Kansas City

I’m coming back home for a high school reunion next month. Haven’t really explored KC restaurants as an adult, as I’ve not really lived in KC full time since high school (late 80s/early 90s). Two questions for those in the know:

  1. I want to take my dad out to a good restaurant. He lives on the Plaza, which is where we’ll be staying. Any good recs for a place between downtown and Brookside? Doesn’t necessarily have to be a wine-centered place; my dad doesn’t drink, but he did love JJ’s and my girlfriend and I wouldn’t mind a nice glass.

  2. Controversial, but what are your favorite KC ribs?

Cheers,
-Robert

I think when you include the experience of a converted gas station that Oklahoma Joe’s is the place to go for ribs.

Robert,

A few suggestions-

Westport - lots of new restaurants have recently opened - Bluestem was reopened with new decor

Power and Light - mostly chains

Crossroads - Michael Smith/Extra Virgin as well as many others

Plaza - Classic Cup is one of the few locally owned places left on the Plaza and with a very strong wine list. Gram & Dun is also getting some good press - I’ve not been.

Brookside - Aixois

Obviously just a quick list. There are lots of great choices in KC these days! Enjoy…and, yes, Oklahoma Joe’s is killing it!

Robert, I just moved back to St. Louis after several years in KC. My thoughts on KC dining is that I was frequently disappointed with anything trying to be fine dining. Here are things that I liked when there, in a neighborhood-centric form as D used:

Crossroads - Tannin wine bar. Really nice by the glass list and decent food. Barry, the manager is super nice too. A family friend is a big fan of Affare.

Midtown - if you need a bottle or two, stop in and see Berserker Jim Coley at Gomer’s. Best selection in KC by a mile

Westport - Beer Kitchen is a really good place for lunch, great beer list. Jim was supposed to have a bubbles-oriented wine bar open in Westport too, but never got to try it before I left.

Plaza - Bo Lings does a decent dim sum, but I think it slipped a lot over the years. I like Grand Street for a casual lunch and outdoor seating, and Classic Cup is okay as well. Unless you want a chain steakhouse though, this probably isn’t the best area to plan dinner.

Brookside - I’ll second Aixois.

Merriam KS - Oklahoma Joe’s. Best ribs in KC in my experience. I also like the rib tips at Arthur Bryant’s and the lamb ribs at Jack Stack are pretty good. (for JS I prefer the location in the freighthouse building in the Crossroads)

Thanks y’all. I’ll check out Aixois given the recs as that was the neighborhood I grew up in. I had heard good things about Bluestem several years ago. And of course I’ve heard about Oklahoma Joe’s; not far from my dad’s place (at least by LA standards), so good to know you guys are on board. I was really impressed by what Jim had done at Gomer’s last time I was in town.

Cheers,
-Robert

When I was in Kansas City last year (for a sports weekend), we ate at Bristol Seafood Grill in the P&L area. I thought the food and wine list were both good.

There are tons of restaurants in that area, if I recall correctly.

You are not likely to choose mexican but we just ate at Zocalo in the plaza a few weeks ago and it was dynamite.

I highly recommend:
Michael Smith in the Crossroads
Story in Prairie Village

If you want BBQ - Oklahoma Joe’s & Jack Stack

I are at Grünauer earlier in the year and thought it was very good.

Hi Robert,

I think you’ll find things have gotten even better since your last visit. I doubt you’ll recognize the building! But lots more Burgs, and a wider range of styles, etc.

I did open a Champagne Bar in Westport called Ca Va (and yes, people call it Cava all the time). I’m not there every night, but please let me know if you’re interested. Lots of grower Champagne and other interesting Euro fizz (and some West Coast goodies as well). We have small plates, so we’re not really a dinner destination per se.

Plaza its tough for me to recommend anything right now, especially with Starker’s gone and JJ’s not yet reopened after the fire.

Lots of stuff in the Crossroads. Michael Smith/Extra Virgin has really good food and list. The former is more formal, the latter is more creative tapas. I prefer the latter experience. The Rieger Hotel has amazing cocktails, and the Chef is one of my partners in Ca Va. Howard was a Beard semi-finalist this year. Affare is another good choice - a very creative take on German cuisine, and Katrin does a great job with the list. Lots of German, Austrian and Northern Italian stuff. Grunauer is a good Austrian choice nearby. Tannin is a great wine bar. There’s another place nearby called Novel that is excellent run by a guy who worked for David Chang and has a very AFWE wine list.

Bluestem would be my dinner pick in the Westport area. Port Fonda is amazing Mexican, but a lot of people find it too hipster. I don’t.

As a disclaimer, I am friends with a lot of people who own/work at the places mentioned.

As to BBQ, Oklahoma Joe’s is pretty awesome, but in a weird way, it has become overrated at the same time. Gates is close to the same quality with a fraction of the wait (seriously, it’s like 90 minutes for takeout at Joe’s - it’s good, but it’s not two hours wait-in-line good). I would also recommend LC’s for just about anything - it’s a hike East of the Plaza, but worth the drive. It can be busy, but not two-hours-wait busy.

Let me know when you’re headed this way!

American Restaurant and Story worked out for me on my last business trip there.

+1 on both of those. The American is top notch fine dining, and their Sommelier is a good friend. Story is run by the ex Chef de Cuisine for Michael Smith, and one of the best options on the KS side of the border.

Oklahoma Joe’s

At manifesto…pretty nice sport bar…gonna eat at Howard’s place on top tonight

Exactly the recommendations that Jim made. I hit them all regularly when I lived there last year.

LC’s burnt ends… drool…

We just returned from KC- this weekend we did do the Crossroad’s Art district

WE started with Manifesto- pretty cool spirit bar ( must get reservations and be on time )–Its representative of Prohabition, you go behind the Reiger Hotel and ring the buzzer to get in!! Here we did Moscow Mules and lamb ribs for apps. Very Dark in their till your eyes adjust.

Dinner was @ Reiger Hotel

I had the Fried Rare Hare Barn Rabbit

sweet corn, buttermilk biscuit, pickled jalepnos, cream gravy–Really nice crispy crusted rabbit, would have preffered the gravy on the side then on top that crisp rabbit

Chef Howard Hanna

WE then move around the corner to Extra Virgin

Here we had a few night caps __ Had the Sazerac and Negroni - another great hang out bar and staff was enjoyable
Chef Michael Smith and I a a great laugh about a new business endver we may do

Just read that Oklahoma Joe’s is changing their name to Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que.

Comprehensive overview of Kansas City:

Gonna Bump this Back…

AS I’m soon staying near Crown center and would like a few ideas again…

We did Reiger, Extra Virgin and Tannin…

Wouldn’t mind a Mexican food location ( possibly lunch driven ) and a something else.

Not opposed to Plaza… if anything new and re-opened

Probably not P and L

Paul