What restaurants do you want in the P&L District?

[Tosspot]

Okay, I'll admit, one time in Hong Kong I dined on shrimp and Tsing Tao at Outback Steakhouse in Causeway Bay. I also got morning coffee and a muffin at a Starbucks downstairs from my hostel. 

But I did sample a lot of genuine cuisine from the area during my week there too....but I did find myself in the American chains a scant few times.

[chrizow]

wusses, all of you. 

[Maitre D]

if i know i am going to another city next week, i'll invest 12 minutes on yahoo citysearch or google and find out what's good - then go there, unless it's 45 minutes from the hotel or whatever. 

going to another city and eating at Chili's is just ridiculous IMO unless you literally get dragged there by the group. 

I'd like to agree with you.  I just find that when I try a new place on my own, it's a 50-50 shot at being any good.  I know what I get when I hit an Outback.  if i'm with someone familiar with the area or who really wants to go to a local place, i'm good with that too....most of the time, food is food for me.

[GuyInLenexa]

Hamburger Mary's is great!  The company is franchised so many of the locations differ in some ways.  The one in San Diego is attached to a country and western gay bar Kickers.  The one in Fort Lauderdale is in a common semi suburban area, with many families eating there in the daytime.  The restaurant in several of the cities have children's menus:  http://www.hamburgermarys.net/pages/men ... _sides.htm . 
The place is whimsical, campy, and flamboyant, but it is far from being like eating at Missie B's or the basement at the old DB.  Far less offensive for grandmas and/or children than Hooter's or prime time Will and Grace (and I find neither of those offensive).
At night most of the HM have live entertainment or karaoke.  And I would not expect families to go there then.
I still think it would be a cool addition, if not for P&L, perhaps somewhere adjacent to it or in Westport.
Hamburger Mary's has a creative menu, fantastic food, and a different atmosphere that is always entertaining.  When your server brings you the check it is in a red patent leather stiletto high heel pump (unworn, of course).
Hamburger Mary's is cool to me because it is a gay owned and friendly place that is a place that you could bring your family during the day for breakfast and lunch and for adults to enjoy the alcohol and entertainment in the evening.  A large number of their patrons are straight and it gives the LBGT community an institution for everyone that shows some of the "clean fun" and entertaining cultural elements of gay life, without being really sexual or offensive.  I hope that Fred Phelps comes in and orders a Blue Boy Burger with a Mary Tyler S'more for dessert.  Of course I know that either him coming in as a customer or the bar being built is just part of my "wishlist"  Nonetheless, it is nice to see something gay that is part of the main stream in restaurants nationally, it is about time.
The fact is that there are more gay people in the metro than people living in Overland Park (the secondary anchor to the metro).  I think that is enough to patronize a place like HB even if only gay people attended it.  Bar Natasha, The Edge, The Cab, and even the DB always have a lot of non-gay people there, and many of them were Downtown before Downtown was cool.  It's not like this would be a leather bar or something that would turn the P&L into a San Francisco Folsom Street.

Has anyone been to the Hamburger Mary's in Chicago, Denver, or Minneapolis?  DanCa?  have you been to the one in Denver or the ones in CA?

Here is a profile of the company:    http://www.hoovers.com/free/tools/repor ... ?ID=116670

Eat, Drink, and be Mary!

[macnw]

Been to the one in San Jose. Yeah its a fun place, but nothing real special, kinda like Gordon Biersch(which is also headquarted in San Jose). What happened to this idea of being unique in the PL district. This sounds like taking a slice of California and ploppin it down in Kansas City Is that what we want for KC? I'm not saying these restaurants are bad, just trying to get an idea of what makes these concepts unique?

[KCPowercat]

I don't think anybody thought the p&l would be unique nationally

[tat2kc]

Not too many drag-burger bars in KC.  I think its foolish to think that KC will have any number of "unique" restaurants or clubs in the P&L district.  No matter what we can think of that we'd like to have, I'm sure there is something like it somewhere in the country.  The Bristol is coming in, but its hardly unique. Its a great space in Leawood, and we can hope that the downtown space is also a cool space.  I can't imagine a high profile, unique and new restaurant opening in KC.  We can look for places that are "unique" to the area.

Don't bitch because a successful space in another city chooses to open a location here in KC.  I think that the name of the place that opens is less important than the design of the space, the quality of the food, the quality of the entertainment, and the quality of the staff. Hell, if the microbrewery turns out a great product, and excellent wait staff, in a cool  space, the name will be secondary.

[macnw]

I beg to differ. In its heyday, Gilbert and Robinson opened quite a number of unique restaurants that were unique to KC(Houlihans). Who's bitching? I'm trying to understand why so many on this forum talk about having unique features to KC when you can go to most major metro areas and find these places. I find a lot of hypocrisy among the people who post here. Of course that's my opinion, and most people who post an opinion that is different get shot down

[tat2kc]

Was there another restaurant in KC called "Houlihans"? Because you can't be using the houlihans steak house as a "unique" restaurant. Surely not.

[GuyInLenexa]

I beg to differ. In its heyday, Gilbert and Robinson opened quite a number of unique restaurants that were unique to KC(Houlihans). Who's bitching? I'm trying to understand why so many on this forum talk about having unique features to KC when you can go to most major metro areas and find these places. I find a lot of hypocrisy among the people who post here. Of course that's my opinion, and most people who post an opinion that is different get shot down

am sorry if you feel confused about people posting restaurants that are not unique.  Perhaps in reference to P&L we are not matching the same definition of what can be considered unique.
I also do not see the problem of California based restaurants coming in.  I only named four from Cali, I would hardly call Lawry's or Hamburger Mary's "Californian", 
Lawry's has had restaurants in Dallas and Houston for decades and only one, the original, in Beverly Hills.
What I think unique for the P&L district is to have something that not in the KC area now.  The main patrons of the entertainment will be local people.  One thing I observed about Kansas Citian, they love to flock to any thing that is new or different.  I remember when both Cheesecake Factories opened, they were packed to the gills when they first opened.  The same goes for Nordstrom, McCormmick and Schmick's (that little slice of Portland), Rainforest Cafes, Famous Daves..... the list can go on and on.
I do not think we will see many entrepreneurial ventures made in the P&L district.  I am sure that the $s per square feet is astronomical.  Possibly one reason we have not heard many names of tenants at this point.  Chains are backed by a lot of capital.  The last thing anyone would want is to see any businesses fail in this endeavor.  There are still a lot of skeptics on this project. A lot of tax money is involved with it also.
As far as Mary's goes, I don't know what the one in San Jose was like, but the three I have been to were like nothing I had ever seen before, perhaps a gay themed Dick's Last Resort (no pun on the name).  There are only fifteen in the country, that makes it unique in being exclusive location wise.  I think it would be a better fit for The Crossroads or Westport.  Lawry's is a legend, they only have a handful in existence.  This would appeal to locals and visitors. 
Nathan's is world famous, and everyone would love The Original Soup Guy, a great urban fit.
So, what it boils down to, I think "unique" for the P&L district would be something that is not in Kansas City, but something that is well known or popular.  And something that is feasible in coming here (for instance NOT Maxim's de Paris).  The title of this post is "What restaurants do you want in the P&L District?  Out of curiosity, or to get a better idea of your expectation, what restaurants would you recommend?

Oh I came up with three more places:

Il Mullino - An elegant NYC restaurant, I only ate at the one in Sunny Isles, FL.  Excellent!    http://ilmulinonewyork.com/visit_us2.html
La Madeleine - A small casual French country restaurant based out of Dallas.  Great rosemary/garlic/evoo roasted chicken, wonderful Caesar salads, a wonderful Strawberry Romanov, and ungodly pastries and breads.  I miss it.  http://www.lamadeleine.com
Texas De Brazil Churrascaria (steakhouse)  Browse their site,  this would work great for Downtown, The Plaza, or the Burbs.  I have been to the one in downtown Fort Worth and the one in Addison.  A Dallas based company.  http://www.texasdebrazil.com

Notice I did not Californicate any of these suggestions! 

[macnw]

I'm not sugguesting that what you recommend won't work. Let me use a common argument. Many people have stated that a Hard Rock Cafe would be a downer because so many cities already have one. Hell, I think HR would be great, at least for the name recognition. All I;'m saying is its ok to have some similarities with other cities, but let's not forget our identy either. Move that hideous Herford House downtown. Strouds? Manny's Granted, the rent would be higher, but these restaurants have a following and they are local. I guess what I'm saying indirectly is that KC seems to be selling out and forgetting its roots, which in my opinon is too bad. I know there are places setting up in the Crossroads etc..

[kcmetro]

I think a Herford House downtown would be great too! We need some restaurants that play off of our history.....BBQ, steaks, jazz. Something along those lines need to be in the district to represent KC. So I'd also like to see a Bryants or Gates downtown, or maybe another locally owned BBQ restaurant. A good breakfast place would also be nice to see.

[tat2kc]

Kansas City is NOT selling out.  If the Hereford House, or Manny's, or Strouds wanted to come downtown, I am sure they would be welcomed. However, I absoultely would not support tax money being spent to lure Manny's or Hereford House away from the Crossroads 5 blocks north to the P&L district.  We cannot poach from our own city just to give the entertainment district some local flavor.  

Why can't the P&L district be composed of larger, nationally known venues, with a smaller number of local flavor places?  The goal is to get people from all over to come downtown.  Have Crown Center and the P&L district "bookend" a greater downtown district. Leave the crossroads as a place for uniquely Kansas City spaces, with galleries, restaurants, theaters, etc.  We, as the local residents, as well as the hotel and convention spokesmen, can help steer people who are looking for something unique into the crossroads arts district.  The increased use of the Crown Center plaza as a festival venue, the potential of the arena and the PAC gives us ample opportunity to incubate a uniquely Kansas City flavor in the crossroads.  

We need to change the attitude that the loop and Crown Center are isolated from the crossroads. We can make the crossroads the bridge between the two.  Hell, we live here, and if we are too damn lazy to move betwen the P&L district, the Crossroads, and Crown Center/Union Station, then how the hell can we expect a visitor to do so?  If we're too timid to walk across the south loop bridges, don't expect the conventioneer to do it.  

Instead of complaining that the P&L district is not unique enough, lets use it a way to get people downtown so we can direct them to the crossroads, which is a unique to Kansas City neighborhood.

[jj116533]

think that hooters will go dt?

[justin8216]

I think a Herford House downtown would be great too!

But downtown already has a Hereford House.

[KCMax]

Great post tat. P&L, much like Crown Center and the Plaza is built for the masses. The Crossroads is for the locals and those looking for unique dining and shopping experiences.

[kcdcchef]

Great post tat. P&L, much like Crown Center and the Plaza is built for the masses. The Crossroads is for the locals and those looking for unique dining and shopping experiences.

i would not lump crown center in there. american restaurant, skies, bentons, peppercorn duck club, milanos, crayola cafe, i could go on and on, crown center while it may cater to tourists, it is only because they are already there. it definitely has a unique kc flavor. if anything, it could be said it is a unique blend of local flavor AND some chain concepts.

[GRID]

i would not lump crown center in there. american restaurant, skies, bentons, peppercorn duck club, milanos, crayola cafe, i could go on and on, crown center while it may cater to tourists, it is only because they are already there. it definitely has a unique kc flavor. if anything, it could be said it is a unique blend of local flavor AND some chain concepts.

Downtown needs chains more than anything right now, sorry but it's true and leave the crossroads places where they are for the reasons tat mentioned.

[kcdcchef]

Downtown needs chains more than anything right now, sorry but it's true and leave the crossroads places where they are for the reasons tat mentioned.

oh i agree strongly. let crossroads and crown center be what they are, but downtown is HURTING for chain  presence right now. already, you have the savoy grill, the majestic, phillips and president hotel restaurants, the phoenix, garozzos, winslows, zin, 1929, hereford house, red dragon, quaff, tanners, dont forget planet sub is a local chain, i mean, yeah, there are some chain places here and there randomly, but really most major downtown metros have a presence of tgi fridays, chilis, hooters, etc, so, let the p&l be the district in kc that brings in all that stuff. trust me, cordish is a smart business man and he will get some local flare in there too, in addition to introducing some new local flavor.

[GRID]

oh i agree strongly. let crossroads and crown center be what they are, but downtown is HURTING for chain  presence right now. already, you have the savoy grill, the majestic, phillips and president hotel restaurants, the phoenix, garozzos, winslows, zin, 1929, hereford house, red dragon, quaff, tanners, dont forget planet sub is a local chain, i mean, yeah, there are some chain places here and there randomly, but really most major downtown metros have a presence of tgi fridays, chilis, hooters, etc, so, let the p&l be the district in kc that brings in all that stuff. trust me, cordish is a smart business man and he will get some local flare in there too, in addition to introducing some new local flavor.

EXACTLY.  I swear to god, people, including many on this forum, have never visited a busy, vibrant downtown.  TGI Friday's and Chilis and even a Burger King that is open at times other than lunch are just as much, if not more important than "local" stuff and the "unique" stuff (hard rock, espn zone etc).  You need to appeal and draw from the MASSES and downtown KC simply doesn't do that.  Cordish knows exactly what they are doing.