The new dining engine south of downtown. First Friday gallery crawls, Messenger Coffee's three-story flagship, Brewery Emperial, Novel, Anton's and the city's tasting menus.
Order Burnt ends, lamb ribs and the famous hickory pit beans baked with sausage.
Jack Stack's Freight House in Kansas City's Crossroads serves Russ Fiorella's family barbecue under 25-foot ceilings inside a converted railroad warehouse.
Order The chef's tasting menu, with the wine pairing built around small-importer bottles.
Novel in Kansas City's East Crossroads is Ryan Brazeal and Jessica Armstrong's tasting-menu room, opened on the Westside in 2013 and relocated to McGee.
Order The pasta tasting trio, three handmade pastas served family-style with unlimited refills.
Lidia Bastianich's Kansas City room sits in a former railroad house just north of Union Station, opened in 1998 with the famous pasta trio service.
Order A spread of small plates, the wood-grilled meats and a bottle of natural red from the European list.
James Beard winner Michael Smith's Extra Virgin in the Crossroads opened in 2007 as Kansas City's Mediterranean tapas room, with a wood grill and a deep wine.
Order The dry-aged ribeye with bone marrow, plus the charcuterie board to start.
Anton's Taproom in the Kansas City Crossroads is a butcher shop plus steakhouse with grass-fed beef from regional farms and a long natural-wine list.
On this list, shown aboveNovelAnton's TaproomLidia's Kansas CityExtra Virgin
Order Double cheeseburger with chili on the side, plus a vanilla malt.
Town Topic on Broadway in Kansas City's Crossroads has run a tiny stainless-steel diner since 1937, selling smashed burgers and hand-dipped malts.
Order The Standard Breakfast Sandwich: egg, cheddar, bacon on a butter-toasted brioche.
Mildred's in Kansas City has run breakfast, brunch and lunch since 1994, with the Standard Breakfast Sandwich the city's most-ordered counter item.
Order Filter coffee, single origin
Messenger Coffee's three-story flagship on Grand Boulevard in Kansas City's Crossroads pairs an in-house roastery with Ibis Bakery downstairs and a rooftop.
Order Direct-trade espresso, filter
PT's Coffee on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City's Crossroads pours the Topeka-based direct-trade roaster's beans, with a steady espresso programme.
Order Espresso, Standard breakfast sandwich
Mildred's Coffeehouse on Wyandotte in Kansas City's Crossroads has run breakfast, brunch and lunch since 1994. At 1901 Wyandotte. Booking recommended.
Order Sourdough miche
Ibis Bakery shares the Messenger Coffee flagship on Grand Boulevard in Kansas City's Crossroads, baking sourdough miche and laminated pastries 7:00 to 17:00.
Order Cardamom morning bun
Messenger Bakery shares the Grand Boulevard flagship with Ibis on the ground floor. Located in Crossroads. Open daily 7:00-17:00. At 1624 Grand Blvd.
PT's Coffee Roasting Company is a Topeka-rooted direct-trade roaster with two Kansas City cafes. The Crossroads shop on Southwest Boulevard is the urban hub.
Also on this listMessenger Coffee
Extra Virgin's bar in the Kansas City Crossroads is a wine destination unto itself, with a European list that runs deeper than the menu and bottle nights.
Anton's Taproom on Main in Kansas City's Crossroads runs a natural-wine programme alongside the butcher steakhouse, with growers-only Champagne and Old World.
Novel's bar in the Kansas City East Crossroads runs a parallel wine programme to Brazeal and Armstrong's tasting room, with grower-focused bottles.
Lidia's Kansas City bar in the Crossroads pours the Bastianich-family Friulian wines plus a wider Italian list. The bar takes walk-ins for salumi and a glass.
Drink The Wise Sage cocktail
Swordfish Tom's in Kansas City's Crossroads is an intimate, speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar with no beer, no wine, no food, just premium spirits and crafted.
Drink Botanical Gin cocktails
Tom's Town Distilling on Main in Kansas City's Crossroads is downtown's first legal distillery since Prohibition, founded 2015. At 1701 Main St.
Drink Pilsner, brown ale, IPAs
Brewery Emperial in Kansas City's East Crossroads runs the city's largest brewery patio: 20-plus picnic tables, cornhole, kids' sandbox, plus a wood-fired.
On this list, shown aboveTown Topic Hamburgers
Brewery Emperial on Oak Street in Kansas City's East Crossroads has the city's largest brewery patio, with picnic tables, cornhole and a wood-fired food.
Border Brewing Company on East 18th in Kansas City's Crossroads has poured small-batch beer since 2014, with a tiny taproom and a calendar of seasonal.
Tour Kansas City's A Brunch of Art experience pairs a cafe or brunch stop with a guided visit to a featured Kansas City museum, with group transportation.
First Friday in the Crossroads has been Kansas City's monthly gallery and food walk since 2001, with galleries open late, food trucks and busy restaurants.
On this list, shown aboveTown Topic Hamburgers
Order The Standard Breakfast Sandwich on butter-toasted brioche.
Mildred's Coffeehouse on Wyandotte in Kansas City's Crossroads serves breakfast, brunch and lunch daily, with the Standard Breakfast Sandwich.
Green Lady Lounge on Grand Boulevard in Kansas City's Crossroads District is an exclusively jazz lounge with live Kansas City jazz seven nights a week. No televisions, 2 stages, 2 levels.
Record Bar in Kansas City's Crossroads is the indie-music venue holding 300 standing, with rotating touring acts running Wed through Sat and local openers on the lineup.
Messenger Coffee's rooftop terrace on Grand Boulevard in Kansas City's Crossroads is the city's daytime rooftop hangout, with skyline views and an Ibis Bakery snack programme.
Tom's Town Distilling Company in Kansas City's Crossroads is the city's first legal distillery since Prohibition (2015), with a tasting room that reimagines 1920s speakeasy cocktails.
Green Lady Lounge's downstairs Orion Room in the Kansas City Crossroads runs trios led by Danny Embry, Ken Lovern, Jeff Shirley and Tyrone Clark. No televisions, conversation-friendly.
The Brick on McGee Street in Kansas City's East Crossroads is a long-running dive with live music nightly, a pool table and cheap drinks until 03:00.
Also on this listSwordfish Tom's
