Fun Vibe

Stepping through the front entrance, diners are greeted with a funky, fun vibe. One of the two bars greeted us on this hot summer day. Our visit took place on a Saturday at lunchtime and the place was already hopping. The décor is a mixture of contemporary art with pops of color splashed around the spaces. Groups had congregated for various purposes and the noise level was a little high. This just added to the adrenaline level of the place. We decided to get our bearings and check out all of the spaces, before deciding on our meals.

In or Out

Parlor KC has three levels to explore. The lowest level serves as a mix of den and library. During our visit, it was being used for a demonstration, so we stuck to the other two floors. Seating options are broad and include an outdoor shaded patio. With the KC summer heat level rising, we opted to remain indoors for this visit. We could see this outdoor space being a great spot to enjoy a Happy Hour when this heat wave breaks. It would also serve as a good people-watching spot during First Friday Art Walks.

Decisions?!!!

There are two floors of food options inside Parlor KC. Unless our eyes deceived us, we counted seven cuisine choices. Knowing that we would only be able to pick a couple for this visit, we took our time exploring the various menus. On the first floor, we spotted Ting’s, which serves up Filipino dishes inspired by the chef’s parents. Next door is KC Mac N’ Co where you will find a broad range of creamy, cheesy dishes. Khalia’s Pizzeria owner, Theresa Spencer, has a fondness for Italian Gardens and wanted to bring their cheesy goodness to life in a new setting.

Sliding in Style

None of the first-floor options were sparking our appetites, so we moved up to the second floor. Here we found tacos from Taco Tank, as well as Korean comfort food from Sura Eats. After checking out all of the food options, we decided to pick dishes from two of the vendors. Being from the Midwest, we couldn’t pass up some juicy smashed beef sliders, and the menu board at Slideshow touted some interesting options. We decided to each pick one that struck our fancy. The Steakhouse Slider is topped with arugula, smoked Gouda, A-1 mayo, and fried onions. It was just what a homemade burger should taste like. The Fig & Goat Cheese Slider added some sweet tang to our lunch. It’s topped with fig & onion jam, arugula, truffle mayo, and goat cheese.

Getting Our Cluck On

Our other food hall option was Mother Clucker! I have to admit that the brightly colored signage captured our attention. The backstory on this space is all about Nashville Hot Chicken. Anytime we see a chance to sample some southern comfort food, we are down with it. The chef couple who designed this restaurant saw an overlooked food option in Kansas City and set about rectifying the situation. The chicken comes in a sliding scale of heat, so choose wisely. We grabbed a two-tender combo, which comes with a side (Crinkle Fries for the win!), pickles, and your choice of dipping sauce. With everything assembled, it was time to get down to business.

Parlor KC

It didn’t take long for us to decide that Parlor KC deserves more exploring. With only two of the seven cuisines under our belt, there is still a lot of taste-testing to be done. We like that Kansas City has embraced the food hall idea and expect to see more of this type of establishment. With Strang Hall already bringing in consistent crowds at their Overland Park location, Parlor KC gives us a downtown KCMO option to boot. We have always felt that Kansas City is a leader in dining destinations and now we have one more good option to choose from. Have you ever visited a grownup food hall?

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A Chef Collective

The name hearkens back to railroad magnate, William Strang, who laid out the original city of Overland Park. His 600 acres of property were located south of Kansas City, back in 1905. Nearby, you will find an assortment of shops and restaurants along Santa Fe Drive. We have had the pleasure of exploring the area during their monthly Third Friday Local Life events. Of course, from now on we will have more dining options during our nights out in downtown Overland Park. The large open space of Strang Hall is very inviting and we noticed the crowds fill it quickly.

Basabasa

Midwestern dwellers are very familiar with fried chicken for dinner. I can still remember my mom cooking up platters of this crispy entree for the whole family. While the base of this dish remains the same, the choice of spices can dramatically alter the end product. This is exactly what they have done at Basabasa. The name comes from a mythical bird that was mentioned in Japanese mythology. It had chicken-like features but would spout flames of ghost-fire.

A New Twist on Fried Chicken

We decided to make a meal of a variety of dishes that we picked from the various restaurants inside Strang Hall. Our first choice was Karaage, which is made with chicken thighs soaked in a sake marinade. The name is derived from a Japanese cooking method like tempura, except for the added step of marinating. These bone-free bites are served with a Miso Mayo dipping sauce, which accented the flavor perfectly. You can imagine the concern that arose from five pieces having to be split between two people, but we ended up negotiating a peaceful solution. By skipping the chains, we were able to sample a new twist on fried chicken.

Nida

Keeping with the small bites scheme, our next stop was at Nida. This Spanish based restaurant offers a variety of tacos and shareable items. Once we had decided on our order, we paid for our dish. It should be noted that none of the restaurants accept cash. All transactions are done by card. Another unique feature at Strang Hall is the notification process. After you pay for your meal they will ask for a phone number. This will be used to text you that your food is ready. Once you are notified, you head up and grab it. Pretty simple and effective process.

Cheesy Dipping

When we first started scoping out the menu at Nida, we considered sampling a couple of flavors of tacos. While we discussed the choices, another customer arrived to pick up their order of Cast Iron Cheese. This gooey dish is made with melted cheeses that stretch to unbelievable lengths. The addition of caramelized leeks adds a smooth oniony flavor and the chili oil gives it just a bit of bite. A couple of flour tortillas make useful hand tools to scoop out the delectable mixture.

Anousone

We realized that we had not accounted for vegetables in our choices, so we needed one more dish. Since we had already chosen our table, we decided to grab something from the restaurant nearest our location. This happened to be Anousone, which serves up Southeast Asian cuisine. After speaking with the owner, we found out that the business happens to be named in honor of his late brother. We were certain that any dish we chose would certainly have us skipping the chains.

Fried Brussel Sprouts

Once again, our choice came from the visual presence of another customer’s meal. Once we spotted a tempting dish of the Fried Brussels Sprouts, we knew it needed to be sampled. It is obvious what the base of this plate is created from, but it’s the addition of unique flavors that make it special. After frying up the cut heads, they toss them in a sweet chili herb sauce that bursts with flavor. This ended up being our favorite, although the other two dishes were close behind.

Skipping the Chains

With our first foray into Strang Hall complete, we knew that return visits were a certainty. After all, there were still more restaurants to sample, as well as coffee and cocktails. With so many unique choices, we would have no problem skipping the chains. The chef collective format seems to be a style that is gaining ground, and we expect more of these upscale food courts to open soon. While you are waiting for one in your area, why not make a trip to downtown Overland Park to check out Strang Hall.

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