Harrison Ford had dinner this week at one of Wichita’s newest fine dining restaurants
Thursday marks day four of Harrison Ford’s 2024 visit to Wichita, and if he follows his normal pattern, he should be jetting off in his Cessna Citation Sovereign any time now.
But before he goes, Ford has — per usual — been taking advantage of Wichita’s restaurant scene, and a couple of more reports about where he’s eaten have trickled in.
To review: Ford arrived in Kansas around 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, landing — according to the website CelebrityPrivateJetTracker.com — at the Anthony Municipal Airport, about 60 miles southwest of Wichita.
On Monday morning, he had breakfast at what has become over the past five years his most regular Wichita haunt: the HomeGrown breakfast and brunch restaurant at 645 E. Douglas — just off of Naftzger Park. Monday night, he was spotted enjoying a steak and a nice bottle of wine at Scotch & Sirloin, Mike Issa’s fine-dining steakhouse at 5325 E. Kellogg.
He was back at HomeGrown Tuesday morning, where he was noticed by a group of men from Oklahoma passing through town on their way to Minnesota. They picked up the star’s breakfast tab.
Thanks to Eagle-eyed Wichitans, a couple of Ford’s next meal stops have been accounted for. On Tuesday night, Ford enjoyed dinner at Lotte — Chef Josh Rathbun’s new restaurant at 320 S. Market.
Ford “seemed to have a great time,” Rathbun said, noting that he ordered a simple salad and the suckling pig. “We tried to give him his space and let him enjoy his meal. He was very nice and treated our staff very well.”
Though we can assume that Ford the foodie dined somewhere on Wednesday, so far, we haven’t been able to ascertain where.
But on Thursday morning, after a one-day break, he was back at the downtown HomeGrown for breakfast, sitting with a male companion in a booth just inside the door, according to an eyewitness.
Manager Brian Donnelly said he was at a meeting and missed seeing Ford on Thursday, but his manager confirmed he was there.
“It was a very incognito visit,” Donnelly said. “He was in and out.”
One other detail to share: A former employee at FlightSafety International in Wichita emailed The Eagle to say that Ford does not, as most people believe, come to Wichita to get his jet serviced. He could do that at a number of different service centers around the country.
What Ford really comes to do is meet with the instructors at FlightSafety, whose Cessna Learning Center is at 1951 Airport Road. These are the pilots who Ford trusts and who have helped train him to fly the various Citation jets he’s owned over the years. They’re the pilots who “help keep him flying safely at age 81,” the source said.
If you happen to spot Ford before he leaves Wichita — or if you happened to have seen him out and about on Wednesday — let us know. You can email dneil@wichitaeagle.com and share any after-the-fact photos or stories you get.
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