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KC ORIGINALS

KC ORIGINALS

Stay-cation Dining

Emily Lane: In the past seven months, we’ve all spent a lot more time at home than usual. Our homes have become our offices, daycares, restaurants, and, consequently, our neverending cleaning projects. So for this edition, we’re focusing on the concept of a “stay-cation” and how even a little change of scenery and a good meal can do quite a bit to change your mood in these strange days.

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We’re going to share three recommendations of places to escape to, including two hotels with excellent dining options. The first is the Crossroads Hotel, which has earned quite a reputation for itself thanks to contemporary rooms and décor and its rooftop bar, Percheron, with stunning downtown views. Due to the pandemic, their main restaurant, Lazia, currently is only available for takeout, but if you ask me, there’s nothing better than eating pizza on a hotel bed that you don’t have to make in the morning.

Stewart Lane: While at the Crossroads Hotel, we snacked on Margherita pizza and kale salad. Their wood-fired pizza was as classic as can be, perfect chewy crust, sweet yet acidic tomato sauce, and bubbly mozzarella. The kale salad was a refreshing riff on a Caesar salad, featuring torn Tuscan kale, shaved raw lemon, carrot “croutons,” pickled shallots, and a Grana Padano dressing. And, of course, if you’re enjoying the rooftop bar, you must sample one of the creative cocktails on their menu.

EL: If you’re looking for a totally different stay-cation feel, we think Hotel Kansas City, part of the Hyatt Unbound Collection, is the place to be. Located in the former Kansas City Club and paying homage to the 1920s style, you instantly feel elevated by the grandeur and elegance of the space. At the time of this writing, Hotel Kansas City had just opened, so it’s certainly the newest place you can stay in downtown.

SL: The Town Company is the restaurant within Hotel Kansas City, which was developed by Patrick Ryan of Port Fonda fame, and has Johnny Leach (Town, Del Posto, Momofuku) at its helm as executive chef. When we visited, we were directed to the main lounge, filled with low, deep couches, retro-inspired chairs, gray marble, and dark-stained-walnut details. The menu is Ryan’s nostalgic tribute to Kansas City and the Midwest with local cheeses, meats, and seasonal produce prominently featured. The draft beers are all from KC, and the cocktails are a mix of flapper chic and modern mixology. We sampled the fall squashes with chicories, young ginger, mint, and pepitas, as well as the classic burger melt.

The squash was bold, imbued with smoke from the roaring hardwood hearth, tender bitter chicory, and crunchy pepitas with high notes of spicy ginger and mint to create a balanced bite of bright and dark flavors. A smooth puree of roasted squash helped add a creamy texture to blend everything together into a deeply satisfying bite. The burger melt was made with dry-aged beef, Hook’s cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, “the sauce” thick-cut toasted bread, and a side salad of peppery greens. It was a perfect medium-rare and kissed by the flames of a real wood fire. Paired with a sharp cheddar cheese and a mound of thinly sliced, tender sweet onions, you can taste the nostalgia.

EL: The last place we wanted to share isn’t a hotel but still provides the escape you might be craving. The Campground, located in the Stockyards area of downtown KC, was making the most of “backyard dining” prepandemic, and they’ve stayed true to that style ever since. Sitting around a crackling chiminea while sipping one of their unique cocktails (which, by the way, are worthy of an article themselves) is the perfect way to combat your stay-at-home blues.

SL: The team of Christopher Ciesiel and Cristin Llewellyn have created an inviting and comfortable space full of delicious foods. We nibbled on the roasted carrots with yogurt, an unbelievably light and herbal dish with creamy yogurt and crunchy chickpeas – I scraped the plate on this one.

4050 INDIAN CREEK PKWY | OVERLAND PARK, KS 66207 | 913-313-1207 EYESTYLEOPTICS.COM

Our main was the flank steak, perfectly cooked and seasoned with roasted petite Yukon golds accented with fresh dill, lemon, and a creamy onion cream sauce. Each bite melted in your mouth but was made exceptional when paired with the herbal potatoes and cream sauce. The culinary touches were clearly thought out, practiced, and exquisitely executed. The Campground provided us with a fun and laid-back evening, listening to music while the fire crackled away.

EL: We’d be remiss not to mention that we still are living in a very different world as the impacts of the pandemic continue. We continue to see staple Kansas City restaurants shutting their doors, possibly for good. So we encourage you, especially this winter, to do all you can to support, most especially, our local restaurants. Buy a gift card or order a meal to-go and enjoy it at home. We hope you all stay safe, healthy, and well-fed this winter.

Information on the Crossroads Hotel (featuring Lazia and Percheron) can be found at crossroadshotelkc. com. Information on Hotel Kansas City (featuring The Town Co.) can be found at hotelkc.com. Information on The Campground can be found at thecampgroundkc.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Emily and Stewart Lane are Kansas City natives who have an affection for hospitality. Stewart, a former executive chef, makes his career at SMG and loves to cook for friends and family, and Emily manages community impact and philanthropy at JE Dunn Construction. Along with their two-year-old daughter, Evie, they live a life filled with food and culture.

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