Original art by Mark Valentine
Kansas City has really good taste…
It surprises people when Kansas City comes out on top. Frankly, it even surprises us.
So this is fair warning, Kansas City is going to have a Top Chef on The Bravo Network.
“Top Chef” is a very popular cooking show. In fact, this will be its 13th season. The December 2 aunch will be a two-night edition to kick off the national competition. The Bravo Network has selected 17 contenders this season. All of them are from California except for Renee Kelly.
She’s from Kansas City.
She is the tasty choice.
Her restaurant is called Harvest and it’s in the quiet suburb of Shawnee, Kansas. The locals call it “Renee Kelly’s Castle.” And yes, it actually is a castle. Kelly bought it over 10 years ago and has been transforming it into a great event space.
For those of you keeping score, she’s the 3rd Kansas City chef to appear on Top Chef.
By the way, this season is in the can.
It took three weeks to film it. Renee Kelly will not give a hint about the outcome. We’ll just have to watch on December 2 with the rest of the country.
Have you eaten at “Harvest”?
Is the food good?
Here are some great pictures and a review.
http://www.kansastravel.org/lenexa/harvest.htm
Yes and yes, Chuck. Nice place for a special dinner. I would use a word my husband jokingly cringes at to describe it: cozy.
Mr. V, she’s not really that heavy, is she?? Wasn’t at least the last time I saw her.
Cool.
🙂
Here is the history of the castle. Pretty cool. The story reminds me of the house at 55th and Ward Parkway.
http://gigapan.com/gigapans/20458/
castles in shawnee. who knew? i’m trying to remember that house on WP you’re thinking of chuck, but the only one that keeps popping up in my head is the big mansion up at 55th. forgot who owns it.
this one looks more like the castle tea room in lawrence
http://www.castletearoom.com/about-the-castle/photo-gallery/castle-tea-room/castle-tea-room-exterior
This may be a segue for Dwight to jump in. The house I believe that you and Chuck are referring to was/is the Mack Corrigan house built in 1914. (SW corner of 55th & WP) Corrigan worked for and later became president of the Long-Bell Lumber company. Built right across the street ( NW corner of 55th & WP) from the Bernard Corrigan house built in 1913 and acquired by Robt. Sutherland about a decade later. Not sure but I think it may still be occupied by a member of the Sutherland family. Both houses are quite impressive structures.
My bad, the Mack Nelson house.
I thought that I read the gentleman was Italian. And he built the house for his wife. And his wife died early. No?
The Castle Tea Room is really impressive.
if its the house that looks like a museum with perfect
flowers and grass…its owned by anita and gary robb (I think
they still own it)….haven’t keptup with it. they are personal
ijury attorneys specializing in aviation.
Thanks, Harley. We’re off on a bit of a tangent but the topic of Kansas City mansions is an interesting one, especially around the area of 55th and Ward Parkway. The house you are talking about, Harley is often called the J. C. Nichols house and sits just to the west of the Corrigan house ( 1214 W. 55th). It was completed in 1914 by lumber company owner Charles Keith and was sold to J. C. Nichols in 1920 who lived there for about 50 years. Not sure when the Robb’s purchased the house but I do believe they still own it. There are a number of impressive mansions within a few blocks of this intersection and that’s not even addressing the “castles” a block west of there on the Mission Hills side of State Line Rd.
Always nice to see our KC folks go national. Nice.