The American with Executive Chef Michael Corvino

The American is a Kansas City icon and has been home to many notable chefs including Bradley Ogden, Debbie Gold, Celina Tio and Michael Smith.  Chef Michael Corvino has been at the helm for a year now and has ushered the restaurant into it's 40th anniversary.  The décor is reminiscent of fine dining circa 1970 but the food is anything but.  Known for cutting edge trends and defining "new American", The American is as relevant as ever.  Sit near the ceiling to floor glass windows overlooking the business district and in the winter see snow falling in the courtyard while locals ice skate.

The Chef prepared a special 6 course menu with wine pairings for our dinner for the ICCA Fall Culinary Immersion- Kansas City.  For the first course, lobster with pineapple, coconut milk, and long pepper paired with Clavelin Comte Brut Cremant du Jura.  The second course was a raw oyster with trout roe, lemon, sabayon, and quinoa paired with Argyle Sparkling Brut from Oregon, this was definitely a group favorite.  For the third course, potato served in a smoked buttermilk sauce with dill alongside Calera Central Coast Chardonnay.  The fourth course was rare ribeye served with chanterelles, black garlic, swiss chard, and garnished with nasturtium or an optional Alaska halibut with crispy skin and pickled beets.  The pairing here was the Domaine Oliver Hillaire Cotes d Rhone Vielles Vignes-Granache 2012. 

The fifth course was a cheese course; camembert with chantrelle, olive oil, and genoise paired with Beaulieu Vineyards Muscat de Beaulieu California.  The sixth and final course was The American's signature dessert, a chocolate carmel concoction with cashew, bacon, and sea salt paired with the Marenco Brochette d'Acqui.

The Chef and the Lead Server presented all of the courses to the group and the service was impeccable.  For non-group dining, you can order a la carte off the menu or partake in a pre-fixe coursed dinner for a very reasonable price.  The large bar and lounge offers a small bites menu and the head bartender has been with The American since it opened 40 years ago.  The last General Manager was a Master Sommelier and built a wonderful wine selection to go along with the world's largest collection of Riedel decanters displayed throughout the dining room.