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Weekend Possibilities | KC Restaurant Week, TED Talks, and Chiefs Watch Parties Feed Your Belly, Your Mind and Your Liver

A caramelized onion tart sits on a platter. Jax Fish House Caramelized Onion Tart (Courtesy | Anna Petrow Photography)
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3 minute read

There’s a little bit of everything on deck for January’s second weekend, and it starts with the launch of Restaurant Week. While foodies freak over 220 featured menus and football fans wait for Sunday’s postseason party, there’s still plenty for Saturday, like a concert to combat gun violence or an afternoon of TED talks. 

Friday, Jan. 10

Jan. 10 – 19 Friday marks the start of KC Restaurant Week — 10 days of dining across the metro for a good cause. There should be plenty of opportunities to stop by a regular spot or try something new, as a record 220 restaurants roll out special multiple-course lunch and/or dinner menus at $15 or $35 price points. Ten percent of sales from each Restaurant Week menu will be donated to local nonprofit organizations, The Don Bosco Centers, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and the Visit KC Foundation. Be sure to check online for a complete list of participating restaurants. 

Kansas City’s underground nightlife scene is growing. Owners of Westport Ale House and The Fall rang in the new year with The Scarlet Room, a new speakeasy-style joint blossoming below the Country Club Plaza. The underground vibrant club serves craft cocktails and offers VIP bottle service under technicolor light. The space is located beneath Parkway Social Kitchen, 616 Ward Parkway. Reservations for VIP tables and bottles is recommended.

Saturday, Jan. 11

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Children ages 3 to 8 are welcome to drop by any one of three Little Acorns sessions at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave. Little ones will join volunteer naturalists to read about what flourishes in forests, stream systems and other corners of the natural world. A related hands-on activity will follow the lesson. The event is free. 

1 – 5 p.m. Tickets are still available for TEDxUMKC’s 2020 Vision – Empowering the Future with Ideas from the Present. The event, held at the National World War I Memorial and Museum, 2 Memorial Drive, welcomes seven guest speakers who offer an array of expertise and experience on innovation in multiple industries. Tickets are $24 for the general public and $12 for students. 

The TEDxUMKC empty stage.
TEDxUMKC will bring seven guest speakers to Saturday’s stage. (Courtesy | TEDxUMKC)

3 – 5 p.m. Local foodies are coming together Saturday afternoon at the Don Bosco Senior Center, 580 Campbell St., for a screening and discussion previewing season two of PBS’s “No Passport Required”. Attendees will get a sneak peak at select scenes of the docuseries, which explores other cultures through the cuisine of America’s thriving immigrant communities, followed by a discussion with local chefs. The discussion will be moderated by Danielle Lehman of the Open Belly podcast. The event is free. However, registration is required.

7 – 10 p.m. Help combat gun violence in Kansas City and get your ticket to Put Down the Guns & Pick Up the Mic at The Truman, 601 E. Truman Road. The concert competition will feature a handful of local rappers battling for the top spot and it’s all for a good cause. Put Down the Guns & Pick up the Mic aims to establish ongoing programs and events that cater to the talents of at-risk and high-risk groups by engaging them in creative opportunities. The event is all ages. Tickets are $24.

Sunday, Jan. 12

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Brick House, 400 E. 31st St., is rolling out the deals for Sunday’s divisional round matchup between the Chiefs and Texans. The Martini Corner staple is offering $1 off all drafts, $3 wells and $5 ‘Mahomes Bombs’ during the game. Want to make this an all-day thing? Order from the brunch menu from 10 a.m. to noon for bottomless mimosas and other drink specials. As for food, try the Brick House Sandwich. It’s fried chicken, bacon and egg between biscuit buns, topped with gravy. 

1:30 p.m. Whether you’re too nervous to tune in or frankly don’t give a flip about football, consider the Kansas City Public Library’s Searching Psych Through Cinema series Sunday afternoon.The Plaza branch, 4801 Main St., installment will take a closer look at “Wild”, an adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” starring Reese Witherspoon. There will be a screening of the 115-minute flick, followed by a discussion led by psychoanalytic candidate Lori Hoodenpyle, film critic Beck Ireland and Library Director of Readers’ Services Kaite Stover. The event is free.

2 – 5 p.m. If you are looking for a low-key spot to watch the big game, Casual Animal Brewing Co.’s Casual Chiefs Watch Party might be the best option. The Crossroads micro brewery at 1725 McGee St. will have the game on and is offering $1 swifty pours for each Kansas City touchdown. Need a little red to wear? Tall Tale Vintage will be there with old school Chiefs gear for sale. Don’t forget Casual Animal’s bring-your-own-snacks rule! 

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