Barrel 31 Now Open

Barrel 31, which opened in early April is one of  the newest restaurants to hit the Kansas City dining scene. The space which once housed The Velvet Dog has been transformed into a sleek and urban atmosphere with aged wood floors, exposed brick walls and rustic, contemporary décor. The 3,000-square-foot space seats 150 diners and  includes three separate floors with the third floor available for private dining options.

 

The Barrel 31 menu features creative comfort cuisine made from its all-scratch kitchen that includes a wide selection of small plates, hearty sandwiches and distinctive entrees. In addition to daily lunch and dinner service, Barrel 31 offers brunch every Saturday and Sunday.

With previous stints at Kansas City’s Grand Street Café, Bella Napoli, Bluestem and Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro, the executive chef  Austin Carpenter, is no stranger to the KC dining scene and brings years of experience to Barrel 31.

Barrel 31 will have Kansas City’s widest variety of bourbons and whiskeys from around the globe with over 80 open and ready to pour. Bourbon and whiskey flights and thoughtfully paired boiler maker shooters are also on the menu. In addition to whiskey and bourbon, Barrel 31 offers a fully stocked bar with American craft beers. For those trying to save a buck or two or just feeling adventurous, you can go for the “Paper Bag Special”, which is a random selection grabbed by the bartender and sold at a discounted price – in a brown, paper bag.

Distinctive menu items include:

Beginnings

Gouda & Ale Fondue – Bavarian pretzel, house-made kettle chips

Chokes & Cheese – Pumpernickel bowl, farm fresh vegetables

Duck Confit Chicken Wings – Glazed with tangy bbq or spicy habanero sauce

Deviled Oysters – Deviled eggs, fried oyster, bacon

PBLT’s – Pork belly, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, Dijon aioli, cheddar cheese, red onion

From Hot to Cold

4 x 4 Chili – Four bean and four meat chili with cornbread

Salmon Fennel Salad – Fennel, arugula, cherry tomato, radish, citrus vinaigrette

Heirloom Beet-Nik – Warm heirloom beets, kale, arugula, fried goat cheese, candied walnuts, blood orange vinaigrette

Menage – House blend greens, herb-grilled chicken, soft-boiled egg, candied walnuts, apple, bacon, cherry tomato, blue cheese, citrus vinaigrette  

Bread

Three Pig Dip – Pork belly, pulled pork, applewood smoked bacon, whiskey-braised mushroom and onions, swiss, pig-jus

Bring on the Beef – Barrel 31 blend: Ground brisket, chuck, steak trimmings, duck fat

Fahrenheit 151 – Swiss, roasted jalapeño, bacon, hot onion ring, habapeño aioli, arugula      

Barrel 31 – Havarti, applewood smoked bacon, tomato jam, fried egg, bibb lettuce, whiskey braised onions    

Hippie Burger – Turkey burger, goat cheese, avocado, candied walnuts, tomato, arugula, basil aioli

Supper

Shepherd’s Pie – Thick-cut steak, carrots, celery, peas, celeriac whipped potatoes, cornbread

Short Rib Osso Bucco – Mushroom risotto, kale, pinot noir jus

Duck Fat Fried Chicken – Gravy, bacon mac & cheese, kale

Brunch

Wake the F’Up – Cornbread coffee cake, black coffee, shot of Jameson  

Big Boy Breakfast Burrito – Flour tortilla, scrambled eggs, bacon, onion, jalapeños, tomatoes, cheddar, jalapeño sour cream, roasted potatoes, gouda ale fondue           

Eggs Ben-Addiction – Bacon fat biscuits, seared pork belly, fried eggs, hollandaise, roasted potatoes

Biscuits and Gravy – Bacon fat biscuits, house-made sausage gravy

Croque Madame Satay – Brioche, crispy pork belly, hard eggs, gouda ale fondue, fresh fruit

Barrel 31 will offer a  happy hour from 3:00 – 6:47 p.m., Monday – Friday. At 6:47 p.m., the last call of happy hour, shots of Jack Daniels and Jack Daniels Honey will cost just $3 in an homage to Jack Daniel himself, who, as legends has it, died of an infection he sustained in his big toe from kicking a safe out of frustration because he forgot the combination to it. Allegedly, Mr. Daniels died at 6:47 p.m.

Distinctive bar offerings include:

Whiskey – Aged with grace or seldom seen

American, Canadian, Irish, Scotch 

    Elijah Craig 20 yr. Single Barrel

    Collingwood 21 yr. Rye

    Knappogue Castle 1951

    Aberfeldy 21 yr.

Straight Bourbon, Wheated, Cask Strength, Single Barrel, Tennessee, Straight Rye, White Dog (moonshine), Blended Scotch

Single Malt Scotch

Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Islay, Isle of Skye, Campletown

Barrel-Aged Cocktails

Jack in the Detox – Ginger Infused Bourbon, Apple Brandy, Maraschino Liqueur, bitters 

Cask Manhattan – Cherry & Fig Infused Rye, Sweet Vermouth, bitters 

Hour Glass – Ka Silver, Cinzano Amaro, Monte Alban Joven, agave nectar 

Smashing Pumpkin – Brown Sugar Simple Syrup, Rittenhouse Rye, Triple Sec, pumpkin puree  

Crafted Cocktails

Flower Power – Bombay Sapphire, Cava, Cucumber Lavender Shrub, cucumbers

Appalachian Sangria – Old Overholt Rye, Red Zinfandel, simple syrup, lemon juice 

Bobby Burns – Dewars, Sweet Vermouth, Pernod

Paddy O'Reilly – Paddy Bee Sting, Benedictine, Fresh lime juice, Grapefruit juice, Pomegranate Syrup

Old Fashioned *ss Kickin’ – Cherry Moonshine, Jack Daniels, Sweet Vermouth, Peychaud Bitters, Orange-Habanero Shrub

Boiler Makers

A Little R & R – Rittenhouse Rye and Rampant IPA

Good Goose Hunting – Bulleit and Goose Island Rotational

Flights 

Good Things, Small Packages – Maker's 46, Ridgemont, Four Roses Small Batch

Dark Horse – Reserve, Long Shot White, Reunion Rye

Hop Scotch – Glenfiddich, Macallan, Auchentoshan 

Stormin' the Castle – Knappogue 12 yr., 14 yr., 16 yr.   

Barrel 31
Located in Martini Corner at Union Hill
400 E. 31 St, Kansas City, MO 64108
816-569-3801
Photos Courtesy of Landon Vonderschmidt Photography