The Riger hotel was opened in 1915 and was home to many traveling salesman and railroad workers including Al Capone. It operated until prohibition shut them down in 1919. Today they focus on the history of the neighborhood with the motto, “Beautiful Food for the People.”
The hotel was owned by Alexander Rieger, whose father founded J. Rieger & Co Whiskey in 1877. They operated out of the West Bottoms in Kansas City, also known as “The Wettest Block in the World” until prohibition.
We had an amazing meal after some cocktails in the basement. I ordered the braised pork cheeks with a sweet potato hash, duck egg and green garlic chimichurri. Unfortunately the sauce didn’t come until I was dune, but it was amazing without it.
Richard had his first ever KC Strip with some asparagus and roasted potatoes… we had to force him to order it and I think he was a little annoyed with us, but after the first bite he said he was glad we were pushy.
After dinner we relaxed with a drink before taking a nice walk down to a street party. It was a very enjoyable evening with some great friends!
The Johnsons 