Crossroads pasta spot that gets wine right
Crossroads Arts District · Kansas City · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 29, 2026
Wingman Metrics
The list at Farina is compact enough to read before your bread arrives, which is exactly the point. This is a neighborhood pasta place that knows what it is — no sprawling encyclopedia, just a focused, Italian-leaning selection that matches the room. It feels curated rather than assembled.
Italy anchors the list, with representation from Piedmont, Sicily, Tuscany, and Veneto — all sensible given the kitchen's focus. The Fabio Oberto Roero Arneis and Tenuta Terre Nere Rosé from Etna show real editorial intent; these aren't shelf-filler picks. France gets a nod with the D66 Grenache Blend, and there's a small but interesting dessert wine section headlined by Far Niente Dolce and Inniskillin Icewine. Gaps exist — no serious reds from Barolo or Brunello country, and the California presence is almost entirely confined to the sweet wine section — but for a restaurant this size, the focus is a feature, not a bug.
Five by-the-glass options at $9 a pour is honest pricing for Kansas City, and the glass list appears to pull from the better parts of the bottle list. We'd love to see a few more rotations — five options is lean — but at that price point, you're not paying for someone else's experimentation.
Fabio Oberto Roero Arneis, Piedmont, Italy — $9/glass
Arneis is one of Piedmont's most underrated whites — bright, slightly bitter on the finish, and built for pasta. At $9 a glass in a sit-down restaurant with a sommelier on staff, this is the move.
Felsina Vin Santo del Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 2019
Most people skip the dessert wine section entirely, but Felsina makes one of Tuscany's benchmark Vin Santos — amber, nutty, oxidative in the best way. It's a rare find on a KC wine list and worth ordering even if you skip dessert.
Acinum Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
Prosecco as a list opener is fine, but Acinum is a mass-market brand you can find at any grocery store. With wines like the Terre Nere Rosé available, spend your first glass somewhere more interesting.
Tenuta Terre Nere Rosé, Etna, Sicily + Cacio e Pepe
Etna Rosé has the acidity to cut through the fat in the cheese sauce and enough minerality to keep pace with the pepper. It's a volcanic wine meeting a Roman classic, and it works better than you'd expect.
✔️ The Bottom Line
Farina is doing quiet, honest work with its wine list — no flash, no nonsense, just well-chosen bottles that belong next to a bowl of house-made pasta. Yes, send a friend here for wine, especially if they're buying the Arneis.
Crossroads / Westside border (Southwest Boulevard) · Kansas City · Spanish tapas / small plates
La Bodega is the Wild Card Kansas City didn't know it needed — a genuinely Spain-focused wine list with fair pricing and a half-price Monday that should be on everyone's weekly calendar. Send your friends here, especially on a Wednesday when the paella and a Rioja Reserva are waiting.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Active Program
Acceptable
Columbus Park / Downtown Fringe · Kansas City · Classic Italian-American
Garozzo's is a Kansas City institution, and the wine list knows its lane — Italian classics, middle-of-the-road pricing, and zero pretension. Send a friend here for the Spiedini and a Chianti; just don't send them expecting to discover anything new.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Brookside / East Brookside · Kansas City · Seafood-focused American / Oyster Bar
Earl's Premier is a wild card in the best possible way: a thoughtfully curated, seafood-focused wine list hiding in a Kansas City neighborhood spot. Send your oyster-loving friends here and tell them to start with bubbles.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Country Club Plaza · Kansas City · Seafood / Oyster Bar
Jax KC isn't trying to be a wine destination and doesn't need to be — but the list is smarter than the room might suggest, with a few genuine standouts that reward paying attention. Send a friend here for oysters and Sancerre, and tell them to skip the markups on anything California.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Freight House / Crossroads · Kansas City · Italian
Lidia's is a reliable Italian wine destination with a focused list and real sommelier knowledge behind it — the markups sting on the entry-level bottles, but Wednesday half-price wine night changes the math entirely. If you're going any other night, aim high on the list where the value is better.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
Country Club Plaza · Kansas City · Steakhouse Bar
The Capital Grille bar is a reliable destination if someone else is picking up the tab or you're cherry-picking by the glass. The list is deep and well-managed, but the markup math is hard to ignore when you're the one signing the check.
Solid Range
Steep
Varietal Specific
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Occasional
Proper
La Frontera · Round Rock · Italian
Macaroni Grill's wine list is functional in the same way a vending machine is functional — it'll get you a drink, but nobody's excited about it. If wine matters to you even a little, you're better off at almost any independent Italian spot in the area.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Wooster Square · New Haven · Italian
Tre Scalini is the rare neighborhood Italian that backs up a serious room with a serious wine list — 425 bottles, a sommelier, and real Italian depth all say someone's paying attention. Markups run steep on the prestige stuff, but value is absolutely findable if you know where to look.
Deep & Eclectic
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Set & Forget
Proper
The Greene · Dayton · Italian
Bravo is not a wine destination, and it doesn't try to be — but Wednesday nights at the bar with $7 pours of Ruffino Chianti and a pasta dish is genuinely a decent night out in Beavercreek. Skip the wine list the other six nights unless you're okay paying chain markups for supermarket bottles.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
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