With the tile floors, vintage mirrors, and cheery blue and yellow walls, The Parker Hollow has the feel of a small cafe in rural France. All photos by Aaron Leimkuehler
To understand the excitement around the noted chef Jonathan Justus and his wife and business partner, Camille Eklof, opening their new French-inspired seafood restaurant in downtown Parkville, you have to know the story behind their culinary journey—and how it shapes, but doesn’t define, their latest venture, The Parker Hollow.
Justus and Eklof first made their mark in 2007 when they returned from cooking in France to open Justus Drugstore in downtown Smithville, just 30 minutes north of Kansas City. The restaurant’s hyper-local focus, refined cooking techniques, and Justus’s signature table touches drew diners from across the region. It felt as if a bit of France or California had been dropped into small-town Missouri, quickly becoming one of the area’s most celebrated dining destinations.
On warm days, Justus opens the window to the street.
Awards soon followed: Justus Drugstore earned a James Beard Award semifinalist nod for Best New Restaurant in 2007, and Justus himself received Best Chef: Midwest nominations in 2011 and 2016.
A decade later, the couple opened Black Dirt in Kansas City’s South Plaza neighborhood. More casual and conveniently located for their city fans, it struggled to escape the long shadow of Justus Drugstore. The Smithville spot had become legend—cozy, intimate, a little quirky—and though Black Dirt offered solid, approachable cooking, diners couldn’t help but compare the two. After two years, the restaurant closed, following the sale of the Drugstore building itself for a tidy sum.
For several years, the couple stepped away from ownership, hosting private dinners at home and consulting for others while searching for a space that fit the next phase of their story. That opportunity came when a Parkville developer approached them about a historic building on Main Street—a narrow, 17-foot-wide former Italian restaurant called Frank’s that dated back to 1931.
Poached potatoes and Italian gigante beans accompany the grilled octopus.
They saw potential not to recreate their past, but to redefine their future. The Parker Hollow, which quietly opened in October, isn’t meant to be Justus Drugstore 2.0. It’s more relaxed, come-as-you-are casual, and built around their shared passion for French culture, cuisine, and seafood—particularly oysters and shellfish sourced directly from Hog Island Oyster Co. on the West Coast. Where the Drugstore was rooted in rural sophistication and foraged ingredients, The Parker Hollow feels worldly, urbane, and quietly confident—a reflection of two seasoned professionals who simply want to invite you in for a drink, feed you with care, and send you back into the night satisfied.
Outside, the restaurant still occupies its narrow footprint but now gleams with butter-yellow paint and smoky black trim. A gold-etched window announces, “seafood restaurant, oysters and raw bar.” From your car on Main Street, you can see straight into the warm glow of the bar, where low lights glint off exposed red brick walls, antique paintings, and a crystal chandelier that beckons you inside.
A bowl of clams are bathed in a broth of wild mushrooms, gnocchi, and a tangle of zucchini.
At the front window, a sous chef shucks briny, plump West Coast oysters, serving them by the half or full dozen with a mignonette made from local Norton grapes. It’s the perfect way to begin. Order two of each variety so you can taste them all.
Upstairs, diners will recognize the original bamboo tables from Justus Drugstore scattered through a room painted warm pink with cool navy trim. On my visit, Justus opened the large accordion window to let in the crisp night air and the hum of passing trains—a romantic, almost cinematic touch.
The opening menu is short and sure-footed, with new dishes promised as the team finds its rhythm. I started with an Old Coast Fashioned made with Buffalo Trace, then moved to a crisp Picpoul de Pinet from France’s Languedoc region. The bright white paired perfectly with seafood, though I might have switched to a red for my two entrée courses.
After a half dozen oysters, Justus sent out a small square of salmon belly, its skin crisped on one side and the flesh meltingly soft on the other, paired with his house ponzu made from citrus and soy. It was a simple, delicious amuse-bouche—a tease of what was to come.
Classic French rattan seating pulls up to the cozy bar.
Next came a plate of salmon crudo dressed with Szechuan-spiced cucumbers, halved pickled red grapes, fresh herbs, and bits of crispy salmon skin—a pretty dish that tasted as clean and fresh as it looked. A bubbling seafood dip followed, a creamy blend of tuna and mascarpone baked until molten and served with herbed crostini. It tasted nostalgic, like an elevated tuna casserole—comforting and irresistible.
The classic French-style mussels in white wine and cream and the grilled octopus with gigante beans and green goddess salad both tempted me for next time. Instead, I opted for the fisherman’s stew, the priciest dish on the menu at $38 (most others are under $20). The bouillabaisse-style soup brimmed with plump mussels, tender shrimp, chunks of poached salmon, zucchini, celery, and fennel, all swimming in a heady tomato broth spiked with saffron strands and anise-scented Pernod, then finished with parsley and scallions. It was richly scented and seasoned, and I ate what I could and took the rest home. It was even better the next morning with a fried egg and toast.
To balance all the seafood, I couldn’t resist the burger. Made from wagyu sourced from Paradise Locker Meats in Trimble, Missouri, it was thick, juicy, and cooked to order, served on a square focaccia bun with hearty mushroom sauce, melty Gruyère, and fries. With smash burgers dominating menus right now, this one was a juicy two-hander with mushroom gravy soaking into the bread to create its own rich condiment.
Left: The bluefin tuna crudo. Right: Diners enjoy a view of downtown Parkville.
Dessert was a pecan-coconut tart topped with a scoop of white chocolate ice cream—a sweet, buttery finish that had me scraping the plate clean as the dining room emptied for the night.
The Parker Hollow is open Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 11. Reservations via Tock are essential for the chef’s counter or upstairs tables, while the downstairs bar, seating about ten, is first come, first served.
For Justus and Eklof, The Parker Hollow feels like the culmination of their love affair with French cooking and café culture—a new beginning for the pair, and a delicious next chapter for Kansas City diners.
Dining and Cooking