Bice

[KCPowercat]

Wandered down to Bice last night....got there pretty early hoping to beat any rush and we did....got seated right away.  Staff was super attentive and friendly....the interior is a cool modern white filled with pictures of old Italian movie stars (I'm guessing) with a huge staircase in the back that went up to the lounge.  Dining area isn't really that large.

I had the tuna as I wasn't in the mood for pasta....it was prepared well but I wasn't a fan of the veggie that came with it (it was that crossover broccoli / asparagus veggie that is all the rage these days) and roasted potato.  I switched the roasted potato out for mashed...the kitchen handled the change request fabulously and the mashed potatoes were damn good.

My dining partner had the seafood ravioli which was awesome....I was upset with not getting the gnocchi after I tasted the pasta.  Beforehand we got the carpaccio which was quality as well. 

Wine was about $10 a glass for any of them, cheapest bottle I think I saw was like $40....wines we had were good.

Afterward headed up to the outdoor lounge just to check it out....nice setup with nice furniture and a well designed bar.

Great place...I don't put too much stock in opening night impressions at a restaurant but if they keep up what I saw last night, they are a welcome addition to "restaurant row" of the P&L. 

[kucer]

I wasn't a fan of the veggie that came with it (it was that crossover broccoli / asparagus veggie that is all the rage these days)

Mmmmm...Broccolini!!

Sounds like a nice addition.

[Midtownkid]

If anyone has some, can they post pics of this place, inside and/or out?

[lock+load]

We stopped by last night as well.  Pasta and pizza were great.  Our server was still learning the ropes, but was super friendly.

[geeman68]

Reposted from another thread...

Hey peeps!  Just got back from having dinner with friends at Bice.  It was very bright and modern for an Italian concept but we all agreed it worked very well and gave it a nice big city restaurant feeling.  The Bice Lounge upstairs is REALLY nice with big comfy chairs and tables and a nice outdoor bar with backlit bar.  The view is definitely great.

Wine choices were decent and we all enjoyed our red and white.  Couldn't remember the names but I think the white was called Confunded?  Anyway, we shared the coconut shrimp appetizer which was excellent, just wish there were more shrimp.  One friend had the shrimp scampi and he said it was really good.  His pasta was cooked a bit more al dente than he's used to but it was still good.  My other friend had the seafood stuffed (crab/lobster) ravioli and I thought he had an orgasm when he took his first bite.  He said it was exquisite and the sauce was sinful.  I had the lasagna which was awesome. Two of them shared the creme brulee which was passable and I had the tiramisu which was great.

Service was excellent, the atmosphere was clean and bright, the food was very very good and the bill was $134.00.  Not too bad considering everything.  Smile

[PumpkinStalker]

We went Saturday night.  Had about a 20 minute wait which allowed us to get a drink, sit at a cocktail table and enjoy the atmosphere before settling down for dinner.  I too was very surprised at the size of this place.  It's incredibly tiny and paired with 40 foot ceilings, it's extremely loud.  Uncomfortably so, I thought.  For all the fancy places this restaurant has locations, I must admit I didn't feel like I was anywhere special in terms of atmosphere and decor.  Has anyone been to other locations?  Did we get shortchanged on decor/ambiance?

I ordered a Sofia Julep, had apricot brandy, muddled mint/fruit/brown sugar and something I couldn't pronounce.  Was not very good.  The girlfriend had a pommegranate berry martini of sorts that was excellent.  The service was first rate, we never had a water glass less than half empty.  Girlfriend ordered Ravioli de Pesce and was amazing.  I had some sort of shrimp/lobster pasta as well, but it was in a broth rather than a thick cream sauce.  Both entrees were delicious. 

I'll definitely go back, but I was looking forward to a more quiet, intimate setting I guess.  Slower weekdays might be more what I was hoping for.  I can't wait to go have a drink on the upstairs lounge though. 

Anyone know when the cafe opens?

[DaveKCMO]

just got back from lunch at bice. we sat on the patio facing 14th since i'm not a fan of the interior (although it is well-executed). service was very good. there is no separate lunch menu, but there are sandwiches, salads, and pizzas around $10. my pasta (penne with crab and saffron cream sauce) was very tasty was a decent sized portion; kard's capellini with chicken was also tasty... this place can handle the basics! after our meal, our server took us up to the fabulous rooftop bar, which does indeed have a great view. she confirmed the conflict between the live block and their ability to stay open later, to which i offered the feedback about creating a different vibe. no beer on tap -- not even peroni! great place for a power lunch, although i'd personally choose bristol for the non-HGTV interior.

[geeman68]

just got back from lunch at bice. we sat on the patio facing 14th since i'm not a fan of the interior (although it is well-executed). service was very good. there is no separate lunch menu, but there are sandwiches, salads, and pizzas around $10. my pasta (penne with crab and saffron cream sauce) was very tasty was a decent sized portion; kard's capellini with chicken was also tasty... this place can handle the basics! after our meal, our server took us up to the fabulous rooftop bar, which does indeed have a great view. she confirmed the conflict between the live block and their ability to stay open later, to which i offered the feedback about creating a different vibe. no beer on tap -- not even peroni! great place for a power lunch, although i'd personally choose bristol for the non-HGTV interior.

LOL.  non-HGTV 

[kcjak]

Wow - penne/crab/saffron cream sauce sounds yummy.  Yeah, to me the interior reminds me of a retirement home, maybe it's the colors.  They could do a little more with some art on the walls, at the very least.

[KCPowercat]

I really enjoyed the interior..very clean and I loved the back stairwell...made a good visual centerpoint.

I didn't spend any time in the bar to decide on that area

[trailerkid]

We went Saturday night.  Had about a 20 minute wait which allowed us to get a drink, sit at a cocktail table and enjoy the atmosphere before settling down for dinner.  I too was very surprised at the size of this place.  It's incredibly tiny and paired with 40 foot ceilings, it's extremely loud.  Uncomfortably so, I thought.  For all the fancy places this restaurant has locations, I must admit I didn't feel like I was anywhere special in terms of atmosphere and decor.  Has anyone been to other locations?  Did we get shortchanged on decor/ambiance?

I ordered a Sofia Julep, had apricot brandy, muddled mint/fruit/brown sugar and something I couldn't pronounce.  Was not very good.  The girlfriend had a pommegranate berry martini of sorts that was excellent.  The service was first rate, we never had a water glass less than half empty.  Girlfriend ordered Ravioli de Pesce and was amazing.  I had some sort of shrimp/lobster pasta as well, but it was in a broth rather than a thick cream sauce.  Both entrees were delicious. 

I'll definitely go back, but I was looking forward to a more quiet, intimate setting I guess.  Slower weekdays might be more what I was hoping for.  I can't wait to go have a drink on the upstairs lounge though. 

Anyone know when the cafe opens?

The KC location is a Bice Bistro location. There is also a more polished full restaurant concept they operate.

[DaveKCMO]

we were told the cafe might open in about three weeks.

[REVEAL]

Many of you have very good opinions about Kansas City restaurants. You are very good at offering constructive criticism or describing your experiences. I would like to invite you to post reviews on the new REVEAL site coming out September 1st, 2008. Our previous site did pretty well, but we are taking the feedback we received and making some much needed changes. We are attempting to do something really positive for Kansas City and would really appreciate your support. REVEAL will ultimately be a one-stop shop for everything entertainment in Kansas City, including nightlife and dining. If there is something going on in Kansas City, you will find it on our entertainment calendar. A large majority of our site will be reader driven content. Thus, we are inviting you to participate by offering input, submitting articles or posting reviews. This is a continuous work in progress so please cut us a little slack as we tweak our site to be the best it can be. We look forward to providing you another place to get information about our great city. – Travis Swanson, www.SwansonMediaGroup.com

[kcmokid]

If anyone has some, can they post pics of this place, inside and/or out?

Midtownkid... here's a recent article that was written on Bice.  If you follow the link, there is a video that shows multiple views of the inside & outside
http://www.kansascity.com/199/story/719461.html

[Midtownkid]

thanks! 

[Midtownkid]

Looks nice, maybe a little bland...can't really judge from that little video.  I'll have to see when I visit in October.  HOLY Cannoli, those looked good!! 

[kuslamb]

Two recent experiences @ Bice:

Last night - Went with MightyKC and my wife.  My wife and I didn't eat.  Mighty did and his food was great.  He shared a bite of his seabass with us.  We had a bottle of wine from wine list which I was not particularly impressed by.  I am not always in the mood to buy $100 bottles, which they had a decent selection of, but if I am buying something for $40 (like last night) I want it to be something that I cannot buy @ a liquor store for @ $18.  Overall, I thought the wine list was good at the high price points but lacking in the more affordable price points ($50 and below IMO).  Service was decent.  Waiter was not my type of waiter.  Pretty loud and aggressive.  Pressured us to order a second bottle of wine when 4th person in party showed up.  We ordered the same bottle that we had previously ordered but they could not find one.  Instead, we had cocktails and while waiting for them (approx 12 mins) a manager appeared with the bottle of wine that we had ordered.  We ended up having the cocktails, which were good considering we had gin and tonics/soda or a vodka martini.  Prices were to be expected.  I thought the food was a bargain and the drinks and wine were priced too high.  That is probably everywhere though. 

Today - Went with coworker for lunch.  We both had pizzas.  Both were really good.  No drinks or anything, but service was good.  The waiter was a little weird and at one point told us that he had our "pizzas in the kitchen rockin' and rolling" and air strummed a guitar.  Once he got the point that we were there professionally and actually had some work to do, he left us alone and just served the meal (which I prefer).  Overall it was a good lunch.  Pretty expensive, $27 pre-tip, for two but work was paying so we didn't care.

[chrizow]

The waiter was a little weird and at one point told us that he had our "pizzas in the kitchen rockin' and rolling" and air strummed a guitar. 

[kuslamb]

^^^ Thats about right.

[lock+load]

The waiter was a little weird and at one point told us that he had our "pizzas in the kitchen rockin' and rolling" and air strummed a guitar.

I wonder if it was the samy guy who waited on us Friday.  At one point he asked "what's the dill pickle, is everything kosher?"  Not exactly the type of place to ask that.