City: Kansas City, MO

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (816) 221-4713

Address: 1644 Wyandotte (Downtown/Crossroads)

Description: In this beautifully renovated schoolhouse-turned-antiques shop, it’s the dining rooms that go to the head of the class. This is a popular place for the ladies who lunch, folks who work downtown, and shoppers who have discovered the nearby stores in the Crossroads Arts District. Handsome chef Charles D’Ablaing keeps the mix fresh with a menu that changes daily, but with any luck the lunch list will offer the goat cheese soufflé—a tender mound of baked cheese served with greens and sliced fruits of the season. It’s a lovely way to spend an afternoon before searching the rooms for stunning 18th- and 19th-century European and American antiques and unique giftware. The chef shines as well in the evening, where a recent menu listed lemon verbena–braised chicken with green tomato fritters. Perhaps because the private rooms are popular for special events and wedding receptions, one of the most popular desserts is wedding cake with a delectable buttercream frosting. We’ll say “I do” every time. Webster House has also become the place to gather with friends over wine and appetizers before heading out to the monthly First Friday gallery walk in the Crossroads Arts District.