Cirque d’Alex, Christopher Elbow get top marks from KC Health Department

The Kansas City Health Department has released its annual Grade A Food Excellence Awards for food safety, and tucked in among the stadium stands, theme-park kiosks, and school cafeterias of the world are a few local, independent restaurants.

The list, based on health inspection reports from 2010, includes 160 locations (up from 95 last year) that have consistently outperformed health department standards. The institutions recognized have permits in good standing, came in below a set number of violations, and were not the source of any food-borne illness in the city.