Diners twirl their gold forks around strands of pasta, sipping boozy Negronis under candlelight in Florence, Italy. Or — almost Florence. The embossed plaques, ornamented ceilings and marble tables paint the illusion that the small crowd is lounging in a high-end European restaurant. But past heavy curtains, cars zip down 18th Street in Kansas City’s Crossroads.

Chandeliers and tableware gleam. The restaurant’s name, Bar Medici, reminds history pupils of the prominent banking family whose patronage of the arts helped birth the Renaissance. The “M” in its logo echoes the window arches of the Medici Palazzo in Florence.