It's not often that a Kansas City philanthropist, social activist and "influentialist" takes a risk, putting name and money on the proverbial line. When she does, you can count on some hype--both good and evil. That's been the case for Webster House--the still new restaurant and antiques/decorative/interior design center on 16th and Wyandotte. Don't, however, be thinking Cracker Barrel.

The 1885 Webster School has been astonishingly and painstakingly redone by Shirley Bush Helzberg with the help of J.E. Dunn Construction and Helix Architecture & Design. It now consists of great shopping and a restaurant, bar, and private rooms for catered groups. It's in a remarkably handy location south of Bartle--or it will be once the arts center is completed and stuff goes up around it. Right now, though, it's purely destination dining.

I broke all my traditional Saturday habits recently and booked a late lunch. What a treat. We ate in the "Library," a place to come to six days a week until 6 p.m. White tablecloths, windows, and light walls, this dark wood enclave manages to be friendly and private. The six leather bar stools would be perfect should you be alone.

But I was not--the better to taste. There were, how-ever, many more things listed than we could try, but having been there before, I already had some ideas. One of the things I liked was the little trio of tasties brought with the bread--a roasted red pepper and an olive tapanade and some very creamy feta--just enough to make you even more hungry.

That was okay, too. We started with the soup, a split pea that was not quite sturdy enough for the day. We also tried the winter won-tons which consisted of a little smoked duck and a lot of gorgonzola cheese in a spinach egg roll. The mango chutney was excellent.

You may have guessed that I am not among those who feast only with their eyes. Nor do I believe size matters. In food, anyway. In a place where the majority of patrons are women, to put it mildly, one worries sometimes about the delicacy of portions. Not so here. There was heft, variety, taste, and beauty--all.

My portly companion ordered--to my delight--the braised short ribs ($10.50). These were smoky chunklets braised in beer with root vegetables slivered on top. The Yukon mashed potatoes with mushroom pieces were quite tasty. I had grilled wild salmon ($12.50) with an orange maple glaze served with an asparagus spear clock on Israeli cous cous. Now I have no idea why Israeli, but each little globule picked up just a hint of the maple and the fingers of salmon were perfectly done. Satisfying. Yet I felt virtuous--how perfect since I wanted dessert.

There were five or six to choose from, and I went with the recommendation of our pleasant server who had a hard time himself deciding between the pecan tart and the chocolate gateau ($5.75). The latter was a decadently creamy, rich, dark chocolaty confection topped with fresh whipped cream and a piece of homemade cashew brittle. I took only a few bites before it had disappeared--the problem with setting dessert in the center of the table.

The wine list is not huge, but has a number of non-typical offerings, and glasses start at $5.50. Webster house is open for lunch and catered events. It's a great place to spend several hours if you're a shopper as well as an eater, and there were more men there than I've seen on previous visits--good food attracts us all. Webster House is definitely a destination to consider!