Last Call
After more than 70 years, Dave’s Stagecoach Inn in Westport called it quits. The beloved family-owned KC dive bar was opened in 1952 by David Golad, when there weren’t many others in the neighborhood.
Golad’s daughter, Joyce Hess, and her husband, Jim Hess, took ownership of Dave’s in the ’80s.
A hotspot for locals, Dave’s catered to the late-night crowd with pool tables and live music.
A Good Year
Downtown Overland Park’s Vintage ’78 Wine Bar has been open less than a year and has already gained a lofty reputation.
Not only was the small OP wine bar one of the 10 restaurants that made our Best New Restaurants list in December, but it also recently received recognition from The World of Fine Wine publication, making it onto its World’s Best Wine Lists Awards, which recognize restaurants worldwide for their exceptional wine selections. Judged by master sommeliers and masters of wine, the awards program is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the world of wine.
Vintage ’78 received World’s Best Wine Lists’ esteemed Three Star Award (the highest number of stars an establishment can receive) and the highly coveted Jury Prize, an award that recognizes qualities such as flair, good value and all-around excellence. Only 144 restaurants in the world have received the Three Star Award, and only 42 restaurants are recognized for a Jury Prize worldwide.
“This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to curating an outstanding wine selection and providing an unparalleled dining experience for our guests,” says Michael Scherzberg, owner of Vintage ’78.
Best Burger
And in other KC metro food news: Since last year, Darren Carter and Matt Chapman have been popping up around town with their popular smash burgers under the guise of Disco Burger—and they’ve gained a cult following. Now, folks will be able to snag a burger on the regular.
Opening in the River Market this spring, Disco Burger (317 Delaware St., KCMO) will be teaming up with the owners of the Varsity Club, a cocktail bar, to create a hamburger restaurant with an exceptional drink menu. It promises to be “a laid-back environment with a no-fluff approach.” The River Market space has a large park-facing patio with an intimate interior.
Disco Burger will continue to sell their burgers along with other classic American fare, like hot dogs, patty melts, fries and cheesecake. Historically, each pop-up appearance has had an innovative twist. Diners can expect similar creative takes on fast-casual food at the new restaurant.
Meat the Mushroom
A vegetarian butcher shop may sound like an oxymoron, but not to local mushroom farmer Bryan Alley. Instead of meat cuts, Alley plans to give mushrooms center stage with his shop Mushroom Culture, a vegetarian butcher shop expected to open in early summer. Mushroom Culture will open in the former Blue Koi restaurant on 39th Street (1803 W. 39th St., KCMO).
“It looks just like a butcher shop, but instead of going up to the case and seeing steaks, it’ll be the most attractive clusters of mushrooms we have that day,” Alley says.
When Grand River Mushrooms, a farm in North KC, went out of business during Covid, Alley saw the opportunity to become a mushroom farmer himself, and he’s spent the last four years growing and sourcing them to local restaurants. With his new shop, Alley now wants to educate the rest of KC about all things fungi.
The mushrooms will be provided by Alley’s network of local foragers and growers, which means they’ll also be organic. Alley says he wants to give mushrooms “a new representation” and encourage all people to explore the different types of mushrooms out there, especially those who claim to not like them.
“A lot of the mushrooms that we work with don’t even taste like mushrooms,” Alley says. “They taste like meat.”
Mushroom Culture will offer lesser-known varieties of mushrooms like pink oysters, which only have a shelf life of two days, but their pork-like taste makes their flavor incomparable. The shop will act as a deli, offering grab-and-go eats along with a small menu for customers who want to sit down and enjoy a meal. Everything will be made from scratch.
Keep updated on Mushroom Culture’s opening by following the shop’s Instagram, @kcmushroomculture.
Hola
A new Mexican restaurant is making its way to the Plaza. And no, it won’t be Tex-Mex. T’ähä, expected to open in late spring in the former Jax Fish House (4814 Roanoke Pkwy, KCMO), will focus on authentic food from Central Mexico but with a Midwestern flair.
T’ähä owners Jose Gomez and his father Fidel Gomez are no strangers to the restaurant industry. Fidel has been operating his family-owned Mexican restaurant, Little Hacienda, in Branson for the past 25 years. With T’äha, the father-son duo are looking to create a menu inspired by Fidel’s roots. Fidel immigrated to the U.S. in the ’90s from Hidalgo, Mexico, where there is still a strong indigenous community, specifically the Otomi people.
T’ähä, which means “dream” in Otomi, will emphasize “authentic, fresh and quality ingredients” that blend with more typical midwestern American foods. Lamb, a traditional dish from Hidalgo, will be a menu highlight, along with a big focus on moles.
To keep updated with T’ähä’s opening, follow their Instagram, @tahakansascity.
Tiki Tastes
Local fast-casual chain Tiki Taco continues to expand, recently opening a third spot in downtown Overland Park (7514 W. 80th St.).
The Overland Park site, which joins Tiki Taco’s Troost and 39th street locations, sits in the former Witter Plumbing, a business that stood for nearly 70 years before the owner retired.
The opening precedes QSR Magazine’s recognition of Tiki Taco as part of their 2024 list of America’s Hottest Startup Fast Casuals. The list highlights 40 fast food brands with fewer than 40 locations that QSR believes have the “potential to become the next big success [story],” according to their website.
The menu fuses traditional flavors of Mexico with So-Cal influences and hints of Thai and Polynesian flavors.
And that’s what new in KC metro food news.
