The French Triangle mixdown

Heather White, the owner of Taylor, Cheval, and Enchante in Kansas City, wanted to create a unique experience for her guests. Taylor offers elegant and comforting European and American cuisine, while Cheval serves handcrafted cocktails and small share plates. Enchante is an old-world bakery cafe that provides a French feel and a place for people to gather in the morning. Heather loves what she does and is passionate about creating memorable experiences for her guests. When I was six years old and that was my mom, there was this store that we went into and they sold clothing that I really loved and I looked up at my mom and I said, I am going to one day open and own something like this, something with presents, something that people walk into, something that people will have an experience. What I want our guests to experience when they walk through the doors of Taylor is an experience that they've never felt before in this city, almost like being transported into Paris or some part of Europe. There's something about loving where you are and not wanting to leave because of the atmosphere and the way the place made you feel and you're like, wow, I want to go back. Our food is elegant, it's comforting and it's timeless. We draw seasonal inspiration from regional European dishes as well as classic Americana, like the mussels that are done in a white wine garlic sauce and served with our house made crostinis. Our steak frites are really popular and we also love to offer a weekly feature, like whatever's happening that season and that allows our guests to experience not only unique flavors, but different dishes that they may not find anywhere else in Kansas City. When Taylor opened, I really did think it was going to be a brunch spot that you came in, you got your coffee, you sat out back on the patio, but everyone showed up at dinner and guests would show up 30 minutes before their reservation and they said, I really want to sit at your bar and hang out before we actually sit down for dinner. And unfortunately, I'd say, I'm sorry, we don't have a bar, we built this to be a brunch spot. So I quickly realized that we needed to build a bar where guests could begin or end their evenings with us. And that's what led to the birth of Cheval. Cheval serves incredible handcrafted cocktails, glasses of champagne, wine, and small share plates. It's connected directly to Taylor by a crosswalk and it's been the perfect place for our guests to come and enjoy one of the best cocktail programs in the city. While I was building Cheval, a space two doors down from the bar became available and I just thought to myself, you know what would be really great in there, an old world bakery cafe. So I signed the lease and opened Enchante. Enchante is the perfect complement to our block. We bake fresh daily, everything from croissants to cookies to cupcakes to quiche. It's a place you come in the morning, which is what I've always wanted, that perfect bakery that opens at 8 a.m., you come in, you grab your latte, you grab a croissant, or you grab a muffin and you sit for an hour or so with your friends and you just enjoy the experience. It's an old French feel that people love and want to come back to. I never feel like I'm going to work. Every day feels like a new experience, I get to wake up and do what I love. Loving what you do comes out in the dishes that you produce and the experience that people have when they walk in. And when I get to see people digging into a pork shank or a bowl of mussels and I walk up to the table and I say, what do you think, how is everything? And I'll have a guest say to me, do you have a soup bowl to go so I can take the broth from the mussels home and eat it later? Because I can't get enough of this, but I'm so full and I remember thinking, okay, that's exactly what I wanted, that's what I wanted people to feel, like they couldn't wait to not only come back and experience again, but to take it home and to enjoy it later. When you do something and do it well and you do it with such passion, it shows not only in how you show up for work every day, but how things get produced and get put in front of your guests and the experience that they feel when they're eating your food. And that is why I do this every day and why I love it. I am Heather White and welcome to the French Triangle.