Story restaurant to serve barbecue, a la française

When local cookbook writers Judith Fertig and Karen Adler — the self-appointed “Barbecue Queens” of the metro — were looking for a new concept to complement their earlier The Gardener & the Grill and Patio Pizzeria, they wanted a way to make grilling “easy, uncomplicated…and French,” they say.

“We wanted it to be,” Fertig says, “the culinary equivalent of the classic little black dress.”

The idea, after a year of writing and testing recipes, evolved into a 212-page cookbook, published in May as BBQ Bistro: Simple, Sophisticated French Recipes for Your Grill (Running Press, $20).

To show off a few of their Gallic-inspired recipes, Fertig and Adler have joined forces with Carl Thorne-Thomsen, the executive chef and co-owner of Story restaurant (3931 West 69th Terrace, Prairie Village), to host a four-course dinner on Thursday, August 20, at 6:30 p.m.

 “We’ve had a good relationship with Carl on some of our other projects,” Adler says. “We’ve done two lunches and three dinners at Story.”

Thorne-Thomsen (winner of “Best Chef” honors in last year’s Pitch Best of Kansas City issue) will prepare three dishes from BBQ Bistro: a tartine of cheese, smoked salmon, sweet corn and pistou (a Provençal cold sauce made from  garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil); a summer flounder with garden beans and charred peppers with remoulade sauce; and blackened beef tenderloin with wild mushrooms, leeks and smoked cream.

The finale will be prepared by Fertig: “Carl always wants me to make something for our dinners,” Fertig says.

The prolific Fertig, who has also published her first novel, The Cake Therapist, and another cookbook, Bake Happy, this year will create a dessert from the Bake Happy book, an almond dacquoise with peach leaf cream.

The dinner, priced at $55 (wine pairings are extra), includes a copy of BBQ Bistro; reservations are available by calling 913-236-9955.