Joyce Smith
Recent Articles by Joyce Smith
Culinary Center cooking with plans to expand from Overland Park into Northland shops
After nearly 30 years in downtown Overland Park, The Culinary Center of Kansas City is expanding with a second location. It plans a late 2025 or an early 2026 opening in the former Ombra small plates + librations spot in The Village at Briarcliff, 4161 N. Mulberry St. in the Northland. The space will be…
Cosmo Burger brings its mouth-watering tots, boozy milkshakes to East Crossroads’ bustling streets of eats
Bringing Cosmo Burger to the Crossroads required cousins Atit and Jugal Patel to cook their plans to perfection, serving up the brand’s first full-service brick-and-mortar location after years of trial by griddle. The result: a beefed up version of the owners’ original concept in one of the city’s most popular dining and entertainment districts. “This…
Dos Lokos trio bringing family recipes, culture to former Fountain Haus spot in Westport
This immense venue — on the corner of bustling Westport Road and Broadway — has been dark for nearly a year and a half. A new tenant expects to have a new, family-run restaurant in the space by fall. Dos Lokos Sports Cantina plans a September opening at 401 Westport Road (the former Fountain Haus)….
Downtown restaurant fires up the summertime bar and grill in former KC Daiquiri Shop
It’s a few days into AJ’s Bar & Grill’s soft launch in downtown Kansas City. Managing partner Matthew Hill stands by the kitchen window, fielding lunch orders for both to-go, dine-in and delivery (he was running some orders to nearby offices in sweltering 90-degree-plus temperatures). Inside the new Grand Boulevard restaurant: it’s cool and low-lit,…
Scoops out for summer: Couple’s rock-themed ice cream brand Alice Scooper’s adds another shop on its Northland tour
Mel Engel and Todd Eaton are now taking a second stage, opening their family business — a shop known for made-on-site ice cream and sorbet — in a new Northland city after charting quick success in their hometown. Alice Scooper’s Ice Cream Co. is set to debut next week in The Village at Briarcliff, 4173…
Dozer debut: Indoor sandbox concept revives zero-screens play for JoCo children
A giant sandbox playroom in Johnson County evokes a simpler era, said Justin Finn, whose immersive entertainment concept for children opens Tuesday in Leawood. “No screens,” explained Finn. “I like to say it’s how we grew up as kids. Imagination, the wheels turning.” Dozer — launched this week as the first of multiple locations alongside co-founder…
Meet your new (northern) neighbor: Tim Hortons arrives in KC with plans for 30 locations
A Canadian fast food cult favorite known for its “Timbits” is ramping up its area expansion with five locations scheduled to open by the end of 2025 — part of an aggressive, long-term move orchestrated by a single franchisee. The breakfast-famous Tim Hortons is expected to become a more prominent player across the Kansas City…
Former Drunken Fish space spinning coastal VIP remix with DJ Kygo’s Palm Tree Club KC
Palm Tree Club recently debuted in hot spots Orlando, Miami and Las Vegas. Now it’s coming to Kansas City. Described as a “global lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality platform” — think caviar martinis, A5 Wagyu dumplings, VIP lounges, premium bottle service, DJs and open-air rooftop — Palm Tree Club Kansas City plans a fall opening in…
Brookside restaurant spot shifts from Irish to Mexican flavors as two families expand their dream
Two longtime friends and their daughters — all seasoned restaurant workers — are joining together in a new East Brookside restaurant they can call their own. Muy Caliente Grill & Cantina is scheduled to open later this month at 751 E. 63rd St., Suite 110, in the former Brady & Fox restaurant. Owners Fredy Rivera…
Hog Island to Parkville: Justus Drugstore owners docking new seafood concept in historic Parkville
The Parker Hollow builds on Chef Jonathan Justus’ mission to put small town Missouri on the menu PARKVILLE, Mo. — A bright yellow, nearly 150-year-old former Italian restaurant could become Kansas City’s go-to seafood destination with help from the world-renowned hometown culinary team behind Justus Drugstore and Black Dirt. Chef Jonathan Justus and his wife…