David LaCrone's top 9 most promising restaurants of '09
Nine new Kansas City restaurants with staying power
R Bar, 1617 Genessee Street, Kansas City, Missouri.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
9. The Sweet Guy 7439 Broadway
While fairly well known for its delicious chocolates, Waldo's The Sweet Guy actually serves up fine lunches of sandwiches, salads and pastas. Plus, you can create your own salad from their list of excellent toppings and cap it with chicken, salmon, turkey or tofu. A full-service espresso bar along with gelato and outstanding candies make this a fantastic addition to Waldo's thriving scene.
8. Cozy's Cafe 6740 W 75th St.
This impeccably clean new Overland Park restaurant fills a desperately-needed breakfast niche in the area, but also offers some nice, European-inspired entrees and sandwiches for every meal of the day. Cozy's is no-frills but expertly run and the service is friendly to a fault.
One More Cup, 7408 Wornall Road, Kansas City, Missouri
7. The Well 7421 Broadway
The menu at this somewhat upscale, if generic, sports bar won't win any creativity awards, but the food is prepared with a lot of care. High quality versions of traditional bar food abound, such as their 8-ounce black Angus burger or the French Dip made with slices of tender prime rib. The Well has dozens of beers on tap and a jazillion flat screen TVs, if that's your thing. What really distinguishes this place from the competition is all of the outdoor space, particularly the fabulous, oft-mentioned rooftop deck.
6. The Farmhouse 300 Delaware St.
Advertising a "farm to table" approach to food service, Farmhouse offers seasonal dishes made with fresh, locally procured ingredients and an emphasis on sustainable and organic practices. This aesthetic has clearly resonated with the dining public who have lauded the place on review Web sites to an almost laughable degree. Nonetheless, the concept remains exciting and the River Market location (formerly Delaware Cafe) is a big plus.
5. Hot Basil 7528 W 119th St.
We could certainly use more options for Thai food in this town. Fortunately 2009 brought us Hot Basil, a promising little restaurant in a nondescript Overland Park shopping center near 119th and Metcalf. While small, the whole interior is elegantly decorated and even the dishes and glassware have novel, classy design. The cuisine at Hot Basil is frankly a notch above the ubiquitous Thai Place, and it is every bit as spicy as advertised.
4. Julian 6227 Brookside Plz.
The former Joe D's Wine Bar space has recently been reoccupied by Julian, a tasteful and intimate fine dining establishment. While many have noted problems with its small size, room noise and overattentive service, Chef Celina Tio's new Brookside venture features food that is too good to ignore. Julian has a fervent fan base and has quickly established itself as one of the top eateries in Brookside.
3. C Withers Restaurant & Cafe 3613 Broadway
Equal parts soul food and barbecue joint, C Withers provides a much needed jolt of culinary honesty and integrity to a midtown strip rife with possibilities. Withers serves up delicious chicken wings, beef, ribs, cornbread and other soul food staples with a healthy dose of family-run friendliness. Time will tell if the place will succeed, but it has already endeared itself to nearly everyone who has tried it.
2. The Westside Local 1663 Summit St.
The concept is so solid, it was almost a foregone conclusion that The Westside Local would thrive. It brings an imaginative but casual approach to eating and drinking to bear at the lovely intersection of 17th and Summit, already home to Blue Bird Bistro, Lill's, Los Alamos Market, Fervere bakery and most recently, Chez Elle. The menu offers dishes at many levels of granularity, from small bowls of buttery green olives and homemade pickles to sandwiches and full plates of braised rabbit or steak. A slick atmosphere, comfy beer garden and an expert bar staff have made The Westside Local a bustling and fun environment for late night diners, drinkers and socializers.
1. R Bar 1617 Genessee St
R Bar has largely lived up to its tremendous hype in a couple of short months. The dimly lit tavern and restaurant set up shop in a rehabbed space across from the Golden Ox formerly occupied by Sutera's. Not only does R Bar employ a couple of the finest bartenders in Kansas City, but the food is a particular delight for enthusiastic eaters and culinarians alike. Alex Pope's menu features highly decadent offerings such as beef tartar, fois gras, short ribs and pork belly at sane prices. The entire package is the single most exciting development in the Kansas City restaurant landscape.
Honorable mentions: One More Cup: 7408 Wornall; Greedy Man's BBQ & Grill: 5536 Troost; Burrito Bros., City Market
Comments
justinpgardner (anonymous) says...
I've only been to the R Bar, The Westside Local, Julian and The Farmhouse, but I've enjoyed them all and so here we go...
4) The Farmhouse has potential, and I enjoyed the food when I went, although I can't recall exactly what I had. A sandwich/salad combo of some sort. Nonetheless, a great addition to the River Market and I hope they can keep going in a tough location.
3) I've only had appetizers (or "localities" as they call them) at the Westside Local, but they were all great and I'm looking forward to having a proper meal there. And the beer selection is great. I'd bet this is a place where Boulevard throws some future fetes. After all, it's only a block away from John McDonald's house. If that's not enough to visit this Summit Hill addition, I don't know what is.
2) My dad was kind enough to treat me to a birthday dinner at Julian and while the decor has a lot to be desired (oddly modern for the gourmet comfort fare they serve), the cuisine was top notch. We started with the bowl o' mussels with Nutcracker Ale, red onions and thyme and after the mussels were gone we continued to ask for more bread to enjoy that broth. The entrees didn't disappoint either. The scallops were generous and perfectly cooked, and my dad enjoyed his B.E.L.T (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, Tapenade Mayo) and called it inspired. I'm sure I'll make my way back soon and try the B.E.L.T. on myself.
1) Yes, R Bar is my favorite new spot as well. It has a fantastic atmosphere, amazing cocktail selection and an appropriately adventurous menu given the locale. Can't say I like the funnel cake bread selection (too crunchy the time I went), but I certainly appreciated the effort. After that, we started proper with the apples and mixed greens salad with ranch dressing, sharp cheddar and oatmeal croutons. The combination sounds simple enough, but it was magic. Those oatmeal croutons! I can't recall having a better salad. For the main, my halibut with beets was amazing and I'm not a fan of beets. Not in the least. My friend had the egg noodles with walnuts and pumpkin and she was equally impressed. After sneaking a taste, I agreed. They were rich, buttery and the walnuts added just the right texture to the noodles. Last, I can't neglect the cocktail selection. Favorites so far: West Bottoms Social Club (frothy and fun), Aviation (floral and strong) and Jasmine (unexpected and refreshing). All in all, an extremely creative, inspiring experience and all well worth the pomp, circumstance and price. I can't wait to go back.
Thanks for the other suggestions. Looks like I have some ground to cover in the new year!
December 22, 2009 at 10:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LTMack (anonymous) says...
Hey Justin. If I wanted to read your article I would have gone to your page... oh wait.
Why don't we leave the writing to David, and you can stick to brief commenting, yeah?
December 23, 2009 at 12:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
johnnyg83 (anonymous) says...
I like your comments, Justin. Thanks.
December 23, 2009 at 12:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shiprek (anonymous) says...
Glad to see R Bar as # 1 I thought that place was great even though I didnt eat there. Normally Im just a beer guy, but the cocktails are delicious and a meal in their own right. The barkeep is a true mixologist!
Little surprised YouSayTomato didn't make the cut...
December 23, 2009 at 3:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lwetzel (inactive user) says...
I'm sure it would be a contender, Shiprek, except that this list focuses on places that opened in 2009. YST opened in 2006, I believe.
December 23, 2009 at 3:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DaveLaCrone (anonymous) says...
Thanks for your take Justin, I appreciate the input. Shiprek I believe You Say Tomato opened more than a year ago and these were only restaurants that opened in '09, otherwise it probably would have made the cut. That being said, any others you all think I left out?
December 23, 2009 at 9:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tbrothers (anonymous) says...
Thanks for the info Dave. We're always looking for new eateries when in KC!
December 24, 2009 at 8:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justinpgardner (anonymous) says...
Dave, I think Thai Garden is a good addition to the 39th street area and I believe it just opened up this year. It's in the space where Mama's was. Not anything earth shattering there, but I prefer their curries to Lulu's and the fact that they're five blocks away is perfect for take out.
December 27, 2009 at 4:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gmrv4 (anonymous) says...
Thanks for the heads up on places to eat in KC. I see in your Honorable Mentions, Greedy Man's BBQ. Greedy Man's BBQ on Troost has a great spicy hot beef sandwich that shouldn't be missed. Blue Skies.
December 31, 2009 at 1:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
thegrislyhand (anonymous) says...
Why is there a picture of the patio of a coffeeshop not mentioned in this piece? One More Cup is great and when I saw the pic I got excited, but alas, no story. ..?
February 7, 2010 at 1:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
efarris (inactive user) says...
It's an honorable mention.
February 7, 2010 at 6:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )