For as long as I can remember, there has been a certain grudge that people from St. Louis and Kansas City hold against their cross-state metropolis....and I'm ignoring the baseball rivalry. Even beyond the sham that was the Royals winning the 1985 fall classic (Denkinger), there is a clear disconnect between our two cities. Well, I have been a fan of KC for many years, and this past week I went for a visit. It was my first in almost two years, and I'm embarrassed about that.
KC has some amazing dining, drinking, shopping, and cultural experiences worth enjoying. So let me tell you about three spots I visited this week. Something old, something new, and somewhat of an expansion on one of KC's best!
Something old:
With the not so recent closings of both Mississippi Nights and American Theatre (yeah, Robert's owns it, but they hardly book it,) St. Louis has very few mid sized quality music venues. Uptown is my favorite in KC. Uptown opened in 1928 and has quite a storied past. I won't regurgitate the history here...just check out their website, if you are so include. The perfect anchor to any trip to KC is a show at the Uptown. Check out their concert calendar and start planning. May I recommend the upcoming MGMT show, or Pavement in September? Yes I may.
Something new:
New to the KC scene, I was so happy to be directed here upon my arrival. I had, quite possibly, one of the best burgers I've ever had the pleasure of consuming. No joke! Topped with emmenthaler cheese and served with perfectly crispy garlic french fries, this was a huge win. Throw in a great beer list, awesome liquor selection, and communal tables outside (I LOVE IT) and this place is a huge win! The fact the owner Troy McEvers spent time working in San Francisco shines through here. I definitely felt like I was having lunch in a Bay area eatery. Even if it is slightly out of your way when visiting KC, please stop by and check it out!
Old favorites getting better:
When I first started coming to KC on a regular basis in 1999, Michael Smith was the celebrated chef at The American Restaurant. That year, he won the James Beard Award for "Best Chef in the Midwest." Since then, he has only continued to improve the KC culinary scene. Two years ago, I had one of my favorite KC dinners ever at his then-new space, Michael Smith. Now he's taken over the space next door and opened Extra Virgin, a beautiful space featuring Mediterranean tapas.
The cocktail scene has taken a huge, hopefully temporary hit, with the closing of Manifesto (which hopefully will resurface soon.) In the meantime, I have to say I was very impressed with the drinks at Extra Virgin. The number of drinks featuring house-made syrups was impressive, and tasty! E/V offers a great happy hour featuring 1/2 price appetizers and discounted cocktails and wines by-the-glass. The ambiance at Extra Virgin is 2nd to none for a great place to get an after-work cocktail or three, along with some small plates to soak it up.
Short and sweet, there you have it! Three places you must visit the next time you're in KC. I could on and on, but three seems like a good number today. Enjoy!
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