Issuu

SAVANNAH BANANAS

BUT MAKE IT KC HOCKEY

TOP HOSPITALS

THE LEADING MEDICAL CENTERS IN OUTCOME, INNOVATION AND CARE

THE BEST

A CENTURY OF ECHOES

THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF KCK’S MEMORIAL HALL

M AG A Z I N E J A N U A RY 2026

NEW RESTAURANTS IN KANSAS CITY

kansascitymag.com

$4.95

OIL ON LINEN’S

GRILLED WHOLE TROUT

Trusted Most for

First Hellos At AdventHealth, we witness the miracle of first hellos every day. From high-risk pregnancy expertise to low-intervention birthing plans, we offer the most comprehensive and compassionate care during life’s most important moments.

Learn why more women trust AdventHealth, Kansas City’s leader in women’s health care at

WomensCareKC.com.

New Year. New Keys. New Possibilities. Let our team help you find your new home in 2026. At Malfer & Associates, luxury isn’t a price point - it’s our standard. Our nationally recognized team brings more than 350 years of combined experience, deep local expertise, and an unwavering commitment to exceptional service. With powerful local and national networks - paired with in-house marketing that spans print, digital, and social media - we position your home in front of serious, qualified buyers from day one. Discover the Malfer difference.

THE MALFER TEAM

KRISTIN MALFER CEO/PRESIDENT | REALTOR FOUNDING PARTNER COMPASS REALTY GROUP KANSAS CITY

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.

Royse 12604 MEADOW LANE | $815,000

Park Tower North

Bridgewood

122 Acres - Creighton, MO

37907 E STATE RTE B | $1, 450,000

SOLD FAST, OVER ASK!

5009 W 131ST TERRACE | $1,650,000

7525 NORTH VIRGINIA AVE | $230,000

Linden Hill

Hawthorn Ridge

SOLD FAST, OVER ASK!

SOLD FAST, OVER ASK! 1122 QUEENS PLACE | $210,000

Mills Ranch

Verona Hills

3116 SW ARBORTREE DRIVE | $495,000

12126 JEFFERSON COURT | $385,000

16916 BOND STREET | $3, 875,000

OUR MISSION

Kansas City is our beat. As the city’s definitive magazine, we bring Kansas City to life with dynamic storytelling, unforgettable photography and design that pops. We’re the metro’s trusted, modern guide – celebrating what works, questioning what doesn’t, spotlighting innovation, and curating the very best in culture, food, fashion, and city life.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dawnya Bartsch GENERAL MANAGER, BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Alex Healey ART DIRECTOR

Proud Sponsor of Super Bowl LVII & LVIII Champions

Kevin Goodbar FOOD EDITOR AND DINING CRITIC

Tyler Shane ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Nina Cherry SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Alex Kerr

Same Day Service at all Locations!

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Dominique Parsow ADVERTISING SALES

Angie Henshaw and Bob Ulmer

Prairie Village 3975 W 83rd St, 66208

COPY EDITOR

Kelsie Schrader

Leawood 13420 Roe Ave, 66209 Overland Park 7575 W 150th St, 66223 6904 W 135th St, 66223

20% Off

Dry Cleaning Code: C H A M P S 20 D C

WEB COORDINATOR

Madison Russell WRITERS

Nina Cherry, Jerod Fox, Nicole Kinning, John Martellaro, Ryan Reed, Ian Ritter, Tyler Shane and Hampton Stevens PHOTOGRAPHERS AND GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Julie Babcock, Zach Bauman, Laura Morsman, Anna Petrow, Kelly Powell, Ian Simmons, Zach Smith and Jake Wickersham SUBSCRIPTIONS

kansascitymag.com/subscribe or call (913) 469-6700 Scan here to subscribe to our newsletter and magazine. Kansas City magazine is published monthly by KC Publishing, LLC. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Kansas City magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Kansas City magazine adheres to American Society of Magazine Editors guidelines, which requires a clear distinction between editorial content and paid advertising or marketing messages. INQUIRIES

KC Publishing, LLC 605 W. 47th St., Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 64112 (913) 469-6700

Valid only when coupon is presented at drop-off. Not valid on laundry, leather, household items, wedding dresses, or alterations. Cannot be combined with other discounts. One discount per household.

@kansascitymag

Expires 02/28/26. KANSASCITYMAG.COM

Kansas City January 2026

@kansascitymagazine

More Than 10,000 Pieces of Sports Memorabilia

Named one of the nation's best sports bars - Sports Illustrated. People visit Chappell's to see the sports memorabilia but always come back for the food - Jim Chappell.

Chappell's Restaurant and Sports Museum 323 Armour Rd, North Kansas City, MO 64116 ❙ 816.421.0002 ❙ chappellskc.com

JA N U A RY 2 02 6

Oil on Linen

40 Cover Story New Plates, New Places

Excellence in Every Ward

Memorial Hall at 100

The hospitals setting the standard for care across the region

Kansas City January 2026

KCK’s historic venue, reborn through memory and music

KC on Ice

Why you should be going to Mavericks games

PHOTOGR APHY Z ACH BAUMAN

The best new restaurants of 2025

KIDS BIKE PARK & TRAFFIC GARDEN

BICYCLE SKILLS COURSE

PUMP TRACK

JUMP LINES

SOUTHWEST MISSOURI’S PREMIER DESTINATION BIKE PARK The largest municipal facility of its kind in Missouri (95 acres), the park features 10 miles of trails, plus elements for riders of all ages and skill levels.

The Show-Me State’s Biggest Ride

MORE DETAILS

DEDICATED OPHTHALMOLOGISTS & OPTOMETRISTS

PROVIDING ADVANCED EYE CARE SINCE 1989

✓ Comprehensive Eye Care

✓ Cataract Surgery

✓ Refractive Lens Exchange

✓ Laser Vision Correction

✓ Glasses & Contacts

✓ Lasik

GRINEYECARE.COM

kansascitymag.com January 2026

jan

IN THIS ISSUE

loop 15

Marquee Comeback

After decades of darkness, Independence’s Englewood Theater is on the brink of revival

Eyes in the Sky

How police drones are changing public safety

beat 19 A Living Lunar New Year The Nelson-Atkins brings art, ritual and community together for its milestone 30th festival

22 Hockey, Loud and Local With playoff success and a fan-first vibe, the Mavericks are putting Kansas City on the ice

Social Studies: Tinsel and Tidings A benefit for the B.E. Smith Family Center

Backbeat

Mike Corrigan’s KC workshop is keeping American instrument-making alive

current 27

Timeless by Design

At Asiatica, vintage Japanese textiles become modern wardrobe staples

When Broken Is Better

Through the slow art of kintsugi, JMCraftstore gives damaged ceramics a second life

savor

Editor’s Letter Up Front Calendar Surreal Estate

ON THE COVER:

Photography by Zach Bauman shot on location at Oil on Linen

Kansas City January 2026

Pedaling Forward

Todd Barlow brings Food Pedaler’s farm-to-table flair to Parlor

74 12 13 20 80

Pattern Play

Keisha Jordan makes wallpaper personal and powerful

73 IN EVERY ISSUE

Streetwear With a Purpose

Made Mobb blends KC style with deep community investment

Frozen on Top Kohinoor’s drink menu plays with icy garnishes

Restaurant Week Is here Dine across the metro for a good cause

’Cue Card Off the Hook BBQ keeps it simple and moist

Newsfeed The latest in KC food news

this month on kansascity mag.com

Compassionate Kansas Eye Care; Board Certified Ophthalmologist Ad Astra Eye Specializes in: • Traditional and Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery • Office-Based Cataract Surgery • Light Adjustable Lens • Yag Laser Capsulotomy • Glaucoma Management and Surgery • Age-Related Macular Degeneration • Diabetic Retinopathy

PHOTOGR APHY SHUT TERSTOCK

M. Scott Hickman, MD

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS IN: LAWRENCE OFFICE

only online Feeding the Feed Find out who won the Missouri Restaurant Association Kansas City chapter’s online content creator of the year. Scan here …

4955 Research Park Way, Lawrence, KS 66047

LENEXA OFFICE

9479 Meadow View Dr, Lenexa, KS 66227

Call (785) 424-8805 to schedule www.adastraeye.com

kansascitymag.com January 2026

F R O M T H E E D I TO R

Contributors

Tyler Shane Food editor and dining critic Tyler Shane has been Kansas City magazine’s food writer-inresidence for nearly three years. Along with shaping this issue’s Best New Restaurants feature, she also headed to Kohinoor and tried out a few of the cocktail lounge’s deliciously icy cocktails.

My Kind of New Year’s Resolution JANUARY HAS A funny way of making me more ambitious. I swear I’ll drink

more water, answer emails faster and finally become the kind of person who cooks on weeknights. (No promises.) But one resolution I feel extremely confident about this year? Eating my way through our list of 2025’s Best New Restaurants with family and friends, trying new things and making memories along the way. Honestly, I’m already off to a strong start. There’s no better way to begin a new year than sampling all the restaurants (and one bakery we couldn’t ignore) that made a debut with new menus, new dining rooms and new ideas about how we want to eat right now. In a moment when opening a restaurant is anything but easy, these chefs, bakers and bartenders decided to take a risk and show up. This list comes with receipts. Our Food and Dining Critic Tyler Shane and a small but dedicated group of writers spent a few months eating their way across the metro, returning to favorites, debating details and choosing spots that feel exciting and confident and have staying power. We also turned our attention to a different kind of gathering place in this issue: KCK’s Memorial Hall. Writer Hampton Stevens explores the century-old auditorium whose walls have witnessed everything from commencements to wrestling to some of the most iconic concerts in American music history. It’s a reminder that certain rooms hold more than people; they hold memory, sound and shared experiences. As for my New Year’s resolution, I’m committing to hitting every restaurant on the list with family and friends in tow. Bar seats count. Here’s to a new year of good meals, meaningful places and the stories that happen when people come together. Happy New Year. Dawnya Bartsch, editor-in-chief dawnya@kansascitymag.com

Kansas City January 2026

Laura Morsman Photographer Photographer and Kansas City native Laura Morsman took photos for this issue’s story about the ancient art of kintsugi ceramics repair. Morsman has been an editorial photographer for more than a decade, working in both Austin, Texas, and Kansas City. Her work has appeared in many publications, including Cosmopolitan and People magazines.

Jerod Fox Writer This issue’s feature about the Mavericks, the city’s hockey team, was written by Kansas City native Jerod Fox. Currently the Assistant Athletics Director of Strategic Communications for Kansas City Athletics, Fox’s sports media experiences are vast. He has worked with the NCAA Volleyball Championships, the NCAA DII Women’s Basketball Elite Eight, the NCCAA World Series and multiple NAIA Volleyball and Basketball National Championships.

UP FRONT

Feedback

Say What?

“It’s a religious experience. That’s what I remember having at Memorial Hall.”

Numbers From This Issue

1925

The year KCK’s Memorial Hall opened. Page 60

2004

The year Mike Corrigan started his horn-making business. Page 25

457

The number of stars displayed on the anaphoric clock at Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park. Page 80

- Rick Hellman, founder of Kansas City Rock History Project

PHOTOGR APHY PROVIDED; L AUR A MORSMAN

Broken Bench Our story about sculptor Jill Downen’s Architectural Folly From a Future Place in Swope Park received a smattering of comments. The art piece is a low concrete wall split down the middle. It’s not quite a bench and not quite a barrier—which is exactly the point. Originally commissioned for Kansas City’s city-wide arts initiative Open Spaces in 2018, Architectural Folly doesn’t shout for attention but quietly invites passersby to reconsider a simple question: What are walls for? Was this lovely piece of art something that was donated? Or did the city pay for it? Kinda hits me about like a banana taped to a wall? But what do I know? That was a major success. - Donald Fields

Was so happy to advocate for this permanent spot for your @jilldownen beautiful work! - Mary Kemper Wolf

It was a pleasure and honor to see it settle into a permanent home @marykemperwolf. Thank You. - Jill Downen

Shout Out

A big thank you to food stylist David Allison, who worked on the issue’s cover dish.

The city is going to come and remove it any moment now and install a leaning bench in its place. - Joshua Liston

Nothing like blocking off nothing to get your point across. - Gary Novy

KC Publishing, LLC 605 W. 47th St., Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 64112 (913) 469-6700

editor@kansascitymag.com

Scan the QR code to check out Kansas City magazine online.

Behind the Scenes

Photographer Zach Bauman shooting this issue’s cover. kansascitymag.com January 2026

Health Watch Diagnostic Imaging

How Physical Therapy Can Relieve Your Fibromyalgia Pain Most of us can deal with a little pain. But when it’s widespread throughout your body and is accompanied by fatigue, changes in mood and sleep patterns, you may be dealing with a more serious physiological condition called Fibromyalgia.

Cardiovascular Exercise. One of the best ways to alleviate widespread pain is through low-impact movement. This may include walking on a treadmill, water aerobics, or other exercises aimed at improving blood flow, reducing stress and increasing cardiovascular fitness. The local team at Hill Pro-Motion Physical Therapy can prescribe an exercise program designed for your abilities. They can help break the cycle of limited range of motion and increased pain levels by working to strengthen weakened muscles and returning range of motion to the area you may have been guarding due to the pain. Pain Relieving Modalities. Dr. Zak Hill PT, DPT, CSMT, COMT and his team of therapists have a host of tools aimed at relieving pain without medication. These may include the use of ice, heat, trigger point therapy, stretching, massage, electrical stimulation, or other therapeutic tools that can help limit your pain and retrain your body. Together with targeted exercise and a cardiovascular training program, it is possible to retrain your body to send and receive accurate signals without triggering widespread pain. Regardless of where you are on your journey, you can have relief from your worst symptoms through physical therapy services. Serving Lee’s Summit and Leawood, Hill Pro-Motion PT is a local resource for evaluation and helping you to get on the road to recovery.

What Is Fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms. Typically, a person who is experiencing debilitating fatigue, tender areas of the body, changes in mood or muscle pain can be diagnosed with this condition. While it is unclear what causes fibromyalgia, some believe the pain is due to an overactive sympathetic nervous system, the part of the body that activates the fight or flight response. Many people first experience symptoms after a physically or emotionally traumatic event. Others begin having pain after bouts of chronic stress or depression while some have symptoms that build over time. Fibromyalgia tends to affect women more than men, and if you have a family member with the condition, you are more likely to experience it as well. Physical Therapy Offers a Solution. Even though there is no known cure for fibromyalgia, one of the most effective ways of managing your symptoms can be found in physical therapy. Studies have shown that cardiovascular exercise along with postural strengthening activities and therapeutic neuroscience education (pain science) not only relieve widespread pain, but also increase energy levels, improve sleep and elevate mood. Through the course of treatment, it is possible to balance the body’s ability to regulate nerve impulses, in turn alleviating symptoms.

Dr. Zak Hill, PT, DPT, CSMT, COMT 1321 SW MARKET ST., LEE’S SUMMIT, MO 64081 701 NE LAKEWOOD BLVD., LEE’S SUMMIT, MO 64064 (816) 607-7180 HILLPROMOTIONPT.COM

L EAD ING T HE CONVERSAT ION IN KA NSAS C I T Y

Second Act

The historic Englewood Theater is back in community hands and set to become a cultural hub for eastern Jackson County By Nicole Kinning

(Continued on next page)

Photography by Brad Finch for Heritage Consulting Group

kansascitymag.com January 2026

LO O P

M A R Q U E E C O M E B AC K

For decades, the Independence institution has lived in the collective memory of residents. “When you talk to people, it’s still so fresh in their memory,” Brent Schondelmeyer says. “‘I saw Kris Kristofferson there,’ ‘I saw Ben-Hur with my father,’ ‘I had my first kiss there.’” After years of false starts, the empty historic venue is finally on the road to redemption. Schondelmeyer is the president of Friends of the Englewood, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring the long-dormant theater. “I heard people complaining about the theater,” he says, “and I asked myself: Could I focus my time and effort and energy in not complaining about the Englewood Theater, but instead giving it a different future?” The Englewood opened in 1949 when Winner Road and the surrounding area were newly incorporated into Independence. Over the years, it served as a movie theater and, later, from 1978 on, as a live performance venue under the name KC Opry. By the early 2000s, the theater’s usage steeply declined, and it shut its doors in 2007.

Since then, the building and its adjacent commercial block, including a former Ben Franklin store, have sat mostly vacant. Friends of the Englewood, a nonprofit that partnered with Truman Heartland Community Foundation as its fiscal agent, signed a contract in early 2024 to purchase the theater. The group officially closed on the $600,000 deal in November 2025, marking a major milestone for the neighborhood. The acquisition, financed through a promissory note from private individuals, is only the beginning, Schondelmeyer says. The group also has their eyes on the empty Ben Franklin store. The theater has also been approved for listing on the National Register of Historic Places—a designation that will make it the youngest historic property listed in Independence and unlock crucial preservation tax credits. “Preservation tax credits are very, very potent because they are cash,” Schondelmeyer says. “This money is hard to raise.” Draw Architecture, a local firm that specializes in adaptive reuse and historic projects, is leading the design work. Managing Principal Dominique Davison says the building’s mid-century touches are going to be kept intact as much as possible. “The late 1940s, early 50s kind of architectural style is just really fabulous,” she says. “The marketing, the signage, the lighting, the ticket booth, the little details—I love these kinds of spaces for performance and gathering and the arts because they’re critical to providing opportunities for artists and youth and the community to come together.” Rather than restoring the theater identically back to its original glory, the team is reimagining it for contemporary use. The venue originally sat more than 1,000 people, but the new design will more comfortably house 300 to 400 seats. The hope is to make it a multi-use space capable of hosting events like community plays, high school chamber groups, ballet performances, rock concerts and film screenings. To function as a modern performance venue, the building will need some technical upgrades. Davison says the team will need to conduct sight line studies, raise and resize the stage, and make acoustic adjustments to accommodate different types of performances. Schondelmeyer sees the theater as something larger than a single venue. “I see this as having the opportunity of being a cultural hub for eastern Jackson County,” he says. “There is an aspect about Englewood that feels a little distinctive, like a little small town.” Davison’s team conducted their first comprehensive assessment of the building in November, and the path forward remains contingent on funding and detailed structural evaluation. “It’s a community event, and the theater is now under community ownership,” Schondelmeyer says.

Photography by Brad Finch for Heritage Consulting Group

Rated R for Renovation (Continued from previous page)

IT’S JUST A matter of time before the Englewood Theater marquee lights up again.

Kansas City January 2026

LO O P

WATC H F U L E Y E

ILLUSTR ATION BY SHUT TERSTOCK; PHOTOGR APHY PROVIDED

Overland Park-based Titan Protection & Consulting uses autonomous drones to police the office tower and grounds of Shamrock Trading Corp. (9345 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park).

Do You Always Feel Like Somebody’s Watching You?

Police departments around KC are deploying camera’d-up drones, and retailers are using the devices to deliver packages. Is everyone good with this? By Ian Ritter IN NOVEMBER, a suspected car thief shot a 9mm pistol twice at a pursuing police

drone in Lee’s Summit before officers caught him in a backyard. Occurrences like these are becoming more commonplace. In both Kansas and Missouri, police departments are using drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as first responders to crimes or just to keep a watchful eye on a large gathering. In the case of Lee’s Summit, site of the failed car heist, the police department has used drones since 2018. In mid-November, KCMO’s city council approved $500,000 to go toward its drones-as-first-responders program that debuted in the fall. “This is easier than I thought it would be,” said Councilman Wes Rogers, co-sponsor of the drone-funding ordinance, after realizing that there was no opposition present at the meeting before a unanimous vote in favor.

And he’s right. It’s a little weird. You’d be pressed to find any widespread opposition in the area to camera-equipped drones. In the case of the Kansas City Police Department, its DJI Matrice 4TD machines each have three cameras equipped with wide-angle and super-telephoto lenses. The drones also have night vision and an infrared thermal camera that can track a hidden subject by the heat emitted from their bodies. Maybe people just don’t think it’s a big deal. Maybe they’re not worried about police or other government agencies spying on them—a concern that wouldn’t seem absurd considering AMAZON’S today’s digital landscape. PRIME EYES Or maybe those fears are Another institution outweighed by the hope that watching you from above drones might just be a viais retailer Amazon with its ble crime-fighting tool that Prime Air drones. Amazon was given the go-ahead to could curb gun violence. deliver residential packages After all, KCMO’s homicide around parts of the metro. rate is at record high. The 83-pound Prime drones are four feet 11 inches tall, Maybe since inexpensive five feet six inches wide and high-resolution security drop parcels 12 feet from the air onto a customer’s cameras are ubiquitous, property. the presence of more Residents of both KCMO lenses overhead doesn’t and KCK (non-Prime members, one would lead to fears we’re headed assume) had opportunities toward a 1984-ish reality— earlier to voice their we might already be there. concerns at Amazonhosted events, where And though we’re bound company representatives to hear more stories about painstakingly answered questions from the trigger-happy folks trying media and public. Any to shoot down UAVs, there concerns about safety, might also be reports, like noise or appearance were outweighed by the the one out of Phoenix, attraction of getting an Arizona, in December, item delivered to your where a first-responder doorstep in under an hour. Other retailers are sure to drone found a stranded follow; Walmart, for one, hiker in the Camelback started drone delivery in Atlanta in early December. Mountain area. kansascitymag.com January 2026

VisitHermann.com

Escape the City Embrace the Charm Lunch Local 15 Lunch at Summit Grill & Third Street Social

Don't settle for another drive-thru lunch, when you can enjoy scratch-made favorites from two local favorites. Crispy Fried Chicken, House-Baked Pot Pies, Creamy Turkey Clubs, Soup, Salad, Burgers, Tacos and More!

Just a short Amtrak ride away! Visitor Info Center 573.789.0771

Because local just tastes better. www.SHGKC.com

Kansas City January 2026

W H E R E YO U WA N T TO B E I N J A N U A RY

Year of the Horse

The Nelson-Atkins rings in the Lunar New Year with a museum-wide festival By Nina Cherry THE LUNISOLAR CALENDAR may not officially begin until February

17 this year, but the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is ready to usher in the Year of the Horse a little early. On January 25, the museum’s annual Lunar New Year Festival returns, marking 30 years since the free, family-friendly celebration began. “It’s the oldest of our cultural festivals,” says Sarah Hyde, the Nelson-Atkin’s senior manager of community programs. Today, the event draws an estimated five thousand attendees. Photography by Lauren Frisch

Visitors can expect a rotating lineup of musical performances, a special menu of Asian-inspired dishes at the museum’s restaurant, Rozzelle Court, and festive red lanterns suspended throughout the lobby. The festival also offers interactive activities, including a paper horse craft for attendees to take home in honor of this year’s zodiac. But the much-anticipated traditional dragon and lion dances, led by student groups from KU and Rockhurst University, remain the highlight for many. Naturally, the celebration also connects to the museum’s Asian galleries—what the Nelson-Atkins considers to be one of the most comprehensive collections of Chinese art in the West. “Every year, it’s so fun to find out what your zodiac sign is and see an art object with your zodiac sign represented,” Hyde says. GO: “There are a lot of ways to engage January 25. 10 am–4 pm. with our collection.” Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

↓

kansascitymag.com January 2026

jan

B E AT

W H AT YOU WANT TO DO TH I S MO NTH BY NINA CH ERRY

9–18

Kansas City Restaurant Week

From longstanding establishments like Cascone’s in North Kansas City to hot new spots like Leawood’s LaPez Mod Mex, Kansas City Restaurant Week is a great time to sample the metro’s wide-ranging culinary scene. Returning for its 17th year, the premier dining event offers 10 days of prix fixe multi-course menus from over 100 participating local restaurants. January 9–18. Locations vary. kcrestaurantweek.com.

Molly Healey String Project

Multi-instrumentalist Molly Healey is a longtime fiddle player for the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, but her solo act is truly a sight to behold. Playing cello, violin, guitar and piano, Healey loops and layers instrumental tracks and vocals on stage in real time. KC-based singer-songwriter Kasey Rausch opens. January

10. 7 pm. recordBar.

19 20 Kansas City January 2026

Minería Symphony Orchestra Since its founding in 1978, Minería Symphony Orchestra has become a cultural institution throughout Mexico. The program will predominately feature music from throughout Latin America, like Cuban-American jazz musician Paquito D’Rivera’s Concerto Venezolano and Sonoran composer Arturo Márquez’s magnum opus Danzón No. 2, but the symphony will perform some Haydn, too. Presented by the Harriman-Jewell Series, the orchestra is joined by renowned trumpeter Pacho Flores. January 19. 7 pm. Helzberg Hall.

Every third Thursday of the month, this grassroots market brings a curated pop-up to Midtown’s El Torreon. Set to the soundtrack of local bands and DJs, shoppers can browse everything from trendy Y2K pieces to handmade goods to books. The event series, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, pays homage to the venue once known as the Cowtown Ballroom, a hall that hosted artists like Frank Zappa and Van Morrison throughout the ’70s. January 15. 6 pm. El Torreon.

21–25

On The Road Again

Yee haw! A part of Music Theatre Heritage’s intimate Ruby Room Series, On The Road Again pays homage to outlaw country luminaries Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. A cast of local crooners will perform an evening of twangy

PHOTOGR APHY PROVIDED; JOAN MARCUS

Cowtown Vintage & Art Exchange

C A L E N DA R

toe-tappers and weepy ballads alike, including “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Mama Tried.” January 21–25. Times vary. Ruby Room at Crown Center.

22–25

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert

Kansas City Symphony’s hit concert series brings cinema to the concert hall. Alongside a showing of Steven Spielberg’s action-packed blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, the orchestra performs John Williams’ famous score live. Set in 1936, the film follows the daring archeologist as he contends with Nazi forces in pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant. January 22–25. Times vary. Helzberg Hall.

Ben Sayevich and Lolita LisovskayaSayevich

Park University’s International Center for Music—a rather small and unsuspecting conservatory in Parkville—is training first-rate classical musicians, thanks in large part to its accomplished faculty. Among them, husband-wife duo Ben Sayevich (professor of violin) and Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich (director of collaborative piano) present a duo recital in Mission Hill’s upscale 1900 Building. January 23. 7:30 pm. 1900 Building.

23 & 24 Emily Catalano

Los Angeles-based comedian Emily Catalano’s dry yet straightforward delivery casually makes light of the mundane. That style, as seen in her debut comedy special Unspecial, earned her a spot on the New York Times’ Best Comedy list in 2024 and a large social media following, too. Catalano comes to South KC’s Comedy Club of Kansas City for two nights of doubleheaders. January

23 & 24. 7 pm & 9:30 pm. Comedy Club of Kansas City.

Soft Clubbing at Elixir with DJ hunni bunni Clubbing at a museum may be an

20-25

Kimberly Akimbo

Kimberly Akimbo, a relatively new Tony Award-winning musical, follows a nearly 16-yearold Kimberly Levaco, and to say she has a lot on her plate would be an understatement. Due to a rare disease, Levaco ages rapidly, appearing to be closer to her 60s than her teens. Regardless, she navigates many of the quintessential coming-of-age experiences (like romantic interest) on top of a turbulent family life, grappling with her mortality— and a potential felony charge. PNC Broadway brings the national Broadway tour of this musical comedy to KC stages. January 20–25. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.

unlikely pairing, but the Museum of Kansas City knows how to throw a party. On the last Thursday of the month through March, DJ hunni bunni spins an eclectic R&B, house, funk and more in the museum’s cafe, Elixir. Sip a cocktail, enjoy ice cream from Fairway Creamery, or grab a coffee or soda while dancing the early evening away. Admission is free. January 29. 6 pm. The Museum of Kansas City.

29– Feb 1 New Moves

brand-new works from innovative choreographers around the country, including premieres by a few of the main company’s own dancers: Joseph Boswell, Amira Hogan and Cameron Thomas. January

The Kansas City Ballet steps outside of its typical classical wheelhouse with New Moves. This contemporary showcase features

29–February 1. Times vary. Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity.

kansascitymag.com January 2026

The Mavericks’ Moment

After years of flying under the radar, Kansas City’s pro hockey team is skating into the spotlight, stacking playoff runs, NHL partnerships and a fan experience that keeps getting louder By Jerod Fox FOR YEARS, the Kansas City Mavericks were the “best-kept secret in

Kansas City,” according to Mavericks Chief Operating Officer James Arkell. Well, it should be secret no more: There is hockey in Kansas City, located right down the road at Cable Dahmer Arena. And it’s not just hockey—it’s high-level professional hockey with an entertaining atmosphere to match. “Think Savannah Bananas with exciting hockey,” Arkell says. “We are a wonderful fan experience, we are a wonderful family experience, we’re a great choice financially, and the hockey speaks for itself.”

22 Kansas City January 2026

After seven years straight without advancing past the first round of the ECHL playoffs, the Mavericks have turned it around the past two seasons. The team earned a divisional title in 2023-24 and advanced to the Kelly Cup, the best postseason finish in the organization’s 17-year history. Last season, the Mavs sat atop the Mountain Division once again, qualifying to the Western Conference finals for the second straight year. The Mavs seem poised for another deep run in 2025-26, led by general manager and head coach Tad O’Had, the winningest coach in Kansas City professional hockey history. Through 19 games played, the Mavericks hold the highest win percentage in the Mountain Division. “Our ownership has allowed us to really place a big emphasis on retention of our players,” O’Had says. “We’re bringing in the right players and keeping them here in Kansas City. This is one of the premier locations that players want to play. They love the community, they love the support of the fan base, and they know that the organization takes care of them.” The team’s recent success has been a long time in the making. Loretto Sports Ventures, led by Lamar Hunt, Jr. and Arkell, acquired the team in 2014. It was not until a change in the leadership structure, giving O’Had general manager duties, that the pieces of the puzzle finally began to fit together.

PHOTOGR APHY PROVIDED

B E AT

INSIDE THE RINK

PHOTOGR APHY PROVIDED

#17 Jackson Berezowski, Kansas City Mavericks Forward

“It allowed me to have control over the players that we sign, over all hockey operations,” O’Had says. “I’ve got great ownership that really supports and backs what I do, and that makes things a lot easier. If the leadership restructuring put the puzzle together, it was a newfound affiliation with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, in 2022 that framed the puzzle and put it on the mantle. “They’ve done wonders for us,” Arkell says. “It’s a real partnership. You don’t always see that when you’re in the lower league, but they treat our team as equals and they give us great players.” O’Had focuses his recruitment of players with a two-pronged approach: He wants his team to play a fast-paced game, and he wants his guys to be just as good off the ice as they are on it. “They do a phenomenal job of bringing in high-character guys,” second-year forward Jackson Berezowski says. “That just lays a good foundation for the culture. The guys love coming to the rink,

“This is one of the premier locations that players want to play. They love the community, they love the support of the fan base, and they know that the organization takes care of them.”

they love seeing each other, and that’s important come June, when we can hopefully make a long playoff run.” As the Mavericks have elevated the level of play inside the rink, the team’s front office has elevated alongside them. This past season, the team was nominated for five ECHL team awards, including Community Service Team of the Year and Game Operations Team of the Year. The team makes game days exciting for fans of all ages and all levels of hockey fandom. From promotional games like Star Wars night and the Teddy Bear toss to recurring events like Chuck-APuck, they look to provide a game-day atmosphere like no other. And for good reason: They know that when Cable Dahmer is rowdy and rocking, the team feeds off of it. “There’s nothing better than having a couple thousand fans screaming your name and your team colors,” Berezowski says. “We play for those nights that are sold out and the barn is rocking.” kansascitymag.com January 2026

B E AT

SOCIAL STUDIES

Festive Fashion Face-Off competitors Richard Crabtree as the Grinch, Maggie Meether as Max, and Charlotte Stites as Cindy Lou Who with Jim and Susan Stites.

Nathan Miller, Misti Conner, Eric Mann, Kathy Saunders, Ashley Mahoney, Maggie Meether and Richard Crabtree await the announcement of the Festive Fashion Face-Off Biggest Fundraiser.

Festive Fashion Face-Off co-chairs Greg Highbarger and Tim Deves announce the Audience Applause Winner.

Tinsel and Tidings THIS ANNUAL BENEFIT held at the Overland Park Convention Center benefits children and families served by the B.E. Smith Family Center at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission. The Center focuses on early learning programs for children with special needs. This year, the event raised more than $1.27 million to support the center and its programs.

We want to hear from you. Tell us about events happening in the community. –Dawnya Bartsch, editor-in-chief editor@kansascitymag.com.

24 Kansas City January 2026

Event chair John Almeida, Laurie McCormack and event chair Becki Almeida.

B E AT

Handcrafted Horns

KC’s “Horn Doctor” Mike Corrigan keeps a declining trade alive in the 18th & Vine Jazz District By Nina Cherry IN KANSAS CITY’S historic Jazz District, Mike Corrigan has built a national reputation

for crafting professional-quality instruments. Fondly known as the “Horn Doctor” to many local musicians, Corrigan’s enterprise B.A.C. Musical Instruments (short for Best American Craftsmen) manufactures custom trombones, trumpets and more. Among his loyal clientele? Trombone Shorty, members of Jazz at Lincoln Center and touring artists that back up pop stars like Beyoncé, Bruno Mars and John Legend. According to Corrigan, his craft is becoming a rather rare and steadily shrinking trade. “At one point, the United States produced more instruments than any country in the world,” he says. However, many major American instrument makers were acquired by larger conglomerates in the 1970s. Margins quickly began to overtake artistry, and longevity became an afterthought. That’s not how Corrigan operates. “Many manufacturers would rather sell another instrument than have it repaired,” he says. “That wasn’t a musician who made that decision.” Photography by Jake Wickersham

B AC K B E AT

Originally from Maryland, Corrigan was always drawn to an instrument’s mechanics, though it never occurred to him it could be a career. But when his high school band director noticed him tinkering with his French horn, he was encouraged to check out an instrument repair school in Minnesota. Corrigan obliged. “As soon as I walked in the room, I knew that was definitely it,” he says. After completing the one-year program, he returned to the East Coast to apprentice with a trombone maker in Boston. At 21, still new to the city and his craft, layoffs hit. Although Corrigan kept his job, his hours were drastically reduced. His boss encouraged him to utilize the shop’s tools to make repairs on the side. A couple years later, in 2004, Corrigan decided to strike out on his own full time. He moved his budding business to the KC area, initially operating out of the basement of his Overland Park home. Today, Corrigan’s business has grown to a team of about 20, handcrafting over a hundred instruments each year. In addition to professional horns, the company also distributes more than 2,000 student model instruments (under an imported line) and works directly with school programs. B.A.C also supplies equipment to HBCU marching bands nationwide, including Missouri’s own Lincoln University, and Corrigan hopes to partner with Kansas City Public Schools in the future. Aside from B.A.C.’s KC workshop, the company has longstanding connections to New Orleans. “When Katrina hit, I thought, ‘Man what’s going to happen to the musicians of this community?’” Corrigan says. “I didn’t have any money to donate, but I had a skill that might be appreciated.” About a year and half after the catastrophic storm, Corrigan headed south with his repair kit and set up mobile work stations throughout the city. He soon learned that there wasn’t a single instrument repair shop within New Orleans city limits. “I thought it would be a one-time situation, but the community really needed it,” Corrigan says. “There are so many people who make their livelihood busking on the street.” Those relationships stuck. For the next eight years, Corrigan returned a couple times annually to maintain instruments for working musicians. Today, B.A.C. partners with Roots of Music, a nonprofit in NOLA stewarding the next generation of musicians. Transporting students from around the city to an after-school program offering hot meals, tutoring and band class, the program now sends musicians to the same repair school Corrigan attended. Now, Corrigan and Roots of Music CEO Derrick Tabb have hopes of bringing a similar program to KC. While they’re still ideating in the early stages, Corrigan’s optimistic about the future. “Kansas City needs this,” he says. “We think now is the time.” kansascitymag.com January 2026

WINTERLUDE JAZZ FESTIVAL FEATURING ARTURO O’FARRILL AND THE AFRO LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA

WORLD-CLASS ENTERTAINMENT CLOSE TO HOME! Tickets on sale now.

JCCC.EDU/MTC / Box Office: 913–469–4445 / M–F / 10 AM–5 PM THE WESTERLIES

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE!

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

@MidwestTrustCenterJCCC

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

@MTC_JCCC

CURAT ING A BE AU T I FU L L I FE

Kimono Couture

This Westwood fashion company repurposes antique Japanese fabrics By Nina Cherry FOR NEARLY 50 years, Kansas City fashion

company Asiatica has been creating contemporary designs from vintage Japanese textiles. “The fabrics are antique and extraordinary—they allow us to make us one-of-a-kind pieces,” says Asiatica founder Elizabeth Wilson. “If we find something made in a fabric we find appealing, we take it apart and recycle the fabric to make modern, Western-style clothing out of it.” An art historian specializing in Asian art, Wilson travels to Japan at least once a year to source materials. Although the company works with a range of textiles, the majority of designs are made with silk. Among Asiatica’s wide-spanning collection of pants, vests, coats and more, the New Dress is a standout. With deep double slits and discreet inseam pockets, the adaptable piece can be worn by itself or left unbuttoned and layered. It comes in a few color variations, but the luxurious bright-red silk damask fabric offers a much needed pop of color in the midst of a dreary winter. Beyond the current stocklist, the company also produces made-to-order pieces from its archive of hundreds of past patterns. “The styles that we come up with are styles we would like to wear,” Wilson says. “They are as current and versatile as possible. Our customers buy it as if it were a work of art. It’s not that next year that work of art will go out of style.” Shop Asiatica’s collection in person (4824 Rainbow Blvd., Westwood, KS) or online at asiaticakc.com. Photography by Stuart Heidmann

kansascitymag.com January 2026

CURRENT

TREND

“People wanted to improve life in their homes, so that’s how our business grew.”

The Broken and Beautiful

Using traditional Japanese methods, a Baldwin City couple brings broken pottery back to life By Nicole Kinning IN A WORLD where “new” often means “better,” Joseph and Maiko Anderson-Story of JMCraftstore are building a business around the broken. From their studio in Baldwin City, the couple practices kintsugi—the ancient Japanese art of repairing ceramics with lacquer and precious metals. Instead of hiding flaws, kintsugi highlights them, transforming heirlooms into objects more beautiful for having been broken. Kintsugi, which dates back to the late 1400s, began when Japanese craftsmen started using urushi, a natural tree sap lacquer, to fuse ceramics back together and finish the seams with gold or silver. The method became closely tied to the tea ceremony and philosophy of wabi-sabi, which embraces imperfection and the passage of time. More than a technique, kintsugi treats breakage as part of an object’s story.

28 Kansas City January 2026

That philosophy is near and dear to the Anderson-Storys. Their journey began in Seattle, where a coworker introduced Maiko to the craft. “There are so many broken ceramics out there,” she says. “Fortunately, local ceramic artists provided us with practice pieces.” The two are a perfect team: Joseph is trained in ceramics and glass, and Maiko—who studied printmaking and art therapy—brings an eye for the detail and emotional sensitivity that this restoration requires. What started as a side project grew quickly during the pandemic. As people spent more time at home reassessing what mattered, repair requests increased. “People wanted to improve life in their homes, so that’s how our business grew,” Maiko says. Eventually the two relocated to Baldwin City to care for family, but most of their commissions still come from the West Coast. The process of kintsugi is very slow and intentional. Using urushi lacquer (the aforementioned tree sap, which comes from the same family as poison ivy), they create a paste of lacquer, flour and water. Each layer must cure at specific temperature and humidity level, and most projects take around three months, depending on size and complexity. The occasional glass repair work takes even longer. The pair remains committed to traditional methods, even as modern kintsugi has grown in popularity. “A lot of people can do a version of it in an afternoon using a two-part epoxy,” Joseph says. Their reasoning for staying old school is not just for integrity but also practicality. “A big part of why we stick with our traditional repairs is it’s also food-safe,” Maiko says. Restored cups, bowls and plates can go right back to everyday use. Another key element of Joseph and Maiko’s philosophy: They will not permanently break something for the sake of kintsugi. Instead, clients commission JMCraftstore to repair pieces, or they’ll find and salvage already-broken pieces that they feel could use a second life. As interest in the art of kintsugi grows, the two have considered hosting workshops to teach the craft, though condensing a months-long process into a few hours remains a challenge. For now, they continue their steady work from Baldwin City, mending fractures one piece (and one dollop of urushi) at a time. Learn more at jmcraftstore.com. Photography by Laura Morsman

CURRENT

I N T E RV I E W

You were born on the island of Samoa. How does your upbringing inform your work as the director of community engagement for Made Mobb? Growing

up in a small village of like 200 people, man, we never really had much, right? Like resources or opportunities. Every time we went hunting or fishing, we always got enough for our neighbors. The culture was very community-based. When I moved to Kansas City when I was 10, that stayed with me. So now we are about building relationships, connecting with other small businesses, being a pillar in the community and adding value to that community. I don’t know, we just get a kick of joy out of seeing our neighbors grow. What’s the view like now? How does it feel to be the one helping others? I love the impact that I have now,

and my main goal is to continue to open doors for other small businesses. Representation is very important, too. I wanted to show kids that look like me that we can be in these spaces. I’m a girl dad—my kids go to every meeting. My kids are always front row watching me. It is important to me to show my girls they can be in these male-dominant spaces. From teaching financial literacy to free investing classes, Made Mobb does a lot. At times, it looks more like a community outreach program than a clothing retailer. Tell us about this. I feel like clothing

just happened to me. I’m very religious, right? So I just feel like it was God’s plan. It allowed me to have a seat at the table. We could reach a broader audience by having a business. Like I said, I’m an immigrant child. A lot of my uncles and aunts had their own business, and that instilled something in me. It was like, oh, go work for myself, invest the hours into building my dreams instead of putting in hours building somebody else’s dreams. I spoke at Blue Springs High School a couple days ago, and I was telling them: “I know the world’s a very big place and you might think it is hard to change. But your backyard is a great place to start.”

The Rising Tide of Made Mobb

Talking community and responsibility with Mark Launiu By Ryan Reed MARK LAUNIU, one of Made Mobb’s three founders, has a big heart. To hear him talk, it’s almost as if the Crossroads-based clothing retailer was created solely to be a vehicle for community outreach and its clothing line just an afterthought. With a “Midwest grit,” the fashion brand’s urban and casual streetwear aesthetic has a heavy KC bent. Founded in 2012, the brand’s offerings are usually released in drops and focus on partnerships with local sports teams and artists. Launiu believes that, if by chance you succeed, you need to help others do the same. His actions (and in turn, Made Mobb’s work) constantly reinforce these values. Photography by Ian Simmons

What community outreach and engagement are you working on now? We do the First Friday marketplace

all the time. [I just did] a series where we taught people how to get started with a clothing brand. We bring in manufacturing, marketing and retailers. One of our buyers will walk people through what they’re looking for and how you should pitch it. This is what you keep in mind when you talk to a buyer. That’s the thing for us, right? Building relationships and then bringing it back to the community. I just love to see our community grow because that’s what it’s about.

↓ GO: 221 Southwest Blvd., KCMO. mademobb.com.

That almost sounds like you are actively training folks to be your competitors. Hah!

Man, I’ve never even thought of it that way.

kansascitymag.com January 2026

CURRENT

30 Kansas City January 2026

HOME

URBAN How a local maker is redefining what wallpaper can say about identity and home By Nicole Kinning Photography by Ian Simmons

kansascitymag.com January 2026

CURRENT

WHEN KEISHA JORDAN couldn’t find a wallpaper that felt like her, she decided to make her own. That’s how Complex Flavors was born. Jordan, who was born and raised in Chicago, started the wallpaper company in 2015 while she was still living there. Five years ago, she traded the Windy City for Kansas City, but her designs remain steeped in her Chicago roots. “I work in a very stressful environment in advertising, and I wanted to come home to a place where I feel at ease,” she says. Living with lupus also heightened her sensitivity to her surroundings. “Certain colors and certain things really bothered me.” When she couldn’t find the wallpapers she was looking for on the market, Jordan took matters into her own hands. She initially dabbled in textiles before discovering that the same digital files that make printed fabrics could be transformed into wallpaper. A serendipitous social media connection with a friend launching an interior design business in New York sparked a collaboration, and Complex Flavors took off from there. Today, Jordan describes her aesthetic and philosophy as “urban opulence”—where grit meets grandeur. “It is that urban grit, but it also has a little bit of charm and beauty to it,” she says, citing her Dandelions of Washington Park design as an example. “It’s in the city, but it’s a beautiful park with beautiful flowers.” Her wallpapers lean toward dark, moody, jewel tone palettes that feel both contemporary and universal.

Kansas City January 2026

HOME

“It is that urban grit, but it also has a little bit of charm and beauty to it.”

kansascitymag.com January 2026

CURRENT

“When people come over, they feel comfortable and at ease.” Running the business is no small feat. Jordan designs every pattern, handles customer service, manages social media, maintains the website and coordinates pop-ups—all while holding down her full-time advertising job. Her hustle has paid off. Complex Flavors won the 2025 Luminary Arts & Creative Small Business Award and several Chamber awards, among other accolades. And despite the rising demand for her products, Jordan remains intentionally old-school in her process. “Everything starts with a sketch in my sketchbook,” she says. Jordan’s own apartment serves as both home and showroom, a sanctuary that embodies her design and philosophy. Her living room, where she likes to host, is filled with plants and softened by rich textures and colors, including a plush velvet green chair she settles into for movie nights. “It’s definitely a place of empowerment,” Jordan says. “When people come over, they feel comfortable and at ease.”

34 Kansas City January 2026

Her bedroom is covered with artwork celebrating women, sisterhood and connectivity, Jordan says. “That is my personal zone, my sacred space,” she says of her bedroom. “I feel that vibe with the warmth of my sisters. I don’t have a sister. I am a sister. There’s a connective femininity and love from that. I think that’s what makes that room special to me.” But the guest bathroom is where Jordan really shows off. Covered in her bold Paradise Blindness wallpaper, the cozy space makes a big statement and holds special significance: It was where Jordan first tested her product on her own walls. It’s become a conversation starter, a bold declaration in an otherwise ordinary apartment space. Ultimately, Jordan has a clear vision for what visitors should sense when they enter her home. “I want people to know that this is the home of a very confident, very strong, proud Black woman,” she says. “They see the color. They see the joy in my spirit.” complexflavorslife.com

HOME

kansascitymag.com January 2026

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

BEAUTY GURUS

Some of the best beauty gurus can be found right here in the Kansas City area. They’re advancing the scope of beauty with their expertise and passion. You’ll also benefit from their knowledge using the latest technology and procedures that are available.

BEAUTY GURUS

Georgia Cirese, RN, CLT Get to Know the Guru With over 25+ years of clinical experience and knowledge in the aesthetics specialty, Georgia has been a foundational nurse injector, trainer and educator not only in the Kansas City area, but also at a national level. Her commitment to elevating the aesthetics specialty by focusing on patient safety and science-driven treatments has been one of the driving factors to her success and accomplishments along with helping cultivate the next generation of safe and skilled injectors. She believes in natural looking treatments that enhance the patient’s features while creating a more rejuvenated and refreshed appearance.

Regenerative Aesthetics

PRF EzGel & PRF/PRP - If you’ve noticed signs of aging in the face (such as hollowing under the eyes, heaviness in the lower face and more distinct smile lines) but aren’t ready to have hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, PRF EzGel and PRF/PRP are excellent and science-backed treatments using your own blood and growth factors for facial rejuvenation. These treatments are safe and effective when done properly and on the right patient. Light and Laser Therapies - Light and laser-based treatments such as Broad-Band Light (BBL) and the HALO Hybrid Fractional laser are some of the most effective treatments when addressing sun damage, skin texture, redness and fine lines and wrinkles. While these treatments are using modalities, they work in conjunction with regenerative principles and stimulate collagen and elastin production. Microneedling - With minimal downtime, microneedling has become one of the most popular and effective treatments for skin rejuvenation and texture improvement. Used in combination with platelet-derived growth factors (PDGF) and/or PRF, results and healing time can be amplified also through increasing collagen production from the microneedling and increasing growth factors to the specific area with the PDGF or PRF/PRP topically.

BEAUTY GURUS

(From L to R) Hope Gergick, RN, BSN

Kaitlyn Leiker, APRN, FNP-C, MSN Get to Know the Gurus Kaitlyn and Hope lead the team of hair removal specialists at Laser Derm Med Spa. They understand the challenges posed by medical conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hidradenitis suppurativa, addressing not only the cosmetic concerns but also providing relief from issues like painful ingrown hairs and abscesses. Both are avid, lifelong learners, using continuing education to stay abreast of the latest advancements in laser technology, safety protocols, and treatment techniques. Performing more than 50,000 treatments, their expertise comes from an in-depth understanding of skin types, hair cycles, and laser technology, allowing them to tailor treatment plans for individual patients.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser Efficacy - Laser hair removal is a non-invasive cosmetic procedure that reduces hair growth, using focused light energy to target and damage hair follicles. The technology is highly variable, so choosing the type and quality of laser is important for safe and effective outcomes. Laser Derm Med Spa offers more than ten lasers, among them the gold-standard wavelengths of 755 nm, 810 nm, and 1064nm. Using their years of experience, they pair a client with the proper wavelength/laser based on their skin tone, hair thickness and follicle depth. This allows them to target the pigment of the hair, while protecting the pigment of the skin to ensure safe and effective treatment. Minimal Time Investment - Laser hair removal is much easier and faster than people realize. With the newest and highest quality lasers, Laser Derm Med Spa can treat an entire body in less than an hour, with smaller areas, such as the underarms taking only a few minutes. All lasers have a built-in cooling device that works in conjunction with the laser to ensure the skin doesn't get too hot, making the treatment safer and more comfortable. Costs and Benefits - You’ll benefit from convenience by eliminating the need to shave. Self-confidence is also enhanced by eliminating razor burn and irritation, ingrown hairs and folliculitis. A lesser-known benefit is relief from the side effects of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), which increases facial and body hair growth. Some providers require contracts, but at Laser Derm Med Spa you'll never have to sign one or purchase a package of sessions. You simply pay for each appointment as needed.

BEAUTY GURUS

Lacey Roles, RN Get to Know the Guru Nurse Injector and Wellness Specialist As a nurse injector with more than 21 years of experience, Lacey specializes in neurotoxins and dermal fillers, helping clients look and feel their best with safe, natural results. She has an artistic eye for detail to help deliver balanced results that enhance each client’s unique features.

Fillers

Dermal fillers smooth lines and restore volume in your face. - The injections are typically used for cheeks, lips, forehead, neck and eyes. Mia Bella Donna Medspa stays abreast of the most current non-surgical enhancements to ensure they use the right product and amount for your specific concerns. To address different needs, they offer a collection of fillers including Botox®, Xeomin®, Juvederm®, Voluma® and Radiesse®. All cosmetic consultations are complimentary and include a quote for costs. BOTOX® - is a highly purified but naturally occurring protein that relaxes the muscles where it is injected. This relaxation softens fine lines and wrinkles and lasts for several months until the treated muscles gradually return to their original condition. Treatment takes just a few minutes and provides an effective solution for lines between the eyebrows and crow’s feet. XEOMIN® - This is a similar drug to Botox. It too is an FDA cleared injection that relaxes the muscle to minimize frown lines, crow’s feet and forehead wrinkles. Juvederm® - Fill lines and folds in your face with the smooth and natural look of Juvederm®, a hyaluronic acid filler that lasts up to one year. These dermal fillers require no downtime and provide immediate satisfaction. VOLUMA® - is the first and only FDA-approved filler for the cheek area. It helps to enhance, contour, and create a more youthful profile. Voluma results can last for up to two years and provide a “lift” that is instant and lasting! RADIESSE® - is an ideal option for adding lift to areas that experience volume loss. It provides an instant lift, filling wrinkles and folds to help restore a more youthful look. It continues to work with your body, stimulating the natural production of collagen for a more refreshed appearance that can last up to a year or more in many patients.

BEST NEW R ESTAU RA NTS

By Ryan Reed, Tyler Shane, Hampton Stevens and Carmen Vajgrt 40 Kansas City January 2026

f you needed proof that Kansas City’s food scene keeps leveling up, this year’s best new restaurants deliver it. The lineup ranges from two remarkable Lebanese arrivals to fresh visions of Japanese dining, plus a Japanese-leaning sourdough bakery that already has a cult following. Even the city’s

PHOTOGR APHY ANNA PE TROW

Here Are the 10 Restaurants Ushering in KC’s Next Culinary Chapter

new star-backed steakhouse, despite a few growing pains, is delivering a national-level experience with a local flair. Strict dress code be damned, you can wear your Chiefs jersey on game days while indulging on a Wagyu beef steak. Together, they tell the story of a city eating bigger, bolder and better than ever.

HOW WE MADE THIS LIST For this list of Kansas City’s best new restaurants, we paid our own way and did not announce ourselves. Advertisers were not favored. Restaurants of every type were considered. We picked restaurants that offer an exceptional dining experience and enrich the city’s cultural landscape.

kansascitymag.com January 2026

No.

A NJIN 1708 Oak St., KCMO. anjinkc.com. Anjin is open Thursday–Sunday from 5:30–1 am and Monday from 5:30 pm–midnight.

I N S IDER TIP : When you order sake, you’ll be presented with a large tray featuring tiny ceramic or porcelain cups, and you get to choose your favorite to drink from for the evening. However, if you opt for beer, I recommend a bottle of the Orion, a light rice lager from Okinawa.

42 Kansas City January 2026

Anjin is the Momofuku of Kansas City. In the early aughts, a tiny NYC ramen shop called Momofuku rewired the dining world when chef and owner David Chang threw out the white-tablecloth expectations and served the food he and his cooks ate when the doors closed: unpretentious, deep and boldly flavored noodle bowls that, at that time, hit harder than any-

thing “elevated” on the scene. The industry shifted and chefs began cooking for themselves, not for a mythical target diner. Anjin, the 20-seat restaurant owned and operated by Nick and Leslie Goellner, of the Antler Room, and Drew Little, was bred of similar intention. The Crossroads izakaya, modeled after the casual sake and eating pubs in Japan, doesn’t cater to everyone. And perhaps because of that, it’s why we’re dubbing it Kansas City’s Best New Restaurant. As you sit at Anjin’s U-shaped bar, you can see everything but the components of the walk-in refrigerator. The line of chefs toward the back work nearly elbow-to-elbow, focused with a calm sense of urgency. One young cook fans the makeshift yakitori grill while seasoned sous chef Sam Edelson teaches another the process of frying thick slices of pork collar to perfection. Meanwhile, the

PHOTOGR APHY ANNA PE TROW

From left: Anjin’s dining room; eggplant salad; fried sakura pork collar sandwich (top); towering soft serve ice cream (bottom)

front of the house staff dance around them while asking if you’d prefer a lighter, more aromatic sake or if maybe you’d be open to it with a gentle punch of umami. There are no walls between those cooking, those taking orders and you, the diner and voyeur. They dance while you feast on fatty bits of chicken tails and cabbage salads scattered with fried tazukuri anchovies—and maybe goat stew, if you’re lucky enough to catch the special. There’s a bit more juicy comfort to Anjin’s menu than previously found at the highly refined Antler Room. Chef Nick’s dedication to delightful and impressive textures is still seen—in, for instance, the beet salad with seaweed spiced walnuts, persimmons, watermelon radish and toasted rice. Overall, there’s a wonderful sort of delicious depth to each Anjin dish. Nick’s approach is intentional. He’ll happily tell you how the tonkatsu sandwich traces back to Japan’s Meiji Resto-

ration in the late 19th century, and possibly to Prussian military influence. It’s the kind of cross-cultural mash-up, he says, that makes perfect sense for an izakaya rooted in the Midwest. He’s just as animated when describing the kakiage, a tempura-fried tumble of vegetables and black tiger prawns inspired by Japan’s knack for making fried food that somehow never feels heavy. Dipped in the bright, light tentsuyu sauce with cherry blossoms, herb oil and a house dashi, the whole dish sings to high heavens. In Japan, izakayas are small, so it’s fitting that the Crossroads restaurant is tight, even beyond the kitchen and bar. There’s no room for a host stand; instead, Leslie stands right by the door to greet you immediately when you walk in. As you throw back bubbly Japanese beers and skewered chicken hearts, you find yourself not distanced from those who work tirelessly to create your food and dining experience

but rather becoming part of their dance. You’ll mingle with James Chang, of J. Chang Kitchen chili oil fame, and not have a care in the world that the coals from the yakitori grill were lit a little too well and now there’s a smoky cloud hanging over the dining room (it’ll pass in just a few minutes). Anjin is for the chefs, the bartenders, those who take your order and buss down your table. Just head in on a Monday night (comparable to a Saturday night for the hospitality industry) and you’ll see. Anjin is for people who love food and get lost in its senses and spirit. To make sure you don’t take yourself too seriously, there’s the soft serve ice cream—a popular offering in Japan, especially of the matcha variety, and the restaurant’s only dessert offering. Made by Nick’s sister and Antler Room’s pastry chef Natasha Goellner, it’s served at an awe-inspiring towering height and with layers of Japanese and Costco candy scattered about. Anjin reminds us that the best restaurants offer fearless cooking and the diner a chance to eat with utter abandon. - TYLER SHANE

kansascitymag.com January 2026

44 Kansas City January 2026

From left: Nour’s muhammara and pita; chicken grilled entree with roasted vegetables and pico de gallo

On 39th street, just a few blocks east of the streetcar stop on Main, chef Marwan Chebaro opened his new restaurant, Nour’s, as a space to bring people together. Named after his daughter, Nour, who passed away in 2018, the restaurant has lofty goals. “We want to be part of the community,” Chebaro says.

PHOTOGR APHY Z ACH BAUMAN

No.

“Hospitality is very important in our culture. It’s not about the money. It’s about making people feel valued, respected and honored. We are here to serve our humanity and to take care of each other.” Lebanese cuisine may have inspired the menu at Nour’s, but the dishes are Levantine, an Eastern Mediterranean tradition that spills across the lines on a map. “The cuisine is wholesome,” Chebaro says. “It’s historic. It’s been there for, really, a millennium. All cultures have dishes like these that never fade. They’re not a fad that becomes popular and then goes out of style. So why reinvent the wheel when the wheel is there?” And the wheel is delicious.

However old these recipes are, the flavors are stunning and novel. The baked feta tastes exquisitely rich and crisp on the outside while remaining creamy enough on the inside to pair with the crunchy house-fried za’atar chips. The roasted teardrop tomatoes and bits of mint scattered on the periphery shine. Then there’s the mujadara. The fried onions and citrusy pickled cabbage of the rice and lentil dish serve as high points to the dish’s deep, toasty notes. The baharat spices accent the beef kebab in contrast to the sharp citrus and vinegar of the salad served with it. These dishes are so much more than just wholesome. Nour means “light” in Arabic. As the restaurant’s

NOU R’S

website says, “Nour’s was born from loss but lives in love.” With the help of local designer John O’Brien, an interior designer for many of KC’s top restaurants, Nour’s is colorful, intentional and thoughtful. Come for a cup of coffee in the morning and leave something on the offering table—an altar of sorts that pays homage to Chebaro’s daughter—then come back for dinner with a date. Between gathering food for recently overburdened food banks and organizing a weekly neighborhood farmer’s market for next spring, Chebaro is doing the work to make his space more than a restaurant. It’s a space for community where the fantastic food seems secondary. Almost. - RYAN REED

3855 Warwick Blvd., KCMO. nourskc.com. Nour’s is open Tuesday–Friday from 11 am–9 pm, Saturday from 10 am–9 pm and Sunday from 10 am–3 pm.

INSIDE R TIP : Do not skip the muhammara. This dark-red mixture of ground roasted red pepper is served with fluffy warm pita and crosses the spectrum from peppery to sweet to acidic. “This originated in Aleppo, Syria,” Chebaro says. “It’s roasted red peppers, walnuts, pomegranate, molasses, cinnamon, cumin and a little orange blossom water. There’s many versions of it. As a dish travels from one region to another, people adapt it to their own liking.”

kansascitymag.com January 2026

NORTHE AST PIZ Z A

Is there anything more ubiquitous than a pizza shop? Not much. However, as it turned out, Pendleton Heights was lacking one, and Noah Quillec, one of the three owners of Northeast Pizza, decided to change that. “I’ve been living in the Northeast for about eight years now and I was like: ‘You know, that’s what we need. That’s what the world needs, what Kansas City needs,’” Quillec says. Quillec and his partners, Max Popoff and Michael DeStefano, are a trio of service and entertainment folks who, for various reasons, journeyed to New York, Chicago and San Francisco only to come back home to Kansas City. Quillec and DeStefano, who have both worked in the fine dining trenches of Michelin star restaurants, started looking at pizza—New York-style pizza, to be exact—as a way to bring high-quality but very accessible food to everyone. “(DeStefano) was interested in this trend with people in the fine dining world getting back to a simpler food and taking away a lot of the rigmarole of the whole experience—doing a product that has those same standards but is more accessible to everyone all the time,” Quillec says. The pizzeria feels like every neighborhood pizza shop, where the folks working are artists and in bands and the act of baking pies is a part of the creative journey. It’s one of those places where you can eat a delicious meal without feeling the need to act and look a certain way. Whether you’re a mail carrier, firefighter, a family with a gaggle of kids or a couple on date night, you’re going to fit in perfectly. Somewhere between the countertop Igloo cooler filled with sweating bottles of Peroni and Sharpie-drawn paper plates displaying the special of the day, Northeast Pizza tells you, “Have some pizza, you’re okay.” The pizza, on the other hand, is better than okay. Although the expectations for pizza may be lower than other more elevated foods, I assure you a slice of Northeast pie can compete with some of the best fare out there. Their New York-style slice has the structure and the very important pizza foldability balanced almost to perfection. The supreme is hot and meaty with onions cooked crisp, just on this side of burnt. The mushrooms still retain their texture, and the sausage is fennel-packed. Then there is the jalapeno and pepperoni pizza drizzled with hot honey. The jalapenos sing in beautiful harmony with the honey’s sweetness. Some might say it borders on too hot, but like everything else at Northeast Pizza, I say it’s exactly where it needs to be. - RYAN REED

46 Kansas City January 2026

2203 Lexington Ave., KCMO. northeastpizzakc.com. Northeast Pizza is open Tuesday–Thursday from 3–8 pm, Friday from 3–9 pm, Saturday from 11 am–9 pm and Sunday from 11 am–8 pm.

INSIDE R TIP : No one has ever said you can’t have a slice of pizza as an appetizer. You can order cheese and pepperoni by the slice or whatever flavor the kitchen might be experimenting with that day. Grab some friends and have some pizza before your pizza.

PHOTOGR APHY Z ACH BAUMAN

3 No.

Northeast Pizza’s pizza slices

kansascitymag.com January 2026

Chef Ted Habiger has a conversation with every artist putting on an exhibition at the Kemper Museum. Then, he creates art himself by turning their musings into a menu reflecting said art. It could be a palette of wild nettle salsa verde, maybe bison short ribs or quesadillas filled with butternut squash puree and huitlacoche (delicious corn fungus). The ever-changing menu of inspired dishes is then served up at the museum’s restaurant, Oil on Linen. Much of Oil on Linen’s menu draws from Habiger’s love of regional cuisines in Mexico, where he also owns Ánima, an open-fire gastronomy restaurant in Yucatan, and an artist residency program, Casa Ocea (and let’s not forget Harbiger’s longstanding 39th Street institution Room 39). So while the closing of the Kemper’s beloved Café Sebastienne marked the end of an era, Habiger, eager to breathe new life into the museum restaurant, has managed to create a symbiotic relationship between food and art. Currently, fluffy bits of masa wrapped in corn husks like candy wrappers and served with a plum-colored chokeberry jam and chili oil pay homage to artist Raven Halfmoon’s massive colonialist-subverting ceramic

48 Kansas City January 2026

O IL O N LI N EN

4420 Warwick Blvd., KCMO. oil-on-linen.com. Oil on Linen is open on Wednesday from 10 am–3 pm, Thursday–Friday from 10 am–3 pm and 4:30 to 9 pm, and Saturday–Sunday from 10 am–3 pm.

INSIDE R TIP : During the transformation of Oil on Linen, Matthew Ritchie’s Experienced Time painting that had hung on its east wall for more than 20 years was replaced by KC-based artist Kevin Townsend’s Set In Place (Mis En Place). The drawing is a performance that will take place over more than 200 hours, evolving with each dot capturing the cafe’s dynamic energy. Note how the piece changes each time you dine in.

figures in her current exhibition, Ride or Die. Habiger continues to root into the artist’s indigenous background by featuring knobs of nutty sunchoke in nettle leek butter and a Three Sisters salad with butternut squash, hominy and heirloom beans—a traditional trio of vegetables in Native American cuisine. There’s also a massive 16-ounce beef ribeye with bison short ribs and a dramatic trout whose mouth gapes at you while you feast on its accompanying medley of bright greens and sweet potato puree.

Oil on Linen’s elk and boar “poyha,” or country paté

The now-defunct Café Sebastienne specialized in breakfast and lunch and was hardly ever open for dinner. Oil on Linen is open most days of the week for breakfast and lunch, but dinner is only offered Thursdays and Fridays, and that’s precisely when you should go. Habiger hopes diners will inundate Oil on Linen for their evening meal, persuading the museum to expand security hours on other days and giving guests more opportunities to pair dinner with the rare chance to wander the galleries after dark. - TYLER SHANE

PHOTOGR APHY Z ACH BAUMAN

4 No.

From left: Akoya Omakase’s Umi Omakase menu option; Akoya’s dining room in the Hotel Phillips

Peter Hoang doesn’t want you to know which Michelin star restaurants he’s worked at. Or their star rating. When I interviewed Hoang for my review of his restaurant in October, he maintained that he wanted to avoid name-dropping his, ahem, very notable past. He’d rather start fresh at his restaurant inside downtown’s Hotel Phillips, unburdened by whatever assumptions his background might invite. So you’ll just have to trust me when I say Hoang has spent 22 years working in sushi—from Chicago to Jackson Hole to NYC—at some of the country’s best, and that his first-ever restaurant, Akoya Omakase, is one you’re going to want to visit. Akoya has a whole dining room and a la carte menu for those looking for a more conventional dining experience, but the 10-seat sushi bar—where Hoang and his team delicately craft layers of fish and rice or dollop light pink slices of Tai sea bream (the chef’s favorite) with bits of shiso leaves and kelp salt—is where the magic really happens.

PHOTOGR APHY ANNA PE TROW

No.

Omakase translates in Japanese to “I leave it up to you,” and at Akoya, it’s wise to do just that. Leave it up to Hoang and his team to serve you their best. Opt for the chef’s choice of sashimi, nigiri, hand-rolled temaki and miso soup. Intimidated? Don’t be. Hoang is intent that his restaurant—unlike many of the more traditional edomae-style restaurants he’s worked at, which are strict, only sourcing fish from Tokyo Bay and curing them as an homage to pre-Toyko sushi practices—is meant to be, above all, comfortable. So ask questions. Have your servers describe what you’re eating, how to eat it and what flavors to look for. They will happily oblige. As Hoang packs each ball of rice with freshly shaven wasabi, tops it with a slice of soft pink yellowtail or fleshy sea bass and places it directly in front of me to be eaten just seconds later, he tells me the relationship between sushi bar chef and diner is intimate. This close relationship is built on trust, and at Akoya, that trust hinges on the ingredient at the center of it all: the fish. Hoang uses two private fish buyers from Tokyo’s famous Toyosu Fish Market, whom he may or may not have worked with previously at several lauded establishments of the Michelin Tires variety. He sources everything from fatty bluefin tuna to golden eye snapper from his trusted purveyors, saying it makes all the difference. Let the buttery slices of fish melt on your tongue and the grains of rice roll around. Pause while the sharp wasabi and salty five-year-aged soy sauce zap you back to reality. Wash it all down with a cool bottle of sake. Rinse and repeat. - TYLER SHANE

A KOYA OM A KAS E 106 W. 12th St., KCMO. akoyaomakase.com. Akoya Omakase is open Monday–Saturday from 11 am–2 pm for lunch and 5–10 pm for dinner.

INSIDE R TIP: The Umi Omakase menu is a great place to start if you’re new to the omakase experience. It includes two sets of sashimi, eight pieces of nigiri, one hand-rolled temaki, miso soup and dessert, which upon one of my visits was a delightful chocolate crepe cake. At $85 for some of the best fish in town, it’s a steal.

kansascitymag.com January 2026

No.

everal longstanding restaurants—Cafe Vie, Vietnam Café, Pho Lan, to name a few— have long formed the backbone of Kansas City’s Vietnamese dining scene. Vietnam Café and Pho Lan sit in Columbus Park, where, along with much of the broader Northeast, many Vietnamese immigrants settled after the Vietnam War. Together, these restaurants defined what Kansas City understands as a proper bowl of pho, a bun bowl or a plate of broken rice. Today, however, a steady new crop of restaurants and cafes is expanding what Vietnamese food looks like here in the Midwest. Their arrival begs the question: Is Kansas City having a Vietnamese food renaissance? When news that Columbus Park’s Vietnam Café will open a second location in Overland Park broke this year, locals rejoiced as if the Chiefs had just clinched another AFC playoff spot. I can only imagine how long that drive-thru line will be once the doors open (yes, there will be a drivethru). Another opening that sparked excitement is Origin Coi Nguon, a proudly Vietnamese coffeehouse off North Oak Trafficway pouring brews made with dark, chocolatey Robusta beans, occasionally topped with a pinch of salt. Origin Coi Nguon follows Café Cà Phê, the city’s first Vietnamese coffee shop, which opened in 2020 and helped build the city’s appetite for Vietnam’s coffee culture. And it’s not just coffee. The banh mi—a wondrous handheld stacked with grilled meats, pickled carrots, herbs and jalapeños, all tucked into a crisp baguette—is having a moment of its own. Paris Banh Mi opened toward the end of 2023, and BB Banh Mi followed this year (also rolling out a drive-thru). More openings continue to pile on: Banh Mi KC inside Overland Park’s 888 International Market, Pho Noodle Go in Lee’s Summit. The list keeps growing. Call it a renaissance; call it a longoverdue awakening. Either way, KC’s Vietnamese food scene is booming. If you’re not already exploring it, now’s the time to grab a spoon, a banh mi or a salt-dusted cà phê and dive in.

50 Kansas City January 2026

3135 State Line Road, KCMO. albeik.us. Al Beik is open every day from 11 am–9 pm.

INSIDE R TIP : When dining in, you’ll notice a wooden table covered with doodles and signatures from other diners. Ask one of the employees for a marker and leave your own mark. Ammar and her husband didn’t have time to refurbish the table before they opened, so they leaned into its rough charm and invited customers to make it their own. The tradition has since stuck, with the owners even bringing in a second table for customers to continue to draw on.

Follow the glowing red fez cap in a tucked-away shopping center off State Line in south KC and you’ll enter Al Beik, one of the city’s few Lebanese restaurants. The setup feels familiar enough—a small space with a handful of tables and bright TVs flashing the menu. But what sets Al Beik apart sits just behind the walk-up counter: a charcoal grill roaring with flames, charring eggplants and half chickens to smoky perfection. Also behind the counter is the threeyear-old son of Diana Ammar and Saleem Fahda, the wife and husband duo who own Al Beik along with Saleem’s brother, Ahmad. The son often rests near the cash register while Fahda works the front counter, suggesting meze platters and sandwiches for those who may have never had Lebanese food before. Ammar says her restaurant isn’t just Mediterranean or Middle Eastern; it’s distinctly representative of her roots in Beirut, Lebanon. The kebabs, stuffed into thin rounds of pita—the ideal vessel for juicy marinated meats, salads of herby tabbouleh and pita chip-spiked fattoush—all pay homage to Lebanon. The crunchy house-made falafel gently

delivers Ammar’s blend of cumin, coriander and other spices. There’s rice on the menu and incorporated in several dishes, but well-seasoned fries accompany most of Al Beik’s meals (Ammar says Lebanese don’t eat much rice and that fries are more common in her home country, but the rice satisfies their Persian customers). If you’re debating on an appetizer, Fahda will suggest the meze platter with baba ganoush (remember that roasted eggplant mentioned earlier?), hummus, glorious crispy fried cheese rolls, or rakakat, and sour pickled vegetables. For your entree, without a doubt, order the three grilled meats served with garlic sauce, a parsley and onion medley (biwaz salad), blistered onions and tomatoes, and pita bread, all on a hefty wooden cutting board. Let the not-toosweet rice pudding round out the meal with its lush hint of rose water. - TYLER SHANE

Al Beik’s grill platter with three skewered meats over rice, grilled veggies, biwaz salad and pickles with pita bread

PHOTOGR APHY Z ACH BAUMAN; SHUT TERSTOCK

FROM PHO TO COFFEE, VIETNAMESE CUISINE IS SPREADING ACROSS KC BY TYLER SHANE

AL BE IK

7 No.

Before it was Hank’s Garage and Grill, it was longtime auto shop Shawnee Automotive. With its concrete floors and wide windows, it was the kind of place where mechanics wiped their hands on their jeans and kept stories tucked in glove boxes. Since March of last year, however, patrons can now pull in and belly up for a sports bar experience, but one that’s more true to Historic Downtown Shawnee. With sealed-in garage grime behind the bar, rafters overhead with just the right patina and the glow of two iconic Mobil Pegasus signs, Eric Flanagan’s first full-service operation is laid-back,

I N S I DE R TIP : Don’t let the fact that it’s January stop you from enjoying the outdoors at Hank’s. With winter enclosures and added seating, you can still hang out, watch a game on one of the many TVs and have beer.

Hank’s bar seating

retro and proudly scrappy. Flanagan, who also owns the Crossroads’ King G Bar & Delicatessen and Jim’s Alley Bar, tapped chef Howard Hanna as culinary director to move Hank’s beyond the typical bar food playbook. That looks like a hot dog program that includes a Sonoran-style dog, a Chicago dog and a rotating “Weenie of the Week.” Hanna and chef Zac Sachs spent months working on their signature smashburger, debatably one of the best in the city. But among these usual bar-and-grilltype comforts, there’s also homemade pastas, a blackened shrimp po’boy and the spam fries with banana ketchup (a standout from the beginning). It’s familiar but chef-driven. Comforting but interesting. If you park at one of the blue vinyl seats bolted at the bar, you can indulge

in a Tajin-rimmed Michelada, a Pink Pegasus with vodka and house-made strawberry cream soda, or a local beer. Sure, downtown Shawnee has steadily been on the rise thanks to Hank’s neighboring James Beard-nominated bars, but Flanagan’s spot is also for the families. The kids’ menu includes fried hot dogs cut in the shape of octopi. Beyond Hank’s wood-paneled walls, there’s a patio shaped by a new outbuilding and converted shipping container. Turf lends itself to games of cornhole—or just kids running around. With its retro and vintage digs, Hank’s feels like it’s been a Shawnee fixture for much longer than 10 months, but Flanagan says that was the point all along. “If we’ve done it right, Hank’s will feel like it’s always belonged in Shawnee,” he says. - CARMEN VAJGRT

HA N K ’S G A RAGE & GRILL 5801 Nieman Road, Shawnee, KS. hanksshawnee.com. Hank’s is open Wednesday–Thursday from 11 am–midnight, Friday–Saturday from 11 am–1 am and Sunday from 11 am–midnight.

kansascitymag.com January 2026

WHERE TO DRINK BEFORE (AND AFTER) DINNER BY RYAN REED Whether you want to set the tone or keep it going, these bars, restaurants and cocktail lounges offer the ideal pre- and post-dinner drink. NIGHTHAWK AT KANSAS CITY HOTEL (1228 Baltimore Ave., KCMO) If you are going downtown for dinner and a show—perhaps something at the Kauffman Center, the KC Rep’s Copaken stage or even Kansas City Hotel’s restaurant The Town Co.— nothing feels more classy than drinking at a hotel bar in your own town. Snag a martini at the hotel lobby bar or head downstairs for some live music and a beer at Nighthawk, the basement bar that feels a bit more grunge. LUCKY BOYS (1615 Genessee St., KCMO) There is something sublime in the transition from fine dining to the best dive bar in Kansas City. If you are having a nice dinner in the West Bottoms at The Campground, Voltaire or the Golden Ox, there is no finer epilogue than the velvet painting-lined walls of Lucky Boys. It’s divey, meaning the drinks are drinks and nothing is pretentious. You can have a beer and a shot or a cocktail while listening to a thoughtful selection of crowd-pleasing tunes, and the bartenders are ebulliently kind. It’s also open until 1:30 am every day except Sundays. GREEN LADY LOUNGE (1809 Grand Blvd., KCMO) Located just blocks from great restaurants like Baramee Thai Bistro, Extra Virgin and Farina, Green Lady Lounge is a perfect spot to gather or regroup. The jazz lounge sits on Grand Avenue, dark and intimately cozy, like it has resided there for millennia (instead of opening in 2012). Come here after oysters at Farina or Pad Thai at Baramee and you can squint and see the thread of a Kansas City that once was. Compared to the more storied establishments of 18th and Vine, the places that actually have the lineage, Green Lady lounge feels like an earnest homage to a different time. RYE (4646 Mill Creek Parkway, KCMO) You need no excuse to enjoy a cocktail at the Rye bar on the Plaza, but in the colder months, bathed in the ambient glow of the holiday lights, it’s hard to beat. If you are getting a meal at Gram & Dun, Jack Stack, or Cafe Trio, make a detour to Rye for its long windows, vintage records and expertly prepared cocktails. We would be remiss to not mention how good the food at Rye is as well, but don’t overlook it as a spot to pop in for a drink on your way somewhere else.

18TH STREET IN THE CROSSROADS No matter where you’re planning dinner in the Crossroads— Anjin, The Wise Guy, 1587 Prime or Triune—18th Street is home to some of Kansas City’s best cocktail lounges. Le Lounge, No Vacancy’s chic hotel bar (130 W. 18th St., KCMO) plays live music later in the week and serves one of the coldest martinis in town. Slightly east sits Jade Jaguar, a Mexico City-inspired bar offering a vibrant space for salsa, cocktails crafted with tequila and mezcal, and elite bar bites.

52 Kansas City January 2026

PHOTOGR APHY SHUT TERSTOCK

MITCH E AMARO (306 Armour Road, North KC) If you are in North Kansas City for Tay’s or District Biskuits, swing over to Mitch e Amaro for a cocktail. Browse through their impressive offering of specialty liquors, amaros and bitters while they prepare your drink. There’s even local standup comedy on Monday evenings. The space feels less like a bar and more like your friend’s living room. The staff is always very excited to show off the newest bottle they’ve found.

PHOTOGR APHY Z ACH BAUMAN

No.

Luke Salvatore is seeking the perfect bagel. He says so on a crisp, clear fall day at Luca Bagel, the little bakery and sandwich shop he runs on the eastern edge of Brookside. Salvatore says he started making bagels for the most obvious reason: He wanted to eat them. Specifically, he wanted to relive the culinary experiences of his youth on the eastern seaboard, as he used to to spend summers in southern New Jersey and Thanksgivings in New Jersey’s Bergen County. After finding his way to KC and opening Providence Pizzeria Co. with his brother, Aaron, Salvatore became nostalgic for the taste of his childhood, so he began trying his hand at East Coaststyle bagels in 2022 at the pizzeria. “We didn’t really have the equipment we needed,” Salvatore says, “so we were using a stock pot and our pizza ovens and continually producing what I thought was an inferior bagel.” Eventually, equipped with a rightsized kettle and an oven with rotating decks, the brothers started selling bagels at the Overland Park Farmers’ Market. It was an immediate success; they sold out every weekend. After three seasons in OP, Salvatore decided to try a brick-and-mortar, ending up on 63rd Street in a space formerly occupied by Mattie’s Foods. Just like the farmers market, the Brookside store has been a hit, with—be forewarned— long lines every weekend.

LUCA BAGE L

633 E. 63rd St., #110, KCMO. lucabagel.com. Luca Bagel is open Tuesday–Friday from 6 am–3 pm and Saturday–Sunday from 7 am–3 pm.

INSIDE R TIP : Lines are long at Luca, especially on the weekends. Pop in during the week for a shorter wait time.

That success, however, is no surprise. The man is seeking greatness. Over and over while describing his work, Salvatore uses language that one might hear from an artist or philosopher. He talks about the “concept of the bagel,” almost like it’s a platonic ideal. He speaks of “trying to fulfill the potential for what a bagel could be.” Twice he uses the word “dream” to describe his quest for bagel excellence. The word “maximize” came up twice as well, as in “caring enough about the bagel to maximize everything at your disposal.” A huge part of that bagel-maxing is, of course, using the best possible ingredients. Consider Luca Bagel’s take on the quintessential offering from any bagel shop: bagel and lox with a schmear. Luca uses Nova lox cold-smoked salmon and slices it by hand, along with whipped Philadelphia cream cheese, heirloom tomatoes, red onions, thin-sliced English cucumbers and Roland Organic non-pareil capers. Then, of course, there is the handrolled New Jersey-style bagel itself, which includes 100 percent organic liquid barley malt in the dough. The team makes sure the dough has time to ferment to let the bagel become the truest, most bagel-y version of itself. The result is glorious. These are not the flat, bready things you’re likely to get from a grocery store bakery. Luca Bagels feel alive. They’re plump, tall, dense and chewy with an especially shiny, crispy crust. Is all that effort and expense really necessary? Maybe not. But then it wouldn’t be the best bagel that it can possibly be. That’s what Salvatore cares about. You can hear it when he talks about bagels. More importantly, you can taste it when you eat one. -

Luca’s Jersey pork roll sandwich (top); bagel and lox (bottom)

HAMPTON STEVENS

kansascitymag.com January 2026

9 No.

KANSAS CITY SAID GOODBYE TO THESE SIX RESTAURANTS IN 2025 BY CARMEN VAJGRT Every restaurant tells a story, and in 2025, we turned the final page on six wellloved favorites. These spots each brought something unique to the table, from flavors to friendships that lasted beyond the final bite.

S OUR RA BBI T 7715 N.W. Prairie View Road, KCMO. @sour_rabbit_bakery. Sour Rabbit is open Tuesday–Sunday from 7:30 am–2:30 pm.

INSIDE R TIP : Different days of the week feature different things. Sundays are for cakes, like German chocolate, Fridays are for sandwiches, and Saturdays are earmarked for pastries of the classic French variety. Check Instagram for rare gems like Japanese-inspired egg salad stuffed inside a sourdough croissant for an aweinspiring sandwich.

CHINGU The Korean bar and restaurant was nestled in the heart of Westport for three years before it closed its doors this May. Locals looking for chef Keeyoung Kim’s take on Korean food can still visit Chingu Coffee and order Sura Eats Sauces online at suraeatskitchen.com. SAUCED October 4th marked the last day owner Steven Blakely served delicious and juicy burgers and sandwiches dripping with Sassy Sauce to patrons and passersby at his urban burger counter in the Crossroads. Blakely is keeping busy, though. He turned his attention to Triune, a new restaurant on the West Side. RAKAR DUMPLING After serving more than 1.5 million piping-hot dumplings, Leawood’s unmatched Chinese food and antique shop double-hitter closed its doors in December, with owner Jim Zhang saying it’s time to retire. CORVINO SUPPER CLUB AND TASTING ROOM Corvino went out with a bang, serving its last meal on New Year’s Eve. After nine years in the Crossroads creating upscale small plates and libations that earned multiple James Beard nominations, AAA Four Diamond Awards and numerous local recognitions, owners Michael and Christa Corvino decided it was time to call it quits. WALDO THAI James Beard semifinalist Waldo Thai, beloved for its craft cocktails and traditional takes on dishes of moo dang and curry since 2018, has not reopened following the announcement of its second shutdown since opening. HAPPY GILLIS CAFE & HANGOUT After passing ownership three times since opening in 2008, the corner cafe that lets you pick your own coffee mug closed in July. Recently it was announced that The Town Company’s award-winning chefs, Helen Jo and Johnny Leach, plan to reopen the establishment with a new concept and name, Dear Donna. Here’s hoping they bring back the biscuits and gravy.

54 Kansas City January 2026

Can a bakery be considered a restaurant? Truthfully, I don’t care to debate the logistics. Sour Rabbit, the Northland’s new sourdough bakery, has seating, coffee on tap and a display case offering some of the best baked goods you can find north of the river. And that’s enough for me. Atsuko Hammann and her husband, Rolf, opened their hidden bakery, situated off 29 Highway and N.W. Prairie View Road, in March in a mixed-use building housing an insurance office and cell phone repair store. The bakery sells out of its almond croissants, orange zesttopped scones infused with earthy sage, streusel cakes, pink peppercorn artisan bread loaves and other pastries almost every day.

The flavors of both Atsuko and Rolf’s home countries (Atsuko from Hokkaido, Japan; Rolf from GrossGerau, Germany) make appearances throughout Sour Rabbit’s menu. On one visit, I ordered a sweet red bean mochi cake (a slightly nutty and delightfully sweet mini pie-like pastry), a Basque cheesecake made with ricotta and sour cream and a Swedish cinnamon swirl. For the most part, all these pastries have one thing in common—their gluten-y fermentation base. Each flour-dusted loaf of bread comes with that dynamite texture that fueled the 2020 sourdough baking frenzy—an ultra-toasty chestnut-colored crust that envelopes a soft pillowy inside. The ingredients— water, locally milled Marion Milling flour, and time—are minimal but full of depth, tang and chew. I’ve begun to even prefer Hammann’s light and crisp bagels over the dense styles coming to our city from the East Coast. - TYLER SHANE

PHOTOGR APHY Z ACH BAUMAN

Sour Rabbit’s artisan sourdough bread loaves

Whether you love the Kansas Chiefs or love to hate them, or whether you’re a self-proclaimed foodie or prefer to keep matters of the palate more simple, it hardly matters. If you live in Kansas City or even vaguely follow its cultural orbit, you’ve heard of 1587 Prime, the glossy new steakhouse backed by superstar duo Patrick Mahomes (No. 15) and Travis Kelce (No. 87). Located just outside the Loews Hotel, the two-story steakhouse made an immediate and unavoidable splash. Its ambience is everything. Vocalist Chanteuse Tayla Rae Groves weaves through the dining room, serenading you while you feast on juicy Wagyu New York strips and linger over cocktails lit aflame in the name of world-renowned popstar (and Kelce’s fiancee) Taylor Swift. Servers in fitted blazers hustle past marble columns, delivering dramatically plated entrees. It’s all a big-city spectacle that feels intentionally larger than life. With the partnership of international hospitality

group Noble 33, 1587 Prime makes subtle nods to its celebrity owners while smartly keeping old school steakhouse glamour at its core. The menu stays true to classic steakhouse fare: wedge salads, oysters, black truffle compound butters and Wagyu cuts sourced from cities ranging from Melba, Idaho, to Victoria, Australia. But there’s also the opportunity to make a few theatrical choices, like opting for the martini cart or a tableside brandy-induced flambé. There’s a cheeky ketchup flight that nods to Mahomes’ infamous admittance of eating ketchup with his steak and the Big Yeti cocktail, a smokey riff on an old fashioned, honoring Kelce. In all its grandeur, desserts are kept local and sourced from beloved McClain’s bakery. That said, for all its polish and promise, 1587 Prime is still finding its footing. The restaurant remains wildly popular (so much so that getting a seat at the bar proved impossible on more than one attempt, and reservations are nearly impossible to get), but that popularity currently seems driven more by curiosity, celebrity and convention traffic than by repeat-visit devotion from locals. Does 1587 Prime’s food and service surpass the city’s many excellent steakhouses? At just four months old, it may be too soon to tell, but on my most recent visits, it hasn’t yet. Still, few restaurants in Kansas City have made a louder entrance.

10 PHOTOGR APHY NOBLE 33; SHUT TERSTOCK

No.

1587 Prime’s Wagyu Katsu Sando

Whether 1587 Prime evolves into a date night go-to or settles into its role as a one-time splurge remains to be seen. What’s undeniable is its impact: a restaurant so buzzy it made national headlines in People and The Cut and so emblematic of Kansas City’s growing cultural confidence that ignoring it would feel like an omission. Growing pains and all, 1587 Prime is a spectacle this city was bound to have, where steaks, sports and pop culture all collide under one very bright spotlight. Look at how far we’ve come, KC. - TYLER SHANE

1 587 P R IM E 1500 Baltimore Ave., KCMO. 1587prime.com. 1587 Prime is open Monday–Thursday from 4:30–10 pm and Friday–Sunday from 4:30–11 pm.

INSIDE R TIP : Struggling to book a reservation? Pop in to see if you can snag a spot at the bar. And mind the dress code: business casual or dressy evening, unless it’s game day. Then that Chiefs jersey is practically part of the uniform.

PARKVILLE MIGHT BE THE NEW RESTAURANT ROW BY CARMEN VAJGRT

arkville has always been effortlessly postcard-pretty with its brick Main Street, bluffs at your back and the Missouri River rolling slow and wide beyond the port. But over the last two years, it seems Parkville’s potential has caught the attention of ambitious chefs. Chef-led dining is making its mark on the quaint Northland town, just a fifteen-minute drive outside of downtown KC. Spots like Acre bring wood-fired ambition to Parkville Commons while Prima Facie Bistro & Market serves Australian lamb chops and dressed-up crab cakes out of the vault of a 108-year-old bank. Down the hill, Wild Flour Baking Co. warms up a Victorian-inspired cottage with loaves and pastries that sell out before noon while Parker Hollow, Parkville’s newest kitchen addition owned and operated by acclaimed chef Jonathan Justus, leans into seafood. But in true smalltown fashion, the growth comes from rooted local favorites too, like Stone Canyon Pizza Co., whose longtime manager, Rosa Parra, and her husband, Guillermo Ramos, have followed their dreams to offer authentic flavors at K-Tacos & More. Call it momentum. Call it a river breeze catching the sails. Whatever it is, Parkville is finding its appetite.

kansascitymag.com January 2026

The Henry W. Bloch School of Management proudly presents the

Regnier Venture Creation Challenge April 24, 2026 An entrepreneurial pitch competition with over $170,000 in prizes! Do you have a business, a side hustle, or even just an idea for a new business? The Regnier Venture Creation Challenge could be your opportunity to pitch your business, gain invaluable insights and win thousands of dollars! This competition is open to ALL college students and established entrepreneurs from the Kansas City community.

Applications Open: January 27 Applications Due: March 15

Learn more and register!

go.umkc.edu/RVCC

SPECIAL ADVERTISING ADVERTISING SECTION SECTION SPECIAL

EYES on KC LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT VISION PROCEDURES FROM AESTHETIC TO VISION REPAIR

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

KC specialists are helping patients see clearly with vision enhancement and cosmetic procedures Explore Your Options with Cataract Surgery Ad Astra Eye Cataracts are the clouding of the lens inside the eye, and a common cause of decreased vision and glare with age. There are safe and effective surgeries to remove cataracts. One common surgery is called phacoemulsification, utilizing ultrasonic waves to break down the cataract and a vacuum to remove lens pieces from the eye. The surgery is usually quick, lasting 10 to 20 minutes, and you can typically go home the same day. Recovery includes avoiding certain activities, like swimming and heavy lifting. Another option is laser-assisted cataract surgery, where a laser performs crucial parts of the surgery. Replacement lens options also exist, including the Light Adjustable Lens. This can be customized to the patient’s eye with light after the lens is inside the eye using higher levels of accuracy for distance and near vision without glasses. Both procedures are performed with Ad Astra Eye, conveniently located in Kansas City and Lawrence.

adastraeye.com

Restore Your Vision with Laser VisionSurgery Correction Outcomes & Recovery for Cataract Grin Eye Care ADVERTISER

Wearing glasses can feel likeadipiscing a hassle, but can impossible to goincididunt about your daily life Lorem ipsum dolororsitcontacts amet, consectetur elit, it sed dobeeiusmod tempor ut labore et dolore without them if your vision is impaired. LASIK eye surgery can restore vision, making life easier and magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commoimproving your confidence. LASIK, a type of refractive surgery which reshapes the cornea, can correct do consequat. Duis aute irurehyperopia dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore fugiat nulla pariatur. myopia (nearsightedness), (farsightedness), and astigmatism. Grin Eye Care,euone of Kansas City’s top doctors the field of ophthalmology, performs LASIK using laser Excepteur sintinoccaecat cupidatat non proident, suntcompletely in culpa quibladeless officia deserunt mollitadvanced anim id est laborum. technology. They offer LASIK at their Olatheaccusantium and Leawooddoloremque offices to patients who are Sed ut perspiciatis unde free omnis iste evaluations natus error sit voluptatem laudantium, totam rem interested in pursuing this treatment option. aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.

grineyecare.com Webaddress.com.

Understanding Diabetic Eye Care Sabates Eye Centers Diabetes is a systemic health condition that can affect various parts of the body, including your eyes. Diabetic eye complications, if left untreated, can lead to severe vision loss or even blindness. That’s why the specialized eye care services provided by Sabates Eye Centers are designed to detect and prevent diabetic-related eye conditions. Their goal is to preserve your eyesight and enhance your quality of life. They provide annual diabetic eye exams. Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it’s important to look after your eyes.

sabateseye.com

What to Know about Blepharoplasty: What to KnowBetter about Known as Eyelid Surgery? Blepharoplasty:

Cusick Plastic Surgery Better Known as

Eyelid Surgery?

Blepharoplasty rejuvenates the area by correcting drooping or puffiness in the upper eyelids, as well as puffy bags below the eyes. The procedure has a ADVERTISER relatively rapid recovery and a long-standing record Lorem ipsum when dolor performed sit amet, consectetur of effectiveness by Dr. Doug Cusick, a board-certified Leawood. adipiscing elit,plastic sed dosurgeon eiusmodintempor incididunt et dolore magna Upper Eyelid:ut Anlabore incision is made in thealiqua. crease of theUt upper leaving a scarquis thatnostrud is well-hidden in enimeyelid, ad minim veniam, this fold of skin. Dr. Cusick removes a strip of excess exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip skin and a strip of excess muscle, redistributing and/ ex ea commodo Duis aute irure or removing some ofconsequat. the fat deposits. Your upper dolorwill in reprehenderit in out voluptate velit esse eyelids no longer bulge over the eyelashes. Youcillum may even beeu able to see better if your upper dolore fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepeyelids were interfering with your vision. teur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, Lower Anqui incision made along the suntEyelid: in culpa officiaisdeserunt mollit anim exterior of the eyelid, along the lower lash line, or on id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde the interior of the lower eyelid. The right incision omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accudepends on whether excess skin is being removed santiumtodoloremque in addition excess fat. laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore Results: Many patients get blepharoplasty just once et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta andveritatis are happy with the results for years. sunt explicabo. Webaddress.com.

cusickplasticsurgery.com

60 Kansas City January 2026

MEMOR ABILIA PROVIDED

THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF KCK’S MEMORIAL HALL

From soldiers to singers, generations have left their mark under the soaring ceilings of this 100-year-old building By Hampton Stevens Photography by Laura Morsman kansascitymag.com January 2026

Rick Hellman

62 Kansas City January 2026

IF THESE WA L L S C OUL D TALK , THEY WOULD SING. Memorial Hall might be the most spiritually resonant building in Kansas City, Kansas. Many religious and sacred traditions hold, after all, that people and events can leave psychic imprints on a building. If that’s true, then Memorial is practically vibrating with a century of memories. The 3,500-seat, Georgian-style auditorium, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has held an astonishing array of events since opening in 1925—from commencements and convocations to roller derby and wrestling. For wrestling fans, in fact, Memorial is nothing short of iconic, having hosted seminal events for decades and playing a key role in wrestling’s development as a major form of American popular entertainment. Music lovers, though, know the place for an absolutely breathtaking list of artists who have performed there over the decades. The roster is truly gobsmacking. Patsy Cline famously played her last show at Memorial. Johnny Cash played the venue four times. Miles Davis played there. So did Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. Pink Floyd performed The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. Janis Joplin played two shows on June 14, 1970—and rumor has it the Pearl singer may not have been entirely sober during her performances. Similarly, Led Zeppelin played two shows (with tickets

topping out at $5.50), and legendary drummer John Bonham was said to be so tired for the second set that he kept falling off his stool. Sure. He was “tired.” It goes on and on. Springsteen, The Eagles, The Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, Black Sabbath, Elton John, U2, Billy Joel, Beastie Boys, Tom Petty, Queen, R.E.M., David Bowie. It’s almost unfathomable. Rick Hellman knows. The founder of the Kansas City Rock History Project (kcrockhistory.com), Hellman spoke with Kansas City magazine about what makes the venue great. “Memorial Hall is just such a perfectly sized place for a rock concert, “ Hellman says. “It’s human-sized and old fashioned in that way. You were a stone’s throw away (from the stage) at the furthest.” The lack of sophisticated technology and stage effects, Hellman notes, made for a more authentic, intimate experience. “These were the days before projection screens and stuff. You’re in the room instead of watching it on TV. The show was just what was on the stage.” He mentions a Peter Gabriel performance as one of his favorite memories from the venue, along with an early appearance by Talking Heads. “I sat right in front and lost a good bit of hearing because it was so loud,” Hellman says. “But, you know, I wouldn’t trade it.” For Hellman, the appeal is sacred. He describes the ecstatic feeling fans get when they see great live music. “It’s a religious experience,” he says, “That’s what I remember having at Memorial Hall.” kansascitymag.com January 2026

Rocki Mayes

64 Kansas City January 2026

M E M O RI A L HA LL’S MAKERS

I T ’S MORE T HAN JUST A V ENUE Rocki Mayes, manager of the facility, understands where Hellman is coming from. For Mayes, though, the building’s spirituality is connected to the hall’s original purpose—as a memorial to those who died in service to their country. We met in the gorgeous, marble-floored lobby, under soaring ceilings and chandeliers, and Mayes led us on a tour through the facility, with a special emphasis on the veteran’s rooms. The two dedicated spaces, one on each side of the lobby, are lovingly decorated with museum-quality photographs, posters and memorabilia from World War I. “These veteran’s rooms were created back in the day,” Mayes says, “Men’s on the south, women’s on the north. The VFW used to meet there. So did the American Legion.” Over the decades, though, they fell into disrepair. Mayes was determined to change that. In July, she began exploring.

“I started digging,” she says. “Digging through archives upstairs and digging back in these closets. And I’m like, there are pictures everywhere. Why are these not on the wall?” She felt kind of helpless, though, because there wasn’t a lot of money for renovations. “It took me a long time to get through the (Wyandotte County) historical society. Just so many hoops to jump through. They’re very particular about these rooms.” Ultimately, though, by September, Mayes had taken a pair of dusty, forgotten spaces and changed them into tasteful and respectful tributes to the men who gave their lives in service and the people back home who supported them. Asked what the project means to her, Mayes gets a little misty. “Everything,” she says. “This is what this hall was originally built for. It’s a soldiers and sailors memorial, and it pays homage to the people who fought for our country.”

MEMOR ABILIA PROVIDED

S U R E , T HERE ARE GHOSTS, BUT THEY’V E S E E N S O M E IN CR E D IB L E S H OW S Mayes talks with special reverence about a place called the prayer room. Now, it’s a lovely, solemn little nook filled with photographs of men from Wyandotte County who died in action. But Mayes had to make it that way. “When I went in there the first time, I’m a spiritual person, and it was really just kind of heavy on me.” There was so much junk, she says, you couldn’t even walk in the room. “And so, me being me, I was talking to the pictures on the wall because I believe in that. And I was like: ‘Okay, guys, I promise one day I’m going to make this better. I’m going to make you proud of the way that I fix this up. I swear I am.’” Mayes made good on that promise—and may have even had a little help from beyond. “If you want to know a little story,” Mayes says, “you may think it’s funny. You may think I’m weird. I don’t know. It’s up to you. So, when they originally

did the paint, I had picked out this paint color. I saw it somewhere. I don’t even know where, but I fell in love with it. And I was like, oh, my God. That has to go in the veteran’s room. That has to be my veteran’s room color. I became obsessed.” Later, when workmen were moving junk out of the room, they discovered that the walls had originally been the exact shade of green Mayes had chosen. It’s a small thing, but it obviously means the world to her. Mayes truly believes the dead spoke to her, guiding the renovations right down to the color of paint on the walls. “I swear they did!” Maybe. Stranger things have happened. If there are ghosts in Memorial Hall, though, we know a few things about them. One, they have a passionate advocate in Mayes. Two, as the decades have passed, those ghosts have seen an absolutely amazing number of awesome shows.

When Memorial Hall opened its doors in 1925, the city wasn’t just unveiling a new civic auditorium—it was dedicating a monumental work of architecture from one of Kansas City’s most respected design teams. The building was the creation of Rose & Peterson, the prolific local firm led by William Warren Rose and David Burton Peterson, who left their fingerprints on more than 60 structures throughout the region. Memorial Hall, though, is widely considered their masterpiece. Designed in a graceful blend of Classical Revival and Georgian style, the hall stands in warm brown brick trimmed with limestone and terra cotta. Its most striking feature greets visitors immediately: a grand portico supported by six three-story Tuscan stone columns, a stately frame for the five sets of wooden entrance doors. Above them, patriotic inscriptions and sculpted eagles reflect the building’s original purpose—to honor World War I veterans. Inside, the ornate lobby reveals the full ambition of Rose and Peterson’s vision. Carthage marble is used liberally in the grand hallway along with decorative plasterwork, Corinthian columns and dramatic bronze chandeliers. Plaques listing fallen soldiers are incorporated into the architecture itself, making the space as much a memorial as a meeting place. Beyond the lobby sits the 3,500seat auditorium. On the third floor, a large room originally conceived as a chapel briefly housed the national headquarters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, underscoring the building’s civic and ceremonial importance at the time of its inception.

kansascitymag.com January 2026

Top

Hospitals 66 Kansas City January 2026

Where’s the best place to get care in the metro or across Kansas and Missouri? We’ll tell you.

PHOTOGR APHY SHUT TERSTOCK

ABOUT CASTLE CONNOLLY

FOR MANY, January is a time to reflect and make health a top priority. So with that in mind, we decided to take a look back and see how our local and statewide hospitals ranked in 2025. We hope this information will be useful when navigating the increasingly complicated health-care landscape. For several years, Kansas City magazine has partnered with Castle Connolly, a health-care research and information company, to provide an extensive peer-driven and unbiased list of the metro’s top doctors. This year, we also decided to work with Castle Connolly to take a look at the city and state’s top hospitals. This list does not include pediatric care.

With more than 30 years’ experience researching, reviewing and selecting top doctors, Castle Connolly has proven itself as a credible health-care research and information company. The firm’s mission is to help people find the best health care by connecting patients with best-in-class health-care providers. How the rankings work: Top Hospitals is a prestigious recognition awarded to hospitals that set the standard for excellence within specific medical procedures. Hospitals are ranked in specific procedures, currently within the following service lines: orthopedics, cardiology, gastroenterology, urology, OB-GYN and oncology. It’s a data-driven approach providing an objective way to evaluate hospitals, leveraging comprehensive all-payor claims data to capture the full patient journey when seeking care. This ensures a complete understanding of patient experiences and outcomes, allowing us to highlight hospitals that truly make a difference in health care. Castle Connolly doesn’t look at just one metric—it looks at the complete picture. We analyze clinical performance to understand how hospitals deliver care, track patient outcomes that go beyond basic statistics, incorporate insights from physicians who recognize real-world medical excellence and validate the volume of procedures that demonstrate true expertise. Castle Connolly’s methodology is the only one in the industry that leverages allpayor, all-claims data; others rely solely on Medicare data. This is a major differentiator, as it allows the firm to follow a patient’s entire medical journey, not just a snapshot. Castle Connolly evaluates how hospitals manage treatment from start to finish—identifying complications early, reducing the need for follow-up procedures and ensuring patient safety throughout care.

kansascitymag.com January 2026

How the Covid pandemic changed hospital volunteerism By Nicole Kinning

WHEN HOSPITALS SENT volunteers home in March 2020, nobody

knew if (or how) they’d return. Now, more than five years later, the answer is clear: Hospital volunteers are back, even if the day-to-day doesn’t look the same. “We didn’t have volunteers for almost nine months,” says Nicki Johnson, director of philanthropic volunteer services and in-kind giving at Children’s Mercy. When programming resumed, the hospital took what she calls a “slow, steady course,” bringing back familiar faces first. Some never returned, though; immunization requirements deterred some, and for others, nine months of isolation had taken too much of a toll in their rhythms. Many retirees, which make up a large chunk of hospital volunteers, left Kansas City or became snowbirds. At University Health, the story remains the same but with its own variations. Valinda Fisher-Hobson, senior director of community management, recalls volunteers calling in during the shutdown asking when it was time to come back. “Some of them were a little reluctant because we still had to wear masks,” Fisher-Hobson says. “And the isolation really hurt a lot of people.” UH had to rebuild from zero, reaching out to each veteran volunteer by email and phone. Some older volunteers couldn’t drive to the hospital anymore. Others simply couldn’t function in the new reality of health care.

68 Kansas City January 2026

PHOTOGR APHY SHUT TERSTOCK

Helping Hands

What emerged from the rebuilding of volunteer services wasn’t just a return to normal but a reimagining of what volunteer services could look like. At Children’s Mercy, Johnson and her team began to use technology even more, and the practices stuck. They’ve found creative ways to use CCTV to do virtual activities like bingo and storytimes. Volunteer-led playroom gatherings have evolved into volunteer-made craft kits delivered bedside. Potential germ vectors, like shared Uno decks and costume crowns, have disappeared entirely and are replaced by “happy kits” assembled by volunteers. Along with a shift in everyday volunteer opportunities, hospitals are finding that the kids who lived through Covid are showing a keen interest in health care as a career. “Kids were introduced to it just by the state of the world at that time, and they are really interested,” Fisher-Hobson says. Such is evident by UH’s summer health-care camp. “We target high school students, and we have a Health Sciences District Academy offered at our Hospital Hill location,” says Cathrine Harland, corporate manager of volunteer and retail operations. “And then we offer our Blue Spring School District health-care camp at Lakewood. About 45 students come through total, and we give them the experience and exposure of a career health-care pathway.” Hospitals around the city are working to explore more community engagement opportunities and expand programming in ways that feel both innovative and necessary. University Health plans to welcome two miniature horses to their pet therapy program, a creative expansion that Fisher-Hobson says might not have existed without Covid forcing hospitals to rethink everything. Children’s Mercy’s Johnson says that the hospital is also pragmatic about the future. “Our goal is really focused on our commitment to engaging our community in learning about Children’s Mercy,” she says. Her goal: Get volunteers in the door once, let them “experience Children’s Mercy, to feel it, to know it,” and hope they stay.

The Missouri and Kansas hospitals that made the cut C–section Surgery AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Merriam, KS AdventHealth State: Gold Standard The University of Kansas Health System, St. Francis Campus Topeka, KS Americas Division National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Missouri Baptist Medical Center St. Louis, MO BJC HealthCare State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Saint Luke’s East Hospital Lee’s Summit, MO BJC HealthCare State: Top Hospital Cox Medical Center Branson Branson, MO CoxHealth State: Top Hospital Cox Medical Center South Springfield, MO CoxHealth State: Top Hospital Freeman Health System Joplin, MO State: Gold Standard Wesley Medical Center Wichita, KS HCA Continental Division State: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Mercy State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital South St. Louis, MO Mercy State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Top Hospital Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy State: Top Hospital Mercy Hospital St. Louis St. Louis, MO Mercy State: Top Hospital Designated Market Area: Top Hospital Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph – Medical Center St. Joseph, MO Mosaic Life Care State: Gold Standard

GOLD STANDARD designations represent a top 25 national rank, top 10 statewide and top 5 within designated metro areas. The remaining eligible hospitals receive the high distinction of TOP HOSPITAL.

Southwest Medical Center Liberal, KS National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard

Carotid Artery Surgery

Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center Chanute, KS National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard

Mercy Hospital St. Louis Creve Coeur, MO Mercy National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

NMC Health Medical Center Newton, KS State: Gold Standard Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard SSM Health DePaul Hospital – St. Louis Bridgeton, MO National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard

Kansas Medical Center Andover, KS State: Gold Standard

Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard St. Luke’s Hospital – Chesterfield Chesterfield, MO St. Luke’s Hospital Health System National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

North Kansas City Hospital North Kansas City, MO State: Gold Standard

University of Kansas Hospital Kansas City, KS The University of Kansas Health System National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard

Ozarks Healthcare West Plains, MO State: Top Hospital

Colon Surgery

Lake Regional Health System Osage Beach, MO State: Top Hospital Fitzgibbon Hospital Marshall, MO State: Top Hospital Phelps Health Hospital Rolla, MO State: Top Hospital Olathe Medical Center Olathe, KS State: Gold Standard SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Fenton Fenton, MO SSM Health St. Louis National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – Lake Saint Louis Lake St. Louis, MO SSM Health St. Louis State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Stormont Vail Hospital Topeka, KS Stormont Vail Health State: Gold Standard University Hospital Columbia, MO MU Health Care State: Top Hospital

Olathe Medical Center Olathe, KS National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – St. Louis Richmond Heights, MO SSM Health St. Louis State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Fenton St. Louis County, MO SSM Health St. Louis State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Top Hospital St. Luke’s Hospital – Chesterfield, MO Chesterfield, MO St. Luke’s Hospital Health System National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

The University of Kansas Health System, St. Francis Campus Topeka, KS Americas Division National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital St. Louis, MO BJC HealthCare National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Saint Luke’s East Hospital Lee’s Summit, MO BJC HealthCare State: Gold Standard

Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Southeast Cape Girardeau, MO SoutheastHEALTH National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard University of Kansas Hospital Kansas City, KS The University of Kansas Health System National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard

Lee’s Summit Medical Center Lee’s Summit, MO HCA Mid America Division National: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Mercy State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri Mercy National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard

North Kansas City Hospital North Kansas City, MO State: Gold Standard

Esophageal Cancer Surgery Barnes-Jewish Hospital St. Louis, MO BJC HealthCare National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy State: Gold Standard

kansascitymag.com January 2026

Heart Valve Replacement Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute Kansas City, MO BJC HealthCare National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Missouri Baptist Medical Center St. Louis, MO BJC HealthCare National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard University of Kansas Hospital Kansas City, KS The University of Kansas Health System National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard

Hernia Repair Surgery Saint Luke’s South Hospital Overland Park, KS BJC HealthCare National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital St. Peters, MO BJC HealthCare National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Saint Luke’s East Hospital Lee’s Summit, MO BJC HealthCare State: Gold Standard Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute Kansas City, MO BJC HealthCare State: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Mercy State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

Clara Barton Hospital Hoisington, KS State: Gold Standard North Kansas City Hospital North Kansas City, MO State: Top Hospital Olathe Medical Center Olathe, KS Olathe Health State: Gold Standard

Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Wichita, KS Ascension Via Christi Health State: Gold Standard

SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – Lake Saint Louis Lake St Louis, MO SSM Health St. Louis State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

Missouri Baptist Medical Center St. Louis, MO BJC HealthCare State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – St. Louis Richmond Heights, MO SSM Health St. Louis State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

Mercy Hospital South St. Louis, MO Mercy State: Gold Standard Designated Marketing Area: Gold Standard

SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Fenton Fenton, MO SSM Health St. Louis State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Top Hospital

Kansas Surgery and Recovery Center Wichita, KS National: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

Barnes-Jewish Hospital St. Louis, MO BJC HealthCare State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Fenton Fenton, MO SSM Health St. Louis State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

Saint Luke’s North Hospital – Barry Road Kansas City, MO BJC HealthCare State: Top Hospital

St. Luke’s Hospital – Chesterfield Chesterfield, MO St. Luke’s Hospital Health System National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

Hip Replacement Surgery Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Wichita, KS Ascension Via Christi Health National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital St. Louis, MO BJC HealthCare National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

Mercy Hospital St. Louis St. Louis, MO Mercy State: Top Hospital Designated Market Area: Top Hospital

Kansas Surgery and Recovery Center Wichita, KS National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard

70 Kansas City January 2026

Pratt Regional Medical Center Pratt, KS National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard

Mastectomy

Knee Replacement Surgery

Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard

Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph – Medical Center St. Joseph, MO Mosaic Life Care National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard

Hays Medical Center Hays, KS National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard

University of Kansas Hospital Kansas City, KS The University of Kansas Health System National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard

Mercy Hospital Southeast Cape Girardeau, MO SoutheastHEALTH National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard

Mercy Hospital Lebanon Lebanon, MO Mercy State: Top Hospital

Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy State: Top Hospital

Mercy Hospital Joplin Joplin, MO Mercy State: Gold Standard

Hysterectomy Wesley Medical Center Wichita, KS HCA Continental Division – Wesley Healthcare State: Gold Standard

Liver Cancer Surgery University of Kansas Hospital Kansas City, KS The University of Kansas Health System National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard

Lung Cancer Surgery Barnes-Jewish Hospital St. Louis, MO BJC HealthCare National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute Kansas City, MO BJC HealthCare National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital St. Louis St. Louis, MO Mercy National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard

Saint Luke’s East Hospital Lee’s Summit, MO BJC HealthCare National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Missouri Baptist Medical Center St. Louis, MO BJC HealthCare State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute Kansas City, MO BJC HealthCare State: Gold Standard

Cox Medical Center South Springfield, MO CoxHealth State: Top Hospital Menorah Medical Center Overland Park, KS HCA Mid America Division State: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital St. Louis St. Louis, MO Mercy State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy State: Gold Standard Kansas Surgery and Recovery Center Wichita, KS State: Gold Standard KU Medical Center Kansas City, KS State: Gold Standard Phelps Health Hospital Rolla, MO National: Gold Standard State: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Southeast Cape Girardeau, MO SoutheastHEALTH State: Gold Standard SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – St. Charles St. Charles, MO SSM Health St. Louis State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard

SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – St. Louis Richmond Heights, MO SSM Health St. Louis State: Top Hospital Designated Market Area: Top Hospital St. Luke’s Hospital – Chesterfield Chesterfield, MO St. Luke’s Hospital Health System State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard University of Kansas Hospital Kansas City, KS The University of Kansas Health System State: Gold Standard

Prostate Surgery Citizens Memorial Hospital Bolivar, MO National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard

Spine Surgery Cox Medical Center South Springfield, MO CoxHealth National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Wesley Medical Center Wichita, KS HCA Continental Division – Wesley Healthcare State: Gold Standard Mercy Specialty Hospital – Southeast Kansas Galena, KS Mercy National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield, MO Mercy National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Saint Francis Medical Center – Cape Girardeau Cape Girardeau, MO National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard Mercy Hospital Southeast Cape Girardeau, MO SoutheastHEALTH State: Gold Standard

PHOTOGR APHY SHUT TERSTOCK

St. Luke’s Hospital – Chesterfield Chesterfield, MO St. Luke’s Hospital Health System State: Gold Standard Designated Market Area: Gold Standard University of Kansas Hospital Kansas City, KS The University of Kansas Health System State: Gold Standard University Hospital Lee’s Summit, MO University of Missouri Health Care National: Top Hospital State: Gold Standard

Like Clockwork

The technology quietly powering faster care and smarter hospitals By Nicole Kinning BEHIND THE SCENES of hospitals, a quiet revolution is underway. From operating rooms and cafeterias to pharmacies and scheduling desks, automation is reshaping workflows, helping patients receive care faster and hospitals run more efficiently. KC hospitals are embracing automated tasks in multiple ways: At the University of Kansas Health System, technology has become woven into nearly every aspect of patient care, addressing workflow bottlenecks that once slowed operations. Jeff Novorr, vice president of hospitality at KU Health System, oversees a system that serves more than 10,000 made-to-order patient meals each week. “During peak mealtimes, the call center can get backed up with more patients placing orders than we have open phone lines, resulting in patients being placed on hold and resulting in delays in ordering meals,” he says. To solve this, the hospital system launched an app. “A QR code on the back of each patient menu allows a patient or their family member or caregiver to download an app on their smartphone, which connects them with our kitchen,” Novorr says. “Patients are given access to the menu their physician has ordered for them, and they can place their orders 24 hours a day without being on hold or waiting to speak to a live person.” The results speak for themselves: According to Novorr, of more than 534,000 patient meal orders placed in the first full year, nearly 38,000 came through the app, reducing call center volume by 7 percent and slashing wait times by more than 30 percent. Dr. Keith Sale, physician vice president of ambulatory services at KU Health System, points to other innovations, including lab processing automation that speeds up test results, human-guided surgical robots that enhance precision and AI embedded in imaging machines that improves both accuracy and speed. The Health System has also implemented AI-powered scheduling for operating rooms and infusion chairs, says Dr. Sean Kumer, Kansas City division chief medical officer and senior vice president of perioperative and procedural services. The pharmacy has embraced robotics as well, using automated prescription-filling machines to streamline medication dispensing, according to Rick Couldry, vice president of health professions at the Health System. Online charting and appointment scheduling further reduce administrative time sucks, allowing staff to spend more time on direct patient care. The KU Health System is part of a broader trend. Hospitals nationwide are deploying cutting-edge automation that feel straight out of a science fiction movie. At the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, 81 self-driving transport robots travel over 1,000 miles daily, moving linens, meals, medications and medical equipment across the campus and freeing nursery staff from delivery duties so they can focus on patient care. Others are using AI for predictive staffing and optimizing operating room schedules. In ways both big and small, automation is steadily reshaping hospital care, making the patient experience smoother long before anyone ever steps into a room. kansascitymag.com January 2026

The most delicious days of the year are back in January, offering endless ways to sample and savor Kansas City’s culinary landscape. Plus, a portion of all proceeds benefit reStart.

January 9-18 KCRestaurantWeek.com #KCRW2026

EATING AND DRINKING WELL IN KANSAS CITY

Meet the Food Pedaler Todd Barlow’s next ride lands at Parlor KC By Dawnya Bartsch FROM DISHWASHER AND line cook to wine cafe consultant and farm-

to-table restaurant proprietor, Todd Barlow has done it all. Barlow’s newest iteration is the Food Pedaler, a stall at the Crossroads’ Parlor food hall, where he is creating a wide range of culinary delights, many gluten-free. Pedaling bikes and peddling food are his two passions, Barlow says, hence the name. Although he founded Food Pedaler in 2021 as a catering-only business, its popularity pushed him to expand into a physical space this past year. At first, he looked at opening a food truck, but he thought Photography by Kelly Powell

better of it. “Then you have to contend with this cold weather,” Barlow says of food truck life. Parlor is already a destination spot for many, with events, live music, a variety of food choices and bars, so a spot there also conveniently comes with a built-in customer base, he says. His Parlor menu offers appetizers such as bison meatballs (with Green Dirt Farm cheese and focaccia bread), along with entrees, sides and desserts. Barlow offers specials throughout the week. One of his favorites is Tuesday steak night, where he serves a 4-ounce tenderloin from Belton’s KC Buffalo Co. Sunday brunch is another fan favorite and includes biscuits and gravy, cinnamon rolls, Croque Madame (reimagined as bread pudding with an Italian twist), breakfast pizza and French toast. Personally, I recommend the cannoli bundt cake, a not-too-sweet gluten-free dessert or snack. It goes perfectly well with two of my favorite beverages—coffee and red wine. kansascitymag.com January 2026

S AVO R

KC’s Cool New Gem By Tyler Shane WITH THE COLD weather, you’re probably not craving ice cream or a

popsicle. That being said, you’re going to want to visit Kohinoor, KC’s newest Latin cocktail lounge, where they’re topping their concoctions with icy sweet treats despite the temperatures. Kohinoor (also the name of one of the most famous diamonds in the world) opened in October underneath the downtown Pickwick Plaza Apartments (921 McGee St., KCMO). Former bartender and KC native Jasmine Rios wanted to bring her Mexican heritage to her bar, so you’ll find no shortage of tequila and mezcal on the menu. Rios says the staples are the aguas frescas, a michelada and a tequila sour infused with cherry. I’m a little partial to the Gwen,

Kansas City January 2026

DRINK

a bourbon-based cocktail named after the Hollaback icon herself, Gwen Stefani. It’s infused with a house-made brown sugar syrup and banana liqueur, then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dehydrated banana (also an in-house process) and bedazzled with edible glitter. The stiff drink is warm and playful, bringing a little cheer as we all wait until spring. As for that popsicle I mentioned, it sits atop the Lick Me Quick with tequila, tart tamarind and Mexican apple soda. The popsicle is technically a paleta, a Mexican frozen treat made of natural fruit. Rios sources it from the local paleta shop Palacana. Towering walls with large windows illuminate the deep jewel tones of Kohinoor’s interior, such as the emerald curtains and an orange carnelian couch. It all makes for a moody atmosphere when the sun goes down. If winter has you in hibernation mode, consider this your cue to venture out. Photography by Zach Smith

S AVO R

DINE OUT

Pierpont’s at Union Station

V’s Italiano

Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop

Meals That Matter

Restaurant Week isn’t just a feast; it’s a force for good

PHOTOGR APHY PROVIDED BY VISIT KC

By Tyler Shane EVERY JANUARY, Kansas City’s dining scene transforms into not just a playground for adventurous palates but also a tool for community impact. KC Restaurant Week takes place Jan. 9–18 and invites locals to explore more than 200 participating restaurants. The restaurants, from cozy neighborhood joints to fine-dining establishments, all create specialty priced multicourse menus that showcase what they’re best at. But make no mistake: Restaurant Week is more than a reason to feast. Each year, the organization, founded by Visit Kansas City and the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, chooses a charity to which participating restaurants pledge 10 percent of menu sales. This year’s featured charity partner is reStart Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness find stable housing and longterm support. Alongside reStart, donations also benefit the Visit KC Foundation and the Greater KC Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, both focused on strengthening the hospitality and tourism workforce that makes our city thrive. In 2025, KC Restaurant Week presented House of Hope with a donation of over Photography by Pilsen Photo Coop

$125,000, and the year before that, it presented Kanbe’s Market with a donation of over $100,000. Over its 16-year history, Restaurant Week diners and restaurants together have raised more than $4.2 million for local nonprofits, supporting causes from food access to youth development. Who would have guessed that dining out at your favorite restaurant would make such an impact in your community? No matter where you head for your meal, your participation in this Restaurant Week offers more revenue for restaurants and a way to invest in Kansas City. Personally, I’m looking forward to visiting Aahaa Modern Indian Cuisine (I’ve heard they serve a massive family-sized dosa), The Brass Onion (rumors say the steak is elite), Ground Control at The Belfry (chef Celina Tio’s new venture) and Mineral Lounge (from the minds at the beloved Crossroads wine bar Tannin). Whatever restaurant you choose, with every shared appetizer and decadent dessert, you’re joining a community that eats well and does good. To learn more, visit kcrestaurantweek.com. kansascitymag.com January 2026

S AVO R

’CUE CARD

Wardell Hooks Jr. and Martell Hooks

A Master Class in Moist

A BBQ food truck legend finds a permanent home in Gladstone By John Martellaro “SUCCULENT” IS A word I don’t use often when describing food; I save it for truly outstanding fare. The barbecued meats at Off the Hook in Gladstone are delightfully moist, tender and flavorful across the board, as succulent as I’ve had anywhere. There are more than a few barbecue joints in town where the meats are tasty but need occasional wash-downs with soda, iced tea or beer. As I finished my meal at Off the Hook, I glanced at my bottle of Modelo and was surprised to see that I had barely dented it. The longtime food truck beloved by ’cue fans for more than a decade opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Gladstone in July. It is definitely worth a trip for non-locals. The name stems from the family owners: Wardell Hooks Jr.; his son, Martell Hooks; and Wardell’s mother, Judy Jones.

Kansas City January 2026

Wardell Hooks was willing to share his secret. “I just put my rub on and throw it on the smoker and spritz it regularly with juice,” he says. “Just baby it, that’s all. Treat it like a guy who has a ’57 Chevy. “ The barbecue is old-school. The Hook family doesn’t mess around with fads or frills, inventive combinations or intense seasoning. The meats are subtly seasoned, deftly smoked and as moist and tender as you’ll find anywhere. The brisket is outstanding, the pork ribs slide off the bone, and the andouille sausage has just enough heat to proclaim its Cajun roots without masking the meat and smoke. We dined on the sample platter: two ribs, sausage, sliced brisket, sliced turkey, two jumbo wings and two sides (no substitutions). The menu says “serves two,” but we ate not just dinner but a nice lunch of leftovers the next day. At first, I wondered why they made smoked turkey the base for one of their featured sandwiches, the smoked turkey melt (with sauteed onions and cheese on Texas toast). To be honest, smoked turkey has never thrilled me as a barbecue option, but I’ll be going back for more at Off the Hook. Succulent, indeed. The chicken wings are a richly flavored, juicy delight. Wardell Hooks describes the four-step process: The wings are smoked, then deep-fried, tossed with your choice of Buffalo or barbecue sauce, then put on a hot griddle “to char ‘em up.” (I ordered mine naked as a test, and it passed with flying colors.) I also chose two sides: an ultra-creamy mac and cheese, with a notably nice, semi-firm bite to the macaroni, and perfectly sweetened beans. The house sauce is mild and sweet. If I have one complaint, it’s that the hot version is pretty low-wattage. But with meats this moist and flavorful, sauce is superfluous anyway. We topped our meal off with a sizable triple chocolate chip cookie that’s not to be missed. The wide-ranging menu also includes items such as the Off the Hook hot dog—a quarter-pound dog topped with brisket, cheese and jalapenos—brisket mac and cheese, quesadillas and nachos with choice of meat. Customers order at the counter, then take a seat in the brightly lit restaurant to wait for their meal to be brought to the table. There’s a helpful roll of paper towGO: Off the Hook BBQ, els on every table; for meat 7506 N. Oak Trafficway, this moist and juicy, it’s a Gladstone. necessity. offthehookbbqllc.com.

↓

Photography by Kelly Powell

Get Kansas City magazine delivered to your door. Subscribe for one year for

$19.95

Use code VIP for this limited time offer.

Subscribe Now! KANSASCITYMAG.COM/SUBSCRIBE

kansascitymag.com January 2026

S AVO R

Newsfeed

What’s new in Kansas City food and drink By Tyler Shane

Town Co. Team Takes Over Happy Gillis Space After nearly two decades, Columbus Park favorite Happy Gillis has closed. It quietly shuttered last July following an AC issue and staffing challenges. Now, the space is getting new life thanks to Helen Jo and Johnny Leach, the husband-wife team behind The Town Co. Coming into the space is Dear Donna (549 Gillis St., KCMO), a casual corner cafe set to open early this year. While the interior and menu will evolve, Helen Jo and Johnny aim to preserve the spot’s accessible, welcoming spirit. Dear Donna will feature a lunch-forward menu with brunch touches, counter service, select cocktails and Helen Jo’s famed pastries.

Kansas City January 2026

Blackhole Bakery Opens Bodega-Style Spot

Blackhole Bakery has landed in West Plaza. The new space (1702 W. 45th St., KCMO), which opened in late December, is designed with a bodega-style neighborhood feel, offering the bakery’s signature pastries, bagels and a full coffee bar, plus new sandwiches and grab-and-go items created in partnership with local chefs. While the original bakery on Troost Avenue was known for its grab-and-go atmosphere, this new location is more of a neighborhood cafe vibe with plenty of indoor seating.

PHOTOGR APHY NATALIE BONJOUR; PILSEN PHOTO COOP

Johnny and Helen Jo Leach

BITES

Betty Rae’s Continues Its Expansion

The beloved ice cream brand will soon have 11 shops around the metro. Betty Rae’s recently opened its second Lee’s Summit location (1636 S.E. Blue Parkway, Lee’s Summit). It’s first Lee’s Summit shop opened inside a Cosentino’s Price Chopper (251 S.W. Greenwich Drive, Lee’s Summit) grocery store. With plans to soon open a shop in Liberty too, these new locations will join Betty Rae’s Ice Cream stores in Waldo, the River Market, Olathe, Prairie Village, Overland Park’s Deer Creek, Shawnee, Merriam and a location in the Cosentino’s Market at Overland Park’s Bluhawk. Betty Rae’s also has two franchise locations in Omaha. Betty Rae’s serves 26 core house-made flavors, from crafted classics like vanilla bean and chocolate to creative flavors like cereal milk, lavender honey, gooey butter cake and s’mores. Betty Rae’s also serves homemade waffle cones, ice cream sandwiches and

decadent sundaes. Ice cream flights are a popular item offered at all locations. Recently, Betty Rae’s introduced a vegan and gluten-free waffle cone that joins its vegan and dairy-free options. Hand-packed pints, quarts and gallons are available for any current ice cream flavor, along with pre-packed pints of core flavors.

Northland Sandwich Shop Opens in the River Market When Italian Sausage Co. opened its flagship in Gladstone four years ago, the deli made waves with hefty, double-fisted sandwiches that practically require unhinging your jaw to eat. You can even grab one of their Italian sausages at their vendor space at Arrowhead (section 134) and Kauffman Stadium (section 234). Now, heading into the new year, Italian Sausage Co. is expanding to the River Market, but this time with a big-city edge. Taking over the former ClusterTruck ghost kitchen, tucked behind Harry’s Country Club (518 Grand Blvd., KCMO),

Italian Sausage Co. plans to transform the massive two-story space into its central catering hub. But the real draw will be the walk-up deli. Customers will be able to order the same beloved sandwiches from the Gladstone menu, as well as an East Coast-style breakfast lineup and drinks from an espresso bar. The goal with the walk-up style restaurant is excitement and convenience. The River Market site’s grand opening is slated for February.

BKS Expands to Crossroads

Beloved Brookside Brewery BKS Artisan Ales is expanding with a second location in the Crossroads (1701 McGee St., #400, KCMO). Known for its highly sought-after IPAs, BKS has built a devoted following at its original location since 2017. The new Crossroads spot is a size up from its cozy Brookside setting and will seat roughly 50 guests between its indoor space and outdoor patio.

CH TOU N I Y ers STA l ett

rn o ou

ews

ers kly read s p e -wee e e k c i e zin sc n tw Sub City maga test news i h brings la Dis as ays, Kans d on the s. d s e pick u te T c i a t sive n i d r O up xclu rs. ur c e e o s t r t d sle Scan to offe s an ks. new oop new L d e d pic o h e o T f t subscribe , a u s r yo r cu day d ou hurs m n T a n s O g.co ort a p e m r s ty new asci

t ribe

kans t i s i V

ss ddre A l i Ema kansascitymag.com January 2026

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 S T R U C T U R E S

Starstruck

Oppenstein Park’s Star Disk blends art and science, and it’s getting a facelift By Nicole Kinnning ON MOST DAYS, the Star Disk at Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park, located at

12th and Walnut, looks like a striking piece of public art. And it is. But it’s also much more than that. Press a button on its base and the 10-foot disk rotates into position, transforming into a functioning astronomical instrument that maps the night sky. The Star Disk is the centerpiece of Celestial Flyways, an installation imagined by artist Laura DeAngelis. When it was originally installed in 2008, it was the world’s largest and most accurate anaphoric clock, meaning a timepiece that uses a rotating star map to show the positions of stars and constellations at any given date and time. The Star Disk functions as a modern recreation of an ancient tool: Its stainless steel surface displays 457 stars across 50 constellations, each mapped to their precise celestial positions. Visitors can rotate the disk to any date and time, aligning it to show exactly where Orion or Ursa Major would appear in the night sky. Creating a 10-foot rotating star map turned out to be trickier than anyone anticipated. Kelly Ryan, a sales lead at A. Zahner Company—the architectural metal fabrication firm that manufactured the piece—recalls the early challenges. “It was originally supposed to be a manual crank instead of a push button,” Ryan says, “but when our team went to the park to test the installed piece, it was too heavy for a

Kansas City January 2026

healthy middle-aged man to move.” The solution was a motor-operated system: a button-press that sets the massive disk rotating smoothly into position. Acrylic lenses fill holes where stars appear, lit from below with lightbulbs so the constellations glow after dark. Etched across the stainless steel surface are drawings of the mythological figures that ancient astronomers saw in those scattered points of light, designed by DeAngelis’s collaborator, local artist Peregrine Honig. Handmade ceramic tiles line the disk’s base. DeAngelis, a ceramicist who studied at the Kansas City Art Institute, passed away in 2022, but her vision endures in this work created in collaboration with DRAW Architecture + Urban Design. The installation cost nearly $500,000, took over two years and involved at least 150 people. For Ryan, the project remains a standout in Zahner’s portfolio: “This is a unique one overall,” she says. “We still do a bit of art and have relationships with several artists creating architectural facades, but nothing like this fully interactive sculpture. It’s a one-of-a-kind project for us.” The Star Disk doesn’t stand alone in Oppenstein Park. Surrounding it are stainless steel etchings of native birds laid into the sidewalk, which trace real migratory flyways across the park—elements that, together with the disk, form the larger installation known as Celestial Flyways. This winter, the Star Disk is undergoing a long-awaited restoration. Local metal fabricator Machine Head is repairing years of wear, replacing the motor and restoring the internal lighting that makes those 457 stars glow. The project is being led by Art in the Loop, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing public art to Kansas City, with original collaborative artist Honig involved in the renos. Founded in 2004, Art in the Loop spent its first decade creating permanent installations like Celestial Flyways before shifting toward annual exhibitions and performance series throughout downtown. “When you’re working on art in the public realm, it’s natural that it will need repairs,” says Art in the Loop’s director Ann Holliday. “This is especially true for pieces with moving parts.” The restoration includes not only the Star Disk itself but the installation’s other elements. “Some of the lines had faded over time, so we’re re-staining them and even reconstructing a ceramic panel that Laura worked on to fully reinvest in the artwork and the space.” DeAngelis passed away a few years ago, so this restoration carries a particular significance. When the work is complete, her astronomical machine will do exactly what she envisioned: reconnect people to rhythms larger than themselves.

PHOTOGR APHY PROVIDED

surreal estate

Stylish Senior Living Is Here EXPLORE OUR RESIDENCES Tallgrass Creek® in Overland Park offers a wide variety of maintenance-free floor plans to fit your style and budget. • Enjoy contemporary fixtures and finishes. • Choose from a range of custom upgrades. • Retire from the hassle of house repairs.

Call 1-800-614-1246 or visit

TallgrassCreek.com for your free brochure.

1886450

Overland Park TallgrassCreek.com

The future feels luxurious. $9,000 Holiday Bonus on the QX80 SPORT. INFINITI Premium Care on all new 2026 vehicles. 2026 INFINITI QX80 SPORT pictured. Holiday Bonus available on retail purchase from new retailer stock. Subject to residency restrictions. Offer cannot be combined with IFS Special APR or IFS Special Lease. See your local Retailer for details. Ends 01/05/2026. INFINITI Premium Care select maintenance program provides up to 3 oil changes and 3 tire rotations up to 3 years or the vehicle's designated mileage period (whichever occurs first) and is included on every new 2026 INFINITI vehicle.

I-35 & 67th Street | INFINITIofKC.com | (816) 941-0770