French fine diningChef Mano Rafael$$$$$80 to $110river-marketBook 2 weeks ahead
Mano and Barbara Rafael's French bistro in Kansas City's River Market has run Provencal classics on the corner of 5th and Oak since 1996. Book 2 weeks ahead.
Tip: Tue to Sun dinner only. Mano works the room nightly; tip the line cooks in cash.
SteakhouseChef Anton Kotar$$$$$60 to $120crossroadsThu 11:00-00:00, Sat 11:00-01:30Book 1 week ahead
Anton's Taproom in the Kansas City Crossroads is a butcher shop plus steakhouse with grass-fed regional beef, in-house aging and a natural-wine programme.
Tip: Buy a cut from the case to cook at home and have the kitchen plate it for dinner first.
Tasting menuChef Lidia Bastianich$$$$$55 pasta tastingcrossroadsBook 2 weeks ahead
Lidia Bastianich's Kansas City room opened in 1998 with son Joe, set in a converted railroad house. Located in Crossroads. Tasting menu $55 pasta tasting.
Tip: The pasta tasting trio is the move: three handmade pastas family-style with unlimited refills.
Wine barChef Wes Gartner$$$$$70 to $100west-bottomsBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
Golden Ox in Kansas City's West Bottoms opened in 1949 inside the Live Stock Exchange as the birthplace of the KC strip. Led by chef Wes Gartner.
Tip: The stockyards-era dining room is the destination; reservations on Tock. Voltaire is the sister wine bar.
MediterraneanChef Michael Smith$$$$$60crossroadsBook 1 week ahead
Michael Smith won a James Beard Award before Extra Virgin and runs a Mediterranean tapas concept in the Kansas City Crossroads with wood-fired plates.
Tip: Big Night Italian Thursdays are family-style. The wine list goes deeper than the menu suggests.
MediterraneanChef Nick Goellner$$$$$95longfellowBook 3 to 4 weeks ahead
Nick and Leslie Goellner's Longfellow room in Kansas City is the chef's-counter pick of the city: Persian, Mediterranean and East Asian small plates.
Tip: Nick Goellner is a three-time James Beard Best Chef Midwest semifinalist. Book the chef's counter for a tasting; the dining room runs a la carte.