This couple opened a Kansas City restaurant. Coming soon: Their upscale butcher shop
It’s been less than a year since husband-and-wife pair Louis Guerrieri and Sarah Nelson and opened Ombra, a small-plates restaurant in The Village at Briarcliff.
But already they’re working on a follow-up: Carne Diem, an upscale meat market and seafood counter, plans a spring opening just down the road from Ombra at 4179 N. Mulberry Drive. (They’re taking over part of the former GreenAcres Market, which vacated the space earlier this year.)
“We’re trying to meet what we see as an unmet need in the area for a place not just to get the meat but also to learn through classes how to break it down and cook it,” Nelson said.
Carne Diem will have a selection of grab-and-go options, plus cheese, wine and liquor, she added. “Everything is to-go — there won’t be tables or anything.”
They will source the meat from local farmers and ranchers, in particular Barham Family Farm in Kearney. Nelson mentioned carrying beef, pork and chicken, but also rabbit, goat and game birds like quail, duck and pheasant. The butcher shop will also work in conjunction with Ombra.
“We already (butcher) the steaks and charcuterie we serve on the menu at Ombra, so this will give us more space to break down the animals to either sell directly to customers or use at Ombra,” Nelson said.
The pair looked into opening elsewhere in the city but ultimately saw the most opportunity in the Northland.
“Everything south of the river with decent retail around it, the rent is insane right now,” Nelson said. “And you have more options for butchers in those areas too. We think Briarcliff already very nicely represents what we see as our target market.”
Nelson and Guerrieri, who will be the head butcher at Carne Diem, met in Denver before moving to Kansas City and opening Sushi Mo! at Parlor food hall in early 2020. They relocated to the open-air Iron District during the pandemic but closed in 2021 to focus on Ombra.
Tentative hours for the butcher shop will be Wednesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
