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I can't tell you how many times I've driven by the squat, boarded-up, white-brick building at Seventh Street and Grand, just south of the Anthony's Restaurant parking lot, and thought, That must have been one of the first White Castle burger stands in Kansas City. The architecture of those early White Castles is so distinctive that the tiny building at 709 Grand couldn't have been built as anything else.
So I finally did a little research at the downtown library to answer my own question. And, yes, back in 1924, when a Wichita short-order cook named Walter Anderson and his business partner, Billy Ingram, started to expand their eight-year-old "fast food" dining concept outside Kansas, 709 Grand was one of the first local White Castles. By 1932, there were six in Kansas City.
Anderson and Ingram were careful about choosing the name for their little chain. Most greasy burger joints of that era were generally thought to be dirty and poorly maintained, but the word white evoked cleanliness. The early restaurants had open kitchens and shiny stainless-steel interiors. Decades before Ray Kroc started expanding McDonald's, White Castles were turning out a popular, consistent — and cheap — product.
Not popular enough for the River City, though. White Castle had pulled out of the Kansas City market by the end of the 1930s, though it would return briefly in the late 1980s. In 1952, the brick burger shack at 709 Grand was called Truman's White House Restaurant; today it looks like a storage facility.
It was hard not to think about White Castle while eating burgers in the bold, stark-white Blanc Burgers + Bottles. Owners Eddie Crane, Ernesto Peralta, Jenifer Price and chef Josh Eans didn't choose the French word for white because it suggested cleanliness, though the narrow storefront is certainly spick-and-span. Eans says the name came only after Price had redesigned a combination dining room and bar that had been painted a silvery gray back in 2006, when chef Tatsuya Arai turned the space into an ill-fated version of his namesake Johnson County bistro, Tatsu's.
Price and her husband, Peralta, and their two partners decided their new burger boîte should be completely different from the dark saloons in this Westport neighborhood, thus the bright paint job. The Gallic blanc sounded upscale and sophisticated instead of merely clean. The differences between it and White Castle are like night and day, but Blanc's thick, juicy burgers are just as seductive as those mushy little sliders — you just don't have to eat so many of them or be dead drunk to enjoy the experience.
My friend Addison has called the place Blanche since the night he saw a well-manicured hairdresser sitting at the bar wearing an orange polo shirt and matching socks, sipping on a color-coordinated Sunkist Orange Cream Float soda. "He was so annoying that I almost threw a sweet-potato fry at him," Addison complained. At least the ammo would have matched the stylist's ensemble.
I ordered a pastel-colored Izze pink-grapefruit soda on the night I first dined at Blanc (with Bob, Bernita and Sharon), but I wasn't wearing a pink shirt. I try never to use food or beverages as fashion accessories. The food here is visually appealing on its own anyway, and the serving accessories are whimsical, if you're into that. Fries and onion rings are served in brown paper bags tucked into doll-sized, chrome-plated shopping carts. Bob and the girls were charmed, but I'm well past the age where I appreciate toys on a dinner table. If the trio of dipping sauces had been served in a sectioned Hello Kitty plate, I might have lost my mind. Luckily, the house-made ketchup, stone-ground mustard and chipotle aïoli arrived on a more conventional palette.
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WOW , I have been there twice & plan to go again.
You can't beat the lunch price & the taste is great!
I took my sister in law Monday & she said it was the best.
I think so too. We had th classic with fries & rings .
WOW , I have been there twice & plan to go again. You can't beat the lunch price & the taste is great! I took my sister in law Monday & she said it was the best. I think so too. We had th classic with fries & rings .
I liked the bison burger but have to admit that I'm slightly underwhelmed with the experience of eating at Blanc. As a matter of personal preference, the ketchup is too sweet and the chipotle aioli's flavor is marred by the addition of lime juice. I can't comment on the mustard as I've never enjoyed its taste. My lack of enthusiasm mainly stems from the disconnect between the prices and the quality of portions. $8-$12 dollars for an a la carte burger seems a little expensive in my mind, especially since they're good but not so much better than the burgers at other restaurants that it warrants the price increase. I understand you have to charge more when you use special condiments like peppadew jam and truffle oil, but I really didn't feel like the end products justified the prices. Fries are an extra $4 and onion rings are $5. The "adult milkshakes" are a good idea and at $9 they're right in the target range of other up-scale offerings when it comes to fancy frozen drinks. The beer list is impressive, as is the list of sodas. In all honesty I'd go between 11-3 for the lunch specials ($8 select burgers with a choice of side) or during their happy hour specials. That's when the prices seem to conincide with the level of product being presented...at least in my opinion.
I liked the bison burger but have to admit that I'm slightly underwhelmed with the experience of eating at Blanc. As a matter of personal preference, the ketchup is too sweet and the chipotle aioli's flavor is marred by the addition of lime juice. I can't comment on the mustard as I've never enjoyed its taste. My lack of enthusiasm mainly stems from the disconnect between the prices and the quality of portions. $8-$12 dollars for an a la carte burger seems a little expensive in my mind, especially since they're good but not so much better than the burgers at other restaurants that it warrants the price increase. I understand you have to charge more when you use special condiments like peppadew jam and truffle oil, but I really didn't feel like the end products justified the prices. Fries are an extra $4 and onion rings are $5. The "adult milkshakes" are a good idea and at $9 they're right in the target range of other up-scale offerings when it comes to fancy frozen drinks. The beer list is impressive, as is the list of sodas. In all honesty I'd go between 11-3 for the lunch specials ($8 select burgers with a choice of side) or during their happy hour specials. That's when the prices seem to conincide with the level of product being presented...at least in my opinion.
Went to Blanc recently with my girlfriend.
The Kobe and Classic burgers were superb -- easily the best I've ever had in KC, The fries in the baby shoping cart were amazing.
Now for the bad news: With its Spartan decor the noise level at Blanc is beyond belief. Lots of loud and obnoxious drinkers populate the place the place when it's busy, making it impossible to relax if you just want to enjoy your meal. Even a little bit of sound-absorption in that echo chamber would be a vast improvement.
Went to Blanc recently with my girlfriend. The Kobe and Classic burgers were superb -- easily the best I've ever had in KC, The fries in the baby shoping cart were amazing. Now for the bad news: With its Spartan decor the noise level at Blanc is beyond belief. Lots of loud and obnoxious drinkers populate the place the place when it's busy, making it impossible to relax if you just want to enjoy your meal. Even a little bit of sound-absorption in that echo chamber would be a vast improvement.
wow, had the bison burger last night and it was amazing. Yam fries and onion rings were also perfectly cooked and seasoned. my friend enjoyed the classic and although we had planned to cut our burgers in half and share, we couldn't do it, too tasty to share!
wow, had the bison burger last night and it was amazing. Yam fries and onion rings were also perfectly cooked and seasoned. my friend enjoyed the classic and although we had planned to cut our burgers in half and share, we couldn't do it, too tasty to share!
I'm starving! Between Charles' columns and his appearances with the Food Critics on KCUR's "Walt Bodine Show", I've gained vast amounts of knowledge - and more than a few pounds - from learning of some of the unique, amazing fooderies my hometown boasts.
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