The Grille at Park Place opens in Leawood

The Grille at Park Place is now open in Leawood’s Park Place, offering “classic American fare with a sophisticated touch.”

Mitch Kerns and executive chef Kevin Clayton took over the 5,190-square-foot space, formerly home to Mestizo by Aarón Sánchez, at 5270 W. 116th Place and opened on June 22.

Clayton is a graduate of the culinary program at Johnson County Community College and has spent the last decade as executive chef for J. Alexander’s in Florida. He also had worked at Lidia’s Kansas City.

Menu items include starters like Oysters Rockefeller and P.E.I. mussels. It also serves a variety of sandwiches — from gourmet kosher hot dogs to prime rib on a French baguette — as well as burgers, and entrees like steak frites, barbecue baby back ribs, MK’s espresso rubbed ribeye, Idaho trout, and Norwegian salmon.

The rooftop menu includes grilled brie, Parmesan truffle fries, shrimp cocktail and Prime Bites (Cajun dusted and blackened prime rib with horseradish cream sauce).

Mestizo opened in late 2011, using the recipes of Food Network's Aarón Sánchez, and featured a retractable rooftop bar and patio overlooking Barkley Square. It closed in late 2014.

This story was originally published June 22, 2015 at 11:56 AM with the headline "The Grille at Park Place opens in Leawood."