Acre
Parkville’s much-anticipated fine dining restaurant, Acre, is exceeding all expectations.
Photo by Pilsen Photo Co Op
“This place feels like home” is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you walk into most restaurants owned and operated by a fine-dining chef, but it’s definitely what Chef Andrew Longres (prounced Lon-gris, formerly of Bluestem, The American, and The French Laundry) is going for at Acre, his new “fine dining” “meets family dining” restaurant in Parkville.
Photo by Pilsen Photo Co Op
Located in an unassuming shopping mall just north of downtown Parkville, Acre brings together the many worlds that Chef Longres has inhabited throughout his life, starting with his grandparents’ 850-acre farm in Liberty, Missouri, where he grew up. His grandfather was a veteran and a railroad worker, and his grandmother was a great (though not professional) cook. The first rule of the restaurant is one that was inspired by the farm: everything Acre serves could hypothetically be found on that property. Because Chef Longres’ grandparents are now in their 90s and the farm is not a working farm anymore, what this means in practice is that everything served at Acre must come from the broader Midwest. This could mean trout from Idaho or bison from Colorado just as easily as it could mean cheese from a local dairy, but the emphasis is and always will be on food that could be grown, raised, hunted, caught, or foraged right here in Kansas City’s own backyard. There are also plans to actively source specific items, especially produce, from the farm next year.
Chef Longres took inspiration from Liberty and the Kansas City northland in other ways as well. He told the MIKC team, “I’ve been working on this idea for 10 years, and there’s no place other than where you grow up.” Where Chef Longres grew up was not just Kansas City generally, but the KC northland specifically, a place where there is still room for local businesses to thrive with and in their communities in a way reminiscent of a bygone era. Chef Longres mentioned one of his first jobs at a small restaurant in Liberty, where the owner sponsored Little League teams and gave money to local charitable efforts, and added, “If I went downtown, I wouldn’t be able to be a community member. Here, I’m able to know my neighbors, my city council members – that’s important to me.” Parkville also has the advantages of offering the best of all worlds – that old-fashioned, small-town connection that the KC northland is sometimes known for, as well as proximity to the airport, downtown, and the highway systems that make it an easy drive over for Johnson County residents. It also doesn’t hurt that Chef and his family make their home in Parkville – when Chef talks about working close to home, he means it literally.
Photo by Pilsen Photo Co Op
This focus on home and highlighting the best of the Midwest extends to every aspect of the restaurant, from the staff to the layout itself. Chef Longres’ search for culinary talent to help him bring his vision to life as he honed in on “amazing execution, exquisite ingredients, and genuine midwestern hospitality,” with a particular emphasis on the hospitality part. Said Chef in an interview, “It’s very easy to execute at a high level when you get into the rhythm. But (is) that genuine Midwestern hospitality? That’s what I really focused on for the team. I didn’t really focus on if they had x amount of years working in a Michelin starred or James Beard Award-winning restaurant,” he says. “I really focused on the individual and how their personality was, and if they’re a team player and how hospitable they were with the guests – and that’s more what I cared about… I can teach them how to be good cooks. I can’t teach them how to be good people.”
Photo by Anna Petrow
The physical space of the restaurant looks like a classic family diner with a stylish facelift – with blue cabinetry, grey tiles, and dark wood paneling. And much as the kitchen is the center of the home, the hearth is the heart of the restaurant. It’s an open-fire, wood burning hearth that looks like a big table, and when you walk in the door, your eye is immediately drawn to the flame. Patrons can watch their dinners cook over the fire and can even sit right next to it at the chef’s counter. There, at least once a week, you’ll find Chef having dinner with his family, mad dinner rush and all– the counter was specifically designed to be a place where Chef and his young children could be together in all the hustle and bustle of the restaurant industry- and with the recent launch of the Acre’s Chef Counter Hearth Experience, which includes a five course tasting menu with optional wine pairings, that intimate peek into the heart and hearth of Acre is open to anyone.
Photo by Pilsen Photo Co Op
It's also worth noting that Chef Longres’ children aren’t the only kids welcome at Acre – alongside gourmet farm-to-table entrees like black angus tenderloin with bone marrow pudding and mustard glazed pork belly with wilted kale and poached apples you’ll find the “Quarter Acres” kids’ menu, featuring favorites of the under 12 set such as buttery grilled cheese and crispy chicken tenders. Chef told us, “The Quarter Acres menu is based on the idea that we just want to make really good kids’ food. We’re not trying to hide something, like cauliflower mac and cheese. I’m just going to make really good macaroni and cheese, because that’s what the kids want.” He added, “This is where children learn… we don’t want a restaurant that people feel is only for date night.” As Chef says, “Inherently in the Midwest, we’re based on values,” and if you spend any time talking to Chef or eating at Acre, you’ll know that family is at the top of the values list.
A glimpse into the dining room at Acre on a busy evening reflects all the above. Families with small children dine across from an older couple, while a group of young professionals swirl their wine and chat excitedly across the room. It feels a little bit like Thanksgiving at Grandma’s- if your grandma was a top-notch chef, her home was incredibly stylish, and all your cousins were impeccably dressed. At the end of the day, that, too, makes the restaurant feel like home– a glass of wine in a hand, a multi-generational gathering, a place where joyful chatter and stellar food and genuine kindness meet the mundanity of everyday living – that right there is Acre in a nutshell.
