The Making of a Foodie

Things Making Me Hungry - January 2019 Edition

Listen, I know it is no longer January. In fact, Valentine's Day is looming, but I want you to know that I started this post on New Year's Day. So, I still think this should count as a January post, no?  

It has been a minute since I have posted anything to my trusty blog, (I should tell you that I have gone from blonde to red to blonde since we last spoke, I need to update my photo), and I thought that here at the beginning of another new year in food, I would share with you the running list of things in my head that are making me hungry or excited about food, right now.

These are quick bites . . . an amuse bouche, if you will . . . to the things I am reading, watching, experiencing, eating, cooking or even overall developments in food that I think are worth mentioning. 

But first, I want to start my 12th year of this blog, with a bit of a #humblebrag to tell you how proud I am of the changing and growing food scene we are all creating here in Kansas City. I am also proud of the work I have done to date promoting, participating and hopefully advancing the food scene over the last 12 years. As a quick update, here are places you can now find me, and my work.

• As the Contributing Editor for Feast Magazine in Kansas City, I have taken my blog content once saved for these pages and placed it on their blog and in their magazine each and every month. I love writing for an all food magazine.
• I am also thrilled to serve as the Events Manager for Johnson County Community College's Friends with Taste program. This is a donor program that helps raise money for hospitality and culinary students for culinary trips, competitions and equipment. The fundraising foodie events I plan for this group is what helps raise money for the future chefs coming out of this program. P.S. We would love to have you as a member of Friends with Taste, if you aren't already, please consider it.
• You can also find me occasionally on KCUR's Friday Food Show on Central Standard giving recommendations on restaurants to try in Kansas City.
• Finally, I am honored to be hosting my underground supperclub, The Test Kitchen, in both Kansas City and Tulsa. This year I will be celebrating my 12th year hosting Test Kitchen in Kansas City, and my 10th year hosting Test Kitchen in Tulsa. I had no idea if I would be able to make a living doing this, but by hustling and wearing many hats, all related to chefs, food, restaurants and cooking, I am thrilled to say, I am indeed doing what I love for a living.
• I have also joined the local Kansas City chapter for Les Dames d'Escoffier, and am serving on their board as the Communications Chairperson. I will be working this year with these ladies to host the third year of our annual event Les Dames' SupperClub which will be hosted on Friday, Oct. 11 this year. There will be more to come on that . . .

I had actually planned for this to be my first podcast of 2019, but I am finding myself stuck as to what to call the podcast, as I would likely want to rebrand all of my current content with this new name. Although The Making of a Foodie has served me well, it is time for something that is more representative of what I can now offer in terms of my experience and expertise. I need something a bit more forward looking . . .although, you should know that I did purchase the URL, "Finally, A Foodie" when I bought "Making of a Foodie" in 2007, for good luck, and, you know, just in case my dream came true. (Psst, it did. ;-)

So, for my thoughts on food that don't seem to have a home anywhere else, I will turn to my trusty blog to put them for safe keeping. Who knows maybe this will become a monthly thing for me in 2019!

Okay, so please, dig in! Here's what's making me hungry for MORE this month in food.

The Instagram Account @overheardatgramanddun

Although the last post for this hilarious Instagram account looks to have been done in September of 2018, I just ran across this Instagram page this month. The genius behind this feed needs to get back to work to continue to bring us more installments (real or imaginary) of "all things overheard at Gram & Dun in Kansas City." Favorite quotes include:  "Up until three days ago, I had no idea that fish tacos were actually a real food item," and "Can I get a mimosa? But instead of OJ use grapefruit, and instead of champagne, make it vodka," and, "We can't sit on the patio, we're with two gingers!"

There are some more colorful ones like, "I shouldn't have three glasses of wine, but my husband will be happy later," and "This is the best place to bring your side piece and your wife," and "I'd just really appreciate it if you don't touch my mom's ass at all. Ever."

Emily Farris, please tell me you were behind this bit of genius marketing. Want to get in on all of the fun? DM your overheard comments at Gram & Dun to the account for submissions to be included on the page. 

 

Open Belly Podcast

This brand new Kansas City-based food podcast launched on your favorite podcast platform on Feb. 5, 2019, so subscribe now and listen to get a feel for what Open Belly is all about. Although, I suspect the creative direction for this podcast started out simply as a look at the groovy international food scene in Kansas City, it is clear listening to it that this show but has quickly morphed into so much more. It delves into the personal stories of the trials and tribulations of coming to America, owning your own restaurant, and trying to teach people about your culture and your food in the middle of the Midwest. It is about knowing yourself, and believing in yourself.

Created and hosted by Danielle Lehman who is also the Founder and CEO of Boxer & Mutt, a digital design agency based in Kansas City. She gets photography help from Alyssa Broadus and Chris Dolt and branding and design help from Frank Norton. Together this team has created a unique new podcast with a local lens that I am ready to gobble up.

 

Chef Marcus Samuelson's PBS TV Series "No Passport Required"

If you haven't see Season 1 of this new show from Eater and PBS called No Passport Required starring chef Marcus Samuelsson, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. (They just announced that it has been picked up for a second season that they are filming now!) This is the food show this country needs right now. Instead of taking us to different countries and showing us the people and foods from far away places, a la Bourdain, Marcus takes us into our own backyard, to visit pockets of immigrant communities located in cities across the USA, and shows the people in these communities cooking in their own homes and restaurants. It shows how the first generations still cook the traditional dishes from the places they came from, and how they remember their home countries. It shows the food sources, markets, farms and gardens they use to get or grow the ingredients they need to make their dishes. They also show how second and third generations are taking traditional dishes and have evolved them over time to become more Americanized or a blend of both countries. Marcus leads us through all of these interactions in different cities and with different cultures with all of the heart, soul, love and deep understanding that only he, as an immigrant, two-times over, can have. Love. This. ❤️ A must-watch! Set your DVR to KCPT – Kansas City PBS.

 

Chef Dominique Crenn Wins Third Michelin Star, a First for a Woman in America

Let me be clear, Dominique Crenn is not just great female chef, she is a great chef. Period. End of story. After a year of women standing up for themselves in kitchens all over the country, with ongoing effects of the #metoo movement still reverberating across the restaurant industry, (for a local take on how this issue is getting addressed this please read this recent article from Caitlin Corcoran, owner of Kansas City's ÇaVa) comes news that in 2018 chef Dominique Crenn broke through the glass ceiling, becoming the first woman in the United States to receive three stars from the Michelin Guide, its highest rating, for her restaurant Atelier Crenn. This French-born chef has been executing her unique style of modernist cuisine for years, and she has become outspoken about awards that judge women and men's culinary skills separately. This quote from the New York Times gets to the heart of it for her. "When you give someone an award and you tell them that they are the best female chef in the world, you alienate them from their peers," she says. "It's unbelievable. Since when do we have to do a category for women?" That being said, as stodgy and perhaps out-of-touch as a Michelin may be, they continue to judge restaurants on a level of food and service that is becoming more and more extinct in today's preference for more casual eateries. Receiving stars from Michelin is still considered a mark of achievement in this industry and will bring customers to the door of any restaurants receiving them. One small step for Dominique, one giant step for chefs everywhere. 

 

Bon Appetit is my new favorite national food magazine 

Obviously, Feast magazine, is my favorite local food magazine. Duh. But I have subscribed to almost all of the national food magazine for over the last 10 years. I mean all of them. Food and Wine, CHOW, Saveur, Cherry Bomb, Lucky Peach, Gastronomica, Cook's Illustrated,  Eating Well, Bon Appetit and Fine Cooking. Finally, last year, I realized that with as much knowledge as I now have about food, restaurants and cooking the only magazine I am truly enjoying right now is Bon Appetit. That has not always been the case, I used to much prefer Food & Wine to Bon Appetit, but something changed in the content and tone, and I noticed and liked the changes. I also think from a business and branding perspective they are doing the best job of pulling together all of the content in a cohesive and meaningful way. The magazine feels fresh and is fun to read, as does the website, but it also has an opinion (sometimes a popular one, and sometimes not so popular, like eschewing the use of black pepper in seasoning our dishes -- WE WERE NOT READY TO HEAR THAT!) Personally, I Iike its cheeky tone, which has everything to do with Editor-in-Chief, Adam Rapoport. Right now, I am consuming their magazine, website, podcast, e-newsletter and I love them all, because they all offer slightly different content, that does not appear to overlap. I also like the way they have woven their "Healthyish" and "Basically" content into all of the other gourmet food stuff. It feels on point, and how many of us choose to cook and eat today. Their e-newsletters and what is in them are directly tied to their podcast content and gives you links to go back after you have listened to look up their recipes online. What a gorgeous use of a newsletter! I no longer have to pull over in my car to make a note to look up a recipe I just heard them talk about on the podcast, they EMAIL it to me. Genius! I have also grown to love the Bon Appetit cast of characters on the podcast, yes, even the bossy, controlling and sometimes exhausting Adam, who hosts the show. When I am looking for a "healthyish" recipe, I can find it. Something to impress dinner guests? There is a recipe for it. What to bring to my neighborhood potluck? They got me. But, they also have their hand on the pulse of what is new and now, with restaurant guides to the major cities that helps me keep my eyes open about what is happening in food scenes across the country and beyond. I am crushing on Bon Appetit hard, right now. 

 

Thelma's Kitchen in Kansas City - A Pay As You Can Cafe on Troost

Looking for a delicious way to karmically kick-off your new year? Consider having lunch at Thelma’s Kitchen and help pay a meal forward or volunteer your time in the kitchen or in the dining room. Thelma’s Kitchen is the non-profit, donate-what-you-can cafe located on the corner of 31^stand Troost in a warm and inviting space that is on a future-facing mission to feed the people of Kansas City, while breaking down the racial and economic dividing line that has defined Troost in the past. Thelma’s Kitchen is a non-profit, funded by Reconciliation Services in partnership with the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and Village Presbyterian Church and run by volunteers. Open since August of last year, Thelma’s has been serving more than 100 plates a day, with the help of Pamela Infranca, the chef of Thelma’s Kitchen and Food Programs Manager at Reconciliation Services, in addition to many local chefs and community volunteers who donate a few hours each week or every other week. There are no set prices for lunch. You can order a small portion for a suggested donation of $7 or a large for $10, but most choose to pay more than the suggested price to pay-it-forward to the next person. Guests just need to say the amount they would like to pay. Cash and credit cards are both accepted. The minimum donation is $2, and for those who can’t afford that, anyone can volunteer 30 minutes of work in the restaurant in exchange for a free lunch. As for the food itself, it is simple, comforting and plentiful, with your choice of soup, salad, entrée (either a sandwich or a hot lunch) and dessert. Guests order their food cafeteria-style and pay at the end. Drinks, which also come with the meal, include tea and fruit flavored water. Donate, dine and discover this new cafe in Kansas City. 

 

Bluestem's New 4-Course Pastry Bar Tasting

The remodeling of Colby and Megan Garrelts' original fine dining restaurant Bluestem a few years ago, brought the addition of a glowing, white-tiled pastry counter to their lively bar area.

Now, they are ready to put those seats to good use with the addition of a brand new dessert experience that you can book at their pastry chef counter. Pastry Chef Lyndsi DeMicco is now accepting reservations for a 4-course pastry tasting at her communal counter where you will enjoy a delicious selection of petit fours.

She was recently featured as one of Kansas City's rising stars in Feast magazine, and she enjoys working with seasonal ingredients and juxtaposing sweet and savory flavors. The price for this unique experience is $40 per person with optional wine pairing. Reservations can be made for parties of 1-4. So, go on and book up their pastry bar and let Lyndsi hook you up, just save a seat for me! Click the link above to make your reservations today. 

 

Talking Food at 1900 - 3-Part Lecture and Dining Experience 

TALKING FOOD at 1900 (which refers to the Karbank building where Restaurant 1900 lives) is a new 3-part series held at 1900 aimed to engage, challenge, and educate on a variety of topics in the food world. The first event in the series was held the last weekend in January and was about "aquaculture" or the rearing of aquatic animals or the cultivation of aquatic plants for food. Christopher Haatuft, Executive Chef of Lysverket in Bergen, Norway, and Magdalena Wallhoff, a veteran of the aquaculture industry, were joined on stage by travel/food photographer and writer, Bonjwing Lee, who moderated the event.

They held the lecture on Saturday night, and then on Sunday night they hosted a dinner where Christopher was welcomed into the kitchen at The Restaurant at 1900, where along with Executive Chef Linda Duerr and her team as they prepared a 5-course meal designed to highlight the aquaculture industry and bring attention to its culinary possibilities. The lecture was FREE and open to the public, although you had to reserve a spot, and tickets for the dinner, which were $150 per person and included wine pairings. For notification of the last two events in the TALKING FOOD at 1900 series, follow the Facebook page for Restaurant at 1900.

I like this model of hosting a 2-night event with the education part being FREE and open the public and the dinner a special added experience for additional dollars. I love the idea of bringing in chefs from around the world to discuss topics that impact the decisions we make around our food every day. More of THIS, Kansas City!

Café Sebastienne Dinner Series: Fermentation

Ask and ye shall receive! Café Sebastienne has rolled out their own educational food series with matching dinner, and the next one will be on Saturday, March 2, from 7-9 pm. Come listen to food writer, activist, and author Sandor Katz along with artist and food fermentation experimentalist S.E. Nash who will be joined by Café Sebastienne Executive Chef Rick Mullins, one of the original founders of the Soil Collective in Kansas City, as they host an event that explores the art of fermentation. The evening will begin at 6:00 pm with a FREE panel discussion and Q&A that is open to the public in the atrium of Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Complimentary kombucha sampling will be available. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. Then after the discussion a multi-course dinner will immediately follow, held in the Café Sebastienne Courtyard at 7:00 pm with natural wines, beers, and ciders available for purchase. Tickets must be purchased in advance for the dinner and they are $65 per person. *price includes dinner and gratuity; online fees apply (approximately $5.50 per ticket). Having hosted both Executive Chef Rick Mullins and Cafe Sebastienne's General Manager, Mickey Priolo, several times at Test Kitchen when they were hosting their own dinners around food waste and fermentation under Soil Collective, I can tell you that the knowledge and experimentation that they have done on this topic runs deep. Fermentation takes time, and the right conditions but what comes out of it can be so beautiful . . .like sourdough bread, kombucha, kimchi and so much, much more. Come, let's learn more together!

 

Things I have been reading lately: 

There's a Poke Problem from TASTE

McSweeney's satire piece on Four White Guys Bringing Authentic Brazilian Street Cuisine To Your Neighborhood . . .especially funny to me as a white woman who was married to a Brazilian and owned a Brazilian store at one point. If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at? 

Just a few words from Tony . . .I still can't believe he is really gone.

Here's an article that recently ran in AFAR about Kansas City, that I think is also a must read. Real talk about the real stuff Kansas City is dealing with right now from an outsiders point of view. Informed. Educated. Funny. A great read. I am thrilled to see pastry chef An Beard Zebley's adorable YUM, a boutique bakery get a shout out! Sweet Potato Donut! Yassssss, yes, yes!

Happy New Cheer, Everybody! 

xoxo

Jenny Vergara 

AKA: Foodie

 

 

Chef Colby and Megan Garrelts To Open Second Rye Location on The Plaza

Now, Kansas City can enjoy delicious fried chicken and homemade pie from Rye, while gazing at the iconic JC Nichols Memorial Fountain – the modern Midwestern restaurant is scheduled to open a new location on the Country Club Plaza by Fall 2017.

Chefs Colby and Megan Garrelts announced their plans this week to open a second location for Rye in the former Morton’s Grille space. This will be the third restaurant for the award-winning chefs, after they opened their first flagship fine dining restaurant, Bluestem, in Westport in 2004, followed by Rye in Mission Farms in Leawood, KS in 2012.

Since then, Garrelts have been on a roll. After opening both of their restaurants, the national accolades for each of them and their restaurants started rolling in.

In 2013, Colby Garrelts won the James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Midwest award, followed by Bluestem receiving a 2015, 2016, and 2017 James Beard Semifinalist nod for Outstanding Restaurant in Kansas City.

Pastry Chef Megan Garrelts is also a James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef for both Bluestem and Rye. The two chefs are also the authors of two cookbooks: Bluestem, the cookbook and Made in America, and the parents of two adorable children.

With this level of national recognition, Rye on the Plaza is destined to be a real showpiece for the Garrelts’, and their culinary vision, as they will welcome both locals and tourists alike to their splashy new location. “Being able to embark on what is now our third restaurant is a direct reflection of how much the Kansas City food scene has grown,” says Colby Garrelts. “This is my hometown and having the opportunity to open Rye in a location so iconic to our city is incredible.”

This culinary couple will be joined in this venture by another one. Jeff and Joy Stehney, owners of Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, will continue to support the Garrelts’ vision for Rye both financially, as partners, and as mentors. The foursome shares a true friendship and interest in helping each other, as they continue grow their restaurant empires together in Kansas City.

The new Plaza location for Rye will have about the same amount of space that their Leawood location has -- over 7,000-square-feet. It features a large bar, while the main dining room will hold a total of 120 guests. There will be two private dining rooms that will be available to host family parties or corporate events.

Local designer, John O’Brien with Hammerout Design, who previously worked on the original Rye restaurant in Leawood, has been retained to ensure the new Plaza location will keep the same charm as the original. His goal is to create a similar feel and energy that highlights a rustic refinement that must be both comfortable enough to enjoy every day, and one that you would also want to celebrate special occasions in.

The leadership team that the Garrelts’ have strategically pulled together to man the Plaza location will pull from all of their current restaurants.

In the kitchen will be Executive Chef John Brogan who has been running the Leawood Rye kitchen for many years. The menu at Rye will continue to be a thoughtful collaboration between Colby Garrelts and Brogan that will feature signature dishes like the burnt ends and sourdough toast showcasing KC-style smoked brisket, shrimp and grits with Anson Mills cheddar grits and their famous fried chicken served with housemade pickles and ham gravy.

In the front of the house, look for General Manager Jeremy Lamb to bring his cool expertise to the new Plaza location. Having served as General Manager for both Bluestem and the Leawood location of Rye, Lamb is a trusted and familiar face that the guests look forward to seeing and the Garrelts’ have come to rely on. Known for his snappy suits, tireless wit and superior service, Lamb is the perfect person for the job.

As Lamb and Brogan leave the Leawood location, they will pass the torch to General Manager Vincent Corpuz and Executive Chef Ryan Williams, who were both recently promoted.

In the pastry kitchen, Pastry Chef Megan Garrelts will also team up with Rye’s current Pastry Chef Keara Masson, who will oversee production for both locations’ celebrated desserts. Most known for their pies, look for classic flavors and rotating seasonal options such as Lemon Meringue, Banana Cream, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies, in addition to traditional cakes, housemade ice cream & sorbets, and decadent ice cream sundaes.

Finally, lending his expertise to the bar at Rye on the Plaza will be Bluestem’s Bar Manager Andrew Olsen, who will oversee the beverage program. Olsen’s cocktail list incorporates timeless classics as well as the inspired twists that have made him a nationally recognized name in the beverage world.

Look for Olsen behind the main bar shaking things up or tucked inside their new private dining room, where at a fully equipped bar, he will be able to host intimate cocktail, spirits, and wine events. This private bar will also be used to host pop-up events, showcasing Olsen’s talents, making it a true insider’s cocktail destination.

Taking the opportunity with the opening of their second location for Rye, the Garrelts’ will launch their own line of BBQ and hot sauces. The Kansas City-style BBQ and smoked fresno chile hot sauces served at Rye, have finally been bottled for purchase.

Rye on The Plaza will open serving lunch and dinner only, then move to add breakfast and brunch. Eventually, Rye will serve breakfast from 8 – 11 am, lunch from 11 am – 3:30 pm, Monday – Friday. Weekend brunch Saturday & Sunday will be served from 10:30 am – 3:30 pm. Dinner will begin seven days a week starting at 4 pm.

Rye, 4646 JC Nichols Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri, facebook.com/ryekcplaza/ and ryekc.com

Repeal 18th Brings Gastropub Food and Craft Cocktails to North Kansas City

A new gourmet gastropub and craft cocktail spot celebrating the repeal of prohibition has opened, bringing North Kansas City a little closer to the culinary scene happening in downtown Kansas City, located only 5 minutes away.

Repeal 18^th Bar & Bistro has brought new life to the former firefighter’s bar, Johnny’s Back Yard, and they opened their doors last month introducing their new concept and executive chef, Bryan Sparks, and bar manager Darrell Loo, to the neighborhood.

Sparks is a young chef on the rise in Kansas City, who has been sharpening his skills at a wide variety of quality restaurants like Genessee Royale, 801 Fish, Jax’s Fish House & Oyster Bar and most recently Ostrea in St. Joseph, Missouri. He is excited about the opportunity to run his own kitchen at Repeal 18^th. “We are going to be serving elevated pub food here with a variety of creative small plates to share, plus a few hearty entrée items,” he says. “The food will be delicious and comforting, but with some playful surprises.”

Look for maple roasted peanuts, pork belly nachos, Bay scallop ceviche, monkfish corn dogs and fried sweetbreads and brown butter parsnips skewers on the small plates menu, which are available to order 1 for $5, 3 for $12 and 5 for $19.

As for the bar program, Darrell Loo has been brought on board to create and manage their cocktail program, “which will offer a whiskey-driven craft cocktail menu, offering everything from Jim Bean to 25-year old Pappy, and a wine program that will scale from $6 a glass to offering $150 bottles,” says Sparks.

The space itself is split into several different seating areas and experiences. Outside there is a sizable patio and small stage, which they plan to book live music in about once a month. On the nights they are throwing a “repeal party” outside, they plan to close the restaurant kitchen and throw something on the grills outside that they can sell like burgers, barbecue or even a large pan of paella.

Inside the space is broken up into a larger downstairs space and full bar that can seat 55 people and a private upstairs space that will seat 20 and will be available to rent out for special events. Whiskey lockers will also be kept on premise for regulars to use to store their favorite brands.

Fans of Johnny’s Back Yard, won’t recognize the newly remodeled space with its cool grey walls, black leather seating, Eidson light bulbs and retro fixtures modern tiled bar and steampunk metal rail work around the private balcony. It definitely sets the stage for a more sophisticated dining experience that isn’t stuffy, just one that cares about offering a high quality experience in part of town that has more casual dining options.

Repeal 18^th Bar & Bistro is the latest project for newly retired Edward Collins, a former Battalion Chief of the Kansas City Fire Department, and CEO of Burlington Mattress Co. He, and his daughter, Ann Cook, who serves as the COO of Burlington Mattress Co., will supervise the day-to-day operation of their new food and drink emporium.

“I would occasionally walk over and meet my old fire-fighting buddies at Johnny’s for a beer, so I knew the potential of this location and the great bones this place had,” says Collins. “It closed in March after 11 years, and then went up for sale 3 weeks ago, that’s when Ann and I jumped on it to open our next business together.”

The father-daughter team can see their new venture from the building that serves as home base for Burlington Mattress Co. located only a block away. They launched their first family business from that building on Burlington, growing it into a chain of 35-retail stores that they recently sold a part of allowing for Collins to finally make his move toward retirement.

Although owning a restaurant and bar doesn’t sound like much of a retirement, Collins assures me that this is something he has wanted to see in North Kansas City for many years, and he places his confidence in his daughter, the staff and particularly in Chef Bryan Sparks. “North Kansas City needs and is ready for an upscale chef-driven restaurant serving delicious gourmet food along with a great craft cocktail,” says Collins.

Collins points to the tremendous growth in new food and drink related businesses opening up now in North Kansas City, as why the timing is right for Repeal 18th. He has watched the entire area grow into a vibrant new entertainment district that is now home to a host of new restaurants, bars, retail and coffee shops, not to mention the craft beer breweries and liquor distilleries that have also chosen to make this part of town their home. Modest prices, real estate for sale and close proximity to downtown Kansas City all play into the explosive growth and interest in this area.

After the sneak peek party on Saturday, June 24, they plan to start soft opening the following week. Watch their Facebook page for all the updates on their upcoming opening celebrations.  

Repeal 18th Bar & Bistro, 1825 Buchanan St, North Kansas City, Missouri, 816.527.9819, repeal18th.com

 

Freshwater Restaurant Demolished in Fatal Car Crash

One of the unique selling points of the space that Chef Calvin Davis selected to open his first restaurant, Freshwater, was its visibility to bustling Southwest Trafficway.

Yet it was that same busy road, and his restaurants’ proximity to it, that created the perfect storm around 3 am Saturday, June 17, when a grey Honda clipped a town truck carrying a black GMC pickup truck that sent the car crashing head-first into south side of the building landing in the middle of the dining room of Freshwater.

The driver of the Honda, 25-year old Malcolm E. Hawkins, lost control of the vehicle, traveled across two lanes of traffic and into the restaurant, killing his 19-year old passenger, Diamond M. May, who was pronounced dead at the scene, and destroying the 3-month-old restaurant.

“The sad part is that all of this was preventable,” says Davis, “he chose to get behind the wheel and drive, and look at all of the lives, especially Diamond May and her family, he impacted with that one decision.”

According to the Kansas City Star, a statement that was issued on Saturday by the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office saying that the driver of the Honda, Hawkins, will face Class B felony charges for driving while intoxicated, causing a death with blood alcohol level of .18 or above, and operating a vehicle without a valid license.

As for Davis, he is not giving up. “Freshwater is not done, it will reopen. We started out by doing pop-up’s and that is what we will go back to doing as we move forward with either rebuilding this space, or possibly looking for a new space.”

He says he does wonder if he decides to stay in his current location if that would impact his business. Just how safe would his guests feel returning to the restaurant after such a horrific accident had occurred there.

“There simply are no barriers between the shops and the trafficway,” says Davis.  He started speaking to the other shop owners only a few weeks ago in the hopes having barriers of some kind added. “Everyone who owns a shop here has watched as people have accidentally taken their cars up on the sidewalk, if only for a minute, while speeding down Southwest Trafficway.”

But the true silver lining for him in all of this, has been the outpouring of support he has received from his restaurant industry friends. Davis says he has been overwhelmed by the number of phone calls, texts and emails from those in the business who have reached out to offer help and support in one way or another. “We are a generous industry that supports each other, and something like this reminds you of that. What happened to me could have happened to anyone who owns a restaurant.”

Freshwater is closed for business, as Davis makes new plans. The kitchen is still intact, but he dining room has collapsed. However, it would take extensive clean up and remodeling to put his restaurant back together again. “A lot of this depends on my Landlord, but look I’ve done this once, and I can do it again. I was here every day for 8 months, night and day, trying to get my restaurant open, and my staff and I are ready to do it again.”

Davis says he has “great insurance” and that his plan will pay his dozen or so employees during the downtime from one-month to up to 90 days. He hopes to re-open in that amount of time if all goes according to plan.

Watch the Freshwater Facebook page for pop-up updates and more details as Davis’ plans progress.

Freshwater, 3711 Summit, Kansas City, Missouri, 816.492.6861, freshwaterkc.com

 

Christopher Elbow Chocolates Moves Into New World Headquarters By 2018

Kansas City’s own candyman, Christopher Elbow is consolidating his chocolate making operation.

By next summer, Elbow is hoping to move his chocolate empire into a building located at 2725 Holly Street, in heart of Kansas City’s artisanal food and beverage “makers” community. His new neighbors will be The Roasterie and Boulevard Brewing Co.

“Right now, we produce all of our chocolates in the back of our store on McGee, and we also need more room for our shipping operation and our corporate offices,” says Elbow. “It was time to bring everything together under one roof.”

Elbow confirmed they closed on the building that will serve as their new world headquarters last week. The 15,000 sq-foot building was built in 1955 and in a former life functioned as a tire company. He also says it needs a lot of work. “The new building will be completely gutted and repurposed to house our new corporate offices, production and post-production facilities, warehousing, and order fulfillment, and we will also have a test kitchen laboratory for product development and interactive events.”

Many remember when Elbow first started making his artistic and flavorful chocolates under the name Christopher Elbow Chocolates in 2003. He was operating in a small space above a restaurant on Southwest Boulevard. Since then, he has quietly moved his corporate office a couple of times, always leaving his company name off the front door, as he found well-intentioned locals and tourists alike were constantly stopping by hoping for a tour, or wanting to buy chocolates, neither of which he could offer them at his corporate office.

“It's going to be a big project remodeling our new building, and although it will not be open to the public, we are going to make sure it looks cool and will be a nice addition to the neighborhood.”

Today the scope of his day-to-day operations here in Kansas City has changed considerably from where he started 14 years ago. He believes his new building, that will double the size of his current production space, will allow everyone on his chocolate team the chance to work side by side for the first time.

One thing that will definitely be making the move from Elbow’s current office to his new building is his top-secret, by-invitation-only, can’t-say-where, cocktail lounge that he had built into his executive office to entertain clients and friends. Hidden inside of a book on a bookshelf in his office is a biometric lock that recognizes Elbow’s thumbprint. When he presses it, a section of his bookshelf is released and swings open to reveal a private speakeasy bar and lounge. He has named it “Doe Bar,” as it has a masculine hunting lodge feel with handsome brass deer heads on the wall.

This chocolatier is more than happy to play bartender when clients belly up to his private bar, as making cocktails one of the other things that Elbow excels at creating.

Christopher Elbow Chocolates World Headquarters, 2725 Holly Street, Kansas City, Missouri, elbowchocolates.com

 

Boulevard Brewing Breaks Ground On Major Expansion, Adds New Canning Line

Boulevard Brewing is making plans to make cans part of their future.

The largest specialty brewer in the Midwest announced that they will soon break ground on a $10 million expansion of its Kansas City brewery --- building a 24,000 square foot, single-story structure, immediately adjacent to the brewery, that will house a canning line designed to fill 350, 12-ounce cans, per minute.

This expansion will set Boulevard up to not only brew, but also can, their own beer on-site in Kansas City for many years to come, and it represents a departure from their current canning practices.

When Boulevard first decided to can their beer in 2014, they contracted with Third Street Brewhouse in Cold Spring, Minnesota to not only can, but also brew the select beers intended for cans --- a fairly common practice among trusted craft breweries. The gamble paid off, and now Boulevard is investing in the future of their can business.

“Demand for our canned beers has continued to grow since we first offered them in 2014,” said Boulevard brewmaster Steven Pauwels. “Ten years ago it was uncommon to find craft beer in cans, but today it’s a popular package. We’re happy to oblige because cans completely block light, they’re lighter than bottles so easier to transport, and they can go almost anywhere.”

Now, Boulevard will have the option of deciding which beers will, and won’t, be available in cans, since they will be doing everything right off Southwest Boulevard.

Finkle + Williams will serve as the project architect, and Kansas City-based MillerStauch Construction will act as general contractor, and key equipment will be supplied by Krones AG.

The expansion is being overseen by Dali Grabar and Tim Hall, engineering directors for Boulevard. “We have an aggressive schedule,” said Grabar, “but plan to be producing cans by the first quarter of next year.”

Boulevard Brewing Company, 2501 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri, 816.474.7095, boulevard.com

Lilo’s Shaved Ice & Soda Is Now Open In The Northland

Lilo’s Shaved Ice & Soda has opened for their first season in the parking lot of Aldi’s grocery store located at 8300 N. Oxford in the Northland.

Married couple, Matt and Angela Muir, decided to open their new shaved ice and soda stand this summer when the small shed that they thought Matt was going to have to build from scratch, was discovered out on a farm in great condition and for sale at the right price.

“It was something that we had been talking about doing since last summer, as we have fairly flexible schedules right now,” say Angela. “Matt is a dental student at UMKC and I am a Mom and work on Handmade in the Heartland, my blog.”

The name for their new shaved ice and soda stand came from their families’ favorite Disney character from Lilo & Stitch, who also happens to love Hawaiian shaved ice.

Although they have hired help for the summer, but the couple plans to run Lilo’s as a team effort.

“Matt is great with the paperwork, mechanical and technical side of the business, and I love the creative, marketing and social media side of things,” she says.

The two were inspired to serve shaved ice by the frozen treats known as “stuffed snowballs.” They are traditionally a southern summer staple, particularly in New Orleans, that puts creamy ice cream in the middle of a cup of flavored finely shaved ice.

Lilo’s will sell both regular or stuffed shaved ice, offering all the traditional favorite flavors, including the popular Tiger’s Blood. Additionally, they are making “twisted” sodas, which are unique drinks made with your favorite brand of soda, dialed up with syrups that Angela makes from scratch, then dressed up with your choice of a squeeze of citrus, a dash of cream or a dollop of ice cream.

“I am going to be making my own syrups that we will use in the sodas, and to start we will offer coconut, vanilla, pineapple, strawberry, grape, mango and peach,” she says. “Later this summer, I plan to add some seasonal flavors like strawberry basil.”

As part of her marketing plan, Angela plans to bake a different cookie each week, that they will have available only on Tuesdays, to drive early week traffic to the stand. Other marketing initiatives include social media special deals and free treats to those who post the best pictures of their Lilo’s specialties online and tag Lilo’s.

In July, she plans to add a “text-ahead” carhop service where you can text your order in ahead of time and they will have it ready when you pull up and deliver it to your car, and she says she will also start catering her handmade sodas and cookies for birthdays, weddings or corporate events.

“We are not planning for this to be just a seasonal business for us, we eventually would like to get a permanent storefront for Lilo’s, but right now we are just focused on getting through our first successful summer,” she said.

After Friday, Lilo’s regular hours will be Monday-Saturday 3 pm – 10 pm.

Lilo’s Shaved Ice & Soda, 8300 N. Oxford Street, Kansas City, Missouri, (801) 499-1637, facebook.com/pg/LilosShavedIce

 

Parkway: Social Kitchen Opens Late Summer On The Country Club Plaza

Zach Marten and Bret Springs have been working on a bit of a reorganization this year with their Back Napkin Restaurant Group.

One that prompted them to quietly close their franchised Coal Vines pizza on the Country Club Plaza in March, to give them time to gut, remodel and open one of their own concepts in its place, Parkway: Social Kitchen.

“When we opened Coal Vines as a franchisee, we had restaurant experience, but nowhere near the amount of knowledge and concept development experience we have today, and we decided that we wanted to take advantage of this prime piece of real estate on the Plaza to open one of our own concepts, one that we didn’t have to pay royalties on,” says Springs.

Working with the new owners developing the Country Club Plaza, the two partners say the time was right to make this move, citing they were very easy to work with and supportive of their planned moves for that location.

The new space is being completely gutted with plans to build a sweeping staircase in the middle of restaurant connecting the top floor to the lower level that was formerly used as a private event space. This will create a dramatic two-story dining area that will seat almost 100 total. There will also be a large three-sided bar will be upstairs, and a small 15-seat bar to serve guests downstairs.

The name Parkway: Social Kitchen comes from the park like views the restaurant has of Brush Creek and the parkways and boulevards that surround their Plaza location.    

“Parkway: Social Kitchen will be a classic American grill, a sister concept to Rockhill Grille in terms of the menu and the way it will look and feel,” says Marten. “We want each of our restaurant concepts to have a name that identifies it with the location where it will live, so Rockhill Grille is named after William Rockhill Nelson who co-founded the Kansas City Star, that is located just up the street from us in the Crossroads, Parkway: Social Club is no different.”

As the kitchen renovation is being completed in the new restaurant, Executive Chef, Sam Hefter, formerly the executive chef at Houston’s on the Country Club Plaza, has been busy working in the kitchen at Rockhill Grille, honing existing dishes and working on new ones to help move both restaurants forward with new specials and unique menu items.

Marten and Springs are also currently reorganizing their restaurant portfolio to bring Rockhill Grille which they opened in 2016 under their Back Napkin Restaurant Group, along with Westport Ale House which opened in 2014 and will now be joined by Parkway: Social Kitchen which will open late summer.

Conversely, they recently sold their interest in their RND Corner Grille, which opened in Lawrence in late 2015.

“Our partners in RND Corner Grille, were also our financial partners in Rockhill Grille, and they were wanting to grow the RND Corner Grille concept, but we were wanting to expand Rockhill Grille, so we basically decided sell our interest in each restaurant back to the other partner, letting them keep RND Corner Grille, while we retained Rockhill Grille,” says Marten.  

With no more franchise royalties to pay, and all of their restaurants now firmly under their own restaurant group, the partners say we can look for further expansion plans from them in the future.

“Going forward, we want to be known for opening beautiful, comfortable and cozy American bar and grill restaurants that reflect the neighborhoods where we open them in name and spirit,” says Springs. “It is where we are headed as a restaurant concept and what our experience and success has taught us works.”

Parkway: Social Kitchen, 616 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri

Meshuggah Bagels Opens Their Second Location in Overland Park

After working around the clock on their much-anticipated, second retail shop and production bakery for Meshuggah Bagels, Pete Linde, and his wife, Janna, have finally opened their doors at the Metcalf 103 Center in Overland Park.

They had hoped to open in March, but permitting and construction delays held up their plans, not only to their disappointment, but to the disappointment of their raving fans who have been checking in on them, daily.

“Every day for the last several months, well, really, since we hung the “Coming Soon” banner on the building, we have had people stopping in to see how we are doing and wanting to know when we will be open,” says Pete Linde. “Based on their enthusiasm, I baked a lot of bagels for our grand opening.”

The new location is much larger than their original New-York style bagel shop they opened at 1208 W. 39th Street in 2016. With over 2,600 square feet, they have room to seat around 50 inside, and space in the back for a second production bakery that will serve this location only.

The new production bakery has also been given the Pas Yisroel kosher certification by local Rabbi Mendel Segal, who did their original certification for their first production bakery in Pleasant Valley.

With one location under their belt, the couple made some simple changes to decrease the wait times for guests their new location. For example, they have now installed two registers to help shortening wait times, and added four sandwich making stations, instead of the two, giving them plenty room to make the orders as fast as they come in.

There are a few other changes at the Overland Park location including the roll-out of their new bagel boards, which consists of your choice of bagel, sliced, with your choice of schmear, along with tomato, red onion and capers for you to dress your bagel, your way. “We will also have toasters in the dining room for those guests who prefer their bagel toasted, so they can toast their own, it will also save us valuable time back here on the line, as well,” he says.

Pete has been busy programming his two new registers, setting up his four sandwich making stations, and baking hundreds of bagels in his new bagel oven, to prepare for today. It is imperative to him that the quality of the bagels baked at his Pleasant Valley location matches the ones that will be baked in his new Overland Park location.

“The equipment we purchased is identical to what we currently are baking on up North, but I started to worry when the first few batches of bagels had holes in them that were too small, a problem that was thankfully easily fixed,” he says.

Janna has also been busy, but more on the decorating side of things. Her days have been filled with sourcing, purchasing and finding a place to store all of the antique Amish tables, chairs and wooden mixing and baking bowls and peels needed to pull together their new location and make it match their store on 39^th Street.

Everything from the first location, including the paint color on the walls, is found at their second location in Overland Park, and it will be the same for their third location in Liberty which they hope to have open around Labor Day this year.  

Hours for the new retail location will be the same as their shop on 39th Street – Tuesday through Friday, 7 am to 2 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 am to 2 pm.

Meshuggah Bagels, 7096 W. 105th Street, Overland Park, Kansas, meshuggahbagels.com

 

Celina Tio’s First Restaurant, JULIAN, To Close By July

After almost 8 years operating her award-winning Brookside restaurant, JULIAN, owner and chef, Celina Tio, will not be renewing her lease, and plans to close the restaurant, located at 6227 Brookside Plaza, after July 4.

“I’ve been very fortunate that JULIAN has been and remains successful and am super grateful for all the continued support of my guests over the years. But I feel like the time is right to move on and give another local restaurateur an opportunity to thrive in Brookside”, Tio said.

Tio opened JULIAN, her first restaurant in Brookside, in 2009 in the former Joe D’s Wine Bar location, after serving as the executive chef for The American Restaurant for 7 years, and winning a James Beard Award for Best Chef Midwest.

Specializing in what she termed “feel good food”, JULIAN’s menu featured comforting dishes inspired by a wide range of cultures from around the world, which at the time was considered a wide departure from her fine dining dishes at The American.

After she opened JULIAN, food television shows came calling, and Tio enjoyed appearances competing on Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters as well as Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef America.

Although Tio has had many culinary claims to fame at JULIAN, one of her biggest was a dish that truly is an American classic. As many in Kansas City would attest, there was simply nothing better than one of Tio’s delicious cheeseburgers served with an ice-cold beer on her delightful outdoor patio.

To thank all of her guests, Tio is planning to host a series of events at her Brookside restaurant over the next couple of months. She suggests checking  Facebook for announcements of her upcoming special menus, wine dinners and pig roasts, among other things.

Once JULIAN is closed, Tio plans to concentrate on her other businesses, The Belfry downtown, as well as her consulting business. As the owner of the building where The Belfry is located, and with more free time on her hands, she has big plans for how she wants to utilize that space going forward.

The Belfry will expand its role to include more private and special events, as well as more one on one time with the chef, herself.  

“If you miss the one on one interaction with me and my cooking, I'll be hosting intimate dinners at The Belfry where you'll be cooked for and served by me personally,” she says.

This top chef is going to have her hands full, as she makes the move to close one restaurant, and retool the second.

JULIAN, 6227 Brookside Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri, 816.214.8454, www.juliankc.com