Food & Drink
P&L District Hosting Downtown BBQ Street Festival in Late May
Some of Kansas City’s top barbecue joints will be joined by several great barbecue places from St. Louis and the South at the first annual Kansas City BBQ Festival, or KC Q, in downtown May 30-31. The new street festival event is co-sponsored by the KC Power & Light District and will be held on…
No More Daily Nada
By Kevin Collison Our Daily Nada, the River Market bookstore and café inspired by a Hemingway short story, has closed its doors after operating less than two years. The commercial creation of a pair of attorneys, Andrea Back and Amy Covitz, sparked a lot of enthusiasm, but failed to generate enough business to make the…
Burnt End BBQ Opens at Crown Center
By Kevin Collison Burnt End BBQ has opened its third location at Crown Center, taking over the space once occupied by Milano’s and stirring in the savory smell of smoked meats. The new restaurant at 2450 Grand is operated by PB&J, and is the culmination of a culinary career that began in the early 1980s…
Monarch Coffee Migrates Downtown, Opens Second Location
By Kevin Collison Nothing like some good national buzz for a local coffee shop. Monarch coffee has opened its second location on the first floor of an office tower at 2345 Grand after the building’s new owners read its rave review in Food & Wine Magazine that said it had the best coffee in Missouri….
Billie’s Grocery Adds Healthy Aussie-Style Food to Restored Luzier Building
By Kevin Collison The historic Luzier Building at 31st and Gillham, a 1920s, terra cotta jewel box next to the big, concrete Costco, is about to be fully reborn with its anchor tenant an Australian-inspired café and bakery. The two-story building at 3216 Gillham Plaza is the latest and toughest restoration project by urban developer…
Developer Plans to Shake-Up Martini Corner
By Kevin Collison A core stretch of the Martini Corner entertainment strip has been purchased by a developer who plans to invest $3 million in renovation and new construction, including literally lifting its bars and restaurants to a new level. Exact Partners, along with other investors, has purchased all the properties on the north side…
Couple Open Dream Tex-Mex Place on West Ninth Street
By Kevin Collison The former City Center Square’s loss is a tasty gain to the Ninth and Baltimore food scene with the opening of Wrap IT Up Tex Mex Grill at 104 W. Ninth St. Veronica Garcia and her husband Roberto Vidal had to relocate when the food court at City Center was closed as…
Ma Ma Ramen Latest Flavor on Grand’s Culinary Block
By Kevin Collison Ma Ma Ramen has opened at 1513 Grand, the latest entry in a burgeoning food and drink scene along that one-block stretch of the boulevard. In fact, the new ramen place is the second restaurant to be opened by Jack Zheng at that address. Six months ago, the Bay Area transplant launched…
Seven Swans Crêperie Lands on Downtown’s Westside
By Kevin Collison Seven Swans Crêperie has landed at 17th and Washington, and owner Kate Bryan is thrilled to bring her café named after a Russian folk tale to life. “It’s just a dream,” she said. “I don’t have a culinary background, I was a home cook all my life. My work life and home…
Phikul Thai Bistro Taking Former Cascone’s Space in River Market
The owners of Baramee Thai Bistro in the Crossroads have discovered downtown has such a great appetite for their food that they’re opening a second place in the River Market. The new Phikul Thai Bistro is locating in the space where Cascone’s Grill occupied for more than 15 years at 15 E. Fifth St. next…