Czar’s new meatball menu part of a culinary and cocktail makeover

• Facebook: Magical Meatball Tour
• Meatballs, meatless dishes and cocktails are in the works at Czar.

Some of Kansas City’s kitchens, like some rock bands, have engendered unusual collaborations, leading to unexpected dining choices at bars around the city. One example: the short-lived but fondly remembered Broadway Crepes inside the now shuttered Gusto Lounge at 3810 Broadway.

So it seems fitting that music helped make a new collaboration between Czar (1531 Grand) and the Magical Meatball Tour. The meatball truck’s proprietors, Venus Van Horn and Ceasar Reyes, debut a new meatball menu at the Crossroads bar January 5. The selection of sandwiches and appetizers will be available Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

“I’ve known Venus’ husband, Troy, for a long time,” says Tim Gutschenritter, who owns and operates Czar with his brother, Dallas. “She needed a place to operate, and I knew she was a super-talented, really creative chef.”