June 2022: Summer Guide by Kansas City Magazine

Summer in Your A–Z guide to a

sizzlin’ summer

New Club Nordstrom's been pulled from the Plaza. What’s next?

Oh, K 3 secrets of Kauffman Stadium

Decked Out The definitive list of the 16 best patios in KC

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Expect a Personalized Real Estate Experience We believe in delivering end-to-end expert service that treats your goals as if they were our own. Buying and selling a home is stressful enough. We make the process easier with a thorough plan including marketing, professional photography/videography and staging. 913.800.1812 | MALFERKC.COM Malfer & Associates is a team of real estate agents affiliated with Compass Realty Group, a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.

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NATIONALLY RANKED. LOCALLY BASED. Mariner Wealth Advisors has been nationally ranked in the top five 2016 - 2021 RIA Firms by Barron’s. While we are thrilled with this recognition, we believe the true measure of our success is helping our clients arrive at their financial destination.

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913-647-9700 | www.marinerwealthadvisors.com 5700 W. 112th St., Suite 200, Overland Park, KS 66211 *Barron’s awarded the 2021 and 2020 #5, 2019 #4 and 2018 #3 Top RIA Firms ranking to Mariner Wealth Advisors based on data compiled for Mariner Wealth Advisors and the 2017 #2 and 2016 #1 rankings to Mariner Holdings based upon data compiled for Mariner Holdings’ registered investment adviser subsidiaries. The number of firms included in the rankings were: 20 (2016), 30 (2017), 40 (2018), 50 (2019) and 100 (2020 and 2021). Barron’s publishes rankings based upon a number of criteria and the firms’ filings with the SEC were used to cross-check the data provided. The listing includes numbers of clients, employees, advisors, offices and state locations. The award is not indicative of future performance and there is no guarantee of future investment success. For additional information visit www.barrons.com. Mariner Wealth Advisors (“MWA”) is an SEC registered investment adviser with its principal place of business in the State of Kansas. Registration of an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. MWA is in compliance with the current notice filing requirements imposed upon registered investment advisers by those states in which MWA maintains clients. MWA may only transact business in those states in which it is notice filed or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from notice filing requirements. Any subsequent, direct communication by MWA with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative that is either registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration in the state where the prospective client resides. For additional information about MWA, including fees and services, please contact MWA or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov). Please read the disclosure statement carefully before you invest or send money.

JUNE 2022

50 SUMMER FUN

Mod Pod

Tables & Trees

A home in Sedgwick County is flipped into a mid-century modern wonder.

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

16 hip spots to dine and drink outside this summer

72 Kan vs. Should

This southeast Kansas hiking trail is the state’s toughest slog.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN

Our alphabetical guide to the season’s best events and activities

Tucked between timber and perched atop Table Rock Lake, let summer linger at a storybook stay in the Missouri Ozarks at Big Cedar Lodge. The water is waiting, the trout are biting and the Great Outdoors are yearning to be discovered. b i g c e d a r. c o m

In This Issue JUNE 2022

S WAY

T H E LO O P

TA S T E

Flower Fitness

Snack Attack

Dad Day

Buck Starts Here

Plaza Problem

Nordstrom won’t be coming to the Plaza. What should go in its place?

38 40

A local graphic designer makes funky, retro athleisure wear.

A gift guide to Father’s Day 2022

New Cut

A celebrity hairstylist designs a haircut specifically for curls and coils.

Haring Home

A mid-century home in Kansas is renovated with artistic flair.

22 Teal Tide

KC Current is receiving unprecedented support and making soccer history.

E V E RY I S S U E

30 Backbeat 92 Scene 96 Surreal Estate

Summer in 06.2022 SUMMER FUN GUIDE | DINING AL FRESCO

Your A–Z guide to a

sizzlin’ summer

O N TH E C OVE R

SPECIAL SECTIONS

Photography by Caleb Condit and Rebecca Norden

48 Summer’s Best Bets

New Club Nordstrom's been pulled from the Plaza. What’s next?

Oh, K 3 secrets of Kauffman Stadium

Decked Out The definitive list of the 16 best patios in KC

kansascitymag.com

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

Buck Tui brings Thaiinspired BBQ to OP.

Perfect Day

Ice Ice Baby

Editor’s Letter

25 Calendar

74 Guide to Aging Well

Snack Shack moves to Mission.

Hot 103 Jamz’s Deona HuSTLe shares her favorite spots in KC

What you need to know about the current artisanal ice trend

Newsfeed

The latest in KC food news

’Cue Card

Q39 has a new executive chef.

CAMPS FOR KIDS

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6 pm, Sat. June 18th – 9 am, Sun. june 19th, 2022 Benefitting KC area kids. EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (before May 18)- $50 per person After May 18th - $60 per person. Each ticket includes Dinner, Activities, and a guided night tour for all ages. Children need to be five years of age and older to camp overnight. Admission is waved for children under two. Registration deadline: June 3rd, 2022.

FROM THE EDITOR

C O N T R I B U TO R S

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

Ethan Evans WRITER

This month’s summer feature includes a piece about RuPaul’s tour written by Ethan Evans, a former intern whose local passions include KC history, LGBTQIA+ community affairs and mediocre wineries.

AJ Robbins

PHOTOGRAPHER

This month’s home feature was shot by AJ Robbins, a freelance photographer and videographer based out of Wichita. His favorite things to shoot and film are weddings, sports, real estate and brands.

Lauren Fox WRITER

This issue includes a news story about what should take the place of Nordstrom at the Country Club Plaza. It’s written by Lauren Fox, a freelance journalist who would personally love to see a small outdoor theater in the space.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOANNA GORHAM

or a lot of people, the scent of pine conjures up winter. The smell of pine resin immediately makes them think about Christmas trees and hot cocoa. For me, it’s the opposite. I lived in the west for a decade, where pinyon pine and Douglas fir imprinted themselves as the smell of summer adventure—long drives down dusty roads to cold creeks and sunny meadows. At the first sight of pine needles and prickly pear, I’m ready to hang a hammock and start casting flies. I mention that because there were a few times when I was delighted to encounter that smell while out reporting for this issue. Technically, I was smelling the native juniper bushes—but the effect was the same and brought me a smile. As always, our June issue is a guide to how to get the most out of the coming months of warm weather, dry skies and relative freedom. This year, we decided to switch up the format and pick something to do for every letter of the alphabet. You’ll find twenty-six things to do between now and Labor Day, from a Boulevardia bingo card (page 53) to a list of the neighborhoodwide yard sales (page 64) so popular in these parts. Beyond what you’ll find in the Summer Guide feature itself, we’ve tucked summer activity ideas throughout this issue. If you want to get a hit of fresh pine—and even see some small and struggling prickly pear—check out the Elk River Hiking Trail, which has a reputation as the most rugged trail in Kansas (page 72). It’s just a few miles from the Little House on the Prarie home, which crystalizes the popular view of the Kansas landscape around the world but also utterly defies it. It’s fifteen rugged miles and will be a challenge even if you’re training for a fourteener. If you’re looking for fun that involves less adrenaline and more crushed ice, we’ve also put together a new and better-than-ever list of KC patios (page 66). We’ve done this list before, as have others. But for this small feature, we endeavored to make the best KC patio list yet by carefully selecting the very best sixteen spots in the city. We’ve also got the inside scoop on three secrets of Kauffman Stadium that will make your next trip to the K fun no matter what happens on the field (page 28) and a piece about the Current, the city’s women’s professional soccer team which is about to make history by moving into the first dedicated stadium ever built for a North American women’s professional team (page 22). And if you’re one of those people who wants to go an entire summer without wearing real pants, we’ve got flowerprinted leggings from a local company that draws the designs by hand (page 35). It’s a lot to dig into, we know. But once you’ve got the hammock hung and grabbed a drink from the cooler, we’re hoping you can spend some time reading through our Martin Cizmar recommendations then texting friends EDITOR IN CHIEF MARTIN@KANSASCITYMAG.COM and marking up your calendar.

COURTIER

NUMBERS FROM THIS ISSUE

SHOUT OUT

10K

People expected at the Juneteenth celebration in the Jazz District, which is becoming one of the nation’s largest. PA GE 25

$3K

Price someone paid for the baseball that was Royals rookie Bobby Witt Jr.’s second hit. PA GE 6 4

19.43

The official length in miles of the Indian Creek bike trail, as determined by Overland Park staffers at this magazine’s request. PA GE 59

BREWING UP

The hottest topic in our world right now is beer— specifically, the best new breweries in KC. We’re working on our July issue, which will explore KC’s post-pandemic beer scene, and decided to ask members of the Beer Tasting KC Facebook group for their recommendations to make sure we weren’t missing anything. The response was great, so we’re sharing a bit of it here now in advance of that issue. My favorite new brewery is Tall Trellis. I like getting Pathlight, Fields And Ivy, Sandhills and Limitless all in one spot, and the beers I’ve tried that they brew were good also. If someone was to say I’ll pay your tab right now if we go but it has to be one place, I’d say Diametric or Pathlight. Toss up because Diametric has that fire food also. But Pathlight nails every beer they put out. —Aaron Cohn Lots of great options, but I probably frequent Rockcreek Brewing Co. most in terms of newer breweries. Really love their patio. —Alex Andujar If anyone was great during the pandemic it was Diametric. How many breweries and civilians did they take care of with their Together We Can events? —Ron DuBuque

“

I’ve been drinking everything I see from Pathlight lately. —Jeremy Danner

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

BEHIND THE SCENES

The Goat in Lee’s Summit. They make some of the best beers in the KC metro. And if you’re a history buff, they’re inspired by the KC Mob. No relation… maybe. —Zack Thomas Since 2020—ExBEERiment Brewing! The beer is good and the owners are so nice! And I love the science theme. —Melissa Huenefeldt

Photographer Samantha Levi shoots GoGoBloom retro athleticwear by Molly Heise at her studio in Midtown.

Iron Kettle in downtown Grain Valley. Great brews and whiskeys. Cool atmosphere. —Jerry Crisler

Gotta go with River Bluff. —Mark Scrivner

Kansas City

P.O. Box 26823 Overland Park, KS 66225-6823 (913) 469-6700 EMAIL: editor@kansascitymag.com

So when you see me in the streets, it’s ShaeFromTheLou, but it’s Deona HuSTLe on air.”

—SHAE PERRY A.K.A SHAEFROMTHELOU D.B.A DEONA HUSTLE

A special thanks this month to Mike Burton, a manager for the Overland Park Parks and Recreation Department, who finally provided a definitive answer to the length of the Indian Creek bike trail, which varies by fifty percent among various credible sources.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO

Housing unit 4 Still stands After a two-year hiatus and ongoing preservation efforts, Housing unit 4 will return to tours in 2022. Experience the prison’s oldest building once again. Tour season: March – November

L E A D I N G T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N I N K A N S A S C I T Y

THE HOLE STORY Nordstrom backed out of building a new store on the Country Club Plaza, leaving a massive void— and an opportunity.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMEY THERON KIRBY

BY L AU R E N F OX

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

TH E LO O P TH E HOL E STORY

rant-type establishments or pop-up retail, giving people an opportunity to grow their brand in Kansas City. It’s called the Plaza, and when I think of that, I think of a public piazza space. And yet there really isn’t a large space for gathering and entertainment.” — Dominique Davison, founder of DRAW Architecture and Urban Design

H AT

THE

COUN-

had a park, a curling sheet or, as its name suggests, a piazza? These are the ideas real estate and architectural experts across Kansas City are spitballing now that there’s an empty block of prime real estate. That large hole has been staring people in the face for years. But up until recently, there had been plans for it: Nordstrom was going to move from Oak Park Mall to the Plaza. But in April, Nordstrom announced that the department store was staying put. The space now sits empty, and there is not yet a plan for what will go there, according to a spokesperson from Taubman, the company that owns the Plaza. “Taubman is actively reviewing alternative plans for the location and looks forward to making an announcement in the near future,” says spokesperson Maria Mainville. Kansas City magazine talked to seven knowledgeable local people about what they think the Plaza can do with the space to help revitalize the century-old shopping center. Everyone we talked to shared a passion for the Plaza, but many admitted that it’s seen better days. They spoke of times when the Plaza had a grocery store, when local events and races made it their starting and ending points, and when the Plaza tennis courts would be transformed into an ice skating rink in the winter.

TRY CLUB PLAZA

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

As the Plaza celebrates its 100th anniversary, how can it use the Nordstrom space to pump energy into everything around it, instead of—as one interviewee noted—just choosing the highest paying tenant? “With Nordstrom no longer coming to the Plaza, there is a real opportunity to think outside the box and create some new kind of new destination. It could be a place like Eataly that combines the restaurant experience with a marketplace. Or there’s an opportunity to anchor the Plaza with not only iconic architecture but also a significant open space that rethinks the streets by designing a curb-less environment that allows access to the retailers but balances the pedestrians with the cars and has the ability to be temporarily closed to traffic for special events or at certain times during the week.” — Lynn Carlton, director of planning at HOK “I think the ex-Nordstrom space is a chance to make a new park: a place where you could sit with a friend or your dog, meet someone new, get a coffee or a drink, buy a snack, people watch… Maybe in the wintertime, there could be a curling space.” — Mike Sinclair, professor of practice in KU’s School of Architecture and Design “I would love to see the Plaza provide more of a mixed approach, where it’s a combination of smaller, pop-up restau-

“What the Plaza has to do, in my opinion, is make it a space for both business and residents. You’ve got to have people closer by who will support [the Plaza] and support the existing restaurants that are there and support the existing shops that are there.” — Tony Tocco, professor of accounting at Rockhurst University “The site is unique and somewhat tucked into the Country Club Plaza. Utilize the parcel to test specific consumer demand. E-commerce and BOPIS (buy online, pickup in store) has changed a lot of the landscape. I do think that the right high-quality, mixed-use development with multi-family atop would be a great addition.” — Michael Collins, founder and CEO of Grayson Capital “Malls and shopping centers faced a very uncertain future. The initial assumption was that online would continue to dominate, but there has been a return to traditional habits from an interesting group: the Gen-Z consumers. They were forced into isolation for two years and now emphasize personal contact and interaction. They are returning to the mall for social contact as much as for shopping. Retail has always been partly about entertainment, but with Gen-Z, this aspect is now paramount. If the Country Club Plaza wants to capture this Gen-Z renaissance, it needs to play to the social contact aspect of the shopping experience.” — Chris Kuehl, director of Armada Corporate Intelligence

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMEY THERON KIRBY

What should take the place of Nordstrom on the Plaza? We asked 7 experts.

“The Plaza is at the heart of Kansas City and should always be one of the epicenters for entertainment, activity and social gatherings in KC. The Plaza Lights Ceremony and the Plaza Art Fair are great examples of that. So whatever goes into the plot of land that Nordstrom was going to take over needs to be anything that excites Kansas Citians and visitors.” — Greg Moore, chief operating officer at Charlie Hustle

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VENDORS AND 24 DIFFERENT Hindi Lugunda Hmong Macedonian Italian Malagasy Japanese Mandarin Karen Nepali Latin Pennsylvania Dutch

Saturdays 7:30 A.m. - 1:00 p.m. thru December 3

LANGUAGES Portuguese Russian Sign Spanish Thai Tongan

Wednesdays 7:30 A.m. - 1:00 p.m. thru september 7

TH E LO O P TE A L TOW N

Desiree Scott

KC Current is receiving unprecedented backing, with a state-of-the-art stadium in the works. BY M A R Y H E N N

N O T L O N G A G O , Kansas City’s professional women’s soccer team played matches at Swope Park. The two-time league champion was disbanded in 2017, and a new local women’s soccer team was founded in early 2021 under a generic temporary name. Last October, the team got a proper name, the Kansas City Current, and a permanent crest. In May, the team’s new jerseys were revealed. It’s just a start for the team, which is about to get its own stadium, the very first designed specifically for a professional women’s team in North America. The multi-million dollar project at Berkley Riverfront Park is set to open in 2024. In the meantime, the Current plays at Sporting’s stadium. We talked to Sam Mewis and Desiree Scott, captains of KC Current, about the latest with the team and women’s soccer at large. Scott is an NWSL veteran with nine years in the league. Last summer, she won an Olympic medal with the Canadian national team. Mewis has three league titles to her name and regularly plays on the U.S. Women’s National Team, where she’s won a World Cup and a bronze medal. She was named the best women’s soccer player in the world by ESPN in 2021 and joined the Current in December.

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

Why do you think that development took so long? Mewis: I mean, we’re part of a growing league. Ten years ago, the two prior leagues had folded. So owners and people involved in the business side of things were obviously cautious about investing before making sure that the league was stable. I think that everybody getting more excited and more eager to invest is a sign in and of itself that the league is more stable. And just generally, women’s soccer is booming right now. Do you see that boom as a nationwide—or even worldwide—movement? Mewis: I think that women’s soccer is definitely showcasing itself as a good investment worldwide. I definitely think that things are picking up. We get news every week that new stadiums across the world are being sold out and breaking records, and players are getting paid more than ever. I think that there are so many signs pointing to the growth of women’s soccer around the world. We’re lucky to have such a great example being set here in Kansas City by our owners, our staff and all the fans here who believe in the team and have demonstrated that they don’t want to just stick to the status quo and let old ways of thinking dominate. They want to change things. They want to treat women’s soccer how it deserves to be treated and really use it as a business opportunity.

Scott: We still have a ways to go. I also play on my Canadian national team, and we’re seeing the discrepancies between the men and the women. So the fight is not over in that sense.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY THE KC CURRENT

TURNING TIDES

Desiree, you played here in 2013. At that time, the women’s soccer team played at Swope Park. What’s it like knowing that a stadium is being built specifically for women’s soccer at Berkley Riverfront Park? Scott: We’ve come quite a long way since then, I can tell you that. To see the investment that our current ownership Angie and Chris are putting in to provide us with our own facilities and our own field is incredible. In 2013 we barely had a locker room. We were in such a small space, we didn’t have a training facility, and we were sharing a field. It just wasn’t a place where we could feel like we could truly shine as professional soccer players. Now, nearly a decade later, we’re seeing investment in the game and in us, and seeing where women’s sports can go is incredible.

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WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN JUNE

June

04 GO: Cultural Parade on Saturday, June 4. Noon–4 pm. Heritage Festival on Saturday, June 18. Noon–9 pm. 18th and Vine District, KCMO.

UNITED WE STAND

Last year, June 19 was officially recognized as a federal holiday, Juneteenth National Independence Day, commemorating the end of slavery in the US. This year, Kansas City’s 18th and Vine District is expecting more than ten thousand people to attend its Juneteenth cultural parade and heritage festival, which will be themed “United We Stand.” The cultural parade is Saturday, June 4, and will feature a mix of local drill teams, community groups and floats. The heritage festival on Saturday, June 18, will host over two hundred retail and food vendors, a kids zone with things like giant puppets and face painting, live music from The Rude Boys and others, an outdoor skating rink and talks from important KC figures. Most of the activities will be free. “We’ve made the effort to connect with community resources and entities and to foster local partnerships that can support families year-round,” says program director Makeda Peterson.

This year, Paseo to Truman will be blocked off for the festival, encompassing the entire Jazz District and several city blocks. “We’ve grown every year, and now this year we are getting national recognition,” Peterson says. “That growth has been diverse, too. We’ve really seen a mix of cultures wanting to learn more and celebrate.” Peterson has hosted the Juneteenth festival for eleven years in the Jazz District. Her father, Horace Peterson, was the founder of the Black Archives of Mid-America, the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He started the city’s Juneteenth celebrations in the early ’80s, and today his daughter carries on the tradition. “It’s just cool to see the celebration of African American culture and pride here in Kansas City,” Peterson says. “It’s rare for our community to have the opportunity to be unapologetic about our culture. This is about us. It’s a day of celebration and liberation.” —MARY H ENN

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

W H AT YO U WA N T TO D O T H I S M O N T H

June

T H E B E AT C A L EN DA R

Silver Throne at Nelson-Atkins May 21, 2022–May 28, 2023

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

June 3 The term “craft fair” takes on a new meaning with the Strawberry Swing Meadowbrook Park Festival. A list of local vendors curated by Strawberry Swing will be selling. The party continues with lawn games, live bluegrass music and a wide range of food trucks. Friday, June 3. 3–9 pm. Meadowbrook Park, Prairie Village.

June 2–June 5

Tacos and Tequila Festival

The annual Old Shawnee Days is a jumble of all things that make you think “carnival.” The four-day outdoor event has carnival rides and games, vendors and a live music lineup headlined by country acts Jason Pritchett of America’s Got Talent and X-Factor alum Tate Stevens. Thursday, June 2–Sunday, June 5. 6–10 pm. Saturday’s parade is at 11 am. Shawnee Town 1929.

The Tacos and Tequila Festival is back for year two, this time with a Throwback theme. The festival is headlined by T.I., Juvenile and Ginuwine, and the margarita lineup is almost as impressive, with flavors like mango creamsicle and basil melonball. The event also offers a hundred differ-

Old Shawnee Days

Meadowbrook Park Festival

June 4, 2 pm

ent street taco options, lucha libre wrestling and a showcase of exotic cars. Saturday, June 4. Doors open at 2 pm. Legends Field.

Haim June 4, 8 pm Haim’s blend of soft rock and pop music with touches of R&B bring a unique energy to the stage. The three Los Angeles sisters will play hits from their most recent album, Women In Music Pt. III, which took over music charts everywhere at the time of its release in 2021. Saturday, June 4. 8 pm. Starlight Theatre.

The War On Drugs June 5, 7:30 pm If you’re a late-Xer aiming for Bob Dylan, you might get lucky and hit Bruce Springsteen. At least that’s what happened on I Don’t Live Here Anymore, the new record from The War on Drugs. Singer Adam Granduciel references Dylan to open the title track, but the end result for this Philly outfit is so Springsteen-y you can smell the steak sandwich on it. Sunday, June 5. 7:30 pm. Grinders.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY RESPECTIVE VENUES

Two ornate silver thrones where Dungarpur royalty once sat have now been restored and set to display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The new exhibit, Silver Splendor: Conserving the Royal Thrones of Dungarpur, India, shows a video documenting the grueling process of restoring these thrones back to their prime, a process that has been ongoing since 2013. Commissioned in 1911, the thrones were built during India’s British Colonial era, combining European and Indian design elements. In the exhibit, the thrones are accompanied by relevant Indian paintings and artwork. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Gallery 203.

Wallows June 9, 8 pm You may have seen lead singer of the band Wallows Dylan Minnette as Clay Jensen in the somber Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, but his performance style on stage is the exact opposite. The indie band is influenced by music from the ’70s and ’80s with a contemporary twist. Thursday, June 9. 8 pm. Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland.

Arts in the Park June 10 & 11 Arts in the Park in North Kansas City’s Macken Park brings every family-fun activity into one festival. The two-day event features live music—with many tribute bands on the lineup—balloon art, caricatures, magic, juggling and a marionette show by StoneLion Puppet Theater. Food and drinks are available from local breweries and food trucks. Friday, June 10. 5–10 pm. Saturday, June 11. 10 am–10 pm. Macken Park.

Kansas City Pride Parade & Festival June 10–12 Theis Park hosts the annual three-day festival celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, kicking off with the Kansas City Pride Parade at 11 am

from Westport Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. There will be food, drinks, crafts, musical performances and educational activities. Friday, June 10–Sunday, June 12. 5 pm. Theis Park.

Kauffman Future Stages June 12, 11 am The Kauffman Center’s Future Stages Festival is exactly as it sounds: a celebration of Kansas City’s talented young artists. The free event puts young performers on the city’s highest-profile stage while inviting the community to enjoy a diverse range of local arts organizations, ranging from Irish and Chinese dance to orchestra and theater. Sunday, June 12. 11 am–4 pm. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Rex Orange County June 13, 8:30 pm Expect a carefree summer atmosphere at the Rex Orange County concert coming to Starlight Theatre. At just twenty-one years old, the English star has a “colorful” performance style like no other. Hits like “Loving Is Easy” and “Best Friend” will be accompanied by his newest album, WHO CARES? Monday, June 13. 8:30 pm. Starlight Theatre.

The Kansas City Canaries June 18, 9 pm

The Kansas City Canaries are a dance troupe dedicated to preserving the traditions of jazzera chorus girls. They’ve recently performed with the KC jazz orchestra at the Kauffman Center and on this night will perform at Nighthawk, the club below the Hotel Kansas City. Saturday, June 18. 9 pm. Nighthawk.

Kip Moore June 16, 5 pm With the sweaty, sticky mess that the KC Live! crowd becomes on those wild Hot Country Nights, Kip Moore’s low, gravelly voice will be much appreciated. Since his release of “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” in 2011, he’s been a reigning force in country music—which is great for those country-music lovers looking to put on their cowboy boots and grab a cold beer on a Thursday night. Thursday, June 16. 5 pm. KC Live!

Third Eye Blind June 30, 7 pm

Barenaked Ladies June 29, 7:30 pm Whether listening to their classics like “If I had $1,000,000” or “One Week,” or just watching The Big Bang Theory and catching the theme song, the Barenaked Ladies are known to combine comedic lyrics into their rock sound. The band is now missing singer Steven Page, who wrote most of the group’s biggest hits before departing in 2009, but marches on—after sixteen albums—for the sixth edition of their Last Summer on Earth Tour. Wednesday, June 29. 7:30 pm. Starlight Theatre.

With every passing year, the legend of Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins seems to grow. The notoriously prickly and egomaniacal writer of “SemiCharmed Life” was recently busted for apparently falsely claiming to have been the valedictorian of his college class and has been the subject of a series of stories told by the guy from Eve that may one day join the exploits of Led Zeppelin in rock lore. Thursday, June 30. 7 pm. Starlight Theater.

Robert Stackhouse: Passages Through August Robert Stackhouse’s life-size A-frame-style sculptures are literally “passageways through art.” He moved to Kansas City in the mid-’90s and continued to create outdoor installations while teaching at the Kansas City Art Institute. The Belger Arts Center’s Passages includes over thirty sculptures, prints, paintings and drawings by Stackhouse. Through August 6. Belger Arts Center.

Yoga on the Lawn Through Labor Day The covered lawn at Ward Parkway Center hosts free yoga every Thursday at 7 pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Given the weather lately, expect it to be Bikram-esque. The classes are open to adults and are sponsored and taught by Genesis Health Clubs. Bring your own yoga mat and water bottle. Thursdays through Labor Day. 7 pm. Ward Parkway Center.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

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DIG DUGOUT 3 secret amenities of Kauffman Stadium BY M A R T I N C I Z M A R

is one of the oldest and most famous stadiums in the game, drawing baseball fans from all over the world. Most people know to arrive early for tailgating and check out the iconic fountains, but there’s a lot more going on at the K, including some things even loyal Royals fans won’t know about. A U F F M A N S TA D I U M

Pork and Peanut Butter A few years ago, John Woychick, the executive chef for Aramark at Kauffman stadium (@thekfoods), was throwing a little get-together by his backyard fire pit when he decided to get a little crazy. “I had just brought some smoked pork belly home, and I had some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups,” he says. “So I combined them. Everybody loved it, and I kept that idea in the back of my head.”

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

This off-season, the Kauffman food team was looking for something unique and attention-grabbing. Woychick’s creation is now on the menu at Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue pit behind the Price Chopper Patio in right field. It’s called the BBQ Reese’s Sandwich and includes pulled pork, Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce, crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and imitation bacon bits. “We found that it needed some crunch, and the bacon bits did that,” Woychick says. “They’re almost like pop rocks.”

As of Opening Day this year, the K now has two sensory rooms: one on the first-base side and the other on the third-base side. The rooms are designed to help children reduce and manage stress and aggression, says Amanda Grosdidier, executive director of Royals Charities. They were added to the stadium at the request of parents whose children were overwhelmed by the noise and pageantry. “We don’t ever want the stadium to feel like it’s not comfortable,” Grosdidier says. “So this is a way to be comfortable and engaged in the game in a different way.” Families should call Guest Services in advance of their visit for directions to the sensory rooms, which are in outof-the-way spots near exits. “The paint, the flooring, the walls are all adapted to be as soothing as possible,” Grosdidier says. “And then we also worked with KultureCity to train all of our staff.” Having a Ball While there are team shops selling hats and jerseys all over the K, there’s one where you’ll find serious memorabilia collectibles, says Ashley Ficken, the Royals’ director of merchandise sales. Game-used balls are the “bread and butter” of The Authentic Store, which is on the main concourse behind section 225, Ficken says. Game-used balls are available starting in the seventh or eighth inning of every game—and you’ll see people lined up, Ficken says. The balls get authenticated by a league employee in the dugout and are marked with a sticker that notes information like who threw the pitch and who the batter was. Prices vary based on who was involved—the ball from Bobby Witt Jr.’s second hit went for $3,000. Another popular item is a small bottle of water from the iconic fountains in center field, which is also authenticated by a league employee.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY THE K ANSAS CITY ROYALS | SANDWICH PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALYSSA BROADUS

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HELL DRIVEN A moment to remember Tiny Davis, who was driven out of KC’s jazz scene for being a lesbian. BY N I N A C H E R R Y

HERE’S NO ARGUMENT

about whether Tiny Davis could play at an elite level. The jazz trumpeter and vocalist was labeled the “female Louis Armstrong.” As a member of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an all-woman big band in the era of the Second World War, she went on to tour and record with her own band, Hell Divers, and co-owned a lesbian bar in 1950s Chicago alongside her partner, Ruby Lucas. Davis is known as a member of the Chicago jazz scene—because while she refined her chops in KC, she was thrown out of the city’s jazz scene for being a lesbian. Few here uttered a word of her after that, which is why Pride month is a good time to tell her story again.

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Tiny arrived on the KC scene in the 1930s alongside her newlywed husband, Clarence Davis. While Clarence, also a trumpet player, moved to KC to pursue his career, Tiny quickly found success in the booming jazz hub as well. In addition to playing with a variety of dance bands, she joined the Harlem Playgirls, a touring jazz band of all Black women. It didn’t take long for many of the Harlem Playgirls, including Davis, to receive a better offer of joining the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a larger, more established all-woman big band with more touring and recording potential. For the next six years, Davis was a member of the Sweethearts, even going on a USO tour across military bases in Europe. Throughout her years with the Sweethearts, Davis continued to call KC her home base in between tours, in addition

to playing the Sweethearts’ annual Kansas City show during Easter. It was at one of these Easter shows where Tiny was introduced to Ruby Lucas, a multi-talented bassist, pianist and drummer. While the specifics of the timeline are unknown, we do know that around the time she began touring with the Sweethearts, Tiny ultimately left her husband and fell for Ruby. Soon after Tiny met Ruby, their time in Kansas City came to a halt. “We got ran out of town,” said Ruby in a 1988 documentary entitled Tiny and Ruby: Hell Divin’ Women. So they packed up their things and headed to Chicago, and Tiny started her newest group, Tiny Davis and the Hell Divers, with Ruby on bass. But like many other women, Tiny and Ruby struggled to find work after WWII, as female entertainers were seen as wartime novelties—a phenomenon probably best known from A League of Their Own. To guarantee consistent work for themselves, Tiny and Ruby opened up a not-so-discreetly named gay bar and jazz club on the Southside of Chicago: Tiny and Ruby’s Gay Spot. For the next decade, the club was a pillar of Chicago’s queer community until the club was sold and demolished in 1958. Tiny and Ruby continued to play on the Chicago scene until Tiny’s arthritis progressed. While Tiny Davis was an important figure in Chicago’s jazz scene, as well as the city’s LGBTQ+ history, she is an equally important voice in Kansas City’s history worth remembering and amplifying. Preserving the story and legacy of Tiny, a marginalized woman who faced intersectional discrimination throughout her entire life, was not made a priority until the end of her life. While documentation of her is limited, the witty and often bawdy Tiny Davis can be remembered through a thirty-minute documentary, Tiny and Ruby: Hell Divin’ Women, intimately captured in Tiny and Ruby’s Chicago home in 1988.

PHOTO COURTESY INTERNATIONAL SWEETHEARTS OF RHYTHM COLLECTION, ARCHIVES CENTER, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY

B AC K B E AT PR I DE

THE KANSAS CITY SPORTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES THE 2022 SPORTS AWARDS HONOREES Each year, the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation honors outstanding individuals for their commitment to, and achievement in, sports. The benefits of sport are long-standing and this awards banquet celebrates all the positive aspects of sports.

PRESENTED BY

“

“I’m amazed at the amount of talent, leadership, and success of our local sporting community. Sports continue to move Kansas City forward when it comes to economic impact, opportunity and inclusion.” -KATHY

NELSON, PRESIDENT & CEO KANSAS CITY SPORTS COMMISSION

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

EXECUTIVES OF THE YEAR

McCownGordon Construction

ANGIE LONG

CHRIS LONG

BRITTANY MAHOMES

KANSAS CITY CURRENT

Angie Long is a leader in the world of creditrelated asset management and worked for more than a decade on Wall Street. Her commitment to equal opportunities for women not only resulted in the Kansas City Current but paved the way for the first women’s soccer training facility and stadium in the United States.

Spire

The founder of Palmer Square Capital Management, Chris Long brings decades of business and financial experience to the Kansas City Current. With his firm growing more than $12B in assets and a global footprint including Europe, he sees significant opportunity to amplify professional women’s soccer and deliver a world-class experience.

Burns & McDonnell

COMMUNITY CHAMPION

COACH OF THE YEAR

BRENDA VANLENGEN

JOE CALFAPIETRA

EMMY AWARD-WINNING BROADCASTER

KANSAS CITY MONARCHS

Emmy-Award winning broadcaster Brenda VanLengen has been a women’s college basketball analyst for ESPN since 1996 and has announced Big 12 women’s basketball games since the conference’s inception. A passionate advocate for women in sports, Brenda is currently working on a docuseries about the pioneers of women’s basketball, called If Not for Them.

Polsinelli

One of the founders of the Kansas City Current, Brittany Mahomes is a former collegiate soccer player and competed professionally in Iceland for one year. As a certified personal trainer and fitness entrepreneur, she launched an online training program in 2019. Brittany’s passion for sports is one of the reasons she helped bring NWSL back to KC.

SPORTSMEN OF THE YEAR

KANSAS JAYHAWKS MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM

The Kansas Jayhawks Men’s Basketball Team won its sixth NCAA National Championship in 2022, beating North Carolina 72-69 and securing Head Coach Bill Self’s second national championship. Earlier in the year, the Jayhawks won the regular season and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship.

Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine Center

Joe Calfapietra, manager of the Kansas City Monarchs, helped set a franchise record for wins in 2021 and won the American Association Championship. Last September, he was recognized as Manager of the Year by the American Association. Joe is the first manager in franchise history to finish .500 or above in back-to-back seasons.

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

T-Mobile

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

AYOKA LEE

VAHE GREGORIAN

KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

KANSAS CITY STAR

In January, Kansas State junior center Ayoka Lee scored 61 points, setting a record for most points in a single game for any player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history. In addition to numerous awards for the 2021-2022 season, she was unanimously selected for the 2022 All-Big 12 First Team and the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.

Kansas City Star sports columnist Vahe Gregorian, an award-winning journalist with over three decades of experience, was inducted into the United States Basketball Writers’ Hall of Fame this past April. He began writing for The Star in 2013 after covering the University of Missouri for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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1 the only way to go. Well, maybe just four minutes, thanks to this solid-built kettle, which advertises itself as the fastest on the market and will boil a half-liter of water in just a hundred seconds. You can set the temperature to exactly 205 degrees for optimal extraction, and it’ll hold there for a halfhour. The kettle has a satisfying heft with a handle that counterbalances as you pour.

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DAD-TESTED, DAD-APPROVED Presenting five perfect Father’s Day gifts BY M A R T I N C I Z M A R

just how much of my daily routine as a dad is centered around managing my caffeine intake. I start my day by grinding up good local coffee—it’s one of those little luxuries that make the morning sunshine just a little brighter for me. Around noon, I start deliberating between pouring a fresh cup to power through the afternoon and the possibility that I’ll be too wired to get a good night’s sleep later, starting a cycle that’ll leave me weary for days. By the time I pick my daughter up from school, these calculations are riding on a knife’s edge as the stakes climb ever higher. That’s probably why my annual Father’s Day gift guide always involves some coffee gadgetry. This I T R E C E N T LY O C C U R R E D T O M E

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year, like the last three, this highly personal and exhaustively researched guide to gifts for dads includes a few items aimed at those addled by arabica. This year also includes a classic French pocket knife, a luxurious new bathrobe and a camp chair that’ll make your dad envy any tailgate, campfire or beach day. But first, coffee. 1 Smart Kettle by Lardera Coffee Roasters $150, lardera.com Every couple of years, I switch up my whole coffee routine and start from scratch. Since the early pandemic, I’ve been making Chemex pour-overs every morning—if you’ve got five minutes to make a morning cup, it’s

2 HandleStash $38, handlestash.com Like many dads, I’m working from home now, which means I have more time for things like a quick morning bike ride before work. That led me to search out a solution for bringing hot coffee along for the ride without scalding my knees—a challenge that HandleStash founder Adam Saplin can relate to. This Denver dad sought to solve the problem by developing this unique shock-absorbing cup holder, which straps onto my handlebars and does a very good job of bringing the joe in tow. Straight out of the package, the springs are tight, but they loosen up and provide better absorption. 3 No. 08 Opinel, customized $24, opinel-usa.com Either your dad is the kind of guy who would love to have an iconic wood-handled French pocket knife with his name inscribed on it or he’s not. He probably is. 4 Pendleton Whisperwool robe $290, pendleton-usa.com Pendleton probably needs no introduction, as most folks are familiar with the iconic American company founded during the Civil War, which makes woolen goods in rugged eastern Oregon. I’ve had a Pendleton wool robe for years, but it’s a little scratchy. This new Whisperwool robe made from virgin merino wool solves that problem—it’s soft and warm yet sturdy and washable. 5 Nemo Stargaze $250, nemoequipment.com Yes, a $250 camp chair is an extravagance— you could buy ten at Target for that much money. But once you sit in this sturdy rocker, which sits like a hanging hammock chair, you’ll get it. The Stargaze poles break into small pieces for easy transport but use internal lines, like tent poles, to snap together without any thought. You can set it up in thirty seconds. It’s the best camp chair I’ve ever sat in, and I’ve sat in a few.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN

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IN THE AIR Hair guru Tippi Shorter recently invented the ‘AirCut,’ a method for cutting curly, coiled and textured hair. Now you can get the cut in Kansas City. BY M A R Y H E N N

it’s frightening to walk into a salon and not know whether or not the stylist just wants to straighten my hair or actually knows how to cut and color my hair without me losing curl integrity,” says hair guru Tippi Shorter. That’s why she created a haircutting method called ‘AirCut,’ which is designed for curly, coiled and textured hair types. L’Oreal has adopted the method under their brand, and Shorter’s goal is “make sure that stylists across the globe are certified and understand how to work with hair that’s not naturally straight—because hair is hair.” Shorter has been in the hair industry since the mid-’90s. She is originally from Southern California and moved to New York to work as a personal hairstylist for celebrities like Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson. Eventually, she started her own salon in Manhattan and then became a spokesperson for big hair brands like Pantene, Aveda and L’Oreal. Now she spends most of her time helping such brands with product development and educating people about curls, coils and waves so that they are considered equally and seen as visibly as straight hair. She’s now based in Lee’s Summit, where she and her husband have settled to raise their family. Every now and then, she takes appointments at local salons in the area, which she announces on her Instagram (@tippishorter) and in newsletters, which you can sign up for on her website (tippishorter.com). “ Y O U K N O W, A S A C U R LY G I R L ,

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

“I’ve invested the last fifteen years of my career giving what might be considered graduate school type of instruction,” Shorter says. “All hair professionals should learn how to work with all hair types. But unfortunately, working with textured hair isn’t really something that’s learned at beauty school.” Often, hairstylists are taught to straighten curly hair before working with it. The AirCut, however, is designed to honor the integrity of naturally curly hair. It’s also meant to be versatile in that, when done properly, it looks good when hair is straightened as well. “I set out to create something that allowed the client to go back and forth from curly and straight,” Shorter says. “I’m a style shifter. I love to go from curly to straight and back. With other methods, my hair was left super choppy.” The AirCut works for all textures because it’s based on the density of the hair and what hair challenges each client has. And it’s not just about the cut. Stylists using this method should diagnose each client’s hair texture, growth patterns, density, volume and challenges. Once those factors are considered, the hair is cut totally dry and in its natural state. Within the AirCut method, there are six different base techniques that Shorter created to be tailored to individual clients. Salons here in Kansas City are increasingly becoming certified in the method. You can find certified stylists on the Insta page @mizani_aircut. Sessions Salon in Westwood is one local salon that offers the AirCut, so if you’re looking to rock your natural hair in a shag, bob or another current style trend, you can visit Sessions or other local salons where the AirCut method is being practiced.

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NEW WAVE MODERN A Sedgwick County couple turned a midcentury build into a contemporary, artsy home that pays homage to the past in all the right ways. BY DAW N YA B A R T S C H | P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A J R O B B I N S

ADISON

BEHNY

AND

HER

FIANCÉ,

Christopher Padovano, were looking for a house to flip—not a fixer-upper to fall in love with and turn into their forever home. “Chris found this house and showed it to me,” Behny says of the Sedgwick County, Kansas, house that sits on one-third of an acre with a small pond. “It was twice as much as what we were looking to spend and needed some TLC, but he said, ‘I can’t stop thinking about that house,’ and so we put an offer in and ended up snagging it.” So rather than buying an investment property, as was their initial plan, they ended up with a project that Behny has been chronicling on her Instagram account @madisonrhian. When Behny and Padovano first moved in, they didn’t know much about mid-century homes. Madison started her renovation adventure by joining mid-century modern enthusiast social media groups so she could learn more about the design movement, which is characterized by clean, simple lines, honest use of materials and sparing decorative embellishments. “I didn’t realize there was a whole mid-century modern community out there,” Behny says. It was Behny’s internet sleuthing that led her to also start documenting her renovation projects online, which has earned her a small following and a few brand partnerships. “I’ve really prided myself in the ability to make my home stand out without making it a time capsule for everything mid-century,” Behny says. “We wanted to restore it but without it looking like a museum.” Behny and Padovano moved into their two thousand-squarefoot home about three years ago. The architect who built their house in 1957 built most of the houses on their street. Behny is trying to track down the house’s original blueprints. Padovano, who is originally from California, where he worked for his dad’s construction business, is an engineer by training. As Behny says, his proclivity for all things construction-related “comes in handy” when trying to rehabilitate their home on their own.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

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1 LIVING ROOM The main living area of the house is what first caught the couples’ attention. Behny and Padovano found the soaring ceiling, large windows, open beams and loft-like space unique. “We just needed to open it up,” Behny says. They started with a fresh coat of white paint. From there, Behny began decorating the home with an eclectic style and house plants. “Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big plant person,” Behny says. Padovano custom-built the metal and glass terrarium, which sits perfectly on top of a low brick wall that divides the main living area from the kitchen. Several of Behny’s prized finds are in the living room, including a circular blonde wood bar cart that opens to

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

create two semicircles, revealing everything needed to create the perfect cocktail. “I’m really good at thrifting,” Behny says. “I’m always looking for a bargain or a deal, but my biggest thing is I’m always looking for unique pieces. I do think it’s OK to splurge occasionally if you find that perfect piece.” Behny drove to a small town in Oklahoma to collect the bar cart because it matched her coffee table perfectly. The coffee table is exactly like a coffee table that her aunt had and that Behny always loved. So when she spotted it on the internet and learned that it was located only an hour away from where her sister lives in Indiana, she

convinced her sister to go get it. Behny’s sister later drove it to Kansas when it came time for a family visit. Behny was also able to locate two matching side tables and now has a complete set. Behny also found a unique apothecary, which she uses to store candles. It sits next to French doors in the living room that lead to a sunroom. “When I found the apothecary, I knew exactly where I was going to put it, and it works perfectly,” Behny says. “It’s never moving.” Bold color choices and a large Keith Haring-inspired rug make a statement and tie the room together with some abstract artpieces, several of which Behny picked up at her local HomeGoods.

2 KITCHEN Hanging from the house’s center beam and above the low brick wall that works as a divider between the kitchen and living room is another custom piece designed and built by Padovano. It’s a metal and glass shelf and pot rack that proudly displays pots, wine glasses and other functional items.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

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3 LOFT Originally painted a dark red color, the couple painted the area white and then added a dark monotone green accent wall with an abstract relief. Shelving, a bench and other eclectic finds fill out the space.

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

4 MASTER BEDROOM Behny’s not sure when many of the home’s light fixtures were installed, but she and Padovano have replaced most of them with new versions of mid-century fixtures, and the master bedroom is no different. Along with updating the light fixtures, the couple redid the room’s floors.

OFFICE Behny and Padovano converted a

bedroom into an office space, freshening it up with white paint and restoring the hardwood floors and trim. They also took the doors off of a closet to create a nook and add additional architectural interest. They installed abstract wallpaper and casually placed an ornate mirror against a wall in the space to create a new focal point in the room. 5 LAUNDRY ROOM The couple transformed a rather typical laundry room by removing old cabinets and giving the room a fresh coat of paint and finding a unique wallpaper from Lulu and Georgia.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

HARKEN BACK TO A TIME WHEN PEOPLE SAID THINGS LIKE “HARKEN BACK.”

Here in Nebraska, we’re right proud of our heritage. So we keep it alive in places like the Homestead National Historic Park, a tribute to an 1862 law that drew millions of mighty ﬁne folks to the West by promising free land. We know some people think history ain’t worth a plug nickel. But you might be of a different mind. So if we had our druthers, you’d go to VisitNebraska.com, get yourself a free Travel Guide. And then commence to harkening.

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See Where It Takes You

stlouisunionstation.com

Discover The St. Louis Wheel, The St. Louis Aquarium, Ropes Course and Carousel, The Soda Fountain and more!

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M U

S ' R E M

T E

BEST B How to make the most of your summer before it even starts. 48

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

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KANSAS CITY

summers best BETS

KC ZOO KANSASCITYZOO.ORG Home to more than 1,700 animals stretched across 202 acres, the Kansas City Zoo has been a standout way for families to enjoy the outdoors for more than a hundred years. The zoo undergoes continuous improvements and has major openings coming up, making it a go-to activity this summer. Be sure to stop by the brand new habitat, Alligator Alley, and meet the zoo’s newest residents. Tip: Purchase your tickets in advance online to get the lowest cost of admission!

St. Louis

ST. LOUIS AQUARIUM STLOUISAQUARIUM.COM A short drive from home takes you to an immersive experience at the St. Louis Aquarium. Located inside the historic landmark of St. Louis Union Station, the Aquarium is guaranteed to provide a hands-wet experience for all. Enjoy multiple restaurants, including the popular St. Louis Soda Fountain and its amazing Freak Shakes. Book early at the award-winning Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel and walk to all the attractions. See where it takes you.

KANSAS

KC WATERSPORTS KCWATERSPORTS.COM Head out to KC Watersports and ride the cable. It tows up to six wakeboarders, skiers or knee boarders at the same time without the use of a boat. You’ll experience the thrill and excitement of watersports no matter your skill level. It’s fun for beginners who have never tried to wakeboard or for the advanced riders and veteran athletes who come out to the park to enjoy the ease of getting on the water and riding.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

JUNE

A to Z

Summer Guide

Summer is finally here. Here are 26 Fun Things To Do in ’22, in Alphabetical Order.

WORDS MARTIN CIZMAR, ETHAN EVANS, MARY HENN, KIM HORGAN PHOTOGRAPHY CALEB CONDIT, KIM HORGAN, JEREMEY THERON KIRBY, REBECCA NORDEN ILLUSTRATIONS MAKALAH HARDY

A IS FOR

Alicia

t’s hard to believe it’s been twenty years since Alicia Keys burst onto the R&B scene fully formed with Songs in A Minor. As with most artists whose debuts sell ten-plus million copies, she’s never transcended that success nor strayed too far from that formula. Keys, her new double album released back in December, opens with traditional “Original” arrangements before presenting most of the same songs with moodier, heavier beats on the “Unlocked” side. Wednesday, August 28. 8 pm. Starlight Theatre.

C IS FOR

Coconut Cove

oconut cove, the largest pool at Oceans of Fun, has half a million gallons of water and is home to several slides, plus an obstacle course where swimmers can hop between lily pads and floating logs. The Cove is fully tricked out with geysers, rain umbrellas and floating animals. Open daily through August 14. Oceans of Fun.

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Z B IS FOR

Boulevardia Bingo in Here’s your card! Spot four festival staples

Baldwin Denim KC hat

First-degree sunburn

Person who “got their money’s worth” at Taps and Tastes

Discreet vaping

a row to win.

Group of 4+ people wearing neck bandanas

Punk rock baby

Matching fanny packs

Overheard “I don’t really like drinking beer”

Porta-potty line 10+ people long

Tomahawk chopping

Crying during Dashboard Confessional

Bicycle jersey

Overheard “I just liked it better at the old location”

Canadian tuxedo

DJ Ashton Martin

Person holding stack of 5+ plastic beer cups

Center. Nathaniel Rateliff & GO: Boulevardia is June 17–18 at Crown l headline. Tickets start at $40. the Night Sweats and Dashboard Confessiona

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D IS FOR

Drive-by Truckers

hen George Wallace ran for governor of Alabama for the last time in 1982, he got more than ninety percent of the Black vote. I only know that because of a Drive-By Truckers’ song, part of a suite that culminates with Wallace in hell, where he’s serenaded by a demon choir singing “Roll Alabama.” The lyrics could be read as somewhat sympathetic, though it would be unfair to suggest the song’s author, bandleader Patterson Hood, is any kind of Wallace apologist. As Hood puts it in the opening of the suite, all of this “ain’t about excuses or alibis,” but speaks to the wider point that racism is a nationwide problem that’s ignored too many places because it’s “always a little more convenient to play it with a Southern accent.” Like the rest of Southern Rock Opera, the double album that put the band on the map twenty-one years ago, the “Southern Thing/The Three Great Alabama Icons/Wallace” cycle is about less obvious but plenty insidious evil, and why the long life of his home state’s most infamous politician can’t be neatly summed up in a soundbite about segregation. At a time when the telling of history has become politicized, early Truckers’ albums like The Dirty South and Decoration Day feel freshly relevant—at least to me, someone who spent about the middle-third of the pandemic obsessed with the band. The Truckers tell stories of the South that dwell with the moonshiners and aspiring stock car drivers and the deacon down at the Salem Church of Christ. The early noughties Truckers’ records speak not only to NPR donor audiences who know the band as “the guys Jason Isbell used to play with” but also to the dudes who were across the parking lot at Coffee High School in 1978, blasting Skynyrd and tossing around footballs like Jeff Rutledge. To and for them, the Truckers retell regional legends like the Sam Philips gifting of a Cadillac to Carl Perkins and the story of Buford Pusser, the probably corrupt sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, whose autobiography became Walking

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Tall. (I was deep enough into Truckerland to have made a stop in McNairy County last summer. The people I talked to were of the opinion that the version in the song is closer to reality than the version on screen—the battle rages in the YouTube comments.) These songs humanize without offering excuses, providing context and nuance to society in short supply. Like pretty much every one and thing else, the Truckers have become more direct and nakedly political in recent times. They’ve grappled publicly with changing their very nineties (admittedly, sorta cringey) name while telling opponents of gun control where to stick their “Thoughts and Prayers.” But they continue to talk about subjects like the “Lost Cause” myth in language that the people who need to hear it most understand in “Surrender Under Protest.” I’ve driven to St. Louis and Tulsa to see the Truckers in the past year. The concert experience is always a little weird when you’re diving deep into a band’s back catalog, spending time with songs recorded twenty years ago while they’re touring new material. But they still play the old stuff, and to crowds that seem to appreciate the patina that these songs have developed over the years. It seems ridiculous now, but twenty years ago we weren’t far removed from a pop singer unironically declaring that we were “watching the world wake up from history.” We know better now. History has a few fake endings, it turns out. Saturday, July 16. Knuckleheads. 8 pm.

E IS FOR

ne of the largest festivals of its kind anywhere in the U.S., this annual celebration takes over the large field on the west side of Swope Park with booths representing sixty nations and ethnic groups. Most booths offer food for sale, with some selling handmade goods. The large picnic shelter at the park houses a dance floor where group performances run back to back for most of the three-day event.

Ethnic Enrichment Festival

Friday, August 19–Sunday, August 21. Swope Park.

F IS FOR

Fountains

First! The oldest existing fountain in Kansas City was erected at third and Minnesota in KCK in 1903 and is now at the Wyandotte County Museum. It’s made of marble and has little lions that spit water out of their mouths. Does it work? “It did until Covid hit,” says Jeff, a museum staffer. “Then we turned it off for Covid and haven’t turned it back on again. I can’t wait to get it going again.”

Falls!

Fanciest!

Filmed!

No, that’s not a waterfall on Cliff Drive—that’s the Carl J. Dicapo Fountain, which was dedicated in 1989. One of the most unique in the city, it’s made with natural rock and sits at the site of a natural spring.

It’s debatable, but for our money, the fanciest of all fountains in KC is the Meyer Circle Sea Horse Fountain, which includes statues made in Venice in the 1600s from the native Carrara marble.

Turn on any national broadcast from KC and chances are you’ll see B-roll of the city’s most photographed fountain, the Fountain in Mill Creek Park on the east edge of Country Club Plaza. It takes seventy gallons of dye to turn the fountain blue for big Royals games or red in honor of the Chiefs.

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G IS FOR

Gelat

hen it comes to frozen milk fat, Kansas City’s got a little bit of everything, from drive-thru custard spots to small-batch artisan shops making creative flavors involving eclectic ingredients like smoked brisket or rosé wine. But if you were going to point to a weak spot, it would be the very limited gelato offerings. The Italian form of ice cream—less fat and slower churning make for a treat that’s smoother, denser, creamier and typically served in smaller portions—is uncommon in these parts, which is a shame. In Shawnee, Aunt Jean’s Cup & Cone (11210 Johnson Drive, Shawnee) has been making small batches of seasonal gelato for fifteen years. They recently got a new neighbor that also makes gelato in downtown Shawnee—but sells it in Westwood Hills. Sheri Weedman of Annedore’s Fine Chocolates recently opened Flying Cow Gelato next to her shop at 5000 State Line Road, selling gelato that’s made fresh every day and stored in a “very fancy Italian batch freezer.” We swung by a few minutes after they opened for a cup of pink grapefruit with a wonderful snap of citrus, which was probably the best scoop we’ve ever had in KC. The name Flying Cow was chosen because it’s silly and Weedman wants people to not be intimidated by the perceived elegance of European ice cream. We’re hoping it works and that it inspires many imitators.

Alfajor

Blueberry Lemon

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White Chocolate Red Vine Rose

Jamocha Shake

Lemon Basil Sorbetto

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H IS FOR

ustralian indie rocker Courtney Barnett is arguably the last, best hope for the slacker strain of jangly garage rock. This summer, she’s Lollapaloozing with her own touring manifest, dubbed Here and There, which features a rotating cast of like-minded acts including Overland Park’s own Waxahatchee and mid-pandemic breakout Wet Leg. KC’s date at the Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland features Lucy Dacus and Quinn Christopherson.

Here and There Festival

Monday, August 8. 7–9 pm. Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland.

J IS FOR

Jack White

t says something about Jack White that he’s had three wives and all three have released records on his label. The former White Stripe just got hitched for the third time—this time on stage at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, a few minutes after using his own song, “Hotel Yorba,” to propose. His two new solo albums, Fear of the Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive, are wide-ranging, swinging between driving arena rock (“Taking Me Back” may one day get the “Seven Nation Army” treatment at NFL games) and stripped-down acoustic (listen for “Love Is Selfish” in Napoleon Dynamite II). White’s date at Starlight is the end of a long tour that included his on-stage marriage. Monday, August 29. 8 pm. Starlight Theatre.

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K IS FOR

Kenny Chesney

ut on the puka shell necklace, pull the straw cowboy hat down real low, and purchase one (1) case of White Claw per person. Set up in the parking lot of Arrowhead around noon and remove clothing until you’re comfortable. They say anyone who remembers more than a flash from a Kenny Chesney concert on a summer Saturday night wasn’t really there. Saturday, July 2. 5pm. Arrowhead Stadium.

I IS FOR

Indian Creek Bike trail

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY K I M H O R G A N

he Indian Creek Trail is the longest bike and hike trail in the metro area, connecting Leawood, Olathe and Overland Park. The trail is paved and runs wide, making it a favorite for cyclists, runners and walkers. It winds along Indian Creek, which flows east into the Blue River near the Bannister Federal Complex. It goes past many parks and playgrounds, weaving through residential and commercial areas as it slips in and out of shady stretches. At an official length of 19.43 miles—credible sources differ online, so we contacted the OP Parks Department, which conducted extensive research to give us the distance between the trailheads at State Line in the east and 161st Street and Ridgeview Road in the west—the trail provides a calming dose of nature amid some of the city’s busiest sections. Start your adventure at one of several trailheads, including Leawood City Park, Corporate Woods Park and Roe Park. It doesn’t matter where you hop on—the trail provides tree-lined segments and charming footbridges in every direction. Pack a lunch and stop at one of the many benches or picnic tables along the route. While there are a few sections with steep grades, they’re brief, and the majority of the trail is a flat, gentle ride, making Indian Creek a trail that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of fitness level. One thing to note is that on weekends the path tends to be very busy; be prepared to announce your presence as you navigate past strollers, dog walkers and joggers.

M IS FOR

Margaret Cho

L IS FOR

Lord Huron

ndie-rock dream team Lord Huron will deliver a cinematic sound experience under the stars this summer as they tour with their newest album, Long Lost. Critics have called the album transformative and atmospheric, with hits like “Mine Forever” and “Meet Me in the City” about lost love. Lord Huron has been looped in with that nostalgic northern Michigan vibe, along with artists like Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, who’s also playing at Starlight this summer—let’s just say, iykyk. Sunday, June 5. 7 pm. Starlight Theatre.

argaret Cho’s recent sets have a bit about her groundbreaking mid-’90s sitcom, the first to feature an Asian American family, its ignominious end and the long wait until someone tried again. “I f***ed it up so badly that they had to wait for an entire generation of Asian Americans to be born and grow up without no memory of me whatsoever,” she jokes. Nearly thirty years later, her material plays on a lot of the same themes but feels very fresh and timely. Thursday, July 16–Saturday, July 18.Various times. The Comedy Club of Kansas City, 1130 W. 103rd St., KCMO.

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N IS FOR

Night Market O IS FOR

owntown Shawnee’s night markets, also known as Moonlight Markets, will be hosted every third Thursday evening through October. You can shop for fresh veggies and local goods from market vendors while enjoying live music and cold beer—without the hot summer sun beating down on you and your produce. June 16, July 21, August 18. Downtown Shawnee.

P IS FOR

Percheron Summer Concert Series

ercheron, one of the best rooftop bars overlooking the Crossroads and downtown KC, is launching its summer concert series this season, with ten live concerts to be held on a handful of Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. The concert lineup includes local acts like Madisen Ward on June 8, Lily B Moonflower on July 20 and The Grisly Hand on August 3. There will be a regular lineup of DJs on Friday and Saturday nights, too. Percheron will offer a special seasonal menu with cocktails and slushies made with market-fresh ingredients, plus Mediterranean-inspired bites like shrimp ceviche and pork rillon. Percheron is open Sunday–Thursday 4–11 pm, and Friday–Saturday 4 pm–midnight. Showtimes vary.

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Outdoor Theater

tradition with fifty years of history, Johnson County’s annual Theatre in the Park series at Shawnee Mission Park is always one of the most popular family events of the summer in KC. This year, as usual, they’ve scheduled five populist musicals, starting with an adaptation of the comedy Something Rotten from June 3-11 and continuing with Disney’s Descendants: The Musical, School of Rock and Zombie Prom before winding down with Spongebob: The Musical, which closes on August 6. A regular adult ticket for open lawn seating is just $10 and is good for the run of each show. Line up to get a prime spot on the lawn starting at 7:30 pm, or arrive for curtains at 8:30 pm. Various days and times. Shawnee Mission Park.

Z Q IS FOR

’Cue Comps Big Blue BBQ Championship June 3 and 4 in Marysville, Kansas, 160 miles northwest of KC. It’s a smalltown festival that includes a concert and car show. Kelley Wilson Memorial BBQ Competition June 3 and 4 at Rockhurst High School in KCMO. The competition is in honor of a Rockhurst alum who passed away in a car crash and funds a scholarship in his honor.

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J E R E M E Y T H E R O N K I R BY

Clay County Juneteenth BBQ Contest June 17 and 18 in Liberty. It’s hosted by the Clay County African American Legacy Inc. at the historic Garrison School, which was known as the best school for African American students in all of Missouri. The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle June 24 and 25 in Lenexa. This big-time fest is the official state championship for Kansas and the second-largest barbecue event in the KC area after the American Royal. Smokin’ on the Osage July 22 to 24 in Osceola, south of KC on the edge of Ozarks. There’s a car show, live music, a beer garden presented by the VFW and, on Saturday, a community barbecue meal where tickets are just $10.

Smokin’ on the Harbor August 5 and 6 in Warsaw, on the Lake of the Ozarks. If you’re going to be fishing anyway, might as well stop by for some barbecue. Paola Roots Festival August 26 and 27 in Paola, thirty miles south of KC. Billed as Kansas’ “East Central

State BBQ Cook-Off,” this long-running music, crafts and ’cue fest is headlined by electric bluesman Bernard Allison and has several streets of vendors. Smoke on the Bricks August 26 and 27 in Baldwin City, south of Lawrence. Organizers promise music and a beer garden.

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R IS FOR

RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!

dozen pairs of glittery heels will clack and clamor across the Uptown Theater stage on August 14 when some of the most illustrious alumni of VH1’s RuPaul’s Drag Race twirl through Kansas City on their Werq the World Tour. An experiment gone wrong has sent the audience careening backwards through space and time, and it is up to the performers—a lineup featuring season eleven winner Yvie Oddly, recently crowned season fourteen winner Willow Pill and finalist Daya Betty (a native of Springfield, Missouri) to guide the crowd back to the present day by taking them on a journey through iconic periods of history. This is just one performance on the latest leg of the Werq the World Tour, which began in 2017 and has made its way through cities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. A ten-episode docuseries, also titled Werq the World, was released in 2019 and gives a behind-the-scenes look at all the work and drama that goes into producing such a tour starring a revolving battalion of larger-thanlife, creative personalities. (The series is streaming on the platform WOW Presents Plus). The tour and the docuseries are just a couple of installments within the Drag Race empire that began in 2009 with the premiere of Drag Race. What started as a low-budget, largely underground competition-based reality show has gone on to win several Emmy Awards and has spawned international spin-offs in Canada, the UK, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia and Thailand—with more expected to crop up. Sunday, August 14. Uptown Theater. Tickets start at $25 and go up to $250 for VIP Meet and Greet.

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S IS FOR

Sugar Creek Slavic Festival

ugar Creek, a small town just north of Independence, celebrates Slavic culture in a big way with its annual Sugar Creek Slavic Festival. This year is the 35th anniversary of the tradition, which is a two-day celebration of Slavic heritage with foods like sarma, kolache and kielbasa, and performances of kolo or polka. There will be traditional dance groups like Ukraine Dancers and Sugar Creek Ethnic Dance Troupe alongside musical groups like the Brian McCarty Band and the Baric Brothers. Toast with a shot of Slivovitz and watch a cabbage roll contest—which you’ll just have to see. Friday, June 10, 5–11 pm and Saturday, June 11, noon–11 pm. Mike Onka Community Hall, Sugar Creek.

T IS FOR

FOOD TRUCK FRENZY

Trucks

ood trucks, that is. And there are a few hot spots around the city where food trucks flock, like The Food Truck Plaza at 20th and Grand in the Crossroads on First Fridays and the West Bottoms every first Saturday of the month. You might also be familiar with the trucks at KC Wine Co, which will host a handful of local food trucks every Thursday–Sunday throughout June, along with live music, trivia or bingo (depending on the night). But there are a few other summer events where you can get your food truck fix, too, like the Summer Food Truck Series in KCK, found in the Turner Recreation Commission parking lot every Thursday evening throughout May, June and July with yard games and music. There’s also the Food Truck Frenzy in Old Town Lenexa on Saturday, June 4, with live music and more than ten trucks, including Barbwire BBQ, Coco Loco Grille, Ragusa’s Italian Cafe and Taste of Brazil. And the PARKED festival in Shawnee on Friday, June 24, will host several food trucks, local vendors, a beer garden, a live band, fireworks and bounce houses.

U IS FOR

Union Station’s Maya exhibit

or the first time in the U.S., the mysteries of the Maya—the sophisticated civilization buried in the rainforest—are being displayed by Dr. Nikolai Grube, an epigrapher who is leading a project that aims to decipher the Maya glyphs. The Maya studied the stars and developed a calendar more accurate than any other, discovered the number zero and introduced the world to chocolate. With more than three hundred artifacts, this new exhibition at Union Station reveals the intricacies of Maya as astronomers, mathematicians and inventors. Opens June 3 and runs through October at Union Station.

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W IS FOR

Witt and Whit

M V IS FOR

Vitaly and Vice

he Nelson-Atkins’ annual Party Arty is returning with a roaring ’20s theme. The Vitality & Vice soiree was inspired by the museum’s new exhibition, American Art Deco: Designing for the People, 1919-1939. For this glam fundraiser (non-member price is $150), the museum is transformed to evoke a jazz den or speakeasy. There will be bites, beverages and entertainment, including an art deco-inspired, multi-sensory performance by Quixotic and specialty cocktails from Tom’s Town. Saturday, July 9. 8 pm. The Nelson-Atkins.

Y IS FOR

Yard Sales 64

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n Kansas City, the best yard sales come in bunches. Across the area, many communities plan whole neighborhood events where you can rummage through old video games and kitchen utensils for treasure. Here are some of those sales coming up.

idway through the first series of the season, Royals fans were getting frustrated. The problem wasn’t the play—the team had a hot start, though the momentum has slowed since—but with how to cheer. “Witt and Whit is too damned confusing,” one fan yelled. “We need to come up with something to call him! Bobby? Should he just be Bobby?” It’s a legitimate problem when you’re talking about the team’s best player, sometimes-second baseman Whit Merrifield, and its most taunted prospect, third baseman Bobby Witt Jr. Our advice is to just go with it. Just yell for W(h)it(t) whenever you’re at the K this season. If one guy needs a nickname, it’ll attach itself in good time. Right now this Whit/ Witt thing is kinda fun!

Fairway, June 3–4 Lea Manor Neighborhood (in KCMO, north of I-435 next to Old Leawood), June 4 Smithville (in the far Northland), June 4 Embassy Park Estates (in Merriam), June 10–11 Southmoreland (around the Nelson-Atkins Museum), June 11

Coleman Highlands (north of Westport and south of Westside), June 11 Hyde Park (midtown KCMO), June 11 Westheight Manor (in KCK), September 10 Bonner Springs, September 24

Z X IS FOR

XIMELLO-SALIDO

exican-American artist Hugo Ximello-Salido has a series exploring the Muxe (moo-shey) community in Oaxaca, where gender fluidity has been part of the local culture for many generations. The panels on display at InterUrban ArtHouse in June and July were created by Ximello-Salido in Mexico using traditional textiles. “The work represents the discovery of gender fluidity as a journey and the awareness that gender can be perceived through many lenses, including through the history of the Zapotec culture that still resonates today,” Ximello-Salido says.

Z E R O S P H OTO BY B R I A N R I C E

On display in June and July at InterUrban ArtHouse, 8001 Newton St., Overland Park.

Z IS FOR

Zeros at Zona

ocal new wave cover band The Zeros are opening Zona Rosa’s summer concert series in the open green space right behind Bravo Italian Kitchen. On Friday and Saturday evenings this June, you can bring a chair or blanket and camp out with family and friends to enjoy free concerts. Every Friday, Hereford House will have a tent for burgers and brews. Others in the lineup include The Uproot, Steven Bankey & The Flatlanders and Lily B Moonflower. Fridays and Saturdays in June and July, 6:30 pm. Zona Rosa Central Park.

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OUT IS

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

16 places to drink and dine al fresco in KC this summer By Mary Henn and Martin Cizmar Photography by Caleb Condit and Rebecca Norden

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

SUMMER IS HERE TO STAY, which has us thinking about the best way to cool off— sitting on an evening patio in the warm breeze with a crisp cocktail in hand. Here, we’ve rounded up sixteen of the best open-air dining and drinking spots around the city, including stylish spots with seasonal cocktails, bars with live music and a new beer garden so nice we almost wanted to keep it to ourselves.

Electric Park

2700 Guinotte Ave., KCMO Electric Park is the Rieger’s new outdoor bar in the back of the distillery. The idea for the menu was inspired by the amusement park located in the East Bottoms in the early twentieth century (from which the new outdoor venue gets its name). Today, Electric Park is a hip patio space with fire pits, cozy seating, pergolas and a swing set table where you can get boozy snow cones, smash burgers and mini key lime and chocolate pies.

Teocali

2512 Holmes St., KCMO

Teocali is one of the best family Mexican spots in town, and this patio is part of the reason why. Situated on the west side of the second-floor dining room, it has a roof for shade and stays a lot cooler than most patios in the city—or, with the garage doors down in the winter, warmer. There’s a brick floor, wrought iron patio furniture and views of the Beacon Hill neighborhood’s charming brick mid-rises. There’s no place we’d rather crush baskets of chips and salsa with the sun setting.

K ANSAS CIT Y JUNE 2022

Percheron

2101 Central St., KCMO

Crossroads Hotel’s seasonal rooftop bar Percheron boasts some of the best views of downtown KC, and this year they launched their summer concert series. This summer, the menu features small tapas-inspired plates like shrimp ceviche and jamón y queso. They’ve also got a giant Pineapple Punch Bowl that you can get with tequila, mango and banana or vodka, lemon and apricot—the bowl serves six for $90.

Border’s Beer Garden 512 E. 18th St., KCMO

Border Brewing moved just one block north of its old location in the Crossroads last year, gaining a lot of space for production and more seats in the taproom. But

make your way out the back door to the patio and you’ll find the biggest advantage of the new location. The patio is the size of a suburban backyard and has shade trees, wood chips underfoot and a mix of picnic tables and metal stools for seating. You will drink under the watchful gaze of an evil Krusty the Clown.

Canary

3835 Main St., KCMO

Canary claims to be the highest rooftop bar in KC, and while we have not broken out a measuring tape to verify this boast, you won’t be skeptical standing atop a midtown high-rise with views of the Plaza to the south and downtown to the north. Especially not under the evening lights and with one of Canary’s signature cocktails in slushie form in your hand.

OUT IS

Fox & Pearl K ANSAS CIT Y JUNE 2022

OUT

Strang Hall

Blvd Tavern

Clay & Fire

Blvd Tavern is a hidden gem in the Crossroads. The patio seating is in a brick alleyway with string lights and feels like a little spot you might find in a place like New York, where the owner and chef Derek Nacey is from. This spot has great apps like fried cheese curds and truffle fries and happy hour from 4–6 pm Wednesday through Friday.

Clay & Fire is a Near Eastern restaurant with a heavy Turkish influence that sits in a little house on top of the hill in the Westside. That former home’s front yard elevated a few steps above street level behind a thick stone wall and a hedgerow has been converted to a cozy patio shaded by a flowing tree.

320 Southwest Blvd., KCMO

815 W. 17th St., KCMO

Iron District

Brewery Emperial

1599 Iron St., North Kansas City

If you haven’t been to the outdoor space at Brewery Emperial, have you even been to KC? The gravel area at this Crossroads brewery fills up at the first sign of good weather. It’s spacious and filled with picnic tables to fit big groups. On cool nights, the firepits are lit to give a campground kind of feel. Plus, it’s dog-friendly.

Where else can you get sushi and tiki cocktails from shipping containers? Nowhere else in KC, that’s for sure. The Iron District is that unique collage of colorful metal in North Kansas City that comes to life during the summer months. The space hosts weekly events like Trivia Thursdays, local DJs and live music.

1829 Oak St., KCMO

K ANSAS CIT Y JUNE 2022

Verbena

4901 Meadowbrook Parkway, Prairie Village

Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village aims for “East Coast beach resort vibes.” You’ll see that in Verbena's menu, which includes lobster bisque, raw oysters and fried crab. The interior of this upscale restaurant is lovely, but on a nice day, the shaded patio offers views of the nearby pond and park.

Strang Hall

7313 W. 80th St., Overland Park This popular food hall in downtown Overland Park has an expansive patch of artificial turf outfitted with Adirondack chairs. It’s a large space that gets lots of direct sunlight, but the food options inside are plentiful and diverse.

Gram & Dun

600 Ward Parkway, KCMO

For certain people, this reborn Plaza mainstay has THE patio. After a decade under its original ownership, the gastropub was taken over by the owner of Taco Republic during the pandemic. Almost everything changed, but the patio remains so popular they won’t even let you have happy hour deals there.

Fox & Pearl

2143 Summit St., KCMO

Like every nook of this historic building, the patio at Fox & Pearl shows the excellent eye for design possessed by Kristine Hull, the restaurant’s co-owner and wife to chef Vaughn Good. String lights are hung between brick walls, leafy trees, stylish wood patio furniture and plentiful planters. When the weather is going to be nice, a weekend dinner spot on this patio is one of the hottest reservations in town.

La Bodega

703 Southwest Blvd., KCMO La Bodega is a staple on Southwest Boulevard, with its bright colors, Spanish tapas and sangria. It’s known for its

Mockingbird Lounge

sidewalk seating, weekend brunch and happy hour, which runs from 2–5 pm throughout the week. La Bodega is one of the few places in KC where you can get classic Spanish fares like croquetas and paella.

Mockingbird Lounge

204 Orchard St., KCK

The Mockingbird Lounge is a small gem in KCK that’s always sure to be a good time, whether it’s karaoke night, a live band show or some other event. Locals gather here regularly, making the joint feel like a friend’s house. Their summer margaritas—like the coconut marg and blueberry marg on tap—are a great way to cool off on a warm evening. The patio is out back, and it’s small but cozy—a little like being in someone’s backyard.

Harry’s Country Club

112 E. Missouri Ave., KCMO

Built in the 1870s as one of the first local buildings made from brick following the devastation of the great Chicago fire, this spot on the southern edge of the River Market District started as a slaughterhouse. Weathered brick walls frame a large square patio that gets more lively as the night goes on, especially for those who started the night by taking advantage of the four-hour happy hour.

K ANSAS CIT Y JUNE 2022

BY MARTIN CIZMAR

Wild Elk

ed iking trail h s g a g so r u ns a K s a s e b l ieve it ’s in Kan e can n o o

AT 9:15 AM ON A SUNNY SATURDAY MORNING, single strands

of spider web still hang across the eastern trailhead of Elk River Hiking Trail. In the gravel parking lot, two jeeps are parked, and there’s not a soul to be seen. Elk River has a reputation as the most rugged hiking trail in Kansas. From the eastern trailhead at the corner of two numbered county roads, you’ll hop onto a rusty plank to cross a stream before you’re out of sight of your car. The trail is rocky, muddy, steep and long—it’s fifteen miles between the trailheads, which is why most hikers aiming to tackle the whole thing leave a car on each side. If you’re used to hiking around KC, where trails tend to be flat and are often built to be ADA accessible, then Elk River may catch you off guard. This trail is just a few miles north of the homestead where Laura Ingalls Wilder found inspiration for Little House on the Prairie, but the

KANSAS CITY . JUNE 2022

landscape here is dominated by limestone bluffs instead of open grassland vistas. Most people who tackle the trail say the same thing: It doesn’t feel like Kansas, and there’s really nothing else like it in the Sunflower State. The land that the Elk River trail is on is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but the trail itself is maintained by the Kansas Trails Council. The trail is marked with blue blazes on trees and rocks, and its eastern side runs the rim of the Elk City Reservoir. The blazes are frequent, and if you find yourself off the

DISTANCE: 15 MILES TIME: 11 HOURS

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track in the thick yellow cedar, it’s not hard to find your way back on. It can be backpacked, and you’re welcome to set up camp at any flat spot along the trail on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ land, but it’s probably better thought of as a long point-to-point day hike with two cars given that, at times, it feels more like bushwhacking. If you do backpack it, bring trekking poles and expect to use them. (Also worth mentioning: As of press time, the water line has just been repaired at the eastern trailhead, but play it safe and bring water unless you want to filter the flow of the stream you’re crossing—bring at least four liters per person.) Tabitha Westhoff, a support services specialist for the Corps’ Big Hill Lake office, which oversees the trail, did the entire trail last month and says that hikers should plan to spend the recommended eleven hours on the trail. If you don’t want to backpack but do want to get an early start and/or avoid a long drive back to KC after the hike, there are two campgrounds with basic amenities near the trailheads, at Outlet Channel and Card Creek. Both campgrounds are run by the Corps of Engineers, so sites are reservable at recreation.gov. Chris Hammerschmidt, the Corps staffer who oversees the trail’s land, says that hikers should understand they’re going into a remote area. Backpackers should hang bear bags to keep raccoons out of their food, and day-hikers should be prepared for ticks, mosquitos, blisters and heat. “There are probably two to three times a year people show up without enough water or wearing the wrong shoes and end up needing to be rescued,” he says. “We had a woman last year show up with one water bottle and it was ninety degrees out—she made it about halfway before calling because she needed help.”

The Elk River trail is just north of the Oklahoma border off U.S. 169, 2.5 hours south of KC. While you’re in the area, consider visiting the Little House on the Prairie Museum and grabbing some fried chicken in Pittsburg.

Little House, Long Story Laura Ingalls Wilder only spent a year living on the open prairie outside Independence, Kansas, but the books inspired by that experience—her family was squatting on Native American land and had no legal right to be there— still resonate today. You can see the family’s homestead at the Little House on the Prairie Museum (2507 County Road 3000, Independence, Kan. Hours vary, call 620-2894238 for info) at a site discovered in 1969 which has been a museum since 1977. The museum includes a replica of the family cabin, plus a period-appropriate one-room schoolhouse and post office.

Which Chicken Are You Pickin’? The mining town of Pittsburg is famous for its rival chicken joints, Chicken Mary’s and Chicken Annie’s, which are a few blocks apart on the north side of town. These days, the rivalry is mainly between the original Mary’s (1133 E. 600th Ave., Pittsburg) and a new Chicken Annies, Pichler’s Chicken Annie’s, on the south side (1271 S. 220th St., Pittsburg). Note that all of them open at 4 pm every day except Monday, when they’re closed, and Sunday, when they open for lunch. Mary’s, Annie’s and the other Annie’s all make basically the same lightly seasoned brand of bird (Mary’s batters with egg and milk while both Annie’s only use egg) and serve it with sides like tangy German-style slaw, green beans and chip-chopped fried onions.

KANSASCIT YMAG.COM . JUNE 2022

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What Is Independent Senior Living? Independent living is a great choice for active seniors who want to pursue interests and hobbies and socialize with others in a safe environment. For seniors considering independent living, it’s important to select a community that can support an active lifestyle. At Anthology of Olathe, they have several programs designed to do just that. Entice Dining Enjoying a meal together is a perfect way to stay social and connect with friends. While sharing gourmet options, you’ll experience the best of each season. Food, beverages and snacks are available twenty-four hours a day to ensure every need is met.

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WE WANT YOUR PET PICS! In celebration of National Pet Month, we’re seeking out the cutest pet in KC. Submit photos of your furry friends now through June 10th!

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT & REBECCA NORDEN

E AT I N G A N D D R I N K I N G W E L L I N K A N S A S C I T Y

MMMMMISSON

Keeping things the same takes a lot of work for Snack Shack (6018 Johnson Dr., Mission, 913-381-3200, thesnackshackonsantafe.com). The beloved burger joint recently moved from downtown Overland Park to Johnson Drive in downtown Mission, taking over the former Town Topic. Snack Shack owners Matt Tolle and his wife Rayna Andrew brought not only their own memorabilia, but their own well-seasoned flat top. Sipping a caramel shake and smashing one of their diner-style burgers while the jukebox plays “River of Dreams” or “Midnight Train to Georgia,” you’d think Snack Shack has already been there for a generation. The move was three short miles, but Tolle says he’s heard from a number of loyal OP customers who’d never been to Mission. The burgers and the “Sweet Corn Nuggets” (think: deep-fried corn pudding) are a little different because they have to be—supply chain issues have forced them to find new suppliers, which Tolle responded to by tapping Hertzog Beef ranch south of the city for meat. — M A RT I N C I ZM A R

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TA S T E R E V I E W

SMOKING THE GOOD STUFF Buck Tui brings Thai-inspired barbecue to Overland Park. BY N ATA L I E TO R R E S G A L L AG H E R P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C A L E B C O N D I T & R E B E C C A N O R D E N

U R I N G T H E P A N D E M I C , Buck Tui’s smoked chicken—brined for forty-eight hours with lemongrass and coriander and smoked over cherry and oak wood for five hours—crackled to life just once a week, in the open air under a tent at the Overland Park Farmers’ Market. If you wanted to claim a whole or half chicken for your Saturday brunch, you needed a stealthy combination of luck and timing. If you wanted a breakfast burrito in a Yoli tortilla, you needed to rise with the farmers. The immediate success of Buck Tui BBQ isn’t all that surprising. In retrospect, the combination of smoked meats paired with Thai flavors is so obvious that it’s remarkable Kansas City has waited so long for the concept to emerge. And while owner and pitmaster Teddy Liberda credits the pandemic as the catalyst for bring-

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

ing Buck Tui to the masses, to him, Thai-style barbecue is the most natural thing in the world. “Any time we have an event or we’re cooking at home, we have Thai food and barbecue,” he says. “It’s in my bones, but I had never put it on a plate to serve anyone else.” Teddy grew up in the restaurant business: His Thailand-born mother, Ann Liberda, opened Thai Place in Overland Park thirty years ago, and several iterations followed (today, Thai Diner in Lawrence is the remaining outpost). The dishes at those restaurants were largely fine-tuned for an American audience. Even when Teddy and his co-chef and wife Pam opened Waldo Thai in 2018, the menu was comfortably mainstream. Pam has since taken the kitchen’s helm and centered the menu around the Northern Thai dishes she grew up with. But at the height of the pandemic, Teddy—like so many of his peers—was forced to think creatively. “We were shut down and looking for ways to make it, so we started doing pop-ups with barbecue places, and we kind of rolled with it,” he says. “In a lot of ways, this has been years in the making.” Indeed, when Buck Tui opened in the former Plowboys space at 75th Street and Metcalf in Overland Park in February, it felt like the restaurant had been around for years. The space has been transformed entirely from its days as Plowboys Barbecue: The dining room is unpretentious but not unattractive, a comfortable mix of spacious red booths and dining tables against charcoal gray walls and cozy lights. Since opening, Buck Tui has enjoyed an enthusiastically populated dining room. Many guests are Farmers’ Market regulars, and they confidently order Buck Tui barbecue plates piled with fish sauce-brined brisket and Isaanstyle pork sausage, fluffy jasmine rice, thick-cut sour pickles and house sauces. Plenty of other guests come in expecting pad Thai, and still more regard the menu with confusion, curious where their plain seven-dollar brisket sandwich is. Fortunately, Buck Tui can meet everyone where they’re at. “I walk the line every day between being American and being Thai, and that’s culturally and culinarily,” Teddy

Brikset Pho

says. “We’re creating our own menu with blended cuisines, and it’s brought people through our doors for Thai food who wouldn’t normally eat Thai food because they think it’s too spicy or too different. Here, people will come in and get fried rice with barbecue or a sandwich, and they orient to the flavors—and then they come back.” In a town saturated with competition, Teddy and his team are giving barbecue lovers something new to champion. Smoke dominates the menu, though Thai brines and rubs go a long way in setting the Buck Tui flavors apart. The house rub—Buck Tui’s “heavenly seasoning,” a combination of coriander, garlic and palm sugar—is generously applied to pork butts, pork ribs and shrimp. The ribs are particularly good: A combination of smoke, sweet fat and ruby-red meat is barely contained by the sticky sheen of a tangy ripe cherry glaze. Of the smoked meats on offer at Buck Tui, the Amish Gerber chicken

is the greatest accomplishment. After its extended brine, the chicken is smoked for up to five hours. When you order it, the kitchen will flash fry it in canola oil, rendering the skin crispy and shiny. It is seasoned to the bone, so when you break through that sleek casing, you are rewarded with meat so delicate that its journey to your mouth is blissfully weightless. What I like best about Buck Tui’s pork sausage is what others may like least. It’s lean, typical for Isaan (northern Thai) sausage, and less intensely smoked than the other meats, which leaves room for the lemongrass, cilantro and dill seasonings to blossom. There is a sub-genre of barbecue enthusiasts for whom the sauce makes or breaks the meal. Those in this camp will be happy to learn that Buck Tui’s tiger cry sauce—a sublimely layered combination of fish sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice, Thai chili, garlic, cilantro, and palm sugar that accompanies every barbecue plate—could make burnt wood chips palatable. There are a few surprises on Buck Tui’s menu. Full-size chicken wings are finished with a pleasantly subtle butterscotch caramel glaze that carries just a hint of fish sauce funk. Fried wonton chips serve as the base for a hulking pulled pork nacho platter, where a velvety mornay sauce seasoned with buckwheat chili crunch steals the show. Alas, the golden egg rolls, once bursting equally with juicy brisket and cream cheese, have suffered an unfortunate loss of beef in their transition from the Farmers’ Market to the table.

The massaman beef short rib has a lot going for it, but the ambrosial curry made with turmeric, coconut milk and roasted peanuts was not enough to redeem a substantial hunk of meat that needed to be far more tender. There are a handful of sandwiches, none of which are priced under fourteen dollars (though all include a side of perfect shoestring fries). Most people will be drawn to the substantial X Man, a sandwich named for executive chef Kara Anderson’s son, Xavier, who wisely suggested piling “all the meats” (brisket, pulled pork and sausage) on a bun. On the brunch menu, find an impeccably balanced pork fried rice (there’s a version served in a half pineapple for dinner). And the brunch-only brisket pho—influenced by the Thai kuai-tiao ruea (boat noodle soup) and booming with aromatics and a deep beef flavor—is in the running for best in the city. At press time, the bar at Buck Tui was still under construction, and beverage director Mari Matsumoto had unveiled six signature cocktails—a third of the total number she has planned and a strong indication of the craft program Overland Park is about to be blessed with. Matsumoto’s drinks share Thai ingredients from the Buck Tui kitchen—palm sugar, Makrut lime leaves, coconut cream, pandan leaves—and influences from her native Japan, like yuzu citrus and Asian pear. At thirteen dollars, the Phat Punch is the most expensive drink on her menu, but I would happily pay double: Over a two-week period, Matsumoto infuses a Thai tropical black tea with citrus oil, Thai basil, Thai chilis and galangal root. To serve, she combines this labor of love with whiskey, pours over a clear ice cube and garnishes with a tempered sugar disc dotted with edible flowers. There are no desserts yet at Buck Tui, though a pastry program is purported to be in development with Little Butter Bakery. This matters little, as you are unlikely to have room for even one of the excellent Thai coffees after your plates have been cleared.

Pulled Pork Nacho Plate KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

TA S T E PER FECT DAY

Shae Perry, aka Deona HuSTLe, is one of KC’s hottest radio personalities right now. BY M A R Y H E N N

T H ROUG H O U T H ER C H I LDHO O D,

Shae Perry was the kid who got in trouble in class for talking too much and making jokes. But it wasn’t until she met the president of the student radio station at UMKC that Perry was interested in becoming a radio personality—a profession that, looking back, seems to be what she’s always been destined to do. During her time at UMKC, Perry emceed men and women’s sports, curated campus events, eventually became president of the student station and started her own multimedia business, SFTL Entertainment. Now, she works as radio personality Deona HuSTLe at KPRS Hot 103 Jamz, the country’s oldest Black-owned radio station. We chatted with Perry about her journey to her new radio name, career, personal style and favorite spots around Kansas City. How did you decide on the name Deona HuSTLe? One of the hardest things I had to do while beginning my professional career in radio was my name change. Many people from my high school and college days know me as ShaeFromTheLou (SFTL). It’s selfexplanatory, but I’m Shae, and I always put on for my hometown, St. Louis. When coming into KPRS, I had to create a different name because of name conflicts. It took several months, but I created Deona HuSTLe. Deona is my middle name and HuSTLe explains

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

What does a typical day look like for you? A day in radio can look so different depending on what’s relevant in news, culture and music. My workday generally starts with my full-time sales and marketing role at Crux KC, a marketing firm. Once I finish my eight hours at Crux, I take a nice drive down to Hot 103 Jamz to kick off the Night Jam and have some fun with the Hot 8 at 8 countdown. Working on air gives me the opportunity to be myself, and I get the chance to tell people breaking news. I even had the pleasure of announcing the 2020 presidential election results live as soon as they were reported. My mom will tell you I talk a lot, so the fact I have a chance to use that in a professional setting and get creative is everything.

How would you describe your personal style and overall vibe? Confident, stylish, calm but bold. I may be young, but I’ve always believed in myself, and you can tell that from my demeanor. I also think I have a unique, flashy style about me—I don’t think I blend in. In fact, I love to stand out. What current projects and events do you have in the works? Throughout my time at KPRS, I’ve been able to work alongside some of the most talented radio personalities to ever touch a mic. Brian B Shynin’ is one of them, and he’s passing me the baton for the music show, Underground Heat, where I’ll be the new host. Underground Heat is a music show that focuses on “non-mainstream” and local music. There’s so much great music in the Midwest that should be heard. With the help of our program director Myron Fears, we created a new name for the show and it’s called Hometown Heat. Hometown Heat will be mixed by DJ Macc and airs Saturday and Sunday at midnight. I’m also currently curating events with Kilo Productions and DJ Wildboy, and together we are “The Weekndrs” Once a month, we host events from Friday to Sunday giving KC nightlife a range of things to do this summer. Our kickoff weekend is June 3–5. Friday is happy hour at The Combine, 4 pm to close. Saturday is brunch at The Corner, and Sunday is a day party outside of Velvet Freeze.

FAVO R I T E S P OT S The Combine “The pizza is delicious, and the owner Alan Kneeland is very welcoming.”

Wings Cafe “I love macaroni and cheese. Wings Cafe in Westport is the only spot here in KC I’ve found to trust that delivers.”

801 Chophouse “I’m a sucker for a good steak, and 801 Chophouse is definitely my go-to”

Hy-Vee Arena “I still enjoy playing basketball and typically have pickup games at Hy-Vee Arena.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALEA BONJOUR

HUSTLE HARD

my drive, plus you can’t spell HuSTLe without the STL. So when you see me in the streets, it’s ShaeFromTheLou, but it’s Deona HuSTLe on air.

Voting ends june 10th Voting among the five finalists is now open. Final ballot closes on Friday, June 10. Winners will be announced online and in print on Monday, August 1.

SCAN HERE TO VOTE!

TA S T E DR I N K

ICE AGE Artisanal ice is hot right now, and you can take some home with you. BY N ATA L I E TO R R E S G A L L AG H E R

harvested ice from snowy peaks to chill their milk and wine. Today, you can just pop a wet tray into the freezer and wait. Unless you want really nice ice—then you need to put in a little more effort. The cloudy cubes that you scoop out of your ice box are no match for the perfectly shaped, translucent cubes used at upscale cocktail bars. Most bars offering artisanal ice—yes, that’s what it’s called—are not making it in-house. Production requires special equipment, the

to any number of mysterious and forgotten leftovers, ensures purity. Those are the main selling points, anyway. But Cockson says it really comes down to aesthetic details. “For us, it creates an added perception of value and an extra layer of hospitality,” she says. Swordfish Tom’s sells cubes in a bag of fifty for $21 and primarily distributes to local clients, including Buck Tui, Corvino Supper Club and Tasting Room, SoT, Drastic Measures and more. (Inquire at the bar.) In addition to supplying the ice at Monarch, Farina, Hotel Kansas City and more, Fountain City offers cubes in two sizes, plus spheres, priced at a buck or so apiece, at Mike’s, Gomer’s, Hy-Vee and a few other spots.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN

W E A LT H Y G R E E K S A N D R O M A N S

most common of which is a Clinebell machine that combines directional freezing and circulation to yield three-hundred-pound clear blocks. Those blocks are then hand-carved into cubes or rectangles. Two local companies manufacture ice this way: Fountain City Ice, co-owned by Brock and Erica Schulte, and Swordfish Tom’s, the Crossroads speakeasy owned by Jill Cockson. But how much better does this fancy ice—which can cost as much as a dollar per cube— make your cocktail taste? Thanks to their size and density, artisanal cubes melt more slowly, diluting your drink less. Producing them in a Clinebell rather than a standard freezer, where ice is exposed

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

TA S T E B I T E S

NEWSFEED

WHAT’S NEW IN KANSAS CITY FOOD & DRINK

D’BRONX PHOTO BY ZACH BAUMAN, CHINGU PHOTO BY ALYSSA BROADUS AND FOUNTAIN HAUS AND FRONT RANGE COFFEE PHOTO PROVIDED

Still and Stall

Chingu, a new Westport spot from the team behind Sura Eats, will combine Korean street food with soju brewed and distilled for the house. “As soon as people enter, we want them to be transported to a place,” says chef and co-owner Keeyoung Kim. “We want our guests to feel like friends who have been invited to our home. We know some of the flavors will be unfamiliar. After we’ve built trust, we can start exploring more crazy menu items that are near and dear to our hearts.” Chingu’s concept is “anju,” which literally translates to “food with drink” and involves a lively atmosphere that will fit in well in Westport, where it’s taking over the former Wingman Kitchen at 4117 Pennsylvania Avenue. Kim is aiming for a July opening and will use K-pop and Korean artwork to set the scene. Kim expects to keep the kitchen open until 11 pm on weekends, with last call for drinks coming two hours later The dishes will channel “pojangmacha,” street stalls that traditionally serve one dish, plus Korean BBQ and Korean home cooking. “Our menu is designed with some of our versions of favorite dishes, so it’s very specific and deeply personal to us,” Kim says, noting that he’s making some dishes the way he grew up eating them in his mom’s kitchen. The restaurant will also work with a distillery to make soju to its specifications, though the final agreement is still being hammered out and they’re still fine-tuning the recipe while in the fourth batch of testing. Chingu looks a lot like the restaurant Kim wanted to open immediately after moving to KC from Washington, D.C., six years ago, but he says it “all worked out how it was supposed to.” “We have built up trust in the Kansas City food community,” he says. “Now let’s have fun and do the foods we really really want to do.”

Closings in Westport

Along with those two high-profile openings in Westport come two notable closings: d’Bronx and Mud Pie Vegan Bakery are both shuttering their locations on 39th Street and focusing on locations in Johnson County. While Mud Pie will focus all of its energies on its Overland Park location, d’Bronx may reopen its original location in the future.

Made in KC Takeover

Haus United

Speaking of Westport: The former HopCat space is now home to a massive new nightclub for the LGBTQIA+ community. Fountain Haus has four separate bars spread over thirteen thousand square feet. “Bars and spaces moving forward need to be for everyone,” co-owner Ryan Overberg said on a recent edition of our podcast, Kansas City’s Only Podcast. “We need to create spaces that are a hybrid for the entire LGBTQIA+ community because there should be a place that we can all play together in the sandbox. That’s what we did here, I believe—we built a space that’s catering to everyone.” So far the favorite space is the Pool Deck—there is no pool, but the rooftop patio has become a chill spot to hang in afternoons. “You can bar hop within the building,” Overberg said. “Every time you go up steps or cross a threshold, you are somewhere different—the vibe should be different, the music, the lighting.”

Spinoffs from the Made in KC chain of souvenir shops continue spreading, with a shuffleboard bar and a coffee shop recently opening. Ludo’s Shuffleboard Bar in Martini Corner has finally opened after many months of delay. Unlike other popular shuffleboard spots springing up around the country, it’s the cruise ship version of the game, played on the floor, and not the bar version. In Waldo, the same owners have opened Colorado-themed Front Range Coffee, a shop that also has a corner dedicated to KC-themed souvenirs for anyone who wants to take a croquet set home with their joe.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

TA S T E ’CU E C A R D

SMOKE-CCESSION Q39’s new executive chef brings a unique and colorful background to a temple of KC ’cue. BY M A R T I N C I Z M A R

P H I L I P T H O M P S O N is probably the only pitmaster in all of Kansas City with a vivid memory of his very first time eating smoked brisket. The year was 2015, and Thompson, now the new executive chef of Q39, was visiting Charleston, South Carolina, and wanted to learn more about Southern food. By this time, Thompson was a decade out of culinary school and heading a kitchen at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. “I was just really blown away by it, and that really sparked my excitement,” he says. “About a month afterward, I bought a smoker and that was it.” Not long after he set up his Traeger, Thompson started working little bits of barbecue onto his menu at the “Hinckley Hilton” (the hotel where Reagan survived an assassination attempt), where he

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

cooked for high-profile events like the famed White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Back in my high-end hotel days I did a lot of sous vide, and it’s all about time and temperature to create textures,” he says. “Essentially that’s what barbecue is—the same philosophy, you’re just cooking over fire.” In some ways, Thompson is a surprising choice to lead Q39 after the passing of legendary founder Rob Magee, who recently lost his battle with colon cancer. Thompson is a native of southern England, and his experience with barbecue in any form dates back less than a decade. On the other hand, Thompson is a perfect fit. Like Magee, he’s a classically trained chef who is used to working large, high-profile events. That’s the background Magee wanted his successor to have. “I think people are going to look at me and think, ‘wow, a non-native guy who’s not really done barbecue before’— maybe it’s a little out of leftfield for some people,” he says. “But my classically trained background is very similar to Rob’s, and I can bring that chef-driven aspect to the restaurant.” Thompson’s other chief qualification is his deep appreciation of Americana. After he finished culinary school but before he launched his career, he flew to New York and got in a minibus with a group of twelve total strangers to spend the next two months adventuring across the country, Road Rules style. “It changed my perspective on how I saw the world,” he says. “In England, you can travel around and you’ll see a few different things, but it doesn’t change too much. I was just blown away by how different every state was that we visited. My mum picked me up from the airport and I remember very vividly the first thing I said was, ‘I want to move to the United States.’” On that trip, he saw everything from Bourbon Street to the Badlands. He didn’t make it to Kansas City, though: “We went all the way around but never hit the middle.” That finally changed during the pandemic, when he decided to join his girlfriend on a trip to visit her sister in KC. Mostly, they ate at home. But toward the end of the trip, he got antsy to try the local specialties and asked his guests to take him out for the best barbecue in the city. That brought him to Q39. “I also remember that one very vividly as well,” he says. “I remember really phenomenal barbecue—I really loved it.” Thompson has spent the last few months learning the restaurant’s processes and immersing himself in ’cue culture, shadowing members of Magee’s old barbecue team at a competition in Osage City to retrace his steps. He was likewise bitten by the barbecue bug. “We talk about how we do competition barbecue at Q39, so I have to know what a competition is in order to bring that to the restaurant,” he says. “I loved it. It was similar to getting home from traveling the United States and telling my mum I wanted to move. I got home and immediately said, ‘I want to do that again, I want to get out on the circuit.’ I want to get out, get new ideas, see different things and bring that back to the restaurant.”

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KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

TH E S C E N E KCFW 2022

The Scene HAPPENINGS IN KANSAS CITY

Kansas City Fashion Week Kansas City Fashion Week features local, national and international designers. Each year, KCFW produces two full weeks of premier runway shows, enabling designers to collaborate with seasoned stylists, make-up artists, models and photographers to present their collections in the most professional atmosphere imaginable. Buyers and individual consumers are provided an opportunity to order apparel and accessories shown on the runway, and KCFW provides industry professionals an avenue to showcase their abilities to a national audience. Through partnerships with the Midwest’s leading companies, KCFW continues to serve as a collaboration for the industry that propels emerging designers to success, as well as providing a rich source of consumer interaction for the established designer.

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

KANSASCITYMAG.COM JUNE 2022

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCAN NORDEN

THE SCENE BENEFIT LUNCHEON

The Women’s Committee Benefit Luncheon

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BALEIGH THOMPSON

The Women’s Committee for the UMKC Conservatory celebrated its 80th year with a benefit luncheon to support student scholarships. The Indian Hills Country Club was filled with guests bidding on auction items and enjoying a delicious lunch. Student scholarship recipients presented a Performance in Perfect Harmony, and Shirley Helzberg was honored for her long-time support of the scholarship program. The Women’s Committee awards more than $60,000 in Conservatory Scholarships annually and establishes personal relationships with students through its Advocate program. For information contact conservatory@umkc.edu.

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

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Friday, Sept. 30 | At the Overland Park Convention Center For more information or to purchase tickets, visit AdventHealthKC.com/LIV or call 913-676-7694. Tickets start at $50. Presented by

Keynote Speakers Heidi Hanna, PhD, is the Chief Energy Officer of Synergy Brain Fitness, a company providing brain-based health and performance programs to individuals and organizations, a Founding Partner of the Academy for Brain Health and Performance and a Fellow and Advisory Board Member for the American Institute of Stress. She is a NY Times bestselling author of several books, including The Sharp Solution, Stressaholic and Recharge. Jana Stanfield, CSP, is a difference-maker who makes a profound impression on her audiences, sending them home with a lighter step, a new-found or renewed purpose, and a song in their hearts. She combines her background as a television reporter with her talent as a songwriter, musician and humorist to deliver the muchneeded gift of learning through laughter and music, encouraging, appreciating and energizing her audiences. The conference will also include 16 breakout sessions on topics important to your health and well-being!

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SURREAL ESTATE T H E S TO R I E S B E H I N D K A N S A S C I T Y ’ S M O S T E Y E - C ATC H I N G B U I L D I N G S

A kitschy stagecoach Statue moved from Overland Park to Independence.

T’S AN O D D PIE C E O F A RT in an odd spot. But this kitschy, eye-catching stagecoach placed just perfectly in an oblong oval median in Independence has a story to tell. This close-to-lifesize fiberglass stagecoach was made for a UMB bank branch in Overland Park and installed in 1971. It was a landmark at the corner of 80th Street and Metcalf Avenue for the past fifty years. Jeff Rogers, the director of the Independence Square Association, insists it works for Independence, too. “It’s gotten a lot of attention,” he says. “One of our jobs as a historic preservation group is to tell the stories of our historic downtown through public art. Sometimes visitors come and shop

KANSAS CITY JUNE 2022

owners might not be there, tour guides might not be available, but public art is always there to tell that story.” The Association acquired the “Overland Stage” about seven months ago, when the UMB bank branch that formerly displayed it was being razed. The Association felt its western imagery could help tell part of the town’s history and would work in a prominent spot downtown. “It reminds me a lot of western artwork from the ’40s and ’50s,” Rogers says. “It’s kitschy.” Many westbound travelers, including stagecoaches, arrived in Independence on one of three major westward trails—Oregon, Santa Fe or California—that ran through Independence. Travelers would often stop in Independence to have wagons made, repaired and outfitted in town before continuing on. The Butterfield Overland Stage Line was one of the most

notable cross-country carriers, and at one point it had a route running through Independence. Not far from where the statue now sits, Hiram Young, a talented Black carpenter and blacksmith, had a wagon shop. Young, who was born a slave and later gained his freedom, became one of the wealthiest men in Independence through his shop, with records indicating that at the height of his business, he employed between fifty and sixty men. Right now, the Association is looking at installing a plaque that tells those parts of the town’s history. It would go near the statue at 110 Liberty Street. The stagecoach’s new stop is about a block away from Independence Square, where you’ll find a few quaint historic shops and restaurants—plus a real horse and buggy still offering rides, though not to Oregon City. —DAWNYA BARTSCH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY K AYLA MASISACK

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June 2022: Summer Guide

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