Date Nights: Exploring the letter L in KC
It’s time for a date! Grab your main squeeze and try out one of these great options you’ll “l”ove.
Luigi's
If you like Italian food, head to the square in historic downtown Liberty and snag a table at Luigi’s. We have been here many times for dinner and have always loved it. Recently, though, we went for lunch on a Saturday and discovered, to our delight, that they have a great midday menu! Lunch is from 11:00 to 2:00 daily and features almost 20 different Italian entrees. It’s $10 for the entree, a side salad and rolls. And let me tell you, they have some of the best rolls anywhere! Quite different from what you will get at other Italian restaurants. They do take reservations, which may be advisable on the weekends. After your meal, take a stroll around the downtown area and grab some chocolates from Classy Chocolate or visit a boutique or the local tea shop.
Laugh
One of the most important things in any healthy relationship is being able to laugh together. And what better way than to watch an hour-long Jim Gaffigan special on Netflix. He is by far my favorite comedian because he does clean comedy and is actually really funny! At last count, he has five 1-hour specials available on Netflix. The one we most recently watched is Cinco, which was filmed in 2017. On this special, he covers everything from the four seasons, cheese, water parks and the metric system to Jesus and bread, pets, hiking and elevators. He also spends some time joking about his own issues with being overweight. Two of the things I like most about him—and that are so funny—are all his many voices and the fact that he can be so self-deprecating. And you definitely have to check out his “Hot Pockets” routine, which can be found on his special Beyond the Pale or on YouTube.
Lonnie McFadden
If you are looking for a truly entertaining date night, be sure to check out Kansas City’s own Lonnie McFadden, jazz singer, trumpeter and tap dancer. Currently, he performs most Friday evenings at the Phoenix, as well as doing Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evening shows at other places around the KC area. We recently saw him at the Phoenix, and he put on a great show as always. McFadden covers a variety of classic tunes, all with a jazz spin. He is a great singer and a fantastic trumpet player and tap dancer. I mean how often do you get to see an accomplished jazz singer tap dance on the bar at your favorite neighborhood establishment? We thoroughly enjoyed watching that! McFadden is high energy, exuberant and charismatic, and you always leave one of his shows with a smile on your face after all that feel-good music.
Hannah Berry is a freelance writer who lives with her husband in Kansas City. They enjoy regular date nights and love trying new restaurants and activities.