Reimagined museum restaurant, Oil on Linen, paints a new experience with bold flavor and color

Oil on Linen // Photo by Anna Petrow Mulvihill

Café Sebastienne at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art has closed. After a time of reworking the menu and decor–both are equal elements of the experience–the dining space has reopened as Oil on Linen. 

Named as a reference cleverly blending an art medium with imagery of a well-set dining table, Oil on Linen is now open. The daytime restaurant is located inside the free art museum near the Country Club Plaza. 

The vision

The museum’s chef partner, Ted Habiger, remains at the helm. Habiger is a three-time James Beard Foundation Award-nominated chef and entrepreneur who also owns Room 39 in Kansas City.

“As I was developing a new concept for this space with my partner Tiffany Thompson, we began to relate the creative process that goes into my menus and restaurants to what was happening in the museum,” says Habiger. “From the name, to the menu, to the art, organic connections continued to emerge between cooking and artistic practices and their ability to tell stories and bring people together.”

The thoughtfully curated menu will change with the seasons and even reflect occasional pieces on display at the museum. For example, the Lucía Vidales quesadilla on the current lunch menu was created in collaboration with the namesake artist. Vidales currently has work on display at the museum. 

Oil on Linen dining room // Photo by Anna Petrow Mulvihill

Taking it all in

As a frequent visitor of the former restaurant, Café Sebastienne, I was eager to compare and contrast the new setup. Café Sebastienne was one of my go-to spots for out-of-town guests–a lovely brunch followed by a digestion-aiding walk through the exhibits. It makes for a lovely morning, particularly in the extremes of summer and winter weather.  

Changes in color, texture, and setup were instantly noticed in the restaurant space. What was formerly a sunlit white and concrete dining area with metal tables and chairs, is now a cozier, more interesting sunlit area with metal tables and chairs. Keeping the shiny but worn metal tables is an interesting design choice. Rich colors and texture have been added in with additional art, floral features, and upholstered seating alcoves.

The openness offers a slight feeling of vulnerability, like a high-school cafeteria. But the exchange seems fair, or at least fitting, for a place where people come to view, perceive, judge, feel inspired, or appreciate expressions of the human existence.

The iconic inner-dining area with its global replica-lined walls remains unchanged (as pictured in the title image).

Amuse course // Photo by Sarah Sipple

The edible art

On opening night, we sat for an early dinner. I opted for the vegetarian pre-fix menu ($55) and my spouse ordered the omnivore pre-fix menu ($65) so we could try a variety of what the kitchen had to offer. Ordering a la carte is also an option and one we will opt for in the future, now that we have identified our favorite dishes.

The pre-fix menu features four plates: Amuse, Primero, Masa, and Plato Principal. The pacing was perfect until we waited for the final dish, but it was the first night of a brand-new menu, after all. I recommend saving a menu for the table after ordering. It was a helpful reference as each course was served so we knew exactly what we were eating. 

One thing about the food overall–and I feel confident saying this after trying 8 of the 12 available dishes–is that Chef Habiger is not afraid of flavor. From ingredients like Tajin and raw onions to surprisingly powerful mint, this is not for the most timid of palates. 

The first two dishes on each menu were the stars. That kitchen sure knows its way around produce (which was true of Café Sebastienne as well). 

The vegetarian amuse was a delight, as three miniature stacks of jicama, radish, and cucumber were topped with Tajin. I knew I would be a sucker for the texture of jicama, but the Tajin brought a bright acidic pop that kept it playful. 

Salads, or Primero course, at Oil on Linen // Photo by Sarah Sipple

Another star dish was the omnivore’s primero salad, with Brussels sprouts, chicharron, bacon chunks, smoked Fresno peppers, mint, and pickled shallot. The tang was balanced by salt, and the refreshing mint pleasantly overwhelmed the senses a few seconds after each bite. 

Lastly, the vegetarian masa course stood out as another one I would happily reorder. This dish was made with a corn tortilla, queso Oaxaca, maitake mushrooms, huitlacoche (a fungus also known as corn smut), salsa roja, cilantro, chopped onions, and herb oil. Our server called it a quesadilla, and that is what the structure most resembled. But the slathering of fabulous salsa roja and the sometimes crispy texture made it a step above most familiar quesadillas.

Our dinner was complemented by a generous pour of chianti, as well as the lucky coincidence of seeing the artist work on the giant new focal point piece right in front of us. Kevin Townsend is currently working on “Set in place, (Mis en place).” Sound familiar? 

Kevin Townsend live painting “Set in place, (Mis en place)” at Oil on Linen // Photo by Sarah Sipple

The final brushstroke

This is a smart direction for Kemper and for Oil on Linen. Brunch and lunch are still available as guests have come to expect, but the new dinner service allows for an adventurous and creative experience for both the kitchen and the diners. An art museum’s restaurant is a no-brainer spot for both locals and tourists to revel in color, texture, global flavors, and new-to-them ingredients. 

Oil on Linen is primarily a brunch and lunch spot, with a special dinner service on Thursday evenings. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. staying open on Thursdays for small bites from 3 – 4:30 p.m. and dinner service beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Oil on Linen is located at 4420 Warwick Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64111.