Farina

James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Smith is a renowned figure in the local and national culinary arts community. His vision for Farina was a space where patrons felt surrounded by food as though they were at an Italian family dinner. Chef Smith’s patrons are used to a certain elegance in his restaurants. Not only did Farina need to be raw and chic, but it also needed to be an intimate setting in an urban core. To passers-by, Farina is bustling with chefs, bartenders and patrons while the restaurant exudes an inviting glow. The warm tones in the leather upholstery, locally made millwork, stacked stone and custom rugs capture elements of Tuscany and Umbria, and the floor plan allows Chef Smith to stroll through the restaurant with his handmade bar cart. Pasta and wood-fired entrees are celebrated in locally made millwork that adorns the two bars. Slats of white oak are stretched across the ceiling in varying widths, mimicking pasta that has been laid out to dry. The color and material palettes were also inspired by the warmth and texture of Italian food—bringing Tuscany and Umbria to the heart of Kansas City. To pay homage to the building’s history as the birthplace of First Fridays in the Crossroads Arts District, Farina’s pristine white walls in the dining area are backdrops for rotating pieces of curated art.