Central Standard

Happy new year! KCUR’s Food Critics — Charles Ferruzza , Mary Bloch and Jenny Vergara — have been keeping up with the latest news from KC’s restaurant scene. They shared their picks with guest host Brian Ellison on Friday’s Central Standard . 1. Kansas City Restaurant Week starts today, and according to Bloch, there are two schools of thought about it. “It’s kind of like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve,” she said. “It’s a little bit more crowded and the service is usually slower because they

When it’s cold out, a big, hearty bowl of pasta really hits the spot. Whether it’s a creamy mac and cheese or something a little more sophisticated (squid-ink noodles, anyone?), KCUR’s Food Critics search out the best pasta dishes in and around Kansas City. Here are their recommendations: Mary Bloch, Around the Block : The Antler Room — any pasta dish. All homemade, all outstanding. The Rieger — any pasta dish. Changes up all the time, very seasonal. Carmen’s Café — fettuccine al diablo.

A visit to a local olive oil shop , then KCUR's Food Critics search out the best pasta dishes in and around KC. Plus, the latest news from KC's restaurant scene. Guests: Charles Ferruzza, The Independent and Shawnee Mission Post Mary Bloch, Around the Block Jenny Vergara, Feast Magazine

From 60 degrees to a winter weather advisory in just a couple of days: yes, the weather here can be manic. A chat with Mike July, who recently retired from the National Weather Service office in KC, about the art of forecasting ... and about his witty social media posts. Then, in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a surprising speech at K-State. We'll hear about the impression it left on Kansans. Plus, an encore presentation of The Grisly Hand's tribute to Richie Restivo , a Kansas City trumpeter

Before the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration puts the election to rest, we ask, does Midwestern representation in national politics depend on the Electoral College? Plus, Kansas City recently lost a long-time member of its culinary community: Jennifer Maloney. With her passing, we take a moment to consider the character of the chef. Guests: Jay Dow , political science professor, University of Missouri Drew Penrose , legal director, FairVote Howard Hanna , chef and owner, The Rieger Celina Tio ,

On display now in " Emperors, Scholars and Temples " at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art are "rarely seen objects" from the museum's extensive collection of Chinese art. Turns out, the collection is actually world-renowned. How did this come to be for a museum in Kansas City? Plus, we consider the long-term affects, good and bad, of the sports and repetitive activities of our youth. If you were a catcher for your softball team, your ankles and knees know what we're talking about. Guests: Marc

A new documentary about hummus explores the role of this simple dish in two cultures, plus a sculptor on Decade , her 10-year retrospective that opens Friday. Then, a chat with two local musicians on how they're paying tribute to David Bowie. Guests: Jalil Dabit, chef featured in Hummus! The Movie (playing at the KC Jewish Film Festival on January 22) Inas Younis, member of the KC chapter of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom Jill Maidoff, KC chapter of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom Misty Gamble,

Kansas City recently hit a milestone: 2016 saw the highest number of homicides in the past 10 years. What's going on in the metro? A look at what each death means for KC and its children. Guests: Jean Peters Baker, Jackson County Prosecutor Rosilyn Temple, Director, Kansas City chapter of Mothers in Charge Toya Like, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology at UMKC Kortney Carr, therapist who specializes in the trauma surrounding homicide, AdHoc Group Against Crime

John F. Kennedy had a dream of sending a white man, a black man and an Asian to the moon. Ed Dwight, a KCK native, came close to being the black man on that mission. Inspired by the upcoming film, Hidden Figures, we hear his story. Plus, a chat with a molecular biologist and our film critics. Guests: Ed Dwight , KCK native and first African-American to train as an astronaut for NASA Joanna Slusky, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biosciences at KU Russ Simmons, resident film critic

A portrait isn't just about capturing someone's literal likeness. It's about capturing the inner essence. So how is it done? And how is it done well ? We host a roundtable discussion with Kansas City artists – from painter to doll-maker – to explore the ins and outs of portraiture in various mediums. Guests: Aimee Marcereau DeGalan , senior curator of European arts, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art E. Spencer Schubert , bronze sculpture artist Taylor Triano ​, fiber artist of Lil Bits Dolls Paul

Why do you get one Tater Tot in your order of fries at Winstead’s ? According to Kathy Fern, the general manager at the Winstead’s near the Plaza, that’s not a mistake. About five years ago, they started adding the lone tot as a promotional thing, but then it stuck. It’s something they strive to do with each order, she said, though that renegade tot doesn’t always appear. “We started noticing that people were really excited when they got that extra Tater Tot,” she said. And after seeing that

She's an acclaimed singer-songwriter who has been compared to Nina Simone and Roberta Flack. Rufus Wainwright has called her "one of the greatest living singers at the moment." From her home base in Paris, she tours the world . . . yet one of her favorite spots is still the Midtown porch of her 8th grade teacher. In this encore presentation of Central Standard , meet Kansas City native Krystle Warren. Guest: Krystle Warren , musician

Can you imagine what it would be like to regain your sense of hearing . . . after years of silence? In this encore presentation of Central Standard , one man's story, as well as questions within the deaf community, about whether deafness is something that requires correction. Plus, why Missourians need to start thinking about black bears . Guests: Rob Jefferson , regained his sense of hearing with a cochlear implant Bridgette Polson , mother of a deaf child Katie Locus , English teacher at the

When you picture a break-dancer, or "b-boy," you may envision a skinny kid who drops to the ground and pops back up like it's no big deal. But the hip-hop culture that gave rise to break-dancing isn't getting any younger. Now, the original hip-hop generation is bringing kids to the club for events featuring crayons . In this encore presentation of Central Standard , we ask, how is the culture of hip-hop growing up with them? Plus, profiles of three icons in Kansas City's hip-hop scene. Guests:

In this encore presentation of Central Standard , local artist and pastor Dylan Mortimer discusses his art, his faith and his battle with cystic fibrosis, which he faced head on in his exhibit last January called "Cure." Guest: Dylan Mortimer , artist and pastor