From the moment Teddy and Pam Liberda, owners of Waldo Thai and Buck Tui BBQ, announced they were turning the former Tribe Street Kitchen location in the River Market into a new buzzy new late-night bar serving Thai and Mexican mash-up dishes paired with fun and flavorful cocktails from their business partner and bar manager, Eric Schmidt, the countdown to their grand opening began.
MuNi (a name created by mixing their two daughters nicknames) opened in March, and—save for the lipstick-red wall color that makes the space feel lively at night—it keeps the original quirky hi-low bar, jungle’s worth of green plants hanging overhead, and the KC streetcar whizzing by the windows.Â
People are happily waiting to snag a table eager to try its much-teased Thai sticky ribs, birria dumplings, and Gapow beef empanadas, which are filled with a combination of ground beef, Thai basil, serrano, jasmine rice, and cheese with creamy tiger cry sauce.Â
With Teddy working as the marketing engine and official hype-man, Pam is in the kitchen creating a menu inspired by the dishes their culinary team enjoys at family meal in their other restaurants. Standout dishes include the Carne Asada Kow Soi noodle dish, swimming in a coconut curry, and their Smash Dat MuNi burger, which is made with two quarter-pound beef patties, chili jam, caramelized onions, American and Provolone cheese, and topped with spicy mayo on a brioche bun. It’s the perfect thing to smash after a few stiff drinks.Â
Speaking of stiff drinks, Schmidt, who was previously with Dodson’s Bar and Commons in Waldo, recommends guests try this 100-year-old cocktail recipe from the famed Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Legend says it was originally created to give Kentucky whiskey drinkers a break from sipping straight bourbon.Â
With a gorgeous pale-pink color and a lime wheel on the rim of the glass, the drink has a sweet, tart profile that provides a moment of pure refreshment when paired with the flavor-blasted dishes coming out of the kitchen.
Pendennis Club Cocktail
- 1.5 ounces Old Tom-style ginÂ
- .75 ounce apricot liqueur
- .5 fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Peychaud’s bitters
- 1 teaspoon turbinado syrup
Combine all ingredients above in a shaker, add ice, and shake vigorously for ten seconds. Double strain into a coupe glass of your choice, and garnish with a fresh lime wheel on the edge of the glass.Â