this continent.) From spaces inside Swope Park to the Historic Northeast’s Cliff Drive to the untilled prairie of Jerry Smith Park near 135th and Holmes—plus much more— KC Wildlands leaves a big, green mark on the city while asking for almost nothing in return.

THE WWI MUSEUM WENT ALL OUT FOR THE ARMISTICE CENTENNIAL On a chilly evening last November, children shadow-danced in the glow of 5,000 red poppies projected onto the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Petals with black hearts fluttered across the north-facing wall of the memorial and up the tower, framing the flickering black-and-white archived footage from the trenches of Europe, where 7,500 sol-

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diers died each day—five each minute, nine million in all. The 15-minute video played on a loop for crowds gathered in Penn Valley Park on each of the nine nights leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that finally ended the so-called “war to end all wars.” On that day—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918—church bells rang out across Europe, and victory flags were waved. But as the installation solemnly reminded us, the seeds of the next war (and the next) (and the next) were already burrowing into fertile soil. War, in our lifetime, may never cease, but we can work for peace—just as those poppies bloom each spring. We’re grateful the WWI Museum took such great care to remind us of that.

OUR FOOD COMMUNITY TAKES CARE OF ITS OWN In May, an EF-4 tornado ripped through the area east of Lawrence, into Linwood and then Bonner Springs, leveling trees and homes. In its path was the beloved family farm Crum’s Heirlooms, which supplies fresh, seasonal produce to dozens of the city’s finest restaurants, including The Antler Room, The Rieger, Novel, and Jax Fish & Oyster House. After viewing photos of the devastation the day following the storm, Jax chef Bryan Sparks put out a social media call for chefs to participate in a fundraiser for Crum’s at his restaurant. Within 24 hours, nearly a dozen local chefs—including Carlos Falcon (Jarocho Pescados y Mariscos), Bryant Wigger (Tavernonna), Katee McLean (Krokstrom Scandinavian Comfort Food), Rick Mullins (Cafe Sebastienne), and Nick Goellner (the Antler Room)—responded that they were in. Produce, dishware, and prep items poured in from local businesses. The group prepared a staggering 11-course meal for diners, who paid upwards of $150 per seat to attend the fundraiser. One hundred percent of those proceeds—several thousand dollars—went directly to the Crums. The money couldn’t undo all the damage from that twister, but it was an upliftONE OF NINE DAYS OF EVENTS COMMEMORATING THE END OF WORLD WAR I. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL.

ing reminder of the supportive spirit that underpins our wonderful local culinary community.

THE DIFFICULT BUT VITAL “DWB (DRIVING WHILE BLACK)” PERFORMANCES Susan Kander and Roberta Gumble met and became friends in New York, but they’re both from Kansas City. Kander, a composer, is white. Gumbel, a soprano and librettist, is black. Not surprisingly, they grew up in different parts of town. Earlier this year, the two women collaborated on “dwb (driving while black),” a chamber opera about racism, erasure, and the heady cocktail of fear and love black parents feel when they send their kids out into a world that too often sees them not as a child, but a threat. Vignettes (some funny, some sweet, some extremely relatable) tracing the mother-son relationship from birth to driver’s license are interspersed with “scenes,” stories pulled from news broadcasts. Some of the scenes were delivered as reports, while others were presented in the first person, an intentional and powerful conflation of the news we hear and the actions that rip through our communities. Kansas City has a long, embarrassing history of racial division, so Kander and Gumble made sure to address it by doing the show twice: once at 1900 Building, where many in the primarily white audience were viscerally introduced to the realities of discrimination, and once at St. James United Methodist Church for a primarily black audience that lives those experiences daily. In pinpointing and relating the terror racial biases and injustices cause, Kander and Gumbel created one of the most singularly devastating theatrical moments of the last year.

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their home—a game-changing moment for the lazy hedonists of this fine metropolis. It is now possible to add a six-pack to your Minsky’s Pizza delivery, or to open the Drizly app and order another couple bottles of vodka rather than leave the party you’re hosting. Meanwhile, in Kansas, legislators this year finally got rid of the puritanical, post-Prohibition-era law that limited beers sold at grocery and convenience stores to a maximum of 3.2 percent alcohol by volume. At last, QuikTrips and Hy-Vees in Kansas can sell non-watered-down beer. One catch: there’s still a cap of 6 percent, meaning Kansans seeking higher-ABV beers still have to make the trek to the liquor store—or cross State Line. Still, we consider this major progress. Cheers.

IT’S A GOLDEN AGE FOR MEN’S VINTAGE IN MIDTOWN On a bike ride sometime this spring, we crossed Southwest Trafficway in midtown and noticed a new shop with some ‘90s-era baseball caps in the window. We made a mental note and returned a week later, thinking maybe we’d snag a snapback for summer. We discovered a (mostly) men’s vintage shop overflowing with amazing pieces—a Ricky Skaggs tour shirt, an MC Sporting Goods fishing hat, a white polyester Jim Eisenreich Royals jersey, pastel Nike windbreakers, a big, blue Lands’ End travel bag from the early 1990s. An entire rack of Ralph

VINTAGE STEALS ABOUND AT MCFLY’S ON SOUTHWEST TRAFFICWAY. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

Lauren polo knits. The deals were so solid, and the selection so well-curated, that we literally considered the possibility we might be getting punked. We bought at least 15 wardrobe-altering items, and the bill came to something like $140. We came back a week later and dropped another $75. Having cleaned this place out of (almost) everything we wanted that fits us, we now feel comfortable sharing the secret. This place is called McFly’s, and it’s located at 3701 Southwest Trafficway, on the corner of a one-story commercial strip that also includes Freshwater. It’s easily the most affordable men’s-oriented vintage shop in KC, but we’d also recommend a few other stylish newcomers in midtown. Reset opened this summer at 8 Westport Road (just around the corner from Oddly Correct) and caters to sneakerheads and the Supreme set as well as seekers of vintage Chiefs gear and Simpsons shirts. And for the deep-pocketed (or just deeply committed) heads, WyCo Vintage now has a storefront at 3537 Broadway where you can buy Yeezys and $200 Jane’s Addiction original tour shirts. Retail ain’t easy in 2019, lord knows, so go browse these racks and help support a livelier cityscape and community in KC.

BROCK SCHULTE IS  TOP SHELF To call Brock Schulte a bartender or even *shudder* a mixologist feels completely inadequate. The man has

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been a familiar face on the Kansas City cocktail scene for many years now, having first risen to prominence at McCormick & Schmick’s, then at the Rieger and Manifesto, where he helped develop cocktail programs that earned citywide and even national recognition. Currently, Schulte is a partner in Liquid Minded Concepts, which, in addition to consulting for private events, manages the Monarch Bar, inarguably Kansas City’s highest-end cocktail joint. Schulte is a walking dictionary of ingredients both familiar and obscure. He downplays this, noting that all his knowledge comes from notes in his phone. But if you ask him, point-blank, about, say, peanut butter-washed Suntory whiskey, or nitro-muddled basil—even plain Greek yogurt!—he can rattle off ideas about how to incorporate those flavors into a well-balanced cocktail. A lot of fancy cocktails cost $17 but don’t taste like $17. Schulte’s do. He makes it look easy, as though anybody can do it. But that’s part of his craft. Schulte resides in a class by himself.

SANS BAR IS SERVING GOOD, CLEAN FUN (REALLY!) Melissa Saubers rang in 2019 by introducing Kansas City to Sans Bar, an alcohol-free pop-up party with live music, tasty treats, and mocktails. In a way, it was the culmination of a journey she’d begun three years ago, when she decided to quit drinking in a metropolis where booze has long been central to the culture. Turns out, there’s a good amount of Kansas Citians out there like Saubers—people who want to socialize (or flirt) with other sober adults in a setting devoid of boozy temptations and drunken behavior. They come in all kinds: those in recovery, allies to somebody taking a break from alcohol, teetotalers, even just the sober-curious. The plan for Sans Bar (it was founded in Austin, but KC is its first outpost) was to pop up every couple of months somewhere. But less than a year later, they’re already doing events once or twice a month

across the metro—Hagoyah, Plexpod, Unity Village, and Thornhill Gallery have hosted events, to name just a few. Tickets tend to run around $20, which includes

food, craft mocktails, and usually some live music or other entertainment. (And some, like the alcohol-free lounge at the Plaza Art Festival, are free.) Saubers

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Transportation ordinances, tax incentive proposals, personnel changes at the county, dysfunction at a state agency: Stories like these are essential, the backbone of any decent newspaper. Unfortunately, they’re also often rather boring, particularly when told in the viewfrom-nowhere style that has defined daily American journalism for nearly a century. It can be a drag to mentally trudge through a local government story, squinting while trying to decode the meaning buried within the text. Just tell us what it means! we often want to yell. Among the lessons the rise of podcasts has taught us is that most reporters, when freed of the dull shackles of inverted-pyramid journalism, are plen-

ty capable of explaining their stories to a general audience. You just have to let them talk like regular people. The Daily, from The New York Times, is the gold standard in this category, but we became fast fans of The Kansas City Star’s weekly podcast, Deep Background, pretty soon after it launched last year. The show typically consists of the hosts—Star columnist and editorial board member Dave Helling and digital editor Leah Becerra—speaking for about a half-hour about the most interesting piece the Star published that week with the reporter who filed it. Helling, who has a TV background and expansive institutional knowledge derived from decades of local reporting experience, is a natural, guiding the conversation with intelligent questions and gentle humor. We like the chat format of the show, but we also appreciated the more ambitious, narrative-driven July episode Becerra hosted about Missouri politicians’ use of Confide, a secret message app. Reported on for over a year by the Star’s ace Jefferson City correspondent Jason Hancock, the story was a convoluted one, involving multiple lawsuits and investigations related to two officials (Eric Greitens and

Josh Hawley) who have since left office. We’d struggled to keep up with it in the day-to-day, but after the 40-minute podcast, we felt confident we could explain the Confide saga at a dinner party. At the end of the day, that’s what we want from journalism. And that’s why we keep tuning into Deep Background week after week.

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13324 College Blvd. 1519 Main St. Lenexa, KS Ottawa, KS 913.549.3032 785.229.0658 thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

OUR PICKS

THE LYRIC’S EXPLORATION SERIES CONTINUES TO SURPRISE. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LYRIC OPERA OF KANSAS CITY.

Club and Fox & Pearl also serve a take on this classic dish. But for a long time, there’s been a critical gap in our fried chicken repertoire: Korean Fried Chicken—the other KFC. Which makes the arrival of Overland Park’s Kokodak (14856 Metcalf Ave) so welcome. Koreans generally insist on freshness, so no previously frozen birds are acceptable at Kokodak. Crispy breading is a must, so you get a mighty exterior crunch and juicy, flavorful meat inside. The chicken can be served “southern” style (as in the southern United States) or doused in spicy, tangy gochujang. Or garlic sauce. Or—to bring this full circle—barbecue sauce. At Kokodak, you choose from a number of configurations of drums, wings, and boneless bites, and then you wait (usually about 20 minutes), because fresh-to-order takes time. But trust us: It’s worth it.

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

THE LYRIC OPERA IS OPENING THE DOOR FOR EXPERIMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES... Opera’s large form and expensive talents make it almost impossible to truly innovate on the main stage. You can bring in a fresh voice and slap some new paint on the traditional sets, but year to year the stories don’t tend to change much. Enter Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Explorations Series, which is introducing intimate, risky, mixed-genre, and socially aware new work to local audiences. In recent years, the Lyric has reimagined Elvis Costello’s 1993 stringquartet-backed album The Juliet Letters and produced “High Fidelity Opera,” a celebration of 1930s and 1940s radio plays. “As One”—based on the experiences of filmmaker and librettist Kimberly Reed, featuring music by Laura Kaminsky and co-authored by Mark

Campbell—followed a trans woman’s journey of discovery and self-acceptance. Two more productions in the Explorations series are scheduled for 2020, and we’re eagerly awaiting what surprising moments those shows have in store for us.

...AND OPERA 180 IS CREATING AN ACCESSIBLE OPERA EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE As noted above, we dig the Lyric, which offers Kansas City audiences extraordinary performances by the industry’s top performers in a grand auditorium with elaborate sets and costumes. But that all costs big money, and—to some extent, at least—the Lyric has to make up for the expense through the prices it charges for tickets. Which means many of us can’t see as many bellowing vibratos as we’d like, and the

experience remains one that’s largely reserved for the city’s elite. So we’re super psyched on what Opera 180 is up to. Nate Wheatley, Sadie DeSantis, and Michelle LaPointe— all opera enthusiasts who have worked in KC’s opera and performing arts scene—founded the group last year with the goal of making opera more accessible to new audiences and to serve as a platform for up-and-coming local talent. The group’s first production was the interactive cooking demonstration “Bon Operatit,” staged at the Squeezebox Theatre. In May, when Opera 180 closed out its first season with Puccini’s La boheme, scenes were split between a gallery in Weinberger Fine Art’s Drawing Room and a nearby Crossroads alley. La boheme tends to run at least two-and-a-half hours, but this production, which featured six cast members, had a 90-minute runtime. Likewise, while nosebleeds at the Lyric go for $36, you can get up and close and personal at Opera 180 shows for just $25. We love those prices, and we love the intimate setting Opera 180 is providing with these performances. The group just held auditions for its second season, and we’re eager to see what else they have in store for us.

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OUR PICKS

THERE’S VERY LITTLE NOT TO LIKE ABOUT THE SOON-TO-BE NEW OWNER OF THE ROYALS. PHOTO COURTESY OF INERGY.

JOHN SHERMAN SEEMS LIKE THE REAL DEAL When the news leaked, in late August, that longtime Kansas City Royals owner David Glass might be selling the team, it was tough to know what to think. On one hand, Glass is not exactly a hometown hero. He brought to the Royals a rigid business mentality one might expect from the former CEO of Walmart, regularly slashing payroll and operating the

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

team as a break-even proposition while owners in larger markets invested heavily in their teams. The result was about what you might expect: Since Glass officially took over in 2000, the Royals have had just four winning seasons, appearing in the playoffs only twice. On the other hand: Those two playoff runs yielded an AL pennant in 2014 and a 2015 World Series victory. Also, Glass kept the team in Kansas City. A low bar, sure—but ask a St. Louis Rams fan how they feel about their old owner. Accompanying reports of the sale was the rumor that Glass might be selling to a group of investors led by a Kan-

sas Citian named John Sherman. Who? We’d never heard of this man. Information about Sherman slowly trickled out: wealthy entrepreneur, made his bones in the energy industry, owner of a minority stake in the Cleveland Indians. Then a clearer picture of Sherman began to emerge. He’s a self-made guy. He’s lived in Kansas City (KCMO, to boot) for over 40 years and sits on the boards of UMKC, the Kauffman Foundation, and the World War I Museum. He and his wife, Marny, quietly give away tons of money to local schools, charities, and philanthropic organizations. KMBC caught up with Sherman after the news

broke—at a charity event, of course— and, unable to comment on the pending sale, he said this instead: “When you’re lucky to be successful, I think you owe it back to the community to do what you can to help those, particularly those that are underserved in our community.” Folks, it appears that John Sherman is … one of the good ones. And not just that: He loves baseball. The Star reported that Sherman devours books with titles like Big Data Baseball, and Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (to which the Shermans are donors) described him as inquisitive and “very engaged.” If the deal goes through—it won’t happen until the end of this MLB season, and Sherman will have to divest his interest in the Indians—Sherman would become just the third owner in the Royals’ 51-year history. In a brief press statement following the news, he seemed to grasp both the gravity of the role and the average Royals fan’s mindset, saying, “Our goal will be threefold: to compete for a championship on behalf of our fans; to honor their passion, their experience and their unwavering commitment; and to carry their hopes and dreams forward in this great Kansas City region we all love—for decades to come.” Read that closely: “Championship.” “Kansas City.” “Decades.” This ain’t no Stan Kroenke. This is Ewing Kauffman. He gets it. Now, let’s talk about that downtown stadium...

TO THE BEST OF KANSAS CITY 2019 READERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE WINNERS KELBY RECK

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

BEST OF KC

BEST ART EXHIBIT

WINNER: NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM, “30 AMERICANS”

Finalists: Daniela Failla, “Departures;” Patrick Shearn, “Reflecting Motion;” Ryan Wilks, “Hell;” Stephen Proski and Brandon A., “I Think Next Week I’m Not Going to Have Any Problems”

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

BEST ART FESTIVAL

BEST BLUES VENUE

BEST CLUB DJ

Finalists: Art Westport, Brookside Art Annual, Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair

Finalists: B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ, Bayou On The Vine, Knuckleheads Saloon, The Phoenix

Finalists: Danny Maloney, DJ Savy, Jared Maib, DJ Jam, Nick Davis

BEST ART GALLERY

BEST BURLESQUE

Finalists: Bunker Center for the Arts, Imagine That!, MOD Gallery and Space

Finalists: Annie-Mae Allure, Bohemian Cult Revival, Kater Tot, Rude Revue and Burly Q

WINNER: PLAZA ART FAIR

WINNER: THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART

WINNER: GREEN LADY LOUNGE

WINNER: BURLESQUE DOWNTOWN UNDERGROUND

WINNER: DJ ASHTON MARTIN

BEST COMEDY CLUB

WINNER: IMPROV COMEDY CLUB

Finalists: Barrel of the Bottoms, Comedy City, Kick Comedy Theatre, The Comedy Club of Kansas City

YOUR PICKS

THE GREETING COMMITTEE, BEST LOCAL BAND. PHOTO BY KELBY RECK.

BEST CULTURAL EVENT

WINNER: KC PRIDE

Finalists: Alphabet Soup: Stories from Queer Voices by Whim Productions, Ethnic Enrichment Festival, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Troostapalooza BEST DANCE CREW

WINNER: QUIXOTIC

Finalists: Kansas City Swingsters, Redux Society, Zen & Edith BEST DRAG QUEEN

BEST JAZZ EVENT

WINNER: JAZZOO

Finalists: Kansas City Kansas Street Blues Festival, Phoenix Saturday Brunch, Prairie Village Jazz Fest BEST JAZZ VENUE

WINNER: GREEN LADY LOUNGE

Finalists: Black Dolphin, The Blue Room, The Majestic, The Phoenix BEST KARAOKE

WINNER: HAMBURGER MARY’S

Finalists: Hotel Karaoke, Off Key, Red Balloon, Woody’s KC

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE (OVER 1,000)

WINNER: STARLIGHT THEATRE

WINNER: DAISY BUCKËT

Finalists: Genewa Stanwyck, Luna Flare, Widow Von Du

Finalists: Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, Kansas City Live! Block, The Truman, Uptown Theater

BEST DRAG SHOW

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE (UNDER 1,000)

WINNER: HAMBURGER MARY’S DRAG BRUNCH

Finalists: Drag Survivor, The Daisy Buckët Show, The Dick and Dyke Show, The Dirty Dorothy Show BEST FASHION EVENT

WINNER: KANSAS CITY FASHION WEEK

Finalists: Captivity, Local Runway, The Balloon Fashion Show, West 18th Street Fashion Show BEST FUNDRAISING EVENT

WINNER: BIG SLICK

Finalists: AIDS Walk KC, City Year Kansas City Gala, Jazzoo, KC Pet Project Caturday in the Crossroads BEST HOUSE/COVER BAND

WINNER: THE M80’S

WINNER: KNUCKLEHEADS SALOON

Finalists: Madrid Theatre, recordBar, The Rino, The Riot Room BEST LIVE THEATER

WINNER: STARLIGHT THEATRE

Finalists: Kansas City Actors Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theater, Late Night Theatre, Missie B’s, Unicorn Theatre BEST LOCAL ACTOR (LIVING IN KC)

WINNER: VANESSA SEVERO

Finalists: Bradley J. Thomas, John Rensenhouse, Patrick Poe, Ron Megee

WINNER: MOLLY BALLOONS

BEST IMPROV/SKETCH TROUPE

Finalists: Cubanisms, Hembree, I Threw A Chair, Kannabis Club, Olivia Fox

BEST JAZZ ARTIST

WINNER: LONNIE MCFADDEN

Finalists: Alex Abramovitz, Eboni Fondren, Herschel McWilliams, Molly Hammer BEST JAZZ BAND

WINNER: A LA MODE

Finalists: Alex Abramovitz and His Swing’n Kansas City Jazz Band, Grand Marquis, Herschel McWilliams Quartet, Marcus Lewis Big Band

We’re delighted they named us one of the Top Five Hotel Bars

Finalists: Alexej Savreux, Courtney Lane, Grant Kratzer, Stephen Proski BEST LOCAL BAND

Finalists: Crusty Mustard Improv, Tandy, That’s No Movie!, Truck Noises

Love the Drum Room

BEST LOCAL ARTIST (LIVING IN KC)

Finalists: Caprice Classic, Fast Times, Lost Wax, The Kaopectones, The Zeros

WINNER: HAM KITTY

Here’s Why Pitch Readers

• Located in the Power & Light District • Great place to meet up with friends and watch your favorite game

WINNER: THE GREETING COMMITTEE

• A historic Kansas City tradition • Great Happy Hour daily 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. • Extremely talented mixologists

BEST LOCAL CRAFT ARTIST (LIVING IN KC)

• Great place to enjoy a variety of beers, whiskeys and craft cocktails including The Original Drum Room Old-Fashioned , plus some fun ones like the Jackie O, the Truman-Hattan , the Pendergast and more.

WINNER: BRANDON LOVE

Finalists: Courtney Lane, Dairionn “Tuss” Billberry, Molly Balloons, MRS Pallet Decor BEST LOCAL EVENT

WINNER: FIRST FRIDAYS

Finalists: Boulevardia, Celebration at the Station, Kansas City Nerdlesque Festival, The Balloon Fashion Show BEST LOCAL PODCAST

1329 Baltimore Ave Kansas City, MO 64105

WINNER: STATE YOUR LINE

Finalists: Neandertalk Podcast, Save It 4 The Podcast, Thorocast, Two Views Movies DR_PitchBestOfmag2019.indd 1

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH 43 9/13/19 1:36 PM

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

YOUR PICKS

BEST LOCAL THEMED TOUR

BEST OPEN MIC

Finalists: Barley Bus, Gangster Tour Kansas City, KC Barbecue Tours, KC Double Decker Tours

Finalists: Comedy Nut at Barrel of the Bottoms, OnemicstandKC, Poetic Underground at The Brick, Soul Sessions at The Juke House, The Rino

WINNER: BOULEVARD BREWERY TOURS

BEST MOVIE THEATER

WINNER: ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMA

WINNER: THE COMEDY CLUB OF KANSAS CITY

BEST OUTDOOR EVENT

WINNER: KANSAS CITY RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

Finalists: AMC Ward Parkway 14, B&B Theatres Liberty 12 Cinema, Cinetopia Overland Park 18, Screenland Armour Theatre

Finalists: Boulevardia, Don’t Disturb the Gruv, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Irish Festival

BEST MUSEUM

BEST OUTDOOR VENUE

WINNER: THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART

Finalists: 1859 Jail & Marshal’s Museum, National WWI Museum and Memorial, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL

WINNER: BOULEVARDIA

Finalists: Bluegrass in the Bottoms, Buzz Beach Ball, Dancefestopia BEST MUSICIAN

WINNER: CALVIN ARSENIA

Finalists: Michael McClintock, Stephonne Singleton, Tim J. Harte

WINNER: STARLIGHT THEATRE

Finalists: CrossroadsKC, Kansas City Live! Block, Knuckleheads Saloon, Providence Medical Center Amphitheater BEST PAINTING PARTY

WINNER: PINOT’S PALLETTE

Finalists: Apple Pie Painting, Art by JonnieRae, Happy Trees Painting, theSloppyArtCo BEST PLACE FOR A KID’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

WINNER: DEANNA ROSE CHILDREN’S FARMSTEAD

Finalists: Chaos Course, Cupcakin Bakery BEST PLACE TO SHAKE YOUR BOOTY

BEST SONG BY A LOCAL BAND

WINNER: “HEADLIGHTS”, CALVIN ARSENIA

BEST NEW LOCAL ALBUM

Finalists: Aura Kansas City Nightclub, Missie B’s, The Riot Room

WINNER: FUNKYTOWN

Finalists: “Culture”, Hembree, “Slice of Heaven”, Parvenu, “Tear it Up”, Quite Frankly the Band

Finalists: Cantaloupe, Calvin Arsenia; Fountain City Jive, Alex Abramovitz and His Swing’n Kansas City Jazz Band; Not For The Faint of Heart, Parvenu; Seven, Kuttybear

BEST PLAY

BEST STRIP CLUB

Finalists: Alternative Facts of Life, Bond, Frida...A Self Portrait, Morning’s at Seven

Finalists: Baccala, Bazooka’s Showgirls, The Outhouse, Whispers

BEST POET/SPOKEN WORD ARTIST

BEST THEATER COMPANY

WINNER: HOUSE ON FIRE, HEMBREE

BEST NIGHTCLUB

WINNER: GREEN LADY LOUNGE

Finalists: Angel’s Rock Bar, Aura Kansas City Nightclub, Missie B’s, Mosaic Ultra Lounge

WINNER: SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

WINNER: JEN HARRIS

Finalists: Darrien Case, Sara Minges, Sheri Hall, Trey Newman

WINNER: THE SHADY LADY

WINNER: KANSAS CITY REPERTORY THEATRE

Finalists: Kansas City Actors Theatre, Late Night Theater, The Barn Players, Unicorn Theatre

JEN HARRIS, BEST POET. PHOTO BY KELCIE MCKENNEY.

BEST TRIVIA NIGHT

WINNER: CINDERBLOCK, GEEKS WHO DRINK

Finalists: Brick’s Pub & Grub, KC Trivia Geeks, Lew’s Grill & Bar, Movie Trailer Trash at Tapcade, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar BEST VOCALIST

WINNER: MOLLY HAMMER

Finalists: Bruno Bessa, Calvin Arsenia, Nicole Springer, Rachel McMillan

IN A GALAK.C. NOT SO FAR, FAR AWAY / A MUSEUM WITH TOYS AND FINE-SCALE MINIATURES THAT ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD

OPEN DAILY: 10AM – 4PM, CLOSED TUESDAYS

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

5235 OAK STREET K ANSAS CITY, MO 64112

816.235.8000

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Relax in our spacious Smoking Lounge. Do you have questions about Cannabis or CBD? Visit our full-time, in-store patient advocate for cannabis education & wellness information.

Ask about our FREE JOINTS available all October *1 per customer w/ purchase of 1/8th

FIRST IN KC TO OFFER

• HEMP CBD Flower BUD • Up to 20 Varieites of Cannabis On Hand • More than any competitor in KC • LOW THC Cannabis - below 0.3% THC • IT’S REAL! And Lab Tested ask us for full lab results on any product

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TERMINATOR

BEST OF KC

BEST 3 AM BAR

BEST BAR TO MEET PEOPLE

Finalists: Buzzard Beach, Dodson’s Bar & Commons, John’s Big Deck, Quaff Bar & Grill

Finalists: Dodson’s Bar and Commons, John’s Big Deck, Pawn and Pint, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar, The Monarch Bar

WINNER: HARRY’S BAR & TABLES

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

WINNER: UP-DOWN KC

BEST BARTENDER

BEST BEER FESTIVAL

Finalists: Chad Wilson, Charlie Hoopers; John Phelps, La Bodega; Nathan “Goldie” Goldstein, McFadden’s

Finalists: Festival of the Lost Township, KC Nanobrew Festival, Parkville Microbrew Festival, Taps & Tastes at Boulevardia

WINNER: BRYAN ARRI, MONARCH BAR

WINNER: KC BEER FEST

YOUR PICKS

JULEP, BEST UPSCALE BAR. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

BEST BEER SELECTION (TAPS)

BEST LGBTQ+ BAR

WINNER: HAMBURGER MARY’S

Finalists: Bistro 303, Missie B’s, Woody’s KC

WINNER: BIER STATION

BEST LOCAL BEER (FRUIT BEER)

BEST BLOODY MARY

Finalists: BL Squared, Brew Lab; Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Wheat, Fringe Beer Works

Finalists: Flying Saucer, International Tap House - Crossroads, Taps on Main, UpDown KC

WINNER: BEER KITCHEN

WINNER: JAM BAND, BOULEVARD BREWING

Finalists: Brick’s Pub and Grub, District Pour House, Hogshead KC, Port Fonda

BEST LOCAL BEER (IPA)

BEST BOULEVARD RELEASE

Finalists: Block IPA, Cinderblock; Habit Loop, Alma Mader Brewing; Hard Way, Martin City Brewing; It’s Just a Phaze, Crane Brewing; Tessellation IPA, Double Shift Brewing

WINNER: FLING COCKTAILS

Finalists: Bou Lou, Love Child No. 9, Rye on Rye on Rye, Smooth Fuzz BEST BREW PUB

WINNER: KC BIER CO.

Finalists: Brew Lab, Brewery Emperial, City Barrel Brewing, Green Room Burgers & Beer BEST CHEAP DRINKS

WINNER: THE HI-DIVE LOUNGE

Finalists: Brick House, Chez Charlie, John’s Big Deck, The Quaff Bar and Grill BEST COCKTAILS

WINNER: MANIFESTO

Finalists: SoT, Swordfish Tom’s, The Monarch Bar, TikiCat BEST COFFEEHOUSE

WINNER: MESSENGER COFFEE CO. + IBIS BAKERY

Finalists: Black Dog Coffee House, Crow’s Coffee, Oddly Correct Coffee Bar, The Bean Coffee Co. BEST DIVE BAR

WINNER: THE HI-DIVE LOUNGE

Finalists: Buzzard Beach, Chez Charlie, Helen’s J.A.D. Bar & Grill, The Quaff Bar and Grill BEST HAPPY HOUR (DRINK)

WINNER: JAX FISH HOUSE & OYSTER BAR

Finalists: Dodson’s Bar & Commons, Taps on Main, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar BEST HOTEL BAR

WINNER: CROSSROADS HOTEL

Finalists: P.S. Speakeasy, The Drum Room, The Savoy at 21c BEST IRISH BAR

WINNER: KELLY’S WESTPORT INN

Finalists: Brady’s Public House, Dubliner, O’Dowd’s Gastropub, O’Malley’s Irish Pub

WINNER: SPACE CAMPER, BOULEVARD

BEST LOCAL BEER (LAGER)

WINNER: DUNKEL, KC BIER CO.

Finalists: Free State Lager, Free State Brewing; Heartland, Alma Mader Brewing; KC Pils, Boulevard Brewing BEST LOCAL BEER (SAISON)

WINNER: TANK 7, BOULEVARD BREWING

Finalists: Der Bauer, KC Bier Co.; Felt Cute, Limitless Brewing; Hop House Saison, Martin City Brewing; Sunrise Saison, East Forty Brewing BEST LOCAL BEER (SOUR)

WINNER: TEA WEISS, CRANE BREWING

Finalists: Classy, City Barrel; Guavatas, Free State Brewing; Rainbow Sorbet, Servaes; Smooth Fuzz, Boulevard Brewing BEST LOCAL BEER (STOUT)

WINNER: WHISKEY BARREL STOUT, BOULEVARD

Finalists: Black Squirrel Russian Imperial Stout, Cinder Block; Cookie Stout, Limitless Brewing; Holstein, BKS; Squires Stout, Transport Brewery; Tinta Davila Mexican Stout, Brew Lab BEST LOCAL BREWERY

WINNER: BOULEVARD BREWING COMPANY

Finalists: Alma Mader Brewing, Crane Brewing, KC Bier Co., Torn Label Brewing Co. BEST LOCAL DISTILLERY

WINNER: J. RIEGER & CO.

Finalists: Lifted Spirits, Mean Mule Distilling Co., Restless Spirits Distilling Company, Tom’s Town Distilling Co., Union Horse Distilling Co.

Free Tastings Every Friday Evening Phone | 816-531-5900 Address | 4500 Belleview Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64111 Hours | Mon-Thur: 9am to 10pm Fri-Sat: 9am to 12am Sun: 9am to 10pm

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thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

YOU NEVER NEED TO LEAVE

Waldo has all the best brews, lattes, neighborhood hangs, and food

DUNKEL, KC BIER CO., BEST LOCAL BEER (LAGER), BREWER ELIZABETH BELDEN.

cravings. So even if you don’t live here, come make yourself at home.

PHOTO BY JOE CAREY.

With bars, services, specialty retail and KC’s best restaurants on practically every corner, what’s the point in going anywhere else?

BEST LOCAL SPECIALTY BEER RELEASE (NON-BOULEVARD)

waldokc.org |

WINNER: DUNKELBOCK, KC BIER CO.

THANK YOU FOR VOTING! Best Cosmetic Surgeon Jonathan C. Amspacher, MD

For the second year in a row, you’ve voted Dr. Amspacher as Best Cosmetic Surgeon. His attentiveness to patient care is another example of how Mosaic Life Care Plastic Surgery and Dermatology serves our community with compassionate care, close to home. For a free consultation on cosmetic surgery or minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, call 816.430.2416 and mention “The Pitch Best of KC.”

Finalists: Anniversary Stout III, Crane Brewing; Dad Jokes, City Barrel Brewing Company; Magic Magic, Torn Label; Rescue Mild, Martin City Brewing; W.A.S.P. Waffle Ale, Callsign Brewing BEST LOCAL WINERY

WINNER: AMIGONI URBAN WINERY

Finalists: Aubrey Vineyards, Holy Field Vineyard & Winery, KC Wineworks, Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery BEST MARGARITA

WINNER: PONAKS MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Finalists: Drunken Worm, El Patron, Mission Taco Joint, Port Fonda BEST MARTINI

WINNER: CAPITAL GRILLE

Finalists: Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, P.S. Speakeasy, The Campground, The Monarch Bar BEST MILKSHAKE

WINNER: BETTY RAE’S

Finalists: Green Room Burgers & Beer, Mother Clucker, Shake Shack, Town Topic, Winsteads BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

WINNER: THE PEANUT

myMosaicLifeCare.org

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9/19/19 10:58 AM

Finalists: Charlie Hooper’s, John’s Big Deck, MO Brew, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar, The Quaff Bar and Grill

BEST NEW BAR

WINNER: TAPS ON MAIN

Finalists: Dodson’s Bar & Commons, Mean Mule Distilling Co., Percheron, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar BEST NEW BREWERY

WINNER: CITY BARREL BREWING

Finalists: Alma Mader Brewing, Limitless Brewing, Servaes Brewing Company, Transport Brewery BEST PATIO

WINNER: GRAM & DUN

Finalists: Brick House KC, Trezo Mare Restaurant & Lounge, Up-Down KC

YOUR PICKS

BEST SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT

WINNER: EXTRA VIRGIN

Finalists: Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, La Bodega, Nara, The Phoenix BEST SPEAKEASY

WINNER: MANIFESTO

Finalists: P.S. Speakeasy, Swordfish Tom’s, The W, TikiCat BEST SPORTS BAR

WINNER: THE BLUE LINE

Finalists: Johnny’s Tavern, No Other Pub by Sporting KC, Tanners, Taps on Main BEST TEA SHOP/PLACE TO BUY TEA

WINNER: DRAGONFLY TEA ZONE

Finalists: Emilie’s French Teas, Hugo Tea, Phoenix Herb Company, Shang Tea Co. BEST UPSCALE BAR BEST PLACE FOR A CELEBRATORY TOAST

WINNER: ÇA VA

Finalists: Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, Quaff Bar & Grill, The Monarch Bar BEST PLACE TO DRINK WITH YOUR DOG

WINNER: BAR K DOG BAR

Finalists: KC Bier Co., MO Brew, Transport Brewery BEST ROOFTOP

WINNER: THE WELL

Finalists: HopCat, John’s Big Deck, Percheron, Up-Down KC

WINNER: JULEP

Finalists: P.S. Speakeasy, Percheron, The Monarch Bar BEST WHISKEY SELECTION

WINNER: JULEP

Finalists: Big Whiskey’s, Brady’s Public House, Harry’s Country Club, The Belfry BEST WINE SELECTION

WINNER: COOPER’S HAWK WINERY & RESTAURANT Finalists: JJ’s Restaurant, Louie’s Wine Dive, Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen

TAPS ON MAIN, BEST NEW BAR. PHOTO BY TRAVIS YOUNG.

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

Thank you for the love, Pitch readers. You voted us Best in Kansas City: Best Barbecue: Joe’s KC Best Barbecue Sandwich: The Z-Man Best Burnt Ends: Joe’s KC Best Ribs: Joe’s KC Best Sauce: Joe’s KC Best Vegetarian Barbecue Dish: The Portabello Z-Man Best French Fries: Joe’s KC Best Place to Take Out of Town Guests: Joe’s KC

We love you, too! Original “Gas Station” 3002 West 47th Ave. Kansas City, Kansas 66103 913-722-3366

Olathe 11950 S. Strang Line Road Olathe, Kansas 66062 913-782-6858

Leawood 11723 Roe Avenue Leawood, Kansas 66211 913-338-5151

Catering 913-362-0661

To send Joe’s barbecue to family, friends, or valued business associates, coast-to-coast, go to www.joeskc.com and click on SEND JOE’S KC BBQ. 52

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

YOUR PICKS

BEST OF KC

BEST BARBECUE

BEST BURNT ENDS

Finalists: Gates Bar-B-Q, Jack Stack, Q39, Slap’s BBQ

Finalists: Jack Stack, L.C.’s, Q39, Slaps

WINNER: JOE’S KANSAS CITY

BEST BARBECUE EVENT

WINNER: AMERICAN ROYAL BBQ COMPETITION

Finalists: BBQ & Fly In, Excelsior Springs, Beer Dinner at Smokin’ Guns, Lenexa BBQ BEST BARBECUE SANDWICH

WINNER: Z-MAN, JOE’S KANSAS CITY

Finalists: Mr. Burns, Q39; Pulled Pork, Strip’s Chicken; The Mike Johnson, Slaps

WINNER: JOE’S KANSAS CITY

BEST RIBS

WINNER: JOE’S KANSAS CITY

Finalists: Gates, Jack Stack, Q39, Slaps BEST SAUCE

WINNER: JOE’S KANSAS CITY

Finalists: Gates, Jack Stack, Q39, Strip’s Chicken BEST VEGETARIAN BARBECUE DISH

WINNER: PORTOBELLO Z-MAN, JOE’S KANSAS CITY

Finalists: BBQ Nachos, Mattie’s Vegan Eats; Jackknife, Char Bar

BEST BARBECUE SIDE DISH

WINNER: CHEESY CORN, JACK STACK

Finalists: Baked Potato Casserole, Slaps; BBQ Hickory Pit Beans, Jack Stack; French Fries, Joe’s Kansas City

AMERICAN ROYAL, BEST BARBECUE EVENT. PHOTO BY MSH PHOTOGRAPHY. thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

BEST OF KC

BEST BREAKFAST

WINNER: SUCCOTASH

Finalists: Eggtc., First Watch, The Big Biscuit, The Shack BEST 24-HOUR RESTAURANT

WINNER: TOWN TOPIC

Finalists: Hayes Hamburger & Chili, Pancho’s Mexican Food, Rockstar Burgers, Winstead’s BEST APPETIZERS

WINNER: EXTRA VIRGIN

Finalists: KC Kitchen & Pizzeria, Strip’s Chicken, Taps on Main, The Peanut BEST ASIAN RESTARAUNT

WINNER: LULU’S THAI NOODLE SHOP

Finalists: Blue Koi Noodles & Dumplings, Bo Lings, Pad Thai, Waldo Thai BEST BAGELS

WINNER: MESHUGGAH BAGELS

Finalists: Broadway Deli, Einstein Bros, Panera

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

BEST BAKERY (BREAD)

WINNER: FARM TO MARKET BREAD CO.

Finalists: Fervere, KC Pretzel Boys, Meshuggah Bagels, Messenger Coffee Co. + Ibis Bakery BEST BAKERY (SWEETS)

WINNER: MCLAIN’S BAKERY

Finalists: André’s Confiserie Suisse, Bloom Baking Company, Messenger Coffee Co. + Ibis Bakery, The Pantry KC BEST BAR FOOD

WINNER: THE PEANUT

Finalists: Green Room Burgers & Beer, Johnny’s Tavern, Taps on Main, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar

BEST BRUNCH

QUIKTRIP, BEST HOT DOG. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

BEST CATERING

WINNER: CUPINI’S

WINNER: BRISTOL SEAFOOD

Finalists: First Watch, Meshuggah Bagels, Nick & Jake’s, Succotash

Finalists: Blue Pot Catering, Pita Blu. Fresh Greek to Go, Seasons Classic Catering, Strip’s Chicken

BEST BUFFET

BEST CHEAP EATS

Finalists: Bristol Seafood, Ma Ma China, PeachTree Buffet

Finalists: Green Room Burgers & Beer, Pita Blu. Fresh Greek to Go, Strips Chicken, Winstead’s

WINNER: CINZETTI’S

BEST BURGER

WINNER: WESTPORT FLEA MARKET

Finalists: KC Kitchen and Pizzeria, Strip’s Chicken, Taps on Main, Tay’s Burger Shack BEST BUTCHER

WINNER: MCGONIGLE’S MARKET

Finalists: Bichelmeyer Meats, Broadway Butcher Shop, Local Pig, The Store

WINNER: TOWN TOPIC

BEST CHEF

WINNER: MICHAEL SMITH, FARINA/EXTRA VIRGIN

Finalists: Chef Ryan Brazeal, Novel; Jayaun Smith, Independent; Jessica Rieck, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar; Michael Corvino, Corvimo’s Supper Club & Tasting Room BEST CHICKEN SANDWICH

WINNER: CHICKEN N PICKLE

Finalists: Mother Clucker, Rye, Strip’s Chicken

YOUR PICKS

BEST BUTCHER, MCGONIGLE’S MARKET. PHOTO BY JOE CAREY

BEST CHICKEN STRIPS/TENDERS

WINNER: STRIP’S CHICKEN

Finalists: KC Kitchen & Pizzeria, Mother Clucker, Taps On Main BEST CHICKEN WINGS

WINNER: THE PEANUT

Finalists: KC Kitchen & Pizzeria, Strip’s Chicken, Taps on Main, Wings Cafe BEST CHILI

WINNER: DIXON’S CHILI PARLOR

Finalists: Strip’s Chicken, Taps on Main, The Peanut, Town Topic BEST CHOCOLATE SHOP

WINNER: CHRISTOPHER ELBOW CHOCOLATES

Finalists: André’s Confiserie Suisse, Bizz & Weezy Confections, Chip’s Chocolate Factory

BEST DESSERT MENU

BEST FAMILY RESTAURANT

BEST FOOD TRUCK

Finalists: Jasper’s Italian Restaurant, McCormick & Schmick’s, Novel, Rye

BEST DELI

BEST DONUTS

Finalists: Pegah’s Family Restaurant, Rivera’s Home Skillet, Strip’s Chicken, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar

Finalists: Cajunation, Detroit Coney Food Truck, KC Cajun, KC Fooditude, Melt Box Ice Cream

Finalists: Bella Napoli, Broadway Deli, Carollo’s Grocery & Deli, Milwaukee Delicatessen Company

Finalists: Duck Donuts, Fluffy Fresh, Hurts Donut Company, Pike’s Place, Strip’s Chicken

WINNER: D’BRONX

WINNER: CHEESECAKE FACTORY

WINNER: LAMAR’S

WINNER: STROUD’S

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

WINNER: THE WAFFLER

BEST FRENCH FRIES

WINNER: JOE’S KC

Finalists: HopCat, Pita Blu. Fresh Greek to Go, Strip’s Chicken

Tickets: 816.994.7222 or kauffmancenter.org

Saturday, February 1, 2020 7:30 P.M. Muriel Kauffman Theatre KAUFFMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Series Sponsors

K thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

THANK YOU

KANSAS CITY

FOR VOTING US THE #1 INSURANCE AGENCY

e l b a l i a v a w o n e n i l n o order

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s app he smitrteytoday t d a o l n dow your app sto on

the perfect gift (card) 56

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

eatathegarage.com

now serving the impossible burger

YOUR PICKS

BEST FRENCH RESTAURANT

BEST HANGOVER CURE RESTAURANT

BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT

Finalists: Aixois, Cafe Des Amis, Café Provence, Westport Cafe and Bar

Finalists: Meshuggah Bagels, Pancho’s, Strip’s Chicken, Succotash

BEST FRIED CHICKEN

BEST HAPPY HOUR (FOOD)

Finalists: Chai Shai, Moti Mahal, Seva Cuisine of India, Swagat Fine Indian Cuisine

Finalists: Brookside Poultry Company, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, Rye, Strip’s Chicken

Finalists: Extra Virgin, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, Nara, Summit Grill, Taps on Main

BEST GERMAN RESTAURANT

BEST HOT DOG

Finalists: Affäre, Beethoven’s #9 Restaurant, KC Bier Co., Rheinland

Finalists: Charlie Hoopers, Pretzel Boys, Up Dog, Wiener Kitchen

WINNER: QUIKTRIP

BEST KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT

BEST GLUTEN-FREE RESTAURANT

BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT

Finalists: Strip’s Chicken, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar

Finalists: KC Kitchen & Pizzeria, Morgana’s Gluten Free Bakery, Pita Blu

Finalists: Chaz on the Plaza, Lazia, Reserve Restaurant & Lounge, Tavernonna

WINNER: LE FOU FROG

WINNER: STROUD’S

WINNER: GRÜNAUER

WINNER: STRIP’S CHICKEN

BEST GREEK RESTAURANT

WINNER: TASSO’S GREEK RESTAURANT

Finalists: Mr. Gyros Greek Food & Pastries, Pita Blu. Fresh Greek to Go, The Happy Greek

WINNER: TOWN TOPIC

WINNER: LA BODEGA

WINNER: THE SAVOY AT 21C

BEST ICE CREAM

WINNER: BETTY RAE’S

Finalists: Andy’s Frozen Custard, Freezing Moo, Glacé Artisan Ice Cream, Sylas and Maddy’s

WINNER: KORMA SUTRA

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

WINNER: GAROZZO’S

Finalists: Anthony’s, Jasper’s Italian Restaurant, Lidia’s, Ragazza Food & Wine

Eclectic Middle Eastern Cuisine.

Consistently Delicious!

Monday - Saturday 11am-10pm

Sunday

11am-7pm

WINNER: FRITZ’S

BEST LATE NIGHT EATS

WINNER: TOWN TOPIC

Finalists: KC Kitchen & Pizzeria, Pancho’s, Taps on Main, Westport Cafe and Bar BEST LOCAL SNACK

WINNER: THE SNACK SHACK

Finalists: KC Pretzel Boy’s, Pita Blu. Fresh Greek to Go, Strip’s Chicken

431 Westport Rd

Kansas City, MO 64111

816-756-2770

We will be moving to 515 Westport Rd, one block west of the original location. Serving at the new location by 10/15

$3 OFF Large Gourmet Beyond Meat Pizza or $1 OFF Beyond Meat Burger Dine In, Carry Out, or Delivery. Exp. date 10/31/19, valid at all locations. To receive offer, print or show coupon on phone. Not valid with other promotions, discounts or package deals. NO CASH VALUE OR RAIN CHECKS ISSUED, REPRODUCTIONS NOT ACCEPTED

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

YOUR PICKS

BEST NEW RESTAURANT, FARINA. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

BEST LUNCH

WINNER: THE MIXX

Finalists: Meshuggah Bagels, Pita Blu. Fresh Greek to Go, Strip’s Chicken, The Russell BEST MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT

WINNER: JERUSALEM CAFE

Finalists: Aladdin Cafe, Holy Land Cafe, Pita Blu. Fresh Greek To Go

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT

WINNER: PONAK’S MEXICAN KITCHEN & BAR

Finalists: El Patron, K-Macho’s Mexican Grill and Cantina, Mi Ranchito, Port Fonda BEST NACHOS

WINNER: THE PEANUT

Finalists: Blind Box BBQ, Drunken Worm, Johnny’s Tavern, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

BEST OUTDOOR DINING

Finalists: POI-Ō, Taps On Main, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar, True Food Kitchen

Finalists: Aixois, Gram & Dun, John’s Big Deck, Trezo Mare Restaurant & Lounge

BEST NON-BARBECUE SANDWICH

BEST PHO

Finalists: El Jefe, Bay Boy Specialty Sandwiches; Pork Yeeros Club, Pita Blu. Fresh Greek to Go; Reuben Sandwich, Taps on Main

Finalists: Cafe Vie, iPho Tower Vietnamese-French Bistro, Nguyen Pho and Grill, Pho Good

WINNER: FARINA

WINNER: PIGWICH, PIGWICH

WINNER: CHAR BAR

WINNER: VIETNAM CAFE

YOUR PICKS

Bring this Coupon in to any of our locations 5901 Johnson Dr., Mission, Ks 66202

913-362-7700 3395 Main street

Kansas City, Mo 64111

816-561-7176

3801 s. 291 hWy

Lee’s suMMit, Mo 64086

816-537-9851

Buy two SpecialtieS &

get Six donutS

for free!

705 se MeLoDy Ln

Lee’s suMMit, Mo 64063

816-524-5515

Good at listed locations only, only good with donuts with a hole, © Lamar’s Donuts International 2016

BEST PIE

WINNER: THE UPPER CRUST BAKERY

Finalists: Ashleigh’s Bake Shop, Corner Cafe, Easy as Pie KC, Rye BEST PIZZA

WINNER: MINSKY’S

Finalists: Artego, KC Kitchen & Pizzeria, SPIN! Pizza, Waldo Pizza

BEST PLACE TO EAT AT THE BAR, THE PEANUT. PHOTO BY JOE CAREY.

BEST PLACE TO EAT AT THE BAR

WINNER: THE PEANUT

Finalists: Bluestem, Green Room Burgers & Beer, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar

Fab YOU lous Congratulations to all the winners! (You’re all winners in our book)

$3 beers every day 4010 Pennsylvania Avenue Suite D KCMO 64111 greenroomkc.com | 816-216-7682

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

YOUR PICKS

breakfast & lunch

Monday - Sunday 6:30 am 6:30 am -- 33pm pm

BEST PLACE TO HAVE YOUR PARENTS PAY FOR DINNER

WINNER: CAPITAL GRILLE

grow n by han d

made by h and

Finalists: Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, Novel, Strip’s Chicken, Taps on Main, The Boardroom: Board Game Restuarant & Bar

BEST PLACE TO TAKE YOUR TOP CLIENT

BEST RESTAURANT SERVER

Finalists: Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Novel, Stock Hill

Finalists: Bekah Ward, Corvinos Super Club and Tasting Room; Diego Paulin, Nara Restaurant; Hilary Schneider, The Antler Room; Sarah Hunter, Conroy’s; Ted Wilson, The Majestic

WINNER: PIERPONT’S AT UNION STATION

BEST PORK TENDERLOIN

Finalists: Christine’s Firehouse, Christy’s Tasty Queen, Lew’s Bar & Grill, Strip’s Chicken BEST RAMEN

WINNER: BORU RAMEN BAR

Finalists: Columbus Park Ramen, Komatsu Ramen, Ramen Bowls, Shio Ramen Shop

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

WINNER: Q39

Finalists: Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, Novel, Pierponts at Union Station, Rye, Stock Hill

WINNER: KITTY’S CAFE

816.22 1.7 55 9 | blue bi rdbi s tro. c om 1 70 0 S ummi t Street

BEST RESTAURANT

WINNER: CASSIE BROTHERS, OLD SHAWNEE PIZZA

BEST SALAD

WINNER: THE MIXX

Finalists: Pita Blu. Fresh Greek to Go, SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza, The Russell, The Westside Local

KITTY’S CAFE, BEST PORK TENDERLOIN. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

WINNER: BRISTOL SEAFOOD

Finalists: Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Jarocho Authentic Mexican Seafood, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, Pearl Tavern BEST SMOOTHIE/JUICE BAR

WINNER: RUBY JEAN’S KITCHEN & JUICERY

Finalists: Smoothie King, t.Loft, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Unbakery and Juicery BEST SOUL FOOD

WINNER: BEIGNET

Finalists: Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, Niece’s, PeachTree Restaurant BEST STEAKHOUSE

WINNER: J. GILBERT’S

Finalists: Anton’s, Golden Ox, Jess & Jim’s, Stock Hill, Texas Roadhouse

YOUR PICKS

12112 West 87th Street Parkway Lenexa, KS 66215 (913) 345-8774

BEST SUSHI

WINNER: NARA

Finalists: Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Bob Wasabi Kitchen, Friends Sushi and Bento, Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant BEST TACOS

WINNER: MISSION TACO JOINT

Finalists: El Camino Real, Kansas City Taco Company, Margaritas, Taco Republic BEST TAKE OUT

WINNER: LULU’S NOODLES

BEST RAMEN, BORU RAMEN BAR. PHOTO BY JOE CAREY.

BEST TOTS

WINNER: GRINDER’S

Finalists: BRGR, Strip’s Chicken, Taps on Main BEST VEGAN

Kansas City, MO

WINNER: CAFE GRATITUDE

Finalists: Happy Apple Cafe, KC Kitchen & Pizzeria, Kind Food KC BEST VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

WINNER: CAFE GRATITUDE

Finalists: KC Kitchen & Pizzeria, Panchos, Pita Blu. Fresh Greek To Go, Strip’s Chicken, Thai Place

Finalists: Happy Apple Cafe, KC Kitchen & Pizzeria, True Food Kitchen

BEST TAPAS

MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT

Finalists: Antler Room, Extra Virgin, Piropos, Trago Bar & Tapas

Finalists: Café Provence, Novel Restaurant, Pierpont’s at Union Station, Westport Cafe and Bar

WINNER: LA BODEGA

locally owned. locally sourced.

WINNER: LE FOU FROG

BREAKFAST | BRUNCH | LUNCH KEEP KC UNIQUE.

S H O P LO C A L . E AT LO C A L .

OPEN 6AM – 3PM EVERYDAY

816.931.4401 | WWW.THECORNERKC.COM thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

BEST OF KC

BEST ACCOUNTING FIRM

WINNER: BKD, LLP

Finalists: CLA, EHC Accounting BEST AD AGENCY

WINNER: BARKLEY

Finalists: Signal Theory, VMLY&R BEST AESTHETICIAN

WINNER: CARMEN MORALES

Finalists: LASHED BY Alex, Mae Monroe, Meagan Jones, Nikky Rice

BEST APARTMENT COMMUNITY

WINNER: POWER AND LIGHT APARTMENTS

Finalists: Crossroads Westside Apartments, Piper Lofts, Summit Square, Union Hill BEST AUCTION HOUSE

WINNER: KC AUCTION COMPANY

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

WINNER: KC AUTOWORX

Finalists: Hyde Park Service, Inc, London Motorworks, LLC, Tanner’s Customs & Collision, Wise Auto Repair BEST BANK (COMMERCIAL)

WINNER: COMMUNITYAMERICA CREDIT UNION

Finalists: Andrew Turner Auctions, Equip-Bid Auctions

Finalists: Arvest Bank, Commerce Bank, US Bank

BEST AUTO LOAN PROVIDER

BEST BANK (CONSUMER)

Finalists: Main Street Credit Union

Finalists: Capitol Federal, Commerce Bank, Mobank, UMB Bank

WINNER: COMMUNITYAMERICA CREDIT UNION

BEST AUTO SERVICE / REPAIR

WINNER: COMMUNITYAMERICA CREDIT UNION

BEST BARBER

WINNER: JUSTIN LEMOS, MIDWEST BARBERY

Finalists: Anthony Palacio; Jerrin Hawes; Jessica Gilmore, The Barrel House; Morgan Odney, Hairpins BEST BARBERSHOP

WINNER: CHOP TOPS HAIR COMPANY

Finalists: Draque’s Barbershop, Midwest Barbery, The Barrel House Barber Lounge, Venturemen Barbering Shoppe BEST BLOW OUT

WINNER: POSH KC BLOW DRY BAR

Finalists: Bambou Salon & Spa, Bijin Salon and Spa, Hair KCMO

YOUR PICKS

Thanks KC F O R V O T I N G U S O N E O F Y O U R T O P BARBER SHOPS, HAIR S ALONS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAMS. JESSIE HOPELESS, BEST TATTOO ARTIST. EXILE TATTOO, BEST TATTOO STUDIO. PHOTO BY KELCIE MCKENNEY.

BEST BODY PIERCING

WINNER: SUPERNATURAL BODY PIERCING

Finalists: Freaks on Broadway, Irezumi, Radiance Piercing BEST BOUTIQUE REAL ESTATE

WINNER: BOVERI REALTY

Finalists: Brookside Real Estate, Collins Cook Realty, Kansas City Realty Services, Quinn Real Estate BEST BOUTIQUE REAL ESTATE

WINNER: BROOKSIDE REAL ESTATE

Finalists: Collins Cook Realty, Kansas City Realty Services, Quinn Real Estate BEST BROWS

WINNER: BROWS BY DALIA

Finalists: Bliss Beauty & Brow Boutique Skyla Free, Lashed by Alex, Mae Monroe, The Wax Co. BEST CAR WASH

WINNER: KEVIN’S CAR WASH

Finalists: Belfonte’s Car Wash & Detail Service, Charlie’s Car Wash, Waterway BEST CARPET CLEANING

BEST CREDIT UNION

WINNER: COMMUNITYAMERICA CREDIT UNION

Finalists: Azura Credit Union, Mainstreet Credit Union, Mazuma Credit Union BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

WINNER: CRUMBLE CO.

Finalists: Chop Tops Hair Company, CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Sassy Face KC

WINNER: COMMUNITYAMERICA FINANCIAL SERVICES

Finalists: Harrison Quinn, Maciel Wealth Management BEST HAIR COLORIST

WINNER: SAMANTHA HAYES

Finalists: Amber Kelley, Brittany Massey, Chelsea Edwards, Jaime Lewis, Kylie Jackson

WINNER: THE WAX CO.

Finalists: Beyoutify, Lashed by Alex, Milan Laser Hair Removal, Raja’s Wax Beauty Bar

BEST HAIR STYLIST

Finalists: Children’s Treehouse Learning Center, Growing Futures Early Education Center, Kid Stop, Spectrum Station

Finalists: Adrienne Mason, Catie Brennan, Jaime Lewis, Jessica French, Luis Hernandez - Royal Beauty Services

BEST COMPUTER/IT SERVICES

WINNER: SAMANTHA HAYES

BEST HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY

WINNER: BOB HAMILTON PLUMBING, HEATING, & AC

Finalists: Anthony Plumbing Heating & Cooling, Heartland Quality Heating and Cooling, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning

WINNER: TEAM LOGIC

BEST HOTEL

BEST CONTRACTOR

Finalists: 21c Museum Hotel, 816 Hotel, Hotel Phillips, The Fontaine, The Raphael

Finalists: Conduit Technical Services, Integral

WINNER: REMODEL MOORE

Finalists: Catalyst Painting, Preferred Contracting Systems, Under Pressure Property Services, Victory Cleaning Systems BEST COWORKING SPACE

WINNER: WEWORK

Finalists: Bridge Space, ESci Business Center, Firebrand Collective

“Best Barber - Morgan Odney”

WINNER: HAIR SALON

BEST CHILD CARE CENTER

Finalists: Kansas City Realty Services, Newmark Grubb Zimmer

Thank you for nominating us for The Pitch’s Best of Kansas City 2019.

BEST HAIR SALON

Finalists: Ducks Carpet Cleaning, Zerorez

WINNER: REECE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Westport

816•753•2467

BEST HAIR REMOVAL

Finalists: Bambou Salon & Spa, Chop Tops Hair Company, Stem Hair and Body Salon, The Gypsy Parlor

BEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE COMPANY

choptops.biz

BEST FINANCIAL PLANNING

WINNER: PLAZA CARPET CLEANING

WINNER: BRIGHTON ACADEMY

Brookside

816•333•2464

WINNER: CROSSROADS HOTEL

Thank you Kansas City for voting us “BEST Contractor” and “BEST Kitchen and Bath Remodeler”

BEST INSURANCE AGENCY

WINNER: KC INSURANCE GROUP

Finalists: 180 Insurance, Blue Valley Insurance, Julie Pfefer & Associates, Kyle Uhlig Agency: Allstate Insurance 3115 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64109 (816) 721-2529 | remodelmoore.com thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

YOUR PICKS

Kansas City For choosing us as “Best Restaurant in KC” in the 2019 Best of KC Awards.

BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER

BEST MAKEUP ARTIST

Finalists: Kristen Ridler, Melissa B. Rodgers Domestic Styling, Staging KC

Finalists: Dani Jo Bellomy Makeup Artistry, Diana Hernandez, Royal Beauty Services, Hannah Simmons, Madee Stecker Makeup Artistry

WINNER: 1DAPPERLATINO

BEST KITCHEN & BATH REMODELER

WINNER: REMODEL MOORE

Finalists: MSC Enterprises, Quality Home Concepts, RockTops Granite & Stone Fabrication BEST LANDSCAPER

WINNER: BENJAMIN LAWN & LANDSCAPE

Finalists: True Turf Lawn, Yard Masters

Q39KC.COM | FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL @Q39KC

Finalists: Holman Schiavone, LLC; Ralston Kinney, LLC; Smith Mohlman Injury Law, LLC; The Scruggs Law Firm

Finalists: Dell’s Powersports, Freedom Cycles, Indian Motorcycle Kansas City, Worth Harley-Davidson

BEST LIBRARY BRANCH: KS

BEST MUSIC LABEL

WINNER: JOHNSON COUNTY LIBRARY, CENTRAL RESOURCE

Finalists: Johnson County Library - Lenexa City Center, Lawrence Public Library, Olathe Public Library, Downtown, Tonganoxie Public Library

WINNER: THE KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY: CENTRAL LIBRARY

Finalists: Mid-Continent Public Library: Raytown Branch, Mid-Continent Public Library: Woodneath Branch, The Kansas City Public Library: Plaza BEST LOAN OFFICER

WINNER: KATIE GRIMES, FOUNTAIN MORTGAGE

Finalists: Aubrey Washington, LeaderOne Financial; Chris Parris, LeaderOne Financial; Lauri Orscheln, Mark Rome; The Rome Team, Matt Cochran; Fountain Mortgage

FINALIST BEST BROWS BEST AESTHETICIAN Bring this ad in when scheduling a peel series with Mae and receive a complimentary make-up session as a token of her appreciation. ($150+ Value)

WINNER: FOUNTAIN MORTGAGE

Finalists: Arvest Bank, CommunityAmerica Credit Union, LeaderOne Financial, nbkc bank, The Rome Team of Fairway Independent Mortgage BEST MOTORCYCLE OR OFF-ROAD VEHICLE DEALER

BEST LIBRARY BRANCH: MO

Thank you Kansas City for choosing Mae Monroe as your #1 Best Make-up Artist for two consecutive years!

BEST MORTGAGE / HOME LOAN PROVIDER

BEST LAW FIRM / LAWYER

WINNER: STUEVE SIEGEL HANSON LLP

Q39 MIDTOWN: 816.255.3753 | Q39 SOUTH: 913.951.4500

WINNER: MAE MONROE

WINNER: GAIL’S HARLEY DAVIDSON

WINNER: STRANGE MUSIC

Finalists: Lotuspool, Record Machine BEST MUSIC PRODUCER

WINNER: JOSH BARBER

Finalists: Daume Bid, Nate Evans BEST MUSIC STUDIO

WINNER: STRANGE MUSIC

Finalists: Avenue Record Company, JTL Group, Studio 902, Unlabeled Music Services, Weights and Measures Sound Lab BEST NAIL SALON

WINNER: THE LACQUER ROOM

Finalists: bijin salon & spa, Gloss Spa, HOOPLA, Polished Nail Salon BEST NEW HOME BUILDER

WINNER: INSPIRED HOMES

Finalists: R M Standard & Co, SAB Construction

BEST LOCAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

BEST OIL CHANGE

Finalists: Under Pressure Property Services, Hearthside Homes, LLC, Mullin Construction, Newkirk and Novak

Finalists: Firestone Complete Auto Care, KC AutoWorx, Midas, Valvoline

WINNER: PIKE CONSTRUCTION

BEST LOCAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

WINNER: UNDER PRESSURE PROPERTY SERVICES

Finalists: Hearthside Homes, LLC; Mullin Construction, Newkirk and Novak

WINNER: KEVIN’S MOBIL 1 LUBE EXPRESS AT KEVIN’S CAR WASH

BEST PEST CONTROL

WINNER: BLUE BEETLE PEST CONTROL

Finalists: Cole Termite & Pest Control, Inc., Gunter Pest & Lawn, Joshua’s Pest Control, Pete’s Pest Control BEST PET BOARDING / GROOMING / DAYCARE

WINNER: CAMP BOW WOW

Finalists: Kate’s Canine Resort, Katie’s Kennel, Melissa’s Menagerie, On The Ball

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

Thank you for voting us Best Mortgage Company in KC three years in a row. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re honored to be your favorite!

2017 | 2018 | 2019

Living. Lending. Winning. Local.

YOUR PICKS

BEST PET GROOMER

WINNER: U-WASH PUPPY

Finalists: On the Ball, Peace Paws Grooming Salon & Doggie Day Care, Simply Grooming by Gia, The Groom Groom Room inside Bar K Dog Bar BEST PHOTO BOOTH SERVICE

WINNER: THE PHOTO BUS

Finalists: Banana Who, Nate Evans Photography BEST PHOTOGRAPHER (BUSINESS)

WINNER: LGEMERICK PHOTOGRAPHY

Finalists: Black Coffee Photo Co., Heirloom Photo Company, Illuminated Palette Photography BEST PLACE TO ADOPT A PET

WINNER: KC PET PROJECT

Finalists: Furry Kids Refuge, Melissaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Menagerie Second Chances, Unleashed Pet Rescue and Adoption, Wayside Waifs

BEST PLUMBER

WINNER: BOB HAMILTON PLUMBING

Finalists: Anthony Plumbing Heating & Cooling, Heartland Plumbing, Lexington Plumbing, Morgan Miller Plumbing, Witter Plumbing & Electric BEST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY

WINNER: BLOCK REAL ESTATE SERVICES

Finalists: Clemons Real Estate & Property Management, Dalmark Management Group, Newmark Grubb Zimmer, Price Brothers BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT

WINNER: WENDY FOIL

Finalists: Dan Martin, Dani Beyer Real Estate, Lisa Parks, Spencer Kingeter BEST REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE

WINNER: KELLER WILLIAMS KEY PARTNERS

Finalists: breeze Real Estate Team, Kansas City Realty Services, Newmark Grubb Zimmer

WE WANT TO SAY "THANK YOU" TO THE READERS AND FANS OF THE PITCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN VOTING RIVER MARKET ANTIQUES 115 WEST 5TH STREET AS KANSAS CITY'S "BEST VINTAGE FINDS"

www.rivermarketantiquemall.com 66

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

YOUR PICKS

You Belong At...

KC PET PROJECT, BEST PLACE TO ADOPT A PET.

BEST TATTOO STUDIO

WINNER: EXILE

PHOTO BY SARA MCAFEE.

BEST ROOFER/ROOFING COMPANY

WINNER: PYRAMID ROOFING COMPANY

Finalists: KC Roofing and Renovation Solutions, Sarro’s Roofing BEST SCREEN PRINTING

WINNER: ODDITIES PRINTS

Finalists: e2 Embroidery & Screen Printing, Seen Merchandising, Simply Stated LLC, Union Press BEST SIDING PROVIDER

WINNER: CONTINENTAL SIDING SUPPLY

Finalists: KC Roofing and Renovation Solutions, Patrick Exteriors BEST TATTOO ARTIST

WINNER: JESSIE HOPELESS

Finalists: Diana Allen, Noah Moore, Zach Yates

Finalists: Catalyst Arts Collective, Goodfellas Tattoo Gallery, Mercy Seat, Old Souls Tattoo Parlour & Gallery

Start your new Fitness & Nutrition career in 12 months!

BEST TRAVEL AGENCY

WINNER: DESTINATION FUN TRAVEL

Finalists: Cruise Holiday Travel, Fairy Tale Concierge BEST VETERINARIAN

WINNER: EAGLE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Finalists: Kansas City Veterinary Care, Mariposa Veterinary Wellness Center, Raytown Animal Hospital BEST VIDEOGRAPHER/FILMMAKER

86%

WINNER: JACOB J MEYER

Finalists: Isbell Creative, Michael Martin, My Forever Films

JOB PLACEMENT RATE*

Degree & Certificate Programs in: · Fitness & Nutrition · Medical Assisting · Massage Therapy

Campuses in Kansas City, Wichita, Lawrence, & Springfield

1.866.443.9140 WellSpring.edu

*Average placement rate for all three programs.

Thank you Kansas City We’re proud to be selected to

The Pitch’s Best of KC,

and thank our community for supporting us.

THE RIGHT CONTINGENCY | stuevesiegel.com The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

YOUR PICKS

BEST OF KC

BRANDON SMITH, BEST PERSONAL TRAINER. FREIGHT HOUSE FITNESS, BEST GYM. PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN.

BEST BOXING CLUB

BEST DAY SPA

BEST FITNESS BOOTCAMP

BEST HEALTH CLINIC

Finalists: Bodyfit, Bricks Fitness & Boxing Gym, Title Boxing Club

Finalists: Ashley Nelson Studios; bijin salon and spa; Let It Be Beauty - Wax, Skin, Lashes; The Facial Bar

Finalists: Flexy Body Babes, GotEm Fit, MOJO Cycling Studio

BEST DENTIST

BEST FITNESS CLASS

Finalists: Apex Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Health Studio KC, Magnolia Wellness, Meritas Health Gashland

WINNER: 9ROUND

BEST CHIROPRACTOR

WINNER: PREMIER FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC

WINNER: SPA ON PENN

WINNER: SLOOP DENTAL

WINNER: FREIGHT HOUSE FITNESS

Finalists: Center of Life Chiropractic, Dr. Colton J. Bartels, Identity Chiropractic, Kansas City Chiropractic, The Movement Clinic Chiropractic

Finalists: Brian Sutton, Dr. Trent Blaha, Herwig DDS, Josetta DeFrancisco

BEST COSMETIC SURGEON

Finalists: David Fieleke, Dr. Celeste Angel, Dr. Colleen Reisz

BEST GYM

Finalists: Advanced Cosmetic Surgery - Dr. Levi Young; Dan P. Bortnick, MD; Dr. John Michael Quinn

BEST EYE CLINIC

Finalists: GotEm Fit, Kansas City Barbell, MOJO Cycling Studio

WINNER: DR. JONATHAN AMSPACHER, MD

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

BEST DERMATOLOGIST

WINNER: DR. LAUREN KYLE

WINNER: FAIRWAY EYE CENTER

Finalists: Bridge Hill Eye, Eye Associates, Hunter Family Vision, Kansas City Eye Clinic

Finalists: Kalos at Pilates of Kansas City, KC Endurance, MOJO Cycling Studio, Orangetheory Fitness

WINNER: FREIGHT HOUSE FITNESS

WINNER: F.I.T. MUSCLE & JOINT CLINIC

BEST HOSPITAL

WINNER: CHILDRENS MERCY HOSPITAL

Finalists: Advent Health Shawnee Mission, North Kansas City Hospital, Saint Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital of Kansas City, University of Kansas Health System BEST IV THERAPY

WINNER: RECOVERY HYDRATION THERAPY

Finalists: IV Nutrition Now, Revive and Rally IV Therapy

YOUR PICKS

SPA ON PENN, BEST DAY SPA. PHOTO BY KELCIE MCKENNEY.

BEST MASSAGE CLINIC

WINNER: SPA ON PENN

Finalists: Amani Massage and Spa, Dark Horse Massage Therapy, Imagine Wholeness Massage Therapy, Wolford Clinic

BEST PERSONAL TRAINER

WINNER: BRANDON SMITH, FREIGHT HOUSE

Finalists: Kent Masters, BodySmith Personal Training; Mallory Jansen, Flexy Body Babes; Scott Smith, BodySmith Personal Training; Tara Branham, Fit By Burn BEST PHARMACY Finalists: Albers Medical Pharmacy, Hen House, Hy-Vee, Walgreens

Finalists: Jeremy Collum, Dark Horse Massage Therapy; Jessica Snyder, Bon Vivant Massage; Joet Boatman, Joet’s Therapeutic Massage; Monique Waters, Massage Amani and Spa

BEST PHYSICAL REHAB CENTER

BEST MEDICAL MARIJUANA CLINIC

Finalists: F.I.T. Muscle & Joint Clinic, Performance Rehab, Preferred Physical Therapy BEST PHYSICIAN

BEST MEDICAL SPA

Finalists: Damon Heybrock, Holly Kaufman, Meredith Leach Snyder

WINNER: PLAZA AESTHETICS & WELLNESS

Finalists: Aestheticare, Bare Med Spa, Face KC Medical Spa, Hollyday Med Spa + Aesthetics BEST NUTRITIONIST

WINNER: DR. LEIGH WAGNER

Finalists: Britni Reed, Cara Harbstreet, Felicia Steger BEST ORTHODONTIST

WINNER: FRY ORTHODONTICS

Finalists: Heidi Harman Orthodontics, Kurt Hoffman, Toombs Orthodontics BEST PEDIATRICIAN

WINNER: DR. LANCE SLAYMAKER, VILLAGE PEDIATRICS

Finalists: Dr. Deborah Winburn, Jane Pennington

41 43 P e n n sy l v a n i a A v E . Ka n sa s C i ty , M O 6 4 111

WINNER: SERC PHYSICAL THERAPY

WINNER: THE GREEN CLINICS

Finalists: Green Health Docs

S PAON P E N N .C O M • 8 1 6 - 5 3 1 - 8 6 0 0

WINNER: CVS

BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST

WINNER: SHELBY OWEN, SPA ON PENN

Because you deserve the best

WINNER: DR. ALLISON EDWARDS

BEST PILATES

WINNER: STUDIO 7 PILATES + BARRE

Finalists: Om-Prana Ropes Wall Pilates, Pilates of Kansas City, The Body Lab

Thank you for voting us Best Pilates two years in a row! As a local, female-owned business, we truly appreciate your support, Kansas City!

studio7pilates.com | 913.259.7005

BEST WEIGHT LOSS CLINIC/ COUNSELING

WINNER: KU WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Finalists: Medi-Weightloss, Profile by Sanford BEST YOGA STUDIO

WINNER: KARMA TRIBE YOGA

Finalists: Darling Yoga, Full Circle Yoga KC, hOMe family holistic center, Power Life Yoga

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

YOUR PICKS

BEST OF KC

BEST ART GALLERY (LFK)

WINNER: SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART

Finalists: Cider House Gallery, Lawrence Arts Center, Phoenix Gallery, Wonder Fair BEST BANK (LFK)

WINNER: MAINSTREET CREDIT UNION

Finalists: Douglas County Bank, Meritrust, Truity Credit Union BEST BAR (LFK)

WINNER: THE BOURGEOIS PIG

Finalists: John Brown Underground, Louise’s Bar, Louise’s West, The Sandbar

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

BEST BARTENDER (LFK)

BEST BREWERY (LFK)

Finalists: Bryan Gold, Chris Maddox, The Replay Lounge, Dan Luckey, Joe Zielinski, Sandbar

Finalists: 23rd Street Brewery, Lawrence Beer Company

BEST BOUTIQUE (LFK)

BEST BRUNCH (LFK)

Finalists: KB & Co. A Cooperative Boutique, The Striped Cow, Wild Man Vintage

Finalists: 715, Merchants Pub and Plate, The Roost, Wake The Dead Breakfast Bar

WINNER: KARA EASUM

WINNER: WONDER FAIR

WINNER: FREE STATE BREWING COMPANY

WINNER: LADYBIRD DINER

BEST CRAFT COCKTAIL (LFK)

WINNER: THE BOURGEOIS PIG

Finalists: 715, John Brown Underground, Limestone Pizza, Merchant’s Pub and Plate

THE BURGER STAND AT THE CASBAH, BEST LAWRENCE RESTAURANT. PHOTO BY KELBY RECK.

BEST DIVE BAR (LFK)

WINNER: THE REPLAY LOUNGE

Finalists: Conroy’s, Eighth Street Tap Room, Louise’s West, The Sandbar BEST HAIR SALON (LFK)

WINNER: GREENROOM SALON

Finalists: BrynK Salon & Color Bar Lawrence, Moxie BEST HANGOVER FOOD (LFK)

WINNER: THE BURGER STAND AT THE CASBAH

Finalists: Ladybird Diner, Leeway Franks, Pizza Shuttle, The Roost

YOUR PICKS

623 Massachusetts St in

Historic Downtown Lawrence Expertly crafted beers. Seasonal offerings. Full-service bar. Spacious and casual dining. Daily Happy Hours and Specials. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram.

Hours: M-Th

4 pm to 11 pm

Fri/Sat

11 am to Midnight

Sunday Brunch 10:30 to 2:30; dinner â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;til close.

Reservations BEST HOTEL (LFK)

WINNER: ELDRIDGE HOTEL

Finalists: The Oread Hotel BEST MUSIC VENUE (LFK)

WINNER: THE GRANADA

Finalists: Liberty Hall, The Bottleneck, The Replay Lounge BEST NEIGHBORHOOD (LFK)

WINNER: MASS ST.

Finalists: Barker, East Lawrence, Old West Lawrence, Prairie Park

BEST NEW RETAIL BUSINESS (LFK)

WINNER: 1313 MOCKINGBIRD LANE

Finalists: Hemp Haven Lawrence, Jungle House, Leeway Butcher, River Rat Skate Shop BEST PET STORE (LFK)

WINNER: LUCKY DOG OUTFITTERS AND PET BAKERY

Finalists: Pet Smart, Pet World Experience BEST RESTAURANT (LFK)

WINNER: THE BURGER STAND AT THE CASBAH

THE RAVEN BOOKSTORE, BEST LAWRENCE RETAIL BUSINESS.

785-766-1163

PHOTO BY KELBY RECK.

BEST RETAIL BUSINESS (LFK)

WINNER: THE RAVEN BOOK STORE

Finalists: A Beautiful Wedding, Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, The Toy Store, Wonder Fair BEST TATTOO PARLOR (LFK)

WINNER: AD ASTRA PIERCING CO.

Finalists: Abraxas Tattoo, BDC Tattoo, Hermit Tattoo and Gallery

Finalists: 715, Free State Brewing Company, Merchants Pub and Plate, Ramen Bowls, The Mad Greek

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

YOUR PICKS

BEST OF KC

THE EWING AND MURIEL KAUFFMAN MEMORIAL GARDEN, BEST URBAN GARDEN. PHOTO BY KELCIE MCKENNEY.

BEST ATTRACTION

WINNER: THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART

Finalists: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, Union Station Kansas City, Worlds of Fun BEST DAY TRIP

WINNER: WESTON, MO

Finalists: Hermann, MO; Lawrence, KS; Omaha, NE BEST DOG PARK

WINNER: BAR K DOG BAR

BEST LOCAL AUTHOR

BEST LOCAL LEGISLATOR

BEST LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY

Finalists: Cat RunningElk, Pete Dulin

Finalists: Keri Ingle, Lauren Arthur, Stephanie Sawyer Clayton

Finalists: Afentra, 105.1; Jennifer Johnson, 102.1; Jordin Silver, 96.5; Lazlo, 96.5

BEST LOCAL MODEL

BEST LOCAL TELEVISION PERSONALITY

Finalists: Bella Donna Fernandez, Fatemeh Ghazaei, Scooter, Victoria Gevorkov

Finalists: Abby Eden, WDAF; Belinda Post, KCTV; Kris Ketz, KMBC; Mark Alford, WDAF

BEST LOCAL PERSONALITY

BEST LOCAL TV SPORTS ANCHOR

Finalists: Afentra, Lindsey Lili Nhingsavath, Molly Balloons, Tee Dub

Finalists: Dani Welniak, KCTV; Mick Shaffer, KSHB; Tom Martin, KCTV

WINNER: ERIN ALBRIGHT

BEST LOCAL CHARITY

WINNER: KC PET PROJECT

Finalists: Giving Grove, Heart To Heart International, Momma on a Mission, Run for Little Hearts BEST LOCAL HERO

WINNER: SCOTT POORE

Finalists: Brandon Love, Kiona Sinks, Molly Balloons BEST LOCAL INSTAGRAM

WINNER: @MOLLYBALLOONS

Finalists: Leawoof Dog Park, Shawnee Mission Park Dog Off-Leash Area, Swope Dog Park, Wagginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Trail in North KC

Finalists: @1dapperlatino, @ honkytonkwomann, @kasimjhardaway

BEST FACEBOOK PAGE

BEST LOCAL INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

Finalists: KC Pet Project, KC Where You At???

Finalists: Angie Ricono, Emily Sinovic, Matt Flener, Steve Vockrodt

WINNER: CRUMBLE CO.

WINNER: MARTIN AUGUSTINE

BEST KC HUMANITARIAN

WINNER: SCOTT POORE

Finalists: Allison Edwards, Deborah Wiebrecht, Eric Fisher, Jessica Doane

SHARICE DAVIDS, BEST LOCAL LEGISLATOR. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHARICE DAVIDS.

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

WINNER: SHARICE DAVIDS

WINNER: NANDA THOR

WINNER: BRANDON LOVE

WINNER: JONATHAN WIER, 98.1

WINNER: GARY LEZAK, KSHB

WINNER: LEN JENNINGS, KMBC

Visit

Voted Best Day Trip ~ Spend a Day with Friends & Family in Weston!

thepitchkc.com | OCTOBER 2019 | THE PITCH

YOUR PICKS

RESIDENT ARTIST SCRIBE AT CHILDREN’S MERCY HOSPITAL, BEST PLACE TO WORK (OVER 50 EMPLOYEES). PHOTO BY KELCIE MCKENNEY.

BEST PARK

WINNER: JACOB L. LOOSE PARK

Finalists: C. Lee Kenagy Park, Penguin Park, Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, Shawnee Mission Park BEST PLACE FOR A CHEAP DATE

WINNER: THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART

Finalists: First Fridays, Pawn and Pint, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar, Up-Down KC BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE

WINNER: UP-DOWN KC

BEST LOCAL TV STATION

BEST LOCAL TWITTER

Finalists: 41 KSHB, KCPT, KCTV5, KMBC 9

Finalists: @Jeremy_Danner, @ Joel311Bandit, @NeverForgetCL, @TheFakeNed

WINNER: WDAF FOX 4

BEST LOCAL TV WEATHER FORECASTER

WINNER: GARY LEZAK, KSHB

Finalists: Bryan Busby, KMBC; Joe Lauria, WDAF; Karli Ritter, WDAF; Nick Bender, KMBC

WINNER: @LAWRENCEKS_PD

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD

WINNER: RIVER MARKET

Finalists: Brookside, Crossroads, Hyde Park, Prairie Village, Waldo

Finalists: Crossroads Hotel, Parlor, Pawn and Pint, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar, The Create-It Studio

BEST PLACE TO GEEK OUT

WINNER: PLANET COMICON

Finalists: Pawn and Pint, TableTop Game & Hobby, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar, UpDown KC BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLES

WINNER: FIRST FRIDAYS

Finalists: Crossroads Hotel, Missie B’s, Pawn and Pint, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar, UpDown KC BEST PLACE TO TAKE A SELFIE

WINNER: LIBERTY MEMORIAL

Finalists: Crossroads Hotel, Noir Arts and Oddities, The NelsonAtkins Museum of Art, Up-Down KC, Wonder Wonder BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT OF TOWN GUESTS

WINNER: JOE’S KC BAR-B-QUE

BEST PLACE TO BREAK UP WITH SOMEONE

WINNER: KC LIVE! BLOCK AT THE POWER & LIGHT DISTRICT

Finalists: Double Shift Brewing Company, Parlor, The Boardroom: Board Game Restaurant & Bar

Finalists: Boulevard Brewing Tours & Recreation Center, National WWI Museum and Memorial, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Union Station Kansas City

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

(816) 471-0400 / kcsymphony.org

SO MUCH MUSIC, SO MUCH FUN! Classical Opening Weekend

FINLANDIA AND SCHUMANN’S PIANO CONCERTO Friday & Saturday, Oct. 4-5 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. Michael Stern, conductor Martin Helmchen, piano SIBELIUS Finlandia SCHUMANN Piano Concerto DANIEL KELLOGG The Golden Spike

(Kansas City Symphony commission, world premiere)

SMETANA “Blaník” from Má vlast

The Classical season opens with music perfect for a grand celebration as Michael Stern begins his 15th season as Kansas City Symphony music director. Tickets from $25.

THE PITCH | OCTOBER 2019 | thepitchkc.com

Classical Concert

BRAHMS’ FOURTH AND BACH’S FANTASIA

Friday & Saturday, Oct. 25-26 at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

Dorothy Papadakos, organ

J.S. BACH/ELGAR Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor MICHAEL DAUGHERTY Once Upon a Castle for Organ and Orchestra BRAHMS Symphony No. 4

A Halloween tradition! Spend a frightful yet delightful night in Helzberg Hall. This classic 1929 silent film starring Lon Chaney tells the creepy tale of a demented organist lurking in the catacombs beneath the opera house. The entire movie is shown on the giant Helzberg Hall screen with acclaimed organist Dorothy Papadakos improvising the spooky soundtrack on the Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ. Tickets from $25.

Tickets from $25.