Michael Forbes

[DaveKCMO]

had dinner at the "new" michael forbes in brookside last night. i was no fan of sharp's -- despite being dragged there many times over 15 or so years -- and was excited for the change.

the first thing you notice is the sharp's layout is completely intact. not exactly a bad thing, but i was expecting more. the layout does work for the small space, however. fresh paint and oodles of engineered stone... where's the gas fireplace!!??!?!?

the place was packed, swarming with typical brookside types (so you're offended, get over it) and lots of mizzou wear. i made an opentable reservation and still had to wait 15 minutes.

service was eager, but a bit too nosy; i suppose that's about right for a "neighborhood place". decent wine selections, with typical bottle/glass prices. they do have inexpensive house wines, which i think every restaurant should have. menu is traditional american fare, on par with houlihan's. our calamari starter was breaded and served with pesto. i had the seattle style salmon. very traditional preparation (meat + starch + veggie). at $20 for atlantic salmon, a mediocre orzo, and overcooked squash, i'll have to give the winning point to houlihan's. my two friends enjoyed their meals (a sandwich and soup/salad), but confirmed they were nothing to write home about.

in short, if you're in the neighborhood and not too picky about noise or preparation give it a shot. otherwise, head straight to blue grotto (still the best in brookside IMO). unless mismanagement brings it down, MF will be there for an eternity so there's no rush.

[KCMax]

We finally checked it out, not impressed at all. I guess I thought it would be more modern, but it has all the decor of an Old Country Buffet. The crowd was very old. The menu is very bland and underwhelming, although there a ton of options. Reminded me of Applebee's. Mussels were decent, but very light on the broth. Wife got fried chicken, which was actually a breast, not a cobbled together patty, which was good. Fish tacos were very bland, although I did like the tortillas. Service was fine although our server seemed a bit inexperienced, and the young teenage host seemed uninterested in doing anything. Its a great location to sit outside and people watch, so I can see going back for just apps and beers, but I don't think I'll be dining inside again.

[moderne]

Closing end of the month.

[chrizow]

good opportunity on a high visibility corner. is this space owned by First Washington or another group? would like to see an interesting, independent restaurant open here and maintain/expand the sidewalk dining.

[FangKC]

https://www.kmbc.com/article/michael-fo ... -autopilot