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Friday, December 17, 2010

News / Openings & Closings

The Genessee Royale Bistro is open -- and ready to make your Saturday breakfast

Posted by Charles Ferruzza on Fri, Dec 17, 2010 at 3:53 PM

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Homemade soups are also important at the new Genessee Royale
​The Genessee Royale Bistro has been open just shy of a week in the West Bottoms. Young restaurateur Todd Schulte, proprietor of Happy Gillis Cafe & Hangout, in Columbus Park, has put his new concept in a former service station and towing yard at 1531 Genessee Street.

Schulte's wife, designer Tracy Zinn, has given the breakfast-and-lunch restaurant a soothing European sensibility: lace curtains, bistro tables, a copper-topped bar. What's now a sunny new place to eat was a mess when the building's owner, West Bottoms developer Bill Haw, encouraged Schulte to put a restaurant here.

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The former Fast Auto Towing is now a bistro
​"We had to take out the gas tanks," Schulte says. "Thank God there was no outside contamination. There were still the electric lifts in the concrete floor which was eight inches lower in one room than it was in the other. We had to gut the building and, essentially, build a new building inside the old one."

The new building features a complete kitchen -- Schulte wants to host wine and beer dinners next summer -- which the Happy Gillis location (a former drugstore) doesn't have. The old service bay is now a cozy dining room that seats 38. The restaurant opens at 8 a.m. every day except Sunday for breakfast. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the menu switches to lunch.

Schulte considered putting a second Happy Gillis Cafe & Hangout in the building, but local interior designer George Turbovich nixed that idea. "George told me that I had to do something different with the space," Schulte says. "He said I couldn't keep doing the same thing."

Bill Haw, the building's owner felt the same way. Haw, Schulte says, "is trying to brand this West Bottoms neighborhood as 'the Stockyards District,' much like the Crossroads District near downtown."

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Chef Blair Cobbett has a thing going with Genessee Royale's bartender
​Unlike Happy Gillis, Genessee Royale Bistro offers table service. "And the Happy Gillis staff is all guys and one girl," Schulte says. "Here at the Royale, it's all girls and one male."

The one man -- server and bartender (and Lyric Opera singer) Chris Cobbett -- has the distinction of being married to Genessee Royale's resident chef, Blair Cobbett, formerly of You Say Tomato. Blair not only prepares this restaurant's breakfasts and lunches but also creates the pies for the dessert list. The pies change frequently, and Blair hopes to offer daily lunch special next year.

"Todd would like to see distinctive lunch specials offered each day," Cobbett says. "Meatloaf Mondays, maybe, and a lasagna on Tuesdays. We'll see how that works out."

In the meantime, Schulte is looking forward to warmer weather, when he can open up the garage doors, utilize the 20-seat patio and offer lingering Sunday morning meals. He already has a liquor license, so customers can get a champagne cocktail right now. Or a Fitz's root beer. 


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Comments (10)

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True, $9 is the highest price sandwich on their menu(ranges $5-9). Sorry friend...not sure you are going to find gourmet, fresh and seasonal food for that much less.

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Posted by Happy Eater on 02/13/2011 at 1:53 PM

Abe, just go to Micky D's and eat that cheap crap, but shut up, OK?

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Posted by Tomg on 02/02/2011 at 8:46 AM

"HG is priced higher than Mc-D's and chipotle"

Terrible argument. I don't expect it to be cheaper than a chain, but I also don't expect a small sandwich with no sides for $9

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Posted by Abe on 12/20/2010 at 3:13 PM

Have been both a happy eater and a happy soup eater and am excited to hear about the new opening. Though neither place is particularily close in proximity, if you want good food you have to go to where it's at-and yes, even pay a little more. It's like that lady in the commercial that asks that other gal "you want oil or cream?" Gimme the cream.

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Posted by foodsnob on 12/20/2010 at 1:38 PM

Todd and Tracy are two of the nicest restaurant owners in town and I cannot wait to try their new place. I will glady pay a tiny bit more to support a local, family-owned shop and enjoy wonderful food than spend less on generic food at a chain.

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Posted by MC on 12/20/2010 at 11:35 AM

HG is priced higher than Mc-D's and chipotle, so yes higher priced but not overly priced for the quality ingredients and menu design. Same prices as places like Eggtc. (a local favorite and nice, but overcrowed and the food is fair-to-okay at best).

Local restaurateurs are invseting cash, creativity and viggor into branding KC districts and neighborhoods. I am more than willing to support them and take my extra dollar there. I really am excited to support a restaurateur like Todd who knows his customers by name and loves the neighborhoods where he invests.

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Posted by Happy Eater on 12/20/2010 at 10:30 AM

We loved Blair's work at You Say Tomato and wish her great success in the new venue.

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Posted by Dillo on 12/20/2010 at 7:59 AM

We made the changes
Thanks to Dave
Here's a 30 percent tip
And a grateful rave!

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Posted by Charles on 12/17/2010 at 4:55 PM

Alright, I'll keep it short this time to hopefully avoid any sassy limerick comebacks: it's Royale with an "E" (correct in the title, but incorrect in the body text) and it's Bill Haw.

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Posted by David on 12/17/2010 at 3:59 PM

Is it going to be as overpriced as Happy Gillis? Good food, but $9 for a moderately sized sandwich, c'mon man!

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Posted by Abe on 12/17/2010 at 3:33 PM
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