KANSAS CITY, Mo. – There's a lot more to Kansas City than just barbecue - when it comes to good eats. A metro restaurant is grabbing critical acclaim around the country for their upscale cuisine.
They say it’s not just a business, it’s their other home. In fact,
bluestem in Westport is almost like three homes under one roof. There's the bar - with some great martinis. There's the lounge - with drinks and small plates. And there's the restaurant.
“There's a lot of honesty to what we do,” says Executive Chef Colby Garrelts. “Which I think really shines through in the food. Everything is handmade, made from scratch, and I really think people can notice that when they come and eat here.”
Colby and Megan Garrelts opened bluestem five years ago. They met as chefs in Chicago. They followed one another to restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, before they married and opened their own place in Colby's hometown.
“I do most of the pastry,” Executive Pastry Chef Megan Garrelts explains. “Colby does the savory end of it. Colby's Mr. Fix-It. I do the bookkeeping. So we have out divided areas of the restaurant.”
In creating bluestem, a name they picked because of region's native prairie grass, they wanted a place to share their passion of good food and good times.
“We have really high standards and I say this a lot - but I think we kind of cook the food that we want to eat at the level that we want to eat and the quality that we want to eat,” said Colby.
Megan adds: “I think what keeps them coming back is our menu changes all the time. We keep it very fresh and interesting.”
Bluestem offers 3, 5, 7 and 12 course menus, with the option of a wine pairing to go with each course.
“So if someone comes in and orders a 5 course menu, which is probably our most popular dinner,” Colby says. “They pick 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, being one fish course and one meat course, and then dessert.”
