Jasper's

As a belated birthday present for Dad, I took him to Jasper's in south Kansas City. All my life I've heard Dad's story about the time he and mom and another couple went to Jasper's (at a different location, apparently) on New Year's Eve and waited three hours for a table. Seriously, at least once a year - usually when we're waiting for a table somewhere - Dad breaks out this story. So I thought it would be fun to take him to this restaurant he has built up in his head as the epitome of the dining experience.

Except, as it turns out, it's a different restaurant. The one he remembers was at 75th and Wornall, and this one is off 103rd. It was still good food - a little fancy, a little pricey, a little bit in a strip mall. Kind of took the mystique out of it.

But it did prompt some Dad stories, as I had hoped. One time in the early 60s, Dad had a friend from the country (not Ireland - just a rural area) who wanted to impress his date. Dad suggested Jasper's and warned him about the cost involved. The bill came to $60, which apparently floored the poor kid. I'm pretty sure it was in this same story that Dad said his own date for the evening was the woman who would go on to marry Gov. Joe Teasdale. I'm also pretty sure I've heard that story before. Dad's very into reruns.

But every once in a while, a new one will pop out, usually at these meals out. Stories about learning Gaelic and what an awful teacher his grade school teacher was, about a time he helped save a talent show performance by leading the rest of the kids in song when they all got horrible stagefright. It makes it difficult to take notes when he tells these stories as I'm the one driving to and from the restaurants.