In the vast world of restaurants, the bistro has a simple job: Don’t stand out. A bistro doesn’t yearn for greatness or feel the need to create a wave of ingenuity and innovation. Its laurels rest on familiarity and the lovely ability to comfortably host diners from all walks of life. At a bistro, the food should be good and the drinks should flow, but neither should attract so much attention that it overwhelms the dining experience. Both should, instead, hoist conversation and spirits.
Cru Bistro and Bottles (128 W. 63 St., KCMO), nestled into its Brookside corner, does this well and still manages to sneak in a few gourmet touches and innovative plating (and even white tablecloths). Slightly more upscale than Blue Bird in the West Side and slightly akin to Brookside’s fanciful French eatery Aixois, the restaurant does manage to inspire some awe, for which I can forgive it. Sure, Cru is sometimes exciting, but it’s always charming and relaxed. »»»»
Husband and wife team Avery Bailey and Hannah Koenig opened Cru in January in the former Michael Forbes restaurant. With big shoes to fill, the couple, who were formerly business and managing partners in Brookside’s Italian deli Bella Napoli, took a neighborly approach.
“[Bailey] grew up in the neighborhood,” Koenig says. “We live here and love the community, but nothing is open on Sundays except sports bars. We were missing a spot that was nice enough for a celebration, but not so nice that you only go once a year.”
Brooksiders of all kinds and outsiders alike can find comfort in Cru’s large, unstuffy dining room, and, yes, it’s open on Sundays. On my visits, I saw everyone from young girlfriends meeting for happy hour (Tuesdays through Thursdays, 3 to 5:30 pm) to sophisticated retired couples adorned with quirky-chic glasses and cashmere sweaters tied around their shoulders.
With hospitality-dotted backgrounds, Koenig and Bailey knew they wanted to focus on providing an elegant but affordable experience. The first step? Making wine more approachable.
That starts with customer service. On a lovely Kansas City spring day, I gestured toward Cru’s massive windows radiating sunlight and asked my server for a recommendation to match the glory. He suggested Trione’s Sauvignon Blanc from California’s Russian River Valley. I haven’t tried the other whites on Cru’s menu, but he picked the correct one. I won’t bore you with notes of terroir, body or “legs.” It was crispy, fruit-forward and accommodated the weather perfectly. Sometimes that’s all I care to know.
The rest of the wine menu largely focuses on family-owned independent producers like Juvé & Camps in Barcelona, Spain. Koenig suggests their juicy organic cava brut rosé, made from 100 percent pinot noir grapes. If you’re a beer drinker, she suggests Division Wine’s orange wine from Washington and Oregon. The cocktails keep it classic with blue cheese olives soaking in a Tom’s Town martini, old fashioneds, French 75s and the like.
On the kitchen side of things, chef de cuisine Thomas Luna, previously a sous chef at Corvino, collaborates with kitchen manager Krista Harr to bring fresh produce and fresh takes to Cru’s menu. I took the schnitzel, which was brilliantly dolloped with green peppercorns in place of the usual capers but otherwise kept classic (fried, smothered with a light cream sauce and served with a side of arugula salad), as a sign of good faith; the kitchen team can infuse a modern touch to their bistro menu without overwhelming the casual diner. While slightly dry, the schnitzel was a good reminder that classic dishes must be good first, interesting second. Overall, it was.
The Caesar salad was just that and nothing more. It was lovely. Same with the risotto. The fried green tomato BLT was a home run with its tangy creole remoulade. As for the tomato soup, it was unfortunately overwhelmed with coconut cream. The steak frites were overcooked both times I ordered the dish. Koenig says the kitchen team is experimenting with other steak cuts (they currently use a whole teres major, which is good, but easy to overcook). The chicken, however, is an excellent example of how every restaurant should cook it—perfectly moist inside (and with a breast cut, no less) and extremely crispy fried skin on the outside, then served over some country grits and brightened with dollops of a bright-green herb oil.
While it is my belief that a bistro shouldn’t try to excel with its food menu, quality and thoughtfulness are never out of style. I’ll admit my favorite dishes were ones in which the kitchen staff took more creative liberties and modern approaches. The green goddess salad—two crunchy romaine spears lightly dressed with a vinaigrette and sprinkled with bits of nori and sesame seeds—was one of the most simple and elegant dishes I’ve had in a long time.
Two phenomenal appetizers are the Green Dirt Farm Woolly Rind cheese, baked and topped with walnuts, dried fruit and honey (it was like eating a forest) and the caviar tartlets. The latter is a great introduction to caviar for those who have not tried it before. The small texture bombs are laden with richness (crème fraîche and an egg yolk jam), and the caviar, from Missouri, is a nice briny element that cuts it like a knife. While the roasted grapes appetizer, served with cheese and bread, is a unique take (and according to Koenig, a way to use the olives left over from making martinis), the other appetizers are more exciting.
If you try the liver mousse, email me (tyler@kansascitymag.com) and let me know your thoughts. It’s a well-composed dish, with clear skill and technique behind it, but it wasn’t for me. I prefer my liver mousse with a patê-like grit to it. Cru’s was super-airy and delicate, almost like a light buttercream frosting.
Desserts of lemon tarts and flourless chocolate tortes sprinkled with flaky sea salt are pleasant and a nice way to round out your meal with something sweet.
Because Brookside sits at the lovely intersection of suburban urbanism, parts of it, especially where Cru sits, are walkable (gems like Baba’s Pantry, BKS Artisan Ales and Billie’s Juicery are just a few blocks east). Bailey and Koenig want to cater to the wanderers, Brookside shoppers and bistro customers. Through the dining room back toward the bar is a bottle shop where you can pop in and buy one of Cru’s bottles. From the outside, you’ll find the door to the bottle shop just east of the main entrance. Right now, bottles lining north wall act as Cru’s wine cellar, but Bailey and Koenig hope to eventually build one in the restaurant’s basement. For now, however, the wine wall adds to the relaxed, functional decor.
In the wine world, the term “cru” refers to the potential of a vineyard. It’s a nod to the exceptional quality of the grapes. It’s a fitting name for this Brookside bistro. Despite my firmly held belief in middle-of-the-road bistro menus, you may well find yourself discussing the food and drink at Cru. There’s also a possibility you may not. You’ll offend no one at Cru by simply sitting on the patio with a wine you can’t pronounce and grazing over the safe yet refined charcuterie board. It doesn’t matter. The chicken will be moist, the tartare made of beef tenderloin, and a glass of white wine won’t cost more than $12. In Kansas City’s restaurant world, that’s pretty exceptional.
