KCRag Forum

I went once. Pizza to me was glorified Pizza Hut. Wings were okay. I won't miss it.

We live nearby and started going to Artego more often. Thin crust pizza was always good but service ALWAYS sucked - employees completely overwhelmed by more than 2 tables. And over the past month the place was getting busier by the week. Sad to see it go, but it really needed some help.

On a side note, Sosa's has been closed for at least 3 weeks now - can't see them reopening, but who knows.

Something called Bob Wasabi Kitchen is going in to the old-old Mama's space at 39th/Bell (next to the liquor store). Sign says 'sushi, roll, Asian cuisine.' Further to the east, the old Zebedee's record shop has been gutted and is being repurposed as a 3-story multi-tenant building.

kcjak wrote:Something called Bob Wasabi Kitchen is going in to the old-old Mama's space at 39th/Bell (next to the liquor store). Sign says 'sushi, roll, Asian cuisine.' Further to the east, the old Zebedee's record shop has been gutted and is being repurposed as a 3-story multi-tenant building.

Look forward to checking it out but that stripmall is prime to be torn down for another housing project similar to the residential project at 39th/State Line, with retail spot below at street level.

As is the entire lot behind Jazz along State Line. With KU Med area constantly expanding, that lot could use a large urbane residential project with large free public garage (residential spaces as well with separate access) and more streetlevel retail along State Line. Am critical of TIF lately but wouldn't mind TIF being used for those cases - as long as public garage is free.

I should be excited about something finally filling the Mama's space, but I am decidedly meh about this. Probably because, like the liquor store next door, it feels to me more like an enterprise of orneriness rather than filling a void in the area. For Asian cuisine, that stretch of 39th already has Blue Koi, Friends Sushi, Po's Dumplings, Genghis Khan, and even Vietnam Cafe, if you want to walk a couple of more blocks.

I agree it's a prime spot for redevelopment, but from what the owner told me, that is something she will fight -- which is why (she says) she's turned down several good offers on the property. I normally am tender-hearted about old buildings, but I would not shed a single tear if that strip mall were torn down. It's a dump, with no traces of the old theater left, and the ATM and cellphone signs zip-tied to the signpost out front do nothing to make it less trashy.

OK, maybe I'm not meh. I am annoyed about the squandered opportunity.

Chef Katee McLean to Open Krokstrom Klubb & Market on 39th Street

McLean and her boyfriend, Josh Rogers, are currently in the process of finalizing the paperwork for a bank loan to open Krokstrom Klubb & Market by Thanksgiving. They've already locked down a prominent space within Restaurant Row on 39th Street, but because they haven't officially signed the lease, they're not yet at liberty to say exactly where the new restaurant will be.
The name of the restaurant and the Scandinavian dishes McLean plans to serve are personal to her and her family. Krokstrom was the last name of her great-great-grandfather, Olaf Frederick “Fred” Krokstrom, who was also the first generation in her family to make it to America. Her great grandparents, Hazel Krokstrom Sinclair and Edgar Sinclair, opened a meat market in the U.S., providing inspiration for McLean’s Krokstrom Klubb & Market.

http://www.feastmagazine.com/the-feed/a ... 2e2d3.html

Meatball District opening up in old Saigon 39 space.

http://www.feastmagazine.com/the-feed/k ... 8db1e.html

The record store on the SE corner of 39th/Wyoming has a moving sale sign in the window. Fingers crossed for something to move in that's not a 100% half-assed attempt at a bad idea.

Meshuggah Bagels opening 1208 W. 39th - this is the house that used to be Zebedee's Records...completely gutted and renovated with retail shop on the first floor and an apartment on the uppers.

http://www.feastmagazine.com/the-feed/k ... b1f63.html

kcjak wrote:Meshuggah Bagels opening 1208 W. 39th - this is the house that used to be Zebedee's Records...completely gutted and renovated with retail shop on the first floor and an apartment on the uppers.

http://www.feastmagazine.com/the-feed/k ... b1f63.html

It's about time. Can't get a proper bagel in this town. I went to Brooklyn at the end of last year and had two bagels better than anything I can get around here.

I like the name too.

Next up - a real Jewish deli? I hope?

.

Is hard to find NYC style bagels most anywhere outside NYC, closest I've had in KC was Costco's but they switched to Einstein last year, which isn't as good but doesn't suck.

Many think it's because of NYC water but this report challenges that, claims it's about not skimping on barley malt...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/1 ... 42452.html

Am curious about the new place, would also like to see a counter case of various spreads, which you also don't see much in KC (and not many cities)...

Hit up Meshuggah yesterday. Enjoyed what I had. Shared an Everything with Whitefish salad(tasty) and an Everything with a plain cream cheese.

No full blown counter like earthlings picture above. Pretty limited variety of spreads. Bagels were very solid ,though I'm not sure it hits the NJ/NYC mark as I remember them. Just a heads up, they do not toast bagels.

my wife showed up at 6:45am on opening morning. there was a guy hanging a sign out front in the parking lot. my wife parked, saw the guy, and was like "oh, oops, will i be in your way if i park here?" the guy was a total dick and said, "yes, you are in my way, and if you park there i am going to scratch your car." wtf?!

i think it was a guy with the sign company and not meshuggah, but kind of an unfortunate way to first engage with a business on opening day.

also, not toasting bagels seems ridiculous?

I have to wonder what the odds are he says that to some guy twice his size. I'm thinking probably zero.

They're good bagels, but it's not a NY style bagel shop. It's almost like they're bagel wholesalers or something. It's weird. I will support them, because I love bagels, but this could have been so much more. Oh well. Still beats eating Panera bagels.

They are bagel wholesalers.

WSPanic wrote:They're good bagels, but it's not a NY style bagel shop. It's almost like they're bagel wholesalers or something. It's weird. I will support them, because I love bagels, but this could have been so much more. Oh well. Still beats eating Panera bagels.

Such is the story of almost every business on W 39th that's opened in the last few years, with the exception of Q39.

kcjak wrote:

WSPanic wrote:They're good bagels, but it's not a NY style bagel shop. It's almost like they're bagel wholesalers or something. It's weird. I will support them, because I love bagels, but this could have been so much more. Oh well. Still beats eating Panera bagels.

Such is the story of almost every business on W 39th that's opened in the last few years, with the exception of Q39.

I think Hi Dive is a good, solid execution of a neighborhood bar/tavern. And Mo Brews is actually a great place to watch a game - especially in the summer.

I've heard good things about Bob Wasabi, and to a lesser extent, the Meatball District, but I haven't been to either.

shinatoo wrote:They are bagel wholesalers.

They should just let someone else operate or manage the actual restaurant. Or better yet couldn't another person just buy these bagels and just run there own shop with all the different smears, and actual toast them?