Best of KC 2023: A taste of nostalgia

November 10, 2023

THE PITCH STAFF,

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Nostalgia Room owner Emily Kate Johnson. // Photo by Zach Bauman

This month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can browse the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some of our current favorite things about Kansas City in 2023. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November.

After a decade in the making, in late 2022, owner Emily Kate Johnson was able to form Nostalgia Room—the first fully temperate bar in Lawrence. Located at 412 E 9th St., the bar and coffee lounge was born from a woven community and family—a love letter to those with us, entranced in a homely atmosphere and conversation, and those we remember sitting idly in our countertop picture frames or loveseat mementos.

The menu features thoughtfully selected spirits and sophisticated, handmade elixirs and coffee creations. The walls are dressed with a rotating display of local artists, and the recently added bottleshop offers take-home souvenirs and imbibements to enjoy at your leisure. Nostalgia Room is designed as a resort for the sober and sober-curious. Careful scrutiny is implemented with each concoction, dedicated to the absence of mind-altering substances. This way, all guests are welcome to enjoy a night out without the anxiety or consequences of intoxicative ingredients.

Photos by Zach Bauman