Best of KC 2024: Triumphant trek to top-tier tastes at Triune

Triune // Photo by Zach Bauman

Earlier this month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can take a peek at the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some local people, places, and things that we thought clearly won 2024. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November. 

Steven Blakley opened Triune this year—a restaurant and bar on the border of Kansas City’s Westside and Crossroads neighborhoods. The restaurant’s name is a nod to the three pillars of dining, according to Blakley: the diner, the atmosphere, and the service (which includes food and drink). The ambiguous name also lends itself well to their “American fusion” menu.

The bread starter, three panibus ($10), succinctly illustrates this American fusion genre and sets the tone for a meal. Focaccia, cornbread, and a biscuit represent variety, while the dipping oil, smoked peach jam, and honey butter show off Triune’s attention to detail.

Triune // Photo by Zach Bauman

And while it’s not literally designed as a see-and-be-seen type of social place, Triune’s goal is comfortable connection. Blakley says he wants guests to realize, “Oh, wow, two and a half hours have passed, and you’re just really enjoying the company that you come with and the space, but it’s all flowing together. And that’s where we talk about how there’s the atmosphere, the service—like the depth of the food and drinks, and how we’re treating you. And then there’s you, the individual. We are very much a part of the space when it comes to a restaurant.”