Story by Dave Eckert / Photos courtesy of Plate Italiano Moderno
When you talk about Italian restaurants in Kansas City, you’ll most likely mention the many “Old Guard” Italian eateries in the metro-places like Cascone’s, Anthony’s, Jasper’s, and others. In this article, I’ll introduce you to some great newer Italian restaurants throughout the metro.
Let’s start with a restaurant that is both near and dear to my heart and near to my Liberty home – Osteria Bianchi. I asked co-owner Kelly Bianchi to share the story of Osteria Bianchi. “Osteria Bianchi is the passion project of my husband, Josh, and me – a married couple of chefs who’ve poured our combined decades of experience into our welcoming, community driven Italian-American restaurant,” Bianchi shared. Theirs is a classic front of the house, back of the house relationship-Josh in the kitchen and Kelly managing the front of the house and operations. As for the cuisine, Bianchi says they focus on handcrafted pastas, fresh-baked breads, seasonal produce, and old-world family recipes, based on Josh’s Sicilian roots via his grandmother from Abruzzo. But, she says, they are not boxed in. “We source local ingredients like Campo Lindo eggs and chicken, honey from my mom’s nearby apiary, and organic small-batch goods to keep it fresh and connected to Kansas City,” Bianchi stated.
Next March will mark the two-year anniversary for Osteria Bianchi, but the story of how it came to be goes back to Las Vegas where Kelly and Josh cooked for 17 years. “We initially planned to open on the Strip, but negotiations for a neighborhood-style spot amid the glitz eventually fell through. That’s when the pull of home hit: I’m a Kansas City native, and after years away, we craved roots for our family. Moving back felt right, and the Northland’s supportive vibe sealed it,” Bianchi recalled.
Osteria Bianchi is an American success story with Italian roots.
Visit them in the Northland, just west of Liberty off of 152, and check them out at osteriabianchi.com
From the Northland, let’s head into the heart of the city and the Crestwood neighborhood, nestled between the Country Club Plaza and Brookside. It’s where you will find Bacaro Primo. “The owners, Cory and Jen Dannehl, Patricia O’Dell, and I leased the property in April of 2023. The ownership felt as if the proximity to our other restaurant, Earl’s Premier, would be the perfect fit for their next neighborhood venture,” owner Todd Schulte shared.
Schulte says Bacaro Primo offers guests a fresh approach to classic Italian cuisine and hospitality by sourcing the highest quality ingredients that they can procure and working with their culinary team to ensure that they are preparing their menu in a manner that represents the traditional cuisine of Italy. He says the dining experience at Bacaro Primo is friendly with hospitable service in an intimate setting.
Unlike Josh Bianchi, there’s no Italian Nonna in the ownership of Bacaro Primo. “Nope, a couple German guys from Nebraska and Baltimore,” Schulte smiled. Still, trips to Italy and dining experiences there inspired those two German guys to create Bacaro Primo. “We have a great appreciation for the simple, straightforward nature of Italian cuisine and thought an intimate Italian concept would be fitting for Crestwood,” Schulte told me.
For more, go to bacaroprimo.com
Finally, Plate Italiano Moderno and Executive Chef Bryant Wigger. “At Plate, we celebrate the Italian philosophy of cooking with what’s available and making the most of it. We love giving guests dishes they may not have tried before, like braised pork cheeks with red wine risotto, oxtail ragù, or the Coppa cut of pork shoulder. These are deeply flavorful, traditional ingredients that aren’t necessarily part of the average American diet, but they’re absolutely delicious,” Wigger stated.
With the word “modern” in the name of the restaurant, I asked Wigger what that means to him from a culinary standpoint. “To me, modern Italian cuisine takes the philosophy of traditional Italian cooking – local, seasonal, and simple – and applies it to what we have available here. That approach is what sets Plate apart from other Italian restaurants in Kansas City,” Wigger summarized.
Like many American chefs, Wigger has honed his craft at a variety of establishments offering many styles and types of cuisine. It was a stint at the Four Seasons Aviara in San Diego that led him down the Italian culinary path. “I worked with a chef who had trained under Mario Batali in New York. I began studying Italian culture and language. I traveled to Italy twice, exploring regional dishes and traditions,” Wigger said. It was a big change for a kid growing up on a farm north of Kansas City, but as a frequent diner at Plate, I’m sure glad the Italian culinary bug stuck!
