Lit and Ready to Eat

Last Friday was my turn to host our Supper Club.  I decided to stick close to home and chose the new gastropub Gram & Dun on the Plaza. Gram & Dun is part of the trio of restaurants owned by the Bread & Butter Concepts.  BRGR and Urban Table are the other two restaurants.  Supper Club Six visited BRGR last year.  Interesting to note the name Gram & Dun is derived from the owners wives' maiden names.  They must love their mother-in-laws.  After meeting at my place for wine, we headed to the Plaza for our 8 pm reservations.  When we arrived, they were not quite ready to seat us.  No biggie.  We headed to the bar.  The host assured us she could find us despite not handing us any contraption to buzz us to attention.  The place was hopping.

The bar area was packed with fellow patrons waiting to be seated.  We nudged (elbowed) our way to the bar and ordered a round of drinks.  Maggie and I stuck with our standard Dirty Martinis.  They did not disappoint.  Joan--who was in town and making her second guest appearance at Supper Club--ordered a D Cup.   This was by far the most popular choice copied by other members throughout the evening. It was a combination of Kettle One Citron Vodka, St. Germain, lemon and lime juice and simple syrup.  The space in general was very nice.  Although self-described as a Gastropub, it isn't very "pub like".  The decor is almost like a mountain sky lodge.  Exposed wood and leather lend to an upscale feel.  Definitely a different vibe than Baja 600.  Cozy elegant.

Wild Boar and Bison Meatballs

We proceeded to chat away and away and away.  The bar started to clear out and we were ordering a second round.  Something was wrong with this picture.  Around 8:40, I went to see if they forgot us and was assured we would be seated soon.  8:40 became 9 and then finally our host found us.  To be fair, we added a party when we arrived but an hour wait when you had reservations seemed excessive.   We weren't expecting to have two rounds of drinks before we were seated.  When our host finally seated us in a table, we were lit and ready to eat.

Now on to the menu.  Unique is the only way to describe it.  The cocktail, wine and beer list are very extensive.  Our server was delightful and knew her way around the menu.  She answered all our questions and made recommendations.  We ordered an insane amount of appetizers.  Lightly battered peppers--Kathryn ate all of these.  Wild Boar and Bison meatballs, Joan and I inhaled these.  The meatballs were delicious and the sauce very subtle.  We actually did share the first order with the table and then Joan ordered a second round.  We slapped the hands of anyone that tried to have a bite.  We also ordered the potato chips with the unique ketchup trio--a vanilla bean, avocado and blood orange habanero.  Very tasty.   The French Onion Dumplings were excellent combination of Gruyère, sweet onion broth & brioche crouton.

Chicken and Waffles

Kim ordered the short rib grilled cheese.  Although she expected a more interesting variety of cheese (and more of it), she thought it was tasty.  Michelle ordered the mushroom ravioli and I believe licked her plate clean.  She also enjoyed the D Cup Martini but may have instead ordered a Double D.  Holly had the scallops which were served with blackened cauliflower and covered in a Bourbon cherry butter sauce. She said the cauliflower may have been undercooked but I believe most of the vegetables were served more on the crispy side.  I enjoyed the double pork chops.  Very moist.  Perfect temperature and served with brussel sprouts which I've come to love in the last 5 years or so.  I have to admit I did not do my meal justice because I was over served appetizers.  Maggie took home my leftovers.  Joan enjoyed the fried goat cheese and avocado salad.  Kathryn ordered the shrimp and grits with an jalapeno avocado sauce.  Very different dish.  A bit salty so the verdict was so so.  Maggie ordered the dish I wish I had but didn't.  The chicken and waffles.  Cute little round waffles with lightly battered chicken--without the bone.  There was a concern by some the chicken would still be on the bone.  The combination of waffles, chicken and syrup was divine.  I'm so ordering that the next time I go.

Despite being completely stuffed, we ordered a Gram & Dun Bar for the table.  It was a delectable chocolate mousse, peanut nougat, ganache,  and salted caramel bar topped with peanut butter ice cream.  Their version of the snickers bar.

We really enjoyed our experience at Gram & Dun despite the long wait.  Our server more than made up for it in her extensive knowledge of the menu and her genuine engagement with us.  It is nice to see an establishment with a fresh concept on the Plaza.  This location is prime real-estate and I always thought this was the best patio on the Plaza.  We definitely recommend that you try Gram & Dun.

Dirty Martinis, Ornaments and Hoarders 'tis the Season

It is that time of year again when Supper Club Six takes to the streets in a limo filled with cheer (liquid cheer) and tours the city in search of lights and hoarders.   Before I get to the annual trip to the Christmas Hoarder Extravaganza let me share our dinner experience.  

For our third holiday outing, Maggie once again planned a fun filled evening.   We chose our restaurant by consensus opting for Osteria il Centro a local favorite in Kansas City.   Il Centro is located at 51st and Main.   This was not the first visit for anyone in the group but most of us had not been to Il Centro in a long time.   We expected a wait when we arrived as the place does not take reservations and it was a Friday night.  We waited nearly an hour before we were seated. The front entry is lined in benches and chairs.  That never bodes well if you are expecting immediate seating.   The restaurant is a very warm, cozy and unpretentious  neighborhood Italian establishment.  The tightly arranged tables contribute to the comfortable ambience dominated by a huge wooden bar in the back of the restaurant where those waiting for a table congregate while enjoying their extensive wine list. 

We started the meal with a round of Dirty Martinis.   We are nothing if not predictable.  They did not disappoint but our server did.  It was a busy night but it is always busy at Il Centro on weekends.  Our waitress didn't seem very interested in serving our table so we had to call her over a few times.  She did however bring an extra martini to the table.  Maggie and I enjoyed taking advantage of her mistake and splitting the drink.  Three appetizers made their way to our table--bruschetta, shrimp carciofi and focaccia bread with olive tapenade and red pepper/gorgonzola spread.  These had mixed reviews.  The bruschetta was my favorite.   Grilled bread topped with tomato, capers and fresh basil and Parmesan.  The triangle cut focaccia bread served with the spreads had to replenished because we all enjoyed this appetizer.  The shrimp carciofi was another story.  I can't do shellfish so I didn't go down this road but I heard it was paved with frozen shrimp which had been overcooked.     It had potential but the the subpar shrimp couldn't be overcome by the flavor.   It needed fresh shrimp.   In general, the appetizers were nothing special and a tad boring.  However, we were still enjoying the atmosphere of the packed restaurant.  We had better luck with our entrees. 

We ordered an assortment from the menu.  I had the Spiedini di Pollo which consisted of chicken breasts rolled in Italian breadcrumbs and dripping with amogia sauce served with saffron risotto and vegetables.  The chicken was just the right temperature and the sauce had the perfect amount of garlic--which means it was loaded with garlic.   Maggie and Kim were happy with the chicken marsala which was served spinach and rosemary garlic mashed potatoes.   The mashed potatoes served with Kathryn's Veal Piccata were cold.  We weren't sure why hers were cold when those served with the Chicken Marsala were just right.  The waitress feigned sympathy but Kathryn still found herself eating cold potatoes.  Holly and Michelle both enjoyed the Chicken Walnut Pasta which included penne pasta drenched in a thick gorgonzola cream sauce with sliced chicken and topped with crushed walnuts.  Both thought the dish should have been paired with a side of vegetables.  I should have shared mine as I never made it to that side of my plate.   

Oh, I almost forgot the salads, wait that is because our waitress forgot to mention salads.  We were done ordering our meals and the waitress was leaving our table when one of us mentioned salads.  We thought it was strange she hadn't suggested them to us.  We ordered both the house and the caesar salads.  Very fresh and great precursor to our meal that we would have missed out on enjoying.  We also split a bottle of red wine from one of their specials.  Il Centro's prices are very reasonable so there was no credit card shock when we were evening up at the end.  

This review may sound like we were disappointed but weren't .  Taken as a whole, we really enjoyed our meal.   We had a few cocktails and an ornament exchange.  We were seated at a corner table by the window.  Other than seeing a couple city buses nearly take out Maggie's husband's car, we enjoyed the view.    The consensus was that were weren't wowed by any part of the meal but Il Centro is consistently good.  We do think they need to bring it up a notch and refresh the menu.  Perhaps, the service as well.   However, they shouldn't change it drastically.   It's like an old friend.  Comfortable, cozy and familiar.  We definitely all would return.    It is the unpretentious attitude that brings you back for more. 

Speaking of pretentiousness . . . waiting for us on the curb was our sweet ride--one of those ridiculously obnoxious Ford Explorer looking limousines.  We piled in with our Christmas cookies and flutes--champagne flutes of course.  Then we sat back and enjoyed our guided (well not so guided) tour of the lights in Kansas City.  Our normal driver parted ways with the limo company and our new driver wasn't as enamored with our festive mood and had no clue where to take us.  The whole ride seemed to pass in a blur . . . probably the champagne that someone was forcing me to drink.  Our annual tour would not be the same if we didn't stop at Hoarderville.   We crawled out of the limo and joined the other gawkers on the front lawn.  Wow, vintage creepy Christmas doesn't get old.  Unless you are their neighbor.  

It's been a great year of restaurants.   We are looking forward to next year.   Happy New Year from Supper Club Six! 

Mac n Cheese Six

The March edition of SupperClubSix prompted a new moniker for the group or at least a nickname.  Holly had us all guessing about her selection.  Typically, one or two of us guess the location when given enough hints.  (I frankly never get it.)  She peppered us with hints:  casual, Crossroads district, new establishment and finally the name included the term some gay men use to refer to each other.  Still nothing.  However, we had some creative guesses.   Have you guessed it?


Hamburger Mary's!  Eat, drink and be . . . MARY!  Holly definitely stumped us.  Hamburger Mary's is a chain hamburger joint that is decidedly gay and flamboyant including the toxic purple colored building on Southwest Boulevard.  Although, the chain is definitely geared towards a GLBT crowd, it's straight friendly as well with an assorted mix of patrons.  The decor is tongue and cheek over the top funky filled with every gay cliche from Cher on the video TV monitors to flamboyantly dressed wait staff.  Fun and playful. 

(However, for six straight teetering on the cusp of "extremely  pre middle age/ post hipster age" the music was a bit loud because we couldn't hear each other speak.)

We first scoured the menu for our signature appetizer--Mac n Cheese.  To our delight we found, Deep Fat Fried Mac n Cheese.  It sounded like such a good idea when we ordered it.  Unfortunately, it didn't live up to our expectations.  The fried batter was essentially the only flavor you taste which is fine when you are frying cauliflower but we wanted to taste some Mac n Cheese.    Now that we are such Mac n Cheese connoisseurs with discriminating taste,  we've dubbed ourselves Mac n Cheese Six.  

The burgers were juicy bits of heaven.  Several different types to order with names like Big Johnson, Rock Star (gouda cheese, roasted garlic, caramelized onions), Proud Mary, Queen Mary and a Peppermint Patty Melt.  Succulent.  Don't come here for the vegetarian fare.  However, it was Lent and our lone (practicing) Catholic did enjoy a black bean burger.  

Have I mentioned "The Dirty Mary"?  Oh, yeah.  I had one.  Maggie had two.  Sorry, had to "out" you, Mags!   The Dirty Mary is "Skyy Vodka and olive juice, shaken like a bad girl".  The rest of the table ordered a Carrie Bradshaw ("Aka:  Sex and the Tini" which includes Clementine vodka, peach schnapps, raspberry liqueur, pineapple and cranberry) and a Bucklers.  How was that Bucklers, Kim?

We had high hopes for dessert.  Fried Twinkies and Snickers but it soon became evidently clear we would have several medical emergencies if we consumed any more food.  One of us may have unbuttoned her jeans at the table.  The rest of us made it to the car.  Seriously, we went from starving to engorged in 15 minutes. 

Our service was okay, the atmosphere is fun and there is an upper deck that we all hope to enjoy this summer.   We will return with stretchy pants.  

Our bill arrived in a gold lame 6 inch heel.  We happily paid our bill and waddled out to our cars leaving the Marys to whoop it up late into the evening while we all made it home in time for 10 o'clock news.