Conversations at Chappell's

Twenty-five years. It sounds like a long time. Not many locally-owned restaurants survive that long. But then again, Chappell's Restaurant and Sports Museum, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2011, isn't an ordinary restaurant. Chappell's, owned by affable host Jim Chappell, has been voted one of the best sports restaurants in the nation by Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, but not because it has a zillion big-screen TVs. It has but three. Nestled in North Kansas City, Chappell's has survived by being sports version of the Hard Rock Café, the Louvre and Grauman's Chinese Theatre rolled up in one. It's a place where sports fans, athletes and coaches can see historic memorabilia. But it's also a place for the famous to be seen. Conversations at Chappell's captures this living history by just plain listening to more than 65 sports greats invited to roundtable lunch conversations to remember Kansas City sports greatest moments and those rich behind-the-scenes gossip moments as well. People such as Len Dawson and Bobby Bell, Fred Patek and Dennis Leonard, Lew Krausse, Sam Lacey, Bud Stallworth, Scot Pollard, Curtis McClinton, Corby Jones, Lynn Dickey, Larry Holley, Kevin Harlan, Dave Stewart, Kent Pulliam and Denny Matthews. Stories of the Chiefs, Royals, K-State, KU, MU, the NAIA, and even teams that time has forgotten, such as the Kansas City A's and Kansas City Kings. It's a feast of memories served up by a mighty fine host, Jim Chappell.