April 17, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

81º | 0% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:38 a.m. | Sunset 7:58 p.m.

🍄 Fungi foodies rejoice

Bryan Alley chopping small orange mushrooms in front of a black background.

Think you’re a picky eater? You won’t after trying what Mushroom Culture has to offer. | Photo by Carlos Lima via Mushroom Culture

Kansas City is a city of firsts: the first purpose-built women’s sports stadium, the first interactive children’s literature museum, and — provided it finds funding by Tuesday, May 7 — Mushroom Culture, the first mushroom butcher shop + deli.

We mush ask... why?

Well, there’s three big reasons:

First, despite major strides in plant-based eating within the last decade, processed replacement proteins — “hot dogs without the meat,” as founder, chef, and mushroom grower Bryan Alley told KCtoday — continually outpace more sustainable + holistic options.

Second, ‘shrooms come in all shapes and flavors — from meaty lion’s mane to syrupy candy caps — and Alley has spent the last four years experimenting with them all.

And third, mushrooms are a hardy, sustainable crop. Mushroom Culture plans to offer educational classes + grow kits to show diners how to bring the wonders of fungi home.

Why the capital of barbecue?

You might expect the first mushroom deli to pop up on one of the coasts — but with its own take on comfort classics, Mushroom Culture wants to prove that mushrooms can thrive in the heart of the Midwest.

What does KC bring to that equation? A one-of-a-kind food culture, plus a symbiotic small business scene. With fungi supplied by local grower MyCo Planet, Mushroom Culture plans to host pop-ups and collabs with local chefs from its location in Midtown.

A pitcher of syrup next to two waffles stacked with fried mushrooms and ice cream. — Mushroom Culture’s take on chicken + waffles features fried lion’s mane and candy cap ice cream.
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Photo via @kcmushroomculture + @highhopeskc

When does it open?

It’s not a sure thing. Mushroom Culture has a location (the old Blue Koi on 39th), a menu, and a plan. It also has a Mainvest campaign sitting at $65,000 of the $300,000 needed to open up shop.

Currently, Mushroom Culture is funded almost exclusively by small investors + fans of the concept. With enough support, larger investors may take notice — the same path walked by Devoured Pizza on the way to its own brick-and-mortar.

Don’t want to jump in without trying for yourself? Mushroom Culture will pop up at the Earthbeat Festival on Saturday, April 27 with its signature lion’s mane tenderloin. Stop in, and see what mushrooms can do for you.

Events

Wednesday, April 17

Mavericks vs Tulsa Oilers | Wednesday, April 17 | 7:05 p.m. | Cable Dahmer Arena, 19100 E. Valley View Pkwy., Independence, MO | $25 | Watch the Mavericks in Game One of the Mountain Division semifinals.

Thursday, April 18

Purses for Promise | Thursday, April 18 | 4:30-8:30 p.m. | The Abbott, 1901 Cherry St., KCMO | $50 | Drink wine, nosh apps, and meet new friends while browsing 100+ designer handbags at this silent auction benefiting United Way.
Waxahatchee | Thursday, April 18 | 8 p.m. | Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway Rd, KCMO | $30-$75 | The local indie country artist is kicking off her North American “Tigers Blood” tour with opener Good Morning.

Friday, April 19

Senior Prom | Friday, April 19 | 2-5 p.m. | Gregg/ Klice Community Center, 1600 John Buck O’Neil Wy., KCMO | $15 | No corsages needed at this 55+ prom promising a live DJ, refreshments, raffle prizes, and even a Prom King + Queen crowning.

Saturday, April 20

Oz Marathon | Saturday, April 20 | 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. | Garmin World Headquarters, 1200 E. 151st St., Olathe, KS | $20-$115 | Run (or walk) through the Land of Oz at the 21st anniversary of this local marathon.
Penguin March at the Zoo | Saturday, April 20 | 11-11:15 a.m. | Kansas City Zoo + Aquarium, 6800 Zoo Dr., KCMO | Catch king penguin Littlefoot on his runner-up “Peng-win Champion” victory march through Helzberg Penguin Plaza.
“Bark"-cuterie Board Workshop | Saturday, April 20 | 2-4 p.m. | Leavenworth County Humane Society, 100 W. Gilman Rd., Lansing, KS | $25 | Create your own paw-some bark-cutuerie board and support the pups at Leavenworth County Humane Society.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Ranked

Kansas City is the No. 9 best place in the US for first time homebuyers, according to Zillow. The real estate site found that 51% of for-sale homes in KC are affordable for the median household — even with rising housing prices overall since 2020. (Kansas City Star)

Legacy

Whitey Herzog, the former Royals manager who saw the ball club through their first-ever playoff appearances, died at 92 on Monday, April 15. Herzog pioneered a style of play — “Whiteyball” — that focused on speed and defense, and for which the Royals (and eventually the Cardinals) became known. (KCUR)

Festival

Hot Country Nights, an annual concert series hosted at KC Live! Block, announced its summer lineup. Running each Thursday starting on June 6 with Treaty Oak Revival + continuing through August 22 with Travis Denning, tickets go on sale this Friday, April 19 at 10 a.m. (FOX4)

Announced

Hot off their recently released joint albums, Future + Metro Boomin announced a tour date at the T-Mobile Center for Tuesday, July 30. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 19 at 10 a.m. (FOX4)

Travel

Southwest Airlines will begin running nonstop flights to San José del Cabo starting on Thursday, June 6. Whereas flights to the popular resort city currently only run once a week on Saturdays, the new schedule will add flights on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. (Kansas City Business Journal)

Open

Palacio Maya, a Mexican restaurant based in Independence, opened its first Kansas location in Lenexa (9720 Quivera Rd.). The restaurant serves up classic fare daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with locations in Gladstone and Parkville soon to follow. (Johnson County Post)

Coming Soon

Crunch Fitness plans to open its first JoCo gym in May at 11311 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. This will be the New York-based chain’s first metro location, bringing fitness classes and a “no judgment” environment to its 40,000-sqft site. (Johnson County Post)

Home

Did you know you could finance your fixer-upper with home equity? You could get up to $50K with a HELOC — calculate your payment.*

Trending

🏈 Greatest of all TIME

Mahomes entering the field on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021 — just a few hours before an iconic overtime win. | Photo via Kansas City Chiefs by Jim Berry

We already knew Patrick Mahomes was making waves in the metro — but TIME Magazine, as part of its annual TIME100 roundup of the world’s most influential people, recognized his impact globally by naming Mahomes to its 2024 list.

Number 15 is known for going back-to-back. In this case, he also made the 2023 list with a profile written by Peyton Manning. This year, he not only got a writeup from former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and a full profile — Mahomes earned a spot on the magazine’s cover, too.

Luckily, your favorite local newsletter has been following the star quarterback’s career year-round. Catch up quick with some of our highlights:

The Buy

Briton Court’s new spring collection. Enter the new season with one of these unique printed dresses.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Dayten

From the editor

At a dinner hosted at Novel this past weekend, I got to try some of the hyped fungi for myself — an incredible fried oyster mushroom salad prepared by chef Samir Yousef, and a slightly funkier reishi tea, which tasted sort of like a bookstore. (Which wasn’t that bad, actually.)

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