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Michael Smith to open second Crossroads restaurant
Take the mysterious shuttering of 40 Sardines — something that saddens and concerns Michael Smith. After all, Smith and ex-wife Debbie Gold designed and opened the upscale Overland Park eatery six years back before parting ways in 2006. All that said, it’s full speed ahead for the Michael Smith restaurant in the Crossroads — although, like other downtown bars and restaurants, it has taken a hit from recent Power & Light District openings.
“It affected us for a couple weeks at lunch,” Smith says. “Now we’re steady. We fill up for lunch 65 to 70 lunches every day. Dinner really hasn’t hurt our style of dining. There’s been some dip, but we’re filling up on the weekends every weekend — but I mean, I can’t tell if it’s the economy or people are going somewhere else.”
Smith’s overall take on downtown’s new corporate-flavored entertainment zone: “The arena has been a positive, definitely. The visibility down here has been positive. I mean, every night I see 20 percent new customers. That’s how you can tell you’re growing.”
Running scared
Let’s review. The economy is tanking and new taxpayer-subsidized competition is flooding downtown. And despite all that, Michael Smith is opening another eatery in the Crossroads.
So, like, he’s not worried even a little?
“Hell, yes, I’m afraid,” Smith says of his new venture. “But that’s what you have to do when you’re in the visionary tunnel — you just have to go, so we’re going for it.”
The name of Smith’s new game: Extra Virgin.
Excuse?
“Like olive oil,” he explains. “We’re going to do olive oil martinis. And, like, when you walk into the place you’ll see food immediately. There’ll be an open-air kitchen and a patio on the sidewalk.”
Which brings us to Smith’s new pride and joy toy: a $5,000 vintage Italian slicer.
As for the new restaurant itself, “It’s going to be very casual fare — hip, rustic foods, small foods,” Smith says. “And we’re taking the bar out of the Michael Smith side and bringing it over here to increase the seating on the Michael Smith side. So it’ll be a 90-seat restaurant. I’m only 70 now.”
Smith’s take on having two restaurants side-by-side: “We just feel that one will feed off the other. There’s a customer that wants a Michael Smith restaurant, and there’s a customer who wants something casual.”
Look for Smith’s Virgin to break free in mid-June.
Swing, baby
King of swing Dave Stephens will be celebrating a “big birthday” starting at 11:30 p.m. Saturday (till 2:30 a.m.) at Jardine’s jazz club. “I usually tell people to expect bells, whistles, guns and fire — literally,” says Jardine’s manager Carrie Brockman. “I’m expecting an unforgettable night. One night Dave performed an entire show after he had cut up his mouth with glass. His beer glass was chipped and he cut the inside of his mouth, but he performed the whole show and nobody knew. And you know, he had a towel and every once and a while he would dab his mouth.”
Heard on the street …
•Recession busters: Hereford House main man Rod Anderson says he’s combating tough times with kick-butt happy hour promotions at his seven area eateries. Along with drink specials, patrons can now purchase a burger and fries for $4.50 and an 8-ounce KC Strip (sorry, no rib eye) and baked potato for $8.50.
•Star search: ESPN the Magazine’s take on what Major League Baseball insiders were saying going into the 2008 season:
“Every report on the Royals I get from my scouts this spring is filled with lines about how Billy Butler is turning into a beast,” says an AL GM. “He’s hitting everything.”
•No seasickness here: Nara owner Casey Adams’ take on going head-to-head with the popular new P&L District downtown? “You know, ideally a rising tide raises all boats — all that good stuff,” Adams muses. “I mean, whatever brings people downtown is good.”
On top of that, Adams points to Nara’s uniqueness. To that end, he plans to continue to foster R-rated promotions, such as his restaurant’s “body sushi” events.