Jillian and I have followed this power couple since the beginning of the pandemic, when they moved from Portland, Oregon, to Kansas City so they could work at the new restaurant inside Hotel Kansas City, The Town Company.Helen Jo is the executive pastry chef and Johnny is the executive chef. Both of the chefs are humble from the very beginning. Just telling them you love their food makes them blush. That is hard to find in a good chef.We visited The Town & Company the first week it was open and fell in love with some of the small details we knew the couple would perfect over time. We recently had the pleasure of being a part of a women's chef even at Waldo Thai where Helen Jo perfected a dessert you can now find on the menu now.To start our evening we had drinks with the barkeep in wood filled dark green ceiling bar area just to the right of the main kitchen. After a few unbelievable drinks the chef was ready for us at our chefs table seating. What an experience from the start. We were able to speak with all of the amazing staff behind the scenes as they prepared everyone's food. It was like watching a ballet. They were all in tune with one another, so much so you would have thought there were attached to one another. Dancing around the tiny kitchen preparing works of art.Every dish was paired perfectly with the first. Our pork chop and corn bread melted in our mouths. To close our amazing evening off chef Johnny learned we had experienced his lovely wife's madien voyage dessert he insisted we have all of the deserts on the menu.I hope these two never change a single thing about themselves and their love for great food. The Town & Company will forever be among our top establishments. We feel at home like many of our favorite places and can't wait to dine again with the team.
Great experience! Service was top-notch, cocktails were boozy (don't say I didn't warn you...) and environment is intimate and romantic. The pork chop was prepared perfectly and the cornbread is perhaps the best we've ever had. I didn't care for the little pop-rocks dessert bite at the end of service. It was a sugar-bomb and didn't feel aligned with the rest of our experience, but certainly not even close to a deal-breaker. Arrive early for cocktails in the hotel lobby bar... Equally as enjoyable.
The atmosphere is incredible. The service is impeccable. The food is remarkable. The only reason this did not get a five star review is that nowhere on the website did we notice before arriving that this is a small plate restaurant. And when they say small plate, they really mean small plate. They tell you things are shareable. They are not shareable. Maybe small children could share. Adults cannot share.Also, and this might be a personal thing, I don't like when the first thing a server tells me is that Chef takes all orders at once and Chef decides when food comes out. I'm not in First Grade. As a result, because we took their advice and ordered several of the smaller appetizer like small plates, when the main dishes came out, we ended up having to get boxes to take food home. Had I been able to order my smaller small plates first and consume them, then I might have known how hungry I would be for my main dish small plate. And I might not have ordered something as big as the pork chop. That's why I like to be able to order what I want to eat when I'm ready to eat it and not have to order everything all at once for Chef to determine what I get when. Again, just a personal thing.A second thing that did not sit well with me would be the dinner rolls. They are also delicious, and prepared in an individual little skillet. The skillet apparently holds 3 rolls. It is not often that only three people dine. Most people in the restaurant the night we went were tables of 4. That means that you have to buy several of the dinner rolls, and at $12 a skillet, it drives up your ticket price as far as cocktails. I'm sure there were little iron skillets out there that could have made four rolls.Neither of my issues take away from the phenomenal quality and taste of every single dish we had. I highly recommend the chicken livers. You don't see chicken livers on many menus. I was excited to find a restaurant that serves them, and they were cooked to perfection.I think this is absolutely one of the best dining experiences I have had in Kansas City, maybe THE best. When you go, just know that it is a small plate restaurant, and you must order everything all at once. When you go in knowing that beforehand, you can savor the ridiculously delicious food.
I have no idea how this restaurant gets such good reviews. When we were greeted by the hostess I explained we had reservations for the 5:15 chef's table but would prefer a regular table if one was available. She smiled, said "okay" then walked us through the mostly empty restaurant and sat us at the chef's table.The menu consisted of 6 pages of drinks and one page of food. Rolls with butter and a carrot dip was $12, and the prices went up from there. We ordered 5 small plates to share. I was disappointed in all but one of them. Everything was over-dressed and overpowering. We eat at fine restaurants weekly, and this has been the worst by far in months. The service was excellent, but it's ridiculous to pay $155 for two people and go home hungry because you didn't like any of the dishes.
The Town Company came highly recommended for a birthday dinner. Reviews on Google were also overwhelmingly positive so we were looking forward to it. The restaurant itself is very nice and has a great atmosphere. Expectations were high until I opened the menu and saw one short list of small-plate selections. Restaurants like this drive me nuts. Tiny portions at full price. I hate the whole concept. The food itself is very good. I don't recall any particular stand out items because I was angry that I was seated at a tapas restaurant. We also ordered two bottles of wine, which are also way overpriced. The cheapest red is $52 and it's total garbage; you need to spend $80-100 for the good bottles. I ended up ordering one of every menu item for our table of five. The first thing they brought to the table was bread service which costed $24 for 2 rolls. Very good, but still, $24 for bread and dip. Next was single egg on a plate which was $14. We carefully split it up and each had a morsel to share. This continued for the rest of the dishes. All were great. If money no object The Town Company is a fine place, but then again if money no object I could think of many other places to go. Rip.
This place has all bases covered; it’s absolutely beautiful and cozy, with Art deco details and you can watch the chefs on the line preparing small plates with exquisite detail. Service is amazing, all employees are food enthusiasts so you can have fun discussing the nuances. Can’t wait to come back!
Phenomenal dining experience - it's hard to choose my favorite part! My girlfriend and I split the bay scallops, lamb skewers, mushroom, and the duck. The flavors and textures were all on point, especially with the lamb skewers and the duck.All the dishes were on the smaller side, with the exception of the duck. I think 4 dishes was the perfect amount to split between 2 people. I will definitely be back!
Beautiful space, amazing food, and great service! We have been to The Town Company for dinner a few times now. Every time we go dinner is perfect. I can’t nitpick to find a complaint or criticism. We have sat everywhere in the restaurant and had a unique experience at each. Which is surprising for such a small dining room. The tables in the bar area & dining room allow for conversations and catching up. The tables tucked away make for a more intimate evening. The Chef’s Counter is such a fun experience- front row seats to watch the action! The open fire hearth used to roasted vegetables and cook meats is breathtaking. The team working the line on a busy night makes it look so easy! And the food that comes off the line is nothing short of incredible. The dishes may look simple but the flavors are nothing short of mind blowing! The desserts are unbelievably delicious and such a lovely departure from the usual suspects at most restaurants. The cocktails are also creative and fantastic! Chef Johnny & his team are making some of the best food in KC. *also the best cornbread ever*
Beautiful space, amazing food, and great service! We have been to The Town Company for dinner a few times now. Every time we go dinner is perfect. I can’t nitpick to find a complaint or criticism. We have sat everywhere in the restaurant and had a unique experience at each. Which is surprising for such a small dining room. The tables in the bar area & dining room allow for conversations and catching up. The tables tucked away make for a more intimate evening. The Chef’s Counter is such a fun experience- front row seats to watch the action! The open fire hearth used to roasted vegetables and cook meats is breathtaking. The team working the line on a busy night makes it look so easy! And the food that comes off the line is nothing short of incredible. The dishes may look simple but the flavors are nothing short of mind blowing! The desserts are unbelievably delicious and such a lovely departure from the usual suspects at most restaurants. The cocktails are also creative and fantastic! Chef Johnny & his team are making some of the best food in KC. *also the best cornbread ever*
Took our son and daughter-in-law here after a recommendation. We found that there was a lot of hype with average food for the prices charged. We have sampled fine dining around the world and wouldn't say this is the best. The service was good but for prices charged for small plates - $12 for what was a glorified bread roll it was expensive. We dined at another fine dining restaurant also whilst in Kansas City which was much better.