It’s official: Kansas City and surrounding areas are subject to a stay-at-home order starting Tuesday. The good news about this time at home is that there are plenty of local podcast episodes to jump into or catch up on while staying inside. Food lover deprived of going out? Learn about all the restaurants and culinary heroes in our community. Obsessed with true crime? A few podcasters have covered spine-tingling Missouri- and Kansas-based crimes. Here are a few of our favorite—and highly binge-worthy—local podcasts.
Open Belly, Season One
Season one of Open Belly explores Kansas City’s vibrant and diverse food culture. Podcast episodes highlight Chef Zaid Consuegra Sauza’s vegan eats at Pirate’s Bone Burgers, savory Jordanian dishes from Mohamed, Kholoud (a.k.a. “Kay”) at Queen Sweets and Bakery and more immigrant chefs and cultural eats in the KC community. The folks behind Open Belly are playing their part in helping local restaurants in the current climate—they launched a website, Curbside KC, to comprehensively list all restaurants offering to-go services due to the coronavirus.
Thinking Sideways, “Ken McElroy”
Thinking Sideways, hosted by Joe, Devin and Steve, is a weekly podcast that discusses unsolved mysteries. In April 2016 the trio recorded an episode on Ken McElroy in Skidmore, Missouri. In July 1981, McElroy was killed outside of a tavern in the small northwest Missouri town. To this day, dozens of witnesses refuse to speak up. How could a murder in broad daylight in such a small town remain unsolved? Joe, Devin and Steve discuss theories about what happened to McElroy in this episode. There’s also a mini docuseries on McElroy’s death called No One Saw a Thing.
State Your Line
This is a weekly podcast that we voted Best Local Podcast in 2019. This for Kansas Citians, by Kansas Citians podcast is hosted by brothers Kevin and Danny Ritz and covers all-things Kansas City on both sides of State Line Road. State Your Line episodes range from interviews with local chefs, discussions with Mayor Quinton Lucas, Chiefs mania and beyond.
My Favorite Murder, “Minisode 48”
Comedy with true crime—what’s not to love? My Favorite Murder is the ever-popular weekly comedy true crime by Karen Kilgariff, stand-up comedian and TV writer, and Georgia Hardstark, writer and Cooking Channel host. Minisode 48 is a compilation of stories sent in from listeners in Kansas City and St. Louis.
And That’s Why We Drink Wine (And Crime!), “The Crossover Episode”
And That’s Why We Drink is a paranormal and true crime podcast hosted by Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz. Wine & Crime is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by childhood friends Lucy Fitzgerald, Kenyon Laing and Amanda Jacobson (we recently interviewed them). This crossover episode of the podcasts tells the story of historic Belvoir winery. The supposedly haunted winery in Liberty was once said to be a farm space for the religiously and politically independent fraternal order called The Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It is believed that many of the nearly six-hundred people who are buried in the onsite cemetery may still be haunting the winery buildings.
True Crime Garage, “We’re All Lunatics”
Each week, Nic & The Captain sit in their garage, talk true crime and drink beer, hence their podcast name True Crime Garage. In “We’re All Lunatics” (episodes 171 and 172) the story follows Edward Hillhouse, a missing-person case turned homicide in Bourbon, Missouri.
Coastless
We can’t travel right now, but Coastless gives us that wanderlust for future journeys. Hosts and world travelers Melissa Yeager and Boyce Richardson curate podcast episodes to Midwesterners who love to travel. *Booking ticket now.*
Chew Diligence
Chew Diligence is hosted by James Beard Award-winning food journalist Jill Silva and 41 Action News Anchor and award-winning storyteller Lindsay Shively. Listen to chef interviews and stay up to date with COVID-19 related restaurant news.
The Generation Why, “The Butcher of Kansas City”
It’s said that The Generation Why podcast pioneered the true crime genre in 2012. Kansas City-based hosts Aaron and Justin break down theories and give their opinions on unsolved murders, mysteries and conspiracies in this weekly podcast. This specific episode discusses Robert Berdella, a serial killer/sexual psychopath known as The Butcher of Kansas City in the 1980s.
