Le Fou Frog is a french restaurant in River Market, Kansas City.
Le Fou Frog in Kansas City's River Market is Mano and Barbara Rafael's French bistro on the corner of 5th and Oak, with Provencal classics since 1996.
Signature dishes: Steak au poivre, Sole meunière, Crème brûlée
Must order: Steak au poivre with frites and a Pinot Noir from the list.
Tip: Open Tue to Sun for dinner; reservations recommended. Bring cash for the tip cup. Mano makes the rounds nightly.
Address: 400 E 5th St, Kansas City, MO 64106
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 in 2018.
Signature: Tasting menu, House-made charcuterie, Seasonal pastas
Order: The chef's tasting menu, with the wine pairing built around small-importer bottles.
Tip: Reservations via Tock open 30 days out; the bar serves a shorter menu without booking. Pastry is Jessica's domain.
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.
Signature: Pasta tasting trio, Handmade ravioli, Tiramisu
Order: The pasta tasting trio, three handmade pastas served family-style with unlimited refills.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable open weeks out. Sunday Suppers and a holiday menu calendar are the moves.
Colby and Megan Garrelts opened Rye Plaza in 2017 as the Country Club Plaza outpost of their Midwestern cooking; fried chicken and biscuits headline.
Signature: Fried chicken, Cast-iron skillet biscuits, Butterscotch pie
Order: Fried chicken plate with mashed potatoes and biscuits; finish with the butterscotch pie.
Tip: The Plaza room takes Tock reservations and runs a busy weekend brunch. Sister room in Leawood is the original.
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 list.
Signature: Mediterranean tapas, Wood-grilled small plates, House-cured charcuterie
Order: A spread of small plates, the wood-grilled meats and a bottle of natural red from the European list.
Tip: Big Night Italian Thursdays run family-style. Mon to Thu until 22:00, Fri until 23:00, Sat 17:00 to 23:00.
Garozzo's in Columbus Park has run the historically Italian North End of Kansas City since 1989. Mike Garozzo invented chicken spiedini in this room.
Signature: Chicken spiedini, Veal parmigiana, Pasta marinara
Order: Chicken spiedini, the city's defining red-sauce Italian dish, with a side of pasta.
Tip: Reservations recommended on weekends. The Overland Park outpost serves the same menu in the suburbs.
The Restaurant at 1900 in Mission Woods runs out of a renovated 1967 Modernist building on the Kansas side, with chef-led seasonal menus and a quiet polished room.
Signature: Seasonal tasting menu, Wood-fired plates, House charcuterie
Order: Whatever the chef's tasting menu of the night is; the wine list leans Old World.
Tip: Reservations via Tock; the bar takes walk-ins. Quietest fine-dining seat in the metro on a weeknight.
