November 21, 2025

Kansas City, MO

Good morning. Today is mostly a rest and relax day. Nothing scheduled, well almost. Due to the time change both of us slept in more than usual. I managed to make it until nearly 07:00; Mary didn’t have any problem sleeping until I woke her up at 10:15, which without the time change would be 08:15 her normal wake-up time.

We picked up a Moka pot, milk frother and coffee while at Rochelle and Harry IV’s yesterday so I was able to make my coffee this morning. Unfortunately, the coffee is a little old, it is from last time I was here and tasted just a bit out-of-sort. Drinkable nevertheless and still better than you can buy anywhere. I also make myself and english muffin and jam for breakfast.

Just after Mary woke-up and started her coffee I headed out to Diebel’s Sportmans Gallery for a cigar. It is only a fifteen-minute walk, little less than a kilometer (0.6 miles). It had rained all night, and it was only about 10C (50F) outside. It was even drizzling a little as I walked. I did cross Main Street and noted they had finished the streetcar line from the University all the way to the Riverfront. It looked very nice. It is also free. We could actually take it from nearby the apartment to the end of the line near Whole Foods and walk up the hill to Rochelle and Harry IV’s house. We need to try that.

I had a cigar at Diebel’s and finished up just before noon. Then I took an Uber to Rochelle and IV’s house. My job was to let the dogs out and wait for a wine shipment which needed a person over 21 to sign for. After I got there, I brought the trash receptacles in from the street, tried to let the dogs out, they weren’t interested, and then sat and watched TV while waiting for the wine.

The wine showed up a little after 12:30, followed by Mary in an Uber from the apartment. Then we used IV’s new Land Rover Defender and drove out to Mission Kansas to a shop that replaces watch batteries so Mary could replace the batteries in her holiday watches. Yes, one for Thanksgiving and several for Christmas. On the way back to the house we stopped at Winstead’s Steakburgers, near the apartment, and had a burger for lunch. Nothing special, just quick and inexpensive. Breakfast on the menu looked interesting however.

We took the car back to the house and waited for Grace to arrive. This time the dogs were interested in going out. Grace arrived about 14:00, we talked a bit, then Grace’s friend Kiki arrived, and we were back to just us and the dogs. We took an Uber back to the apartment. It has just gone 15:00 so I went down for my nap.

I woke up just after it had gone 17:00, so now it was time to get ready for going out to dinner. We are having dinner the Grace and George at the Capitol Grille on the Plaza at 19:15. We fussed around a bit, showered and got dressed. Just about 18:50 we left and walked to the restaurant. It was actually a very nice night, a little cool but it wasn’t raining. Humidity was high which probably made it feel colder than it really was. It is only about 500 meters to the CapitalGrille, it is actually on the way to the cigar shop.

No big fan of the Capital Grille, much prefer Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, so we haven’t been in a while. The Capital Grille places a premium on fancy and formal. Which is all right if the circumstances dictate that atmosphere. A restaurant should concentrate on the food. Therefore, it was surprising tonight, the food was excellent.

Grace and Mary started with a shrimp cocktail. George has the lobster and crab meat cake with lemon basil aioli. I chose the lobster bisque. The shrimp were fresh and presented on a bed of ice with a very tangy cocktail sauce. Fresh shrimp is probably a misnomer; no shrimp are fresh. They are usually frozen immediately after being harvested. Fresh in this case means they were firm and meaty. They way they should be presented.

George devoured the lobster and carb cake with gusto. Not sure if it was that it was so good or that he was just very hungry. He did seem to enjoy them. The lobster bisque had a nice piece of lobster claw meat, but it seemed a bit thick. Lobster bisque should be creamy, like whipping cream, not thick like semi-melted ice cream. The flavor was good, however.

As the main course, Grace had the seared tenderloin with butter poached lobster tails. Not something you get often as a college student. Mary chose the sliced filet mignon with cipollini onions shiitake, porcini and cremini mushrooms finished with a fifteen-year aged fig infused balsamic reduction. She reported her’s was excellent.

George chose the Kona coffee crusted dry aged Kansas City strip with shallot butter. I chose the dry aged Kansas City strip as poivre with courvoisier cream. They were all very good and properly prepared. Although some small portion of Grace’s, George’s and my steaks went home to the dogs.

After dinner we returned to the house where I had my after-dinner cigar. The young adults went out with their friends, and we took an Uber back to the apartment. It was definitely bedtime when we got back.

Buonanotte e ciao,

Enrico & Maria