Archives: December 2013

News

Sly James annoyed that Missouri is pulling from Low Income Housing Tax Credits for St. Louis’ pursuit of Boeing project (updated)

Steve Vockrodt,

Sly James wasn’t smiling on Wednesday when he took to his keyboard and typed out his displeasure with Missouri’s leaders. Specifically, James was upset at Missouri’s commandeering of Low Income Housing Tax Credits as part of the state’s $1.7 billion tax incentive package for a moonshot bid to land Boeing’s newest jet-manufacturing facility. Missouri called a special legislative session last…
Dining, Food & Drink

Ripping into City Diner’s pancake challenge

Angela Lutz,

At the River Market’s 76-year-old City Diner, a collection of signatures adorns the walls facing the entrance. Behind a row of regulars cozied up to the bar, hunched over coffee cups, a lattice of Sharpie-scrawled inscriptions surrounds the quintessential greasy spoon’s many pictures of Marilyn Monroe. The resulting vibe is part community pride, part manic graffiti. Many of the autographs are…
Dining, News

Happy Gillis founder Todd Schulte sells Columbus Park venue

Charles Ferruzza,

On a frigid morning, Todd Schulte all but pushes me out of the Genessee Royale’s warm dining room. Schulte’s West Bottoms bistro is at 1531 Genessee, but he keeps an office on the sixth floor of the Livestock Exchange Building across the street. That’s where he insists we talk. “I can’t get anything done in the restaurant,” he explains. “People…
Music

The Lonely Biscuits are coming to the Czar Bar tonight

Natalie Gallagher,

The Lonely Biscuits are a surprising band. The Nashville four-piece has two lead singers: One, John Paterini, has a classic pop voice with a smoky, throaty edge (think John Mayer, but not annoying). Grady Wenrich is a talented MC, keeping a relaxed pace to his rhymes and letting the character of his voice shine. Add in some funk rhythms and…
News

Tricia Johnson, Show Me KC Schools creator, answers The Pitch‘s questionnaire

Justin Kendall,

Name: Tricia Johnson Occupation: Mother of two preschoolers and creator of Show Me KC Schools, an online resource to help Kansas City parents find the right school for their children. Hometown: Glendora, California Current neighborhood: Armour Hills What I do (in 140 characters): In addition to combing pigtails, I’m gathering data about KC schools – KCPS, charter, private and parochial…
News

So long, Jimmy Nielsen

Steve Vockrodt,

Gary Rohman via Sporting Kansas City Jimmy Nielsen, seen here stopping a Ned Grabavoy shot during the MLS Cup final, retired from soccer Monday Kevin Hartman was among the highest-profile players to don a Kansas City Wizards jersey. He spent three seasons as the Wizards goalkeeper, one of many stops during a career that made him among the longest-serving and…
Dining, Food & Drink

Woodsweather II diner in Northland is closed

Charles Ferruzza,

One year after John Cuezze and Tony Civilla opened a version of the Woodswether Cafe – that iconic breakfast-and-lunch spot in the West Bottoms – at 2510 Northeast Vivion Road (in the building formerly occupied by the old Wetherbee’s nightclub), the restaurant, known as the Woodsweather II, has closed. Cuezze says the Civilla family, which owned the property, sold it…
Dining, Food & Drink

Diego’s Bar & Grill opens a long way from Frida’s

Charles Ferruzza,

In the 2002 movie Frida, the artist Diego Rivera, portrayed by Alfred Molina, announces that “Sex is like pissing. People take it much too seriously.” You might be able to say the same thing about dining. Some people take this foodie thing very, very seriously, but when all is said and done, a hamburger is a hamburger and a cup…
Music

St. Vincent is coming to Liberty Hall on March 31

April Fleming,

With a new shock of lavender gray hair, the lovely St. Vincent will return to Liberty Hall this spring. The upcoming tour is in support of a new self-titled album to be released in February. The Liberty Hall date is set for March 31. Tickets are available for presale tomorrow, December 11, at 10 a.m. Details here.   Categories: Music…
Music

The Features are taking over the Riot Room tonight

Natalie Gallagher,

As the first band signed to Kings of Leon’s own Serpents and Snakes label in 2011, the Features are often either automatically beloved or dismissed by a variety of folks. This is tragic, because the Features deserve a little unbiased listening. The band’s latest self-titled release contains dynamic, danceable pop songs that are as catchy as they are smart. This…
News

Downtown Loop misses another opportunity to attract jobs

Steve Vockrodt,

Downtown Kansas City has lost 16,000 jobs from 2001 to 2011. The area, which stretches from the Missouri River to Crown Center, will soon add 900 federal government jobs, although not to where the nexus of Kansas City’s “downtown revitalization” has occurred.  The General Services Administration announced on Monday that Two Pershing Square near Union Station will become the new…
Dining, News

Restaurant trends for 2014? The predictions are in

Charles Ferruzza,

Would you like some spicy chorizo scrambled eggs with your coconut-milk pancakes? You will if the restaurant predictions made by the 1,300 members of the American Culinary Federation in October and November come true. One of the bigger trends for 2014 will be ethnic-inspired breakfast items, ethnic-inspired children’s dishes, hybrid desserts, and deconstructed desserts. The 1,300 chefs were polled by…
Music

Sam Billen wants you to get in the Christmas spirit with ‘You Can Always Give,’ a free holiday-themed album

Natalie Gallagher,

Sam Billen is like the anti-Scrooge of Kansas City. For the last seven years or so, the local singer-songwriter and owner of production company Primary Color Music has been conceptualizing and creating a Christmas compilation album and delivering it to local ears for free. This year, Billen’s compilation is titled You Can Always Give. It’s a delightful 12-track collection of…

Blue Grotto restaurant owner John Grier has died

Charles Ferruzza,

A popular Kansas City restaurateur, John Grier, the founder and owner of the Blue Grotto pizza restaurant in Brookside, was found dead in his home on December 4. He was 50. Grier, a 25-year veteran of Kansas City’s restaurant community, turned a former stocking shop at 6324 Brookside Plaza into the two-story Blue Grotto restaurant in 2008; his opening partners…