Hotel Kansas City Events and Hospitality: Gorgeous Event Spaces & Customized Menus
Perfected custom gourmet menus aren’t a result of an epicurean menu alone. And, the chefs at the Hotel Kansas City know gourmet, high-end event menus. Instead, it takes what I call the trifecta of events and hospitality. It requires gorgeous event spaces, beautifully constructed cuisine and, most importantly, incredible-tasting food.
From the servers to the event managers to the chefs, everyone at Hotel Kansas City understands that consistently delicious and memorable events are what makes a successful guest experience. Events at Hotel Kansas City inside the former historical Kansas City Club in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, cover the gamut. Weddings, corporate events, reunions, parties, galas and so much more schedule at Hotel Kansas City for its unique and outstanding event spaces, exceptionally beautiful and creative cuisine and unbelievably delicious food that they know will stand out to their guests.
Executive chef of events Donald Cobb, originally from Vermont, focuses his curated event menus on locally sourced, sustainable quality food and even customizes each menu. Chef Cobb, who arrived in KC just in time for the hotel’s grand opening in fall 2020, was impressed with the attention to detail regarding the history of the more-than-100-year-old building as well as the hotel’s extraordinary culinary team. “I was able to make the catering menu my own when I arrived in town, and I always like to infuse some ingredients I know work well from the Pacific Northwest and other things from my past that have been successful, but my biggest culinary guideline is that I work to keep it simple. Guests appreciate the simplicity of quality ingredients that taste great,” he said.
Wedding Guests are asked if they want to complete a questionnaire regarding their likes and dislikes, giving the hotel chefs ideas for how to customize the menu, including dietary restrictions. “We had a wedding recently where the groom was of Lebanese descent, and the bride had an Italian background. They both liked Japanese food. We found a variety of food from their tasting that fit both of their liking and worked very well on a menu together,” Chef Cobb said.
Each menu item is developed by Chef Cobb and his team with special care. Our tasting started with the Beef Tartare made with Creekstone Farms beef tenderloin, shallots, capers, Russian dressing, cornichons, cured egg yolk and crispy potato. While on a culinary trip to Denver, Chef Cobb sampled bison tartare and wanted to make a similar bite-sized creation using beef for his menu. The result looks as good as it tastes!
Shrimp are one of my favorite foods, so I was excited to see the Mojito Prawns as an appetizer. With all of my favorite flavors in one bite, this did not disappoint. In fact, if I were planning a wedding, this would be a must have. These prawns are first marinated with rum, mint and pineapple, then grilled and topped with pineapple relish.
Salad is always one of my favorite foods, so when I heard chef describing the Spring Panzanella, I knew it was going to be delightful and a fav. It’s Farm to Market grilled sourdough bread with vegetables from local farm partners, with cucumbers, radishes, scallions, peas, carrots, spring mix of different-colored endive, arugula and fennel, topped with feta and a lemon herb buttermilk dressing. “I selected this one because it highlights our local spring vegetables. Then as summer comes along, we’ll change out the veggies, making it a versatile salad all spring and summer,” he said.
It was time for the entrées and my mouth was watering; again, seafood was headed my way. This beautiful Botanical Halibut is so light, colorful and full of flavor. The bar developed the botanical spice over the winter for a drink and it was adapted for the halibut. The dish is first plated with an Israeli succotash couscous, then the seared halibut, and finally grilled peaches are placed on top and finished with botanicals, parsley and a spiced Calabrian honey. It’s beautifully constructed, springy and delicious.
Another spring menu item that stood out was the Citrus Fennel Chicken. The chicken comes from Red Bird Farms in Colorado, where all meat is antibiotic free, cage free, hormone and steroid free. The chicken is brined overnight and pan seared. Making the house-made charred grape tomato and fennel risotto is a time-consuming, multi-step process, but so worth it! It’s finally covered with imaginative grapefruit beurre blanc. The flavors in this entree meld together, accomplishing a lively, savory and sweet main dish.
After a sampling of the beautiful and amazingly delicious food, the next decision is where to host the event inside the hotel. From historic and traditional to modern and unconventional, the versatility in the spaces provides a backdrop for a range of festivities. The meeting and event spaces are illuminated through hand-hewn walnut, carved stone, stained glass and gilded plaster, preserving their originality from the early 1900s.
Let’s start with the most dramatic, at 6,000 square feet on the hotel’s rooftop. The former Starlight Restaurant on the 15th floor has been transformed to Kansas City’s only rooftop indoor-outdoor dining space. With capacity of 35 to 275, the Starlight Ballroom’s sleek design provides breathtaking views of the Kansas City skyline.
I love the Tudor Ballroom because of the eye-catching two-story stained-glass mural. This room has a capacity of 40 to 550 and just emanates history. Follow the wood detail up to the second story balcony that overlooks the main floor for more room to dine and
entertain guests.
Hotel Kansas City features four other equally unique event spaces for small and large events. Visit hotelkc.com for photos and contact information.
Written by: Megan Neher
Journalist-turned-PR-professional Megan Neher has never forgotten her true first love: writing. Today, Megan owns her own PR firm, Megan Neher Public Relations; she’s a wife, mom, marketer, student and spends a lot of time cleaning up after her four pets and two teenagers. Her dream is to live on a tropical beach somewhere where she can stroll barefoot to a nearby grass hut for a fish taco and margarita.
