A new spot serves up classic comfort food in the River Market district By Kirsten Hudson Brown & Loe community ^ vintage dining
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up the Brown & Loe name, previously a produce broker that operated on the second floor of the building in the 1940s, it was the inspiration for the restau- rant’s identity. A warm welcome When I walk in, it’s all dark wood and coiffured ceilings with an elegant, but welcom- ing feel. The hostess leads me across the faded checkerboard floor to a booth along a bank of windows facing the fully stocked bar, which runs the length of the narrow room. Vintage diner signs illuminating the words “Eat” and “Drink” straddle ei- ther side of a large, chippy-paint mirror overlooking the bar. The menu is American comfort food with a Southern twist. Pan roasted chicken. Grilled short ribs with brown butter cornbread. Dry aged
t’s Friday night. The bell of the new Kansas City streetcar chimes as it whirs by the entrance to City Market. Tomor- row, the market will come to life as people flock in from all over the metro to buy fruits and veggies, sample artisan sweets, and shop for fresh cut flowers and handmade crafts from the region’s largest farmers market. But tonight it’s a calm Midwest evening in the River Market neighborhood. Big band music drifts over the humid air. Silverware clinks softly. Nestled into the southeast corner of City Market square, Brown & Loe, 429 Walnut St., looks like it’s been serving upscale American fare for years instead of just hosting its grand opening Aug. 2, 2016. The restaurant fills the long-vacant Merchants Bank Building, which was con- structed in the 1920s. Servers wearing canvas aprons waltz in and out of the door leading to the restaurant’s new patio, which sits right next to Dutch Flowers. If you look up, you’ll see two restored enamel signs—a larger one on the north side and a smaller one on the west. Both light
38 vintagekc fall 2016
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