In the vibrant culinary landscape of Prairie Village, one restaurant stands out, offering a delectable fusion of elevated cuisine, exceptional service, and a passion for creating unforgettable dining experiences. Meet Tyler Morrison, the owner and operator of Scratch Gourmet Kitchen, a culinary haven that has been making waves in the Kansas City dining scene.
Before the inception of Scratch, both Tyler and his wife, Monica, had carved successful careers within the hospitality and restaurant industry. Monica's expertise led her to Wingstop Headquarters in Dallas, where she played a pivotal role in over 350 store openings. Meanwhile, Tyler's journey took him to the headquarters of Topgolf in Dallas, where he dabbled in corporate finance, golf operations, and experiential hospitality. Tyler's career highlights included overseeing the operations of Topgolf Stadium tours, orchestrating mobile golf activations at PGA tour events, and curating sponsorship activations at prestigious events like the Masters.
The couple's shared passion for food and culinary adventures was evident as they explored the diverse flavors across the country during their years of dating.
“My wife and I are foodies and spent our years dating, traveling the country for work and eating as adventurously as we could,” Morrison said. “In 2019 we moved to Kansas City to get married and start a family. We started Scratch in May 2020 as a catering company and have transformed it over time into a premium catering business, adding a casual fine dining and wine bar restaurant.”
For first-time visitors, Scratch promises an exceptional dining experience. Over the past few months, the restaurant has evolved into a casual fine dining destination with a cozy atmosphere that can accommodate 22 guests indoors and an additional 30 on the patio. The focus is on elevated comfort food, carefully curated by Executive Chef and Partner, Grant Ramirez.
Morrison and his team take immense pride in crafting dishes that are not only flavor-packed but also a visual delight. Presentation is key, and every plate that leaves the kitchen is a work of art. The restaurant's extensive wine menu offers over 50 wines by the glass and a cellar list featuring 165 unique selections. Reservations can now be made through the app, OpenTable.
Scratch boasts a range of signature dishes that have captured the hearts and palates of patrons. Among these, the Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass, a specialty of Chef Grant, is a standout. However, it's the Brownie Sundae that has gained notoriety on social media. Served theatrically under a solid chocolate dome, the dish includes a fresh brownie, salted caramel gelato, and is unveiled at the table as hot chocolate hazelnut sauce melts the dome away, garnished with crushed hazelnuts. It's a showstopper that leaves diners reaching for their phones to capture the moment.
“When the dish comes out, the phones turn to video mode!”
The talent doesn’t stop with Chef Grant, Scratch Gourmet Kitchen recently brought on Kenzie Kinney, a talented mixologist from the West Coast. Within a week of joining the team, she has quickly launched a flavor-infused cocktail program, the first such program at Scratch, featuring her signature “Team Espresso Martini” and a spicy and citrusy tequila/mezcal cocktail named “Hugging You Loudly”. Kenzie will be focused on creating a unique happy hour for local residents to enjoy from 4pm to 6pm, Monday through Friday.
For wine enthusiasts, the wine flight program offers unique and high-end wines, allowing guests to sample premium selections that they might not otherwise experience due to the cost of a full bottle. The use of a Coravin system ensures that each pour is as fresh and delightful as the next.
As the seasons change and the culinary calendar evolves, Scratch has exciting events lined up. Starting in September, the restaurant began offering a weekly changing Chef's special, exclusively available Monday through Saturday. It's a showcase of the creative culinary talents of the restaurant's chefs, paired with carefully selected wines to elevate the dining experience.
“This has been a great way to show off the unique and creative culinary experiences our extremely talented chefs have. We have a ton of fun pairing these menus up and highlighting different wines in our books with them as well.”
Scratch's catering business has seen remarkable growth, nearly tripling in the last year. This underscores the demand for the exceptional culinary offerings that Morrison and his team bring to the table.