Jonathan Bender
Reporter
Jonathan Bender is a former KCPT Food Content Editor and the founder of the Recommended Daily. He is the author of "LEGO: A Love Story," "Cookies & Beer" and "Stock, Broth & Bowl." He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where has judged the American Royal World Series of BBQ, eaten sandwiches for a month, and pitched grain as a brewer’s assistant — all in pursuit of learning more about what Kansas Citians eat and drink.
Stories by Jonathan Bender
Blip Roasters Has a New Spot at 30th and Troost
A little before 6 a.m. this morning, Ian Davis opened up four folding chairs just a few hundred feet from the intersection at 30th and Troost. Davis bet on the West Bottoms four years ago when he opened the first location of Blip Roasters. He saw the opportunity to build community around a coffee shop….
Farmers & Friends, a Tiny Brewery Celebration & Other Weekend Possibilities
Don’t have a friend who is a farmer? You do at Cultivate Kansas City’s annual Farmers & Friends meeting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Second Presbyterian Church (318 E. 55th St.). The day kicks off with a potluck pie breakfast (there is also a potluck lunch) and continues with workshops on…
Tap List | Party Time, Excellent & 99 Bottles of Chocolate
Kansas City brewers often speak of camaraderie — a desire to help each other rather than see other brewers and breweries as competition. That spirit has been translated into action with Community Coming Together. It’s an effort to collect household items, non-perishable food and gift cards for federal employees affected by the recent government shutdown….
A Burger State of Mind & Other Weekend Possibilities
Football season is wing season. Since the football season has ended in Kansas City (sorry), perhaps you’d consider a different kind of wing? VegLife Kansas City is putting on the third annual plant-based Wing Bowl from 6 to 9 p.m. at the City Market. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance. They include…
Tap List | Chocolate Ale and Chili Are Your Winter Warmers
There’s a whole new kind of chocolate fountain in town. Chocolate Ale (8.7% alcohol by volume) is back. The collaboration brew between Boulevard Brewing Co. and Christopher Elbow, which debuted in 2011, has inspired folks to stalk delivery trucks, led to a recall and had a brief dalliance with raspberry as an additive. [FLEX-CONTENT] This…
The Elements of Sandwiching & Other Weekend Possibilities
Your restaurant week journey doesn’t have to end Sunday. It’s the final weekend for Kansas City Restaurant Week, but after Sunday, you won’t have to go back to ordering things a la carte. Friday kicks off the first weekend of the fifth annual Downtown Lawrence Restaurant Week. [FLEX-CONTENT] Restaurant week works a bit differently in Lawrence,…
Pizza Hut Started With a $600 Loan from A Mom In Wichita
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Tap List | Crane’s Nightmare Machine & KC Restaurant Week 2019 Beer Edition
The growth of Kansas City’s brewery scene could hit an unexpected speed bump in the first part of 2019. As the government shutdown moves into its third week, the backlog of beer label approval requests continues to stack up as the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has suspended its review process in…
KC Restaurant Week, Adventures in Dairy & Other Weekend Possibilities
You have 200 excuses to dine out this weekend. The 10th annual Kansas City Restaurant Week kicks off Friday, and more than 200 restaurants are offering prix fixe lunches ($15) and dinners ($33). Restaurant week runs through next Sunday. Check out a few unexpected spots in Jill Silva’s piece highlighting three female chefs you should…
Tap List | Pour One Out For a Little Less Sexism in Beer
The world of beer still tilts heavily toward men. And it’s a particular kind of man that is stereotypically seen as drinking beer. A man that might crush the can when he is done with it. But progress comes from unexpected places. Hopcat, which made the decision to rename its ‘crack fries’ in 2018, is…