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Farm-to-Table in KC

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Farm-to-table products and restaurants are becoming more prolific in the greater metro area and are quickly gaining in popularity and accessibility. This is a great development for food lovers in Kansas City!

Here are just a few locations—both new and established—worth exploring:

Brady’s Public House:

A newer farm-to-table option is Brady’s in Kansas City, MO. Formerly Mike’s Tavern (which had occupied the site for 50 years and was a favorite of nearby Rockhurst and UMKC alumni), Brady’s is an Irish pub and eatery with a full bar and dining room and features a scratch kitchen. Opened in August of 2017 by business partners Ray Dunlea and Irish executive chef Shaun Brady, this new eatery looks just like a traditional Dublin pub. The atmosphere is cozy, dark and casual—just as an Irish snug should be. Brady’s family recipes that span more than a century inspire the food. “We do every single sauce from scratch, and I order what I can from local purveyors and farmers,” the chef says. A house special to try is the traditional fish and chips: beer battered, with house-made fries and slaw. Another featured menu item is the steak sandwich: grilled skirt steak with beef from Hatfield Farms, crispy onions and a four-cheese sauce. So messy, but so good! The kitchen also takes desserts very seriously—the Irish creme brulee was truly decadent, especially when paired with an Irish coffee. And of course, no Irish pub would be complete without a well-stocked whiskey cabinet. Or, in Brady’s case, many cabinets. They have an extensive, curated selection of Irish whiskeys, as well as other libations and local craft beers. Brady’s Public House is a romantic, intimate establishment.

 

5424 Troost Ave.                              Hours:

Kansas City, MO 64110                   Tue.-Sat., 11:00 a.m.-Midnight

816.437.9400                                     

bradyskc.com

 

Urban Table:

Located in Prairie Village, Urban Table is a modern Italian-American bistro with an urban cool, upscale atmosphere. All menu items are made from scratch with fresh, seasonal ingredients, many from local farms and businesses. Some examples include bread from Farm to Market Bread Co., beef from Hatfield Signature Beef, produce from Missing Ingredient and cheese from Green Dirt Farm. A few dishes to try are cacio e pepe, a native Italian favorite of spaghetti, toasted peppercorn and a touch of cream, and the pappardelle, pasta with smoked bacon in a tomato cream sauce and parmigiano-reggiano. Go for the social hour, daily from 4:00 to 6:30 at the bar, for specials on small plates and libations. Another bargain is the everyday eats menu, available from 3:00 to 5:00 Monday through Sunday. On the way out, grab a warm loaf of hearth bread to take home from the Great Harvest Bread Co. next door.

 

8232 Mission Rd.                              Hours:

Prairie Village, KS 66208                                 Mon.-Thu., 11:00-10:00

913.948.6900                                     Fri.: 11:00-10:30

Urbantablekc.com                           Sat.: 8:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

                                                                Sun.: 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

 

 

The Sundry:

Now on 39th Street in Kansas City, this local market and kitchen prides itself on its craft food and beverages with natural ingredients that come from sustainable food systems. Their beef, pork and chicken dishes, like their daily special burger, come fresh from Barham Farms. Their cheese comes from Little Bill’s Pimento Cheese, and their breads from Farm to Market. Two other menu items to try are the chicken tikka and the tacos de tierra. The Sundry also makes its own craft sodas and seltzers.

 

300 E. 39th St.                                     Hours:                                                  

Kansas City, MO 64111                   Mon.-Sat.: 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

816.844.7878                                     Sun.: 8:00-2:00

thesundry.com

 

Happy Gillis Café & Hangout:

 

Established in 2013, Happy Gillis is a favorite of Columbus Park locals and many others. The owners live and have their business in the same community and support local farmers, retailers and restaurants. At Happy Gillis, the quality ingredients are the main focus of the seasonal fare. Locals and visitors alike can sit together at the diner’s tables and enjoy the relaxing, social atmosphere of the small neighborhood café. While hanging out, be sure to try the morning hash, a bowl of potatoes, seasonal veggies, béarnaise aioli, spicy greens and sunny eggs. The breakfast sandwich is also a classic: Webster City bacon on scrambled farm fresh eggs with aged white cheddar, nestled between two slices of grain toast. For brunch, why not try a kimchi bloody mary or a gin and soda? And no stop here would be complete without enjoying a bottomless cup of coffee while catching up with friends or loved ones.

 

549 Gillis St.                                       Hours:                                  

Kansas City, MO 64106                   Tue.-Sat.: 8:00-3:00

816.471.3663                                     Sun.: 9:00-3:00

happygillis.com

 

Green Dirt Farm and Creamery:

Raising sheep in Weston, MO, since 2002, the owners of Green Dirt Farm opened the Creamery in 2008 in order to share their delicious, small-batch cheeses with the rest of the world—they were even featured on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Travel Channel. The Creamery is a charming, rustic building with a modern flair, where you can purchase Green Dirt Farm cheeses in a variety of flavors and styles. You can pick up a picnic to enjoy at nearby Weston Bend State Park, sample the different cheeses or dine in-house and try one of their mouth-watering cheese sandwiches—all grilled to perfection. “The Moo One” is particularly noteworthy and features three different cheeses: aux arcs (a hard, Swiss-style cheese made of blended sheep’s and cow’s milk), ruby (a Stracchino-style blended milk cheese with buttery, floral and grassy notes and a tangy, yogurt-like flavor) and traditional provolone. They also serve several unique, fun flavors of ice cream (like root beer), made in-house of course. 

 

Green Dirt Farm hosts farm table dinners throughout the Kansas City area; check their online calendar for the schedule. To tour the sheep farm and cheese kitchen north of Weston, book an appointment through their website. Besides their own award-winning sheep’s cheese, all the other products and produce offered at the Creamery come from local farms and businesses. A few examples are Hearth Bakery, Fair Share Farms, Messner Family Farms and the Weston Brewing Co. (A trip to Weston should always include a stop at O’Malley’s Irish underground pub!) The Creamery shares their building with the local Vox Winery storefront, so enjoy a wine tasting to pair with these flavorful cheeses, a win-win! For those who can’t make the trek to Weston, several Kansas City grocery stores and restaurants carry Green Dirt Farm’s cheeses—check their website for a current list.

 

1099 Welt St.                                     Hours:

Weston, MO 64098                          Thu.-Sun.: 11:00-7:00

816.386.2156                                     

greendirtfarm.com 

 

Other KC Farm-to-Table Places:

Margaret Bristow is a Kansas City native with a love for local restaurants.

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