A Wednesday night in March, 10:46 p.m.
March Madness had gripped Kansas City as it does every year. Teams from across the country were battling downtown at the Sprint Center. This year was particularly exciting for KU Jayhawk fans — not so much for MU Tiger fans . . .
Meanwhile, over at the opulent new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Kansas City Ballet was winding up a performance of its landmark production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Many dance troupes dance to recorded music, but the KC Ballet performs to the accompaniment of the entire Kansas City Symphony.
At that exact same time, a pal and I were holding down two seats at the bar of the Kill Devil Club (killdevilclub.com), in the thriving Power & Light District, a couple blocks from the Sprint Center.
We had just finished our Manhattans, in honor of where I’ve lived the last few decades, and were launching into a house specialty called the Pendergast — named after Tom Pendergast, who ruled the area’s political roost in the 1930s and ’40s. His chief protégé was a young local haberdasher named Harry Truman, who becomes more revered with each passing year. Today, Truman’s home and presidential library are popular attractions in nearby Independence, Mo.
At the bar, we struck up a conversation with a pretty girl who was preparing to sing with her band, Kasey Rausch & Friends, which performs there from time to time. For some reason, maybe it was the whiskey in the Pendergasts, I started waxing poetic about the 2007 movie “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” starring Brad Pitt (another Missouri favorite son) and Casey Affleck. (The “assassination” took place a few miles north, at the James’ home up in St. Joseph, Missouri, which is now a museum.) That’s when the singer began explaining that her great-great-great grandmother was the sister of Robert Ford’s mother. She then joined the band and her first song was an original piece she had composed about her relative — Robert Ford.
Welcome to Kansas City!
The citizens of St. Louis can talk all they want but Kansas Citians know their city is the genuine Gateway to the West. Three principal trails — the California, Oregon and Santa Fe — all began here. Ruts from the wagon wheels can still be seen across the state line, in Kansas. The Pony Express began a few miles north, also in St. Joseph, and Lewis and Clark cruised by in 1804 on their way to discover the elusive Northwest Passage.
New Yorkers who have been to Kansas City almost unanimously say about the town, “It’s a really cool place.” If they haven’t visited, they often look dumbstruck, consulting Google Maps. Let us help: In this case, we mean Kansas City, Mo.
The city, known for its beautiful and numerous fountains and graceful boulevards lined with stately homes, is home to top companies like H&R Block, Sprint, Russell Stover Candies and a little greeting card company called Hallmark. And it is a city that is thriving.
While barbecue and steak are KC’s main claim to culinary fame, with legendary names like Arthur Bryant, Gates and the Hereford House still dotting the cityscape, there are plenty of other taste-bud tantalizers. Bluestem (bluestemkc.com), a “progressive American” fine-dining spot in the Westport section, can hold its own with any restaurant in America. Port Fonda (portfondakc.com), a former food truck offering unique Mexican fare fueled by inventive tequila concoctions, has also moved into snazzy new digs nearby.
Even art museums keep things tasty. The Nelson-Atkins Museum (nelson-atkins.org) serves great meals in its Rozzelle Court. And the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, boasts Café Sebastienne (kemperart.org/cafe), where art fans flock to sample one of its signature dishes — a Kobe beef Reuben sandwich served with a zesty potato salad. (Spend it all on food; there are no admission charges at either museum.)
Great places to stay include the historic Raphael Hotel (from $249, raphaelkc.com), overlooking the tony Country Club Plaza and the downtown/Power & Light District’s Hotel Phillips (from $179, hotelphillips.com), also a classic hotel that has recently undergone extensive restoration and redecoration. Both hotels deliver great dining and live jazz performances.
Unique attractions up and down Main Street include Hallmark Cards’ headquarters and museum (hallmarkvisitorscenter.com); Liberty Memorial (theworldwar.org), which includes the world’s largest museum devoted to World War I (2014 will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the war’s beginning); and Union Station, a magnificent structure, also nearly a century years old, featuring attractions for all ages. It also still offers regular Amtrak service, including the River Runner that travels along the picturesque Missouri River to St. Louis. The Arabia Steamboat Museum in the City Market (kcrivermarket.com) has an amazing collection of recovered artifacts and merchandise that was preserved by the river’s silt when the boat sank in the 1850s.
So, life thrives in Kansas City, even after March Madness. And the life there can be as ultra historical or as ultra up-to-date as you like. Or both! Go!
For more information, go to visitkc.com.