The Making of a Foodie

Local 2017 James Beard Semifinalists Talk About Their Nominations & Their Meaning

The James Beard Foundation released their list this week of the nationwide semifinalists who have been nominated for a 2017 James Beard award. In Kansas City and Lawrence combined, we scored a total of 5 nominations – four of them for national awards, where our local chefs and bartenders will go up against others from across the nation, and one was a regional nomination for best chef in the Midwest region. So, how does it feel to wake up as a James Beard semifinalist? We asked our local food and drink artisans to share their feelings about their nominations and where they were when they first found out.

Outstanding Bar Program: Manifesto

This is Manifesto’s first time being nominated for a James Beard award, and owner, Ryan Maybee, says he was completely caught off guard when he heard the news. This nomination was nowhere on his radar. “The whole nomination process for this is not something I fully understand or was lobbying for, but I do know that the Outstanding Bar Program category was added about 5 years ago, when the Beard Foundation decided to give recognition to bars and beverage professionals in addition to restaurants and chefs,” he told Feast.

He said looking back historically, this category has always gone to a top craft cocktail bar like The Violet Hour or The Aviary in Chicago, and Maybee says it is an honor to just be nominated with the best of the best. “This is a national category, so we are competing with some amazing bars across the country,” he says. “Manifesto has been open for 8 years, and it is a testament to the staff and their dedication to their craft that we are still considered by the Foundation to be operating at the top of our game, after all these years.”

Manifesto, 1924 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64108, (816) 536-1325, www.manifestokc.com

 

Outstanding Pastry Chef: Megan Garrelts for Rye and

Outstanding Restaurant: Colby and Megan Garrelts for Bluestem

Megan and Colby Garrelts were at home putting their schedules together for the day when the news of the James Beard nominations came through on their social media feed. Bluestem received a semifinalist nod for the eleventh year in a row for Outstanding Restaurant, and this culinary power couple gives all the credit for that honor to their staff for keeping their standards consistently high, and continuing to push themselves. For Megan, she personally received a nomination for Outstanding Pastry Chef for her work at Rye. “This is such wonderful news to be included on this list again, my prior nomination was for Outstanding Pastry at Bluestem, and I really treat both restaurants as one bake shop, so a nomination at either store is equally important to me,” she explained.

With pies at the center of her Midwestern-flavored pastry program at Rye, she says she believes that this nomination is a reflection of the James Beard Foundation looking for the best examples of regional cooking. She says she did not do this alone, and is thankful for the support of Colby, and their entire team at both Rye and Bluestem. “Both of ours are national lists this year, and it’s tough to get to the finalist list in just the region, so I’m thrilled with where we are with both nominations,” says Colby.

Bluestem, 900 Westport Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 64111, 816.561.1101, www.bluestemkc.com

Rye, 10551 Mission Road Leawood, Kansas, 66206, 913.642.5800, www.ryekc.com 

 

Best Chef Midwest: Patrick Ryan, Port Fonda

When Patrick Ryan heard the news that he was nominated as a semifinalist he was at Port Fonda in Westport, deep cleaning the bar. It totally made him think of those "what I really do" vs. "what my friends think I do" memes. As the only Kansas City chef who made it to the semifinals for Best Chef Midwest, he and his entire team had their emotions running high with the news and ultimately they were all extremely honored. “It’s a huge deal, and means national exposure for the restaurant, and for myself, from a very well respected organization,” says Ryan. “More than anything it's a reflection of the entire staff that work so hard day in and day out to be the best we can be.” Ryan believes that this nomination is a reflection of his ability to stay true to his restaurant brand and its identity – which he believes represents an original, cool, fun concept with awesome food, drinks, service and atmosphere. He hints that a James Beard nomination is not the only thing he is excited about, as he is currently working on his next new restaurant.

Port Fonda, 4141 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Missouri, 64111, 816.216.6462. www.portfonda.com

 

Outstanding Baker: Taylor Petrehn, 1900 Baker Bakery & Café

As the first person from Lawrence to be nominated for a James Beard award, Taylor Petrehn said he had shakes for about 10 minutes after receiving his first text message congratulating him on his nomination for Outstanding Baker. Using mostly local grain to make his baked goods, there is a sense of place about the bread Petrehn has become known for making in the Lawrence bakery he owns with his brother Reagan, who handles the coffee side of the business.

“I feel very honored, and I'm definitely proud to represent my homeland in this way,” he says. “I couldn't be more proud of our staff and team at 1900 Barker for helping make this possible, and I could not have done it with out them.” He especially is grateful to his brother and business partner for working with him to manifest this dream of owning this bakery and coffee shop together. He says getting nominated is both; a pat on the back, and encouragement that they’re headed is in the right direction.

“Success looks different for a lot of people, but for me, I'm surrounded by an incredible staff, in a supporting community and I am building a growing business,” he says. “I think this is just like the cherry on top.”

1900 Barker Bakery & Cafe, 1900 Barker, Lawrence, Kansas, 66046, 785.424.7609, www.1900barker.com

 

 

 

Monarch, a new Coffee Shop and Meeting Space, to open on Broadway in Kansas City

Tyler and Jaime Rovenstine believe that customer service is what will set their new Kansas City coffee shop, Monarch, apart from the rest.

Monarch will open in late May in the Ambassador Building on Broadway, serving 7-8 of their own roasted coffees, hand-crafted coffee drinks and pastries.

The 1,731 square-foot coffee shop takes it name from all of the regal references to royalty that filters through Kansas City’s sports and entertainment culture, like the Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Monarchs, The American Royal and Imperial Brewery just to name a few.

With their first coffee shop, the couple plans to feature a kinder and gentler model of service where the customer will order at the counter, have a seat, and a barista will deliver their coffee to their table. Instead of the coffee shop experience being barista focused, they want to make it more customer focused.

“We plan to offer what we call intentional service, that means that instead of our customers doing all of the legwork and the barista’s just making the coffee, we plan to not only make their order, but bring the coffee out to the customer,” says Tyler. “Our servers will also have iPads allowing them to add something to a guest’s ticket, like a pastry if you get hungry or a bottle of water.”

Tyler will source and roast his own coffee beans, without specializing in any particular kind of roast, because he says it is important to let the coffee beans dictate the type of roast they need to be at their best.

“We also plan to batch brew all of our coffees in smaller batches to allow for speed and consistency,” he says. “I know people love the pour-over coffee presentation, but pour-overs poured by different baristas, will taste differently every shift, and I want a consistent pour every time.”

A 13-year veteran of the coffee scene, Tyler is no stranger to coffee making or roasting beans. He has competed in several barista competitions and eventually won the South Central Regionals in 2014, and placed 12^th in the United States that same year. He has also worked for local coffee companies like The Roasterie, Oddly Correct and Quay Coffee to hone his craft while learning the business of how to manage a coffee shop.

It was while he was working for Tracy Allen, a Kansas City local who owns a coffee consulting business called Brewed Behavior, that Tyler earned his “Q-grader” certificate in coffee, which is the equivalent to a what a sommelier knows about wine or a Cicerone about beer.

When it opens, Monarch, will be Tyler’s full time job. His wife, Jaime, who is an artist that works for The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, will contribute to the creative side of their joint business by doing the design work on the space, and picking out materials in addition to the marketing and social media for their new coffee shop.

“Many cafes and coffee shops seem to have more of a masculine feel to them, and we want our coffee shop to be completely gender neutral, basically a place that makes everyone feel welcome and comfortable,” says Jaime. “We will be designing it with inspiration from modern urban coffee shops around the world using black, white, gold and pops of color along with beautiful wood floors to warm the space, and a custom designed u-shaped coffee bar with seating along the back guests can watch the baristas at work, if they like.”

Another surprise is located in the back of the shop, where guests will step down into an additional 2,300 square-foot room that the couple plans to use as an event or meeting area called The Drawing Room.

“The event space will feature two bathrooms, projector and screen and a door that leads up to the lobby of the apartments located above their shop, giving the residents easy access to their morning coffee, and creating a built-in clientele for us,” Tyler explains.

Monarch will be open from 6 am – 7 pm 7-days a week, but the hours might change as the couple figures out the ebb and flow of the their daily traffic. They intend to test being open on the evenings when the Uptown Theater host events up the street from their shop, and they plans to collaborate on pop-ups, movie nights or even classes with folks like their next-door neighbor, Dear Society.

The couple insists that opening up a coffee shop was always in their master plan, and especially now that they have welcomed their first daughter, Frances, into their lives 2 years ago.

“Our company motto is the Latin phrase, Arte Et Labore, which means, “through skill and hard work,” says Jaime. “We think that embodies who we are pretty well.”

Monarch, 3550 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri, monarchkcmo.com

 

The Russell to open on Main Street in Kansas City by May 2017

The building that was once home to Russell Florist located at 3141 Main Street, is now blossoming into The Russell, a new catering, bakery and restaurant opening in May 2017.

This is a culinary collaboration between local photographer, graphic designer and chef Amante Domingo, and Canadian culinary and cupcake entrepreneur, Heather White, who signed the lease last week on this unique space.

Located next door to Gates Bar-B-Q on Main Street, the building was chosen because it has the space and amenities needed for the duo to run a successful food business out of it, while still maintaining a timeless appeal tied to Kansas City’s past.

It is their desire to honor the past that led the partners to name their future home, The Russell.

Preserving the history Kansas City through the buildings he owns is important to the building’s owner, Dick Keller, who will maintain his office upstairs from the new restaurant and catering kitchen.

“Dick Keller owns several buildings in the area, and he has always had a real vision for wanting to maintain the history and heritage of the buildings he owns, while thoughtfully restoring them into functional places the community can use and enjoy,” says Domingo.

Several other entrepreneurs had looked at the former flower shop which had sat vacant for several years, but the partners believe it was their vision for wanting to create a quality locally-owned catering and restaurant business in the space that would only be open for breakfast and lunch, and occasionally for catered dinners, that ultimately appealed to their landlord.

“We both have young families, and so quality of life is important to us as we move forward, building this business,” says White. “The plan is for us to start by booking our catering first, as we finish out the space, then open the restaurant, market and bakery second.”

The partners met while working together on a project together, and when they realized they both shared the same entrepreneurial spirit, they started talking about collaborating on opening their own business.

Domingo grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri on his families’ organic farm, selling produce to chefs at the Farmers Market downtown. They owned a small family restaurant when he was in his teens, where he got his first taste of restaurant life. From there, he worked his way up in various kitchens in Kansas City, from dishwasher to the line, at restaurants like Kona Grill on the Country Club Plaza, to earn extra money at night while studying photography, web and graphic design by day.

“I hesitate on calling myself a chef, because I do not consider myself the focus of this restaurant, I’ll have a fantastic team in the kitchen helping me, besides any good chef knows, the real celebrities in the food world are the growers and producers, and that is what we intend to highlight at The Russell, through the local ingredients we purchase, the food artisans we collaborate with and by simply having a menu that changes with the seasons,” he says.

White grew up in British Columbia, and in 2002 started a cupcake business with her best friend, Lori Joyce, called Cupcakes by Heather & Lori, which grew quickly into a sweet empire, with 11 locations across British Columbia and Ontario. The two friends also starred in their own reality show on about their cupcake business called Cupcake Girls. Their stores are known for their uniquely delicious cupcakes, made with quality ingredients, in flavors like black sesame, mango and matcha green tea.

She moved to Kansas City with her husband and young son, a little over two years ago, when her husband accepted a job that brought him here. She has kept her interest in her cupcake company in Canada, where she says she is in contact with her partner on the day-to-day business.

“We are in the process of buying back all of our franchise stores to make them company stores, and we are also rolling out a line of ice cream to pair with our cupcakes, so we have a lot of business to talk about, right now,” says White with a smile.

She says she will head up the bakery inside of The Russell, using her baking knowledge and management skills to lead a small team that will create all the breads, cookies, cakes, and, yes, cupcakes, that will be used in both their caterings and in the restaurant. People will also be able to pick up special orders, or shop the bakery, as well as their market which will offer a wide range of grab and go items, including boxed lunches and dinner kits.

The restaurant and bakery will be open from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, and will serve a light continental breakfast of coffee and pastries in the mornings and for lunch there will always be a special or two served, along with a fresh menu of soups, salads and sandwiches that will be offered with an emphasis on keeping the menu affordable.

The space is a little over 2,500 square feet, with plenty of seating for those who choose to stay and enjoy a meal. They eventually plan to host some themed dinners in their space that they plan to sell tickets to people who want to attend.

Construction of the kitchen at The Russell is just beginning, and at the heart of it will be a large wood-fired oven, similar to the kind that Argentine chef and master of the fire, Francis Mallmann, made famous by demonstrating how to use and over stove it to do everything from boil water to roast vegetables in the coals to grilling meat on over an open flame.

Domingo does not plan to install a stove, choosing to challenge himself to use only the wood-fired oven to create the dishes he plans to make for both catering and restaurant.

“I know what I am signing up for, and the way the stove will be designed is that I can drop racks down directly into the flames or pull them up to, say, let the fat from a roasting chicken, drip over a pan of root vegetables below,” he said. “I am going to learn to use it for everything, and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

There is a full basement in the space that was likely once used as a cooler for the flowers, but the partners think it will eventually make a great wine cave, or a place to age their cheese or charcuterie. Again, they thank their landlord, for the opportunity to bring this building back to life at The Russell.

“Trust me, we plan to show our appreciation to Dick, by naming a sandwich after him,” says Domingo. “That will happen.”

 The Russell, 3141 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri, therussellonmain.com

Celebrate Mardi Gras with these "Food Focused" Events in Kansas City

This year skip the cheap drinks and plastic beads that come with the typical Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday celebrations, and indulge in BOTH the rich food and delightful drink traditions inspired by New Orleans during their pre-Lenten Carnival season. Check out these three, local, chef-driven events or offerings to get you in the mood to laissez les bons temps rouler.

 

Order your King Cake from Beignet & Bloom Baking Co. Collaboration: Beignet and Bloom Baking Company in the City Market, are teaming up to make what they think is the best King Cake in Kansas City. Combining the expert baking skills of Bloom Baking Company’s new head pastry chef, Abby Samulcek, and the top-secret filling recipe from Bryan Merker, chef and owner of Beignet, this King Cake basically comes with its own dipping sauce. Each King Cake is $38.95 and serves 15-20 people. The following flavors are available: Praline (Traditional), Chocolate Truffle, Cinnamon Apple, Bavarian Cream, Caramelized Peach and Wild Berry. Don’t forget to look for the plastic baby hidden somewhere inside the cake. Find it, and you’ll be supplying the King Cake next year. Beignet will also offer 4-inch mini King Cakes for $9.95 on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 28, while supplies last.

Pre-order your King Cake from Beignet by Wednesday, Feb. 22, located at 307 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri, in the City Market, 816.472.0777, [email protected], beignetkc.com

 

Indulge in a 3-Course Mardi Gras Themed Dinner at Avenues Bistro: Owner/Chef, Joe Birch and executive chef, Mario Galan, have planned a decadent Mardi Gras themed dinner, filled with traditional dishes from New Orleans. Enjoy 3-courses for $20 on Tuesday, Feb. 28^th from 4-10 pm. For your first course, choose between BBQ shrimp and parmesan grits or chicken and sausage gumbo. With second course, the chefs have prepared red snapper Bienville with red beans & rice or seafood étouffée with crab, shrimp and oysters. Finally, for dessert, enjoy a slice of praline rum cake or bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Start with a traditional New Orleans cocktail like a Sazerac or Ramos Gin Fizz then ask for recommended wine pairings to enjoy with dinner, or simply order a bottle for the table to share.

Avenues Bistro, 338 W 63rd Street, Kansas City, Missouri, Brookside, 816.333.5700, avenuesbistro.com

 

Midwest Mardi Gras Benefiting No Kids Hungry at Brewery Emperial: The local No Kid Hungry chapter is hosting the first locally curated Midwest Mardi Gras party at the hottest newest brewery in the Crossroads, Brewery Emperial. Come Sunday, February 26 from 4-8 pm and bring your “krewe” to enjoy beer from Brewery Emperial, wine and specialty cocktails created by local bartenders made with spirits from J. Rieger & Co. Try a hand-crafted version of the cocktail of the French Quarter, The Hurricane. There will be a top chef-prepared buffet with creole dishes from New Orleans made by Ted Habiger, Debbie Gold, Ryan Brazeal, Celina Tio and John C. Smith. Experience a traditional Louisiana-style shrimp boil, and indulge your sweet tooth with King Cakes from Sasha’s Baking Co., sweets from Swoon and Smart Cookies Bakery and French macarons from Annedore’s. The beer garden will be tented and heat lamps brought in to host fantastic local zydeco band, Billy Ebeling and the Late for Dinner Band. Eat, drink and dance to show you know how to let the good times roll! 

Tickets are on sale now for Midwest Mardi Gras at Brewery Emperial,1829 Oak Street Kansas City, Missouri, 816.945.9625 breweryemperial.com