As I was at the first of many holiday family dinner tables last night, I found myself thinking about how nice it is to share a meal with loved ones. It truly is one of the highlights of the holiday season. I was reveling in the love reflected back across the table, and also the great love and care the food was made with. And I realized that this feeling can often be what is missing from restaurant meals, despite the company you are with. You can share the meal with people you love, but if the food isn’t prepared with love, an essential element is missing. That extra ingredient is what makes these three restaurants so special. Our friends have turned their passion and creative gifts into places where you can sit down and relax and have a meal served to you with as much love and care as those prepared at home. And when you leave you feel nourished.

Meals prepared with love

If you are not in Kansas City I encourage you to seek out this type of restaurant. You will feel it when you find it. You will know when the chef/owner sits down with you to share cell phone photos of the bread she just baked. The sparkle in her eye when you tell her how much you loved your lunch. Or the fact that he knows the name of most everyone that walks through the door. If you don’t know them yet, introduce yourself, because when you know their name, every place can feel like a small town.

Succotash website

Happy Gillis website

Eden Alley website

Buy Personal

Meet more great artists that have already been featured in my “Buy Personal” series. Subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss any of the great makers coming up!

• Erin McGrane and Jeff Freling – Music
• Audrey Heller – Photography
• Mychal Mitchell – Handcrafted Books
• Lulu Smith – Jewelry
• The Monocle – Performing Arts Group
• Pamela Summers and Raymond Rains – Ceramics and Glass
• Jacob Berkowitz – Non-Fiction
• Sage Billig – Children’ Clothing
• Chris McCarthy – Glass
• Justin Teilhet – Ceramics
• Tommy Donoho and Justin Penney – Music/Record Label
• Gregory Story – Ceramics
• Former me – photography
• David Wayne Reed – Performer/writer
• Jeweler round-up – Jewelry
• Cathy Broski – Ceramic Sculptor
• Jim Brown – Mixed Media
• Jay McDougall – Wood Sculpture
• Kyle Dahlquist – Music
• Barclay Martin – Music
• Visual artist round-up #1 – Paint, Mixed Media, Fiber, Printmaking
• Kina Crow – Mixed Media
• Nathan Granner – Music
• Visual Artist round-up #2 – Paint, Mixed Media, Fiber, Photography
• Jennifer Owen & Brad Cox – Dance
• Andy Garrison – Actor
• Theater round-up – Back stage wizards