SHOW-ME
Flavor osity for food and experimentation. He’s able to execute on a really high level.” For Todd, one of the aspects of Genessee Royale that makes it unique is its atmosphere. Tracey decorated the cafe, and the decor is from vintage shops and antique malls. “You still feel like you’re sitting in a gas station,” he says. “There’s rust and metal, but there’s a feminine quality with punches of masculinity.” To try one of Genessee Royale’s elegant meals, stop at 1531 Genessee Street in Kansas City. They are also open until 8 pm on Fridays for cocktails.
Lutz’s Famous BBQ
In Kansas City’s West Bottoms neighborhood, Genessee Royale opened in a renovated gas station in 2010. In 2013, the restaurant was featured in Bon Appétit magazine.
Although the Filling Station’s food makes it a pit stop worth braking for, the restaurant’s decor makes it a fun place to take the whole family. License plates and gas station memorabilia adorn the walls, and the original gas pumps are outside, a rare feat for an eighty-year-old building. Visit the restaurant in downtown Lee’s Summit at 333 Southeast Douglas Street. Visit fillingstationbbq.com or call 816-347-0794 for more information.
Genessee Royale Bistro
high-quality ingredients that are often from right here in Missouri. The fried chicken biscuit with cream gravy is a mainstay at the bistro. The Saturday special— the Butcher’s Grind Burger served with a Bloody Mary—is popular, too. While these are the most ordered, Todd’s current favorite is the juniper and herb roasted beef with horseradish sauce. “We do staples that you can get almost anywhere,” Todd says, “but we try to give them a fresh spin.” Todd and Chef Daniel Breedlove collaborate on the menu. Todd says when it comes to cooking, Daniel has no boundaries. Todd says Daniel makes everything exceptionally well: “He just has this wonderful curi-
KANSAS CITY
Six years ago, Todd Schulte and his wife Tracey Zinn bought a Sinclair gas station in Kansas City’s Stockyards District. After tearing out the gas tanks, the hydraulic lift, and restoring most of the building due to rust, the old fuel stop was transformed into an eclectic, hip restaurant called the Genessee Royale Bistro. Now, this station-turned-cafe serves breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday with a seasonal menu that changes four to five times throughout the year. No matter what the season, though, the restaurant emphasizes fresh,
For about seven years, Lutz’s Famous BBQ was just a small trailer next to Lowe’s Home Improvement in Jefferson City. Now, the barbecue haven shares space with a Phillips 66 gas station, has a second location in Columbia, and caters everything from weddings to corporate events. Owner Burl Lutz says he’s always loved cooking barbecue, but being a restaurant owner was not part of his plan. The barbecue enthusiast was a construction worker for many years until 2000 when he decided to give food service a chance. “It’s something I’ve always done,” he says. “When I was in Texas, I got to know a bunch of people that competed in competitions, so I went.” Now a barbecue competition veteran, Burl knows his meat. And for Burl, there’s a difference between cooking quality barbecue and being able to sell it. Good barbecue has to be fresh. “I’ve got to guess when somebody’s walking in that door,” he says. “In other words, I can’t have a rib done at ten o’clock and expect you to buy it at six that evening and be good.” At Lutz’s Famous BBQ, Burl makes a hybrid of Kansas City and Texas-style barbecue. The meat is cooked with oak and apple wood pellets, and all of it leaves the kitchen dry with sauce on the side. “We want you to taste the meat,” he says. “You can always put sauce on, but you can’t take it off.”
Pulled pork and homemade chips are among Lutz’s Famous BBQ’s specialties. The restaurant sells boxes of its chips, which come in twelve flavors, that feed about thirty people.
COURTESY OF MISSOURI DIVISION OF TOURISM; JILL VONDY
JEFFERSON CITY
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