Tacos fit for Ted Lasso + KCI’s best dishes

Happy Friday, and welcome back to Let’s Dish — your one-stop shop for all things eats in Kansas City.

Any “Ted Lasso” fans out there? This week, my colleague Andrea tried out the local favorite of the show’s star, Jason Sudeikis, who grew up in Overland Park. Plus, Bob recommends three must-hit meals in the new KCI terminal.

Stick around for a suggestion from one of our readers.

The Sancho at Taco Via

A couple of years ago, “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis professed his Taco Via love to the world.

When the U.S. Men’s National Team came to town for Gold Cup matches, they asked the Ted Lasso Twitter account for dinner recommendations.

Ted tweeted back about barbecue, of course, but also about the Sancho — a flour tortilla stuffed with beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and taco sauce — at Taco Via in Overland Park.

Sudeikis visits the restaurant with his kids a few times a year, said Quentin Heilman, the restaurant’s general manager. Most of the time, he orders the daily special, which includes a Sancho, a nacho, a hard-shell taco and a medium drink for $10.99.

That’s also what Star reporter Andrea Klick ordered when she visited the restaurant ahead of the Season Three premiere of “Ted Lasso.”

The nacho isn’t what you’d expect at all. It’s a large tostada covered in melted cheese and sweet taco sauce with a tinge of spice from the diced jalapeño peppers. And the taco is like the Sancho, but with a hard shell.

At Taco Via, the taco sauce is the star of the show.

Every other day, staff make around 30 gallons of the tomato-y blend that is sweet at first taste and has a slight kick. It’s common, Heilman said, for Taco Via lovers to buy a cup of the sauce and drink it like a shot.

And that’s exactly what Andrea did.

3 great eats at new KCI terminal

One of the worst things about the old terminals at Kansas City International Airport was the scant food options. Now, the 2-week-old $1.5 billion terminal brims with possibilities — more than 30 places to eat and drink, many with familiar Kansas City names.

So nowadays, the problem is choosing what to eat. But Star reporter Robert Cronkleton put together a few recommendations to make things easier for y’all.

What’s a visit to KC without barbecue? Bob wanted to try some local ‘que that you can‘t find anywhere else, so he headed over to: Smoke ’n Magic barbecue, which won last year’s Made for KC Barbecue Championship.

With meat in the restaurant’s two large smokers, passengers getting off planes in Concourse B are hit right away with the smoky aroma we Kansas Citians adore.

Bob tried one of their most popular items — the sliced brisket sandwich with a side of coleslaw, pit beans and crinkle fries.

His verdict: Smoke ’n Magic is a great introduction to competitive Kansas City barbecue. The sliced brisket sandwich has an ample portion of meat that is full of flavor, stays juicy and has just the right amount of smoke.

Here’s what else Bob recommends you eat in KCI’s new terminal.

My standout dish of the week

I have a crazy cat. I love him to death, and he can be sweet when he wants to be, but Gnocchi (named after the dish, of course) just turned 1, and he has a lot of energy. And sometimes, when I’m working from home, I need an escape from him running across my keyboard or begging for attention.

So, I usually like to work at local coffee shops during the week. And this week, I found myself at Café Corazón, a sweet spot in the Crossroads that specializes in Latin coffee and foods.

I ordered a beef empanada to accompany my can of kombucha (I wasn’t in a coffee mood that day). Perfectly crispy and stuffed with a balanced mix of ground beef, onion, peppers and a finely diced hard-boiled egg, it was the ideal afternoon snack.

Your top eats

Reader Ryan Murray recently recommended trying out the Croque Madame at Westport Cafe, which is only available during the Sunday brunch.

“It’s simple, yet perfect, with gruyere cheese and crème fraiche,” Murray gushes. “It is the ultimate comfort food.”

Do you have another favorite local dish you think I should include in this newsletter? Email me, abooth@kcstar.com, or fill out this form to let us know.

A little something extra

About a month ago, we asked some Chiefs players about their favorite spots to eat in KC — and they delivered, big time. That story resonated so well with y’all, we decided to try it again, but with the new sport in season: college basketball.

With March Madness in full swing, we asked these KU basketball players and coaches about what and where they love to eat, both in Lawrence and in Kansas City.

À la carte

✴️ This popular Italian restaurant that was a staple in Leawood’s Town Center Plaza for 20 years closed earlier this month. Its location in Zona Rosa remains open, though.

✴️ Want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with an Irish ale and a pastrami sandwich? You’re in luck — a “reimagined traditional Irish pub” recently opened in KC’s Power & Light district, just in time for the holiday celebrations.

✴️ A local Venezuelan and Colombian restaurant — and favorite of Royals star Salvador Perez — is moving from its current location on Southwest Boulevard to a new spot in Crown Center.

✴️ A well-known fast-food chain is planning to open a $31 million distribution center in Johnson County. Check out the full plan for the operation, which is expected to open in 2024.

Hungry for more?

• We want your opinion: Do you have a favorite dish at a KC restaurant you think we should try? Let us know here, or email Sharon Hoffmann, our editor coordinating this series: shoffmann@kcstar.com.

• Check out all the restaurants we’ve covered in this series here.

• To see what we’re eating next, follow The Star on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.

• If you were forwarded this email, here’s where you can subscribe.

Happy eating! We’ll see you next week.