Wednesday, April 19, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
The Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo., features some of the city's well-known fountains. This fountain depicts part of the area's Western influence. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Country Club Plaza offers a paradise for tourists
Two giant shuttlecocks are exhibited outside of the Nelson-Aktins Museum of Art, a few blocks from the Plaza. The museum features a variety of exhibits, including Egyptian and Asian art.
Photo by Nick Krug / KANSAN
The Plaza is modeled after Seville, Spain, has fountains and green spaces in addition to popular shops and restaurants. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Bv Leah Shaffer
Kansan correspondent
Tourists have a lot to explore at Kansas City's Country Club Plaza. Running along 47th Street and Ward Parkway, the Plaza which was modeled after Seville, Spain, warrants a walking tour. Amid the stretch of tile-debeded restaurants and tower-topped retail stores is an impressive outdoor museum of romantic Spanish architecture. There are 43 pieces of art to find throughout the Plaza. The sculptures range from a stern-looking Greek God Bacchus to a bronze monkey and organ grinder.
The walking tour is one of the few cheap ways to enjoy the Plaza. For an even better art experience, try the Nelson-Atkins Museum Museum of Art, 4525 Oak St. The museum, which is located a few blocks east of the Plaza is one of the top general art museums in the nation. The museum is hard to miss, being situated within another sculpture park that includes 13 massive works by Henry Moore and a couple of giant-sized shuttlecocks Claes Oldenburg. The museum is featuring "Echoes of Eternity: The Egyptian Mummy and the Afterlife" as well as "American Photography: Recent Additions to the Hallmark Photographic Collection." It charges $2 for students on the weekdays and is free on Saturdays.
For an opulent meal to finish off an art-filled afternoon, the Plaza boasts more than 30 restaurants that range from your basic stewhouse to the more exotic and the less than opulent (there is even McDonald's).
From the outside, the Cheesecake Factory, 4701 Wyandt, resembles a sultan's palace topped off with a majestic tower and an expansive fountain in the front patio area. On the inside, there is an elegant staircase leading to the upstairs dining area. Also, there is lots of cheesecake, which the restaurant is famous for. But the Cajun Jumalaya Pasta and the Chicken Medeira rather than the rich dessert are the restaurant's most popular items, said assistant general manager Scott Umscheid.
When deciding to eat at The Cheesecake Factory, be aware of prices and long lines. Umscheid said the wait could get as long as two hours on the weekends.
Japengo, A Pacific cafe, 600 Ward Parkway, offers cuisine of the Pacific Rim, so, be prepared for hot Tai and Cantonese dishes among other exotic
"We are the busiest restaurant in town." he said.
choices.
"The most popular item we have is a lemon glaze crusted salmon, and, we also have one of the best patios on the Plaza," said manager Ricardo Barraza.
The large patio, which is surrounded by torches, is great for any couple bored with the tame idea of just a dinner by candlight.
Other restaurants to dip into are KC Masterpiece Barbecue and Grill, 4747 Wyandott, for some great ribs, Pizzaria Uno, 4710 Jefferson St., for excellent deep dish pizzas.
Lastly, the main purpose of the Plaza is the shopping. Some of the specialty stores include Three Dog Bakery, which offers gourmet baked goods for dogs; The Barbie Store within F-A-O Schwarz, which has so much pink, your eyes will go into shock; The Great Train Store, and the Discovery Channel Store. Also, within the Plaza is every Gap as
well as other popular retail shops. Some old favorites also are stationed in the Plaza: Abercrombie and Fitch, Banana Republic, Bath and Body Works and a monstrous Barnes and Noble.
KC Masterpiece Barbecue and Grill, 4747 Wyandott, is one of several locally-owned barbecue restaurants in Kansas City. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
One of the main faults of the Plaza is that it is as much a corporate shopping
district as anything else. With all the mega-chains there is little room for the smaller, independent, funkier stores. Beyond that, however, the Plaza is worth the trip and trouble since it is beautifully designed and pleasant as a pricey treat.
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