Southwest Boulevard’s historic Latin strip is home to taquerias, tamale shops and Mexican markets – and they’re all preparing for tomorrow’s Cinco de Mayo. We’ve checked the weather (no rain!) and done the hard work for you. Here are 5 spots you can grab a margarita on a patio to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. If you’re looking to do a margarita tour like we did, begin underneath the i-35 highway in the Crossroads at La Bodega and head Westward. Salud! La Bodega Okay, not a Mexican restaurant but Latin nonetheless. La Bodega, a Spanish tapas restaurant, has one of the best patios along the boulevard ..read more

The Highly Anticipated Aqua Penny’s Is Here Photography by James Lapone Husband and wife chefs Penny and Doug Mufuka already created a name for themselves with their beloved Thai restaurant Bamboo Penny’s. The duo now opened their second restaurant Aqua Penny’s, but instead of Thai food, the new digs serve an upscale seafood menu with a raw bar. It’s located on the corner of Ash and 117th streets in Leawood (11652 Ash St., Leawood, KS). The renovated space is stunning, with a full-service bar and floor-to-ceiling display cases brimming with top-shelf liquor and wine. Plants line almost the ent ..read more

When the birria taco, or quesabirria, came on the scene, it took the internet by storm. The flat-top crispy fried tacos are filled with traditional stewy meat tethered to melty Oaxacan cheese and customarily plunged into a small pool of greasy, rich consommé. These aren’t your average street tacos. They are an act of hedonism, gleaming with grease and indulgent to their core. Now, the second wave of the birria trend is here, and our local chefs are on top of it. Say hello to your new indulgence: birria ramen.  It’s exactly what it sounds like. The rich, flavorful broth from birria, a Mexi ..read more

Picnic in the Park Photography by Matthew Murphy. Make Mother’s Day memorable with a catered picnic on the historic East Lawn of the Kansas City Museum. The Mother’s Day picnic bundle is being provided by SipSteady, a Kansas City-based organization that promotes and organizes non-alcoholic events. The Mother’s Day package includes a Green Dirt Farm charcuterie board for two, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine—your choice of red, white or rosé—and a sweet finale of delightful macaroons, plus a small, festive floral arrangement to set the scene. You provide a blanket or lawn chair and, of course, th ..read more

Here are fourteen great things to do in Kansas City this weekend, May 2-5, including: Little Shop of Horrors and multiple Kentucky Derby and Cinco De Mayo parties across KC. Little Shop of Horrors Kansas City Repertory Theatre finishes its 60th Anniversary season with the Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi musical, Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Kansas City Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Stuart Carden. Little Shop of Horrors has been a hit with theater-goers for over 30 years, following meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn who stumbles across a new breed of plant that soon begins singin ..read more

When Tech N9ne was first approached by the Kansas City Symphony to see if he wanted to collaborate, he was surprised to learn the musicians were fans of his music. “They had their whole list of songs that they wanted. I was so flattered, man,” says N9ne, who will be performing with the symphony at the Midland Theatre on May 4, which just so happens to also be the informal Star Wars Day celebrated by movie fans everywhere. “[It’s] such a wonderful feeling for them to choose you. [It’s] a beautiful thing and a wonderful marriage. I can’t wait to say ‘May the Fourth Be With You.’”  N9ne is a ..read more

When I confess to Aaron Wells-Morgan that my first few visits to the Crossroads Hotel’s restaurant, Lazia, were underwhelming, he isn’t surprised. Granted, these visits were years ago and well before he took over the hotel’s kitchen, so I don’t feel too guilty letting him know. Plus, since he’s been there, Lazia’s menu has seen a dramatic change. The chef has been working to revamp the hotel’s food operation and turn around its less-than-stellar reputation, all while making a menu that is exciting and modern. After a year and a half of helming Lazia, the rooftop bar Percheron and the formerly ..read more

As Liz Bucknall and Debby Hoskins proclaimed, giggling and beaming from the stage of the American Royal Governor’s Building, “The wives did it!” What they did was earn the Grand Champion prize at the American Royal Backyard BBQ & Steak Cook-Off competition on March 23 for their team, Bad Influence BBQ.  Why the giddy excitement and the unusual victory proclamation? Because Wayne Bucknall, team captain and Liz’s husband, never made it to the competition. Wayne was fully on board when they signed up to enter the contest, one of the top events in the “backyard” or “two-meat” (chicken and ..read more

A locally-owned Nashville hot chicken restaurant is expanding in Johnson County. Mother Clucker is taking the former BurgerFi spot in Leawood’s Park Place for a late July or early August opening. Mother Clucker was an original tenant of Parlor food hall when it opened in the East Crossroads (1707 Locust St.) in 2018. A location opened at (5930 Nieman Road), Shawnee, a year ago. Owners and chefs Derrick and Kylie Foster graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, where they met and fell in love. They made frequent weekend trips to Nashville where they not only fell in love wit ..read more

The Crossroads building that sits at 1924 Main St. has housed some of the most notable restaurants in KC’s dining scene – most recently the Rieger Hotel (which closed during the pandemic) and has been vacant until now. This month, a new restaurant is bringing it back to life – a neighborhood Italian joint called The Wise Guy. “We wanted it to be the type of Italian tavern you might see in New York or Chicago — a place that kind of takes you back to a different time,” The Wise Guy co-owner Zach Marten told The KC Star. With its dimly lit interior, large bar and seven wall TVs, The Wise Guy come ..read more