word of mouth | by gail james

photography by v. craig sands Brookside at Night

Life is good. Brookside regulars, Gary Lakey & Kimberly Cacioppo show their appreciation to Joe DiGiovanni, owner of joe d's.

For those of you who think that Brookside is a great little place to get a quick breakfast or lunch, you're right. There's the ubiqui- tous Einstein Brothers and Mr. Goodcents. There's Sharp's, which I like best for breakfast (try their biscuits and gravy or eggs benedict) even if they do serve a hearty lunch and tasty dinner. For lunch and dinner, you also can add The Brooksider Bar and Grill or the ever popular Charlie Hooper's, where a good hamburger is still possible. Carmen's Café serves a nice Italian menu and throws in tapas at reasonable prices. There's joe d's, reincarnated in 1985 by Joe DiGiovanni after a previous life as the Monastery wine bar. And now, there's Café Maison European Market and Eatery, opened just last year.

joe d's feels a little like Brookside and the rest of Kansas City. It's casual, but not too. It's suburban, but not horribly. By 6:04 p.m on a recent gorgeous Friday night, there was a wait for one of the 13 outside tables. The view, as is usually the case for outdoor restaurants in KC, was less than inspiring (parking lots, streets) but efforts have been made with bushes and trees. Besides, the people were all well dressed and looking good. Indoors, the white table cloths and candles help create a warm if chatty environment, and everyone seems to know everyone else.

Still known for its wines - and a decent pour - joe d's serves 51 of them by the glass. The descriptions are unique: "Slick, warm, and spicy . . . yeah!" or "Hay, truffles, 'shrooms+++." Many sell for $7 or less by the glass, and there is a much larger selection of bottles.

One should not dwell on the wines, however, if such dwelling slights the food, which is consistently good. There are unusual preparations and pastas, several fish, lamb, and steak dishes. My favorite, though, is not especially upscale - it's a pizza, which varies each day, but it's a pizza with a pasta crust which is just too good. It's small but mighty, and two could even share it with one of the nice salads. A glass of wine, a slice of pizza, and thou. Life is good.

Speaking of good, and a bit more unusual perhaps, Café Maison is the new Brookside entry. A busy coffee and sandwich shop by day, Cafe Maison turns into a private party every other Saturday, for which anyone can reserve a seat - up to 30 people at a time. Obviously, it's a reservations only deal, with one seating at 7 p.m., one pre-selected menu, and one price ($55 per person). The candle lit tables with their assorted French provincial table cloths and brightly colored plates add a subtle cheer to the sienna and mustard walls. One is greeted by hors d'oeuvres arranged on the front table and a staff that gladly opens whatever wine you've brought.

Our meal began with small bowls of garlicky mussels in a saffron creamy broth which we all wanted to guzzle to the last drop. A field greens salad was followed by the "intermezzo" - a sparkly lemon sorbet scoop. A sage rubbed veal chop followed with a vegetable terrine (prettier than taste-rich) on top of spinach rice with raisins, red peppers, and spices which we savored to the last bite. The finale was a strawberry dumpling with lemon curd and coffee that ended the meal nicely.

Yeah, there's a pleasant enough Brookside for mornings and noon, and at night, if you want to talk and eat well, think about the old and new, joe d's and Café Maison.