Jason Kelce’s ‘must stop’ + World’s biggest Wally’s

Welcome back to Let’s Dish — your one-stop shop for all things eats in Kansas City. I’m Alison Booth, the assistant audience service editor here at The Star.

We took got an inside look at the 96-year-old kielbasa deli in KC that Jason Kelce recently shouted out on social media and his “New Heights” podcast.

Plus, the biggest location ever of this huge Midwest gas station chain is coming to town, another local brewery has closed and jazz is on its way to the Crossroads. 

Let’s dig in.

Jason Kelce’s KC deli shoutout

Peter May’s House of Kielbasa on Kansas City’s East Side has seen its share of celebrity visits in the century it’s been open. 

Former Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson would visit before his death, as did other former players. Even so, owner Mike Loges never expected former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce to walk through the door, much less give his 96-year-old Polish sausage eatery a glowing review on Instagram. 

But on Saturday, there it was: a post that’s now amassed more than 70,000 likes. “It was totally out of the blue,” said Loges, who’s still not sure how Kelce found his business in the first place.

Loges’ great-grandfather, Peter May, opened the shop in 1929 at the exact same spot where it lives now. It’s one of the oldest businesses in the city. 

“We were your typical immigrant family,” Loges said. “We were the corner store for the community.”

Read more about the historic deli and check out Kelce’s glowing review, from my colleague Jenna Thompson. 

What’s new?

The world’s largest Wally’s is officially coming to Independence. 

The Independence City Council unanimously approved plans earlier this week for the huge Midwest convenience store to be built just off of the intersection of I-70 and Noland Road.

Wally’s, which first opened in the St. Louis area in 2020, is often compared to Buc-ee’s, an older rest stop chain with a massive, devoted following and a similarly fluffy anthropomorphic mascot. 

Both chains are meant to be nostalgic, road trip stops with way-bigger-than-average gas station stores. And Buc-ee’s is coming to the metro soon, too. 

À la carte

✴️ Yelp rankings say this KC restaurant that opened last summer is one of the best 25 new eateries in the nation.

✴️ Yet another local brewery is closing, a Parkville spot that the owner said was struggling to stay afloat amid dropping sales. “It’s like losing a loved one,” he said. 

✴️ A new Spanish tavern is opening in the Crossroads, hopefully by early next month. “No reservations, it’s not upscale,” its owner said — “just a casual Spanish cafe.”

✴️ A roach spotted in a pot at a Johnson County Indian restaurant and a hole in the ceiling at a popular Plaza cafe headline our latest round-up of health inspections around the metro. 

✴️ This Kansas Citian is opening a new jazz club in the Crossroads, a “definitely not stuffy, definitely not formal” joint in honor of after his longtime best friend and fellow jazz lover.

My standout dish of the week

When you’re sitting on the patio at Clay & Fire, tucked on the West Side, there’s a part of you that feels like you could be anywhere in the world. 

The scattered, rickety cafe tables inspire visions of a Mediterranean eatery. The greenery, shielding patrons from the bustling West 17th Street, transports you to a sidewalk cafe in California. 

And the menu itself plops you straight into the Near East region, complete with colorful mezze, smoky kharcho (smoked short rib and polenta) and one of my top KC dishes — the C&F Grandma Pizza. 

With a white cheese base, thin and soft crust, chiffoned basil and a garlicky tomato sauce that’s unlike any other in the city, it’s their take on a classic Margherita — with punchier garlic, less cheese and smoky notes of the wood-fire oven it’s cooked in. 

A tip: Save some for leftovers a few days later. The sauce gets even more rich, and the crust reheats surprisingly well. 

Hungry for more?

• Check out all the restaurants we’ve covered in our Let’s Dish series here.

• Looking for the latest industry news? Here’s what spots have opened and closed in the KC area lately.

• To see what we’re eating next, follow The Star on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.
• If you were forwarded this email, here’s where you can subscribe.
• And make sure to support local journalists with a subscription to The Star.

Happy eating! We’ll see you next week.

This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Jason Kelce’s ‘must stop’ + World’s biggest Wally’s."