Week Fifteen - The Classic Cup

The Classic Cup
301 W. 47th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64112

This week we walked down to the plaza to have brunch at The Classic Cup.

From the front

Deb ordered the lox and bagel platter ($12.95).  I ordered the classic eggs benedict ($9.95), ham on the side.  We each ate half of our meal and then switched plates.  Neither of the dishes tasted "bad" but they weren't great, either.  The bagel was very plain.  The hollandaise sauce on the eggs benedict wasn't super flavorful.

Top: lox and bagel platter.  Bottom: classic eggs benedict, ham on the side.

Recommendation:  The atmosphere is pretty neat.  The interior is nice and about a week after we ate here, we realized they have quite a decent sized patio - this might be the only reason we ever go back. If you're looking for a brunch spot, try Genessee Royale, The Restaurant at the Cheshire, or Westport Cafe and Bar.

Week Fourteen- The Westside Local

The Westside Local
1663 Summit Street
Kansas City, MO 64108

We visited this restaurant on a Thursday night where we sat outside in their beer garden on a picnic table. It was a beautiful night out and were joined by great company who recommended this joint!

The Westside Local

The Inside View

It was a late dinner out so Clinton and I decided to share our meal out!

We ordered the Kale Salad ($8- Small Entree) which was our first time having kale. The texture is very different from the lettuce that we are used to but still very delicious. This salad included shaved brussels sprouts, almonds, parmesan, friend shallots and covered with maple-tahini vinaigrette. This salad also came with Brown Sugar Bacon, which Clinton asked for on the side. The Kale Salad was very flavorful and we would definitely recommend!

The main course that we chose to split was the Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger ($12) which was FABULOUS! The burger consisted of cannellini beans, sweet potatoes, red peppers, jalapenos, bread crumbs, quinoa, emmentaler, dwarf sugar pea shots, maple tahini vinaigrette was served on a farm-to-market vegan bun. Clinton was a little hesitant when we first ordered the burger but ended up really enjoying it. It was delicious!! The burger came with a pickle (always a plus) and a choice of a side ... we chose parsley french fries which were very tasty!

Neat Statue Outside of the Restaurant.

After dinner, we went around the corner from The Westside Local and were introduced to a beautiful viewpoint of the city!

Recommendation: We would definitely go back to this restaurant! It was a unique experience where we were able to try new dishes that we definitely enjoyed!

Great outside patio that I would love to go back to sit outside and try their happy hour on Monday-Friday from 3:00-6:00pm.


-Deb 

Week Thirteen - Martin City Brewing Company

Martin City Brewing Company
500 E. 135th Street
Kansas City, Missouri 64145

On April 11, we went to Martin City Brewing Company (MCBC) to end Passover.  For those who don't know - Deb basically couldn't eat carbs for 8 days so we thought no better way to break Passover than pizza (MCBC was up for best pizza on The Feast Magazine).

The layout of the restaurant was interesting - it is actually two different buildings.  One building is the Pizza & Taproom and the other is The Pub.  We sat on the Pizza & Taproom side which was nice - however, we originally wanted to see live music which we later found out was on The Pub's side.  At any rate, we sat at the bar to avoid a wait for a table.  There is also plentiful outdoor seating.  The bar is pretty neat in that it wraps completely around one wall of the restaurant such that you can sit outside or inside and be at the same bar.

Beer list at the bar.

We started off with a couple of beers (each $5.00) - a Blonde Belgian Rye for Deborah and a Belgian IPA for myself.  We each had another beer with dinner - an Abbey ($5.00) for Deborah and a different IPA ($5.50) for myself.  As you might guess, all of the beer is brewed by MCBC.  All of the beer was delicious.

My first IPA of the night

We started diner off with an appetizer of Garlic Cheese Bread ($6.00).  It was great and the pizza sauce for dipping was really good.

Garlic Bread appetizer

 For dinner we split a 12" pizza ($9.75) - half jalapeno and half bruschetta mix.  The bruschetta mix was different than we envisioned but it was awesome - we hadn't had a topping on a pizza like that before.

Pizza Pie

 I ended up buying a growler of the Blonde Rye ($15.00 but is only $10.00 to refill).  They had glass and stainless steel - I opted for glass.

Front of glass growler

"Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it - but sail we must, and not drift, nor lie at anchor." - Oliver Wendell Holmes 

Recommendation: We really enjoyed MCBC and want to go back.  We'd like to go for an afternoon of patio weather and enjoy some live music.  A must try.

-Clint

Week Twelve- BRGR Kitchen + Bar

BRGR Kitchen + Bar
Power & Light Location
11 E. 14th Street
Kansas City, MO 64105

We decided to go to the Power & Light location of BRGR because we were coming from up north and this was on the way home. 

Currently, there is a lot of construction going on around the P&L district because they are putting in a street car that will travel around town. Anywho, we had a hard time finding parking but Clinton being the gentleman he is, dropped me off to get a table and met me shortly after. 

We wanted to sit outside but there was a 30 minute wait. We decided to sit inside at a high-table next to the open doors and were still able to get a breeze. 

View from our seat.

We decided to go with the Truffle Fries ($4.00) as an appetizer. We both really enjoyed! 

Truffle Fries.

BRGR makes homemade ketchup and mustard that was presented on the table. I would definitely recommend the ketchup and it was great with our truffle fries. I was not a huge fan of the mustard (although I am not really a mustard fan either).  

We each ordered a burger/"not-so-burger" and then split an order of some good ol' tots. Tater Tots served with garlic aioli sauce on the side ($5.00). The sauce was good but I preferred to dip my tots in the ketchup. The tots were nothing special.. we really didn't NEED them. 

Tots.

I ordered the VRGR burger ($10.00), listed under the "Not-So-Burger" section on the menu. This burger was made up of lentils, black beans, onions, golden beets, sprouts, tomato, avocado spread and served on a multi-gran bun. I needed a little spice in my life so I ordered a side of jalapeños which were a great touch to this burger. 

I really enjoyed it but there was a sweet-relish type of sauce that I did not care for. It didn't ruin the burger but next time, I would ask for the burger without whatever that sauce was. Delicious black bean burger!

VRGR Burger

Clinton ordered the Mangia Burger ($9.95). His burger was served on an asiago bun and had a parmesan crisp, a fried green tomato and garlic aioli sauce on it. As you can tell by the picture, the toppings for the burger were not very proportional to the size of the burger. 

He really enjoyed the burger but wished it was served with more toppings. 

Mangia Burger.

Recommendation: We both really enjoyed BRGR and would go back to try something new! The service was really good until the end, it took a bit for us to actually get the check. We weren't in a rush but there was a longer wait-time than we hoped for. This location had a nice atmosphere with lots of televisions. We thought would be a fun place to watch a game sometime. We would also like to try their happy hour that is available mon-fri from 3-6pm. 

After dinner, as we walked to the car we stopped in the Cosentino's Market in the Power & Light District. My first time and I thought it was a cute store that seemed like it would be a hoppin' place during lunch time. We didn't buy anything but was still nice to go in and look around. 

Until next time.... 

Deb 

Week Eleven - Westport Cafe and Bar

Westport Cafe and Bar
419 Westport Road
Kansas City, Missouri 64111

If we're ever going to become famous for this blog, we need to stop posting these two weeks late.  Nonetheless:

Brunch time.  We went to the highly acclaimed (maybe I made that up) Westport Cafe and Bar for brunch.

From the outside.

Upon walking in, we were asked whether we had a reservation - we didn't.  We put our names down and were told it would be about 20-25 minutes.  We strolled across the street and took a look at the latest inventory at The Bunker and, although we didn't buy anything, we'll be going back.

We went back to the restaurant to wait for our table - waiting was more difficult than usual as there is no waiting area and you're basically in someone's way no matter where you stand.  The table we wound up with was open for about 5 minutes but it took awhile to get it cleaned & set.

Anyhow - we both knew we were going to order brunch, which comes with a complimentary drink (Bellini, Mimosa, Bloody Mary, coffee, or soft drink).

Westport Cafe and Bar Menu

Deb ordered a Mimosa.  I just asked her what she thought of it: "It was good.  Just an average Mimosa.  Nothing too special.  It was nice that it came with the meal.  My food was delicious though." (We'll get there).

I ordered a Bloody Mary.  It was alright; sometimes I think I like them more than I do.  The pickle and olive garnish were great, though.

Deb's "good, just average" Mimosa and my Bloody Mary.

Unfortunately, my Bloody Mary also came with an extra garnish:

When you see it....
Spoiler alert: it's a hair.

Onto the food. 

Deb ordered the Eggs Norwegian, sauce on the side.  She doesn't ever remember being too fond of Hollandaise sauce but likes it if she can control the amount she gets instead of having her food smothered in it. The lox pieces were a great rendition on a standard Eggs Benedict.  Worth trying for sure.

I ordered the Eggs Benedict, which isn't much of a surprise.  I love a good Benny.  This was as delicious as I've had.

Each of our meals also came with hashbrowns which were great.

Counterclockwise from top left: hashbrowns, Eggs Norwegian (sauce on the side), Eggs Benedict, hashbrowns.

Recommendation: Yes.  However, don't be fooled by the website or menu outside the restaurant as they both have incorrect prices.  We'd definitely go back.  Apparently you also should make a reservation.

After breakfast we strolled through Westport and went into a few antique stores.  All around solid day.

-Clint.

Week Ten - Vito's In The Valley

Vito's In The Valley
138 Chesterfield Towne Centre
Chesterfield, MO 63005

This week, I was in St. Louis for Spring Break! I got to spend time with my family, see my fabulous friends and visit with such great company. Clinton joined me on Friday in St. Louis and we chose Vito's In the Valley for our new restaurant of the week. 

We were out running errands on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and chose to eat at Vito's for lunch.

We ate al fresco and chose to sit on their front patio (they had another larger patio on the side of the restaurant as well). Very Cute! (This restaurant is right behind the International Tap House in the Valley.)

Complimentary Bread and Olive Oil/Balsamic Vinegar was served to us. Fantastic free food.

-Started with an order of bruschetta. DELICIOUS. We have had our fair share of bruschetta at restaurants and this was definitely one of the bests. $6 for five topped crostinis.

We each decided to do the lunch combo that included a 10'' personal pizza (pepperoni, sausage or cheese) and was served with a house salad. $10 per combo.

*Although the menu specifically listed those three toppings, the waitress said it was no problem at all to choose a different topping of choice.

-Clinton got ranch dressing for his house salad (pictured below)
-I chose the House Italian dressing (not pictured)

*Croutons were fabulous!

Although they have a variety of choices on the menu that sounded delicious (paninis, calzones, pasta), we both chose what I always think is the best option, PIZZA PIE. Plus there was the combo option.

-I got a green olive pizza and Clinton chose sausage as his topping choice.

There was an issue with their credit card machine at the end of our time at Vito's which took an extra amount of time but the service overall was great! The inside of the restaurant was very pretty and gave a warm feeling.

On the bright side, we found a Living Social deal that was pay $10 for $20 worth of food at lunch.

Recommendation: We would definitely go back and highly recommend this restaurant!!


The original Vito's is closer to downtown STL, off Lindell Blvd.


We ended the afternoon antiquing around STL and spending time with my family!

Deb

Week Nine - Jun's Sushi

Jun's Sushi
7660 State Line Road
Prairie Village, Kansas 66208

We drew Jun's Sushi this week.  We like this location because it's close to my work, our house, and Hy-Vee!  (We waited until after eating to go grocery shopping so that we would be full - expert move).

We first had to decide where we wanted to sit.  This isn't typically a problem as we're pretty indifferent.  However, Jun's had four options: Sushi Bar, regular bar, dining, or... the location we chose:

This is a view across the aisle from our table to an empty space.  Everyone gets a pillow to sit on and you sit on a a cushioned benching.  At first I thought you had to sit cross-legged but there is actually room to dangle your feet below the table.  Caveat - you must remove your shoes. 

On to the food...

We "started" off with edamame (not pictured) ($4.00).  I say "started" because they "ran out and had to cook a new batch" and it came out late.  Regardless it was delicious.

For dinner we decided to each order an item and split.

I ordered the Hibachi Salmon dinner ($16.00).  This also came with a house salad (not pictured). 

Deb ordered the Spicy Salmon Roll ($5.50).

All of the food was great.  We both really enjoyed the overall experience.

This is how they top it off:

Unique, no?

Finally, even though we didn't go during happy hour, we took a picture of the happy hour menu since it isn't featured on the website's menu.  Note that the prices aren't too different.  Fifty cents here.. five cents there. 

Recommendation: Yes.  There are so many choices that can please a variety of palettes.  Give it a try, especially if you're in the area.  

Until next time,

Clint