September 7 2026

Monday – Happy Labor Day USA

Kansas City, Missouri

Slept well. Took the streetcar for the morning ride down to Messenger’s Coffee for the morning cappuccino and brioche. This morning scored a variety of pastries for the KC crew and delivered them to the house. Grace leaves this morning to go back to Old Miss. Took an Uber back to the AirB&B to deliver Maria her blueberry muffin and make her coffee.

Harry & Rochelle drove us back out to Scheels to exchange my shorts. It isn’t a really long ride, 12 miles, but there is simply no direct route, and it takes about thirty to forty minutes to get there. The exchange was really too simple. Walked up to the customer service counter, explained that I used the size ring on the hanger and didn’t look at the actual shorts for size, and thus I ended up with the wrong size. The young man simply asked what I wanted to do. I said you keep these I’ll go get the right size and come back. He said ok, and I did. When I returned he scanned the receipt, the first shorts and the second shorts, and it was all done. Took more time to get here than accomplish the exchange. That is great customer service.

After visiting Scheels, it was getting to be time for lunch. We drove back to the plaza to meet George & Oliver for lunch. I suggested we go to Bo Lings on the plaza, everyone seemed on board with that. Bo Lings is a Chinese restaurant much like Chef Chu’s although, as we know, nothing really compares to Chef Chu’s.

We ordered by quite a feast. More food than the six of us could possibly eat. That is ok because that leaves leftovers for the boys; and they appreciate that. So, what is it that we ordered?

A cup of Chicken Wonton Soup for Rochelle

A Cap of Hot & Sour Soup for Mary & I

An Order of Chicken Lettuce Wrap (Chicken in a sweet hoisin-chili sauce with fresh lettuce and crispy rice noodles for the table.)

Three orders of Steamed BBQ Pork Buns (There are only two pieces in one order. This is an iconic din sum dish featuring a fluffy doughy wrapped around a savory-sweet BBQ pork filling. The filling here may be better then Chef Chu’s, but the bun leaves a lot to be desired. The hoisin sauce is too runny here.)

Two orders of pan-fried pork dumplings. (Chef Chu’s oh so much better!)

An order of Gong Bao Beef. (This is a dish that simply looked like it was worth trying.  Sliced beef stir-fried with peanuts and green beans in a spicy soy, ginger and garlic sauce. Yes, it was good.)

An order of Sweet and Sour Chicken. (Not bad, the chicken in batter-fried and nice and crispy. It was tossed with a sweet and sour sauce, but it was a little light on the sauce. There were pineapple pieces, which Mary went after, green bell peppers and onion.)

An order of Mongolian Beef. (A request from George. Not very exciting)

An order of BBQ Pork fried rice and, of course, some white rice.

So, like I wrote, enough food for a couple of days, even with two teenage boys. After lunch I walked down to Diebel’s to have a cigar, only find out that they were closed on Labor Day. The easiest thing to do was simply continue the walk back to the AirB&B. Harry & Rochelle dropped Mary off at the AirB&B.

We started a game of cards. Managed to get one hand of the game completed when Harry & Rochelle came by to see the AirB&B. I walked back to their house with them. They have found that simply walking down Oak Street, which runs perpendicular to Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd, and right next to the apartment building, that it is easier and fewer busy intersections to cross than walking down Main Street.

Back at their house I had a cigar outside. It is really too hot to enjoy a cigar outside, but I did it anyway. The boys had a short practice and returned to the house about 17:00. The plan was to have dinner at Capital Grille at 18:30. Saturday and Sunday I just nearly hit 6,000 sets each day. Which I will blame on the heat.

Not wanting another disappointing day of steps, I decided to walk down to the Capital Grille on the Plaza. When we were there for lunch the other day, we noticed that they were having a special at dinner called Wagyu and Wine. A wagyu burger paired with a glass of wine for $35. Apparently, Labor Day is the kick-off day for the event.

We all met up by 18:30. The ladies ordered drinks, and the boys ordered Shirley Temples. It seemed to take forever to get our order taken. The boys had their Shirley Temples replaced three or four times.

It was past 19:30 before dinner was served. I had a Wagyu filet mignon. I skipped the appetizers. Oliver got oysters and and salad. George got a crab cake. George’s crab cake was finished by the time Oliver’s oysters arrive. Oliver had finished the oysters, and we waited for them to bring him his salad. Finally, it arrived.

The table behind us was seated just about the same time Oliver’s salad arrived. We waited. They had served Harry, Rochelle and Nonna their glass of wine even before the crab cake arrived. The object being to pair the wine with the burger. The table behind us were served their dinner just about the same time ours arrived.

My steak was good, not great but good. George like his steak as did Oliver. The other had each chosen the Wagyu burger. Each had chosen it with different toppings. First off, they all looked exactly the same. Mary’s was supposed to have onions, it didn’t. The other two were also missed accompaniments. And to top that off they were cold, as were the fries they were served with.

The waitress listening to they complaints went and got the manager. He offered to make it right, but as Harry pointed out, we had been there and hour and a half already. How long was it going to take to correct it?     

He did his best to correct everything. The boys left and I went with them. The others were still waiting on a solution. I went back to the house with the boys. Went outside and had a cigar while I waited for the others to return. The Capital Grille comped the three burger and through in desserts to take home.

It was a disappointing night at the Capital Grille. Harry & Rochelle had been talking about it and suggesting it sounded like a good thing to trying with their friends. Maybe it will be. If the Capital Grille can get past the first night jitters.

Buonanotte and Ciao,

Enrico and Maria