Best New Restaurant
1924 Main
1924 Main's chef-owner Rob Dalzell tries not to say "I told you so" to the naysayers who predicted that Kansas City diners wouldn't catch on to his idea of serving (during lunch and dinner) a reasonably priced prix fixe menu with a limited but inspired choice of dishes. "I heard a lot of negatives before I even opened the door," says Dalzell, who also got frowns about opening a chic bistro in the lobby of the 89-year-old Rieger Hotel, for decades a site of various tawdry saloons. The renovation is beautiful, though, and 1924 Main has been a hit from the first day. (There have been glitches along the way, including a few disdainfully haughty staffers who offended some loyal customers. The rude bunch is gone, thank goodness, though Dalzell says he's "still apologizing.") The food is exceptional and as visually stylish as the décor. But despite his elegant culinary combinations, Dalzell isn't a food snob. There's often a gourmet burger on the lunch menu, and his next project is an urban burger joint serving "cool, affordable burgers and fried seasonal vegetables." Just not prix fixe.
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