FOOD

REVIEW
STEAKS &
THE CITY

STORY BY G.E. FELLRATH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEE BENJAMIN

Ever since man awakened to the primal need for a hunk of charred
protein, he’s never looked back. There’s certainly nothing wrong with
vegetarianism or veganism, or even pescetarianism (and yes, there is
even fruitarianism). I’m just not that kind of a guy. Here’s why:

STEAK AND STEAKHOUSES ARE SEXY.

There’s something sensual about dark wood-paneled walls and the
heft of a good steak knife. In a city famous for its beef, navigating
Kansas City’s meat culture can be intimidating. Just keep two things
in mind: Quality is key, and never hesitate to ask questions.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Dry-aged Kansas City strip steak from Trezo Mare, a T-bone from The Capital Grille, triple cheeseburger from Town Topic and steak tartare from bluestem.

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 FOOD REVIEW
Where have I had memorable steaks?
While I have yet to locate a nice dry-aged
filet, for consistency and quality The Capital
Grille offers the best dry-aged sirloins I’ve
had in town (lunch $23 for 10 ounces and
dinner $35 for 14 ounces, $40 for 20 ounces
à la carte). The restaurant also gets my
vote for the best all-around steakhouse; it
has excellent service and a nice selection of
sides and appetizers.
The Majestic Steakhouse, which doubles
as a jazz club, also offers dry-aged sirloins.
If you’re not ready for the “Strip Show,”
a 16-ounce dry-aged strip ($49), there’s a
notch down for a 12-ounce ($42) or 8-ounce
($32) teaser. Men, be sure to grab your
smoking jacket before leaving home, the
upstairs Cigar Club at The Majestic is the
ultimate boys’ hangout.
Gentlemen need not grab their jackets to
get an honest steak in an honest setting. At
Jess and Jim’s, the USDA Prime Angus beef is
hand-cut daily, unaged and unadulterated—
except the “Playboy,” a naughty 25-ounce
strip sirloin ($38.95). I prefer the 8-ounce
bacon-wrapped filet ($24.95).
There has been a growing awareness of
grass-fed beef. After all, that’s what cows ate
before Americans started feeding them corn
due to rationing during World War II.
Grass-fed cows are leaner and tend to be
milder in flavor. But, you wouldn’t know
that from the steaks served at 1924 Main
where Chef Rob Dalzell’s perfectly grilled
steaks from local grass-fed beef rival any
corn-fed beef I’ve had, aged or not. Recently,
he’s also begun featuring Piedmontese beef,
a high-grade Italian breed that is carefully
raised on a special diet.
Speaking of quality, J. Gilbert’s is the only
place in town to find Prime CAB steak—the
most exclusive grade of beef available anywhere.
An 8-ounce center-cut filet will only set you
back $29.95, and it comes with a vegetable
and choice of potatoes. Follow my lead and
order the poblano potatoes au gratin – that
is, after wolfing down a mess of house-made
potato chips covered in melted Maytag bleu
cheese with cocktails.
112 KC MAGAZINE
Café Trio serves one of the most satisfying
appetizers around—the Blue Cheese Bistro,
tender strips of grilled filet topped with the
pungent cheese. I often order it in the bar as
an early or late dinner or share it around the
table with other Trio small plates.
And don’t let McCormick & Schmick’s
reputation as one of the best seafood
purveyors steer you away from its steaks.
I’ve had delicious beef here, both as a steak
salad for lunch or a filet for dinner. And
while I’ll cover hamburgers later, it’s worth
mentioning the $1.95 half-pound burger
available during happy hour.
REAL MEN EAT VEAL …
… and Phillips ChopHouse is where they
should do it. The Veal Tender is outstanding
($37). Both times I’ve ordered these medallions
cut on the bias, they were melt-away tender.
Two thumbs up for Starker’s Reserve’s
pan-roasted veal chop ($33). The double-cut
bone-on wonder is juicy and moist inside and
full of flavor. Like Phillips ChopHouse, the
accompanying seasonal fare is always a highlight.
... LE TARTARE
If you think steak tartare is effete, it’s not.
What’s more primal than raw meat? I’ll never
forget my first bite as a child in southern
France. The server slapped down a cake of
raw beef seasoned with mustard, salt, pepper,
chopped garlic and onion, pushed a well in
the center and cracked a raw egg into it. As
instructed, I dug right in, and it changed
my life forever.
Five years ago, if a server walked into a
Kansas City dining room and offered steak
tartare, the room would have gone silent
with crickets. Not now.
Tartare has become the sushi for meat lovers.
One of the oldest, but finest, creations, les tartares
have become trendy and are all the rage.
Sadly, not one self-proclaimed French
restaurant in town I can think of consistently
serves this traditional treat. And, I have yet
to find a reliable kibbeh naya, a Lebanese
tartare with bulgar and mint.
Both the Plaza III ($11.50) and The Capital
Grille ($14) serve steak tartare, but without
a doubt, the Rolls-Royce of tartares is to be
found at the Wine Bar at bluestem. Chef Colby
Garrelts uses Wagyu beef, a luxuriously
marbled domestic breed of the famous Japanese
Kobe cows. He presents the silky creation ($8)
seasoned with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire,
Tabasco and truffle oil and topped with a
golden Campo Lindo egg yolk.
… BETWEEN THE BUNS
While I patiently await the arrival of the $50 foie
gras burger in Kansas City, I sleep well knowing
this town is not deprived ofgood sliders.
My favorite place to tuck into the thickest
and juiciest burger in town is at Westport
Flea Market. Awash with Americana, pinball
machines and neon beer signs, the restaurant
packs in devotees who flock daily to get
their fix. The 10-ounce Flea Market Burger
($7.49) stars beef from McGonigle’s and is
the textbook patty-to-bun ratio and served
with curly fries and all the usual trimmings.
Those who are of the thin greasy-but-good
persuasion find it at Town Topic. Ordering
anything but a double with cheese (American,
of course) brands you as a sissy ($3.62— that’s
with tax). The soft fluffy buns make the
perfect sop for the drippings.
Winstead’s has been serving up the same
excellent thin-but-good steakburgers for
more than 60 years in Kansas City. For
$4.20, you will get a Triple Winstead with
cheese. While these patties tend to be slightly
dryer than Town Topic’s, I don’t mind.
With neon lights, a jukebox and a proper
milkshake, sometimes burgers aren’t all
about the beef.
If you’re not the counter diner type, not
to worry, Ted Habiger and Andy Sloan at
Room 39 have got your upmarket taste buds
covered. The 8-ounce $8 burger at lunch is
probably the best restaurant burger around:
straightforward and satisfying. Gussy it up
with your choice of cheeses ($0.75 extra),
which include Gruyere, and my favorite,
Maytag bleu. The fries there ain’t bad either.
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BEYOND BEEF
I rarely encounter juicy tender pork chops
in Kansas City. So, when I want to pig out,
LC’s pork sandwich ($7.49) is a must.
The barbeque joint won’t win you on
ambience, but plain white bread never tasted as
good as when smothered by a mound of LC’s
flavorful smoked pork and its signature sauce.
At Oklahoma Joe’s, $9.95 gets you a pound
of the best pulled pork in Kansas City. For
a one-stop gig, I can never decide between
the Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich or
the Hog Heaven ($5.35). The former comes
topped with spicy coleslaw mixed with “Bubba
Sauce,” a tangy tomato-vinegar sauce with a
slight kick. The latter is straight-up pulled
pork with pork sausage slices.
I am a faithful advocate of game meat. While
summer isn’t the season for it, chef Debbie Gold
at 40 Sardines keeps my hankering at bay
with braised Broken Arrow Ranch boar and
pappardelle (lunch $14, dinner $27). These
broad hand-torn strips of fresh pasta luxuriate
in a lusty boar ragu with large nuggets of the
fork-tender meat.
Chef Jennifer Maloney at Café Sebastienne
serves one of the best racks of lamb ($29) in
town. Not offered every week, I invariably
order it if it is. ■

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