Restaurant Roadie

Port Fonda

Kansas City, Missouri

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As soon as Port Fonda started accepting reservations for their sole six-top table, we immediately e-mailed chef Patrick Ryan for our chance to sit and eat in his converted Airstream trailer. Being a smidge neurotic, I contacted him three more times to absolutely confirm we were for sure getting in. The vintage-y/retro set table glowed invitingly from the parking lot of The Rieger Hotel. There was a steady stream of visitors stopping by to congratulate the chef and just to gawk as we most certainly would have, including chef Howard Hanna (The Rieger), chef Brian Aaron (Tannin) and several service industry veterans. The four-course prix fixe meal was delightful, especially the insanely yummy pork belly tacos. Our Port Fonda night was hands down one of the most fun and memorable dining experiences any of us have ever had. Thank you Port Fonda and we hope to come back and see you soon!

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We found out about open reservations on facebook. Click here to get to their page.

Or you can email Chef Patrick directly for reservations (patrick@portfondakc.com).

michael v.

Michael V. | Owner-Barista

Mud Pie

Years of Industry Service: 5

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In Michael's previous life, he was a musician and guitar instructor. Now, he runs and owns an all vegan coffee shop and bakery with his wife and mother-in-law. Michael is of Spanish, Mexican, Aztec Indian and German descent. When we stopped in, he was working alongside his wife and older brother and they were testing out a vegan ice cream. Since opening his new business, Michael finds himself regularly working 95 hours a week, but business has been good. "It's been going well. People have been really supportive. The neighborhood has been really supportive." To read more about Michael and the bakery, click here and for ecstatic customer reviews here.

  Make KC Better » Retain our character. 

emily w.

Emily W. | Bartender

Gilhouly's

Years of Industry Service: 13

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Emily has a distinctive raspiness to her voice, one that makes you go, I think I know her. She used to work at Rancho Grande but after getting a tip from her Budweiser rep about an opening at Gilhouly's, she applied with her name and number on a sticky note. "That's how high class this place is." After six years at Gilhouly's, Emily has seniority and the schedule to prove it, 2 night shifts, 2 day shifts and Saturday, Sunday and Mondays off. Which is perfect since she likes to go out of town a lot. Emily says that although the day and night crowd at the bar are totally different, Gilhouly's has quite a colorful cast of regulars regardless of the time of day.

***Special Note***

The last picture is a snapshot of Gilhouly's from years ago that Emily shared with us.

Now a favorite neighborhood dive bar, Gilhouly's was once a pharmacy.

  Make KC Better » Subway system. 

April Employee of the Month

Place your votes! These are the top four most viewed posts for the month of April.*

The poll is to your right and will be open for one week. The winner will be receiving

a special prize from The Employee Lounge (to be determined).

Last month one of our readers, Vic, commented

about a Cellar Rat / Cellar & Loft showdown.

Vic, you called it. It's ooooon.

Brian K. J. » Cellar & Loft

Bronson K. » Westport Cafe & Bar / R Bar

Ryan S. » Cellar Rat

Jarrod F. » Cellar & Loft

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*March 28-April 22

shawn b.

Shawn B. | Ice Cream Man

Miami Ice

Years of Industry Service: 5

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Shawn has worked at 39th Street neighborhood ice cream shop Miami Ice for his entire five years of industry service, and soon he'll be going to school to study art. The rest of his family has a musical background, his mother and two siblings sing and he has a brother who plays the drums. Shawn just likes to "chill and hang out" in his free time. He doesn't have a girlfriend. "I try to stay away from them, too many distractions."

  Make KC Better » Gas prices. I see more people ride bikes every day. 

derek c.

Derek C. | Bartender

Justus Drugstore

Years of Industry Service: 16-ish

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Derek lives in the West Plaza and drives to Smithville for work, but he says the drive is not really that big of a deal. As one of the limited places to grab a drink in this small town, Derek says the regulars at Justus are a lot different. "There's a smaller core group but they're more regular." He'd like to learn and memorize things faster. His memory was never spectacular but even so, it wasn't what it used to be. When asked what he and girlfriend Monica like to "do together," we were met with dead silence. We all cracked up as the conversation mostly went down hill from there. Sorry, but it's best that we don't share the rest of that interview.

  Make KC Better » This is pie in the sky, but good mass transit,

 necessary for any town to be to be a true metropolis. 

The ACB'S

Thanks to our friend Lynn Klein who suggested that we let you guess the Kansas City

locale first, we're not telling where this is until Friday. But this one should be pretty

easy thanks to some iconic businesses on this street. Extra points for anyone

who can tell us about the The ACB'S, the band on this poster.

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UPDATE: This is indeed 18th Street. Arts Incubator is one one side and

Volker Bicycles, YJ's, Peggy Nolan, spool and Birdies are on the opposite side.

Blair, for commenting correctly, you win a framed 5x7 print of Jarrod!

donna f.

Donna F. | Owner

Donna's Dress Shop
(Our Tip: "Like" Donna's on facebook for the newest finds. She updates regularly!)

Service Industry Detour

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Donna's Dress Shop is located in a former ballet studio on 39th Street. Sunlight streams through the big glass windows up front, making all the frocks and vintage accessories in her shop glow. As a child, her parents brought her along when they went to estate sales and antique hunting. "That's what my parents did for fun so I've always gone. I've always loved vintage." Donna washes a lot of clothes, does a lot of laundry and watches old movies. She loves sushi, Füd (on Summit) and You Say Tomato. "On my day off I like to sit on my porch (Donna and her husband live upstairs from the shop), read a magazine and watch people. I like to do nothing and relax."

  Make KC Better » I want a walk-up dim sum stand so I can 

 get my  dumplings whenever I want, especially the 

 ones with sesame seeds and red beans inside. 

 Or a dumpling food truck. 

toot, toot!

Alert the Press!

The Pitch's Fat City Blog

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We're officially famous, right? So excited about our first bit of publicity!
Thank you (times a bajillion) for all the support you guys and a
big thank you to The Pitch for contacting us. Read the full article here.
Photo above and one used in the interview was set up and shot by Tina.

the road to justus

Justus Drugstore

Smithville, Missouri

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The Employee Lounge tagged along with Cellar Selections wine rep

George Vial* to Justus Drugstore last week where we once again ran into

Rich Zellich from Pinnacle. For those of you who don't know Rich, he is Pinnacle's

 main wine guy in Kansas City and he is everywhere. While we waited for the reps

to flog their products, we checked out downtown Smithville and captured

a few shots of the restaurant before they opened their doors.

--- {1} ---

View of the open kitchen where we spotted one of the most beautiful mustaches.

--- {2} ---

A simply gorgeous table. 

--- {3} ---

Jonathon was testing his chicharróns for the patio menu and

gave us a taste. Served with his own hot sauce made from home grown chilis

(some roasted, some smoked) and puréed with house made white wine.

--- {4} ---

Elixir of the Day made by bartender Derek C.

Small's Gin, Trenel Creme de Framboise, fresh lemon and lime juice,

soda, simple syrup and garnished with fresh thyme.

--- {5} ---

Black Tie Affront

Corrido Reposado tequila, smoked Anaheim pepper-infused Chambord

and Kahlua, lime juice, rimmed with Thai basil-black pepper salt.

--- {6} ---

Mushroom Soup

Three kinds of mushrooms, prepared in three different ways

around a center of pâté and a crostini with watercress and greens.

At the table, Derek poured the consommé to complete the dish.

It was really kind of incredible.

--- {7} ---

Fresh herbs planted around their patio.

--- {8} ---

A collection of infusions and elixirs.

The dry vermouth and cardamom in the third container over

was a work of art. All the ingredients settling and floating

reminded us of a beautiful ocean scape. 

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*Full disclosure. George Vial is the husband of Linh Trieu.

We use him whenever possible to take us to fun places and meet interesting people.

But this is not an exclusive relationship. ANY wine or liquor rep may contact us.

Let's hang out.

ronnie g.

Ronnie G. | Maître 'd

Justus Drugstore

Years of Industry Service: 4

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Ronnie has a 12-year-old cat named Soy. "He's still as spunky as the day I got him." He is an only child and his family has lived in the same midtown house for over 70 years. For now, he lives down the street, but one day he will return to that house and continue his family's history there as well. After managing at more casual neighborhood favorite You Say Tomato for three years, Ronnie finds himself at the other end of the dining spectrum with fine dining Justus. Although the style of dining and kitchens are different, both restaurants share a common passion for the locally grown and "helping small local farmers stay in business."

This little blog post is not Ronnie's first brush with fame. He was also recently on Doug Frost's local food program Check Please where they reviewed Grünauer, Avalon Cafe and Nick & Jake's. Since the show is filmed in high def, Ronnie joked with the make up artist saying, "You're going to have to take this radio face and make it into an HD face." You can watch Ronnie's full episode here.

  Make KC Better » Buy local whenever possible. 

...and the winner is

Thank you to all who participated!

joyce a.

Joyce A. | Wine Sales Rep

Cellar Selections (Fine Wine Division of Major Brands)

Years of Industry Service: 27

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Joyce has manned almost every post in a restaurant except on the line. As she recounted her work history, however, it's hard to believe she didn't wield a sauté pan at some point in her illustrious career. She says that her time as a wine steward was the most fun and rewarding, but devoted wine stewards (who aren't also managers) are rare. "It's an expensive position." These days, Joyce is back on the streets as a wine rep and she says her job is mind blowing at times. The wine business can seem glamorous, but there's a lot of driving (for Joyce that's everywhere from St. Jo to Brookside) and a lot to learn about the various wine portfolios. Joyce also judges regional wine competitions like the Jefferson Cup Invitational with Doug Frost. 

Once a New Yorker, Joyce, who has lived in Weston, Missouri for the last 10 years, likes being out in "the middle of nowhere, but I'm only 30 minutes from downtown." She has a son, owns a bicycle she's trying to get out of her studio and is a potter with a lot of unfinished work. 

  Make KC Better » I would have some way to link neighborhoods 

 through public transportation. 

Happy Easter!

Urban Farming Guys

Over the past month, we've asked how you could make Kansas City better. And many of you have responded with environmentally-related issues like public transportation, bicycle paths, less urban sprawl, better neighborhood markets and sustainability. In honor of Earth Day, we'd like to share this video about a special group of people who have moved from the suburbs to the urban core and are walking the walk, not just talking the talk. Their farming and neighborhood improvement projects are fascinating. Did you know this was happening in Kansas City? We didn't but it makes us proud to be fellow citizens with people who have big ideas and are making it a reality. Read more about their project and see more videos here.

 Happy Earth Day! 
 How will you Make KC Better today? 

kelly ann

Kelly Ann | Partner

spool

Service Industry Detour

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As we previously mentioned in partner Amy's post, Kelly Ann bought spool in 2007. In addition to time at her own shop, Kelly Ann works for two other women-owned businesses: at Arizona Trading Company and hosting karaoke at The Brick every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. Kelly Ann has an "awesome" four-year-old son named Kenny. She works next door to her best friend Peggy Noland. She likes the collaborative nature of the art community in Kansas City where people enthusiastically help each other.

Kelly Ann is no stranger to the restaurant life. She used to be a server and likens retail to the service industry. "If you're in the position to help someone pick out their lunch, it's kind of like helping someone pick out an outfit." She loves and misses the restaurant world. "You count on each other. You gotta work together to keep the boat afloat."

  Make KC Better » I'm a big fan of bussing and biking. 

 Get people less reliant on their cars.