The Capital Grille
4740 Jefferson Street, Kansas City, MO; Tel. 816.531.8345
So you won the lottery or got a long-awaited raise, and the dough is burning a hole in your pocket. The high-toned but unsnobbish Capital Grille is the best place in town to act like Diamond Jim Brady. You can even set a dollar bill aflame to light a cigar, and no one will say a word. Start by ordering a bottle of good bubbly (Cuvee Dom Perignon 1993 is a bargain at $225) and shrimp cocktail, followed by the 24-ounce porterhouse. All the side dishes are à la carte, including the $3.95 baked potato. But aren't you worth it? For the more tight-fisted diner, here's a tip: There's no sin in sharing. In fact, managing partner Mary Simpson would rather see customers splitting an order of the spicy, pan-fried calamari (which can feed four) and the luscious Wedge salad (which easily feeds two) than going to a budget steak house and getting much less bang for the buck. And if a customer wants to spend a life's savings on a dinner that starts with the $15.95 baby-lobster appetizer and ends with the $6.95 chocolate-hazelnut cake? "That would be fine, too," Simpson says, laughing.
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Aixois
251 E. 55th St., Kansas City MO 64113; Tel. 816.333.3305
One of Midtown's sexiest restaurants, this crowded -- and often very noisy -- bistro was created by chef Emmanuel Langlade (a native of Aix-en-Provence) and his American-born wife, Megan, as their own intimate venue for the fare of France's provinces: roasted chicken and duck, trout in lemon butter, a tender slab of beef tenderloin draped in a demi-glaze of pungent Roquefort. The long dining room's plate glass windows look out on a shady patio, which is typically crowded on those sultry summer days with patrons pretending, after a glass of Merlot or two, that this quaint little corner was actually closer to the winding streets of Paris than the bustle of the nearby Country Club Plaza. After a bite of Langlade's crème brulee, you might be willing to suspend disbelief yourself.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Arthur Bryant's Barbecue
1727 Brooklyn. Kansas City MO 64127; Tel. 816.231.1123
The most famous barbecue joint in Kansas City isn't fancy. In fact, it looks pretty much like it did in 1946. But it's not the atmosphere that brings visitors to Arthur Bryant's; it's the tender beef brisket sandwiches, ribs and crispy, lard-fried potatoes. For barbecue fans, this is a mouthful of heaven.

BD's Mongolian Barbeque
11836 W. 95th St., Overland Park KS 66214; Tel. 913.438.4363
What's so Mongolian about this barbecue? Well, instead of receiving a slab of meat, diners can load up little bowls with their own selection of ingredients from a buffet filled with vegetables, ribbons of frozen meats and seafood, sauces, condiments, oils, and spices. One of the youthful employees then takes the bowl and dumps it on the circular, 600-degree grill and pokes it with wooden rakes until the whole concoction is perfectly grilled. It's all-you-can-eat, so a hungry diner can experiment with many variations and ingredients in a single visit.

Bell Street Mama's
1726 West 39th Street, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.531.6422
Remember that Lily Tomlin character on Sesame Street, the one who sat in the oversized rocking chair talking about bizarre concoctions she'd like to eat? That character would love Bell Street Mama's list of 51 omelet combinations. Green beans, bacon and onion? Pineapple and cottage cheese? Hot dogs, onion and American cheese? Peanut butter, jelly and banana? Are you kidding? We used to think that alarms would go off and all the employees would point and laugh when someone finally ordered No. 30, but it turns out that the servers take the order for peanut butter, jelly and banana without giving it a second thought. Even more surprising is that the No. 30 doesn't taste bad -- the peanut butter and jelly overpower the egg, so it's mostly like eating a regular old peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich -- only it comes with a choice of browns or grits and toast or biscuits.

Benton's Steak & Chop House
Westin Crown Center Hotel, One Pershing Road, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.474.4400
With so many flashy national steak houses in town, it's easy to forget the local joints, like Benton's, on the twentieth floor of the Westin Crown Center Hotel. Like the wallflower who gets ignored when brash new beauties dominate the dance, Benton's has been looking dowdy lately. The room still has a stunning view, but it hasn't had a major décor change in sixteen years, and the woodwork looks a little scuffed, the floors a shade worn. The steaks and service, however, are still first-class, especially the juicy and flavorful 10-ounce center-cut Kansas City strip. It isn't just a bargain at $26 (which includes bread and a potato). The wet-aged, certified Angus beef practically melts in your mouth. For nine bucks more, the restaurant throws in a shrimp cocktail and a Caesar salad. Who could have a beef with that?
Full review available from The Pitch.

Blue Bird Bistro
1700 Summit, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.221.7559
Once upon a time, the Blue Bird was a hippie-ish little vegetarian eatery. But today, it's the best place in town for a brown-rice-and broccoli-eatin' vegan to enjoy a harmonious date with a give-it-to-me-still-mooin' carnivore. For starters, there's the veg-friendly herbed hummus, a creamy spread served with warm pita; and for the meat lover, there's the house-cured salmon flavored with orange, cilantro and jalapeños. A vegan will be thrilled by all the dinner choices: the North African vegetable stew, a melange of seasonal organic veggies in a spiced tomato-chickpea broth over couscous; or the green curry, squares of tofu and vegetables in a coconut-milk sauce. The carnivore will salivate over the natural-beef tenderloin, a succulent wedge of locally raised beef served in a Madeira sauce with asparagus and mashed potatoes, or the bison burger. At the Blue Bird Bistro, both veggies and meaters can have their dinner and eat it, too.
Full review available from The Pitch.

The Bristol Bar & Grill
5400 W. 119th St., Leawood KS 66209; Tel. 913.663.5777
When this longtime favorite moved from the Plaza to the suburbs, it took its beautiful old stained-glass dome and its recipe for slightly sweet drop biscuits with it, and the food and service are still top-notch. Fresh seafood is the main calling card, from scallops baked in bacon and peppers to sautéed tilapia to steamed live Maine lobster, but there's also roasted chicken, filet mignon and KC strip. Reservations are suggested because the Bristol is typically packed.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Café Provence
3936 W. 69th Terr., Prairie Village KS 66208; Tel. 913.384.5998
This intimate dining room is barely bigger than an Yves St. Laurent scarf, but it's just as stylish, thanks to the bon goût of Brittany-born owner Patrick Quillec (the chef-owner of the more eclectic Hannah Bistro), who has turned a space overlooking the parking lot of the Prairie Village Shopping Center (romantic, it's not) into a bistro with linen-draped tables, lace curtains and, over at the tiny bar, a TV set tuned to the Paris version of CNN. The fare certainly evokes the flavors of France's provincial countryside: hearty pates, crusty breads, soothing soups and the kind of dinners worth lingering over, including a succulent Coq au vin in a smoky, russet-colored sauce or a poached salmon draped in a buttery sorrel sauce. The desserts are transcendent, with freshly-made sorbets offered each day.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Café Sebastienne
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, 4420 Warwick Blvd, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.561.7740
Lunch hours become potential name-dropping opportunities at the stylish Café Sebastienne, where chef Jennifer Maloney's artistic menu frequently mirrors the creativity on display in the adjacent galleries. Local artists and writers dine there frequently, but it's also the ne plus ultra choice for showing off visiting dignitaries of all stripes, from movie star Kevin Bacon (with his son), to Gourmet magazine editor Ruth Reichl taking a break from her book tour, to TV actress Karen Valentine, giggling with three of her costars from the New Theatre Restaurant. Local demi-celebs dine there too -- including a couple of TV news reporters and at least one music director. But they don't count as actual celebrities unless they're fawning over a Bigger Name.

Cascone's Grill
20 East 5th Street, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.471.1018
For 31 years, the 13 red leatherette-topped stools at Cascone's Grill have been the best spot in town to see poetry in motion: the men of the Cascone family cooking eggs, hash browns and yellow pancakes on the sizzling grill while their sisters do a dozen tasks at once, from pouring steaming cups of java out of the big, stainless three-spigot coffee urn to pulling wedges of whipped cream pies from behind the glass doors of the refrigerated display case. Once the doors open at 6 a.m., there's real theater on both sides of the curvy counter, with the regulars coming in for coffee and conversation (sports and politics, mostly) and a side dish of marinara sauce to spoon over Italian sausage or to use as a dipping sauce for a buttered slab of Italian toast. Customers wait in line on crowded Saturday mornings during the height of the City Market season, so it's easier to grab a stool on weekdays. But the Cascones plan to move their diner across the street by the beginning of 2003. "We'll have even more stools in the new place," George Cascone says.

The Cheesecake Factory
4701 Wyandotte, Kansas City MO 64112; Tel. 816.960.1919
The Cheesecake Factory is as famous for its long wait for a table (sometimes two hours on weekends) as for its huge portions of food. The two-story restaurant is done in high camp style: The decor is one part French bistro, one part Egyptian temple. The menu is a polyglot of dishes (Chinese, Mexican, Thai), as well as oversized servings of such mainstays as hamburgers, meatloaf and salads. And of course, there's plenty of rich cheesecake.

Coyote Grill
4843 Johnson Dr., Mission KS 66205; Tel. 913.362.3333
Located inside Mission Center Mall, this Southwestern-inspired dining room sits behind a curving sweep of faux adobe with a view of the bustling open kitchen and some interesting art, including a painting of a cactus that looks like Gumby. Chef Thomas Dudley's menu blends chiles and Southwest spices with regional ingredients: Kansas City ribs in a piquant barbecue sauce or sautéed chicken tossed with red chile linguini and a tequila lime cream sauce. He artfully twists Mexican specialties too, such as an enchilada packed with portabella mushrooms and fresh spinach. A jazz ensemble performs live on Tuesday nights.

Danny's Big Easy
1610 Main St., Kansas City MO 64108; Tel. 816.221.2244
Named for owner Danny Gosserand, who opened the city's first urban Cajun restaurant, this newer incarnation is a laid-back place where an old-fashioned screened door separates the noisy kitchen from the noisier dining rooms. Servers bang the door open as they burst out of the kitchen with white china platters loaded with spicy jambalaya, crunchy po' boy sandwiches or peppery étouffée and plastic baskets heaped with pillowy yeast rolls. The style of both the food and the service is very casual, which may rub fussy diners the wrong way, but as a place to kick back with a bowl of gumbo and a cold beer, it's easy street.
Full review available from The Pitch.

EBT Restaurant
1310 Carondelet (I-435 & State Line), Kansas City MO 64114; Tel. 816.942.8870
Located in the first-floor atrium of the UMB Bank building just off I-435, the dining room is named for and decorated with architectural details (including the brass elevator cages) that survived the 1971 razing of the 78-year-old building that was once Kansas City's most elegant department store, Emery Bird Thayer. The décor and service style reflect a more genteel time, but the menu created by chef and general manager Leo Geismar is unabashedly modern, with an emphasis on seafood and Asian-influenced flavors. Geismar has created a second menu of "small plate" dishes that can be eaten in the adjoining bar . These ten appetizer-style choices are by far the most sophisticated "bar" food to be found in Kansas City, including a juicy lamb chop poised over a bed of mushroom polenta and a filet mignon tournedo stuffed with black truffles and foie gras.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Eden Alley
707 W. 47th Street, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.561.5415
Eden Alley isn't strictly vegetarian, but that's the primary focus of a constantly changing menu, where different variations of pizza, quesadillas, and pasta share the limelight with the usual suspects (a damn veggie burger, hummus with pita). In just a portion of the massive space on the lower level of Unity Temple on the Plaza, this bustling restaurant serves lunch and dinner in an atmosphere that's one part 1960s hippie cool and one part kinda now, kinda wow. Many diners love it because the place is so totally anti-Plaza, yet right there -- just a skip away from Saks Fifth Avenue, Z Galleria, and all the slicker, trendier Plaza restaurants. At Eden Alley, two perfectly coiffed matrons in St. John knits can be sitting a table away from two pierced, tattooed Goth kids and the focus is still on the food.

Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue
101 W. 22nd St., Kansas City MO 64108; Tel. 816.472.7427
Kansas City's old freight house may have been destined to be a barbecue joint. In this striking space, with its soaring ceilings and theatrical lighting, even plates of burnt ends or tender barbecued chicken and stacks of fried onion rings seem like cosmopolitan, gourmet fare. Tourists and residents alike wait patiently for tables and then gobble down restaurateur Jack Fiorella's signature dishes, such as Crown Prime Beef Ribs, lamb ribs, barbecued fish and those rib-sticking side dishes, such as Cheesy Corn Bake and the city's meatiest baked beans.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Gates Barbecue
1221 Brooklyn, Kansas City, MO 64127; Tel. 816.483.3880
With locations throughout the city on both sides of the state line, Gates has become a Kansas City tradition. Servers behind the counter welcome diners with shouts of, "Hi! May I help you?" Then they take orders for some of the best ribs and meatiest beans in town, along with smoky, flavorful chicken and monster beef, ham and turkey sandwiches. And it passes the true test of a local barbecue joint: The lines at Gates are particularly long before Chiefs home games.

Grand St. Cafe
4740 Grand, Kansas City MO 64112; Tel. 816.561.8000
This big, attractive dining room is both glamorous and accessible, and the dinner menu offers sandwiches (including a beer-battered fried cod po' boy) and sophisticated entrées, such as the haughty Chilean sea bass with gnocchi and shaved artichoke or the more familiar grilled tenderloin with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.
Full review available from The Pitch.

The Grille on Broadway
3605 Broadway, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.531.0700
The Grille on Broadway is a tiny, intimate bistro where the fresh seafood and pasta selections change daily. However, the menu always offers continental-style fare, such as New Zealand rack of lamb or veal scalloppine in a rich sauce of shiitake mushrooms. The extensive wine list and pleasant service make a simple dinner almost unbearably romantic.

Jake Edwards Bar-B-Q
5107 Main Street, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.531.8878
It's all in the wood. Cook Wayne Robinson confesses that the meat at Jake Edwards Bar-B-Q is lip-lickety good because of the hickory. "Some places in town -- I won't name names -- use oak or oak mixed with hickory," he explains. "We're one of the few places in town that uses hickory exclusively." Hickory smoke is spicier than oak, and the meat takes on that flavor when it stews in hickory smoke for hours. Slow cooking makes the meat super tender, too, Robinson says. During the past 35 years, Jake Edwards has developed a loyal fan base. Some folks eat there every week. Out-of-towners love it, too. Jake Edwards routinely ships brisket and rib orders to places like Florida and Tennessee. And when tourists venture south of the Plaza to try a genuine Kansas City slab, they're often blown away by the taste. "We had a kid in here from Seattle a couple weeks ago," Robinson says. "I thought he was going to chew his fingers off. He said he'd never eaten anything like that in his life."

Jasper's Restaurant
1201 W. 103rd St., Kansas City MO 64114; Tel. 816.941.6600
The Mirabile brothers, including talented executive chef J.J., have brought their late father's perfectionism to the new incarnation of his namesake restaurant, which now looks over a bubbling waterfall at Indian Creek. The reasonably priced haute cuisine includes the best veal dishes in the city. Try to get a table on the enclosed patio.

Joe D's Wine Bar & Cafe
6227 Brookside Plaza, Kansas City MO 64113; Tel. 816.333.6116
Years ago, this former service station was transformed into a cozy, sophisticated restaurant named for its charismatic proprietor, Joe DiGiovanni. The two dining rooms can seem raucously noisy on busy nights, and the tables are so close together you may have to be discreet when discussing the juiciest gossip. But the noise and nosiness are small irritations after dinner arrives: The new menu features grilled pork tenderloin in a sun-dried strawberry port wine sauce and a pan-seared chicken breast doused with balsamic vinaigrette, thyme and preserved lemons. The popular Pasta Potenza, tossed with cheese, wine, roasted peppers, sautéed mushrooms and spinach, is still there, as are several daily specials and a bread pudding drenched in Kahlua caramel.

Le Fou Frog
400 East 5th Street, Kansas City, MO; Tel. 816.474.6060
Too often, American restaurants that serve foreign food simply display a few trinkets and flags and stereotypical pieces of artwork to appeal to diners' imaginations. But Fou Frog is an exception. It doesn't feel like a French restaurant in the United States. It feels like a real French restaurant. From the lampposts on mirrored walls to the moules and frites on the plates, there is nothing inauthentic about this place. It's an ideal spot for drinking some red wine and finishing a meal with a salad, taking a two-hour lunch and exchanging banter with the chatty and personable wait staff. The decorations consist of posters advertising French tobacco and liqueur. Any homesick, aperitif-loving Francophiles stranded in this town -- which is as far from any U.S. border as you can possibly get -- ought to head downtown right away. Just don't become so convinced by your surroundings that you accidentally follow the European custom of not tipping.

Lidia's
101 W. 22nd St., Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.221.3722
The first Midwest outpost of successful New York chef, restaurateur (Filidia, Becco), and TV personality Lidia Bastianich, Lidia's Kansas City serves up extraordinary Italian cuisine. Where else can you find crispy frico appetizers filled with such good things as crabmeat or vegetables? Or a fork-tender chicken breast cooked with Italian olives and roasted lemons? Or the most luscious osso buco, slow-braised with vegetables and a hint of fresh orange? Chef Dan Swinney expertly prepares Lidia's signature dishes, including the popular pasta sampler, which changes nightly. For dessert, there's a creamy tiramisu or a citrusy panna cotta.

Macaluso's
1403 W. 39th St., Kansas City MO 64111; Tel. 816.561.0100
This fourteen-table dining room can seem even smaller when filled by the dominating personality of its owner, Tom Macaluso. The good-natured New York native has an outrageous and sometimes caustic sense of humor that either delights his patrons or terrifies them. That he doesn't care is part of his charm. An even more alluring inducement to eat here, however, is longtime chef Scott Warren's continental menu. Warren drapes pan-seared duck with a tart-sweet blackberry-port reduction, boosts au gratin potatoes with Stilton cheese and adds a rosemary-and-mustard crust to a rack of lamb. The small venue might seem claustrophobic on busy weekend nights, but the festive atmosphere and boisterous Macaluso make it seem like a big party.
Full review available from The Pitch.

The Malay Café
6003 Northwest Barry Road, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.741.3616
Other restaurants have opened in the past twelve months with more splash, money and hype. But the Malay Café, a tiny family owned eatery in Kansas City North, scores in so many other ways: its unique Malaysian cuisine (perhaps the world's first fusion cuisine), its friendly staff, its reasonable prices and the fact that it's so damn unhip that it out-hips all of its trendier contemporaries. Fans of this kitsch-laden restaurant and its owners (Allison Lim, her chef-husband, Sam, and brother-in-law, Steve Yim) love it so much, they refuse to tell their closest friends about it, in hopes that the L-shaped dining room stays the best-kept secret in town. But word is getting out about Sam Lim's soothing, fragrant soups and gorgeously spiced meals, such as Java Mee, a citrusy stir-fried noodle dish, and Laksa Lemak, noodles in a punchy curry broth. Even desserts, including homemade ice creams, custards and a hot peanut pancake, make the trek to a Northland strip mall well worth the expedition.

McCoy's Public House and Brewkitchen
4057 Pennsylvania, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.960.0866
When the Romans invaded Britain thousands of years ago, they brought the tradition of brewpubs and a stern rule for bar owners: "Thou shalt not serve vegetables, nor any health foods, nor anything not covered with beast grease and riddled with gristle, unless it be a wilted garnish." Bar owners in America have mindlessly followed that edict for centuries. But finally, one lone bar has broken the ancient rule and fulfilled vegetarian bar hoppers' wishes: McCoy's. The roasted red-pepper hummus appetizer plate includes hummus, sprouts, kalamata olives and chewy wedges of pita bread; brick-oven-baked pretzels are two fat, golden twists served with spicy mustard. For dinner, there's the Sonoma Vegan Wrap, a flour tortilla stuffed with roasted portabella mushrooms, a dollop of hummus, mixed greens, roma tomatoes, red onions and a tahini vinaigrette served with a fluffy mound of sundried-fruit couscous studded with dried cranberries and apricots. Other veg-friendly options include a savory black-bean veggie burger with pepper jack cheese (which can be omitted) and avocado relish, and a wonderful black-bean portabella fajita. General Manager Kevin Kimm says vocal servers deserve the credit for the veggie fare. "We have a number of employees who are vegetarians and kind of pushed us in that direction," Kimm says.

Melbee's Bar and Restaurant
6120 Johnson Drive, Mission KS 66202; Tel. 913.262.6121
Mission has been a dowdy stepsister to the brassier, busier Overland Park for too many years. This combination bar and restaurant helps even the ante, giving the tiny town a big-city boite complete with a pianist playing show tunes as customers strike poses holding chilled martini glasses. Chef John Beasley's excellent "small plates" are elegantly composed, and the servers are attentive -- even if they seem ready for their next close-up. (You may be torn between leaving a tip or asking for their autographs.) Melbee's presents both cool and warm dishes, and sharing them is fun, but the portions are little and the prices are high. You might still be hungry when it's all over.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Pachamama's
2161 Quail Creek Dr., Lawrence KS 66047; Tel. 785.841.0990
The restaurant's name translates as "Mother Earth," and chef Ken Baker's cuisine is "world food," but Pachamama's is no new-agey vegetarian place. It's a spacious, grown-up, very now, very wow restaurant with quietly elegant service and a creative menu focusing on fresh regional ingredients (including plenty of meat) that changes on the first Tuesday of each month. The salads are inspired, the appetizers are heavenly and Baker is a master at turning fresh seafood into something exquisite. (And there's always at least one vegetarian offering, also created with style and good taste.) Reservations are strongly suggested; smoking is allowed in the bar only.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Peach Tree Buffet Restaurant
6800 Eastwood Trafficway, Kansas City MO 64129; Tel. 816.923.0099
Traditional Southern-style soul food -- and lots of it -- is the drawing card for this clean and congenial peach-and-green dining room. The place is open seven days a week (but closes early: 6 p.m. on Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday), and there's a featured special every night, such as pork chops on Tuesdays, spaghetti on Fridays and barbecued ribs on Saturdays. Old standards, however, are always around: juicy fried chicken, luscious macaroni and cheese, candied yams and simmering collard greens in a slightly bitter broth just waiting to be sopped up with a slab of cornbread. A big pan of lattice-crust peach cobbler or a heavenly bread pudding waits at the end of the meal.

The Peppercorn Duck Club
Hyatt Regency Crown Center, 2345 McGee St. (Pershing Rd.), Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.435.4199
After two decades, the Peppercorn Duck Club has lost a little of its glamour but none of its style. It's high-gloss fancy, right down to the fresh rose given to each female patron, the personalized matchbooks, and the seriously attentive service. So if it's time to toss the latest trendy (and disappointing) diet plan to the wind, come here to celebrate with a fat roasted duckling, its succulent meat covered with a crispy, crackly crust and a dollop of tart orange sauce, and a good bottle of champagne. Then go for the gusto at the eye-popping Ultra Chocolatta Dessert Bar, where it's impossible not to overindulge on all kinds of chocolate sweets and pastries. You'll be fatter, but so much happier.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Plaza III-The Steakhouse
4749 Pennsylvania, Kansas City MO 64112; Tel. 816.753.0000
A classic, elegant steakhouse, Plaza III opened on Christmas Day in 1963 and is still considered by many to be the premier steak spot in town. In addition to the prime beef, the double-cut lamb rib chops are not to be missed. Nearly all the red meat dishes are well complemented with béarnaise sauce, and because sides are always important at a classic steak house, Plaza III offers particularly good hash browns and creamed spinach. Start off with a cup of seafood bisque or the renowned Plaza III Steak Soup.

The Range
Harrah's Casino, One Riverboat Drive, Kansas City MO 64116; Tel. 816.472.7777
The Range isn't one of the city's better-known steak joints, but it should be. This dark, attractive Southwest-inspired dining room specializes in beautifully prepared strips, chops, prime rib and filets. It may be the only place at Harrah's where no one ever loses: All dinners include a loaf of warm honey-wheat bread, a plate of red corn chips with a smoky roasted poblano tapenade and a choice of Ceaser or salad bar. The latter is the royal flush of make-your-own salad displays, sporting such delicacies as roasted garlic cloves, kalamata olives and artichoke hearts. Take a gamble on a chile-cured duck slathered with a sweet-tart ancho chile sauce or a pork chop doused in an apple-brandy glaze.
Full review available from The Pitch.

re:Verse
618 Ward Parkway, Kansas City MO 64112; Tel. 816.931.7811
The conceit behind this restaurant's distinctive style and décor is the Beat generation of rebellious writers and poets -- Kerouac, Ginsberg, Corso and Burrough -- who would probably have found restaurateur James Taylor's sleek and polished dining room to be as pro-establishment as the Chrysler building. It's a fun literary gimmick, but one that's probably lost on the combination restaurant-nightspot's youthful patrons, who are more more interested in imported beers than Beatnik lore. Who cares; by the standards of the increasingly homogenized Plaza, this vibrant place is totally Hipville. The food is quite good, with more expensive tapas offerings than dinner entrees, but the latter choices are often worthy of poetry, especially a tenderloin rubbed in olive oil and stuffed with a sheath of gooey molten brie. The only thing to rebel against at this groovy joint is the fact that it sometimes takes awhile to get a table during the busy dinner hour, proving that when a place is hot, the Beat goes on and on.

Saigon 39
1806 1/2 W. 39th St., Kansas City MO 64111; Tel. 816.531.4447
This family-owned and -operated cafe is often voted Kansas City's best Vietnamese restaurant and boasts several award-winning dishes. Saigon 39 offers some stereotypical Asian fare, but the spring rolls, the spicy pineapple soup and the curry are standouts. Bring cash (nothing else is accepted), call first (open limited days and hours), and remember to order mild, medium or spicy carefully, because they'll take you seriously.

The Savoy Grill
Hotel Savoy, 219 W. 9th St., Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.842.3890
Hey, this place isn't just a landmark, it's an institution. The waiters in starched white jackets have better manners than any of their customers, and the dining rooms haven't changed a bit since the art nouveau glass windows and the Edward Holslag murals were first installed -- nor has the menu. It's heavy on steaks and seafood and has the best lobster in town. And if you're lucky, you can reserve the coolest booth in the place: President Harry Truman's regular table.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Shiraz Restaurant
320 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.472.0015
Two stories of brick surround Shiraz's plant-festooned and wrought-iron-ornamented courtyard. It's a surprisingly quiet place, despite its entrance off of Southwest Boulevard. With soft lights at night and the subdued glow of sunshine during the day, the courtyard resembles those of European coffeehouses or New Orleans restaurants -- perfect for a midday schmooze or evening breaking of ice. It's even good for a deep breath while reading a book. Besides cool drinks, the restaurant's wonder is its Mediterranean/continental cuisine, served with confidence by a spiffy staff. They help make Shiraz courtyard an escape to another, quieter world in the middle of the city.

Stroud's
1015 E. 85th St., Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.333.2132
There's a reason customers continue to wait for a table -- sometimes as long as an hour -- for a platter of the legendary Stroud's pan-fried chicken. Just under that tongue-searing, crackling, golden crust is the juiciest, most flavorful bird in the city. The original Stroud's still looks like the roadhouse it once was (when the joint opened in 1933, this neighborhood was the far-out suburbs). That was back when no one gave a damn about cholesterol, and a sophisticated evening out meant chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and hot rolls. Here the rolls are compact biscuits glazed with cinnamon and sugar, and the gravy is dangerously thick. Over the years, Stroud's has become as much a Kansas City institution as Union Station, the Plaza and Walt Bodine.

Tatsu's Somerset Plaza
4603 W. 90th St., Prairie Village, KS 66207; Tel. 913.383.9801
Tatsu's is indeed intimate, with the tables placed so close together that diners would be well-advised to be careful about their conversations while savoring the continental cuisine. The pale peach-colored seafood bisque is beyond decadent, and the teriyaki chicken, with its crispy caramelized glaze, is lighter but equally intoxicating. Lunch is a less expensive way to check out the same items found on the dinner menu, which can be pricey.

The Thai Place
4130 Pennsylvania, Kansas City MO 64111; Tel. 816.753.8424
The third and fanciest addition to Thai-born restaurateur Ann Liberda's expanding kingdom is a terrific asset to Westport's restaurant scene. It draws Midtown hipsters of all ages and colors. And they're the kind of customers who like spicy fare, since Chef Ted Liberda uses the traditional Thai definition of "mild" -- which means "medium hot" (rather than the Kansas City definition, which seems to be "heat-free"). Liberda puts a creative spin on traditional Thai dishes as well as several innovative new ones.
Full review available from The Pitch.

Three Friends Restaurant and BBQ
2461 Prospect, Kansas City MO; Tel. 816.231.9753
Three Friends specializes in Kansas City's most arresting soul food. Open only on weekends, the restaurant puts on its Sunday best with an upstairs buffet from noon until 3:30 p.m. (though some of the notoriously delicious menu items, including the deep-fried catfish, are available only in the main dining room on Sundays -- but the buffet comes topped off with peach cobbler). At 25 years strong and counting, Three Friends has a legion of loyal followers who know traditional goodness when they taste it. "People like the hospitality and the love they put in the food," one customer says.