Though more and more cities are passing laws forcing smokers outside, Kansas City still has plenty of rooms that benefit from a little indoor smog. Our favorite is the Phoenix Piano Bar & Grill, with its nightly music and its photographs of jazz legends along the walls. There, even nonsmokers have to find small comfort in knowing that a traditional jazz room can be as it always has been: shrouded in smoke. Eyes burn and throats itch, but peering at the stage through that cloud creates an ambience that's always been part of the music. Exhaling a deep drag toward your favorite horn or piano player is still a smoker's right in Kansas City.
