Stock Hill expands on Midwest steakhouse familiarity
Cocktails at The Lounge at Stock Hill // Photo by Sarah Sipple
A revamped space calls for a revamped menu, and Executive Chef Jacob Hilbert feels confident. The inaugural menu for the swanky new Lounge at Stock Hill features elevated takes on bar favorites that he spent almost a year planning.
How far can we go beyond fries & mac ‘n cheese
Chef Hilbert studied Kansas City diners’ palates and preferences; what type of bar food customers expected and where he could push the envelope. For example, onion rings are a no-go for Stock Hill diners. Perhaps upscale Nashville Hot Chicken Bombs will prove more popular.
Familiar steakhouse and bar-food elements like nachos, wagyu beef, and sliders are here. However, they have been upgraded to include raw tuna, chive pancakes, and gougère (a French pastry). Like any menu designed to keep you drinking, the menu leans salty and savory with moments of heat.
Nashville Hot Chicken Bombs at Stock Hill // Photo by Sarah Sipple
Handheld items like Nashville Hot Chicken Bombs ($15) and hamachi Pipettes ($22) feel casual but look and taste high end. It’s Chef Hilbert’s attention to detail in the cooking process that sets these dishes apart. For example, the chicken for the bombs starts with a pickle brine then skips a buttermilk bath for dredging and goes right to hot sauce before coating. Then rather than using an average bun for the slider setup, Chef Hilbert crafts a lightly-cheesy gougère pastry.
Not-Chos at Stock Hill // Photo by Sarah Sipple
Another standout, if for nothing else than looks and texture, is the Not-Chos ($20). Raw tuna, avocado mousse, caviar, sambal mayo, and pickled ginger rest on a rice chicharron. If your group finds themselves deep in conversation, this creative take on nachos can stay crunchy for a surprisingly long time.
Fall in a glass
Autumn is an overarching theme for the new bar menu. Brighter seasonal flavors complement the earthy side of the food menu.
Bar Lead Hayley Odom was passionate about creating a mocktail lineup that was worthy of the Stock Hill atmosphere. The Not a Breakfast Shot mocktail ($10) brings up emotion alongside flavor, with none of the alcohol content. This sweet cocktail tastes like Gilmore Girls. I literally smiled at my first sip. The soft sweetness is more maple and less syrup, and it is garnished with a locally grown leaf and fresh grated nutmeg.
Not a Breakfast Shot mocktail at Stock Hill // Photo by Sarah Sipple
Bartender Quint Shackelford has revamped a Stock Hill classic cocktail, the Smoking Hill. With otherwise similar ingredients, he replaced the smoked cube with a smoke bubble, adding a fragrant interactive element to the staple drink, now named Smoking Hill 2.0 ($14).
The Apple ($16), a fruit-forward cocktail in a martini glass, was the cocktail I kept reaching for. Shackleford based this cocktail on a recipe from the early years of Stock Hill. The flavor is that of a pure, slightly tart applesauce, representing the bright side of fall ingredients. Fine fruit pulp from apple and pear cling to the glass. At the bottom rests small bulbs of apple caviar, which Shackleford makes in house with apple juice and sodium alginate. The simple gel mix is dropped into a calcium chloride solution to create delicately chewy spheres. They provide a sweet treat at the end of the cocktail.
Do it for the ‘gram
If you visit the newly redecorated Lounge just inside Stock Hill, my recommendation is purely based on aesthetics. Because why not. If you’re with a group, or feeling particularly thirsty and have a safe ride home, order the full lineup of cocktails shared here. The color palette, garnishes, and glasses make for a stunning fall visual. The warm reds and yellows pair well with the rich greens, gold, and dark wood finishes of the interior.
Stock Hill is located at 4800 Main Street, Suite G-001, Kansas City, MO 64112. The drink menu is available throughout the Stock Hill restaurant, but the food mentioned here is available only at The Lounge.
