Out of the 18 billion articles we published last year—give or take a billion—it’s been fun to see which ones blew up thanks to the power of social media. Do we have any insight into what articles might catch your eye, our dear readers? No, we do not. But it appears you like stories that are hyper-KC-centric that either involve local cartoonists, local restaurants, local ‘burbs or, um, Celine Dion—who is Canadian.
Here now are the Top 10 Most Read Online Articles of 2019:
10) Our Top Six Things To Do In Waldo – by Michael Mackie
We wrote this in early February when everyone in the city was starting to go stir-crazy. Apparently, it hit a nerve. People wanted to get out and about and enjoy the not-so frigid weather. And with so many phenomenal bars and eateries in Waldo, it seemed like folks really wanted to eat their way through the Waldo ‘hood.
9) Review: Celine Dion – by Timothy Finn
Finn’s heart will go on. Seems our music critic wasn’t just impressed by Dion’s rip-the-roof-off-the-Sprint-Center voice, he also liked her joie de vivre. Given that she is settling in to her 50s, Finn says “she still gestured like a junior varsity cheerleader—lots of enthusiastic arm and fists pumps.” Not to mention, it had been over a decade since Dion was in town performing. We must really miss the Canadian chanteuse.
8) Ragazza Food and Wine Will Reopen On … – by Michael Mackie
As owner Laura Norris will tell you, it took six painfully long, agonizing months to relocate and subsequently reopen her beloved neighborhood Italian eatery, Ragazza. Literally, everything that could have went wrong—did. (And, yes, that includes a car that smashed right through the front doors right before construction ramped up.) We got a sneak peek of the digs before they opened. (Now Norris and her squad are once again the talk of the town. Her regulars have returned. New regulars have joined in the fray. And Norris’ homemade meatballs are still the size of your head.)
7) Nell Hill’s Poised To Take Its Home Décor Mecca To New Heights – by Michael Mackie
When Nell Hill’s switched ownership back in the spring, everyone was wondering about the transition. Would they still have a huge inventory? What should shoppers expect? We answered all those riveting questions and more during our featured introduction.
6) Whatever Happened To MTV’s The Real World’s Dan Renzi – by Michael Mackie
If you’re of a certain age, you were likely obsessed with MTV’s The Real World growing up. (Or was it just us?) 1996’s infamous Miami season featured a young Dan Renzi, a local boy with big hair and a big mouth. We caught up with Renzi 20+ years later to find out what he’s up to and his thoughts on how reality TV has changed over the years.
5) Sometimes the Best Getaways Happen Right Here At Home – by Katy Schamberger
We swear our contributing writers get the best assignments! For this one, Katy Schamberger took a really elaborate vacation—and never left the metro. Whatever your travel passions—food, drink, art, shopping, sightseeing, or recreation—she found the perfect summer vacation right in our hometown. We’re calling it the ultimate staycation.
4) By The Numbers: Professional Competitive Eater Randy Santel – by Michael Mackie
When it comes to competitive eating, we have a legend in our midst. Who knew? Missouri-native Randy Santel is world-famous for his ability to inhale—well, most anything put in front of him. In fact, he’s so renowned for wolfing down, say, 100 tacos in one sitting with ease, that he’s got hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of followers on his respective social media pages.
3) Destination Dining – by Kelsey Cipolla
Our food critic got a chance to take her act on the road for this article. She wined and dined at some of the best eateries located just a hop, skip, and jump away from the metro. She certainly did her reconnaissance. We’d never heard of a few of these restaurants and now they’re some of our off-the-beaten-path faves.
2) IN Conversation with Queer Eye’s Fab Five – by Cindy Hoedel
In this exclusive interview, Queer Eye’s illustrious Fab Five—Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, and Jonathan Van Ness—dished on everything from how much they enjoyed KC and the city’s overwhelming hospitality to eating their way through the metro. (France gained the most weight. Bless.) We had the boys in town for five months in 2018. We still miss ‘em.
1) Five Things You Don’t Know About Me: Cartoonist Brian Gordon – by Michael Mackie
What the duck, dude?! Local cartoonist Brian Gordon has created a clever empire out of—of all things—foul-mouthed ducks. Yes, you read that right. He uses his Fowl Language webcomic series as an outlet to vent about parenthood and the trials and tribulations of being a dad. When we hit him up with our oh-so random questionnaire, he was a good sport.
Want to join in on our online fun in 2020? Of course you do! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, kids.