Chef Jason Wiggin was the winner of the Gold Fork competition at yesterday's Taste of Kansas City.
The predicted torrential rains arrived in downtown Kansas City precisely as The Pitch's Taste of Kansas City was wrapping up for the evening. By then, though, the 700 people leaving the Live Block of the Power & Light District had been sated by a variety of victual vendors that had offered up cheeseburgers and phad Thai and macarons and petit fours and plenty of other good things.
At the center of the US Foods-sponsored event: the annual Gold Fork contest, in which six chefs work with a selection of mystery ingredients to produce a winning meal. I was one of the judges again this year, and - spoiler alert - you're looking at the winner. More after the jump.
Indios Carbonsitos, one of the city's original food trucks, is giving out free tortas on Saturday to help promote Hangover III. (The event kicks off at 10 a.m.; the free food starts at noon.) The first 100 people in line at the "Free Chow," event at Original Juan (111 Southwest Boulevard) are eligible as long as they like Indios Carbonsitos on Facebook first.
Eat your way across Kansas City's culinary landscape at The Pitch's Taste of Kansas City 2013 this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. in the KC Live Block of the Power & Light District. The annual local food-and-drink sampling party includes more than 20 restaurants (Clark's, BRGR, Los Alamos, KC Smokeburger, Thai Orchid and Poco's among them) and beer from Sam Adams. As you walk through the outdoor festival that benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City, six cheftestants compete for the Gold Fork - the trophy given to the winner of the event's cook-off. Because there's alcohol, this is a 21-and-older event. Tickets cost $35. VIP tickets, which include entry at 5 p.m., are $40.
May you never see the bottom of your pint glass - it's American Craft Beer Week. And Kansas City has plenty of ways for you to raise a toast in honor of this drinking holiday. The annual weeklong celebration of craft beer kicks off today and goes until Sunday, May 19.
If you're searching out drinking opportunities, #ACBW or #ACBWKC is a good place to start. After the jump is a series of events that are meant to celebrate craft brewers from here and across the country.
With the danger of frost gone and warm, wet growing conditions, it's finally time to start thinking about your garden. Conveniently, the Brookside Farmers Market (63rd Street and Wornall) is holding its annual Gardening Festival on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
There's a garden tool freecycle (think take-a-penny, leave-a-penny but with garden tools), a cooking demonstration with wild edibles from the Farmhouse's Michael Foust at 11 a.m. and a chance to ask local farmers about what to plant and how to keep it alive.
Stuffed cabbage rolls, golambki, will be on the menu tomorrow for Polski Day.
The weather report for Saturday: rainy.
But Cathy Kolenda-Smith, the longtime chairwoman of the annual Polski Day in Kansas City, Kansas, isn't concerned. "It's my first rainy festival in 10 years," she says. "But I'm not worried about tomorrow. Some people wait all year for this festival."
Why not? It's hard to find Polish food in the Kansas City metro, so if you've been craving pierogi, golambki, sausage, and kolache pastries, the $12 dinner served from noon to 7 p.m. (or until the food runs out, which hasn't happened in years) should be something close to nirvana. The food, by the way, is served inside the church parish hall.
Kentucky Derby week is a special time. It's a chance to don a goofy hat or a seersucker suit and enjoy a mint julep or six. Tavern in the Village (3901 Prairie Lane, Prairie Village) and Tavern at Mission Farms (10681 Mission, Leawood) are hosting derby parties from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday. They'll be serving Thai Tavern juleps made with bourbon from Dark Horse Distillery, as well as Kentucky Hot Brown sandwiches, shrimp and grits, and Kentucky Derby Burgoo stew. There will also be an extended happy hour that includes $2.50 bottles of beer, $5 martinis and Manhattans and BBQ pulled-pork sliders.
A little bit of Leavenworth is coming to Parkville.
Humankind was meant to drink beer in the sunshine. Find your calling at the 10th annual Parkville Microbrew Festival on Saturday. The event starts at 11 a.m., and beer sampling goes from 1 to 5 p.m.
Several dozen craft breweries will be on hand, among them Kirkwood Station Brewing Co., High Noon Saloon and Brewery, and the Springfield Brewing Co. Tickets cost $25 in advance or $30 the day of the festival (though tickets usually sell out ahead of time).
Raise a ramekin of creme brulee in honor of the late Kerry Layton this Sunday.
Kerry Layton loved creme brulee - and music. The longtime associate at Kansas City's VPR Creative Group had also been a bass player before his death from leukemia at age 53 in 2007. Six years ago, Layton's former boss, Curtis Pickering, founder of VPR Creative Group, joined forces with restaurateur Kevin Timmons, co-owner of Wil Jenny's restaurant at 6700 West 135th Street in Leawood, to create a fund-raising event in Layton's honor. This Sunday, from 2 to 5 p.m., a group of local musicians will host a jam session at Wil Jenny's, and the restaurant will serve free creme brulee.
Vivilore restaurant, in Independence, will be one of 28 local venues participating in Dining for Life.
If you're eating breakfast at 12 Baltimore in the Hotel Phillips this morning, you're raising funds for Kansas City's Good Samaritan Project. That also goes for lunch or dinner at 27 other local restaurants, ranging from Hamburger Mary's in the Crossroads to Eden Alley Cafe on the Country Club Plaza. Today, from 6 a.m. until past midnight, 28 participating restaurants in the metro (see complete list below) have pledged at least 25 percent of the day's gross to the Good Samaritan Project, the city's oldest AIDS service organization.
Courtney Cole, Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus executive director, answers The Pitch's questionnaire
A consultant tells KC that big retail could save Citadel Plaza
Big Rip Brewing Co. expands the Northland's beer universe
Yo La Tengo is at Grinders tonight
Which out-of-town restaurant would you lobby to bring to KC?
WWE's Monday Night Raw returns to Kansas City October 14
DelHi Soul Food Buffet closes in KCK
The Gaf has closed in Waldo