Dish & Drink KC: First impressions of Martini Corner’s new Social House and reader-favorite Meshuggah Bagels

Dish & Drink KC logo by Theodore Rosen

The team behind Good Karma Coffee has expanded its beverage repertoire, trading morning coffee runs for mezcal, martinis, and late-night pours. 

Social House, a new lounge and bar in Martini Corner, brings a cocktail-focused addition to the neighborhood with a menu that shows the same attention to flavor you would expect from people who already know their way around a good drink. 

Social House // Photo by Tiffany Watts

On my first visit, I planned to explore that menu. There were several cocktails worth considering, and I fully intended to try more than one. Then I ordered the Oaxacan O’ Fashioned ($15) and essentially abandoned my assignment. 

The mezcal-based cocktail is the Social House’s take on the classic Old Fashioned. Order it how it comes, with mezcal and bitters, but I made a few adjustments to mine. I left out the bitters and added agave. I also opted for a little applewood smoke. 

It was an excellent call. 

Social House // Photo by Tiffany Watts

The applewood smoke added a warm, aromatic quality that played well with the earthy character of the mezcal. Agave provided just enough sweetness to round out the spirit without burying it. The result was smoky, slightly sweet, and spirit-forward, with a finish that made it dangerously easy to keep sipping. 

Sometimes, smoked cocktails prioritize presentation over flavor. The dramatic reveal looks great when the glass hits the table, but the smoke doesn’t always contribute much once you actually start drinking. That was not the case here. The applewood became part of the cocktail’s aroma and flavor profile, giving the drink more depth without overpowering the mezcal. 

I still need to go back and explore the rest of the cocktail menu. But I must say, that Old Fashioned and I seem like a pretty good match already. 

Social House is located at 325 E 31st St. #107, Kansas City, MO.

Meshuggah Bagels // Photo by Tiffany Watts

My daughter recently started her freshman year of college, and before dropping her off for her first day, we decided to start the morning somewhere new to both of us: Meshuggah Bagels.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a really good bagel, thanks to my dairy allergy, so learning that Meshuggah’s bagels are dairy-free was already a win. Then, as a certified smoked salmon girly, I spotted a fully stacked salmon sandwich on the menu and knew exactly what I was ordering. 

I ordered the Pastrami Nova Salmon sandwich ($13.95) on an everything bagel with their vegan cream cheese. The smoked salmon gets a pastrami-inspired treatment that adds a savory, peppery edge to its natural richness. Paired with the dense chew of the bagel, it was salty, smoky, and satisfying without being too heavy. She ordered the same on a plain bagel with the garlic and herb cream cheese. Her silence told me everything I needed to know because truthfully, she’s a picky eater. 

After realizing the savory option was really good, she decided to explore the menu a bit more. She ordered a plain bagel with strawberry cream cheese and a chocolate chip bagel to take with her. 

Meshuggah Bagels // Photo by Tiffany Watts

I guess those two turned out to be her lunch for the day because I never saw them again. 

Now that I’m reflecting, I realize that she’ll probably forget this day ever happened. The two of us grabbing seats by the window, eating bagels and talking until it was time to head to campus. To her, it was probably just breakfast before the first day of class. 

But for me… 

There was something beautiful about the simplicity of it. For a little while, there was nowhere else we needed to be. No rushing. No ceremony. Just breakfast with my daughter, who somehow went from the little girl I’ve spent years raising to the college student sitting across from me. 

Parenthood is strange that way. Some of the moments that mark the biggest transitions arrive quietly. There is no announcement that this is the memory you’ll want to keep. Sometimes, you’re simply sitting by a window, finishing a really good bagel, trying to take in the person in front of you before it is time to let them walk into what comes next. 

Meshuggah Bagels has multiple locations. This one is at 1208 W 39th St., Kansas City, MO 64111.