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

 

 

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

 

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

The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge Taps Liquid Minded Concepts Team To Run Operations

The hottest new bar opening in Kansas City this summer has now hired one of the most talented and well-rounded group of bartenders in the city to run it.

David Manica, president and owner of Kansas City’s MANICA Architecture, and force behind the new The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge, has announced that he has tapped the team from Liquid Minded Concepts to manage his new bar.

Brock Schulte, Kenny Cohrs and Mark Church, all three managing partners in Liquid Minded Concepts, will be joining The Monarch full time, while Brandon Cummins, also a partner in Liquid Minded Concepts, will serve as a consultant.

Schulte left his full-time head bartending position at The Rieger several months ago to begin his work as the new bar manager for The Monarch. In this new role, he will oversee cocktail menu and recipe development in addition to customer cocktail and spirits education.

While he was shaking things up at The Rieger, Schulte, under the Liquid Minded Concepts umbrella, also developed full service craft beverage programs for restaurants like M&S Grill, The Drum Room and Providence New American Kitchen in addition to competing and winning several national bartending competitions around the country.

The “face” of The Monarch bar will be Cohrs, who will be stepping into the role of service manager, managing the front-of-the-house operations and guest experience.

With over a decade of experience behind the bar, Cohrs’ reputation as a gentleman bartender makes him the perfect person for this role. Most recently he was the lead bartender at Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, which is located next door to The Monarch, but before that he has also contributed his talents to other prominent bars in the city, like Manifesto and Café Trio.

Adding his 12 years of experience into the mix is Church, who headed up Grünauer’s Wunderbar for years. Church is looking forward to settling into his new role as the general manager for The Monarch. As a board member of the United States Bartenders’ Guild’s Kansas City chapter, Church’s bartending talents have also been acknowledged with many awards and accolades.  

“As managing partners, the three of us are very excited to collaborate full-time with David on The Monarch Cocktail Bar,” says Cohrs. “From the atmosphere to cocktails to hospitality, our focus will be to create an exceptional experience.”

Finally, Cummins will serve as a consultant on The Monarch project, drawing on his 18 years of industry experience to help guide the new West Plaza bar and lounge. His insightful intelligence about how the bar industry works and what it needs to push forward has translated into professional accomplishments which include founder of the Paris of the Plains Cocktail Festival, a member of the Tequila Interchange Project and in his full-time work as the Director of Marketing & Education for Altamar Brands – a boutique spirits importer.

“As a team, we have been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time, and now we are looking forward to bringing our talents together, to make The Monarch one of the best cocktail destinations in the city,” said Schulte.

 

The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge, 4840 Roanoke Pkwy., West Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri, themonarchbar.com

J. Rieger & Co. Releases 2017 Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey

It has taken nearly a hundred years, and four very special sherry barrels just as old, but Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey is finally ready to hit the shelves in select area retailers on Thursday, March 30.

Rieger & Co. much anticipated Rieger’s Monogram whiskey is a blend of 11-year rye and 9-year corn whiskey, but what truly makes it unique is that the whiskey has been finished for 18 months in four, 500-liter sherry botas, or wood barrels, that are each over a century old.

The large botas, painted matte black to help spot any leaks in the barrels, were sourced from Williams & Humbert, one of the oldest Sherry producers in Jerez, Spain, who also supplies J. Rieger & Co. with the 15 year old Oloroso sherry they blend into their Rieger’s Kansas City whiskey.

Although the new 2017 release of Rieger’s Monogram has no additional sherry added, it simply gets the essence of sherry imparted through a system of fractional blending inspired by the solera system in Jerez, where small portions of the blend are extracted each time, always leaving something left in the barrel to give to the next batch its rich character and flavor.

Steve Olson, a sherry expert and partner in J. Rieger & Co., worked on all the “sacas” or transfer-and-removals of the whiskey to create the 2017 release of Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey.

“It was a special day when we unloaded the 500-liter botas from the solera of Williams & Humbert at the distillery,” notes Olson. “We had selected 8- year old Corn Whiskey to place in three of the Botas, and we added 10-year old Rye Whiskey to the fourth. The Whiskey entered the Botas on June 29, 2015. Two months later, we barrel-tasted for the first-time. It was mind- blowing! That’s when we decided to go beyond traditional blending and start to selectively draw out the whiskey to find the depth that only these special, old barrels can deliver.”

With only 1,000 bottles available, each retailing for $100 a piece, the Monogram label was planned from the beginning to represent the highest standards in quality and creativity for the brand, produced in limited numbers, and presented as an annual series, that will change from year to year.

Rieger’s Monogram does not replicate the original recipe, but instead showcases the 2 year-old distillery’s highly innovative approach to what great whiskey can, and should be.

The tasting notes for the 2017 Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey would start with rich, deep, dark fruit and nuttiness from the Oloroso sherry, mixed with the spices and confectionary tones of the of the old oak botas. At 104 proof, the lovely dark fruit and caramel notes come together in perfect harmony for a creamy, full taste.

The Rieger’s Monogram whiskey represents the sixth product in a line that already includes Kansas City Whiskey, Midwestern Premium Vodka, Midwestern Dry Gin, Left For Dead, and Caffé Amaro.

“This officially marks the new launch of the original Rieger’s Monogram label for our company,” said Andy Rieger, co-founder of J. Rieger & Co. “Monogram was one of the first original Rieger labels that we came across that we knew we wanted to do something special with.”

One taste, and you’ll be celebrating this unique new product in Kansas City.

For more information, go to jriegerco.com.

American World Series of Barbecue Moves To Labor Day Weekend In 2017

Barbecue and a long Labor Day weekend just seem to go together.

The American Royal seems to agree as they announced today that the 2017 World Series of Barbecue will return to the Kansas Speedway, but this year the competition will take place over Labor Day weekend – August 31 through September 3.

This move places the American World Series of Barbecue securely in the middle of the competitive barbecue season, when most professional contenders are thought to be at the top of their game.

It is also a change from 2016, when the competition was moved to late October, at the end of the competitive barbecue circuit, making Kansas City’s contest the finale of the smoky season.

However, it was also the first year this world-famous barbecue competition was held at the Kansas Speedway, and The American Royal said the new venue was met with overwhelming approval from the participants and the public, which made it an easy choice for 2017.

The American Royal Barbecue typically attracts over 50,000 attendees every year, and last year’s substantially larger venue allowed for additional space that was enjoyed by both the contestants and spectators alike.

Kansas Speedway President Pat Warren said he welcomes the chance to once again host one of Kansas City’s great annual festivals.

“The Barbecue was an ideal fit for our venue and the feedback from attendees and teams exceeded our expectations,” Warren said. “We look forward to hosting this iconic event again, this year."

Celebrating its 38^th year, the 2017 competition and event weekend will once again bring together over 550 competitors, including world-renowned pitmasters and barbecue enthusiasts to compete for the title of Grand Champion in both the open and invitational contests.

“I’ve seen them all, and the American Royal BBQ is head and shoulders my favorite event”, said Rod Gray, Pitmaster, Pellet Envy. “What better way to celebrate the end of summer, and pay tribute to hard working Americans, than with the event that best celebrates Kansas City’s true heritage, the American Royal World Series of Barbecue, and where better to do this, than the awe-inspiring venue of the Kansas Speedway on Labor Day weekend.”

Attendees to the weekend long barbecue competition and celebration will be able to feast on delicious BBQ and local food from local vendors and food trucks, enjoy a local live music festival while shopping for unique souvenirs at a vendor fair authentic to Kansas City and BBQ enthusiasts.

A full line-up of kids activities have been planned over the weekend, with fun and entertainment for all ages. 

“Expanded programming this year will grow this highly anticipated public event into a dynamic holiday festival that will attract attendees and BBQ fanatics from across the country and around the world,” Angie Stanland, chairman of the board of directors for the American Royal.

Amigoni Urban Winery Acquires Adjoining Space for Production and Tours in Kansas City

Being an urban winery, there were only two things that Michael and Kerry Amigoni could not show guests when they visited their tasting room and event space at Amigoni’s Urban Winery – the grapes growing on the vines, and how they turned those grapes into wine.

Their vineyard, which grows only vinifera or European grape varietals, is located 30 miles east of Kansas City in Centerview, Missouri, so showing the grape vines will never be possible, but they recently acquired the space adjacent to their tasting room in the historic Livestock District in the West Bottoms and have begun producing wine and barrel aging in that space.

The couple announced this week that they had acquired the former Bill Brady Gallery space, located to the north of their tasting room, but connected through a garage door in the back of the building. They have, at this point, moved their entire production facility and barrel aging racks into the 3,000 square-foot building.

Previously, their wine production took place in various off-site industrial spaces, where they sometimes had to share the space with other people or businesses, which was sometimes a challenge.

Michael Amigoni, who is the winemaker, says he is thrilled to have his own production space located right next door. “I love it, not only for the short commute, but also because of the control I have over the entire production area and process,” he says. “It is all mine now.”

The new space with its soaring ceilings and small windows placed just high enough to allow for lovely light to pour into the space is more than just a production space, it will also allow them to offers tours of the entire production facility in addition to the straight wine tasting flights of 5 wines for $6 they had been offering in just their tasting room.

“We will be offering two types of public tour and tasting experiences everyday, along with other private tastings, parties and hopefully maybe even some private dinners in our new space,” says Kerry.

In addition to the current wine or beer tasting flights that you can easily do with no reservations in their tasting room, there is now a Level 1 and Level 2 tour and tasting option that you must make reservations to be able experience.

The Level 1 tour and tasting offers a VIP tour of the production facility where guests will learn about the winemaking process from grape to bottle, including how grapes are crushed and pressed, how fermentation happens and the process for aging wine in oak barrels and steel tanks. After the tour, the group will get a private tasting where they’ll sample a selection of five wines with a member of the Amigoni’s winemaking staff and learn tips on how to get the most out of a wine tasting experience. This is $30 per person with a minimum of 6 people, and a maximum of 20.

The Level 2 is the same as Level 1 but here they have added the additional personal experience of drinking wine straight from the barrel or tank. A Level 2 tasting costs $35.

Both of these new tour and tasting opportunities are by appointment only, Tuesdays through Sunday, and can be made by calling 816-890-3289 or emailing [email protected].

Sip, swirl, taste and tour now you can all of these things at Amigoni Urban Winery.

Amigoni Urban Winery, 1505 Genessee St, Kansas City, Missouri, 913.890.3289, amigoni.com

Join Friends with Taste to Celebrate & Support Future Chefs in Kansas City

Being a foodie, and making a living at it . . .you wear many hats. For the last several years, I have been lucky enough to work as a consultant for Johnson County Community College, as the Events Coordinator for their Friends with Taste program.

I am proud of my work as the Events Coordinator for Friends with Taste, a culinary membership group that financially supports the hospitality and culinary education of future chefs at Johnson County Community College.

Everything we do for Friends with Taste is to help raise money for our culinary students and program, but it is more than just that, by becoming a member you are helping to support one of the finest local culinary programs developing the future chefs of Kansas City.

You would be surprised to see how many of Kansas City's top chefs today, attended and graduated from the culinary program at JCCC. Ryan Brazeal, Jessica Armstrong chef/owners of Novel Restaurant, Kelly Conwell, executive pastry chef at Stock Hill, Jonathan Ponzer, a fantastic chef and culinary creator of some incredible ramen at Columbus Park Ramen Shop, Katee McLean chef/owner of Krokstrom Klubb & Market and even Taylor Petrehn, a current James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Baker and owner of 1900 Barker - Bakery and Cafe in Lawrence . . .all graduated from our culinary program.

To become a member of Friends with Taste, you simply pay an annual membership, as low as $100 per couple, and then you'll be on the mailing list to hear about all of the unique and curated culinary events that I work to set up for the members. Our monthly events range in price from $10 to up to $100 to attend chef-driven dinners, classes and demos, culinary student competition dinners or offsite food and beverage events all over the city.

We've hosted wine tastings with Doug Frost, had Chefs Colby Garrelts and Megan Garrelts, owners of Bluestem and Rye come and execute a cooking demo and dinner around their cookbooks, had readings with Andrea Broomfield the author of Kansas City: A Food Biography, hosted a coffee cupping from The Roasterie Kansas City Air Roasted Coffee and offered pizza dough making classes with Lachlan M. Patterson, co-owner and executive chef of Pizzeria Locale.

If you haven't been to our new multi-million dollar building called the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy, then why not make Friday your day. Our JCCC Pastry Program makes pastries that we sell in our Pastry Shop for a song, every Friday from 3:00 pm -5:30 pm.

Consider joining Friends with Taste, and let us feed what interests you.

Join here.

 

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