Her corkscrew curls rakishly swept off her forehead with a flowered hairclip, Madilyn Elizabeth Garrelts leaned across the bar at Bluestem, twirling a cell phone, jibber-jabbering to anyone who’d listen.
•Chef/owner John McClure of Starker’s Restaurant, 201 W. 47th St., is offering “Three for $33.” The three-course meal deal is available Monday through Thursday until Aug. 28. Diners choose between two starters, two entrees and two desserts. Tax and gratuity are not included; for reservations, call 816-753-3565.
The skepticism in his eyes softened after a swig of Guinness, the Irishman leaned back in his chair and nodded his approval.
At just 22, Joe West had already assembled an impressive culinary resume. He’s a Shawnee Mission Broadmoor Technical Center culinary scholarship winner and a 2007 graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Denver. He’s also worked alongside some of Kansas City’s top chefs, including Colby and Megan Garrelts of Bluestem and Debbie Gold and Michael Smith when they owned 40 Sardines.
•The original Piropos, high atop a hill overlooking picturesque downtown Parkville at 1 W. First St., is doing prix fixe dinners the first Wednesday of each month. The three-course dinner, $48 per person, is served from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 816-741-3600. Piroposkc.com.
Summer? What summer? It’s nearly the Fourth of July, and in a lot of ways, this one has been a wash.
Is small and condensed the antidote to big and sprawling? Park Place, a cluster of tony shops, galleries and a boutique hotel — some still under construction — is shaping up to be the new destination dining site for suburban Johnson County.
The Germans may have invented the hamburger, but Americans have perfected it. We slap them on the grill to celebrate our nation’s birthday. We stack them on platters to share with friends and family on Memorial Day and Labor Day picnics. Shoot, entire industries have been built around fast-food burger drive-throughs that feed our families, day in and day out.
