This former century-old KC area Italian restaurant will become seafood spot
Frank’s Italian Restaurant had an impressive 94-year run (on and off) in the metro.
After its closure was announced in a Facebook post in January, fans mourned the iconic restaurant in Parkville. But now there’s a silver lining: a West Coast seafood spot is taking its space.
Jonathan Justus and Camille Eklof — spouses who owned now-closed restaurant concepts Justus Drugstore and Black Dirt — are opening a new restaurant in the historic 100 Main St. building.
Justus was a 2016 James Beard Award semifinalist.
The restaurant, called The Parker Hollow, will feature a rotating menu of fresh seafood when it opens around September. While they don’t have all their dishes ironed out, the couple promises oysters from San Francisco-area Hog Island Oyster Co.
“There’s some flavors you get from West Coast oysters that you just can’t get from East Coast oysters,” Justus said.
Think hints of lime, melon or cucumber.
They want to keep the bones of the approximately 175-year-old building the same, with vintage decor to match. The two-story building, once a residence, will seat about 55 inside and 40 out.
It’ll have a standing bar for customers waiting for tables. A few seats will make up the “chef’s table,” where diners can look into the open kitchen.
“We want people to come in and say, ‘This is sexy,’” Justus said. “It’s going to feel old, but not kitschy old.”
Its other offerings will include a wagyu burger, roasted chicken and Santa Barbara sea urchin.
“There will be appetizers, salads, things for the friend of the person who loves seafood,” Ekloff said.
To drink: a few beers on tap, a modest-sized wine list and some cocktails.
So, what’s with the name?
Just north of Parkville, Parker Hollow is nestled between a row of trees and a Missouri River bluff. It’s not a well-known landmark, but when searching for names, the couple wanted to choose something significant to the area.
“Parker kind of has a regality to it,” Justus said.
The pair has been anxiously awaiting their return to the restaurant world.
Justus Drugstore served farm-to-table cuisine in Smithville from 2007 to 2018 before a buyer offered them a hefty sum for the building, and they accepted.
Black Dirt was at 5070 Main St. from 2018 to 2019. (Justus said the New American restaurant was the wrong concept for the neighborhood.)
They’ve been hosting dinners at their home since, and Justus was a consultant for Gizmos Tavern at 111 N. Bridge St. in Smithville.
Still, they’ve realized just how much they missed the industry.
“It’s gonna be a place where people want to hang out,” Eklof said. “Go walk in the park and stop there for a little oysters and champagne.”
As for Frank’s, Frank Disciacca opened it on Parkville’s Main Street in 1931. It operated there until the ‘50s.
A family member brought it back in 1983, but the restaurant was destroyed in the Great Flood of 1993. The restaurant was reopened by Disciacca’s grandson, Frank McCall, in 2006 in the 100 Main St. space.