While Julie Andrews may reminisce about cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, some of my favorite things are accessible right here in Kansas City every day.
When I review a restaurant, the best reviews are handed off to places that manage to do several things right.
ELeigh
Bluestem – anything Van concocts or Jeremy pours to drink. French toast and crispy bacon from the brunch menu. Mmmm, the perfect Sunday.
R Bar – elderberry something-cocktail garnished w/ a cucumber. Hope for spring. Very Manifesto-ish cocktail menu.
Cafe Verona in Indy Square – the spicy chicken orecchiette pasta.
JP Coffee – maple spice latte. Like waffles in your coffee cup.
M&S Grill – great happy hour menu, and Chef Nathan’s red velvet cupcakes are delish!
Capital Grille – classic Stoli Doli, filet mignon, any potato on the menu. Friendly leadership from Kyle in his pinstripe suits.
Waldo Pizza – thin crust or honey wheat. Cold beer.
SoHo Cafe – salads and homemade soups that change daily for lunch.
Ponak’s & Cactus Grille & Jose Peppers – queso 🙂
rick
Well if Costco gets a shout out then i won’t feel bad about saying pancakes at Perkins. they are light and fluffy plus you get an assortment of syrups.
I think its an acquired taste but the crumbly hamburger from Maid Rite
Chessy eggs and grits Waffle House
The cream cheese danishes from Mclains Bakery if you can find them open. They have wierd hours. I stopped by their three times last week and they were closed
Black walnut fudge Laura Littles
Baked beans from Jack Stack
Dry roast beef sandwich from Rosedales barbecue. Unlike most barbecue places their beef doesn’t have fat all along the sides.
They’ve discontinued them but I loved chessy tots from Burger King.
Rolls and cobbler from The Peach Tree.
rick
Corner Cafe has great chicken and noodles and banana split and banana cream pie to die for.
rick
I love the strawberry short cake buckets from KFC also.
Dino
Rick…I can see you only dine at the finest places.
bschloz
Nice post… Ok I’ll play..I’m qualified with 40″ waist
DoNuts…Ridgewood Donuts
Burgers…Flea….Big Boy…Hi-Boy…
Paul’s….Johnnny Rays..Winnie’s
BBQ…Danny Edwards is Killing it
Ribs…Gates
Rotisserie Chicken..Jack Gage
Pizza…Rosati’s…George’s…FunHouse
Mexican…Frontera’s…Mi Ranchito
Salads…Mixx….Ingredient..M&S(best wedge)
Wings….still hard to beat Peanut
Ok now I’m hungry!
rick
Yeah you can save that $50.00 Quiche and tail of a lobster for someone else. Ain’t me. I want real food not some asparagus spears laced with ginger cretin module sauce.
Cinnamon rolls from Strouds and their turkey Thursday special at the Mission location. Awesome.
rick
Hope we do a story on places we miss. I miss Black Eyed Pea, Rax roast beef, and Nichols.
CCG
Mmmm….Rick, asparagus, eggs, and lobster are real food. Cinnamon rolls laced with high fructose corn syrup and turkey that has pressed with transglutaminase and seasoned with MSG is not real food. Good food is expensive because it is hand crafted without shortcuts and chemicals…..Cheap food is made in a big factory where bulk buying pushes cost down…This is why people who make real food are forced to pay high prices and in turn push that to the customer. God I love old school America where ignorance runs so deep.
jjskck
Mexican – Taqueria Arandas @ 79th and State in the old IHOP
BBQ – Lots of places, but every so often I love a Jayhawker on Garlic Toast @ RJ’s, 84th and Parallel. That + crinkle fries = happy.
Burger – IMHO, it gets no better than the Bluestem kobe burger with blue cheese. At $7 with truffled fries, it is a steal.
I still haven’t found that “destination pizza”. Lots of very good stuff, but nothing transcendent. That said, I really like Italian Delight @ Indian Springs (yes, somehow it’s still open) and Old Shawnee Pizza.
rick
Gee CCG I made half that stuff up…..you think their really is a ginger cretin sauce? I guess you are right ignorance runs deep. And no, good food does not have to be expensive. That is something many high dollar restaurants have brain washed you with. They give you a plate with those 4 asparagus spears and charge you $50.00 for the ambiance and service. Meanwhile you can create this thing in your back yard. It’s called a garden. It requires little money but lots of time. So if you are one of the many America’s paying top dollar for stuff you can grow in your garden…YOU’VE BEEN FOOLED. FIGHT BACK. Don’t let them take advantage of your lack of knowledge and awareness.
You are right. Corn syrup is bad for you and your body is not designed to break it down. But you can make cinnamon rolls with sugar.
Read Fast Food nation. Become educated CCG.
Turkey is good for you. Just understanding the processing.
health guru
Rick is right. Here are some other tips to help you.
1-Eat in more often.
2-Drink TAP WATER. get a water filter and if you need to travel with water get a METAL reusable water bottle.
3-Ban the can. Try not to eat things stores in cans.
4-Read the food label.
5-Go organic.
6-Wash your produce.
7-Ease up on the animal fats.
8-Avoid grilling. Which increases cancer risk.
Lisa Janesko
Chicken w/ Black Bean Sauce
Lisa Janesko
@ Blue Koi
amanda
You Say Tomato has the best bierocks on the planet, and excellent biscuits and gravy.
Bill Lavery
You can order anything on the menu at Happy Gillis and be thrilled. I have never been disappointed at Grinder’s, Vietnam Cafe, either.
You need to get Harry’s Country Club into the mix and while you are there you might as well stop in at Baby Cakes.
rick
Always looking for good b&G. Town Topic is pretty good.
Rick
Where can i find a good pot roast?
CCG
Geee…I’ve been duped all along!
Me needs to go back and get some learnin’ about all these fancy shmancy restaurants pullin’ the lamb wools over my eyes YEEEE HAWWW…..idiots
jjskck
If you want a twist on a good pot roast, try Blue Koi. Their Chinese pot roast is excellent.
greg
Best cheap/fast and tasty pot roast is at O’Neill’s (95th & Mission)
LisaJ is dead on with the Chk/BlkBn Sauce at the Blue Koi. I get it with the noodles on Fridays just as a treat to myself for making it thru the week. Had it today at Mission Farm’s BK.
Best Burger: The Well’s is hard to beat w/ the grilled onions. But when I’m needing a burger those Culver’s butter burgers are my mainstays.
Latest find is the toasted roast beef sandwich at Whole Foods’ deli counter. $7 worth of heaven.
Rick
Culvers is awesome. Usually a double. Have not ate enough of 5 guys to decide where they stand. But my all time best burger was a trailer down at the American Royal. Sadly both the husband and then wife died so I don’t believe they come any more. You would sometimes have to wait 1 hr for it but it was worth it. very greasy. But in a flavorsome way if that makes sense.
I will try to the roast beef sandwich and beef pot roast. Thanks for the insight.
CCG you by any chance related to Sarah Palin she gets fooled a lot by fancy shancy stuff also? And my concern is they are charging you $125.00 for that wool they are pulling over your eyes and then making you eat it. Oh well hopefully we all live and learn. Maybe I’ll see you at Dagwoods sometime so u b gitting some real eating and not messing around with all that stuffed shirt things. No reservations needed.
hearne
One question: is Culver’s Butter Burger a worthy alternative for Winstead’s Steakburger?
ELeigh
The best burger, Hearne, is at Pal’s in East Tennessee. The Sauceburger. It’s reason enough to visit home more often!
Rainbow Man
Please help yourself and do this. Old Shawnee Pizza is the best pizza you will ever have in Kansas City. I am not kidding. You will travel back to the first sensory experience you have ever had with pizza. I am serious… Now, you will have to go to Old Shawnee or Maple Hill in KCK— but it is the best pizza out there… Panel walls, pinball machines, draw beer… the whole nine yards. Just order a basic pepperoni.. You will thank me for this.. Order a pepperoni pizza on your first visit… you can branch out later. Waldo and Old Shawnee Pizza are absolutely the best pizzas in KC… but OSP gets the edge. No I am not an employee or owner, or even a friend of an employee or owner.
JimmyD
The 300 burger at Retro Bowl in Liberty is one tasty burger
Rick
To answer your question Hearne. yes
Rick
I’ve never had the burger at retro bowl but the tater tots and grill cheese are awesome. Fair price also. I’ll check out your recommendation Rainbow.
ShawnF
Burgers: Woodwether Cafe on 9th in the bottoms.
Burgers sub for Winsteads: Harvey House inside of Union Station
Sweet Potato Fries: Trolley’s in OP, the only ones I know who use brown sugar and cinnamon
B&G: again, Harvey House…amazing, simply amazing
Desert: gotta go Napoleon’s Bakery in Westport, anything in the window will work. A close second is pie from Mom’s Diner (formerly at 39th and Bell, now in the old Nichol’s Lunch local)
and for Pizza, or the best hot dog in town, you can’t go wrong with the Pizza Man on 103rd and Pflumm. The best Chicago style everything, including Italian beef with giardiniera.
mermaid
Ok lets talk some sushi. Calamari roll-Ra Crazy Monkey Roll-Kyoto Yellowtail Sashimi-Ra Tino Roll-Kyoto Las Vegas Roll-Kyoto Now some Thai- Basil Fried rice-Thai Orchid Shrimp soup-Thai Place Some nice dishes at Hot Basil as well. Someone give me some good advice on their fav sushi and thai!
Rainbow Man
Thai Orchid is awesome and I hear there is a good one on 95th and Metcalf.
jjskck
Rainbow Man – Bangkok Pavilion (at 97th just west of Metcalf) is good, and it has the added bonus of having a lunch buffet. I really like lunch buffets at ethnic restaurants because you get to really try a bunch of things.
jjskck
And I left out that Thai Orchid in Mission is actually my favorite Thai restaurant. I have the menu numbers programmed into my phone so I can order carryout on a whim.