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 the domain of chef Linda Duerr. Along with bowtied general manager Keith Goldman and lauded beverage director Doug Frost, Duerr has created an experience that mirrors the tasteful renovation that houses it, playfully riffing on a mezze platter to make a reconstructed tower of colorful roasted vegetables or smoking a Kansas City strip steak and serving it with celery root remoulade. Every detail is attended to with care here, from the basket of Ibis breads to the exquisite Manhattan built with rye, cognac and curacao. Don’t skip desserts from pastry chef Elizabeth Paradise, whose custardy tiramisu is a revelation. – MARTIN CIZMAR
The Restaurant at 1900, 1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Mission Woods, Kan. 913-730-1900, therestaurantat1900.com. 11am-3pm Monday, 11am-9pm Tuesday-Thursday, 11am-11pm Friday, 5-11pm Saturday, closed Sunday.
Strouds
At first, walking into the Strouds in Fairway feels like walking into a homey spaghetti parlor. The red and white-checkered tablecloths might throw you for a loop because Italian food has no place here. Strouds is, rather, the home of pan-fried chicken. The Kansas City-area chain has been recognized by the Beard Foundation for its classic, no-frill fried chicken, served family style with mashed potatoes or homestyle fries, bacon bit green beans and gravy. Pro tip: Dip the homestyle fries in the thick and creamy gravy for the best chips and dip combo ever. To finish off, entrees come with a basket of warm and sticky cinnamon rolls. Wear stretchy pants, and prepare to nap after you’re done. – NICOLE BRADLEY
4200 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, Kan. 913-262-8500, stroudsrestaurant.com. 11 am-9 pm Sunday-Thursday, 11 am-10 pm Friday-Saturday.
Cafe Provence
This classic French cafe in Prairie Village has been around almost 20 years and is owned by the Quillec family from coastal Brittany. The space is warm and homey, with ’50s fashion ads from one-name Paris designers hanging on the walls and an onion soup with bacon served under a half-inch of cheese. It’s a popular place for special occasion meals, attributable to the well-chosen wine list, impeccable service and a menu that includes a steady stream of seasonal specials and reliable plates such as a pan-seared Amish chicken breast in a decadent brandy cream sauce with a few halved morel mushrooms tossed in for extra richness. Note that the cafe’s inviting bar is a great place to snag a seat if you’re dining alone or without reservations. – MARTIN CIZMAR
Cafe Provence, 3936 W. 69th Terrace, Prairie Village, Kan. 913-384-5998, cafeprovencekc.com. Lunch 11 am-2:30 pm Monday-Saturday, dinner 5-9 pm Monday-Thursday and 5-10 pm Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday.
Caffetteria
Prairie Village’s Caffetteria is a cafeteria like an Escalade is a truck — sure, you could grab a chia seed pudding out of the cold case at Jo Marie Scaglia’s ultra-stylish 4,000-square-foot space. But you’d do better to get a piping-hot pie out of the Marra Forni pizza oven or one of the salads laden with fresh produce and topped with house-made dressings. Caffetteria is open for avocado toast in the morning and its diverse array of open seating means you could happily gather friends here for wine or draft kombucha in the evening. – MARTIN CIZMAR
Caffetteria, 25 On The Mall in The Shops of Prairie Village, Prairie Village, Kan. 816-756-2300, caffetteriamoderncafe.com. 7am-9 pm Monday-Saturday, 7 am-5 pm Sunday.
ABC Cafe
In cities with large Chinese populations, the best dim sum comes off carts in large, loud and chaotic dining halls where you’ll often find five generations of family passing a basket of steamed dumplings. Around these parts, you go to this teeny-tiny Overland Park restaurant. ABC is a place of tough choices. Do you want to grab a seat next to strangers at the large communal table or wait in a long line to get a private table? (Share!) Do you really need that wonton soup before the platters of meat and dumplings show up? (Yes!) Is the beef shank pancake wrap the server suggests better than the sticky rice? (Yes!) Do you really need that hulking platter of chow fun noodles? (Yes again!) Come here when you’re feeling game for anything, and answer in the affirmative as many times as you can. You’ll find yourself with a wonderful meal and a memorable experience. – MARTIN CIZMAR
ABC Cafe, 10001 W. 87th St., Overland Park, Kan. 913-859-0089. Noon-9:30 pm Thursday-Monday, closed Tuesday-Wednesday.
Story
Atmosphere makes all the difference in a dining experience, a rule that motivates chef Carl Thorne-Thomsen’s Story. This contemporary American cuisine haven in Prairie Village aims to tell a story through the experience of its tasting menu. The exquisitely plated flaky halibut drizzled in a shallot confit and sprinkled with English peas with a side of potato puree is so delectable that you’ll be tempted to lick the plate when you’re done. Or take the red meat route — sapid beef short ribs on a bed of fluffy gnocchi saturated in gravy and bacon and garnished with a crispy onion ring might just be what dreams are made of. – NICOLE BRADLEY
3931 W. 69th Terrace, Prairie Village, Kan. 913-236-9955, storykc.com. 4:30-10 pm Wednesday-Friday, 5-10 pm Saturday-Sunday, closed Monday-Tuesday.
Tatsu’s
Chef-owner Tatsu Arai once worked as a pastry chef at a French restaurant in Japan, a background that emanates from the menu at Tatsu’s. Highlights include traditional French staples like beef bourguignon, saumon poche and escargots de bourgogne. The space itself makes diners feel as if they’re in ’80s France thanks to the watercolor paintings on the wall and vintage wine bottles. – NICOLE BRADLEY
4603 W. 90th St., Prairie Village, Kan. 913-383-9801, tatsus.com. 11:30 am-2 pm and 5:30-9:30 pm Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 am-2 pm and 5:30-10pm Friday, 5:30-10 pm Saturday, 5-9 pm Sunday.
Pizza Man
This little shop in Lenexa is as much an embassy as an eatery. It’s not just the menu; regulars discuss the previous night’s game against the backdrop of Chitown sports memorabilia covering nearly every surface of this 30-year-old spot. The menu is Chicentric, featuring the Windy City’s signature salad of a Vienna beef hot dog, dippable Italian beef sandos and thin-crust Chicago pizza that makes you wonder why shops in the city even bother with the casserole-style cornmeal pies. For the best of all worlds, get the Tony, a pizza topped with thin shaves of Italian beef and served with a dipping cup of jus. – MARTIN CIZMAR
10212 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, Kan. 913-492-2116. 11 am-7 pm daily.
Rye Leawood
Kansas City is the place where the Midwest meets the south and west, and Rye is pretty much the perfect manifestation of our foodways. Colby and Megan Garrelts have won a pile of Beard nods and written two cookbooks based on their upscale take on regional cuisine. Rye is the rare place that can manage both elegant pork rinds and cold-smoked salmon. You can’t really go wrong following your heart on this menu, be it to hush puppies or a kale salad. The barbecue sandwiches and over-the-top Southern desserts like banana cream pie earn special notice as dishes you want to make sure out-of-town guests remember the city by. – MARTIN CIZMAR.
10551 Mission Road, Leawood, Kan. 913-642-5800, ryekc.com. 11 am-10 pm Monday-Thursday, 11 am-11 pm Friday, 9:30 am-11 pm Saturday, 9:30 am-10 pm Sunday.
