Tag Archives: vegetarian restaurants

If you go to KC MO

An equally appropriate title would read, “Go, go to KC MO,” because we enjoyed a wonderful extended weekend in Kansas City.  We dined at some known favorite restaurants and discovered some exciting new dining destinations.

We stayed in the County Club Plaza (or simply, The Plaza) area of Kansas City.  The upside?  Many restaurants and stores within walking distance.  The downside?  Most of those restaurants (and stores), were chain-type establishments (with the exception of Eden Alley).  Not very exciting for these foodies.

With the exceptions of Eden Alley and Füd, all of the restaurants I mention offer both vegetarian and meat options.

Oldies but goodies*

 We started our gustatory adventures at Eden Alley, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant that also uses many local ingredients.  My sister ordered a pineapple bruschetta that was the star of the meal (one of the daily specials, I believe).  I selected the egg salad on greens — it was only okay, definitely not the best egg salad ever.  From past visits, some of the menu stars include the sweet potato burrito and the spinach and mushroom loaf.

For dinner Thursday evening, we hit up Bluebird Bistro.  They focus on local ingredients, with food for vegetarians and carnivores alike.  They make everything from scratch, including ketchup.  Check out their eight for $8 menu served until 8pm, Monday through Friday.  Both the vegetarian shepherd’s pie and the baked egg dish from the $8 menu were fantastic!

We picked Bluebird Bistro knowing that we would return 24-hours later for my brother-in-law’s rehearsal dinner.  Twice in one weekend?  No problem.

*None of these restaurants are all that “old,” but we visited them on past trips.
 
New finds

Thanks to an insider tip (only illegal in stock trading, not restaurant selection), we discovered You Say Tomato, our Friday lunch destination.  Again, focus on high-quality, fresh, local, made-from-scratch foods.   Due to different eating schedules, our party of four managed to eat lunch here twice in one day.  By the time we returned for Sunday brunch, we were regulars.  If you pick one meal to eat here, go for the Sunday brunch (menu changes weekly).  Leek and mushroom galette — yum!
–
We really liked the idea of walking to dinner on Saturday night, but after a bit of foot scouting, we remained nonplussed by the options in The Plaza.  (Eden Alley was closed for a private party.)  Instead, we followed a tip from our friends at You Say Tomato and headed over to The Westside Local.  Perfect choice!  Again, a strong commitment to local, made-from-scratch deliciousness!  I ate the first French fries I’ve had in quite awhile, dipped in homemade ketchup, of course 🙂
 
Saving for later

We saved a few places to explore on our next visit to KC MO: Füd (we think this is pronounced “food”), Room 39, Cafe Seed, and Chez Elle.
–
The Westside Local, Füd, Bluebird Bistro, and Chez Elle create a cluster of fabulous food options at the intersection of Summit Street and 17th Street.  Our ideal return trip includes finding a bed and breakfast somewhere in this neighborhood (any recommendations?).  We plan to travel to Kansas City on Amtrak, bicycles in tow, so we can explore the culinary delights of Kansas City using our favorite form of transportation.