Vita's Place

Vita’s Place is Ryan and Jenny Sciara’s East Coast-inspired wine bar at 5514 Oak St in the Crestwood Shops, Brookside — opened mid-December 2023. Named after Ryan’s Italian paternal grandmother. 200+ wines, 25–30 vermouths, gin and tonic build-your-own, “Vermouth Hour.” The Sciaras also own Underdog Wine Co., their Brookside wine shop. KC Magazine covered the opening.

Description

Vita’s Place is Ryan and Jenny Sciara’s East Coast-inspired wine bar in the Crestwood Shops in Brookside — opened in mid-December 2023 at 5514 Oak St, a few doors from Underdog Wine Co., the Sciaras’ wine shop of approximately a decade. The bar is named after Ryan’s Italian paternal grandmother. The wine program is deliberately expansive: 200+ wines and 25–30 vermouths, with gin and tonic as a build-your-own option and “Vermouth Hour” replacing the standard happy hour. The Sciaras describe it emphatically as a wine bar, not a craft cocktail bar. Interior design is by John O’Brien of Hammer Out Design (who also designed Bacaro Primo, Earl’s Premier, and the Golden Ox), with a dark wood bar, mustard yellow subway tile backsplash from local ceramicist Andy Brayman, and seating on two levels: 34 on the top floor and 20 in the basement. Kansas City Magazine covered the opening.

Menu

Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Source: Vita’s Place official site (Our Food) · URL(s): https://www.vitasplace.com/mangia · Confidence: High (official menu; prices not published online)

Vita’s Place pairs a wine-forward East Coast list with a rotating menu of Italian-leaning small plates and shared dishes; breads are baked in small batches by Blackhole Bakery.¹

Toasts & Small Plates

• Whipped Ricotta Toast — honey and Calabrian chilies¹
• Wild Mushroom Toast — mushroom pâté, arugula, aged balsamic¹
• Patatas Bravas — roasted fingerlings, brava sauce¹
• Roasted Broccoli — garlic-anchovy sauce, pickled chilies¹
• Marinated White Anchovies — red peppers, roasted garlic and oregano¹
• Truffled Chicken Liver Mousse — quince jam and garlic toast points¹
• Grilled Long Stem Artichokes — paprika aioli¹

Breads & Shared

• Toasted Sourdough Focaccia — marinated olives, cheese fondue¹
• Mozzarella Stuffed — tomato/olive dip¹
• Burrata y Limone — lemon, basil and olive oil¹

Larger Plates

• Bolognese Meatballs — garlicky tomato sauce¹
• Oil Cured Italian Tuna — tonnato sauce, olives and roasted peppers¹
• Prime Beef Carpaccio — arugula, Parmigiano Reggiano, preserved lemon¹
• Pacific Salmon Tartare — scallion, chives, lemon¹
• New York Striploin — roasted fingerlings, herbed butter¹

Dessert

• Burnt Basque Cheesecake¹
• Tiramisu¹
• Tuscan Olive Oil Cake¹
• Dark Chocolate Torte¹
• Torta della Nonna¹
• Ricotta Cake¹
• Tiramisu Cookies¹

Wine & Spirits

• Wine — East Coast-inspired list, served in 3 oz and 5 oz pours¹
• Vermouth, gin, agave spirits, aperitifs and digestifs — curated selection¹

Links

• Vita’s Place — official website

Sources

Footnotes

1. Vita’s Place — official menu (accessed 2026-07-14). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵