Mesob is always waiting for us in midtown: Best of KC 2018

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 our current favorite things about Kansas City in 2018. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout October. 

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You might say Mesob is the restaurant Kansas Citians most take for granted, or perhaps even the greatest KC restaurant that most diners might not even know is there. Predominantly serving Ethiopian and Caribbean cuisine, it’s tucked into the deepest corner of the Uptown Shoppes at Broadway and Valentine in midtown. But once you walk in, those strip mall vibes disappear. Bright yellow décor and fresh flowers lighten the space, and exceedingly friendly service sets the tone. Haitian-born chef-owner Cherven Desauguste brings French culinary techniques to his Carib-Ethiopian dishes, and that training comes through both in stylish presentation and rich flavor. There’s a lot of variety here — vegans and game-eaters alike will be happy — and very little not to like. The crab cakes are lightly crispy, with generous hunks of tender meat. Silky braised oxtail is served with fresh peas, baby carrots and collard greens. Whole snapper arrives perfectly grilled over baby arugula. Honestly, we’d like to keep it our little secret. But we want this place to be around forever. So go there.

Mesob. 3600 Broadway, in the Uptown Shoppes. mesobkc.com.