What’s the best donut in Kansas City? The staff at 435 Magazine aimed to find out through an extravagant day-long blind taste test. We picked up doughnuts — “two glazed, two of your most popular” — from every local shop that makes its own in Kansas City and was open on one sugar-drenched Tuesday in… Continue reading We blind-tasted doughnuts from every local shop that makes its own in Kansas City— here are the best
Most people never get the chance to hear a truly amazing hi-fi system — a setup where the cartridge for the turntable alone can cost as much as a used car and the whole setup could be traded for a condo in Florida. Kelsyn Rooks wanted to change that with Listyn KC (listynkc.com), his monthly… Continue reading You can hear a stereo that costs as much as a house at this audiophile pop-up party in Kansas City
You never know quite what you’ll get when you buy a ticket to a Sofar Sounds show (sofarsounds.com). The unique concert production company has a lottery for seats to intimate shows featuring unnamed acts. Venues can be coffee shops, pools, rooftop bars and even living rooms — past venues have included the Crossroads Hotel and… Continue reading You never know what you’ll see when you buy tickets to this mystery concert series
The Missing Piece Strolling through The Missing Piece (2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 816-421-1722) feels almost like a museum. The cozy hat store in Crown Center displays hundreds of fedoras, top hats, fascinators and what owner Michael Miller calls “big brim fancy hats” — or the hats that women wear for the Kentucky Derby… Continue reading Get the perfect Kentucky Derby hat at this Crown Center specialty shop
The Waffle Bar No one knows quite how Hong Kong’s bubble waffle came to exist. Whatever the origin, hot off the (waffle) press comes Waffle Bar located on the Country Club Plaza (4745 Central St., Kansas City, Mo. 816-832-8348). Waffle Bar’s owners encountered a similar waffle in New York while traveling and thought they should… Continue reading Hong Kong-style bubble waffles have landed in KC
FlipSwitch VR At-home virtual reality equipment is rapidly improving with the introduction of products like the Oculus Quest, but they still have a long way to go before they can match the experience at FlipSwitch VR (2021 Washington St., Kansas City, Mo. 816-492-7738, flipswitchvr.com). This shop, which opened in January 2018 in the Crossroads District,… Continue reading This Kansas City virtual reality spot makes its own awesome games
N2 Sports District high school football game? Just watch online from the only student-run broadcast truck in the country. In January 2019, the four high schools in NKC started producing fully functional live broadcasts of sporting events out of the sports broadcast truck, allowing viewers to watch games and hear commentary live from their phones… Continue reading Kansas City teens are learning to operate a satellite truck while broadcasting school sports
Monarch There are a lot of great coffee shops in KC, but when we want a moment of calm, we go to Monarch Coffee (3550 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. monarchcoffeekc.com). The Midtown shop’s immaculate interior — white hex penny-tile flooring, bright white walls and globed light fixtures — has made this Midtown coffee stop… Continue reading Find your moment of zen at Monarch Coffee
One of the best gems of the Power & Light District is easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it. The rooftop park, tucked away on top of the parking garage next to Cosentino’s Market (1220 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo.), is covered in shade trees, park benches, potted plants and two grassy lawns.… Continue reading There’s an amazing park hidden on a downtown KC parking garage — here’s how to get there
When artist Claes Oldenburg placed Kansas City’s iconic shuttlecock sculptures on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, he imagined giants playing badminton with the museum as the net. This summer, visitors may feel like giants themselves. Through Labor Day, the museum (4525 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo. nelson-atkins.org) is home to the Nelson-Atkins… Continue reading The Nelson-Atkins Museum has a miniature golf course and it’s awesome
If you’re still waiting on your Hogwarts letter, don’t fret — you can still play quidditch in Kansas. Mizzou, KU and Wichita State all now offer collegiate quidditch teams, and Kansas City also has its own major league quidditch team called Kansas City Stampede (facebook.com/kansascitystampede). Quidditch is a serious sport. You have to try out… Continue reading Yes, Kansas City has a Major League Quidditch team
Kate’s Kitchen The next time you start your day by sacrificing any pretense of healthy living by having fried chicken for breakfast, go to Kate’s Kitchen in Gladstone (8002 N. Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, Mo. 816-436-7200, kateskitchenkc.com). This shop’s chicken strips are beloved in the Northland, and they start serving them when the doors open… Continue reading Eat chicken strips for breakfast at Kate’s Kitchen
Charlie Mylie (charliemylie.com) started drawing notes for friends when he was a student at the Kansas City Art Institute. Years later, he’s forged a career in children’s book illustration and a reputation for personalized, on-the-spot drawings under the sporadic pseudonym Pop Up Charlie — whose sign exclaims, “Yes It’s True, Pop Up Charlie Can Draw… Continue reading Yes It’s True, Pop Up Charlie Can Draw Anything For You
The Painted Sofa At Christmastime, the Painted Sofa (1331 Union Ave., Kansas City, Mo. 816-474-8832, thepaintedsofa.com) is what we imagine the inside of a gingerbread house looks like. While the vintage-skewed home goods store is a treat year round, something about the organized chaos of Santa figurines, white-frosted faux evergreen and plates and bowls with… Continue reading The Painted Sofa is our favorite Kansas City Christmas shop
When Jim Kreeger and Ace Mason set out to plot the Kansas City area’s third disc course at Waterworks Park in northern Kansas City(3500 N. Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, Mo.), they came with different ideas. “I wanted to shoot straight out south, under that gigantic oak tree on the hill that slopes off,“ Mason says.… Continue reading Waterworks Park is home to the greatest frisbee golf hole in Kansas City
River Market Antiques Got a few hours to spare? Make a trip to River Market Antiques (115 W. Fifth St., Kansas City, Mo. 816-221-0220, rivermarketantiquemall.com). This 30,000-square-foot market houses 175 booths and showcases — all in a constant state of flux. Although narrow, the creaky wooden stairs on the left side of the entrance lead… Continue reading There’s a 30,000-square-foot antique store near downtown Kansas City
Number 1 Mascot: KC Wolf Chiefs mascot KC Wolf was the first NFL mascot to be enshrined in the Mascot Hall of Fame. Standing 7 feet tall with 85-inch hips, the wolf was introduced in 1989 and is great at impersonating Elvis or tackling his opposing team’s mascot. The wolf has been played by the… Continue reading We ranked every mascot in Kansas and Missouri — see how your favorite stacked up
Send the kiddos back to school in style. Sequins, jean skirts and graphic tees bring a sparkling, whimsical look for girls while boys are stylin’ in dark colors, stripes and khakis. Boys 1. Button Down Shirt, $10, H&M 2. Navy Multi-Stripe T-Shirt, $10, H&M 3. Dark Khaki Jogger Pant, $15, H&M 4. Socks, $12, H&M… Continue reading The looks your kids will want for back to school
Kansas City Irish Fest In the 1800s, Irish immigrants used their knowledge of quarrying and bricklaying to, quite literally, pave the way for downtown Kansas City. Today, their descendants, who make up 10 percent of the metro area, gather on those same grounds to show Celtic pride every August. Last year, the event at Crown… Continue reading You can get free genealogy consulting at the KC Irish Festival this year
The Petaler Sarah Pickert’s craving for a creative outlet, along with seeing a flower truck in Florida, inspired The Petaler (kcflowertruck.com). After finalizing her business plan, she bought a restored ’53 Ford pickup truck and began to form relationships with Kansas City-area flower wholesalers and nearby flower farms. Now, she fits 30 buckets in her… Continue reading This Kansas City flower truck pops up all over town
MADI Apparel Hayley Besheer Santell was surprised to learn that women’s underwear is often the most urgently needed and least donated item in shelters around the world. After learning that a close family member had dealt with domestic violence, she was inspired to open local underwear and lingerie brand MADI Apparel (1659 Summit St., Kansas… Continue reading This local underwear and lingerie brand gives to charity with every sale
3DHQ While cloning yourself isn’t available in this market quite yet, 3DHQ (231 W. 47th St., Kansas City, Mo. 913-204-1234, 3dhqkc.com) in the Plaza is the next best thing. Using 3D printing, 3DHQ makes a miniature figurine of you or your pet using special cameras and software. The process starts by doing a body scan… Continue reading You can make a mini me on the Plaza
Pawn & Pint Modern board games can get expensive, especially when you don’t know if you’ll like the gameplay. For $5, you can avoid that problem at Pawn & Pint in the River Market area (13 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo. 816-701-9227, pawnsandpints.com), a pub filled with over 1,000 games ranging from classics like Monopoly… Continue reading Demo a board game before buying at Pawn & Pint
Happy Monday, Kansas City: Texas finally likes our barbecue! At least that’s the conclusion we’re drawing from this post filed by Texas Monthly barbecue critic Daniel Vaughn, who recently stopped by Kansas City on a road trip. Vaughn was duly impressed by the Texas-inspired brisket at Harp, the same thick-cut slices of smoked beef we… Continue reading Texas Monthly’s barbecue critic finally found KC brisket he liked
Raygun In Motown, the shirts say “Detroit vs Everybody.” In the Buckeye State, it’s “Ohio Against the World.” Thanks to Raygun, Kansas City has its own appropriate riff: “Kansas City Loves Everybody.” Hard to get more KC than that. Charlie Hustle makes many of our favorite spirit shirts, but we have to tip our hat… Continue reading This is our favorite Kansas City t-shirt
Boomerang At most thrift shops, the clothes that come in are simply hung where they fit, and flipping through the racks feels like a scavenger hunt. Not so at Boomerang (900 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, Mo. 816-531-6111, boomerang-kc.com), where every item is carefully sorted by decade. Here, shopping feels like getting in a time machine… Continue reading This local thrift shop has perfectly organized items by decade
Noir Five years ago, Pam Smith had a desire to leave her IT job and pursue darker interests. “I was really inspired by an acceptance of darker things,” she says. “I wanted to incorporate something that I was passionate about with a mission.” With her passion came Noir Arts & Oddities (1101 Mulberry St., Kansas… Continue reading Noir is Kansas City’s best death-themed shopping experience
Open Belly Podcast In just two months during the summer of 2018, the world lost arguably the two greatest culinary storytellers: TV host Anthony Bourdain and famed Los Angeles critic Jonathan Gold. In response, Danielle Lehman wanted to do…something. Lehman is a native of Hutchinson, Kansas, northwest of Wichita. Before coming to Kansas City in… Continue reading Kansas City food podcast Open Belly is going national
Kansas City Pig Rescue In the land of BBQ and bacon, a pig rescue organization is sure to stand out. The Kansas City Pig Rescue Network (facebook.com/kcpigrescuenetwork) is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of pet pigs in Kansas and Missouri. KCPRN started out during the short-lived teacup pig craze because of the false… Continue reading The teacup pig craze made a mess — this rescue group is cleaning it up
Keith Goldman of 1900 Keith Goldman has been wearing bow ties since 1987, when a sales clerk at Sheplers showed him how to tie one by practicing on his thigh. Today, the bow ties are a signature element of Goldman’s impeccable sartorial taste. (Other elements include clever glasses and handsome tailored suits from Houndstooth in… Continue reading Meet Kansas City’s best-dressed restaurant staffer
Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead Inspired by the popular West Coast trend, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead (13800 Switzer Road, Overland Park, Kan. 913-895-6390) offers goat yoga sessions for $25 every Tuesday at 6:30 pm during the summer months. Yogis find their zen (or at least try to) in an outdoor pen filled with around 20 baby… Continue reading You can now do goat yoga in Kansas
Whiskers Cat Café Whiskers Cat Café (3705 S.W. Trafficway, Kansas City, Mo. 816-888-9701, whiskerskc.com) is heaven on earth for cat people. Audrey Boese and her fiance John Thompson opened Whiskers in conjunction with the KC Pet Project, and although the idea of a cat cafe isn’t all that new — there were over 40 up… Continue reading You’ll want to take home every single fluffy friend at this Kansas City cat cafe
Bar K A heaven for dogs and their owners, Bar K, just north of River Market (501 Berkley Plaza, Kansas City, Mo. 816-474-2275, barkdogbar.com), has it all. The bar’s building itself is made out of upcycled shipping containers and has multiple levels to hang out on. The outside area is separated into three sections: the… Continue reading We’re a little obsessed with Bar K
Cupcake It’s not often that an offensive lineman upstages an NFL quarterback, and when he does, it’s usually for an undesirable reason. But the Chiefs’ right tackle does have bragging rights over league MVP Patrick Mahomes in one important arena: His dog is a far bigger star on Instagram. Mahomes’ two pit bulls, Steel and… Continue reading This dog owned by a Chiefs lineman is upstaging Patrick Mahomes
LOCAL PIG The beef jerky market is booming. With food trends like Whole 30 and keto driving people to protein-dense snacks, this is the golden age of dry, chewy beef, says Alex Pope, owner of Local Pig (20 E. Fifth St., Kansas City, Mo. 816-200-1639, thelocalpig.com). Pope discovered this when his shop, which recently relocated… Continue reading Get outrageously good jerky from this Kansas City butcher shop
Brick House To put it maturely, Brick House (400 E. 31st St., Kansas City, Mo. 816-255-3912, brickhousekc.com) isn’t stingy on their $10 bottomless mimosa brunch. All morning long, servers stroll around the lofty Midtown restaurant and patio double-fisting Ketel One pitchers of the breakfast cocktail. Even if you have the slightest bit of empty space… Continue reading You’ll never go thirsty (or sober) at Brick House’s bottomless brunch
The Wild Way The Wild Way Coffee is smack-dab in the middle of two slightly contradictory industries: the food truck world, which is mobile and flexible, and the coffee shop world, which is all about consistency and regulars. It’s to their credit that Wild Way co-founders John and Christine Clutton have creatively married those two… Continue reading This awesome coffee cart is too perfect for walls and a roof
Chappell’s Chappell’s (323 Armour Road, Kansas City, Mo. 816-421-0002, chappellsnkc.com) in North Kansas City is a sports fanatic’s dream — an entire bar filled with memorabilia collected by original owner Jim Chappell. Among the collection is a rare sweatshirt bearing the name of the Dallas Texans (today’s Kansas City Chiefs) signed by Len Dawson and… Continue reading This Kansas City sports bar doubles as a museum
Cult of Pi Brent Gunnels is perhaps the best-known pizzaiola in Kansas City, having manned the oven when Neapolitan pizzeria Il Lazzarone made its reputation. Gunnels is currently working to open a next-wave coffee shop called Tree Haus Cafe in Midtown that specializes in CBD and Kava. But, in the meantime, he’s been running the… Continue reading The Cult of Pi is KC’s best backyard pizza party
Swoon Cookie Crafters Sofia Varanka Hudson has created some interesting cookies at Swoon Cookie Crafters (1668 Jefferson St., Suite 100, Kansas City, Mo. 913-687-6233, justswoon.com), where iced sugar cookies are made to custom specifications. Her Instagram feed is full of elaborate designs: art deco-style martinis, mermaids, flamingos, even cookies decorated to look like hamburgers and… Continue reading Where you can get oddball custom cookies in KC
Eats and Postmates, Kansas City had Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant (fritzskc.com). Customers use a novelty phone on their table to order and then find their bacon cheeseburger rolling toward them on miniature rail lines at walking speed. The food is then lowered onto the table. (Drinks and shakes are delivered separately to avoid spillage.) Owner Fritz… Continue reading Get your food delivered by miniature train at this KC diner
Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro In Brazil, brigadeiros — sprinkle-covered, bite-sized chocolate morsels — are a delectable staple of local shops and gatherings alike. But until mother-daughter duo Jessica and Regina Antunes opened Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro (sweetkissbrigadeiro.com or purchase at The Emporium Brazil, 14000 W. 135th St., Olathe, Kan.) in 2015, no Kansas City businesses were dedicated… Continue reading We’re obsessed with this Brazilian dessert in Olathe
Q39 If you want to stay at the top of Kansas City’s pig-eat-pig barbecue scene, you have to shake things up from time to time. Q39 chef Rob Magee knows that, which is why he recently overhauled the menu at his spots in Westport and Overland Park (q39kc.com). Among the new items was a revelation:… Continue reading Smoked brisket poutine is the BBQ dish you need to eat
P.R.’s Place We’re a little hesitant to tell you about P.R.’s Place (1741 Washington St, Kansas City, Mo. 816-421-9746) because we don’t want this hidden gem overrun — but it’s our sacred duty to disclose the very best of Kansas City, and friends, this is it. This Westside gem has been in business since Pat… Continue reading Kansas City’s best Taco Tuesday is actually on Thursday
In-A-Tub In case you didn’t know, Kansas City has its own native taco style, according to an April article from popular food blog Eater. For people in the Northland, this is not a surprise. Most of them have probably experienced In-A-Tub (8174 N.W. Prairie View Road and 4000 N. Oak Trafficway, both in Kansas City,… Continue reading For two generations, Kansas City has had its own unique taco style
Kansas City Brick Lab If you’ve been to Union Station around the holidays, you’ve probably seen the immaculate Christmas-themed Lego train setup. You can credit that all to a group of self-proclaimed adult Lego enthusiasts. Kansas City Brick Lab (facebook.com/groups/legofanskc) is a Lego user group managed by Shawn Kelley. It has just over 500 members… Continue reading A local Lego club is 500 members strong — and they’re building whole cities
Panic Fest To experience the newest in spine-tingling scares without leaving the metro, check out Panic Fest (panicfilmfest.com), an annual horror film festival that runs each January at Screenland Armour in North KC. Theater co-owners Adam Roberts and Tim Canton founded the event in hopes of giving Kansas City the genre festival they wanted as… Continue reading This Kansas City film festival was voted one of the best genre fests in the country
Wonder Wonder Interested in taking your selfie game to the next level? Head to Oak Park Mall and experience Wonder Wonder (11475 W. 95th St., Overland Park, Kan. 913-387-9398, wonderwonder.us/kansas-city). This 6,000-square-foot maze has 16 rooms for Instagram photo opportunities, each one differing in lighting and decor designed by a local artist. Exhibits include the… Continue reading Here’s the best spot in the metro to snap a selfie
To operate a photography booth out of a bus started as a way of differentiating themselves from other local photographers. The couple are Volkswagon enthusiasts, so they bought a bus and set to work. The Photo Bus (thephotobuskc.com) now operates across the country, with two brightly colored Volkswagens delivering photo booths straight to event venues.… Continue reading Keep your eyes peeled for this KC photo booth bus
The 10,000-square-foot country bar Kanza Hall (7300 W. 119th St. Overland Park, Kan. 913-451-0444) only opened in 2012, but it has a broken-in country feel thanks to deer heads, sunflower paintings and a mix of country and pop tunes. On Friday nights, both newbies and experts can join the fun country crowd by participating… Continue reading Kanza Hall has fun and free Friday night line dancing lessons
Dating sucks. This is an indisputable fact. Dating has probably always sucked, but if you’re single in this decade, it particularly sucks thanks to the ubiquity of dating apps. For many of us, scrolling through Tinder, Bumble, Hinge or any of the knock-offs yields a bag of mixed results — usually skewing on the yuck… Continue reading Here’s why Parlor is the best place in KC to meet a Tinder date
There is no Liar’s Poker allowed at Chez Charlie (3809 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 816-753-9247). The obscure bar game, played by telling or bluffing the serial number on a dollar bill, isn’t the only thing banned at this sign-less dive in Midtown. Whistling, thumb-twiddling and newspapers are also prohibited by the faded House Rules… Continue reading Midtown KC dive Chez Charlie has the best bar rules in the world
Too many drivers don’t notice traditional crosswalks. That’s why Kansas City, Kansas, has a new 3D crosswalk designed to cause double-takes at the intersection of Augusta and Northridge Drives. The floating crosswalk is the handiwork of traffic engineer Lediana Laboy, who was inspired by designs in Iceland. It’s still in the testing phase, but Laboy… Continue reading This amazing new 3D crosswalk is turning heads in KCK
Could the hippest design trends of this decade be borrowed from the past? When they’re updated, absolutely. The 1970s are cool again — just ask local designer Ann Arkebauer. Mid-century modern aesthetics inspired Arkebauer’s remodel of her Leawood home, which she began in 2015 and has continued in spurts since. Arkebauer’s sunken living room is… Continue reading A Leawood designer is turning her home into a mid-century masterpiece
Imagine the oldest cinema in the world. Did your mind wander to the bustling streets of New York City or Los Angeles in glamorous old Hollywood? To get there, you instead need to drive an hour south to a quaint Main Street in Ottawa, Kansas. “The oldest purpose-built cinema in operation was achieved by Plaza… Continue reading The oldest movie theater in the world is in this tiny Kansas town
Hammerpress Hammerpress owner Brady Vest started using a press in 1994 to make custom record covers for his friends’ bands, along with show prints and posters for other local performing groups in the area. Today, his Crossroads shop specializes in greeting cards with the help of designer Miko Kuzunishi. Essentially, the pressing process is the… Continue reading Six great paper goods stores in Kansas City
Western romance- inspired dresses are making a comeback. Find grace in detailed ruffles, body-skimming silhouettes, floral prints and lace and embroidery textures. Relaxed sleeves, split hems and cinched busts allow for a slightly fitted yet comfy shape. As delicate as these romantic dresses are, they can be grunged up with animal print earrings, combat-style boots… Continue reading Romantic Western-style dresses are an end-of-summer staple
There’s something about Ruben Leal’s tortillas. These paper-thin rounds are made with just four ingredients — flour, salt, water and fat — but they are a far cry from the moon-white stacks of uniform tortillas wrapped in plastic that line the shelves of a typical grocery store. Leal’s tortillas are produced in his Lawrence, Kansas,… Continue reading Elite BBQ spots all over America now serve righteous flour tortillas from Kansas
Laura Clark thinks of Korean food as one of the most approachable Asian cuisines. After all, she says, at its core, Korean food centers on vegetables, meat and a little bit of rice. But to the uninitiated, some of the ingredients — soybean paste, daikon radish, sea kelp, fish cakes — can be intimidating. “I… Continue reading Overland Park is the center of the region’s Korean community — here’s where to eat barbecue and bibimbap
In May, Blue Chip Cookies in Leawood debuted its “extreme milkshakes” — obnoxiously decadent desserts that seem designed to both delight and horrify customers. Naturally, these skyscraper monstrosities with lurid colors and over-the-top garnishes called to me like a siren song. There are four options: Death by Chocolate and Cookie Monster are for chocolate lovers,… Continue reading These Leawood milkshakes are totally insane
Missouri novelist Laura McHugh proved herself a master of suspense in her first two novels, including the best-selling The Weight of Blood, which won the state’s top prize for fiction in 2016. McHugh’s latest, The Wolf Wants In, is something of a departure. The story takes place in fictional Blackwater, Kansas, where grain silos stand… Continue reading Missouri author Laura McHugh’s newest crime novel is darker — and more personal
Marquette, Kansas Location: Central Kansas Population: 680 Nearest Walmart: 30 minutes The Deal: Lots range from 11,000 to 25,000 square feet. Construction must be completed within one year. fact: Has four museums, including the Kansas Motorcycle Museum, which opened in 2003 as a tribute to native-born racing champion “Stan the Man” Engdahl. Mankato, Kansas Location:… Continue reading Six rural Kansas towns offer free land to transplants — here’s the deal
A few months ago, I found myself eating the best pizza I’ve had in Kansas City on the back patio of an old brick house perched halfway up a hill in the Westside neighborhood. Technically, I was at a church service, and though I would never doubt the sincerity of pizzaiola Brent Gunnel’s religious convictions,… Continue reading Our Best of KC issue is a love letter to the city’s unique charms
In June, the Department of Agriculture announced that it was moving the offices of two agencies from Washington, D.C. to Kansas City. One of the agencies does statistical analysis on farming trends for lawmakers; the other divvys up federal research funding. USDA employees were reportedly not happy about their impending move to the heartland. According… Continue reading How KC is welcoming reluctant transplants as the USDA moves some employees from DC
Our July issue featured listings on every brewery within an hour’s drive of Kansas City and our picks for the top 10 beers of the year, including the naming of our Beer of the Year, Tiny Clouds by BKS Artisan Ales of Brookside. (We decided to name the top 10 beers of the year in… Continue reading Here’s what readers had to say about our July 2019 beer issue
The Crossroads’ newest health studio is like nothing else in the city — in addition to hot yoga, Sweatheory has infrared saunas, elixirs that claim to burn fat and cure hangovers, mystical card readings and electrolyte-infused tap water. Brandon Presley, owner of Kansas City’s Sweatheory, fell in love with the studio in 2017 when he… Continue reading Kansas City’s newest health studio from LA has infrared saunas and crystal healing
August 1 Brett Young The college baseball pitcher turned singer-songwriter has become a master of country love songs and ballads. A name to watch in the country world, he’s a must-see in this summer’s Hot Country Nights lineup. KC Live! 13 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 6 pm. $20-$100. powerandlightdistrict.com/events. Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective Famed… Continue reading The best Kansas City concerts, festivals and events in August 2019
By nature, beer is sweet. When you ferment grain into alcohol, you basically get sugar water. For the last 600 years or so, almost all beer has been made using hops: bitter green flower cones that preserve the beer and balance against the sweetness of the wort. In modern times, hops are sometimes added again… Continue reading This experimental local IPA was made with zero bittering hops
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Ça Va Whatever you’re in the mood for — a late-night meal, a fancy bottle of bubbly to celebrate something special, a decadent patio brunch or just a crisp pour of Miller High Life — you can find it at Ça Va. This cozy champagne bar caters to both bougie ballers and bargain hunters. The… Continue reading Our favorite restaurants in the Westport neighborhood of Kansas City
New Pearls On July 12, chef Vaughn Good’s highly anticipated restaurant Fox & Pearl (2143 Summit St., Kansas City, Mo. foxandpearlkc.com) moved from its temporary location in the Westside (the former Novel space) to its sparkling permanent digs on the corner of Summit and Avenida Cesar e Chavez. This bright space features caramel-colored upholstered booths,… Continue reading The latest openings and closings in KC food and drink August 2019
When Ian and Danielle Young first toured their Park Reserve condominium in 2017, there wasn’t much to see. In realtor terms, it was a “white box” of studs and sheetrock. But to the Youngs, it was 850 square feet of potential. The condo was in the rehabbed former Trinity Luthern hospital perched on a hill… Continue reading ‘So much worse’ than Fyre Festival: Residents abandon trendy KC condo amid flooding, broken elevators and blight
Fringe Festival KC is known for its alternative art concepts, and Liz Kerlin’s work fits the bill. Kerlin, 28, has been a theater kid since she was 4 years old. Now, she’s written her first play, Hope Help Line — a respectfully comedic approach to a suicide hotline. When an operator receives a call from a… Continue reading Fringe Festival play explores mental health through a comedic lens
An anniversary gift for corporate employees typically means a handful of vacation days, a plaque with the employee’s name etched on it or swag with the company’s logo. PB&J Restaurants, Inc., an Overland Park-area business, shows their appreciation quite powerfully, as they gift Harley-Davidson motorcycles to employees on their 15 year anniversary. PB&J began in… Continue reading This KC company gifts its employees with motorcycles on their 15th work anniversaries
August 1 Check out the Chiefs training camp. After losing the conference championship game in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl champs, the Chiefs come into this season with sky-high expectations and a retooled defense. Check in on their progress during this Tuesday morning practice session at Missouri Western. Chiefs training camp runs July 26–Aug.… Continue reading August 2019 Summer Calendar Events
July 1st Watch Shakespeare fall in love. Although it’s no Globe Theatre, Southmoreland Park makes a wonderful setting for a romantic play. This year’s show is Shakespeare in Love, adapted from the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow historical fiction film about the Bard’s own love life during the writing of Romeo and Juliet. Festival runs Tuesday–Sunday June… Continue reading July 2019 Summer Calendar
Bier Station There’s a reason most local geeks will tell you Bier Station is their favorite spot in town. This Waldo institution has an impeccably chosen list, solid grub and a great patio. Most importantly, it functions as the de facto town hall for the KC beer community. 120 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.… Continue reading Brookside/ Waldo neighborhood spots with awesome tap lists
Hops and Haze The India Pale Ale started as a riff on the pale ale better suited to export during the colonial era. In the Pacific Northwest, where most of the country’s hops are grown, beers were stuffed with the bitter flowers in the mid-90s. All that particulate made the beers hazier, which brewers battled… Continue reading Geek Speak: Know Your Beer Facts
Velo Garage Velo Garage unites a full-service bike shop and taproom in a bike-friendly hood. Cruise by to swap stories, play shuffleboard, talk gear and plan weekly rides. 1403 Swift St., North Kansas City, Mo. 816-599-6622, velowagonkc.com. Evenings weekdays, until midnight on weekends. Grain to Glass Grain to Glass combines a homebrewing supply shop, event… Continue reading North Kansas City is having a beer boom
Tapcade Tapcade brought the bar arcade concept to Kansas City. It offers 48 taps with on-trend beers, $5 unlimited play of 40 arcade games and a food menu that has everything from buffalo chicken rangoons to deep-fried Oreos. There’s also a movie theater showing indie flicks and local sports. 1701 McGee St., Suite 200, Kansas… Continue reading Crossroads– the most beer dense district in KC
The Belfry The taps at chef-cicerone Celina Tio’s The Belfry are dominated by carefully curated IPAs. Bottles include Jolly Pumpkin, Evil Twin and 3 Fonteinen. Food runs the gamut from hoppy pickles to steak frites to pork ramen. 1532 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 816-471-7111, thebelfrylounge.com. Evenings on weekdays, until midnight on weekends. Tower Tavern… Continue reading Kansas City Beer Spots Where You’ll Want to Stay Awhile
Yardhouse Yardhouse is a popular chain of beer-focused pubs with big booths, bright TVs and a wall of 100-plus taps. Two local branches (The Legends and Power & Light) are the place to go when you want to sample Paulaner and Franziskaner up against local hefes from KC Bier Co. and Boulevard. Various locations, yardhouse.com.… Continue reading Longest Beer Lists in Kansas City
Whether you’ve always been partial to pink or you’re looking to slowly lean into color, blush deserves real estate in your closet. This lovely pastel hue adds soft pigment to any outfit. 1. Juliette Collarless Sweater-Blazer $148, J. Crew 2. Enamel & Resin Drop Earring $36, Banana Republic 3. Top-stitched Coverall Jumpsuit $138, Madewell 4.… Continue reading Blush pink is the on-trend color of Summer 2019
Wearing an article of clothing from Hadley Clark is more profound than being stylish. The Kansas City fashion designer, lauded both for her exquisite creations and her sustainable approach, uses biographical events to inspire her designs. From a crumbled engagement to a cancer diagnosis, Clark has had a few bumps in the road. Now, she’s… Continue reading The evolution of Hadley Clark, Kansas City’s foremost sustainable fashion designer
The Restaurant at 1900 The developer who remodeled the iconic mid-century modern building that once housed H.D. Lee Jeans knew he needed a crown jewel. With 1900, this high-end mixed-use building off Shawnee Mission Parkway has just that in the form of a modern American restaurant with a creative menu driven by seasonal ingredients under… Continue reading 9 of our favorite Northeast Johnson County restaurants
Kristina Stanley loves her job. As the recreation supervisor for the City of Overland Park and the Overland Park Farmers Market, she gets to meet a lot of people. The encounters that always make the biggest impact are the farmers. “Being a farmer isn’t a job many of us have, but it’s one we all… Continue reading Your guide to Kansas City’s Farmers Markets
Boulevard’s signature beer was a happy accident. Ten years ago, the westside brewery was working on a saison with the funky wild yeast strain Brettanomyces. The base beer sat in tank seven — as in, the brewhouse tank numbered seven — waiting to be blended. When the Brettanomyces didn’t progress as planned, the brewers took… Continue reading The secret history of Boulevard ‘s Tank 7
The Chiefs ended last season with a heartbreaking overtime loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots in a shootout at a frigid Arrowhead. This crushing loss set up the most exciting offseason in Chiefs history. The Chiefs’ Super Bowl dreams rest with their quarterback, league MVP Patrick Mahomes. Chiefs fans grimace anytime Mahomes does anything… Continue reading Chiefs Offseason the Movie
Fifty years ago, the nation was in turmoil. The year 1969 was known for a number of watershed moments: widespread student protests, the moon landing, the introduction of the draft lottery, the Manson family murders, Woodstock. It was also the last time the Kansas City Chiefs appeared in — and won — the Super Bowl.… Continue reading Here’s what Hank Stram said to inspire the Chief’s 1969 Super Bowl run
A decade ago, I accidentally became a hardcore beer geek. For my birthday, my wife gave me some of the top-rated bottles in the world. She made the mistake of citing her source material by printing off a list of the top 100 beers in the world. I enjoyed the birthday beers so much that… Continue reading Why Kansas City is America’s last best beer scene
It’s summer in Kansas City — a great time to enjoy the long days by firing up your grill or smoker. The only problem with buying that perfect slab of marbled pork shoulder to smoke? You have to wait hours and hours to eat. There are a handful of Kansas City shops that solve this… Continue reading 5 Kansas City spots to buy both hot BBQ and smokeable slabs
When the historic Savoy Hotel and Grill was purchased by a Kentucky-based hospitality group in 2017 and plans were announced to convert this Kansas City mainstay into a boutique hotel with a modern fine dining restaurant, a brouhaha erupted. How dare outsiders come in and take away an institution that Kansas Citians had been comfortably… Continue reading Kansas City’s historic Savoy makes a comeback for the ages under Chef Joe West
It all started with the Jersey barriers. In November 2014, the Housing Authority of Kansas City was looking to assuage neighbor complaints about illicit activity on a vacant lot next to a cul-de-sac that led to an abandoned housing project. The city installed cement barriers to keep vehicles off the lot. Skaters started showing up.… Continue reading How Harrison Street’s DIY skatepark turned a blighted, vacant lot into a local treasure
Jane Fonda doesn’t want you to ask her about career. She’d much rather get into deeper, messier subjects. On July 9, the 81-year-old actress, activist and exercise guru will appear at the Muriel Kauffman Theatre, the last stop of five-city speaking tour and career retrospective. The engagement comes months after the release of a lengthy… Continue reading Jane Fonda talks her speaking tour, political activism and the art of getting younger with age
We went to every craft brewery within an hour of Kansas City to make this guide to local craft beer. 3 Trails As a frontier town, Independence was famous as the hub where the three great overland trails connected. The name of this 9,800 square-foot rustic chic brewpub is an homage to that era. Likewise,… Continue reading Your guide to all the breweries within an hour of Kansas City
It’s funny now, but some worried that KC Bier Company’s Winterbock wouldn’t sell. Before the Waldo brewery’s inaugural release of the beer in bottle in 2018, founder Steve Holle and brewer Karlton Graham heard from wholesalers hesitant to plug a boozy seasonal with winter in its name. Those fears proved unfounded. Winterbock hit shelves on… Continue reading KC Bier Co.’s Winterbock warmed up our winter nights
If there’s a way to get noticed in Kansas City’s exploding beer scene, making a rainbow sherbet-flavored sour is it. Courtney Servaes, owner and brewer of Servaes Brewing, credits her wife with the idea of a raspberry-lemon-lime-orange-flavored sour witbier. Although wary of trying to blend so many flavors — especially when adding vanilla in true… Continue reading Courtney Servaes is pushing beer boundaries in Shawnee
When Brian Rooney’s father made a pilgrimage to his ancestral homeland of Sligo, Ireland, he was hoping to spot a few colorful sites bearing the family name. Rooney’s Olde Tyme Pub, maybe, or Rooney’s Butcher Shoppe. That’s not what the patriarch found. “He got back and he said, ‘The only damned thing that we could… Continue reading This amazing hazy blonde ale is our 2019 Beer of the Year
As the long winter begrudgingly started fading, there was a beer to get us through it: Batch 25 of Torn Label’s Hang ’Em High IPA. The late-winter version of the always-evolving IPA from the adventurous Crossroads brewery delivered some semblance of future warmth with guava-grapefruit notes from Citra hops. Amarillo hops kept the pine boughs… Continue reading Hang ‘Em High IPA is always different — that’s why we love it
Casual Animal brewer-owner Kyle Gray’s India pale lagers were inspired by a visit to Riga, Latvia. Drinking lager at a wedding in the small Eastern European country captivated him. “During summer, there’s roughly 18 hours of daylight, which inspires you to stay outside longer and enjoy life at a slower pace,” Gray says. “Something about… Continue reading Casual Animal brings a taste of Latvia to Kansas City
