Now Open: 1911 Main
For the last seven years, there has been some kind of saloon-restaurant in developer Diane Botwin’s L-shaped, gray-painted building at 1911 Main, beginning with the legendary Missy Koonce’s Bar Natasha in 2004 and ending, even more theatrically, early this year as Flo’s Cabaret, the first combination dining room/femme mimic showroom since the old Arabian Nights nightclub on Gilham Road. John Koop — the flamboyant Flo — packed up his wigs and gowns and was out of the venue by February.
There’s now a new club in the space: Owner Rod Henning reopened the place as a jazz club and full-service restaurant, 1911 Main, in March. The kitchen, however, wasn’t operating on all cylinders, until chef Anthony Montgomery took over 11 weeks ago.
I first met Montgomery at a very different nightclub, over a decade ago. The Illinois native was then the executive chef at a combination restaurant/strip club called Gala at 2860 Raytown Road. The food was excellent, but the grilled chicken breasts were humbled by the real, exposed ones onstage.
