Address: 12401 Johnson Dr, Shawnee Mission, KS 66216
Phone:(913) 631-4100
Prices: $$
Reservations: Yes (OpenTable)
Website: http://reneekellysharvest.com/(as of posting, the website is not current with menu options)
So, last night we went out to Renee Kelly's Harvest. Never heard of it, but had received a Visa Gift Card for Christmas with specific instructions to dine at Harvest with it. So, we finally found some time, and made the arrangements. I can tell you we will rarely write a review this quickly for our dining out experiences, so when I tell you this place is special - trust me, it is.
First, since we had never heard of it before, we were unsure of the dress code, and since it's in an old castle, we thought we should dress up. We were disappointed to see many in the restaurant did not share our enthusiasm for making this dining experience a nice one. Shorts, t-shirts, very casual attire for this nice of a restaurant was a disappointment to see. Now, the wait staff is in jeans and white shirts which accentuates and emphasizes the farm-to-table atmosphere so it's understandable why it wouldn't be viewed as a "dressy" place for those who frequent, but we thought it was going to be more classy given the location and appearance of the website. But, nonetheless, even though we were in slacks and ties & others weren't, it didn't distract from our dining experience. Lesson: dress code is more "come as you are" but should be nicer.
Second, you need to know this is a bit of a drive for those on the eastern side of Jackson County. It's at least an easy 35-40 minutes depending upon your starting point, so just plan ahead and know it's going to take some time to get there and back. I wouldn't make plans to go if you're on a specific time schedule, that's for sure!
Third, the menu is farm-to-table and changes seasonally. We hit right after the spring menu change, and had wonderful options to select from. Knowing it changes seasonally (and for brunch), this would be a great destination restaurant for seasonal flavors prepared in a unique way and simply delicious.
Now, let's talk about our experience. When we entered through the front doors, we were in awe of the space of the place. It's open and airy with multiple levels of dining due to the castle format when it was built. There's a back courtyard, a wine cellar, and level after level of places to explore and experience. Love the exposed stone walls and the simple decor which doesn't distract from the history of the building. The restaurant wasn't packed by any means, had about 5-6 tables sat, but there is certainly the opportunity for this place to be busy and quite active with dining patrons.
Service - fast, friendly, efficient. Our server spoke very loudly for such an intimate experience and not much noise in the restaurant, but she was very personable and fun. Sadly, she hadn't tried much of the menu, so she was going off of what she had sold to other tables & their comments, but she was looking forward to trying it all (that's on the restaurant, not her - she should've been provided the opportunity to try food before service if necessary). Other than that, they had 3 servers for the 6 tables, so lots of stop-overs by all servers to take care of needs at the table - take dishes, light candle, serve food, fill water, etc. She was a bit quick to get orders and get us through our meal (discussed dessert menu while Paul still had quite a few bites left on his plate), but I think that was more because we were her only table for quite some time. It was good service, so I'm happy with that.
Food - what everyone always wants to know about - we began with the charcuterie and enjoyed local cheeses and meats. It's enough to share between 2-3, but not 4 like the menu says. Because we had dined out a few times already this week, and had fish and steaks, both Paul and I opted for things we hadn't had recently and tried out the specials - I had the Cajun spiced pork chop with savory bread pudding and mixed greens while Paul had the pasta du jour of the night - fettuccine with chicken, green pepper, and a balsamic glaze. Had I not had a steak the night before, I would've had the filet. While my pork chop was prepared to temperature, it had some issues. The bread pudding was more like a wet stuffing (without the celery & onions) and add cinnamon & nutmeg to it. Really was more sweet than savory, but it was still very good. The pork chop was not very well prepared, honestly, seasoning was blackened (burnt) on to one side while the other side had grill marks on half of the chop and the other half was probably left on the grill (as it was missing a little chunk of chop). But, don't get me wrong, I still ate it because it was good, just had some issues. The mixed greens were seriously the best thing on the plate. I could've enjoyed more of those, that's for sure! Paul on the other hand had the pasta which while he was a bit scared of the balsamic glaze, when it was delivered, he was quickly a believer! It was delicious! The flavors were well balanced, it was a large portion, and the whole thing was outstanding - I even snuck quite a few little bites from his plate it was so good!
Drinks - very nice and unique. Paul had the Kansas Mule (a take on the Moscow Mule which we love). It was drier than we like, but still had good flavor. His second drink was better, the Pimm's Cup. Much more what he was looking for. Tim had the cucumber mint vodka drink (no clue it's name) which won for "better drink" over Paul's first drink - very refreshing & the mint provides a lingering after taste that was wonderful! Tim won on the 2nd drink of the evening too - it was their take on a lemondrop martini, and it was very lemony and delicious!
But, let's talk about the best part of the evening - dessert! Since it was Paul's birthday dinner (#3), we decided to splurge on dessert again - this time having the S'mores. OMGoodness - these are so good. Homemade cookie bar layered with melted chocolate and homemade marshmallows squished between another cookie on top of a swipe of melted chocolate on the plate and more toasted marshmallows This was SO GOOD! Highly recommend you save room for dessert when you go to Harvest. Our second choice (for next time we dine) will be the chocolate-pistachio cake!
So, the take-away from this dining experience - make a night of it & take your time, everything was delicious, I don't think you could go wrong with many of the offerings. Save room for dessert! Explore the grounds, and enjoy a nice evening dining in a castle.
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