Clay & Fire

Can I sing enough praises of this place? I don’t think it’s possible. I’ve been trying to go here for close to a year, after I first drove by late at night and saw the cute little historic house they’re based in and the intriguing name in neon lights. And after googling them, I fell in love with their menu, but their limited hours never seemed congruent with my trips through Kansas City. Let me tell you: it was worth the wait. Some of the most interesting spices and flavors and perfect preparation of any restaurant I’ve ever visited. This may now rank up there in my top 10 favorite restaurants in the country. The Georgian kebab I had was absolutely juicy and succulent on the inside and perfectly spiced and charred on the outside. The Turkish peppers were beautifully roasted and immensely flavorful. The polenta was creamy and slightly cheesy with a delicious salty, spicy crust on top. The ice cream was a fascinating mix of sweet and savory. Future visits to K.C. will definitely incorpor

Excellent mid-eastern cuisine. A two-story restaurant, with a nice vibe and excellent food. I had the butter poached radishes, Turkish garlic yogurt with butter paprika sauce, and the Khachapuri adjaruli. (think “Georgian cheesy bread”) All were delicious.

Unfortunately, I came in with high expectations that were not met. My girlfriend and I stopped by for an early dinner on a Wednesday night and were seated immediately upstairs. The ambience was lovely, but the food was hit or miss. We both really enjoyed the eggplant mezze and the beet tartare. I thought that the koobideh kabab was excellent and very juicy. However, the tikka kabob was a bit overcooked and could use more flavor. Similarly, the halloumi was very dry. My girlfriend enjoyed the kharcho, but personally I was not a big fan. I think the textures and flavors were fairly boring. Perhaps most upsetting was the duck fesenjan. We normally LOVE fesenjan and have eaten it in several restaurants across the country. The duck meatball did not work for the dish at all - frankly, it both smelled and tasted unappetizing. Overall, though there were a few dishes that were good, nothing was particularly memorable or comparable to the Mediterranean meals we've had elsewhere. I'm sorry to say