2018 marks 20 years in Kansas City for Lidia Bastianich’s restaurant in the Crossroads, Lidia’s Kansas City . This time on Chew Diligence, she tells co-hosts Lindsay Shively and Jill Silva about how she decided on the location, her Italian roots and passion for genuinely good food. Lidia said her journey to Kansas City began when her son saw a need for their brand to expand beyond New York City.

As they explored locations, Kansas City’s central placement and easy access to product made it a prime location. Lidia said when they bought the freight house restaurant, there was a lot of work to be done, including getting rid of a giant mud puddle occupying what would become the dining room.