Editor’s note:The following is from the Let’s Dish newsletter from Jenna Thompson, published weekly on Fridays. Let’s Dish also publishes on Tuesdays from Food Insider Katelyn Umholtz. You can sign up here to get them delivered to your inbox.
Welcome back to Let’s Dish — your one-stop shop for all things eats in Kansas City. I’m Jenna Thompson, one of the restaurant reporters for The Star.
It’s a beautiful day in the Kansas City metro! I’ve been soaking up all the fall whimsy these past few mild-weathered days! How I love a pumpkin-flavored treat and a seasonal coffee. If you have any recommendations, I’d love to know your go-to.
As for what I have for you: I’ve concocted a few savory stories I’m confident you’ll enjoy. The one readers chowed down the most this week was a piece on a BBQ restaurant that got a nod from Patty Mahomes. You’ll likely still be hungry after that fix, so I’m also delivering a piece on a BBQ spot that’s now a Vietnamese-Cajun restaurant.
If that’s not enough, my colleague Katelyn Umholtz recently stopped by a new sandwich shop with an undeniably adorable aesthetic. Plus, we have bites on a bar closure, new coffee shop and more.
Order up!
KC BBQ gets Mahomes family’s stamp of approval
Perhaps you’ve heard Patrick or Brittany Mahomes talk about the scary moments they’ve endured with their children’s severe allergies.
Two years ago, the Mahomeses launched an initiative to educate restaurants in the KC area on allergy safety. The first spot to receive accolades for its safety was a world-renowned barbecue joint.
How is this famed spot going above and beyond? The initiative has strict standards, including disclosing in detail common allergens on its menu. It turns out, this menu is pretty friendly for peanut, lactose, and gluten allergy sufferers.
Read my story to find out more.
New sandwich shop opens in KC area
Who doesn’t love a good breakfast sandwich?
I’m not asking that question sarcastically. I genuinely want to know. I’m taking a poll and my suspicion is that almost everyone enjoys a savory sausage and eggs with cheese and tangy sauce.
If you’re part of the majority, you might want to stop by a new breakfast and lunch restaurant that just opened on a busy street across from a hospital.
“We wanted a place where you could have a nice, warm meal and just relax,” the owner said.
My colleague, Katelyn Umholtz, has the scoop in her story.
À la carte
✴️ New KC grocery store opens, promising even lower prices. It relaunched in this grocery spot of 50 years.
✴️ After five years on Troost, a bar and community pinnacle is saying goodbye. My colleague, Noelle Alviz-Gransee shares the news.
✴️ Barbecue no more! This spot is serving up pho and Cajun seafood boils. And yes, say the owners, those two things do go together.
✴️ In an ordinary Johnson County office space, something new is brewing. A lounge opens in a once-sleepy district.
✴️ Amid a myriad of Crossroads closures, here’s the good news: A coffee shop has opened in a brewery-heavy area.
My standout dish of the week
If you haven’t been to R. Qahwah Cafe yet, you’re missing out.
I don’t want to ruffle feathers and say I have a favorite Yemeni coffee shop, because they’re all unique in their own right.
But the one I frequent the most, and partially because of geography, is R. Qahwah off 95th Street and Metcalf Ave. and if you haven’t tried their coconut matcha with a Biscoff croissant yet, you’re missing out.
I can’t handle drinks that are overly sweet, and R. Qahwah strikes the right balance. Plus their beans and matcha don’t taste like any other coffee shop around the bend. They not only mix unique flavors, but the coffee beans and matcha can hold their own before any sweetness is added.
If you go there soon, there’s a high chance you’ll bump into me.
