KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This time on Chew Diligence, James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Smith of Farina joins co-host Jill Silva in the podcast studio to talk about his newest venture.
One of the pioneers of the Crossroads Arts District, Smith will open Farina, an Italian restaurant and oyster bar, at 1901 Baltimore on Feb. 5.
It’s Smith’s latest concept and promises not to disappoint, featuring an oyster bar looking out on 19th Street and an open dining room, all beautifully lit with natural light from huge windows.
In terms of the menu, Smith plans to serve a foundation of what he calls “The Four Kings” of pasta — four Italian dishes customers are likely to be familiar with, such as cacio e pepe and bolognese.
Smith will also create more unique dishes, such as a caviar beggar’s purse served on a candelabra stick, and pastas “atipicas,” all of which will feature fresh, handmade pasta.
And if you feel intimidated by fancy Italian restaurants and the sometimes hard-to-pronounce names of dishes — don’t worry. Smith said they’ve made conscious design decisions to create a welcoming space for everyone. Servers will even carry cards with hand-sketched images of different types of pasta so you know exactly what you’re getting.
More details in this latest episode of Chew Diligence.
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