FOOD words by EMILY & STEWART LANE | photos by ANNA PETROW
VERBENA
Picturesque Dining. Emily Lane: Back in early 2018, Stewart and I moved to the suburbs. We’d been living in an intimate one-bedroom condo in Westport, and while we enjoyed our urban environment, the 900 square feet was a bit too cozy for the two of us plus our Wheaten Terrier, Toaster. Add in the fact that we were expecting our first child, and we knew we needed to relocate. We found our new home just south of the new development Meadowbrook Park. Once a 136-acre country club and golf course, it’s now home to beautiful walking paths and lakes, multiple playgrounds, single-family homes, twin villas, an apartment complex, and the newly opened boutique hotel, Inn at Meadowbrook. While all of that is certainly appealing, Stewart and I cheered when we learned there would be
10 | TODAY KANSAS CITY | FALL 2020
a dining component added, and it would be owned and operated by the Quillec family of Kansas City food fame (Café Provence, French Market), and we knew, instantly, this would become a new favorite of ours. Verbena was able to open this May despite having been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. I’d be remiss not to state that, clearly, we remain in strange and uncertain times as we continue to navigate the pandemic, and dining out is a highly personal choice. Luckily, Verbena offers a picturesque patio for those who feel more comfortable dining outdoors, and they also offer curbside to-go. And don’t forget The Market, located next to Verbena and also owned and operated by the Quillec family, where you can get a more casual,
