Barrel 31 Now Open

Barrel 31 Now Open


Barrel 31, which opened in early April is one of  the newest restaurants to hit the Kansas City dining scene. The space which once housed The Velvet Dog has been transformed into a sleek and urban atmosphere with aged wood floors, exposed brick walls and rustic, contemporary décor. The 3,000-square-foot space seats 150 diners and  includes three separate floors with the third floor available for private dining options.
 

The Barrel 31 menu features creative comfort cuisine made from its all-scratch kitchen that includes a wide selection of small plates, hearty sandwiches and distinctive entrees. In addition to daily lunch and dinner service, Barrel 31 offers brunch every Saturday and Sunday.
With previous stints at Kansas City’s Grand Street Café, Bella Napoli, Bluestem and Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro, the executive chef  Austin Carpenter, is no stranger to the KC dining scene and brings years of experience to Barrel 31.

Barrel 31 will have Kansas City’s widest variety of bourbons and whiskeys from around the globe with over 80 open and ready to pour. Bourbon and whiskey flights and thoughtfully paired boiler maker shooters are also on the menu. In addition to whiskey and bourbon, Barrel 31 offers a fully stocked bar with American craft beers. For those trying to save a buck or two or just feeling adventurous, you can go for the “Paper Bag Special”, which is a random selection grabbed by the bartender and sold at a discounted price – in a brown, paper bag.
Distinctive menu items include:
Beginnings
Gouda & Ale Fondue – Bavarian pretzel, house-made kettle chips
Chokes & Cheese – Pumpernickel bowl, farm fresh vegetables
Duck Confit Chicken Wings – Glazed with tangy bbq or spicy habanero sauce
Deviled Oysters – Deviled eggs, fried oyster, bacon
PBLT’s – Pork belly, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, Dijon aioli, cheddar cheese, red onion
From Hot to Cold
4 x 4 Chili – Four bean and four meat chili with cornbread
Salmon Fennel Salad – Fennel, arugula, cherry tomato, radish, citrus vinaigrette
Heirloom Beet-Nik – Warm heirloom beets, kale, arugula, fried goat cheese, candied walnuts, blood orange vinaigrette
Menage – House blend greens, herb-grilled chicken, soft-boiled egg, candied walnuts, apple, bacon, cherry tomato, blue cheese, citrus vinaigrette  
Bread
Three Pig Dip – Pork belly, pulled pork, applewood smoked bacon, whiskey-braised mushroom and onions, swiss, pig-jus
Bring on the Beef – Barrel 31 blend: Ground brisket, chuck, steak trimmings, duck fat
Fahrenheit 151 – Swiss, roasted jalapeño, bacon, hot onion ring, habapeño aioli, arugula      
Barrel 31 – Havarti, applewood smoked bacon, tomato jam, fried egg, bibb lettuce, whiskey braised onions    
Hippie Burger – Turkey burger, goat cheese, avocado, candied walnuts, tomato, arugula, basil aioli
Supper
Shepherd’s Pie – Thick-cut steak, carrots, celery, peas, celeriac whipped potatoes, cornbread
Short Rib Osso Bucco – Mushroom risotto, kale, pinot noir jus
Duck Fat Fried Chicken – Gravy, bacon mac & cheese, kale
Brunch
Wake the F’Up – Cornbread coffee cake, black coffee, shot of Jameson  
Big Boy Breakfast Burrito – Flour tortilla, scrambled eggs, bacon, onion, jalapeños, tomatoes, cheddar, jalapeño sour cream, roasted potatoes, gouda ale fondue           
Eggs Ben-Addiction – Bacon fat biscuits, seared pork belly, fried eggs, hollandaise, roasted potatoes
Biscuits and Gravy – Bacon fat biscuits, house-made sausage gravy
Croque Madame Satay – Brioche, crispy pork belly, hard eggs, gouda ale fondue, fresh fruit
Barrel 31 will offer a  happy hour from 3:00 – 6:47 p.m., Monday – Friday. At 6:47 p.m., the last call of happy hour, shots of Jack Daniels and Jack Daniels Honey will cost just $3 in an homage to Jack Daniel himself, who, as legends has it, died of an infection he sustained in his big toe from kicking a safe out of frustration because he forgot the combination to it. Allegedly, Mr. Daniels died at 6:47 p.m.
Distinctive bar offerings include:
Whiskey – Aged with grace or seldom seen
American, Canadian, Irish, Scotch 
    Elijah Craig 20 yr. Single Barrel
    Collingwood 21 yr. Rye
    Knappogue Castle 1951
    Aberfeldy 21 yr.
Straight Bourbon, Wheated, Cask Strength, Single Barrel, Tennessee, Straight Rye, White Dog (moonshine), Blended Scotch
Single Malt Scotch
Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Islay, Isle of Skye, Campletown
Barrel-Aged Cocktails
Jack in the Detox – Ginger Infused Bourbon, Apple Brandy, Maraschino Liqueur, bitters 
Cask Manhattan – Cherry & Fig Infused Rye, Sweet Vermouth, bitters 
Hour Glass – Ka Silver, Cinzano Amaro, Monte Alban Joven, agave nectar 
Smashing Pumpkin – Brown Sugar Simple Syrup, Rittenhouse Rye, Triple Sec, pumpkin puree  
Crafted Cocktails
Flower Power – Bombay Sapphire, Cava, Cucumber Lavender Shrub, cucumbers
Appalachian Sangria – Old Overholt Rye, Red Zinfandel, simple syrup, lemon juice 
Bobby Burns – Dewars, Sweet Vermouth, Pernod
Paddy O’Reilly – Paddy Bee Sting, Benedictine, Fresh lime juice, Grapefruit juice, Pomegranate Syrup
Old Fashioned *ss Kickin’ – Cherry Moonshine, Jack Daniels, Sweet Vermouth, Peychaud Bitters, Orange-Habanero Shrub
Boiler Makers
A Little R & R – Rittenhouse Rye and Rampant IPA
Good Goose Hunting – Bulleit and Goose Island Rotational
Flights 
Good Things, Small Packages – Maker’s 46, Ridgemont, Four Roses Small Batch
Dark Horse – Reserve, Long Shot White, Reunion Rye
Hop Scotch – Glenfiddich, Macallan, Auchentoshan 
Stormin’ the Castle – Knappogue 12 yr., 14 yr., 16 yr.   

Barrel 31
Located in Martini Corner at Union Hill
400 E. 31 St, Kansas City, MO 64108
816-569-3801
Photos Courtesy of Landon Vonderschmidt Photography


Barrel 31 Now Open

Barrel 31 Now Open

 

Barrel 31, which opened in early April is one of  the newest restaurants to hit the Kansas City dining scene. The space which once housed The Velvet Dog has been transformed into a sleek and urban atmosphere with aged wood floors, exposed brick walls and rustic, contemporary décor. The 3,000-square-foot space seats 150 diners and  includes three separate floors with the third floor available for private dining options.

The Barrel 31 menu features creative comfort cuisine made from its all-scratch kitchen that includes a wide selection of small plates, hearty sandwiches and distinctive entrees. In addition to daily lunch and dinner service, Barrel 31 offers brunch every Saturday and Sunday.

With previous stints at Kansas City’s Grand Street Café, Bella Napoli, Bluestem and Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro, the executive chef  Austin Carpenter, is no stranger to the KC dining scene and brings years of experience to Barrel 31.

Barrel 31 will have Kansas City’s widest variety of bourbons and whiskeys from around the globe with over 80 open and ready to pour. Bourbon and whiskey flights and thoughtfully paired boiler maker shooters are also on the menu. In addition to whiskey and bourbon, Barrel 31 offers a fully stocked bar with American craft beers. For those trying to save a buck or two or just feeling adventurous, you can go for the “Paper Bag Special”, which is a random selection grabbed by the bartender and sold at a discounted price – in a brown, paper bag.

Distinctive menu items include:

Beginnings

Gouda & Ale Fondue – Bavarian pretzel, house-made kettle chips

Chokes & Cheese – Pumpernickel bowl, farm fresh vegetables

Duck Confit Chicken Wings – Glazed with tangy bbq or spicy habanero sauce

Deviled Oysters – Deviled eggs, fried oyster, bacon

PBLT’s – Pork belly, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, Dijon aioli, cheddar cheese, red onion

From Hot to Cold

4 x 4 Chili – Four bean and four meat chili with cornbread

Salmon Fennel Salad – Fennel, arugula, cherry tomato, radish, citrus vinaigrette

Heirloom Beet-Nik – Warm heirloom beets, kale, arugula, fried goat cheese, candied walnuts, blood orange vinaigrette

Menage – House blend greens, herb-grilled chicken, soft-boiled egg, candied walnuts, apple, bacon, cherry tomato, blue cheese, citrus vinaigrette 

Bread

Three Pig Dip – Pork belly, pulled pork, applewood smoked bacon, whiskey-braised mushroom and onions, swiss, pig-jus

Bring on the Beef – Barrel 31 blend: Ground brisket, chuck, steak trimmings, duck fat

Fahrenheit 151 – Swiss, roasted jalapeño, bacon, hot onion ring, habapeño aioli, arugula      

Barrel 31 – Havarti, applewood smoked bacon, tomato jam, fried egg, bibb lettuce, whiskey braised onions    

Hippie Burger – Turkey burger, goat cheese, avocado, candied walnuts, tomato, arugula, basil aioli

Supper

Shepherd’s Pie – Thick-cut steak, carrots, celery, peas, celeriac whipped potatoes, cornbread

Short Rib Osso Bucco – Mushroom risotto, kale, pinot noir jus

Duck Fat Fried Chicken – Gravy, bacon mac & cheese, kale

Brunch

Wake the F’Up – Cornbread coffee cake, black coffee, shot of Jameson  

Big Boy Breakfast Burrito – Flour tortilla, scrambled eggs, bacon, onion, jalapeños, tomatoes, cheddar, jalapeño sour cream, roasted potatoes, gouda ale fondue           

Eggs Ben-Addiction – Bacon fat biscuits, seared pork belly, fried eggs, hollandaise, roasted potatoes

Biscuits and Gravy – Bacon fat biscuits, house-made sausage gravy

Croque Madame Satay – Brioche, crispy pork belly, hard eggs, gouda ale fondue, fresh fruit

Barrel 31 will offer a  happy hour from 3:00 – 6:47 p.m., Monday – Friday. At 6:47 p.m., the last call of happy hour, shots of Jack Daniels and Jack Daniels Honey will cost just $3 in an homage to Jack Daniel himself, who, as legends has it, died of an infection he sustained in his big toe from kicking a safe out of frustration because he forgot the combination to it. Allegedly, Mr. Daniels died at 6:47 p.m.

Distinctive bar offerings include:

Whiskey – Aged with grace or seldom seen

American, Canadian, Irish, Scotch 

    Elijah Craig 20 yr. Single Barrel

    Collingwood 21 yr. Rye

    Knappogue Castle 1951

    Aberfeldy 21 yr.

Straight Bourbon, Wheated, Cask Strength, Single Barrel, Tennessee, Straight Rye, White Dog (moonshine), Blended Scotch

Single Malt Scotch

Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Islay, Isle of Skye, Campletown

Barrel-Aged Cocktails

Jack in the Detox – Ginger Infused Bourbon, Apple Brandy, Maraschino Liqueur, bitters 

Cask Manhattan – Cherry & Fig Infused Rye, Sweet Vermouth, bitters 

Hour Glass – Ka Silver, Cinzano Amaro, Monte Alban Joven, agave nectar 

Smashing Pumpkin – Brown Sugar Simple Syrup, Rittenhouse Rye, Triple Sec, pumpkin puree  

Crafted Cocktails

Flower Power – Bombay Sapphire, Cava, Cucumber Lavender Shrub, cucumbers

Appalachian Sangria – Old Overholt Rye, Red Zinfandel, simple syrup, lemon juice 

Bobby Burns – Dewars, Sweet Vermouth, Pernod

Paddy O’Reilly – Paddy Bee Sting, Benedictine, Fresh lime juice, Grapefruit juice, Pomegranate Syrup

Old Fashioned *ss Kickin’ – Cherry Moonshine, Jack Daniels, Sweet Vermouth, Peychaud Bitters, Orange-Habanero Shrub

Boiler Makers

A Little R & R – Rittenhouse Rye and Rampant IPA

Good Goose Hunting – Bulleit and Goose Island Rotational

Flights 

Good Things, Small Packages – Maker’s 46, Ridgemont, Four Roses Small Batch

Dark Horse – Reserve, Long Shot White, Reunion Rye

Hop Scotch – Glenfiddich, Macallan, Auchentoshan 

Stormin’ the Castle – Knappogue 12 yr., 14 yr., 16 yr.   

Barrel 31

Located in Martini Corner at Union Hill
400 E. 31 St, Kansas City, MO 64108

816-569-3801

Photos Courtesy of Landon Vonderschmidt Photography


Taste of Park Place & Celebrity Chef Competition a Benefit for Newhouse Shelter

Taste of Park Place & Celebrity Chef Competition a Benefit for Newhouse Shelter

 

The Park Place shopping center located at 117th and Nall in Leawood will be hosting “Taste of Park Place & Celebrity Chef Competition” on Saturday, April 26, from 2-6:30 p.m. From 2-4 p.m.

Enjoy sampling a variety of culinary delights from all of the restaurants, check out the shops and receive a complimentary $5 savings card and V.I.P. offers at select retailers. Throughout the afternoon, view shopping bags displayed in Park Place merchant windows that have been carefully hand-painted by talented Kansas City area artists, including Mike Savage and Tom Corbin. Bags will be available for purchase April 11-30th via an online auction at biddingOwl.com/Newhouse.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m., a Celebrity Chef Competition will take place at Mestizo featuring Chefs John Smith of Pig & Finch, Tate Roberts of EBT and Kiersten Firquain of Bistro Kids. Their culinary skills will be judged by Aarón Sanchez of Mestizo and Allegre (a familiar face on the Food Network’s Chopped show), nationally renowned and James Beard Award winning Chef Michael Smith of Michael Smith’s and Extra Virgin as well as Chef Celina Tio of Julian, The Belfry and Collection (also seen on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue). Chef Jasper Mirable of Jasper’s Italian Cuisine will emcee.

Tickets for Taste of Park Place are $15 in-advance or $20 at the event. Tickets for the Celebrity Chef Competition are $40. Admission into both events is $55/person. To purchase tickets, please visit newhouseshelter/events/. Proceeds of the event benefit Newhouse- an area domestic violence shelter.

About Newhouse

Newhouse is a women’s shelter providing comprehensive services to women who have experienced domestic violence. Newhouse’s mission is to break the cycle of domestic violence by providing the tools that allow women to make positive choices and lead self-sufficient lives. One out of four women experience domestic violence and 365 days a year, Newhouse provides women a safe, healing environment, which includes physical, spiritual, psychological, and emotional support. For further information or to make a donation, please visit www.newhouseshelter.org.

About Park Place

Park Place embraces the complete lifestyle from playing to working and every activity in between. Park Place features local, regional and national specialty shops, world class restaurants, luxurious services and renowned office tenants in an environment of tree-lined streets and community areas, truly making it Leawood’s downtown, as named by Mayor Peggy Dunn. It is the development’s focal point and serves as a community green space during warmer months. Park Place will soon be home to AMC Theatres headquarters. For more information, visit www.ParkPlaceLeawood.com.

Seasons 52 New Spring Menu featuring Spring Lamb Kefta Recipe

Seasons 52 New Spring Menu featuring Spring Lamb Kefta Recipe

Seasons 52 celebrates spring with a dish based on Master Sommelier George Miliotes’ family recipe. An update to the classic Mediterranean dish, Spring Lamb Kefta features lamb skewers served with a fresh Greek salsa and a side of creamy tzatziki.

 One of 214 Master Sommeliers worldwide, Miliotes recommends pairing this dish with a medium-bodied red wine, such as Jolie Saison Gamay. Along with several other dishes highlighting what’s good now, the Spring Lamb Kefta appetizer is available on the new spring menu at Seasons 52 through mid-June.
Seasons 52 is a fresh grill and wine bar that offers a seasonal menu that changes four times a year inspired by what is  fresh and in season.

S52-SpringLambKefta

Ingredients:

1-pound ground lamb

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium sized onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup milk

½ cup panko bread crumbs

1 egg

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, finely ground, to taste

¼ cup mint, minced

¼ cup flat leaf parsley, minced

Bamboo skewers

Procedure:

• Combine milk and bread crumbs for 10 minutes to soften

• Heat olive oil in a small pan and lightly sauté onions and garlic. Cool garlic and

onion while breadcrumbs soak

• Place lamb in a large bowl. Add cooled garlic-onion mixture and soaked

breadcrumbs. Add all other ingredients and mix well to combine.

• Shape into 3”x1” oblong size meatballs and slide onto bamboo skewer, lightly

flattening sides. Spritz with olive oil.

• Grill over charcoal fire, no flame, 3-4 minutes per side.

• Top with Greek salsa and crumbled feta cheese, if desired. Serve with a side of

tzatziki sauce

Greek Salsa Recipe:

1¼ cup cucumber, diced ¼”

¾ cup tomato, seeded, diced ½”

¼ cup Kalamata olives, diced ¼”

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced

Juice and zest from 1 lemon

2 ounces extra virgin olive oil

*Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Spin Pizza to Open on the University of Central Missouri Campus

Spin Pizza to Open on the University of Central Missouri Campus


 Award-Winning Pizzeria to Open in Innovative

New Mixed-Use Facility in August 2015.

 

Below is information from the official press release on the opening of Spin at the University of Central Missouri.

KANSAS CITY, MO (March 26, 2014) Award-winning SPIN! Neapolitan Pizzaplans to open a location in the new mixed-use student housing/retail project on the University of Central Missouri (UCM) campus to serve students, faculty,staff, and the local Warrensburg, Mo. community. Expected to open in August 2015, the 116 W. South St. location will have more than 100 seats, a bar, and a full patio overlooking the football stadium.

 

With a raft of national and local awards for its food and concept, SPIN!® Pizza is known for its exceptional, artisan food made from fresh ingredients without the gourmet price and its eclectic, affordable premium wines. SPIN!’s homemade soups, made-from-scratch salad dressings, as well as its pizza toppings and ingredients are prepared fresh daily from fresh produce and meats. SPIN! also offers an array of appetizers, soups, amazing salads, signature Panini and Italian deli sandwiches, and all natural gelato ice creams.

 

SPIN! will be located in an innovative new 185,000-square-foot mixed-use facility at the current site of the UCM General Services Building on the north side of Audrey J. Walton Stadium at Vernon Kennedy Field. The largest capital project in the university’s history, the project is part of UCM’s commitment to the Learning to a Greater Degree Contract, a tool to increase undergraduate completion.

Once completed, the facility will serve as a new front door to Warrensburg’s downtown community, and include a living center consisting of 325 beds for upper-class students, two- and four-bedroom units, and retail offerings that include a new University Store, a convenience store, SPIN! Pizza, and Starbucks. Other special features include a number of spaces for social interaction, including small window seats, two-story lounges, large community rooms, and an events plaza.

“The University of Central Missouri looks forward to its new relationship with SPIN! Pizza,” says UCM President Charles Ambrose. “SPIN! Pizza is an exciting new partner in the creation of a living and learning center on our campus that will be part of taking learning to a greater degree. It’s the type of gathering place our students will enjoy, but it’s also the kind of enterprise that will make UCM a destination spot for members of the Warrensburg community.”

SPIN! opened its first location in Overland Park, Ks. in 2005 and has six Greater Kansas City locations celebrated for their commitment to the communities they serve. Gail Lozoff, one of four partners who own SPIN!, says they are excited to be part of the pioneering new project. Their goal is for the Warrensburg SPIN! to be a great gathering place for both students and families.

 

“We look forward to being part of the Warrensburg community – from the students, faculty and staff to Mules fans and local residents,” Lozoff says.

 

Named one of the “Rest of the 101 Best Restaurants” in the nation by top foodie website TheDailyMeal.com, SPIN! ‘s Margherita Pizza was crowned one of the best dishes of the year among all the restaurants in the nation by Restaurant Business magazine, it’s ranked number one by Zagat among Kansas City pizza restaurants, it has been named Best Pizza by numerous Greater Kansas City publications, and it’s been awarded Best Gluten-Free Menu. SPIN!’s recipes are created in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Smith.

 

SPIN! offers a diverse selection of hand-spun, stone-fired traditional thin-and-bubbly crust, rustic whole wheat, and gluten-free pizzas. SPIN! takes the unique step of boosting the flavors by roasting all toppings and ingredients in its stone hearth ovens each day, including mushrooms, caramelized onions, artichokes, and even capers, pecans, pineapple, pine nuts, and pancetta.

 

SPIN! offers both traditional Pizza Rossa (red pizzas with crushed tomato sauce) and Pizza Bianca (white pizzas with roasted garlic olive oil glaze), and many hand-grated cheeses. SPIN!’s pizza dough is made fresh every day using several types of flour including one specially imported from Italy, and its gluten free crust is renowned for its flavor and texture.

 

In addition to its food, SPIN! is renowned for its rotating roster of affordable premium wines priced well below traditional restaurant prices. SPIN! also makes homemade white, red and blood orange sangrias and offers a selection of craft beers.

 

For more information about SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza, visit www.spinpizza.com. For more information about the University of Central Missouri, visit www.ucmo.edu.

 

###

 

About SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza

Award-winning SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza is known for its exceptional, artisan food made from fresh ingredients without the gourmet price and its eclectic, affordable premium wines. Named a 2013 Breakout Brand by industry authority Nation’s Restaurant News, SPIN! was named one of the “Rest of the 101 Best Restaurants” in the nation by top foodie website TheDailyMeal.com. Its Margherita Pizza was crowned one of the nation’s best dishes of the year by Restaurant Business magazine, its architecture won Best of Show at the Mid America Design Awards, and it was named a “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” by Pizza Marketplace. Ranked number one by Zagat among Kansas City pizza restaurants, it has been named best pizza by every major Greater Kansas City publication. SPIN!’s menu is created in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Smith. Founded in 2005, SPIN! has six locations in the Greater Kansas City area and franchises in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area. This is the second national concept created by SPIN! partners Gail and Richard Lozoff, Edwin Brownell, and Michael Kramer, who are experienced in large multi-unit expansion, franchising, and operations. www.spinpizza.com.

 

About the University of Central Missouri

The University of Central Missouri is a comprehensive university that serves approximately 13,000 students, including those enrolled on its main campus in Warrensburg, Mo., and students taking classes at its extended campus facility, the UCM Summit Center, in Lee’s Summit, Mo. Committed to learning to a greater degree, UCM prepares students for professional careers through opportunities that include engaged learning, future-focused academics, a worldly perspective, and a culture of service

Natural Grocers opens in Shawnee

Natural Grocers opens in Shawnee

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage® which opened in Shawnee, KS in February is the state’s fifth location. Located at 13335 Shawnee Mission Parkway, the Natural Grocer motto is “A Store That Can Change Your Life.”

I have had the chance to shop at Natural Grocers and have been quite impressed.  If shopping for quality organic ingredients at reasonable prices is important to you, then Natural Grocers is certainly a store you must check out.

Natural Grocers will not sell any grocery product that contains artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or harmful trans fats. The meats in the store are all from animals that have never been given antibiotics or drugs. The shelves are filled with amazing food, products and organic produce for you, your family and even your pets, all at affordable prices. Check out what they won’t sell and why.

Each Natural Grocers store has a credentialed Nutritional Health Coach that can answer questions free of charge on special diet needs. They can also help you design a personalized supplement and eating program, or point you toward the products that support your health and fitness goals, whether you’re trying to sleep better or concentrate more. You can set up 1 -hour appointments for free for individual coaching sessions by stopping by or calling the store. 

Along with the offerings of events, seminars, speakers and cooking demos, Natural Grocers carries local products and supports local agriculture. Shoppers can look for products from over 30 Kansas companies. Natural Grocers is always looking for opportunities to bring in meat, produce and dairy from Kansas farms. If you are local producer or farmer check out the guidelines for submitting a product to the store.

For information on all upcoming events or general information about the Shawnee store visit the store website.


 About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NGVC): Founded in Colorado by Margaret & Philip Isely in 1955, Natural Grocers was built on the premise that consumers should have access to affordable, high-quality foods and dietary supplements, along with nutrition knowledge to help them support their own health.  The family-run store has since grown into a successful national chain with locations across Colorado, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Mexico, Montana, Kansas, Idaho, Nebraska, Arizona and Oregon, and employs over 2000 people.  The company went public in July 2012. Isely family members continue to manage the company, building on the foundation of their parents’ business.  Natural Grocers’ popularity and success can be traced back to its founding principles: providing customers with high quality products at everyday affordable prices. www.naturalgrocers.com