Bueno, llegamos hasta enero, mi mes menos favorito del año. Y ya llega febrero, igualmente lúgubre, pero más corto y con una noche de por medio que nos da la oportunidad de celebrarlo con alguien especial. Puede seguir la ruta estándar:una tarjeta sentimental, una docena de rosas, una caja de chocolates, o puede hacer eso Y obsequiar a su pareja con una excelente comida. ¿Pero adónde ir? Pensé que nunca preguntaría. Después de un poco de contemplación, conversaciones y encuestas, se me ocurrieron estas opciones del área de Kansas City para disfrutar de una excelente comida servida en un ambiente amoroso.
LA EXPERIENCIA GASTRONÓMICA EN EL CENTRO KAUFFMAN
Es difícil creer que tantas personas aún no estén familiarizadas con este maravilloso restaurante dentro del Centro Kauffman para las Artes Escénicas. La chef ejecutiva Laura Comer y el gerente general Phil Carey presiden algo realmente especial:una joya escondida. La cocina no solo es local, de temporada, fresca y sobresaliente bajo la dirección de Comer, sino que el programa de bebidas es igualmente excelente. Comer, ex estudiante de arte y pastelera, elabora sus platos como un artista se acerca a un lienzo, y Carey hace lo mismo con algunos de los cócteles más creativos y deliciosos de la ciudad junto con una carta de vinos bien seleccionada.
La habitación en sí es minimalista, lo que pone el énfasis en la verdadera estrella:¡la vista! El restaurante está repleto de ventanas de piso a techo que brindan a los comensales vistas gloriosas.
“Es tranquilo, íntimo y todavía está un poco escondido, por lo que muchos de nuestros comensales lo mantienen como su propio secreto privado”. Comer compartió en una visita reciente. “Además, el hecho de que la habitación sea tan elegante y moderna sin muchas decoraciones permite que la comida sea el centro de atención. Es una pizarra en blanco:nuestra paleta artística con la que podemos jugar. Me encanta eso.”
¿A quién no le encantarían tres platos deliciosos, hermosos y de origen local por $37? Es una de las mejores comidas y precios de la ciudad y los dos no suelen ir de la mano. The Dining Experience en The Kauffman Center está abierto la mayoría de las noches de espectáculos. No necesitas entradas para el espectáculo para cenar en el restaurante. Estarán sirviendo su menú de invierno habitual el día de San Valentín, pero Comer dice que ofrecerá a los comensales algunas de las increíbles trufas de chocolate de Sous Chef Selena Smith al final de su comida como un regalo especial. Tuve uno y son realmente especiales.
KROKSTROM KLUBB Y MERCADO
El nombre no sale exactamente de la lengua, pero si desea autenticidad, creatividad y una excelente comida y bebida, debe dirigirse al Krokstrom Klubb &Market de Midtown. En Krokstrom, la chef ejecutiva y propietaria Katee Mclean y el gerente general y propietario Josh Rogers han creado una experiencia única en nuestra feria de la ciudad:un comedor cómodo y pintoresco donde las personas pueden reunirse para probar la auténtica cocina escandinava, acompañarla con cócteles especiales y un gran cantidad de cervezas escandinavas, luego compre algo especial y elaborado de manera única en el mercado para llevar a casa.
“Krokstrom pretende evocar un sentimiento de familia. We built the space to feel like you were visiting a lovedone’s home. Our menu is based on the traditional home cooking of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland,” Mclean shared. McLean says some of her favorite menu items are the juulestoplia, a Finnish bread cheese topped with cloudberry jam, shaved fennel, and radishes. and the smoked trout potato cakes-both starters, along with entrees such as Swedish meatballs and a 1970’s-inspired chicken casserole called the Flying Jakob.
For me, what makes Krokstrom romantic is more than the room. It’s also the pride and passion Mclean and Rogers put into the space every day. You can smell, taste, and feel that when you dine here and that is truly romantic. On Valentine’s Day, Mclean will be serving both the regular menu and a pre-fixe menu with specials. The pre-fixe menu can be ordered with or without beer, mead, and cocktail pairings.
AFFARE
I really admire Kartrin and Martin Heuser’s modern take on classic German dishes. Martin does the cooking while Katrin runs the front of the house and curates the wine list. Both do an excellent job. Martin’s dishes are consistently creative and flavorful, and Katrin’s wine selections not only compliment Martin’s cuisine but elevate it.
The restaurant occupies a large, open space, but the room can be sectioned off to create smaller, more intimate, environments. That’s something that evolved over time. “When we first looked at the room, it was too big for us. We wanted something much smaller, but we liked everything else. So, we created individual spaces so people could choose not only where they sit, but the type of environment they prefer,” Katrin Heuser commented.
The front of the restaurant is separated by a bank of curtains. It’s open with lots of room between tables. The back of the restaurant has a lounge area on one side and a series of booths on the other. The booths are close together, creating a much cozier environment, which Katrin says some people like and others do not. Affare’s multiple spaces are among my favorites in town and so is the cuisine. Where else can you get escargot soup, smoked octopus risotto, or a venison jagerschnitzel topped with a fried egg? I tried all of those on my last visit and they were all excellent. I’m also a big fan of Affare’s Thursday night multi-course menus where the cuisine is tailored to the season and the availability of local products.
For Valentine’s Day, Katrin tells me her husband will be crafting a four-course menu for $75 with wine pairings available for an additional charge. Menu highlights include the aforementioned snail soup, a beef cheek au daube, and a passionfruit mousse!
JASPER’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT
I don’t know anyone in the city, save residents who’ve just moved here, who don’t know about Jasper’s. Jasper Mirabile, Sr., virtually invented fine dining in Kansas City at the original restaurant on Wornall Road, which opened in 1954. After operating in that location for more than 40-years, in 1996, the family decided to sell the property and build a new restaurant on 103rd Street just east of State Line Road. The very next year, Jasper Senior died. The family continued, opening the second Jasper’s, which, under the guidance of Jasper Mirabile, Jr. and his older brother, Leonard, is one of the most popular restaurants in the city.
“Jasper’s has always had the reputation for fine service and cuisine. The restaurant is dimly lit, there are beautiful comfortable booths and candle lit tables. This just makes for a romantic setting,” Jasper told me recently. “Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year where we serve over 600 guests. It’s become a Kansas City tradition to dine at Jasper’s on Valentine’s Day!”
TANNIN WINE BAR AND KITCHEN
Located in The Crossroads district, Tannin is one of my favorite places to grab a glass of wine. As a wine bar with a constantly evolving list of wines by the glass and bottle, Tannin is excellent. But it is also an underrated eatery. The cuisine, in the hands of Executive Chef Pablo Munoz-Sevilla, has never been better.
The space has always been high on my list. Tannin is intimate. You can grab a seat at the expansive bar or at a table on either side of the dining room. The best digs, in my opinion, are the four booths in the back of the restaurant. It’s almost like dining in your own private space.
As for Valentine’s Day, Tannin will be featuring a special multi-course menu on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the 14th, 15th, and 16th.
CORVINO’S SUPPER CLUB &TASTING ROOM
I’m loath to admit it, but I have yet to visit Corvino’s, so this recommendation comes from many of my foodie friends and associates. Corvino’s combines two concepts under one roof-a larger, family-style Supper Club, and an intimate, 18-seat Tasting Room. The foodies say both sides are great, but the Tasting Room is the place to be for a romantic evening.
In both spaces, Chef/Owner Michael Corvino and General Manager/Owner Cristina Corvino work their magic. Michael, who’s culinary career includes stints at such impressive restaurants as The Mansion on Turtle Creek and The American, crafts insightful, personalized dishes, while Christina manages the restaurant and curates the wine list. Michael told me he’ll be adding Valentine’s Day-inspired dishes to the Supper Club menu and says the Tasting Room menu will have some Valentine’s Day flavors as well.
LE FOU FROG
Tucked away at the east side of The River Market, Le Fou Frog has been considered one of Kansas City’s finest French restaurants for decades. A classic bistro with a bar side and a restaurant side, the room is dark and cozy.
For a generation now, Chef/Proprietor Mano Rafael and his wife, Barbara, have been dishing out elegant French cuisine under soft lighting in a relaxing atmosphere. Barbara, a Kansas City native, met Manu while working as a part-time bartender in a New York City restaurant owned by Manu and his brother. Barbara was pursuing an acting career. She didn’t get that career, but she did get a husband and a European-style restaurant, which, she says, is the key to its romantic nature. “The dining room with its banquette seating and close tables is how restaurants in France look and feel. People who have been to France tell us it makes them feel like they’re back there,” Barbara Rafael told me. “What’s more romantic than dining in France?”
For Valentine’s Day, the Rafaels are taking romanticism to a “30 Shades of Gray” level. “The menu is amped up with aphrodisiacs and written in a very racy manner. We’re giving our guests blindfolds that they can use in the restaurant and take home. We consider ourselves the foreplay for the evening,” Rafael shared. Alrighty then!
PIERPONT’S AT UNION STATION
One of the most physically striking restaurants in Kansas City, Pierpont’s has long been a destination for diners, romantically inclined or otherwise. The 30-foot-tall mahogany bar sets the tone for what promises to be a memorable evening. Named for railroad baron, J.P. (Pierpont) Morgan, Pierpont’s is the epitome of casual elegance. Service is always outstanding:the cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh seafood and prime steaks, is solid, and the ambiance is among the best in the city. As I wine lover, I should also mention that Pierpont’s wine list, with some 300 selections, is excellent.
For Valentine’s Day, Pierpont’s is offering a three-course menu for $68 per person or a four-course menu for $75 per person. There are options on both menus to add wine pairings.
So, there you go, eight great spots to celebrate Valentine’s Day 2019. Oh, and don’t forget the card, flowers, and chocolates.
Editor’s Note:Most of these restaurants offer small, intimate spaces, so their special dinners often sell out quickly. Don’t be angry or frustrated if you can’t get in on Valentine’s Day. After all, you have 364 other nights to experience that romantic dinner, and now you have a list of restaurants to check out!