As JoCo restaurants reopen dining rooms, this one will open its doors for first time

Johnson County restaurants started reopening Monday, after weeks of closed dining rooms during the COVID-19 shutdown.

But one restaurant may be a little more excited than the others as it opens for the first time.

The Quillec family, creators of Cafe Provence and the French Market in the Prairie Village Shopping Center, are opening another Prairie Village eatery — Verbena, an American Restaurant — at 5 p.m. May 11.

It is in the Inn at Meadowbrook Park at 4901 Meadowbrook Parkway.

It will space its seating, and servers will wear masks during the reopening phase.

Verbena’s dinner menu includes a soup of the day along with New England clam chowder and spiced crackers, salads such as the saffron poached pear, and appetizers such as the shallot tart. In “From the Sea” entrees, look for pan-seared salmon, while “From the Land” entrees will include a grilled New York strip steak and roasted half Amish chicken.

It also will have sandwiches such as the Kennebunkport lobster roll (expected to be a top seller), pasta and sides.

Lunch will be added later this month.

Its grab-and-go cafe, The Market at Meadowbrook, is already open next door. Menu items include soups, salads, sandwiches, ready-to-reheat entrees and sides, freshly baked bread, pastries, cookies, pie, tarts, gourmet cheese and charcuterie, wine and beer, and coffee drinks.

The Market’s Moonlight in Vermont sandwich has turkey, apple, tomato, Vermont cheddar, lettuce and mayonnaise on sourdough bread for $10, while the spiced lamb meatball pita has feta cheese and cilantro-lime yogurt slaw for $12.