Extra VIRGIN!

[ulterior epicure]

This just in:

It's Official! "EXTRA VIRGIN!" is Underway!

We've started construction on Michael Smith's next culinary adventure, EXTRA VIRGIN!!

We know you all have been anticipating Michael Smith's Tapas restaurant and we have too! We plan to open just in time for summer and patio relaxation and libation. Our patio will be perfect for enjoying Chef Michael's creations straight from the wood fired pizza oven and antique charcuterie slicer, or for sipping his signature, fresh-squeezed cocktails and enjoying the summer air.

We're building the beautiful new Crossroads hotspot now!

EXTRA VIRGIN!! will have a hip downtown vibe with Mediterranean small plates from Chef Michael. The restaurant will also offer a wine room with award-winning selections that can be used for an intimate dinner, celebration, wine tasting or business meeting for up to eight people. Our new mezzanine-level private dining room will accommodate up to forty of your closest friends, family or co-workers and is a perfect space for business meetings and presentations.

EXTRA VIRGIN!! is expected to open in early June....

[newbie21]

This just in:

It's Official! "EXTRA VIRGIN!" is Underway!

We've started construction on Michael Smith's next culinary adventure, EXTRA VIRGIN!!

We know you all have been anticipating Michael Smith's Tapas restaurant and we have too! We plan to open just in time for summer and patio relaxation and libation. Our patio will be perfect for enjoying Chef Michael's creations straight from the wood fired pizza oven and antique charcuterie slicer, or for sipping his signature, fresh-squeezed cocktails and enjoying the summer air.

We're building the beautiful new Crossroads hotspot now!

EXTRA VIRGIN!! will have a hip downtown vibe with Mediterranean small plates from Chef Michael. The restaurant will also offer a wine room with award-winning selections that can be used for an intimate dinner, celebration, wine tasting or business meeting for up to eight people. Our new mezzanine-level private dining room will accommodate up to forty of your closest friends, family or co-workers and is a perfect space for business meetings and presentations.

EXTRA VIRGIN!! is expected to open in early June....

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Where?

[ulterior epicure]

Next door to Michael Smith's, in downtown Kansas City. It will occupy the former Blue Gallery space.

[newbie21]

Next door to Michael Smith's, in downtown Kansas City.  It will occupy the former Blue Gallery space.

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Sounds good...I was hoping for Chicago. Best of luck!

[kendix]

Damn.

I liked that gallery.

It's crazy how fast the restaurants are going up around here.

[ulterior epicure]

Damn.

I liked that gallery.

It's crazy how fast the restaurants are going up around here.

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Don't worry, Blue Gallery is still alive and well - just a block to the West and on the north side of the street.

Edited March 19, 2008 by ulterior epicure (log)

[moosnsqrl]

I received this yesterday:

It's Official! "EXTRA VIRGIN!" is Almost Ready!

Construction is almost completed on Michael Smith's next culinary adventure, EXTRA VIRGIN!!

We anticipate opening EXTRA VIRGIN!! around the second week in September!

We're putting the finishing touches on the beautiful new Crossroads hotspot now!

EXTRA VIRGIN!! will have a hip downtown vibe with Mediterranean small plates from Chef Michael. The space will feature a well-provisioned private dining facility for 30-35 guests with a 50 inch flat-panel display and full AV support. A private wine cellar will seat up to 8, and there will be a communal table for 12. The Sidewalk cafe will seat up to 50 for elegant in-town, outdoor dining.

EXTRA VIRGIN!! is throwing a block party on October 5th

Our opening party will feature 3 different bands, Street performers, street games, a pig roast, fresh Italian Ice drinks AND all you can eat and drink. You must be 21 to enter, and have a valid ID. The $40 entry fee will go to charity (Turning Point).

We are accepting reservations for our private party rooms beginning October 1st, 2008.

Restaurant Michael Smith is currently open to rave reviews, and serves dinner on Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm to 10pm, and lunch, Tuesday through Friday, from 11:30 am through 2pm, you can feel free to walk in, or call 816-842-2202 for reservations.

[ulterior epicure]

I received this yesterday:

It's Official! "EXTRA VIRGIN!" is Almost Ready!

Reassuring words. I point you to the date and first quoted line of this thread's opening post.

[moosnsqrl]

I received this yesterday:

It's Official! "EXTRA VIRGIN!" is Almost Ready!

Reassuring words. I point you to the date and first quoted line of this thread's opening post.

←

Tell me about it - I had to go back 5 pages to find the thread! I was ready to give up and put in on the generic "openings" when I finally unearthed it.

I wish him luck - challenging time to be opening a new restaurant as witnessed by the spate of closings.

[ulterior epicure]

I'm very excited about Extra VIRGIN! At least it promises to be better than that *other* "tapas" place in town.

[JWest]

Food was fantastic....

Crispy Pig Ear Salad- Tons of thinly sliced and perfectly crisped pigs ear tossed with arugula, frisee, shaved radish, and a vinaigrette that I can't remember - I couldn't hear the bartender very well.

but this dish was delicious.

Braised Beef Tripe- This was the most tender beef tripe I've ever had. It was sliced very thin and looked like it was baked in the ceramic dish with a tomato based sauce and cheese on top.

Pork Cheek- Cooked perfectly, seasoned perfectly. Fork Tender served with white beans.

Grilled Oyster Mushrooms- Again, another very well balanced dish.. the acid in the vinaigrette/lemon really did it here.

Grilled Baby Octopus- I really felt that all these dishes just had the perfect amount of acid to balance things out, the grilled octopus itself was addicting, I wanted to eat this all day with the warm fingerling potatoes and roasted red peppers.

A really outstanding meal for my girlfriend and I... we really enjoyed the atmosphere because of the energy, the warmth, and the vibrant colors. We decided to stay seated at the bar and we had a great view of the open kitchen.. which has this beautiful marble counter in the middle of it. Another great part, the prices are very reasonable... I don't think we ordered anything over $12.

[joiei]

Food was fantastic....

Crispy Pig Ear Salad- Tons of thinly sliced and perfectly crisped pigs ear tossed with arugula, frisee, shaved radish, and a vinaigrette that I can't remember - I couldn't hear the bartender very well.

but this dish was delicious.

Braised Beef Tripe- This was the most tender beef tripe I've ever had. It was sliced very thin and looked like it was baked in the ceramic dish with a tomato based sauce and cheese on top.

Pork Cheek- Cooked perfectly, seasoned perfectly. Fork Tender served with white beans.

Grilled Oyster Mushrooms- Again, another very well balanced dish.. the acid in the vinaigrette/lemon really did it here.

Grilled Baby Octopus- I really felt that all these dishes just had the perfect amount of acid to balance things out, the grilled octopus itself was addicting, I wanted to eat this all day with the warm fingerling potatoes and roasted red peppers.

A really outstanding meal for my girlfriend and I... we really enjoyed the atmosphere because of the energy, the warmth, and the vibrant colors. We decided to stay seated at the bar and we had a great view of the open kitchen.. which has this beautiful marble counter in the middle of it. Another great part, the prices are very reasonable... I don't think we ordered anything over $12.

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sounds like a good enough reason to justify a trip up after the holidays.

[moosnsqrl]

I finally couldn't stand the suspense any longer so I stopped in for a glass of wine Friday. I didn't have time (or appetite) to eat but observed the open kitchen and other diner's fare. The marrow bones looked yummy, juding from the looks on the faces of those enjoying them. Cannot wait to check out the baby octopi.

[Zeemanb]

I haven't been this excited to try a new restaurant in KC since......I don't remember when. I'll be back in town after January 6th, so if anyone is planning a trip, count me in. Big time.

[moosnsqrl]

I haven't been this excited to try a new restaurant in KC since......I don't remember when.  I'll be back in town after January 6th, so if anyone is planning a trip, count me in. Big time.

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So, is everyone else available January 5? Aaron, chilihead, Dividend, Mamagotcha? jgm, joiei, are you coming up?

[maftoul]

We had a wonderful time at Extra Virgin Tuesday night (Dec. 23)

Not in accurate order, four of us had:

Baby goat with apples

Beef tongue

Grilled baby octopus

Pork cheeks

Pig ears

Hanger steak

Chicken thighs stuffed with figs

Warm eggplant salad

Stuffed escarole

Carrots and parsnips

Nearly everything was terrific. The carrots and parsnips with sumac was not so great. That dish needs some work. It was pretty mediocre. All of the meats were wonderful. Succulent, well seasoned and flavorful. The grilled baby octopus was excellent! We all thought that some morsels of bread would have been great to eat with the delicious sauces and juices that each dish contained. One of our party has spent considerable time in Spain and said you do get bread with tapas in Spain for just that reason. None was provided at Extra Virgin.

Another minor quibble was our server questioning our every choice, asking us if we were sure we knew what escarole was, among other questions to see if we knew what we were actually ordering. Well, we knew what we were ordering, thanks for the offer to explain, but don't assume we don't know what escarole is, and goat and pork cheeks. Other than those few minor issues, Extra Virgin was great. We will certainly return.

[joiei]

I haven't been this excited to try a new restaurant in KC since......I don't remember when.  I'll be back in town after January 6th, so if anyone is planning a trip, count me in. Big time.

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So, is everyone else available January 5? Aaron, chilihead, Dividend, Mamagotcha? jgm, joiei, are you coming up?

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Thinking about it, seriously. Just get all the snow and ice melted before then.

[moosnsqrl]

I haven't been this excited to try a new restaurant in KC since......I don't remember when.  I'll be back in town after January 6th, so if anyone is planning a trip, count me in. Big time.

←

So, is everyone else available January 5? Aaron, chilihead, Dividend, Mamagotcha? jgm, joiei, are you coming up?

←

Thinking about it, seriously. Just get all the snow and ice melted before then.

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You wish is my command - it's gone!

[dividend]

I haven't been this excited to try a new restaurant in KC since......I don't remember when.  I'll be back in town after January 6th, so if anyone is planning a trip, count me in. Big time.

←

So, is everyone else available January 5? Aaron, chilihead, Dividend, Mamagotcha? jgm, joiei, are you coming up?

←

Thinking about it, seriously. Just get all the snow and ice melted before then.

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It's like 75 degrees today! No excuses!

When do we eat?

[moosnsqrl]

I haven't been this excited to try a new restaurant in KC since......I don't remember when.  I'll be back in town after January 6th, so if anyone is planning a trip, count me in. Big time.

←

So, is everyone else available January 5? Aaron, chilihead, Dividend, Mamagotcha? jgm, joiei, are you coming up?

←

Thinking about it, seriously. Just get all the snow and ice melted before then.

←

It's like 75 degrees today! No excuses!

When do we eat?

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Well, either before January 6 or we have to wait until Z's next trip to Richmond. I'm fairly certain we're going on the 30th with some out-of-town company (including Osnav if any remembers him - he's too busy working on his Martha Stewart impersonation to post these days). If anyone else is interested please PM/email me.

[Zeemanb]

I haven't been this excited to try a new restaurant in KC since......I don't remember when.  I'll be back in town after January 6th, so if anyone is planning a trip, count me in. Big time.

←

So, is everyone else available January 5? Aaron, chilihead, Dividend, Mamagotcha? jgm, joiei, are you coming up?

←

Thinking about it, seriously. Just get all the snow and ice melted before then.

←

It's like 75 degrees today! No excuses!

When do we eat?

←

Well, either before January 6 or we have to wait until Z's next trip to Richmond. I'm fairly certain we're going on the 30th with some out-of-town company (including Osnav if any remembers him - he's too busy working on his Martha Stewart impersonation to post these days). If anyone else is interested please PM/email me.

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You're hilarious..... I'll chuckle about this tonight at Central here in DC when I'm eating Michel Richard's cassoulet. Have fun playing hostess over the New Year holiday, I'm sure everyone will enjoy your world famous Velveeta and Rotel dip!

[mamagotcha]

Well, pooh. I'll be in Northern California for most of January. Enjoy, and I'm looking forward to hearing about your visit!

[chileheadmike]

I'm game, I'm OK with ditching Zman anytime we can get away with it. He's juvenile you know.

[Aaron Deacon]

I'm game, I'm OK with ditching Zman anytime we can get away with it. He's juvenile you know.

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I'm certainly up for a visit.

[moosnsqrl]

We tried eight items on Tuesday evening (amongst 4 diners):

charcuterie sampler (speck, wild boar, prosciutto, culatello)

hommos

boquerones

octopus

polenta

sweetbread ravioli

fig-stuffed chicken thighs

EV chips

There wasn't a clunker in the lot. I will say the octopus disappointed me a bit - perhaps because I had anticipated it out of all reasonable proportion - but I will give it another try now that I know what to expect. It was just different than I had envisioned.

My surprise favorite was the polenta with soft yokes and fontina. It was a really blustery night and this may have redefined comfort food for me. Simple yet elegant and very satisfying.

I rarely order hommos at a restaurant because it's so easily made at home but this version made me realize I had gotten lazy in my execution. It's texture and balance of flavors, plus the nicely grilled crusty bread it is served with is wonderful. The diner seated next to me at the bar (not in our party but if you're reading this you probably know that's irrelevant) also ordered this and was appalled that he was charged for the extra bread he requested to finish his, so be judicious in your ratio of dip to bread or pay the price).

The charcuterie sampler was good but, from a value perspective, I will return to bluestem if that's what I have a yen for (pun intended).

I deferred to the sweetbread hounds in the group and tried only the outer ring of the pasta. I liked the toothsomeness and thickness of it and the sauce was good, if unremarkable. I assume it was all about the sweetbreads based on the others' gutteral moans.

I'm not sure I'm the target audience for the chicken thigh dish. The others raved about it but the only way I tend to enjoy figs are fresh and unadulterated so I'm going to recuse myself on that one.

We had a nice St. Emilion ($56) that was far better than the malbec I had on my previous, brief visit. Definitely worth the difference to do the food justice.

All in all, a fine addition to the burgeoning food scene in KC. Let's hope the economy can be righted in time to keep the worthies afloat. And remember to vote with your dollars and support the local treasures.