Travel Eats: Kansas City
To celebrate two blissful years of dating, the BF and I spent a long weekend in Kansas City!!
KC is a fab mini vacay spot for us Central Nebraskans because it’s a short (5 hour drive) and there are lots of fun things to do!
Before I discuss the fun things we did in KC, I must talk about the food!
I wouldn’t say I made the healthiest choices while in Kansas City. Barbecue restaurants don’t have a lot of healthy options. I could have passed on the onion rings or fries, but I went all in. I think I ate more fried food during this weekend than I’ve eaten in the past six months. Luckily, the BF and I did go running both Saturday and Sunday mornings. (Photo above). It’s such a fun way to see a city. We found a hike/bike trail near our hotel and found a jogging loop near the Plaza. Hopefully the running cancelled out the bad food choices : )
Here’s what we ate:
Korma Sutra, 4113 Pennsylvania Ave., Westport
Westport is a hip neighborhood with lots of bars and restaurants and cool boutiques. We went to Bunker, where we were each treated with a Miller High Life while we shopped. I had the best Indian food I’ve ever had at Korma Sutra. I had Chicken Dansak and the BF had Chicken Tikka Masala, which we ate with rice and garlic naan. After dinner, we were treated with a small piece of Mango Kulfi, mango ice cream on a tooth pick. Then we were given Badam Kheer, a rice pudding, and some kind of sweet doughy ball with a sticky outside. Whatever it was, it blew my mind. They then brought us chai tea. Our meal was around $30 for both of us!! We walked away very satisfied.
http://www.kckormasutra.net/korma.php
Oklahoma Joe’s, 3002 W. 47th St.
This is one of Kansas City’s most famous barbecue spots (it’s Anthony Bourdain’s fave KC restaurant). It’s located in a gas station and there is always a line out the door. I had a pulled chicken barbecue sandwich and onion rings. It was messy and amazing.
http://www.oklahomajoesbbq.com/
Brio Tuscan Grille, 502 Nichols Road, Plaza
After a long day of shopping, we nixed our plans to get dressed up and go to the Majestic or another jazz club/restaurant. We didn’t head out to dinner until nearly 10 p.m. We stopped at the first restaurant in the Plaza that looked open and affordable. We had calamari, which was OK. I had a salad and tomato bisque soup. The soup was delish. The best part of my meal was the Basil Pear Fizz cocktail I ordered!!
Big Momma’s Bakery, 2450 Grand, Crown Center
We stopped by Crown Center (which was a disappointment) in the afternoon and I was lured into this bakery by the name and the cupcakes in the display case. I got a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting and saved it until after dinner. I ate it while laying in bed at our hotel. If I could eat a cupcake in bed every day, I would.
http://www.bigmommasrolls.com/
Arthur Bryant’s, 1702 Village West Parkway
We ate at the location near Legends because we planned to do some shopping then we went to a Sporting KC game (which was amazing!). The original location is at 1727 Brooklyn Ave. near the Historic Jazz District. Arthur Bryant’s is one of the first barbecue restaurants in KC and was founded in the 1920’s. I feel bad saying this because of its history, but the food was not good. I ordered a turkey sandwich (the only non-beef or pork option besides an entire chicken) and fries. I thought mine might have been bad because I didn’t order beef or pork. The BF and I met my aunt and uncle (who live in Kansas) there and no one loved the food. So it wasn’t just me. The barbecue sauce was pretty good though. But one can’t make a meal out of sauce.
http://www.arthurbryantsbbq.com/index.htm
Five Guys Burgers and Fries, 1803 Village West Parkway
We grabbed a quick dinner before heading to the Sporting KC game. The BF had always wanted to try Five Guys burgers. If you don’t eat beef, the only options are a veggie sandwich (lettuce and tomato between two buns) or a grilled cheese sandwich. I went for the grilled cheese for obvious reasons. It was probably the worst grilled cheese sandwich I have ever eaten. It was two hamburger buns with a slice of American cheese. I basically ate my weight in French fries for dinner to fill up. I think the BF liked his burger. I didn’t really pay attention, I was consumed with my dislike for my sandwich.
We did more than just eat in Kansas City! Here’s what else we did:
American Jazz Museum: This museum has tons of historical info about American jazz, has lots of interactive exhibits that allow you to create music or listen to music and has cool artifacts such as Charlie Parker’s plastic saxophone and a sequin dress worn by Ella Fitzgerald. An older gentleman working at the museum told us interesting stories about the early jazz scene in Kansas City. The museum is located on 18th Street and Vine, the historic jazz district.
The Plaza: I’ve always loved the Plaza. I used to come here with my family as a child during the holidays when everything is bright with Christmas lights. The area is just as fab other times of year. The BF and I had a super fun time dreaming about purchasing all the pricey furniture at Restoration Hardware. Photo above. There’s also a Sur La Table, an amazing kitchen store!!
The Legends: If you like to shop and like to find deals, this is a fab shopping center. Banana Republic, BCBG, White House Black Market, Nike, Adidas and Saks Fifth Avenue outlets!!!
Sporting KC: This was my first Major League Soccer game and it was soooooo much fun!!! The fans were crazy and amazing. I’ve never been a soccer fan, but I may be becoming one. I’m excited to go to another MLS game!
Places we missed, but wanted to see:
Boulevard Brewery Tour: I waited too long to book a tour and it was filled.
Nelson-Atkins Art Museum: We just ran out of time to go to this museum, but drove by to check out the outdoor sculptures. The huge shuttlecocks on the lawn are very cool.
Westport Bar and Cafe: One of my Twitter followers recommended this restaurant. It sounds great, but we ran out of time.
Places to skip:
Crown Center: If you don’t have children, don’t go here. The shopping isn’t great and there isn’t much to see.
