Every year, my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary with a staycation. Our anniversary is the day after Christmas, thanks to an elopement on military leave 11 years ago. Every year I think it’s such an inconvenient, busy time of year to celebrate our anniversary (it’s also in the midst of two of our kids’ birthdays, on top of the holidays and my birthday), but the staycation always proves to be exactly what we need in the midst of it all and I’m always thankful we make the time.
We’ve done our staycation now for at least five years, and we’ve stayed in plenty of cool spots all over the city, from boutique hotels to cabin retreats on the edge of the metro area. Hotel Kansas City has long been at the top of our list, though it eluded me for one reason or another year after year. But this year, we finally had the chance.
Hotel Kansas City is a gorgeous 14-story building in the heart of the city’s Library District. The 1918 building originally housed the Kansas City Club and contained handball courts, restaurants, a bowling alley, and even a swimming pool, in addition to hotel rooms. The hotel, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is a beautiful blend of 1920s art deco details along with early 20th-century gothic revival woodwork.
My husband and I arrived at Hotel Kansas City on a blustery winter day and decided quickly that we wanted to check in and not leave the premises until our checkout time. Thankfully, that was more than easy enough to do, as the hotel has a coffee bar, two bars and a restaurant. After nerding out over the exquisite gothic woodwork in the lobby and the art deco finishes near the elevators, we had a quick glass of wine in our room and then headed down to dinner at The Town Company.
The Town Company's executive chef Johnny Leach and executive pastry chef Helen Jo Leach have both been nominated as semifinalists for the James Beard Award. Together with their team, The Town Company delivers a modern menu that changes with the seasons. The dining room is cozy and intimate, with low lighting that compliments the white oak burning hearth that drives many of the items on the menu.
The menu is made up of small plates that are meant to be shared. Our server recommended we order three to five items, and because I couldn’t pick, we went with five. We started with the hot buns, served with carrot dip and house-cultured butter, which were devoured quickly and licked clean. Next, a sucker for seafood, we ordered the lobster toast, which was served on Japanese milk bread and topped with something called tasty crunch. It was like an Asian fusion lobster roll. Then came the smoked mackerel and carrot fritters, which were finely shredded, deep-fried carrots shaped into a tall rectangle and topped with tinned fish, horseradish and capers. This turned out to be my husband’s favorite dish of the meal, which is a big deal since he’s not a huge vegetable guy, but it was such a unique treat that didn’t taste like anything we’d ever eaten before. Lastly came the main entrees — a chile-smoked pork chop with cornbread and ribeye with fried rice. We probably could have ordered nothing but these entrees, as they were plentiful helpings, though we would’ve missed out on some amazing food. The meats melted in your mouth and the cornbread turned out to be my favorite dish of the meal, as it was the perfect mix of soft and crisp and buttery.
As busy parents and Northlanders, it’s not often we get downtown for a nice meal, and we tend to be picky about where we go. Going out to eat can feel expensive these days, and lately, I’m hesitant to go somewhere new when I’m not sure if the value will hold up. However, our meal at The Town Company will be one we talk about for a long time and it was absolutely worth every penny. Every single bite was perfection, a well-balanced marriage of crispiness and fluffiness, tang and buttery-ness, or salt and fat. While it’s a fantastic special occasion restaurant, I think it could also be an excellent happy hour spot, with its wonderful cocktails and small plates, or a fun night out with friends who split multiple dishes and the tab. It’s a place I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to again and one I will remember for a long time.
After dinner, we ventured down to Nighthawk, a speakeasy-esque bar in the basement with live entertainment. Though we were too early for the show, a jazz singer performed later in the evening, and we had a lovely time exploring the bar and sharing a negroni. After more exploring of the hotel — seriously, we went on an internet deep dive with the building and neighborhood’s history — we cozied up in our room and then woke in the morning and ventured down to the lobby’s coffee bar.
We were sad to leave after breakfast, but had such a restful stay and were able to return to our kids rejuvenated and ready for another year of marriage. With an unforgettable dinner and a fantastic piece of our city’s history, Hotel Kansas City was definitely one of our best staycations yet.
This staycation was made possible in partnership with Hotel Kansas City as a hosted visit.