⛲️ Best New Restaurant

We were as shocked as you with the late-breaking news last night about the Royals franchise leaving for Nashville in 2031. We’ll have more tomorrow, but until then, some positive news for today:

🎭 What’s on stage in Kansas City throughout April

🏆 Your 2026 BBQ Bracket Champion

🏅 Anjin named James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant

➕ We’re giving away 3 months of being a VIP at Made in KC

Arts & Entertainment

Your Guide to Live Shows in Kansas City During April

Julia Cervantes

The following column was graciously compiled by Mark Edelman, the founder and president of Theater League. Mark is a playwright who loves writing about theater.

Baseball gets started this month and the spring theater season offers up some home runs on area stages. Check out these shows—unlike a Royals game, you always get to enjoy a winner:

STEREOPHONIC | April 7-12 | Kauffman Center

The Tony® Award-winning Best Play of the year tells the tortured tale of an up-and-coming rock band—loosely based on Fleetwood Mac—and the pressure and pain they face in coming up with a follow-up hit—loosely based on the multi-platinum Rumors. Arcade Fire’s Will Butler wrote a terrific score, though it’s not a musical. It’s a play about making music and art told with fly-on-the-wall intimacy by the musicians who birthed it. Tickets at www.kansascity.broadway.com

JIM THE WONDER DOG | Now thru April 12 | Englewood Arts in Independence

Martin City Melodrama moves over to the Englewood Arts Center in Independence for more great theater for the family. This show stars Jim, a canine wunderkind who predicts the future and can tell the difference between license plates. All this and a slice of pizza included with every $15 ticket, Tickets at www.englewoodarts.art

+ 4 more shows in April!

Food & Drink

Scott’s Kitchen is Your 2026 KC BBQ Bracket Champion!

After an astounding 6,500+ votes over the course of four rounds, Scott’s Kitchen is your champion of the 2026 KC BBQ Bracket! Here was the final tally of the final matchup:

Scott’s Kitchen (63.6%) vs. Jack Stack Barbecue (36.4%)

If you haven’t been, now is the time to venture north to give Scott’s Kitchen a try. Curious what they offer? Check out their menu, which features smoked meats, tacos, burritos, a breakfast menu, and catering options. While you’re there, tell them congratulations on the crown and let them know KC Daily sent you!

Food & Drink

Anjin Named James Beard Award Finalist for Best New Restaurant

KC Daily

Anjin, the 20-seat Japanese izakaya in the Crossroads, has been named a James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant.

The One and Only: Anjin was one of ten finalists named from across the country for Best New Restaurant. It was nominated as a semifinalist in January, along with five other Kansas City chefs and restaurants. Anjin was the only finalist named in the KC area. The winners will be announced on June 15th at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Small, but Tasty: Anjin opened in July 20265 at 1708 Oak St. in the Crossroads, and quickly became a community favorite. It was opened by Nick and Leslie Goellner (The Antler Room) and offers a menu of small plates, Japanese-inspired cocktails, sake, and soft serve ice cream.

Reservations are hard to come by (and will likely get harder), but you can get on the list HERE.

KC Daily Picks

In Other News…

🙌 VIP Vibes: It’s the first newsletter of April, and we’re celebrating with our friends at Made in KC to give away a FREE 3-month VIP membership! Entering couldn’t be easier, just CLICK HERE, and we’ll select one person who clicks the link and notify them by this Friday, April 3rd.*
🌉 Take the Bridge: The Rock Island Bridge officially opens to the public TODAY! It serves as America’s first entertainment district on a bridge, offering sweeping views of the Kansas River, food & drink at River House Restaurant, event space, and more.
🚊 Water Weight: The KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension completed a fully-loaded streetcar test yesterday, using thousands of bottles of water to simulate the weight of passengers.
🙄 Here We Go Again: In an interview on Monday, Royals’ owner John Sherman said the team is still exploring the possibility of a stadium in the state of Kansas or in North Kansas City. (Not Nashville 😉)
✂️ See You at the Station: Grandview Station, a new co-op, farmers market, and event space on Main Street in Grandview, is set to open to the public by June 1st.
🫵 Tell Us About Yourself: We write KC Daily for YOU! Do us a favor and take this one-minute survey so we can learn more about our readers and your interests.