| Ryan Maybee returns to 19th and Main |
Ryan Maybee, who operated the hot hipster speakeasy Manifesto in the basement of the building, has teamed with chef Howard Hanna to open a new restaurant that will, he says, celebrate the history of the former hotel. The Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange opens this autumn.
A recent Joyce Smith column about the new restaurant -- and the revival of Maybee's popular Manifesto saloon in the basement -- evoked several comments from Kansas City Star readers who, inexplicably, detested the name that Maybee and Hanna chose for their new operation. One reader commented: "...a bad name for a restaurant. Why not call it The Crossroads?"
"I figured we'd get some negative comments," says Maybee, who's set to bring back popular bartender Beau Williams to Manifesto when it reopens. "That's fine. The important thing, for both Howard and myself, is to honor the history of the building, which opened as a hotel in 1916."
Maybee looked at several downtown venues as potential spots before signing a deal for the Rieger Hotel space. "We really wanted to be in the Crossroads," he explains. He adds that the first-floor restaurant will be very different from the previous tenant, 1924 Main, which some complained was hoity-toity -- and too expensive.
"I never thought 1924 Main was that expensive," Maybee says. "But the inclusive pricing was...strange."
The a la carte menu at the Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange "will be middle-of-the-road in terms of pricing," Maybee says. "Howard will be using the best in regional ingredients."
Maybee and Hanna plan to completely change the decor of the ground-floor space. "Everything will be dramatically different on every level," Maybee says. "The style of the decor, the style of the food, everything."
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great news - looking forward to being in that space again. so, what is so arguable about the name? am i missing something here?
I hope they big portions, greasy burgers, and apple pie!!!!
You know what I'm talking about "FAT"ruzza!!!
SUUUUUUUUU-EEEEEEEEE!!!!
Howard was also the chef at Room 39 when they fist opened for dinner before moving to the River Club. I'm glad he will be cooking somewhere I can eat!
Interesting - Howard, Ryan, and Beau were featured at a recent Test Kitchen event
I have heard, from a River Club member, that Howard Hanna will be leaving the club to run his new restaurant.
Well, and Enelso posted their comment right when I was posting my last question, so I guess that answers that! Hahahaha!
Where was Howard Hanna before this? I wanna say his name sounds familiar, but I don't know why...
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