KCRag Forum

we finally had the chance to check out novel for dinner this weekend, and were very impressed.

first, they have done a great job with the lill's space, which is probably the most charming and intimate dining space in KC. to my knowledge lill's never utilized the upstairs, but that's where we were seated at novel and it was great. it felt like an old cabin or something up there.

we started with their riff on the manhattan, called i believe the old hat. it was very good.

we ordered two small plates first - hamachi crudo, and "pig head" ravioli. they were both outstanding. the hamachi was sashimi style, topped with trout roe and on a soft bed of whipped wasabi, etc. extremely flavorful. the pig head ravioli was awesome too - ravioli with pork cheek etc. inside, topped with crispy bacon strips, etc. very intense pork flavor. i could have eaten an entire plate of it.

for entrees i got the steak and my wife got the salmon. the steak was a very interesting presentation, it comes out sliced, and they take the end pieces that cannot really be meaningfully sliced and roll them into little balls that they then deep fry so they are like little steak corn dogs on the side. hard to explain but delicious. it came with some nice polenta and some charred kale mixed with house-cured beef tongue. it was all extremely flavorful and rich - the kale with tongue itself could be a meal.

my wife's salmon was great too. i dont really remember how it was prepared - i remember it involving caper, cauliflower, and blood orange. it was more straightforward than the steak and was very good.

they have a few sides you can order to share. upon our server's recommendation we got the brussels sprouts, which were charred and in a delicious black vinegar broth. again very deep and rich flavors. this place is definitely a fan of charring things for that earthy touch.

the wine list is great b/c it has options you don't see all over town. nice to see more than one french wine by the glass (both red and white).

we shared a dessert, which was the only misstep of the meal. we ordered the ginger cake, which was served with a couple gingersnaps and some sort of whipped coconut/key lime type substance on the side which functioned kind of like frosting. it wasn't bad, but it did not demonstrate the level of finesse we experienced with the rest of the menu. although, i will say that cake is always kind of a dicey choice - one time at room 39 i had cake that was so dense i could barely chew it. the table next to us got the chocolate ganache dessert and was raving about it, so maybe just a bum choice on our part. again, it was tasty, but not special, like something you could pick up in a plastic container from cupini's or something.

all in all, this place is functioning at a very high level for KC. easily top 5 restaurant in the city, maybe top 3. bluestem and the american are the only places i can think of that are clearly operating at a higher level. (and i haven't been to the american post debbie gold). highly recommended.

I've really enjoyed all of my meals there. The cocktails have been terrific, as with the food and service. Also, you can rest assured that any meal beginning with Fervere bread cannot be all that bad. I've had the lamb neck, hamachi crudo, crispy egg, pork chop, brussel sprouts, and steak. I recommend them all. The pork chop was one of the best I can remember.

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Not sure where exactly to put this so I placed it here, as Novel deserves additional recognition anyway: T

There is an excellent round table discussion among various high-profile local chefs in the current issue of Feast magazine (itself an interesting topic of discussion as a longtime local STL publication that is expanding into KC and greater MO).

Ryan Brazeal of Novel is one of the featured chefs, along with others like Jonathon Justus, Celina Tio, Colby Garrelts, etc.

The conversation ends up getting into some really interesting territory re: the urban core, the need for increased density and local restuarants in established hubs (P&L and Plaza) and the state of the local food scene vis a vis other markets.

Recommended.

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Excellent article and discussion. We're very lucky to be where we are in the KC culinary scene.

What restaurant is Garrelt talking about here?

Garrelts: There is a restaurant here in town that will remain nameless, but they are one of the most expensive restaurants in this town, and the place is crazy. It’s not very clean. They get away with the prices they’re doing because the place is so worn-in; it’s so comfortable that people almost don’t think about the prices.

The American?

I doubt it was the American only because Michael Corvino was sitting there also.

I've never actually been to the Plaza III- could that be it?

I was thining it was Plaza III or the Savoy Grill

That could be any number of places - Le Fou Frog and Grand St Cafe come to mind. But my bet is on Michael Smith's - that place is awful in so many ways.

kcjak wrote: my bet is on Michael Smith's - that place is awful in so many ways.

Don't worry, the streetcar construction is going to put them out of business anyway. I read about it in the Pitch. Of course, both Micheal and Nancy also said in the article that their business was actually up this year, but why let facts spoil a good public pouting...

I don't see Michael Smith, Le Fou Frog, Grand Street as well worn in. Plaza III and Savoy seem likes places that are well worn in. It could even have been Golden Ox if this was written over the summer

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Assumed it to be Savoy.

Here's a quote from the Pitch regarding Debbie Gold: "Accurso's Italian Restaurant, at 4980 Main, closed December 23. James Beard Award-winning chef Debbie Gold is reportedly negotiating to take over the space."

http://www.pitch.com/kansascity/2014-re ... id=5023823

Well that's good news. Though I was hoping she would go to Xroads. Most of the James Beard winners/nominees in KC have a place in Xroads area, except her, Colby and Jonathan Justice. Could be called, even marketed as the James Beard District at least in foodie world.

Le Fou Frog was my guess. I thought it had been around at least since I was in Junior High French class, because my I recalled my teacher using it to explain that "frog" was slang for French people. That would put it at least around 25 years old.

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