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KANSAS CITY'S NEXT-GEN ICONIC DISHES AND DRINKS

COCKTAILS & CUISINE

A WESTSIDE RENO IS REVITALIZED The Campground's martini experience

APRIL 2026 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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Contents APRIL 2026 48 52

56 Features 46

IN CONVERSATION WITH JOE DRAPE The New York Times sportswriter and bestselling author talks about growing up in Kansas City, the Chiefs, and the stories behind his bestselling books.

THE NEXT-GEN KC CLASSICS

ROOM FOR MERRIMENT Merrily Jackson’s dining room is designed for cocktails, candlelight, and convivial nights.

WESTSIDE STORY An oasis in the city, crafted by hand.

Drinks and dishes set to redefine our food scene.

Departments 16

ENTERTAINING IN KC

OUR MAN IN KC

ARTS & CULTURE IN KC

HEALTH IN KC

LIVING IN KC

FLAVOR IN KC

FACES IN KC

MY ESSENTIALS IN KC

IN EVERY ISSUE

On the cover The Campground’s martini experience. Photo by Aaron Leimkuehler

APRIL 2026| 8 | INKANSASCITY.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE

INKANSASCITY.COM

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Editor’s Note

Vol. 9 | No. 4 APRIL 2026

Let’s Eat! photo by jenny wheat

Editor In Chief Zim Loy

’ve been a dedicated diner-outer at Kansas City’s restaurants, bistros, coffee shops, diners, and dives for many years, and my take is that the food scene here is more delicious than ever. Of course, every year there are closures to lament (see Story, Corvino), but the new launches seem even more personal and chef-driven. Just look at the restaurant review of Tian Tea House in this issue. Who could have predicted there was a place in Kansas City for a tea house that celebrates the ceremony and countless variations of a simple cup of tea and the food to accompany it? The cuisine is as creative and picturesque as the drink. I’ll be ordering the tea jelly simply to admire the perfect chartreuse cube delicately quivering on the plate. The subtle, herbal taste will only expand the experience. A few years ago, a certain nameless nepo-baby New York Times journalist was assigned as the Times Kansas City bureau chief for a year. (Oh, all right, it was A.G. Sulzberger.) As a vegetarian, his most famous post from the Midwest backwoods that year was his struggle finding vegetarian food in “meat-loving” Kansas City. So the city boy went about educating us rubes on our lack of dietary diversity. Now this was 2012, not 1950. Kansas City had plenty of vegetarian restaurants. But it didn’t fit his stereotypical vision. And since then, the food scene in Kansas City has become even more diverse. International cuisines are thriving here. Many of the dishes documented in our Cocktails & Cuisine feature arrived here from distant shores and now have a solid place in our food lexicon. Whether it’s Thailand’s Kow Tord Nam Sod from Buck Tui BBQ or, more locally, Novel’s Crispy Farm Egg, we lucky Kansas City diners have much from which to choose. Kansas City has a history of iconic restaurants and dishes that define our culinary history. From LC’s ribs to Bill’s Chicken Salad, our favorites are famous for a reason. But we also look forward to identifying the classics of the future. Let us know, did we list your favorite?

Zim

Digital Editor Evan Pagano Art Director Alice Govert Bryan Contributing Writers Susan Cannon, Judith Fertig, Merrily Jackson, Cindy Hoedel, Damian Lair, Jenny Vergara Contributing Photographers Bridget Chang, Jason Domingues, Aaron Leimkuehler, Paul Versluis, Earl Wilson Publisher Michelle Jolles Media Director Brittany Coale Senior Media Consultants Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley, Josie Rawlings Newsstand Consultant Joe J. Luca, JK Associates 816-213-4101, jkassoc.net

Editorial Questions: zloy@inkansascity.com

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INKANSASCITY.COM What’s that about? Drive

around Kansas City for a day and you’re bound to pass something that begs for an explanation. Maybe it’s an unorthodox fountain, a street-side castle, or the nose of a Concorde plane in someone’s yard. We explained as many as we could; just search “unique Kansas City landmarks” on inkansascity.com.

ENTER TO WIN Sizzling spice and everything nice. Chelly’s

Cafe in Waldo has plenty of tasty dishes on its menu, but the Molcajete Ranchero wins best in show. Grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, jalapeños, and chorizo sizzling in a hefty molcajete—you have to experience it. We review this showstopper in the Restaurants section of inkansascity.com.

It’s poppin’. Every year, ARTPOP wows; this year, you could go for free. Kansas City Art Institute is giving one IN Kansas City reader two free tickets to the VIP pre-party and the event on May 7. Expect craft bites and cocktails, a fashion and performanceart showcase, and dynamic exhibitions in every studio on campus. Enter to win by April 30 at inkansascity. com/the-magazine/enter-to-win. Best of luck!

FACEBOOK @inkansascitymagazine

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All the rage. Ever need to just

let it out? We brought our pent-up emotions to Super Smash KC, a Johnson County spot where bat-wielding maniacs (read as: you) can swing away on a room full of breakables. Read our rage-room experience on inkansascity.com.

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER subscribe at INKANSASCITY.COM (under The Magazine tab)

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Family Office Wealth Management Bill Eckert, AEP,® CAP®

• Asset Protection • Business Succession • Real Estate • Philanthropy • Investments • Tax • Legal • Insurance

• Banking • Accounting Bill Eckert is a Senior Financial Advisor at Renaissance Financial Corporation in Overland Park, KS. Bill manages Family Offices for his high-net-worth clients to provide private wealth management through tax and estate planning, risk management, investment management, trusteeship, lifestyle and concierge services, philanthropic strategies, and the coordination of other financial professionals. Many people don’t think they have enough assets to require a family office, but that’s not always the case. It’s not just the amount of assets that matter; it’s also the type of assets. Bill specializes in looking at the whole picture and providing these services to his clients. Our Family Office can be modified to fit anyone’s needs.

CONTACT ME: Cetera Wealth Services, LLC exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representatives may offer these services through their independent outside business. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice. Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, (doing insurance business in CA as CFGAN Insurance Agency LLC, CA Insurance License #0644976), member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. Renaissance Financial Corporation is independently owned and operated. CA Insurance License #0B69476, Renaissance Financial Corporation is independently owned and operated. 7500 College Boulevard, Suite 800, Overland Park, KS 66210 | (913) 344-7700

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This Month IN KC

April

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE by Evan Pagano

Her Impressions by Bernadette Esperanza Torres.

Marble & Canvas Opening April 4 Kansas City Art Institute marbleandcanvas.com Straight from the source. Something special is coming to Kansas City Artist Institute’s Vanderslice Hall: Marble & Canvas, a permanent storefront featuring original works by KCAI students, faculty, and alumni. Expect ceramics, fine-art prints, textiles, jewelry, and artistic home décor in the store’s ever-changing inventory. An online storefront launches the same day.

2026 Parade of Hearts Starting April 5 Various locations theparadeofhearts.com A lot to love. After a year off, the Parade of Hearts is back in 2026. Over the course of April, 150 custom heart statues by 150 separate artists will pop up in Kansas City and 59 more cities across the KC area. We expect a sizable squad of soccer-themed hearts this year, but we’ll find out for sure at the free 150 United event on April 4 at the Overland Park Convention Center. That’s the only time the hearts will be under one roof.

APRIL SPOTLIGHT Rock Island Bridge Opening April 1 1799–1719 American Royal Drive rockislandkc.com At long last! Rock Island Bridge, the long-planned pedestrian bridge and entertainment district over the Kansas River, opens on April 1—and with it the River House Restaurant, the top-deck American Royal Hall event space, and plenty of public gathering space. In addition to everyday chill vibes, officials promise a ton of programming, including farmers markets, happy hours, and live music.

Parkville Microbrew Fest April 25 English Landing Park parkvillemicrobrewfest.com Nothing micro about it. The Parkville Microbrew Fest, despite its name, is a behemoth. It’s set in a giant clearing in English Landing Park packed with dozens of brewery tents, hundreds of beers, great food, and live music to boot. Tickets are $55 in advance. Bring your own chairs (and leashed pets, if you want) and revel in it all.

APRIL 2026 | 14 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Portfolio K i t c h e n

h o m e

T h e w o r k c o n t i n u e s. T h e l e g a c y e v o l v e s. A s Po r t fo l i o K i t c h e n & H o m e t r a n s i t i o n s f r o m i t s s h o w r o o m t o a s t u d i o - b a s e d p r a c t i c e, s e l e c t D i s p l a y K i t c h e n s, F u r n i s h i n g s, a n d D i s t i n c t i v e H o m e D e s i g n P i e c e s a r e n o w a v a i l a b l e.

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mjackson@inkansascity.com

into themselves. A city can do that too. Learn their chants. Soccer chants are a thing, even if you’re not attending a match. We know how to say “Go Chiefs.” Why not learn the equivalent for our visiting teams? A cheerful “It’s Coming Home!” for England (It’s from their soccer song, Three Lions. Google it.). A spirited “Vamos, Vamos, Argentina!” A proud “Hup Holland Hup!” or “Tahya El Djazair!” for Algeria. You do not have to say it perfectly. The effort alone conveys goodwill. A little practice now will make it feel natural when the streets fill.

Make a clear offer. Between now and summer, take a few minutes to study the maps. Know that Amsterdam sits above Rotterdam. That Manchester is not London, and no one from either place needs reminding. That Buenos Aires rests along the Río de la Plata. That the Algerian capital faces the Mediterranean. My late husband loved maps and studied them from childhood. Whenever he met someone from abroad, he would ask where they were from. Then he might say, “Is that near the Rhine?” or “Is that close to Córdoba?” Usually he was right. Sometimes he wasn’t. It didn’t matter. The question itself created connection. People would light up, then relax

Hang their flags. If you really want to make a statement, hang one of their flags. Not a tiny one tucked into a planter, though those have charm. A proper flag from your porch or window. Run it up the flagpole if you have one. Let the neighborhoods ripple with color. It says, without a word, we’re glad you’re here. Remember why this matters. World Cup leaders were wooed with polished presentations and plenty of proverbial red carpets. What stayed with them was Kansas City hospitality and a region ready to step confidently onto the world stage. This tournament gives the Kansas City region a chance to shape how others see us, and perhaps how we see ourselves. Hosting four global soccer powers is not an accident. It reflects trust. Practice everyday grace. Visitors will remember less about our infrastructure and more about our manners. Make eye contact and smile, even when we’re being inconvenienced. Hold the door. Offer directions kindly. Be patient in traffic. In Ted Lasso, a simple hand-lettered “Believe” sign hung above the locker room door. It wasn’t flashy. It simply reminded everyone who they intended to be. Kansas City could borrow that idea. Believe that our warmth matters. Believe that small gestures travel far. Believe that how we make people feel will outlast any final score.

APRIL 2026 | 16 | INKANSASCITY.COM

photo by kovop / shutterstock

f Ted Lasso taught the world anything, it’s that a relentlessly optimistic coach from Kansas City can walk into English football and win hearts without knowing the offside rule. The show made our city famous for warmth, decency, and the occasional homespun pep talk. This summer, Kansas City won’t be fictional. In a scant two months, we will host FIFA World Cup matches and serve as base camp for England, Argentina, and the Netherlands, with Algeria just down I-70 West in Lawrence. We are the only host city housing three top-seeded teams throughout the tournament. No other city will host more than one. It’s a remarkable vote of confidence for Kansas City. The world is coming. We have a little time before the first fans arrive. Let’s use it well. A little preparation goes a long way.

Wear their colors. Dutch fans travel in orange. Argentina brings sky blue and white. England uniforms incorporate the red and white St. George’s Cross. Algeria carries green and white with its crescent and star. Imagine Kansas Citians stepping out in orange jerseys—Dutch orange is not far from chic Hermès orange—or a sky blue and white kit for Argentina, a crisp white T-shirt with a red cross (also chic) for England, or green and white for Algeria. It signals generosity and respect.

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Entertaining IN KC

WELCOMING THE WORLD

HOSPITALITY AT FULL MAST A well-flown flag is one of the simplest ways to signal welcome. The Flag Loft offers a World Cup-ready kit featuring a 3' x 5' flag from any of the 48 tournament nations, paired with a six-foot flagpole and adjustable mounting bracket. Hung cleanly from a porch or window, the flags ripple with color and confidence. When neighbors join in, the effect can be striking. The kit is $99. The flags alone are $45. flagloft.com

THE FRONT STEP REFRESH Give your entry a quick seasonal lift with freshly potted flowers in team-inspired colors. Orange marigolds for the Netherlands. Sky blue and white petunias for Argentina. Red geraniums or impatiens for England. Lush green ferns for Algeria. Cluster pots by the front door, flank a garage, brighten a balcony, or frame an apartment walkway. A cheerful hint that Kansas City is ready for company.

ORANJE YOU COOL? When the Netherlands comes to town, Kansas City should answer in orange. Scheels in Overland Park will carry officially licensed jerseys for all four visiting base camp teams—England, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Algeria—making it easy to dress the part. The Dutch kit, in its blaze of orange, is especially striking, whether you’re watching from a backyard gathering or strolling through the Crossroads. scheels.com

TEAM-COLOR OUTDOOR THROW PILLOWS Swap in outdoor cushions in the colors of your favorite visiting team. Layer them onto front porch seating, a balcony bench, or backyard furniture. Two or three coordinated pillows make more impact than a rainbow of everything.

PORCH LIGHTS, WORLD CUP EDITION Swap your regular outdoor LEDs for color-adjustable lights. Set them to a base camp team’s palette and let your house be a beacon of welcome after dark.

APRIL 2026 | 18 | INKANSASCITY.COM

A MESSAGE UNDERFOOT Sidewalk chalk is not just for hopscotch. A clean, well-spaced “Welcome, England” or “Vamos Argentina” near the driveway apron or along the front walk makes a warm first impression. Keep the lettering simple and bold. It’s temporary, which makes it even better.

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Entertaining IN KC

World Cup Cheat Sheet (So you sound like you’ve been following soccer for years)

Recognize the colors. Sky blue and white means Argentina. Bright orange signals the Dutch. Red and white belong to England. Green and white marks Algeria. Spot the hues and you’ll spot the fans. If you learn only one chant, learn this. “Olé, Olé, Olé” travels beautifully across stadiums, especially with Spanish-speaking supporters. It requires enthusiasm, not perfection. Call it football. Outside the United States, it is football. Lean into it. The Chiefs won’t mind.

Expect serious loyalty. World Cup fans do not dabble. They travel, they sing, they coordinate outfits. Consider it a master class in team spirit. Notice the pride. National flags matter. Anthems matter. The crest on a jersey matters. Treat all three with respect. Prepare for noise. Chants are rhythmic, joyful, and occasionally deafening. Smile through it. You’re witnessing passion. Embrace the handshake. A simple “Welcome to Kansas City” goes a long way. Add a team chant and you may make a friend for life. Remember why it’s special. The FIFA World Cup happens only once every four years. For many fans, this is a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage. We get to host part of it.

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APRIL 2026 | 20 | INKANSASCITY.COM

photo by erman gunes / shutterstock

Know the nicknames. Argentina is La Albiceleste for its sky-blue and white stripes. England answers to The Three Lions, straight from its crest. The Netherlands proudly wears Oranje, a nod to its national color. Algeria is Les Fennecs, named for the desert fox that appears on its emblem.

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Entertaining IN KC

ASK MERRILY

Do you have a question about entertaining? Email it to mjackson@inkansascity.com

Q: Is it rude to support a visiting team instead of Team USA?

Find answers to all your entertaining questions.

A: Not at all. During the World Cup, enthusiasm is universal. You can

cheer for a guest team and still love your country. Hospitality occasionally means standing on someone else’s side for a moment.

Q: What’s the polite way to handle loud late-night celebrations in my neighborhood?

A: Expect joy. Expect singing. Expect car horns. A little grace goes a long way. If it becomes excessive, address the noisemakers kindly and directly. But remember, this is a once-in-a lifetime event for many visitors.

Q: Is it appropriate to display another country’s flag at my home?

Q: What if I don’t care about soccer at all? A: You don’t have to love the sport to love the moment. Think of it as hosting. Even if you’re not a fan of the game, you can still be a fan of hospitality and good manners.

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There’s room for many flags in a free and confident country.

/ shutterstock

A: When done respectfully, yes. It signals welcome, not allegiance.

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Revelations of the Heart

very three years, my heart skips a beat when Kansas City hosts the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) when the preeminent modern dance company tours the country on its annual spring tour. It is a beautiful weekend of performances at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, presented by the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey (KCFAA) in partnership with the Harriman-Jewell Series. Alvin Ailey first brought his groundbreaking modern dance company to Kansas City in 1968, following years of performances abroad, with the company serving as an official cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department and deemed by Congress “a vital American Cultural Ambassador to the world.” KCFAA was founded in 1984, cementing our city as the company’s official second home. This year’s performances were particularly special because they were part of the artistic director, Alicia Graf Mack’s, inaugural tour. Including Alvin Ailey, she is only the fourth person to lead the prestigious company. I had the opportunity to speak with her on two occasions during the weekend, and her graciousness and sense of calm are matched only by her talent. For their final performance on Saturday evening, the company performed for patrons of the annual gala benefitting KCFAA. But first, we enjoyed dancing by AileyCamp the Group—a program created in 1997 by the KCFAA chief artistic officer, Tyrone Aiken, with the support of Judith Jamison. It’s an after-camp program for students in grades 7–12. These students HOT performed two pieces. The first was For GOSSIP: You, a solo by Jordyn Hunt, an AileyCamp the Group and Summer Who fell through Dance graduate (now a freshman at the ceiling at the the UMKC Conservatory of MuSt. Patrick’s Day sic and Dance), choreographed by house party? Aiken. The second piece was Care,

performed by multiple students and choreoOVERHEARD graphed by Aiken, Kennedy Banks-Battle, “C’mon Winston Dynamite Brown, and Latra integrity!” Wilson. These performances commenced the evening with a tangible reminder of the education work KCFAA does year-round. Following the student performances, AAADT opened with Grace, choreographed by Ronald K. Brown. It is a spiritual work set to Duke Ellington, Roy Davis Sr., and the rhythms of Fela Kuti’s Afropop beats. It’s the moving story of a goddess’s journey to Earth to spread grace among humans— ultimately welcoming them to heaven. We were also privileged to experience the Kansas City premiere of Embrace, choreographed by Fredrick Earl Mosley. It is—as Graf Mack described it—all about love. Happy and sad. Gained and lost. It captivated me and many others I spoke with later. I never cease to be amazed how a brilliant dance performance can convey the emotions of an entire novel. Perhaps it is the capacity for viewers to imprint their own feelings and narrative onto a performance, teasing out their very own story that powerfully resonates. Maybe it wasn’t the choreographer’s story I experienced, but my own. Regardless, it moved me to tears twice. Finally, Revelations. Since its 1960 premiere, the moving masterpiece has been seen by more people worldwide than any other modern dance work. More than sixty-five years later, this signature piece is no less relevant or emotion-inducing. It has staying power for a reason. Following the performance, guests collectively traipsed around the corner to the Loews Kansas City Hotel. Inside the ballroom, we clinked glasses and dined. The Janet K. Miller Award was presented to Sharon & John Hoffman, honoring their decades of dedication to KCFAA and the broader Kansas City arts community—exemplifying the passion of the late Janet K. Miller. No one could be more deserving, as their allegiance has propelled KCFAA across more than four decades. In fact, I would not be

APRIL 2026| 24 | INKANSASCITY.COM

photo by chance parker

Damian Lair (2nd from left), with AAADT dancers Yannick Lebrun, Isaiah Day, and Xavier Mack at the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey Gala.

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Our Man IN KC PRESS PAUSE serving on its board had Sharon not introduced me to this organization. I chaired this gala when AAADT was last in Kansas City three years ago. This year, it was a pleasure to have no other job but to enjoy. My sincere congratulations go out to this year’s cochairs, Jane Gard and LaMonica Madden, as well as the honorary cochairs, Dr. Valerie Chow & Hon. Jon Gray. Perhaps the most thrilling part of the evening—for me at least— was the unique and special opportunity to engage with the incredible and talented dancers that comprise the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Between the gala and the patron party held earlier in the week (this year graciously hosted by Christy & Bill Gautreaux at their remarkable art-filled home), it was a great pleasure to see so many familiar faces and meet some of the newest company members. Collectively, they are the most infectiously joyful people you could ever meet. I am so grateful for these relationships, formed over my years-long involvement with the organization. Since its founding, the AAADT has been seen live by over 25 million people in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents. KCFAA’s annual gala makes it possible to bring these renowned performers to Kansas City—not just for those of us fortunate to attend a glittery gala, but for our community. Gala contributions help make these performing arts accessible to a broad audience through discounted tickets, local school engagements, and other free community events. In addition to presenting AAADT and Ailey II in Kansas City, KCFAA offers multiple year-round youth development programs, as well as AileyCamp (the six-week summer program that was pioneered here serves as a model replicated in ten cities across the U.S). These education programs, which touch thousands of students annually, are built on the philosophy that the skills needed to learn dance—creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication—are the same essential skills that can induce further successes in life. KCFAA espouses the idea that uniting people across racial, ethnic, and social barriers can promote awareness, respect, and friendship—ultimately driving community-wide social change. If you are interested in becoming involved with KCFAA as an ambassador, shoot me a note. There’s room for everyone. SPOTTED: Carla Williams-Evans, Hilda Fuentes & Allan Gray II, Ann Baum, Bunni & Paul Copaken, Ellen & Jaime Copaken, Jamila & Michael Weaver, Jon & Walter Porter, Lynn & Lance Carlton, Erica & Lorin Crenshaw, Ryana Parks-Shaw, Debbie & Jerry Williams, Julie Anderson Clark & Vince Clark, Ratana & Oscar Tshibanda, Marshall Miller, Katherine Gerson, Tammy & James Edwards, Jean Paul Wong, Debby Ballard, Jessica May, JoAnne Northrup, Kim Newton, Sheryll Myers, Ronald Posey, Barbara Nicely, Courtney Crappell, Lee Langston, Betsy & Tim Triplett, Michelle & Brian Weith, Mary & Jesse Barnes, Melanie & Skip Miller, Kim HOT Klein, Pamela & Irvin Bishop, Marjorie GOSSIP: Who had a summer Williams, Jennifer Owen, Felicia Crabtree, breakup What and finally familytold Jacques Hassan, Larnell Jones, Rebecca their parents the believesattheir Baumgartner, Keith Gard, Mark Allen, holiday airport relative pickup? deceased T-Sey-Haye Preaster, Wolfe Brack, was reincarnated Michael Brantley

OVERHEARD “I want to know what dentist is giving everyone the George Washington veneers.”

ON AN EVENING ahead of a recent vacation, I snapped my laptop shut and headed to Pause Studio at Prairiefire in Overland Park. The new wellness sanctuary offers a wide array of services—several of which I was eager to try for the first time My attention was initially piqued when I learned that Pause offers something truly unique in the KC metro—an A.I.-powered robotic massage. The Aescape massage is nothing short of experiencing the future. Its gleaming white arms immediately reminded me of the 3D bio-printing apparatus featured in the opening credits to Westworld. While resting face down on a plush memory foam table, I tapped away at the digital tablet beneath me, adjusting the bolster, headrest and armrest positions, target areas, pressure preferences, soundscapes, and visualizations. A 3D precision body scan captured more than one million data points for tailoring the session, and we were off. Over the course of 30 minutes, I received a restorative, full-body massage. I relished the ability to instantly tap the pressure up or down, depending on the body area. Not into a certain target? Simply nudge Aescape to move along to the next on its schedule. Toward the end, users are provided the option to re-hit another area or move to a gradual wind-down. While the heated massage arms and attachments are not replicas of human hands, they somehow get the job done with efficiency. I knew I enjoyed the experience when my time was up, and I wished I had opted for the 60-minute version. I highly recommend this otherworldly, futuristic, and relaxing experience. Next—another first for me—a float tank. For years, I’ve wanted to experience a float, but it’s somehow never made it to my calendar. Floats are designed for deep relaxation, induced by sensory deprivation. Inside my private pod, I was able to escape the noise of the world and gravity itself. The warm, mineral-rich water (infused with more than 1,200 pounds of Epsom salts) freed me from all distraction. It was the perfect way to slide into vacation mode. Floats also offer natural pain relief, reset and recovery, and enhanced mental clarity. (I’m told they’re a go-to for artists and writers who are experiencing creative blockages.) Floating with effortless buoyancy proved to be the ultimate escape. Finally, I opted for an add-on NAD+ injection—something I was familiar with via my friends in the aesthetics and wellness pharmaceutical industry. NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a vital coenzyme found in all living cells, essential for energy production, metabolism, cellular function, and DNA repair. NAD+ levels in the body naturally decline with age, and thus, replenishing NAD+ levels can slow or reverse the myriad aspects of aging. For weeks after my shot, I experienced improved clarity, focus, energy, and overall vitality. Granted, I was also on vacation, so I intend to return with a more scientific baseline. Nevertheless, my smart friends swear by it, and my first shot was a success. The staff was helpful and friendly, and the space was chic and serene. It was the perfect spot for pressing pause. Oh, and in addition to the OP location, another is opening in May in the Shops at Fairway. I wish you a peaceful pause.

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Arts & Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

Damron Armstrong ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS photo by Bridget Chang

wasn’t the point; the meat, the smoke, and the bite were. That flavor is muscle memory. It’s home.” “Then I grew up in Kansas City, where barbecue isn’t just food—it’s culture. KC barbecue is generous, layered, and proud of its sauce,” he continues. “There’s an entire spectrum of flavors here, and I love that abundance. But my mainstay? Gates. Always Gates. There’s something about that deep, smoky, slightly spicy sauce that hits every time. It’s bold, it doesn’t apologize, and it feels like Kansas City in a bottle. So I don’t choose one over the other—I carry both. Vinegar in my bones, smoke in my soul.” brtkc.org INKC: How did the son of a running back get interested in theater? Damron Armstrong: With a Kansas City Chief for a father and glee

club singer mother, there’s no other choice than entertainment! I say that very tongue in cheek... Although every one of my siblings was super talented in the arts (instrumental, vocal, and dance), I was the only one who followed the direction of making it a profession. Clearly, they were all smarter than me, and well...

INKC: You are the founder and artistic director of The Black Reperto-

n 1966, Damron Armstrong’s father, Richard, was drafted by the Chiefs. The family moved from Windsor, North Carolina, to Kansas City, where Armstrong remembers hearing the concerts at Starlight from their home near Swope Park. At 17, he caught the acting bug as an understudy in the Fats Waller-inspired musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ and that was that. He has been involved in many productions at the Unicorn, Coterie, and KCRep and wears many hats: acting, directing, writing, producing, and inspiring. After many years on the theater scene in New York City, he came back home to found The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City and is now its executive artistic director. The theater company is celebrating ten powerful years of storytelling, artistry, and community. After theater, however, barbecue is never far from his mind. Born in North Carolina, Armstrong says, “My first understanding of barbecue was vinegar-cured—tangy, sharp, and unapologetic. Sauce

ry Theatre of Kansas City. Why is it important to tell stories through the lens of the Black experience? DA: Because stories shape how a society understands itself—and for too long, the Black experience has been distorted, minimized, or told by someone standing outside of it. Telling stories through the lens of the Black experience is not about exclusion; it’s about truth. Black communities have always been central to the American story, yet our complexity, joy, contradictions, brilliance, and humanity have rarely been centered on our own terms. When we tell our stories, we reclaim authorship over our history, our present, and our future. At The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City, this lens allows us to do several vital things at once. We restore wholeness. Black life is often reduced to trauma or struggle. While we do not shy away from pain, our stories also hold laughter, love, faith, imagination, artistry, and resilience. Theater gives us the space to be fully human—messy, flawed, aspirational, and extraordinary. It corrects the record. Much of American theater has been built on narratives that exclude or stereotype Black people. By centering Black voices, we challenge inherited myths and expand the canon, ensuring that audi-

APRIL 2026 | 28 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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Arts & Culture IN KC ences encounter stories rooted in lived experience rather than assumption. Cultural memories are built. Storytelling is how communities remember who they are. When Black stories are told authentically onstage, they become a living archive—one that honors elders, affirms the present generation, and offers mirrors to young people searching for themselves. It invites connection rather than division. When audiences engage with Black-centered narratives, they don’t just learn about Black life— they recognize universal themes: longing, justice, family, identity, hope. The specificity of the Black experience deepens empathy and opens doors to shared understanding. We tell stories through the lens of the Black experience because those stories matter—not as a footnote to American theater, but as a cornerstone of it. INKC: Tell us about your collaboration with Heart of America Shakespeare Festival to stage The African Company Presents Richard III. DA: Our collaboration with the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival unites classical theater and Black history. The African Company Presents Richard III reclaims Shakespeare through the first Black theater company in America in 1821, blending humor, urgency, and power. Audiences can expect bold storytelling, rich history, and electric performances. We are excited to join forces with Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in the continual elevation of the arts in Kansas City along with our partners at the Unicorn Theatre.

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INKC: If your wildest theater dream could come true in Kansas City,

what would it be? DA: My wildest theater dream is to build a permanent home for The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City east of Troost Avenue—one that stands as both a cultural anchor and a symbol of possibility. This space would be a beacon for BIPOC theater makers of all backgrounds, intentionally rooted in a community that has historically been denied sustained arts investment. The vision extends far beyond a single company. It would provide affordable rehearsal and performance spaces for the many Kansas City theater artists and organizations who boldly create but lack a home. It would be a place where collaboration replaces competition and where stories from across cultures can live side by side. Equally important, this home would serve young people. Through before- and after-school programming focused on low-income populations, the theater would become a pipeline—introducing students to the arts, nurturing confidence, discipline, and imagination, and showing them futures they may not yet know are possible. At its core, this dream is about access. It is about bringing high-quality art directly into the community, not asking the community to come to it. It is about using theater as a tool for connection, healing, and empowerment—making the arts an everyday presence for those who need it most, and ensuring Kansas City’s cultural future is for all and is as vibrant as its people.

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Arts & Culture IN KC by Judith Fertig

Tushka Manahatta by Raven Halfmoon.

IF YOU THINK you know Kansas City’s role in the story of the Wild West, you might be challenged by this alternate view where cowgirls take charge and history goes unbridled. But hurry up. Raven Halfmoon’s Ride or Die exhibit at Kemper only goes to April 19. Ride or Die marks a pivotal moment in Halfmoon’s artistic evolution and a bold expansion of her creative practice. These works, created specifically for this exhibition, engage with the cultural and historical landscape of Kansas City and the surrounding region. Long intrigued by cowboy mythology, Halfmoon flips the script on the “cowboy vs. Indian” trope. Her powerful cowgirl figures dominate the space, subverting colonial narratives with punk-inflected force, as they assert control, power, and protection over both personal and collective Indigenous narratives. While she has previously depicted standing horses, a new large-scale sculpture of a bucking horse marks a breakthrough in Halfmoon’s art. Responding to Cyrus Dallin’s The Scout (1921), a monument currently standing in Kansas City’s Penn Valley Park—which was intended as an homage but ultimately perpetuates stereotypical views of Native peoples—Halfmoon’s horse instead is untethered and unyielding, embodying the spirit of resistance and sovereignty at the heart of Ride or Die. For more information, visit kemperart.org.

MAY 1–3, 2026 Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

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APRIL 2026 | 32 | INKANSASCITY.COM

photo by kes efstathiou courtesy of the artist and salon 94

GIDDY UP! TO SEE RIDE OR DIE AT KEMPER MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

photo by kes efstathiou courtesy of the artist and salon 94

CHANNEL FLEETWOOD MAC WITH STEREOPHONIC AT THE KAUFFMAN CENTER SLIP INTO those bell bottoms, put on that necklace of love beads, and let your inner rockstar loose in this critically acclaimed, Tony-winning dramatic stage play with original music set in a 1976 recording studio. From April 7 through 12, Stereophonic follows an up-andcoming rock band, heavily inspired by Fleetwood Mac (and their 1977 album Rumours), as they descend into personal and creative turmoil while recording an album. Written by David Adjmi, directed by Daniel Aukin, and featuring original music by Arcade Fire’s Will Butler, Stereophonic invites us to immerse ourselves— with fly-on-the-wall intimacy—in the powder-keg process of a band on the brink of blowing up. Drugs. Booze. Lies. Egos. What could possibly go wrong? So let the fun begin. And watch the magic happen. For more information and tickets, visit kauffmancenter.org.

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Arts &Culture IN KC by Judith Fertig

THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS RICHARD III AT UNICORN THEATRE IT’S A STROKE OF GENIUS to blend the talents of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival with those of The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City. Richard III is a historical figure who inspired a play that prompted a real-life event that became a performance of modern theater. Got that? Centuries after Richard III died in battle and 40 years before Lincoln ended slavery, the first Black theatrical group in the country, the African Grove Theatre Company, was putting on plays in a downtown Manhattan theater—to which both Black and white audiences flocked. Their new play was Richard III. At the same time, the leading producer in New York City, Stephen Price, has secured the famous English actor Junius Brutus Booth to play Richard III at his Park Theatre. Threatened by the competition of the African company’s Richard III, Price is intent on shutting them down. While the producer William Henry Brown fights to get his production to opening night, he must also contend with his company of African American actors who aren’t sure of their place in English drama, or if they’re even prepared for the consequences of presenting Shakespeare in their own way. All these tensions and conflicting emotions erupt in Minnesota playwright Carlyle Brown’s contemporary play. Performances run April 17-19 and 21-26. For more information and tickets, visit brtkc.org/tickets/p/richard-iii.

APRIL 2026 | 34 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Closeup of La Trappistine by Alphonse Mucha.

ART NOUVEAU AT THE NELSON A NEW EXHIBIT celebrating the sensuousness of Art Nouveau, Timeless Mucha: The Magic of Line, runs April 18 to August 30 at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Czech artist Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) defined the look of Art Nouveau—think graceful lines, flowing forms, and celebration of beauty rooted in nature—that transformed posters, advertisements, and everyday design. The artist’s revolutionary graphic work made him an international sensation. Featuring more than 100 works from the Mucha Trust Collection, the exhibition traces his rise in Paris through his iconic designs for legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt and his influence across illustration, design, and popular culture. From the swirling psychedelia of the 1960s to the expressive dynamism of Japanese manga and American comics, Mucha’s visual language continues to captivate artists and audiences alike, proving that the magic of his line is truly timeless. For members, admission is free. While you’re there, check out the companion exhibit Mucha’s Muses: Sarah Bernhardt and the Spirit of Art Nouveau. For more information and tickets, visit nelson-atkins.org.

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Health IN KC

presented by AdventHealth

by Judith Fertig

Human Egg Preservation: An Insurance Policy for a Future Family A CONVERSATION WITH DAN GEHLBACH, A FERTILITY PHYSICIAN WHO IS BOARD-CERTIFIED IN OBSTETRICS/GYNECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY AT ADVENTHEALTH FERTILITY CENTER

Dan Gehlbach, MD, FACOG

ways when we are ready to have them. Freezing and banking eggs is a way to hold off the effects of age. We are sometimes called upon to freeze eggs when a woman is facing cancer treatment and the chemo or surgery may destroy the eggs she has, or when a hysterectomy is required before she is able to have children.

ometimes, having a baby is not as simple as it sounds. Women who plan to wait until they’ve completed their education, started their careers, and found loving partners before starting a family—sounds reasonable, right?—might be surprised to learn they could be considered “geriatric” in their 30s in terms of possible pregnancies. A cancer diagnosis or imminent hysterectomy can also present a challenge to women who hope to have children in the future. What to do? New advances in fertility medicine might just be what the doctor ordered. Dan Gehlbach, MD, FACOG, a fertility physician board-certified in obstetrics/gynecology and reproductive endocrinology at AdventHealth Fertility Center, shares new information. What could be some of the personal or medical reasons that a woman might consider freezing and storing the eggs from her ovaries for future use? Frozen eggs are like insurance. You hope you never have to use them, but it is reassuring to know that you are covered in case you may need them. The most significant effect upon a woman’s fertility is often age. Our bodies were designed to have children in our 20s, but that is not al-

What is involved in the process? What is a woman’s optimum age range for successful egg retrieval? How long does it take? Is it painful? How long can human eggs be stored safely? The process starts with seeing a reproductive endocrinologist. They will perform a history and exam, an ultrasound of her ovaries, and lab tests (measuring AMH, a hormone level indicating the quantity of eggs in the ovaries), which will help predict how she might respond to fertility medications. Freezing eggs requires in vitro fertilization, in which a woman is stimulated with fertility shots and then undergoes an egg retrieval in the procedure room under IV sedation. (Not general anesthesia, this is not a surgery.) The mature eggs will then be cryopreserved the same day. The process may take up to several months, although it can be dramatically shortened in cases of cancer. There is no pain with the procedure, but pelvic cramping is common for several days afterward. There is no shelf life to frozen eggs; they can be stored indefinitely. As for age, the best time would be in their 20s—ideally before 35—although there is no age limit. What is the best outcome for women and their partners if egg freezing is part of their fertility journey? The best outcome is that a woman would never need to use her banked eggs. And using frozen eggs is not as efficient as when the eggs are fertilized and embryos are created and transferred. It may take up to six frozen eggs to produce an embryo, and it may take multiple embryos to result in a successful pregnancy. The egg banking process can be repeated until the woman has enough eggs to give her the best chance to have the number of pregnancies she desires. AdventHealthKC.com/Fertility

APRIL 2026 | 36 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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Thursday, May 7 | 6–9 PM Join us for the Kansas City Art Institute patron preview celebrating the Spring End of Semester Exhibition + Sale. Enjoy a progressive party with curated bites and cocktails as you explore studios, connect with students and faculty, and view and purchase exceptional student work. Experience POPTRA, an electrifying showcase of student-designed costumes and performance art, along with other dynamic campus installations—only at ARTPOP.

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Roger’s competitive edge runs deep. He was a multisport athlete growing up who was working a full-time job while still in high school. That same drive powers his real estate career today. He proved himself quickly with a mindset of, “I’m in it to win it.”

Follow the Leader

From his first days at ReeceNichols, Roger found seasoned leaders who invested in him, and that commitment has never changed. “They teach you the right way to sell real estate.” His trust in the leadership has kept him with the market leader for nearly three decades. “If I need help, I know I’ve got it.”

Ground-Up Guide

Roger brings unmatched expertise in new homes. Early in his career, he partnered with a builder on a small development and never looked back. Multiple builders have trusted him for decades, and he’s helped countless buyers find a brand-new home that fits.

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At ReeceNichols, Roger has an in-house legal team that is only a phone call away. Whether he needs complex guidance or just has a quick question, he and his team have access whenever they need it. “The resources are there.”

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Living IN KC

Rendering Sophistication KRISTYN IMAN, DESIGN SPOUT’S FOUNDER, EXECUTES HER INTERIOR PROJECTS WITH A HONED EYE FOR STYLE

by Susan Cannon

’ve been following the creative path of Kristyn Iman for years. Recently, I came across her skilled renderings of an inthe-works Kansas City home renovation on her website, and I was immediately struck by her nod toward French designer Jean Prouvé in the show-stopping triple front doors. Sort of a “you had me at hello’’ moment. Iman kindly granted us a first look into the two-year renovation project, contracted by Gene Fritzel Construction, with landscape architecture by John Galloway and Devin Murphy of 40North, who introduced Iman to the project. As it turns out, this original 1983 Prairie-style home designed by Stuart Hutchinson and built by Neil Hansen of the Hansen Brothers, is quite familiar to the homeowner. “This was my client’s childhood home, and it has been an honor to listen and learn, reimagine and develop this renovation for her. Nostalgia is laced through every space. It was a study of celebrating her best memories while enhancing the original interior architecture,’’ Iman explains. “I reconfigured the spaces, moved the dining room, opened the main living room fireplace, and fully opened the ceiling at

the entry to see through to the kitchen.’’ This attention the designer pays to her clients is key to her working philosophy. Another is her strong identification with fashion. As Iman explains, “Fashion keeps my eyes fresh. I try to keep up with the latest Vogue runway collections, and I store them in my subconscious mind. Nothing is new under the sun, but I have mad respect for the brilliance fashion designers bring to the runway.’’ Considering first impressions of a home is also a strength. “This entrance and landscape, for example, is quite special and well-studied. The brass-ringed porthole oak doors came to be when I saw custom porthole shutters in the New York loft of Apparatus owners Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson, whose reimagined designs were born from Prouvé’s 1940s porthole aluminum doors.’’ Custom-designed furnishings and cabinetry are an important part of Iman’s process, which was encouraged by her former employers. Whether it’s designing unique tables, woodworked screens, or chairs and sofas, it is another aspect that keeps each of her clients’ homes original and one-of-a-kind. design-spout.com

APRIL 2026| 40 | INKANSASCITY.COM

renderings by kristyn iman/design spout

Top left: In the family room, Iman designed the Chloe club chairs and Laurel side table. Wood fabrication by Mitchell Kirkwood; upholstery by David Serrioz. Sconce by Apparatus. Top right: The interior entrance features artwork by Anna Beeke, an Apparatus light fixture, a raised ceiling, custom front doors, hand-crafted plaster walls, and white-oak hardwood floors. Lower left: Iman designed the Bibliothéque sofa and Kumiko screen. Lower right: The exterior entrance with landscape design by 40North.

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A spectacular, contemporary venue with transformable reception spaces and a magnificent courtyard. 1900bldg.com (913) 730–1905

Hand-painted, large-scale jigsaw puzzle in hardwood frame, from the Bather Series, available through BDDW weekly auctions. auctions. bddw.com; Olmit sling chair with bronze frame and removable leather sling seat, and polished wood drink tray.

renderings by kristyn iman/design spout

THE RENOWNED New York City furniture gallery beloved by

designers and in-the-know consumers everywhere is helmed by Tyler Hays. BDDW’s flagship showroom on Crosby Street is a mecca of heirloom-quality furnishings that are hand-crafted in Philadelphia by Hays and his team of gifted artists, craftspeople, and engineers. The collections span innovative furniture, art, lighting, hand-painted ceramics, rugs, gaming tables, turntables, and even a capsule of artisan, one-of-akind garments. Asked about his jigsaw-puzzle paintings, Hays says, “I started making these puzzle paintings because I got restless painting my serious works, which are abstract and personal, and not fun, even lonely to make. The puzzle idea kind of deconstructed the seriousness of my work by thinking of them first as toys, then I could paint whatever I wanted as pure fun without any pretense… often irreverent, and even tongue-in-cheek. Today, I have a small staff of incredibly talented assistants who work with me to create a larger body of work than I could ever paint alone.’’ bddw.com

Modern-American cuisine from award-winning Chef Linda Duerr. Chef Duerr and team present elegant fare and carefully curated menus for a variety of special occasions.

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therestaurantat1900.com (913) 730–1900

1900 Building 1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway Mission Woods, Kansas

Living IN KC by Susan Cannon

Patching Our World Together THESE ARTISTS CREATE PATCHWORK-INFLUENCED WORK WITH CREATIVITY AND SKILL

Elegant, large paneling in a New York City Gramercy Park pied-a-terre designed by Alyssa Kapito.

WHEN REFLECTING on the work of artists who use patchwork in their medium, I see a profound connection in the way they assemble beauty. By formulating graphics, color, and materiality, these artists create work that resonates deeply and helps make sense of the world.

Adam Pogue patchwork cushion inspired by Korean pojagi and quilting techniques, paired with woodwork designer Martino Gamper’s stool made for a Blunk Space exhibit. Cushions and other textile works by Pogue available by commission through Commune Design. communedesign.shop

Clear Night by Kim Eichler-Messmer. A collage with hand-painted papers using watercolor, acrylic ink, and marker. Dots, lines, and plus signs were drawn on top to mimic hand stitching. kimemquilts.com

Silk & Ribbons decoupage lamp, handmade by Grace Knott of iBlink Art. Inspired by Silk Ribbons and Trims by E. Lemancel, published in 1886. At George A Lifestyle Store. georgelifestyle.com

They Will Stop for You by Debra Smith. A largescale textile artwork of pieced vintage silk, at Haw Contemporary. hawcontemporary.com APRIL 2026| 42 | INKANSASCITY.COM

debra smith photo by john hans | commune design photo by chris grunder | other photos courtesy of the artists

Quiet Geometry 2 by Jacquie Gering. A quilt exploring the concept of flow using a traditional quarter-circle block. The background fabric is a Yoshiko Jinzenji print. jacquiegering.com

interior photo by alice mesguich | cover courtesy of the monacelli press, interior design by hugo toro

debra smith photo by john hans | commune design photo by chris grunder | other photos courtesy of the artists

ARBITERS OF STYLE THE NEW WAVE OF FRENCH INTERIOR DESIGN Interior design by Claves Architecture.

THIS FABULOUS coffee-table book authored by the style director of

Frederic magazine, Eugenia Santiesteban Soto, and released this month by Monacelli Press, is filled with covetable interiors that look forward with innovative style while honoring the past. The living room by Claves Architecture, pictured here, is a delicious mix: 1940s Royère Ours Polaire armchairs paired with contemporary ceramics by L’Oeil de KO and a hand-plastered fireplace by Staff Espaces Volumes, which gives off the vibe of Valentine Schlegel meets Renzo Mongiardino’s hell-mouth fire-

place in Elsa Peretti’s Tuscan watchtower home. And completing the artistic scene is a modern sofa designed by Mathieu Lehanneur. Asked why the book is solely devoted to French design, Soto says, ‘’Schumacher, the sister brand of Frederic, has French roots. The company’s original founder, Frederic Schumacher, born in Paris, started Schumacher to bring the latest French fabrics to the U.S. markets. So we’ve always had an eye towards French craftsmanship and style. It seemed like a natural progression to examine what is currently happening in the world of French design for this book, especially since I’ve also been a long-time admirer of French style. Arbiters of Style is really a celebration of that innate style that French people possess—particularly the creativity and unique approach that the designers in this book all have. All the projects truly felt like a revelation! I love that so many have a sculptural quality and also a thoughtfulness. And so many with a bold approach to color and materials and the combination of those two things.’’

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PAINTING

DRYWALL

FLOORING

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IN CONVERSATION WITH

Joe Drape

words by Cindy Hoedel

photo by Earl Wilson

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top sportswriter at The New York Times and its leading voice on horse racing, Joe Drape traces his writing skills and passion for the sport of kings back to Kansas City, where he was born and raised. Drape, 64, who won an Emmy in 2025 for his documentary Broken Horses (Hulu), attended Christ the King Elementary School and graduated from Rockhurst High School before earning a BA in English from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Drape began his career at The Dallas Morning News in 1985, then moved to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1988 before landing at The New York Times in 1998. He has also written seven bestselling books, including Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen, Black Maestro: The Epic Life of an American Legend, and The Saint Makers: Inside the Catholic Church and How a War Hero Inspired a Journey of Faith. His recent sports reporting for the Times is archived at nytimes.com/by/joe-drape. Drape spoke with IN Kansas City recently from the co-op on Manhattan’s Upper East Side where he lives with his wife, Mary Kennedy, and a cocker-king spaniel mix named Sweety. Drape’s son, Jack, is a junior at Elon University in North Carolina.

I grew up with George Brett being around town. I think Patrick has some of that same quality—he is of the community. Nobody really bothers him. That’s the great thing about playing in a place like Kansas City; everybody lets you have your space. What are some of your favorite memories of growing up in Kansas City? Playing 3&2 baseball [at 3&2 Baseball Club of Johnson County] with David Cone [Cy Young Award winner and five-time World Series champion]. High school was great. That’s where I discovered I could read and write. The Jesuits [at Rockhurst] gave me a great literature-based foundation. One in particular, Father David Bishop, quizzed us on the 500 most underused words according to The New York Times. Every day, we’d have 20 vocabulary questions. The Chiefs, of course. I remember our Christmas dinner in 1971 was held up because my dad and my brothers went to the longest game [AFC Championship, which the Chiefs lost to Miami in triple overtime] at old Municipal Stadium. Just great memories. One more: Where we lived there was a grassy circle probably 40 yards in diameter, and there were a bunch of kids. We’d play football, baseball, we’d build ramps and jump our bikes off them. And we didn’t have phones. You left in the morning and came back at dinner and then you went out again until dark.

The Chiefs have struggled this year and shown that they can still dazzle. What is your take on the season? I have been alive for all the Chiefs Super Bowls, okay? I remember watching Lenny Dawson at a Super Bowl party at our house [in 1970]. Did you always want to be a When they returned to the Super sportswriter growing up? Bowl in 2020, I took my son to Not at all. Miami and we just went as fans. I covered the one in Phoenix when Really? the Chiefs beat Philadelphia No. I learned to read the sports [2023]. We had a Super Bowl page of The Star and The Kansas party here in New York the last City Times and Sports Illustrated. I time [2025]. didn’t know what I wanted to do I don’t know how anybody until after I graduated from colcould be mad at the Chiefs. Belege. My brother worked at The cause they’ve given us a run. I’m Star in the ’70s and he said, “You a sportswriter, and you just don’t know, you ought to try newspaper win the AFC Championship five journalism.” So I started sending times and the Super Bowl three out resumes that I’m sure still sit times in six years. The Chiefs have in editors’ and publishers’ boxes a generational quarterback in Patfrom 50 years ago. Eventually I rick Mahomes. They’ve got a very Joe Drape’s books Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith came up to New York and freeseasoned coach who knows how Center Redmen and American Pharoah: The Untold Story of the Triple Crown Winner’s Legendary Rise are New York Times bestsellers. lanced, and then The Dallas Mornto handle players and build a culing News hired me for $8 an hour, ture in the locker room. And the no benefits, and the deal was: in front office, Brett Veach, is just ten months, you’re either going to have a stack of clips or a job here. And continuously reloading without getting in trouble on the salary cap. It’s I eventually got hired. They were true to their word. a self-sustaining machine. And Mahomes is clearly the engine. What makes Mahomes such a media star, besides his football skills? I was just thinking about that. I saw his new commercial—he’s funny. His commercials are really good. I think he’s a football first guy. He works at it a lot in the off-season. He doesn’t get distracted a lot, he just kind of goes with it.

You’ve written a lot about how money is affecting college football. What do you think are the advantages of the new rules where college and even high school athletes can be paid and what are the potential downsides that still need to be addressed?

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continued on page 66

N/A French 75 from Wild Child.

Horsefeather from J. Rieger & Co.

Frozen G&T from Earl’s Premier.

Barrel-aged Negroni from Extra Virgin.

Bronson’s Clarified Punch from Westport Cafe.

Oaxaca Old-Fashioned from Jade Jaguar.

Martini from The Campground.

Margarita from Mean Mule.

Espresso Martini from Goat & Rabbit.

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words by Jenny Vergara

THE NEXT-GEN KC CLASSICS DRINKS AND DISHES SET TO REDEFINE OUR FOOD SCENE

ansas City has never struggled to define what belongs on its culinary Mount Rushmore. The list practically writes itself. There are the smoky, caramelized beef burnt ends that made Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue famous, the richly marbled Kansas City strip steaks served in dining rooms across town, and the garlicky skewers of chicken spiedini at Garozzo’s Ristorante. Some love the legendary whole chicken wings at The Peanut, while others in town grew up ordering Bill’s Chicken Salad at Grand Street Cafe. Barbecue plates feel incomplete without cheesy corn from Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue, and suburban taco rivalry stretches from the powdered-cheese-dusted tacos at In-A-Tub in the Northland to the comforting hard-shelled variety some grew up eating at Taco Viá south in Overland Park. Here’s the thing about icons—they have been around a long, long time. Kansas City may have built its reputation on meat and potatoes, smoke and steakhouse swagger, yet the city we eat in today looks far different from the one that defined those classics. With the world descending on the city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, it feels like the right moment to ask what dishes now tell the story of Kansas City. The new generation of local cocktails and cuisine is broader, bolder, and more globally curious. Thai rice salads share space with breakfast sandwiches, wood-roasted chicken, and New York-style pizza slices. Deeply thoughtful cocktails now reflect who we are and where we live. These are the dishes and drinks that locals tell each other about and return to try again and again. They define Kansas City right now, and it’s time they took their place in our flavor hall of fame.

COCKTAILS

OAXACA OLD FASHIONED FROM JADE JAGUAR The Oaxaca old-fashioned at Jade Jaguar is a striking example of Kansas City’s taste for classic craft cocktails with a global palate. Corn whiskey and smoky mezcal meet piloncillo sugar and bitters, served with a square of dark chocolate to nibble on. It’s bold, layered, and unmistakably modern, proof that the city’s bartenders are comfortable blending Midwestern spirits with international inspiration. jadejaguarkc.com

BRONSON’S CLARIFIED PUNCH FROM WESTPORT CAFE Few Kansas City drinks have traveled as far as Bronson Kistler’s clarified milk punch, first created at Westport Cafe. Crystal clear yet velvety smooth, the original whiskey cocktail revived an 18th-century technique and sparked a cult following strong enough to launch a bottled brand. It’s a perfect example of Kansas City bartenders turning curiosity and craftsmanship into something iconic. westportcafeandbar.com

BARREL-AGED NEGRONI FROM EXTRA VIRGIN At Extra Virgin, bartender Berto Santoro transformed the Negroni into a house signature by aging it in barrels. The process deepens the harmony between Citadelle gin, Aperol, Dolin Rouge, and Carpano Antica, creating a smoother, richer cocktail. It’s the type of drink that quietly becomes part of a restaurant’s culture. It is dependable and always worth ordering. extravirginkc.com

MARGARITA FROM MEAN MULE Sometimes the drink that defines a place is the one executed perfectly. At Mean Mule Distilling Co., the margarita balances their agave spirit with fresh lime and dry curaçao for a bright, crisp cocktail that locals consistently rank among the city’s best. Its popularity reflects Kansas City’s love of straightforward drinks made with thoughtful, high-quality ingredients. meanmuledistilling.co

MICHELADA FROM KOHINOOR

N/A FRENCH 75 FROM WILD CHILD At Wild Child, bartender and James Beard finalist Jay Sanders proves that the city’s cocktail scene no longer revolves solely around alcohol. His N/A French 75 is made with a nonalcoholic citrus aperitif, sparkling wine, and limoncello, then finished with fluffy shaved ice. It shows the same precision and beauty as any fully loaded classic cocktail, representing Kansas City’s growing embrace of sophisticated, zero-proof drinking culture. wildchildkc.com

The michelada at Kohinoor surprises first-time drinkers. Inside the moody downtown bar, owner Jasmine Rios serves a version based on her family’s recipe. Paired with a Modelo Especial, the result is savory, spicy, and citrusy, reflecting the growing influence of Latino culture in shaping Kansas City’s evolving cocktail landscape. kohinoorkc.com

FROZEN G&T FROM EARL’S PREMIER When Todd Schulte and Cory Dannehl opened Earl’s Premier, their frozen gin and tonic quickly became a summer ritual. Made with J. Rieger & Co. Midwestern gin, lime, and tonic, the drink tastes like an

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adult popsicle, playful, refreshing, and unmistakably part of Kansas City patio culture. earlspremier.com

MARTINI FROM THE CAMPGROUND At The Campground, the martini arrives as an experience rather than a classic craft cocktail. A near-frozen premixed blend of three types of gin is mixed with a combination of vermouth and sherry that’s poured tableside while guests snack on salt-and-vinegar chips. Owners Christopher Ciesiel and Cristin Llewellyn turn a classic drink into a moment of dazzling theater. thecampgroundkc.com

HORSEFEATHER FROM J. RIEGER & CO. Few cocktails belong to Kansas City as clearly as the Horsefeather. Drinking one at J. Rieger & Co. connects the city’s distilling revival with its drinking history. Kansas City whiskey, ginger beer, bitters, and lemon combine for a refreshing highball that locals proudly claim as their own signature cocktail. jriegerco.com

ESPRESSO MARTINI FROM GOAT & RABBIT At Goat & Rabbit, beverage director Mari Matsumoto makes an espresso martini worth lingering over at this favorite watering hole on 39th Street. Fresh-pulled espresso, Wheatley vodka made by Buffalo Trace, Mr. Black coffee liqueur, Averna, and turbinado sugar create a velvety drink that blurs the line between cocktail and dessert. It reflects how serious Kansas City’s bar scene is about technique and taste. gandrkc.com

CUISINE

HALF CHICKEN FROM EL POLLO REY At El Pollo Rey, simplicity is everything. Chickens roast over open flames in a red, barn-shaped building, filling the air with smoky aroma. Served with tortillas, beans, and salsa, the half chicken has become one of the metro’s most beloved meals, proof that Kansas City’s food identity stretches far beyond barbecue.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA FROM BABA’S PANTRY At Baba’s Pantry, owner and chef Yahia Kamal and his family serve one of the city’s most memorable chicken shawarmas. Halal chicken, seasoned inhouse, is grilled and shaved into a wrap or served with warm pita, finished with a drizzle of nutty tahini. Pair it with the lemonade flavor of the day, velvety hummus, or falafel, then explore the deli case for sauces, dips, and spreads to take home. babaspantrykc.com

THE STANDARD FROM MILDRED’S The Standard at Mildred’s has quietly become one of Kansas City’s defining breakfast dishes. Steamed eggs, light as air, are stacked with bacon, Swiss cheese, American cheese, and Dijon mayo on your choice of bread. It’s simple, satisfying, and endlessly craveable, the kind of breakfast sandwich that fuels downtown workers and weekend brunch crowds alike. mildredskc.com

PORK TENDERLOIN SANDWICH KITTY’S CAFE For more than 75 years, Kitty’s Cafe has served its classic, tempura-battered pork tenderloin sandwich—double battered patties stacked between a soft bun, topped with lettuce, onion, mayo, and hot sauce. The line that forms at lunchtime proves the sandwich remains one of Kansas City’s most cherished comfort foods. @kittyscafekc

VODKA PIZZA & CAESAR SALAD FROM NORTHEAST PIZZA

BISCUITS + GRAVY FROM DISTRICT BISKUITS At District Biskuits, owner and chef Guroux Khalifa has turned biscuits and gravy into one of Kansas City’s most talked-about brunch dishes. His towering, buttery biscuits arrive fluffy and golden, blanketed in peppery sausage gravy with just the right kick. It’s Southern comfort food with Kansas City swagger. Rich, satisfying, and worth standing in the weekend line to enjoy. districtbiskuits.com

KOW TORD NAM SOD FROM BUCK TUI BBQ Thai Tuesday at Buck Tui BBQ proves Kansas City diners are eager for more of Pam Liberda’s Northern Thai dishes. Her Kow Tord Nam Sod mixes crispy rice balls, pork sausage, ginger, herbs, and peanuts into a bright, punchy salad served with lettuce wraps. It’s vibrant, textured, and addictive. A dish that reflects the city’s expanding culinary curiosity. bucktuibbq.com

At Northeast Pizza, the vodka sauce pizza paired with Caesar salad has quickly become a city-wide sensation for the quality pie and salads coming out of this spot located in the historic Northeast. The foldable New York-style slice balances the tomato tang of the vodka sauce with crisp greens topped with creamy Caesar dressing and crunchy croutons paired with a cold Peroni beer. It reflects the city’s growing love of casual, chef-driven neighborhood spots that feel both new and instantly familiar. northeastpizzakc.com

CHIPOTLE GHOST PEPPER JACK CHEESE SAUSAGE FROM SCOTT’S KITCHEN Owner Scott Umscheid’s take on a traditional jalapeño and cheddar sausage at Scott’s Kitchen and Catering gives barbecue a fiery twist. Ground pork blended with chipotle peppers and ghost-pepper jack cheese to deliver a smoky heat that works on breakfast tacos or barbecue platters. It represents how Kansas City barbecue is evolving. scottskitchenandcatering.com

HOT BUNS FROM THE TOWN COMPANY

CRISPY FARM EGG FROM NOVEL Ryan Brazeal’s Crispy Farm Egg at Novel Restaurant turns humble ingredients into something memorable. A deep-fried soft egg crowns a rich broth inspired by birria, paired with local polenta and cotija cheese. It’s inventive comfort food that shows Kansas City chefs embracing technique while still honoring Midwestern ingredients. novelkc.com

There is a lot to love at The Town Company inside Hotel Kansas City. But James Beard-semifinalist executive chefs Johnny Leach and Helen Jo Leach managed to turn bread service into a blending of both of their skills. Soft, buttery dinner rolls arrive with cultured butter and a roasted carrot dip that’s the star of the show. It’s an elegant opening act and sets the stage for all that is to come. hotelkc.com

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Chicken Shawarma from Baba’s Pantry.

Crispy Farm Egg from Novel.

Pork Tenderloin Sandwich from Kitty’s Cafe.

Biscuits + Gravy from District Biskuits.

Half Chicken from El Pollo Rey.

Kow Tord Nam Sod from Buck Tui BBQ.

Chipotle Ghost Pepper Jack Cheese Sausage from Scott’s Kitchen.

Vodka Pizza from Northeast Pizza .

Hot Buns from The Town Company.

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Room for Merriment MERRILY JACKSON’S DINING ROOM IS DESIGNED FOR COCKTAILS, CANDLELIGHT, AND CONVIVIAL NIGHTS photos by Aaron Leimkuehler words by Zim Loy

n the 40-plus years since she moved into her Hyde Park home as a young bride, Merrily Jackson’s dining room has seen many iterations. And each has been the site of countless lively dinner parties. Its latest—a glamorous ebony-walled salon/library/gallery—was a project that kept her busy after the loss of her beloved husband, Jimmy. It’s a room meant to be used in the evening. The table can be set for a cozy dinner for two or a cheery, boozy group of ten friends dining elbow to elbow. The room is an ode to the entertaining column she’s written monthly for this magazine for the last seven years—dimmable lighting, a wellstocked bar, fresh flowers (always), a round table that’s conducive to lingering after dinner for conversation late into the evening. And why the black? “I fell in love with Kelly Cole and Charles Shrout’s black-walled snug that served as a bar in their Mission Hills home,” Merrily says. “My home is 120 years old and it required five and a half days of meticulous prep work before they even picked up a paint brush.” Decades of wallpapers and paint had to be removed with much scraping and sanding. The coffered ceiling required even more detailed work. It all paid off. The room glows in both daylight and candlelight. She and a friend, woodworker Steve Gabrault, designed the built-in cabinetry while sitting at the dining room table, wrapping the cabinets around the window and planning for sconces to light the bar. Louvered doors add a custom touch. One wall hosts a gallery of some of her favorite

Merrily Jackson’s renovated dining room is a considered gathering of treasures and trinkets she’s collected over the years. The chandelier is original to the house.

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art. “I wanted it to look old, collected, and witty,” Merrily says. It’s a clever mix of vintage portraits given as a gift, watercolors by dear friends, and antique shop finds. By cutting out paper the size of each piece and arranging them on her kitchen floor for proper placement, she avoided mistakes. Since wiring in old houses can be difficult, the art is lit by cordless LED sconces. If you’re invited to dinner in Merrily’s elegant dining room, consider yourself lucky. It’s a place designed for merriment and deliciousness. Her parties are legendary.

THE IT LIST Antiques Green Door Antiques thegreendoorantiques.net

Cabinetry Steve Gabrault 802-274-5389

Interior Painting Nichols Painting nicholspainting.net

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A common denominator to all the art on the gallery wall is the glint of gilt in each of the frames. Walls are painted Behr’s Onyx in a flat finish; trim is in a satin finish. Opposite, clockwise from top left: Collected bar accoutrements surround the liquor, which is gathered in a leather-wrapped wicker tray. Fine china is displayed on rattan chargers, and placecards are a must. For a little extra ambience, votives are grouped in front of each place setting. APRIL 2026 | 55 | INKANSASCITY.COM

The Polivka legacy lives on in reclaimed beams from The Old Spaghetti Factory, custom window frames and shutters, floor lamps, and handmade tiles. Left: Eric Pfeifer and Jennifer Lapka with their dachshund, Nelly.

Westside Story AN OASIS IN THE CITY, CRAFTED BY HAND words by Judith Fertig photos by Paul Versluis

n 1885 house in Kansas City’s Westside has cast a lasting spell. In 1996, master gardener and ceramicist Michele Polivka and master furniture craftsman David Polivka bought the home, which had been derelict. It needed everything—roof, walls, floors, wiring, plumbing. Room by room, the Polivkas brought the house and surrounding landscape back to life with the artistry and craftsmanship of their own hands. The Polivkas used reclaimed materials where they could, including flooring and beams APRIL 2026 | 56 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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Left: The handmade front door was crafted by David Polivka. Below: The couple found the elegant chair during a sojourn in London.

The birds-eye maple hearthroom kitchen features an Austin Ironworks stair railing. Pfeifer added a marble top to Polivka’s drafting table to create a kitchen island.

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The couple kept the Polivkas’ moody green palette but added contemporary lighting.

from The Old Spaghetti Factory. Up went a birds-eye maple kitchen, handcrafted custom doors and windows from David; Michele’s handmade tiles surrounded the fireplaces, the yews and hornbeams she planted delineating the landscape she planned. Years later, Jennifer Lapka, a nonprofit specialist, and her husband, Eric Pfeifer, the executive director of products at VML, also heard the lure of the home’s siren song. “It became our ‘dream home’ the first time we saw it,” she recalls, “and we’d drive by it often thereafter.” Like the Polivkas, both Lapka and Pfeifer are self-described hands-on “project people” in addition to their own professional pursuits. She draws, paints, and designs. He helped restore a 1969 Chevelle pickup and plays heartland rock, country, and Red Dirt music in The Blaine Younger Band. They can turn their hands to almost anything. In 2018, Lapka and Pfeifer bought the home. Says Pfeifer, “We’ve had the opportunity to live in England twice––first for Jennifer’s master’s degree, then for my work at the time––and while there, we traveled around Europe. So many European elements are recognizable in this home and garden, and the craftsmanship is unparalleled. During the purchase process, APRIL 2026 | 59 | INKANSASCITY.COM

In the primary bedroom, the original rustic walnut headboard contrasts with elegant design.

This photo and right: The primary bath features two different, but complementary his-and-hers custom vanities.

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The guest bedroom features a meditative drawing by Lapka from her Automatic Noir series and a painting by David Kinder.

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The original landscape design by Michele Polivka, with clipped yews, boxwoods, and hornbeams, still frames the garden.

The couple added a swim-spa. “It’s like a reflecting pool,” they say.

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A curtained pergola and comfy seating create an oasis in the city.

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westside story continued

THE IT LIST Antiques Christopher Filley Antiques 816-668-9974

Exterior Plants Family Tree Nursery familytreenursery.com

CRESTWOOD SHOPS 55TH & BROOKSIDE BLVD. hudsonandjane.com

Ironwork Austin Iron Works austinironworks.com

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Light pours across deep window seats in the terra cotta-hued closet area.

the inspector said he’s never seen a house so square.” Soon after moving in, they began to integrate their own ideas. “We see ourselves as stewards of the Polivkas’ vision. Any alterations that have been made since we moved in were functionally necessary and balanced our taste with theirs,” says Lapka. “I think about Michele often––her hand is felt everywhere in the home and garden,” Lapka continues. They kept her Craftsman palette of earthy green (Copley Gray) and terracotta (Montana Agate), both from Benjamin Moore. “We expanded her rock path design around the property, and we trimmed the hedges to her initial design. She diligently made hundreds of ceramic tiles at the former Red Star Studios down the alley from our home, and they still adorn the two fireplace surrounds.” They also added a custom iron railing for the kitchen staircase. Pfeifer repurposed the late David Polivka’s drafting table by adding a marble top so it can function as an island in the hearth room kitchen. He also rebuilt the pergolas. Lapka added outdoor curtains. In each room, they have layered Lapka’s art with that from Kansas City artists, including Robert Bingaman, Jacory Deon, Tom Corbin, and David Kinder. They’ve also mixed in beloved family heirlooms, travel and vintage finds—all things made by friends or touched by family. “Everything was so thoughtfully planned,” says Pfeifer. “Brilliant design. The primary bedroom has its original walnut headboard. The two vanities in the primary bath are across from each other; one is more Asian-inspired, the other more traditional, but they work well together.” Pfeifer also admires the “extraordinary” closet area between two bedrooms and the laundry room, sheathed in wood painted a warm terra cotta. When it all comes together, when the light is right, there’s a kind of magic that happens, says Pfeifer. “The morning sun from the east hits the front porch, reflects through the mulberry tree, and into the den with all its different woods. I love that.” As the day goes on, the sun from the south hits the iron staircase railing in the kitchen, bounces off the glass and makes a pattern on David Polivka’s woods. “I love sitting under the pergola in the evening, when the birds are singing,” adds Lapka, “watching the sun go down. It’s so peaceful. You would never know you’re in the city.” There’s more than one way to bring a home to life—from a ruin, from the ground up, from a shared vision, from the heart. APRIL 2026 | 65 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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joe drape continued from page 47 Fundamentally I agree that they should get paid. The courts ruled that way and they are going to have to pay $2.8 billion to Division 1 athletes [going back to 2016]. These athletes were the front porch of the universities. The universities made billions off of them. So I think they should get paid. Now, the next phase is a question of sustainability. The last three or four years was the Wild West, and you could throw any amount of money at it. But there’s not enough rich people at every school to make it work. Thus they put this—I call it the salary cap—of $20.5 million in place. And they are all still crying poor. The way it’s going, there are going to be 50 schools that can afford to be superpowers and the rest will fend for themselves. My dad grew up in western Kansas, so I read Our Boys, about a small Kansas high school’s perfect football season, when it first came out. How did that story cross your radar, and why did it interest you? I had covered the Eagles-Cowboys in Philadelphia on a Sunday night. I’m taking the train back Monday and I see a little agate item in USA Today that this team scored like 72 points and weren’t even trying. They put their freshmen in and were taking knees. And I thought, I’ve kind of made my bones up here [at the Times] going back to the Midwest and the South. We have enough people covering both coasts. And it gets me home. I had to look it up, where Smith Center was. I had to call the coach and he said, “Do you know where you’re going?” And I said, “I’ll find out.” He couldn’t believe I showed up. I did a Times story that started it. It was right during the recession

and Afghanistan. And as I filed it kept going from sports to front of sports to low A-1 to high A-1. I was like, “What’s going on?” And it was like, “There’s just so much bad news. We need something bright.” Wow. I knew as soon as I got there, this was a book that would interest me and get me back to the Midwest. My son had just turned 3, and we took him to my brother’s house and he said, “Uncle Tom has a park!” [Laughs] A yard was a park. So it was just good for everybody. My wife was working at Newsweek in sales and doing well, but she was up for it. She’s originally from Chicago. So I wrote the proposal. Coach Barta—Roger—just died this past summer, and I went back to his funeral. We buy ads in the yearbook. I feed people when they come through here. I keep up with some of the guys on the team. In fact, the last Chiefs game we went to, the original plan—my son suggested this—was, “Let’s go see Smith Center play on Friday and the Chiefs on Sunday.” But they were playing out in Colby, which is almost to Colorado, and we couldn’t make that work. But we have gone back over the years. In 2006, you wrote another book, Black Maestro, about the late African-American Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jimmy Winkfield. Why did his story interest you? I was covering the Kentucky Derby, and I was looking at the media guide, and they have like half a page of Black jockeys. Fifteen of the first 18 Derbies were won by Black jockeys. They were sort of the first celebrities or stars until Jim Crow kicked in. There was one paragraph on

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Jimmy, and it said, “the last Black jockey to win a Derby, did it back to back, moved to Russia, saved 800 horses, became a star, went to France.” It was like a Forrest Gumpian thing. God, what a life, right? I pitched it to an editor, and he said, “Yeah, do that.” It took me five years. I probably lost money on the expenses because it got me to France a couple of times. I had to get documents out of Russia and that cost money. It was quite the experience to be a 5’1”, 113-pound Black guy at the turn of the century. Winkfield had a great life, an adventurous life. He had racial stuff to deal with, and he was kind of his own worst enemy. He had a couple of wives and several mistresses. The one place he was really comfortable was with horses. The fact that he drove 300 horses from Odessa to Warsaw with the Bolsheviks shooting at him is pretty impressive. In writing The Saint Makers, about Father Emil Kapaun of Pilsen, Kansas, who fought and died in Korea, you ventured outside your normal sports beat. Why? You’re right. It is a left turn from sports. It goes back to Smith Center. When I was living there, every bitty paper around Wichita was covering the efforts to make Kapaun a saint. He was from around there. There were a lot of Catholic farmers in Smith County, and I’d hear them talk about him. I’d see a mass card or two. The same editor I had for Black Maestro asked me, “What do you want to do that is not sports?” So I wrote up a proposal. The three elements that brought me to it were: One, it’s an amazing life, another guy who did extraordinary things. Two, I’m as Catholic-educated as you get, and I had no clue how you make a saint. And three, it was kind of a personal journey for me. I felt like I was missing

something, and it kind of refocused me on my faith and my religion and how they can be in opposition. So I got to vent and think about where religion and faith were in my life. You are working on an eighth book. What’s it about? [Laughs] You know, I did not grow up wanting to be a turf writer, writing about horse racing. But that has roots in Kansas City. My mom and dad, in the fall and spring, would go with other couples either up to Omaha for the horse races or down to Oaklawn at Hot Springs for the races. So I learned to read the racing form. That’s like hieroglyphics that help you locate a winner. I just got really interested in it. When I was old enough, I started to go up to the track. Then when I was a national correspondent, I was on the road a lot and I didn’t play golf, I didn’t antique, but I would go to race tracks. So far, I’ve gone to over 120 in nine countries on four continents. What a fun hobby. Yeah. And when I got to the Times, the guy who had the beat was retiring. I did one story about a bush track in Louisiana, and my editor at the time said, “Do you know a lot about horse racing?” I said, “Yeah.” He said, “Here, this beat is yours.” And basically since ’99, I’ve covered horse racing. This book is sort of a memoir/elegy about what I love and hate about horse racing and what it reflects about our culture. I know that sounds highfalutin’ and full of shit, but I’m trying to figure it. Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

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ReeceNichols Keeps Families Close at Ronald McDonald House

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n 2020, ReeceNichols and Ronald McDonald House launched the Gold Key Project. It’s a partnership that naturally connects ReeceNichols’ mission of helping families find home with Ronald McDonald House’s mission of providing a home away from home for families with hospitalized children.

Money donated through the Gold Key Project has also enhanced Ronald McDonald House Kansas City’s facilities, including a new family room at Overland Park Regional Medical Center and the first significant renovations to the Longfellow House in 15 years.

Every time a ReeceNichols Gold Key agent helps a client buy or sell a home, a portion of their commission is donated to Ronald McDonald House. That money gives families with sick children what they need most: a free place to stay, hot meals, and compassionate support during an unimaginably difficult time. Six years into this partnership, ReeceNichols and its Gold Key agents have donated over $1.7 million to Ronald McDonald House—enough to provide over 15,000 free nights of support for families when they need it most. “The hearts of the Gold Key agents are so huge. They, too, understand the importance of helping out families with sick kiddos,” said Tami Greenberg, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Kansas City. “We are so grateful for this partnership; it allows us to continue to take care of families so they can completely focus on their sick child.”

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A LITTLE GIRL WITH BIG COURAGE

Bella and Aria

When Heather and her husband welcomed baby Aria into the world this summer, they knew life would look different. What they didn’t expect was how quickly their little girl’s strength and their family’s resilience would be tested. Born with three holes in her heart and an aortic arch that formed the opposite way it should, Aria faced challenges from her very first breath. At just seven weeks old, she underwent open-heart surgery. Her tiny heart, about the size of a cherry tomato, needed help to keep her going. Doctors also diagnosed her with mosaic Down syndrome, a rare condition where only some of her cells carry an extra chromosome. Aria Welch

Ronald McDonald House also created moments of joy. Six-year-old Bella, Aria’s big sister, enjoyed a trip to the Renaissance Festival, while Heather took her parents to their first Chiefs game thanks to donated tickets. “These weekend experiences have been a great way for me to take a break from the hospital,” Heather shared. On September 5, after 10 weeks in Kansas City, the Welch family finally headed home to Topeka. Today, Aria is still on an NG tube and working toward bottle feeding, and her incision is healing slowly but steadily.

We’re a go-with-the-flow family,” Heather said. “After four miscarriages, we knew having a baby might come with challenges — we were just surprised by what came with Aria’s diagnosis.” Beginning June 24, the Welch family moved into Ronald McDonald House. While Aria received the life-saving treatment she needed, her family was able to rest while staying just a few blocks away from Aria’s bedside.

“Honestly, we just hope to be past hospital stays and learn how to be a family of four,” Heather said. “For Aria, we pray her heart stays strong for years to come — and that she gets to live a normal life.” For the Welch family, Ronald McDonald House wasn’t just a place to stay. It was a lifeline during one of the hardest chapters of their lives. LEARN MORE AT REECENICHOLS.COM/GOLD-KEY-PROJECT.

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Sunday Night Live Sunday October 4, 2026 | KC Live! Block in the Power & Light District

We invite you to enjoy an unforgettable evening! Help families right here in Kansas City who are experiencing serious illness or grief.

All attendees will enjoy: The best of KC’s downtown dining Open bars offering your choice of refreshment Interactive games And MUCH MORE! For event and sponsorship information, visit KCHospice.org/SNL

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With Apps, Ales, and Atmosphere, 30hop Is Primed for Patio Season As spring nears, 30hop is ready for patio season—and the

bloom of great vibes that comes with it. 30hop arrived in the Kansas City metro by way of Iowa last year, and it brought the goods: an absorbing atmosphere, an adventurous menu, and a towering tap list. Today, its two KC-area locations (Lee’s Summit and Merriam) welcome crowds of regulars and surging streams of newcomers. We talked with Mike Osaro, the general manager in Lee’s Summit, to discuss what makes 30hop’s patio season special.

The 30hop Atmosphere

30hop’s atmosphere, first and foremost, is flexible and fun. On a Monday

early afternoon in Lee’s Summit, the booths fill in with one-on-one conversations and servers buzz around the spacious floor to keep everyone fed and hydrated. Dozens of TVs add more conversations, low-volume debates about athletes and games to come, from high on the walls. Light streams in through wall-to-wall windows. When work ends—and especially during happy hour, 3 to 6 p.m. from Sunday to Friday—things pick up. Groups come in, greet each other, find seats at the bar and at high tops and on the patio with room for 100-plus. Outside, fire pits click on when the temperatures fall; inside, TVs dutifully switch to diners’ preferred games. Music mingles with conversation, and soon, toasts and tastes abound. “Great vibes,” says Osaro. “When people get seated, especially on the patio, we see groups mingling for hours. You can hear the music. We keep it nice and lively in here. And speed of service is a huge thing for us. We want to make sure we’re getting to tables quickly so that people aren’t waiting for another beer or an app they’re excited to try.” Osaro transferred to Lee’s Summit from an Iowa 30hop six months ago. One quality he’s noticed: Kansas City unifies around its sports teams. 30hop is there to accommodate. “We have a lot more tables and TVs here, compared to my old location,” says Osaro. “Almost every day, guests are asking us to change TVs to whatever game they want. I consider us a restaurant first, but it can have a sports bar feel. So the food is great, and if you have the game that you want on, and have a good beer and some good food, it’s even better.”

Apps and Ales

30hop is great in those intangible ways—glasses clinking, locals laughing, music pumping—and in truly measurable ways. Its culinary program comes through with American staples and an accessible Asian flair; its drink offerings are deep and diverse; and its happy hour drops the price on offerings from beer to appetizers by 30 percent. The appetizer list reflects the full menu’s diversity. It includes family favorites, like pretzel bites and boneless wings; done-up dippers, like a refreshing loaded guac and chips; the 30hop nachos, a great pyramid of carbs and protein; and a recent runaway favorite, the Bang Bang Brussels. “We also have amazing truffle fries, tossed in truffle oil, parmesan, togarashi, and parsley. A sneaky one would be the dynamite shrimp. A lot of people are scared to try it, but I can tell you it’s one of my favorites,” says Osaro. “If there’s a group of 50 on the patio, they might just do every single one.” The happy-hour discount applies to beers (a rotating tap list of 30plus local and national brands) as well as house cocktails and wine by the glass and the bottle. Individual all-day specials Monday through Wednesday knock certain items, like the classic burger and the 30hop Old Fashioned, down to $5.99.

30hop Stays Ready

Osaro got his start with 30hop five years ago in Iowa City, and its loyal following prepared him for the groundswell of support in the KC metro— which will only grow during the patio season to come. “Preparation is key,” he says. “Every week, we’re talking about what’s going on this week and knowing how to staff for certain days. As we get closer to Royals season, we’re making sure we have a full team front-ofhouse and back-of-house to keep everyone happy.” On those busy days, the best way to reserve a spot for your group is through OpenTable (for both Merriam and Lee’s Summit). While you’re at it, check the tap list on Untappd.

Flavor IN KC

by Jenny Vergara

Reservation for One TIAN TEA HOUSE photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

In Tian Tea House, a floor-to-ceiling window lights the cozy room..

n a quiet stretch of Fifth Street in Columbus Park, behind a white curtain brushed with birds suspended mid-flight, sits Tian Tea House, a space devoted entirely to the pleasure of slowing down. The moment you step inside, the tempo of the day changes. The door closes with a soft click. Conversations lower to a murmur. Steam curls from petite clay pots lined neatly behind the bar. It feels less like entering a café and more like slipping into a private ritual. Owner Saranya Hubbard, who runs the space with her husband,

Zach, approaches tea with reverence. As a third-generation Thai Chinese who grew up in Bangkok’s Chinatown, she’s spent years studying tea service and building direct relationships with farmers in Thailand and China. That care shows up in the cup. The menu moves gracefully across categories from white to green then on to oolong and red and black teas, along with fragrant house blends scented with jasmine rose, lemongrass, or toasted sticky rice. There are matcha and hojicha from Japan, Thai teas enriched with condensed milk, and inventive blends formulated for comfort and to cure what ails you.

APRIL 2026 | 76 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Ordering here is not transactional; it’s more conversational. Staff asks about your caffeine tolerance, your mood, the flavors you gravitate toward. You’re invited to select a small porcelain cup from a tray, some delicate and translucent, others earthy and matte, before the first pour begins. A grassy longjing tea opens with notes of roasted chestnut and finishes clean and mineral, leaving the palate refreshed rather than overwhelmed. A white tea steeps into something pale and silken, its flavor almost whispering across the tongue. The lemongrass blend releases a bright citrus perfume that feels like sunlight in liquid form. Then there’s the Thai tea, enriched with condensed milk and crowned with black sesame cream. It lands nutty and gently sweet, the sesame adding a toasted depth that lingers long after your cup is empty. The food, offered for dine-in only, is designed to complement rather than compete. Saranya collaborates with a rotating cast of popular local Asian chefs, and the menu shifts from week to week. On one visit, you might find tidy rounds of gimbap from the chef Lisa Hamblen of Kimchi and Bap, with tender rice seasoned just enough, then wrapped around crisp vegetables and savory fillings in seaweed. On another, perhaps a chilled sesame noodle bowl or a spiced pork chop sandwich from James Chang of J. Chang Kitchen, whose bold flavors are balanced by the calming presence of tea. The sweets are where the experience turns texturally magical. Tea jelly arrives as a trembling cube, translucent and jewel toned. The flavor is subtle and herbal. A sweet treat that is not too sweet. Cantonese milk

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fun

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Flavor IN KC

Top left: The translucent tea jelly dessert. Top right: Emperor chrysanthemum tea blooms in the server. Bottom left: The barbecue pork bun is presented as a tidy wrapped package. Bottom right: Settle into a comfy sofa to enjoy your tea.

pudding offers a delicate creaminess that barely kisses the palate, while black sesame cookies from Mooyueibaker, made by local Thai baker Kannika Costello, crumbles into a soft, earthy richness in your mouth that pairs beautifully with darker teas. The setting itself only deepens the mood here. Once a neighborhood barber shop, the space now presents deep teal-green walls, a warm wood bar, and exposed red-brick. Decorative lamps cast pools of golden light across small tables and seating areas arranged in various configurations face a massive front window framing Columbus Park’s daily life. The aesthetic leans masculine, yet the energy feels unmistakably soft, welcoming, contemplative, almost tender, much like Saranya herself. She has also started hosting a tea omakase experiences on certain Sunday and Monday evenings when the tea room is closed. With room for only four people at her bar, she hosts two services each night. The experience is around $70 per person, and you will be treated to four highly

educational courses featuring teas from China, Thailand, or Japan, along with a two-bite food pairing for each course. It doesn’t feel like it will make a meal when you begin, but paired with the tea, by the end you leave feeling satisfied and truly relaxed. The word “Tian” translates to heaven or day, a fitting name for this daylight tea sanctuary. However, once their liquor license is finalized, the Hubbards plan to transform the space at night into Moon Bar, their popular Japanese-inspired cocktail bar that will shift the room’s energy from serene to sultry without losing its sense of intention or level of skilled service. For now, Tian Tea House stands as a rare luxury in a country that often equates productivity with worth. Here, time stretches. The act of choosing a cup matters. The warmth of porcelain against your palms feels grounding. In this softly lit room, tea becomes more than a beverage, it becomes a quiet invitation to breathe deeply, taste carefully, and let the day unfold at its own unhurried pace. It is the gift you give yourself.

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SPRING STARTS HERE

SPR

WHERE FRESH FLAVORS MEET CHAMPIONSHIP BBQ.

WHERE

SPRING STARTS HERE WHERE FRESH FLAVORS MEET CHAMPIONSHIP BBQ.

Q39KC.COM OVERLAND PARK 11051 Antioch Rd, Overland Park, KS 913-951-4500

MIDTOWN 1000 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 816-255-3753

LAWRENCE 639 New Hampshire Lawrence, KS 785-330-5830

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MIDTOWN 1000 W 39th St, Kansas City, MO 816-255-3753

OVERLAND PARK 11051 Antioch Rd, Overland Park, KS 913-951-4500

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Flavor IN KC by Jenny Vergara

In Your Cocktail THE BLACKLIST

Razzing

n the far northern side of Mission Farms, tucked into what was once a bright Gymboree play space for kids at 10519 Mission Road, is now a space for adults only. The Blacklist is a new bar that invites you to choose your own adventure. When you walk in, there’s no obvious host stand, just a dramatic wall of bookshelves. You’re meant to pause to decide what kind of night you’re having. To the right is the library. This is their wine bar. It is brighter, softer, layered in wallpaper and lit by antique chandeliers. The space feels like someone’s well-appointed Victorian living room, filled with eclectic vintage furniture sourced over months by San Francisco designer Fred Goykhman and local Kansas City furniture dealer Emily Bach. Rather than uniform tables and chairs, the nearly 2,000-square-foot room is broken into intimate vignettes that visually shrink the space into a handful of cozy spaces. That was intentional. The goal was never

corporate consistency, but character. A space that feels lived in, like it has always been here. Push deeper and you’ll discover its darker twin. Behind a bookshelf, soon to function as a secret door with subtle glass panels revealing flickers of movement, sits what they call the speakeasy side of the bar. It has darker windows and moodier wallpaper, with tucked-away booths you can practically disappear into. The bar is busy with bartenders shaking cocktails. This side nods to Prohibition and is a grittier counterpoint to the daylight feel of the wine bar. Guests can drift between the two spaces through a connecting hallway, and while both sides serve the same drinks, the energy shifts depending on where you land. Some nights one side may be closed, and other evenings both may hum at once. You never know until you arrive. That duality mirrors co-owner Jeffrey Gabrielson. A Kansas native who previously co-owned Wine Jar and Noir Lounge in San Francisco, Gabrielson says he has always gravitated toward the imperfect people, the type who might be on someone’s “blacklist.” The name isn’t about exclusion, it is about cultivating a customer who values a little quirk and intrigue. He’s joined by his partners—Goykhman, who also designed Gabrielson’s San Francisco bars, local mixologist Carlos Avalos, Megan Allen, and sommelier Laramie Busch. Avalos, a 15-year industry veteran, built a cocktail program rooted in 1920s Prohibition inspiration. In that era, drinks were sometimes disguised in teacups to avoid attention, a subtle historical wink that explains why you might see cocktails served in unexpected vessels throughout the space. Long term, the speakeasy side may evolve into a membership-based experience. The idea isn’t exclusivity, but building a bench of regulars, always good for the bar business. Something akin to an intimate neighborhood bar where regulars are known, and new friendships form organically. The details of the space tell the story. The exterior sign, handcrafted by Goykhman from laminated wood with copper inlay, acts as a waysign into the space. Wallcoverings designed by Jonathan French mark the separate seating areas, while the sconces and furnishings nod to Gabrielson’s Kansas upbringing and Goykhman’s childhood home in Ukraine, both of which were filled with Victorian antiques. The partners describe The Blacklist as adults revisiting the warmth and nostalgia of their childhood homes, but with better cocktails. In a part of Johnson County better known for polished patios and predictable dining rooms, The Blacklist feels like stepping into a themed escape room or onto a stage set where you get to choose your role for the evening. Some nights you want to be told exactly where to sit. Other nights, you want to claim a corner and see what unfolds and who sits next to you. With no food on the menu, The Blacklist is where you come

APRIL 2026 | 80 | INKANSASCITY.COM

strictly to imbibe. Wine anchors the brighter library side, although you can order anything from the menu, no matter where you are sitting. Busch, the sommelier, has curated small-production wines from around the world, available by the glass or bottle, with pricing so good you’ll want to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. On the cocktail front, the menu centers around gin, a favorite Prohibition spirit, but it’s rounded out with drinks with bourbon, rum, vodka, and tequila. Avalos has a favorite on the menu—Razzing, a cocktail that blends botanical gin with Benedictine, lemon, raspberry herbal tea, and egg white for a tart, but fluffy finish. Almost every drink can go from cocktail to spirit-free, so everyone should feel welcome. In a space built around bookshelves, hidden doors and personal nostalgia, the invitation feels genuine. Try Razzing at home or stop in and see which side of The Blacklist speaks to you.

40 Individually Themed Guest Rooms Versatile Event Spaces On-Site Restaurant and Coffee Shop Center of Downtown Perry Connects to the Raccoon River Valley Trail and High Trestle Trail

Razzing 1.5

ounces Lifted Spirits Bright Gin

ounce Benedictine

.75

ounce lemon juice

.75 ounce raspberry herbal tea syrup* 1

ounce egg white

Classic, Historic . . . Fresh and Creative Kansas City’s Fine Dining Destination

Add all ingredients to shaker and shake first without ice for about five seconds. Then add ice and shake for 8 to 12 seconds. Pour into a vintage cocktail coupe, and garnish with three raspberries on a pick. *RASPBERRY HERBAL TEA SYRUP 750

milliliters filtered water

675

grams white sugar

7 Harney & Sons raspberry herbal teabags .5 tablespoon freeze-dried raspberry powder

Enjoy unique craft cocktails like ‘The Princess and The Frog’

Bring water to a boil and measure 750 ml into a heatproof liquid measuring cup. Steep with bags of Harney & Sons raspberry herbal tea for 5 minutes. Remove bags and squeeze liquid out of teabags. Add sugar and freeze-dried raspberry powder and stir until dissolved. Let cool and strain through fine mesh strainer into storage containers.

12401 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 913-379-1300 View hours, menus, and events at www.wanderingvine.com APRIL 2026 | 81 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Flavor IN KC by Jenny Vergara

In Culinary News

AFTER 23 SWEET YEARS in Johnson County, André’s Confiserie Suisse has closed its Hawthorne Plaza location in Overland Park, making room for something entirely different, but equally delicious. This summer, Kata Nori Hand Roll Bar will open its second location in the upscale Overland Park center, expanding from its original home in the Crossroads Arts District. Owners Kyung Kim and Nam Phan, alongside the chef Anh “Bass” Pham, are bringing their popular hand-held temaki, or sushi hand rolls, to a larger, 2,800-square-foot space that will mirror their Crossroads location, complete with a 20-seat U-shaped sushi bar. In addition, they will also offer dining room seating and a full cocktail bar. Pham, a veteran of Uchi in Austin, continues to lead the culinary vision. Expect warm rice and pristine fish wrapped in shatteringly crisp nori, plates of seasonal specialty crudos, and a handful of new menu items, with lighting fast service at both lunch and dinner. Just in time for summer and World Cup crowds.

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Flavor IN KC by Jenny Vergara

In Culinary News

BEIRUT TACO THE SPACE AT 3904 Bell Street, still affectionately remembered as the original d'Bronx spot, has a new restaurant concept. After a brief stint as Zhoug Mediterranean, the space has reopened as Beirut Taco, a Mexican-Lebanese concept from brothers and chefs Marwan and Maher Chebaro. Marwan is the force behind Nour’s, as well as the former 39th Street staples Cafe Rumi and Tribal Grill. Maher operates a sister concept, El Cedro, in Brooklyn and will split time between coasts as the brothers launch their newly formed hospitality group. Try the burritos stuffed with seasoned lamb, tortas, and tacos with a variety of fillings that honor the culinary traditions of both countries.

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Flavor IN KC by Jenny Vergara

In Culinary News

SCRATCH GOURMET KITCHEN AFTER 15 YEARS of quietly refined dinners and wine lists that earned national praise, Story closed its doors in Prairie Village in February. Founded by Carl and Susan Thorne-Thomsen, Story became one of the metro’s most celebrated suburban dining rooms, with Carl earning multiple James Beard semifinalist nods and national recognition for his thoughtful, seasonal cuisine. Now commanding the space is the former nextdoor neighbor, Scratch Gourmet Kitchen, which opened last month in the Story space, and nearly tripled its indoor seating in the process. Owner Tyler Morrison and the executive chef, Mitchell Fetterling, whose resumé includes time at Saison in San Francisco, reopened with a new spring menu and expanded cocktail program from bar manager Kaylee Addison. As one chapter closes another begins. Proof that in Kansas City, the story of hospitality is always evolving.

APRIL 2026 | 86 | INKANSASCITY.COM

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Faces IN KC Romantic Revels Gala 2026 THE HEART OF AMERICA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL (HASF) hosted its 2026 Romantic Revels Gala on Valentine’s Day weekend. The black-tie event featured performances by HASF actors, along with a gourmet dinner, a silent auction, and dancing. The event supports the Festival’s year-round education initiatives and the upcoming 34th-season production of Macbeth. photos by brian collins

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Faces IN KC Q39 Lawrence ON MARCH 9, a VIP reception celebrated Q39’s third location—and first in Lawrence—with a ribbon cutting alongside the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. Attendees included CEO and cofounder Kelly Magee, Executive Chef Patrick Peluso, COO Shawn Craft, and members of the leadership team. The event supported the Ballard Center. For more photos, go to inkansascity.com/photos.

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where style pours out

Spotlight KC ATTRACTIONS NOT TO MISS IN APRIL

Creativity, Connection, and Charitable Impact Parade of Hearts is a region-wide public art experience uniting communities across the Kansas and Missouri Heartland.

Holladay Distillery | holladaybourbon.com Tour Holladay’s historic Missouri grounds, where a legacy dating back to 1856 inspires every bottle of Holladay Bourbon.

Only at Union Station

OPENING MAY 29, 2026 NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION

Presented by:

An exhibition produced by:

Supporting sponsors:

Official media & hotel partners:

THE ARVIN GOTTLIEB CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Union Station—The Berlin Wall. A World Divided.

Visit the Country Club Plaza

Opening in May, The Berlin Wall. A World Divided. is the story of the greatest symbol of division in the 20th century.

KC’s historic open-air shopping & dining destination with luxury retailers, local boutiques, & exceptional restaurants.

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FREE Live Outdoor Theatre in Kansas City’s Southmoreland Park 3 Weeks | Tuesday-Sunday 8 p.m.

My Essentials IN KC

by Evan Pagano

BROCK SCHULTE

ENTREPRENEUR. MIXOLOGIST.

I photo by jason domingues

n 2004, Brock Schulte moved to the Kansas City metro from small-town Copeland, Kansas, en route to a biology degree from MidAmerica Nazarene University. He bartended on the Plaza along the way, and come graduation in 2008, he decided to stay—in KC and behind the bar. In the years since, Schulte has attained a top-shelf reputation in the industry. He helped build the cocktail programs at spots synonymous with cutting-edge cocktail craft—including The Monarch Bar, the Mercury Room, and Verdigris—and today he’s the bar manager of Hand in Glove and The W in Lee’s Summit. In 2017, he cofounded Fountain City Ice, which produces pure cube ice for bars across the metro. His cocktails often feature dual bases, mingling acids, and intentional texture. For Schulte, the details are key. “Craft ice elevates a cocktail in many ways, but most importantly, it keeps a well-made and balanced cocktail from becoming overdiluted,” he says. “It helps the cocktail stay at a more consistent temperature, and since the ice is pure, it keeps off flavors from developing while enjoying your favorite libation.” Pure ice helps bartenders like Schulte focus on crafting perfect cocktails—which Schulte says do, in fact, exist. “For me, what makes the perfect cocktail is generally the bartender,” he says. “Which is why the job is so difficult. We are constantly on stage, emphatically forgetting our own troubles to put your experience above whatever is happening to us that day. And when we succeed, every cocktail is perfect because of the delivery of all the things that made that cocktail taste better at that seat, that bar, and that moment.” fountaincityice.com

Brock’s essentials... HIDDEN GEM: One thing I love about COCKTAIL CHAMP:

My favorite local cocktail is the margarita at King G. It’s a great bar, and to deliver a classic cocktail perfectly every time, when they are three deep most of the night, is very difficult.

ONE OF A KIND: Kansas City’s most

unique bar, in my opinion, is The Mercury Room. It has the best view of the city every night, year-round. I’ve been there during thunderstorms, blizzards, spring showers, and golden hours. It’s a truly wonderful way to take in the downtown view!

Kansas City is the Parade of Hearts. It’s not just one place—it’s an experience spread across the city. The hearts naturally lead you to neighborhoods, shops, and restaurants you might not have explored otherwise. BARBECUE BOSS: I have been loyal to LC’s Bar-B-Q since I moved to KC. If I eat barbecue, it’s there. I get the mixed plate—ribs, burnt ends, turkey, baked beans, and a side of okra—always with beer.

LET LOOSE: BEST BITE: Hands down my spot is Farina.

They always have plenty of Rittenhouse Rye, sparkling wine, fresh seafood, handmade pastas, and especially dessert. It’s one of those places where you can settle in and enjoy the whole experience. APRIL 2026 | 96 | INKANSASCITY.COM

Honestly, the best place to relax and be yourself in Kansas City is sitting at a great bar with people you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be fancy—just a well-made drink, a good bartender, and good conversation. That’s when Kansas City feels at its best.

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M aking Real Lives Brighter JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL FASHION FUNDRAISER EVENT

April 17, 2026– 5:45 p.m. for VIP, 6:45 p.m. for general admission Grand Ballroom Downtown KC Meet KC Chiefs players, KC Chiefs Ambassadors, Alex Gordon & other KC Royals Alumni, and our men & women survivors on the runway celebrating their journey and triumph over cancer. Please come support this volunteer led organization to raise funds for cancer care for Kansas City’s uninsured. • Become a sponsor of the event • Donate to the event/organization • Purchase event tickets • Volunteer before and at the event • Donate items for auction packages Learn more and to purchase tickets go to BRACOUTUREKC.COM

CREATING A NETWORK FOR CANCER CARE Funds stay local and are distributed to hospitals and organizations in the Greater Kansas City area that provide care to uninsured/underinsured men and women cancer patients with ALL types of cancers.

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2/5/26 11:25 AM

IN Kansas City April 2026