Openers: Jazzing Up Kansas City

James Beard Award-winner Michael Smith aims to liven up the upscale dining scene with an eponymous eatery in this Heartland city.

By Derek Gale, Special to R&I -- Restaurants & Institutions, 11/1/2007

What’s The Idea?: Chef and co-owner Michael Smith, a 1999 James Beard Award winner as Best Chef in the Midwest during his tenure at The American Restaurant in Kansas City, is dedicated to the use of fresh, high-quality ingredients prepared simply. He says that about half of his customers now are loyal fans who enjoyed his menu at The American Restaurant and later at Overland Park, Kan., bistro Forty Sardines, which he co-founded.

What’s the secret?: With a 170-bottle wine list featuring selections priced as low as $18 and a variety of wines available by the glass and the half-bottle, the restaurant offers an accessible wine experience. But that doesn’t stop higher-end sales: “Our mid-range wine is in the $40s, and we sell a lot of $60 to $70 bottles,” Smith says. How does he do it? “What they see is what they’re buying,” he says. “If you want to sell it, you’ve got to display it somehow.”

What’s Next?: Smith plans to open an Italian/Spanish tapas concept called Extra Virgin in the same building.

Derek Gale is a Chicago-based freelance writer.

On the Menu

STARTERS
Shrimp-and-Pancetta-Stuffed Calamari $13
Serrano Ham&Boston Lettuce Salad $10
Sliced Hamachi “Crudo” $15

Entrées
Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with cornbread-stuffed thigh $25
Grilled Eye of Rib-Eye with Swiss chard and mashed potatoes $28
Sautéed Red Deer Scaloppine with toasted-barley risotto $32

SIDES
Sautéed spinach $5
Grilled asparagus $5

Desserts
Steamed Lemon Pudding Cake $5
Caramel Apple Tart $5