First, a moment of silence for the recently departed Domo in Olathe. That Asian restaurant and grill was the suburban outpost of the cozier, more successful sushi joint of the same name in Brookside. The Olathe Domo lasted less than six months in the Shops at Avignon center at 14178 West 119th Street. It closed two weeks ago, according to Scott Buescher, vice president of development at Price Brothers Real Estate, the developer of the center.
But the location won't be empty for much longer. A new American diner concept -- "not a 1950s-style diner," Buescher says -- is scheduled to open soon in the old Domo space.
The Olathe Domo had received some scathing reviews from patrons who unloaded their anger on local dining websites, including a Fat City commenter who called it "Slow-Mo" for the languid service and unhurried kitchen. Its demise was not so slow.
The new diner that will replace Domo, modeled on the classic mom-and-pop small-town diner (not unlike the Neighborhood Cafe in Lee's Summit -- this week's Cafe review), will be called the 119th Street Diner and will feature a menu created by Pat Legler, an experienced executive chef and restaurant consultant who will serve as the executive chef for the diner. The venue is tentatively scheduled to open the first week in May.
"We'll have classic diner dishes but with a twist," Legler says. "It will be more upscale than most diners." Legler plans to smoke salmon and roast turkeys in-house and prepare most dishes on the menu from scratch. "We'll have three Culinary Institute of America graduates working here." The restaurant's staff will include CIA grad and local culinary consultant Eric Parrinello (the Canyon Cafe, the Lodge Bar & Grill) in front of the house as the general manager. Also in the kitchen: chef Jack August.
The former Domo dining room has been redecorated, Legler says, and he's planning to offer a Sunday buffet brunch and a Sunday-night family dinner after the restaurant is up and running. The 119th Street Diner's hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 6:30 a.m. to midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Showing 1-9 of 9
