Food & Drink
Cafe Ollama Brewing on Southwest Boulevard in Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Francisco Murguia wants patrons at Cafe Ollama, his new Crossroads coffee shop at 523 Southwest Blvd., to enjoy a tasty trip to places he knows well when they stop by for some cafe de olla. “It’s an opportunity for us to socialize and give ourselves a different experience,” he said. “We provide…
Bar and Year-Round Recreation Venue Planned for Riverfront Next Spring
By Kevin Collison Plans for a $2 million bar and outdoor recreation center in Berkley Park that would cater to volleyball players and anyone enjoying the riverfront were outlined Monday to a Port KC committee. The proposed 6,500 square-foot amenity would resemble the popular Bar K dog park and bar nearby, using former shipping containers…
Columbus Park Wary About What’s Next at North End
By Kevin Collison A Columbus Park building that once housed a point of community pride when it was LaSala’s Deli for decades is now a source of worry for residents. They’re concerned Kevin Hill, the owner of The North End at 910 E. Fifth St., may continue in the ways of its previous operator, Mike…
Global Table Fundraiser Includes Two City Market Restaurants
Two City Market restaurants, the Blue Nile and The Bite, are included in this year’s annual Global Table event to spotlight immigrant contributions to Kansas City and raise funds for the Jewish Vocational Service. Each Monday in May, the JVS has organized a carryout cuisine event at four restaurants owned by immigrants. This is the…
Le Chronic Cafe Serves Aunt Kathy’s Eclairs, Comfort Food
By Kevin Collison In opening Le Chronic Cafe at the City Market, chef Bryan Merker is fulfilling a promise he made to his Aunt Kathy years ago. As a kid in Kansas City, he always enjoyed the wonderful eclairs his aunt prepared. “My aunt was an amazing baker,” Merker recalled. “She always made eclairs so…
Casual Animal Roams into New, Wide-Open Range
By Kevin Collison There’s much more room for Casual Animal(s) to roam since the microbrewery at 1725 McGee acquired the building next door, allowing it to more than triple its size to become perhaps the biggest beer hall in the East Crossroads. Owner Kyle Gray first learned the cavernous adjoining warehouse space formerly occupied by…
KC Live! Cautiously Welcomes Big 12 Basketball Fans
KC Live! is welcoming fans to the Big 12 Basketball Tournament starting today, but like the event itself, it’s following pandemic health guidelines and won’t host the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds of previous years. The open-air, canopied courtyard that normally can accommodate 5,000 people will require everyone entering to be seated at tables socially-distanced on the main…
Hi Tides Roll in at East Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Hi Tides arrived in time to deliver some tropical relief to the East Crossroads during the bitter cold snap a couple weeks ago, serving treats including Black Lava Seat Salt Mocca and Strawberry Hibiscus donuts to warm its guests. The new combination café of coffee drinks, donuts, bagels and ice cream opened…
Crossroads Market Opens at 18th and Holmes
By Kevin Collison A new food market has opened quietly in the East Crossroads at 18th and Holmes, attracted by the steady traffic, new residents moving into the area and the proximity to Hospital Hill. The Crossroads Market models its 2,000-item product mix after chains like Whole Foods and Sprouts, and includes fresh produce, meats,…
New Healthy Eatery Takes ‘Bite’ of East Crossroads
By Kevin Collison For Kathy Hale, bringing her concept that specializes in selling prepared, healthy meals that people can then heat at home to the East Crossroads is an idea five years overdue. She had started her first bricks-and-mortar canihaveabite in Waldo in 2014 and needed a new home for her growing business. “I started…