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Central Standard

Noisy Restaurants

wineanddineusa.com

Ambience or irritation?  That is the question.

On this week's Central Standard Friday, the Food Critics turn it up to eleven, and give their input on how a restaurant's atmosphere should affect a patron's mood.

Charles Ferruzza of The Pitch and Fat City Blog, Emily Farris of Feed Me KC, Mary Bloch of Around the Block, and Chris Becicka, of Ingram's Magazine weigh in on the ever-hot button issue of restaurant ambience.

Restaurants and notes from today's show:

Chris Becicka:
Port Fonda | 4141 Pennsylvania, KCMO
  -Trendy, fun, Loud, but Entertaining

Pork belly
  - sopa, carnitas tacos

The Jacobson | 2050 Central, KCMO
  -Can hear people, lost of different apps, great hamburger

The Opera House | 500 Walnut
 - Food court-ish, bakery in one corner, bar coming soon, can get what you want and sit wherever you want.  Chelsea Williams is now baking there (from The Prospect and Chez Elle), her signature cookie, "The Wicked Girl Scout," best chocolate mint cookie, huge, Sweet dreams cookie

Mary Bloch:
Cooper’s Hawk | 4686 Broadway St  - Old 810 Zone space | (816) 531-1500 | chwinery.com
  - Based in Illinois

Brunch Webster House | 1644 Wyandotte
  - Shrimp and Grits
  - Brioche French toast
  - Best reuben I’ve ever had - corned beef was really thick 

Emily Farris:
Cooper’s Hawk
 - got handed bubbly

Affare | 1911 Main Street | (816)298-6182 | affarekc.com
  - Contemporary German Cuisine
  - Happy Hour: Monday - Thursday 15:00 - 19:00

Charles Ferruzza:
Anton’s
  - Noisy, but not aggressively so

V ivalore | 10815 E Winner Rd, Independence, MO 64052
  - across from Englewood Cafe

Callers/Emails
Place for Christmas Dinner in Westport:
 - New Peking 

Chris --  what is too loud?
Too loud if a person’s voice has to be raised to be heard by someone three feet away

Sue -- in Lenexa
Louie’s on Saturday night, so loud it was deafening
Cool, packed

Kevin in Mission
Three important notes:
1. Some famous restaurant owner 1 ingredient for successful restaurant: noise level
2. Hard finishes, surfaces fit perfectly (less expensive, contemporary)
3. Viscerally we must respond positively as a group to this - that energy, created by that noise

Katherine in St. Jo
Noise level contributes to confusion, consumption, doesn’t let you identify with the food you’re eating

Chris B. reports that the increase of noise in restaurants might be occurring because it's more profitable. When a restaurant was 72 dB peopled ordered of 2.6 drinks on average and finished in 14.5 minutes.  When a restaurant was 88 dB customers ordered on average 3.4 drinks and finished faster in just 11.5 minutes

Alan in KCMO
 - Chipotle - music too loud to place your order
 - PF changs plaza weekend too loud to have a conversation

Good quiet restaurants:
 - Affare
 - Chaz
- Lydia’s

Rick in KCMO
 Called to ask what is being done to protect the works from excessive noise.

David in Independence
 - Ophelia’s - nice, quiet restaurant

Roger
  - Eden Alley
  - Basement of Unity Table, tables very spread out, nice place to have a conversation

Cafe Europa
 - Very decent, low noise level

Jim in KCMO
  - Californo’s - nice quiet place to have a meal
  - Emily says too loud if you’re next to the live music 

Martha in KCK
 - Grand Street Cafe, nice quiet place
 - Chris: Bar tables are narrow and you can sit across from each other and hear each other

Molly in PV
  - Too loud: Tassos in Waldo (Charles: That’s the vibe) 
  - Charles: People go to Tassos for the over the top atmosphere

Danny on Facebook
 - Cafe Trio is a quiet place, usually upstairs

Pete
 - KC Banned smoking to protect employees, maybe city should start looking at dangerous noise levels 

Last word: Place you’d go for a quiet meal
  Thai Place - Emily
  Pizza Bella - Mary
  JJ’s - Chris

Central Standard