mizzouatheart "Homegrown Foodie"

The Farmhouse is in the former Delaware Cafe space and is beautifully redecorated to feel rustic yet modern with pale green walls, contemporary sofas but dark wooden tables, a black china cabinet and black painted wood chairs. The food is locally grown and seasonal. On my first visit, I enjoyed a veggie sandwich and side garden salad. While I enjoyed the salad, the sandwich was somewhat lacking in veggies (mostly portobello mushroom and summer squash) and thus a disappointment although the focaccia bread was delicious. However, I sampled my dining partner’s french fries with homemade ketchup. Absolutely outstanding, perfectly crisp on the outside, tender on the inside and salty! On a return visit, I ordered the heirloom tomato salad and enjoyed the accompanying mixed greens, fresh mozzarella (divine!), prosciutto, crispy leeks and black pepper-port vinaigrette. Great combination, especially the leeks! I topped it off with a piece of homemade rhubarb-pear pie that was garnsihed with a single blackberry. I had never had this fruit combination before, but the sweetness of the pear and the tartness of the rhurbarb worked well together and the crust was sugary and chewy, absolutely divine!
Next time I will check out the patio for brunch!

I visited Zest on a whim after picking up fresh produce from the Mission Farms farmer’s market. I had my toddler son with me and was not sure what to expect since it looked like a nice place. However, I had read the KC Star review in which the reviewer’s children enjoyed the food and took a chance. I was not disappointed. We were immediately seated in a quiet area of the restaurant although it was fairly busy. They provided great entertainment (i.e., crayons) for Alex and a clean high chair.

I was very pleased with the offerings but had to go with the meatloaf since it has received the most attention. It was amazing. The meatloaf, a combination of ground sirloin, veal and pork, had a dense but not tough texture with that wonderful chewy crust. Not bland at all and not greasy. Two large slices of it, too! The wild mushroom demi-glace was rich and not too thick. The garlic mashed potatoes were also creamy and rich, but the herb-roasted roma tomatoes were disappointing. They lacked flavor and were mealy, which surprised me given the farmers market tomatoes available outside. I LOVE the options on the kid’s menu and chose mac-n-cheese with fresh green beans for my son. He adored both dishes and I had to sneak a few bites myself! Nice to have healthier side dish options on a kids’ menu.

My three favorite things about this place are: 1) the great location in the Crossroads Arts District; 2) the way they open up the space when the weather is nice; and 3) very simple yet fantastic pizza.

The restaurant has a huge oven and you can watch them tossing the dough. The crust of these pizzas are perfectly crisp yet tender and full of flavor. The sauces vary based on what pizza you choose but none of them contain an overwhelming amount of sauce. I’ve had the pesto and tomato sauces and both are great. If you tend to like lots of sauce and toppings, this is not your place. But if you want a more authentic pizza that is focused on the dough with a lighter yet high quality assortment of toppings, you will love Pizza Bella.

Trezo Mare is located in the upscale Briarcliff Village Shoppes and is an Italian seafood restaurant. It’s interior is large and spacious yet warm due to the richness of the decor.

I was with a large group and so I got to view a lot of menu choices as well as try many appetizers. The crab dip is rich and decadent but the salmon skewers with wild mushrooms were the best—very flavorful. I love bruschetta and tried their sampler but was disappointed as the individual portions were tiny and came out cold. I want to try it again sometime, though, because the bruschetta sampler has four different types which I think is a great idea for sharing.

For my entree I chose the ahi tuna sliders that are served with cucumber slaw, fried wontons and an avocado spread on a brioche bun. The entree portion is two sliders and a side of edamame with papaya salt. I enjoyed the dish but think it would be better if they either used a larger piece of tuna or a less overwhelming bun as it was hard for the taste of the tuna to come through. I did not taste any hint of the papaya in the salted edamame but that was fine with me. Finally, I finished with a warm berry compote with vanilla ice cream that used fruit from the local farmer’s market. The fruit tasted fantastic and the “crisp” part was okay although not the best I’ve had. Overall, this is a great place to meet a large group despite our long wait between courses.

I cannot recommend Extra Virgin enough. Located in the Crossroads District, it is a more casual eatery from Michael Smith and located right next door to his flagship restaurant. The concept is tapas from the basic to the exotic and the menu changes seasonally. I have made three visits in the past several weeks and was never disappointed.

BIG TIP: most of their tapas are half-price from 11am-6pm so this is a fantastic value for lunch.

The decor is earthy and warm with some beautiful ironwork in an olive pattern. The servers are knowledgeable and bring your food out in stages so you enjoy the meal at a nice pace. There are way too many great dishes, but I have greatly enjoyed the cabrito tacos, the ahi tuna tacos, pane con tomate, chicken with chorizo and figs, lemony salad with goat cheese, watermelon and tomato salad, shrimp gratin, and turkish lamb meatballs. The wild boar and baked mussels were okay but not my favorites. There is truly something for everyone on the menu here, from the picky eater to the foodie extraordinaire. Try it today!!!!

If you are a fan of the soup/sandwich/salad lunch with a homey atmosphere, this is your place. Located in Columbus Park, Happy Gillis is the kind of neighborhood place that is comfy, casual and creative all at once.

The restaurant got its start with owners who made creative soups but have expanded the menu to include breakfast and lunch offerings. Their cold soups are fantastic. I’ve had the classic gazpacho and a red beet gazpacho that were both excellent. The fresh warm corn soup was brilliant with a potato base and plenty of fresh corn and bacony flavor. The curried chicken salad with cashews is my favorite sandwich although I had a special veggie sandwich that was packed with zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese on foccacia that was divine. Great to go or for a casual meal with friends, please check this place out.

Two drawbacks: seating is limited and they don’t open for breakfast until 8am which makes it hard for the business breakfast crowd.

This longtime institution on the Country Club Plaza offers the best people-watching if you sit in their streetside cafe dining area. They also have a nice, roomier back patio with umbrellas to shade you from the summer sun.

The drinks at this place are fantastic. I love their margaritas, bloody marys and wine selection. We went there for brunch on Father’s Day and were seated right away in the streetside area. My husband ordered a special, the steak and blue salad, a hearty salad with plenty of crisp greens, nice medium rare steak and generous amounts of blue cheese. He did not care for the dried cranberries but I thought they added the perfect sweetness. I ordered the Turkey Hot Brown, two English muffins topped with smoked turkey, thick-sliced bacon and a sharp cheddar cheese sauce with seasonal vegetables. I chose this dish because I wanted something to share with our toddler son and I thought he would eat it as well, and he did. I was really impressed with the bacon and the sauce tasted great, not like cheese wiz as I feared.

I will forever love this restaurant because years ago when I was there for a networking breakfast, I found out I left my credit/debits cards at home and had no cash. The server let me go home and call them with the card number.

As a KC area native who has also lived in the mid-Atlantic where Carolina barbecue is king and in Texas where barbecue is also an art, I still believe the best barbecue in the country is in Kansas City, and this is one of the best places to get it.

The dish I most frequently order the Poor Russ sandwich which is burnt ends on a bun with fries. Their burnt ends are amazing, with large chunks of meat with just the right amount of thick sauce.

Their large, cornmeal-crusted onion rings are our favorite appetizer, cooked to perfection with a very crisp yet tender crust and soft and sweet onion centers.

The last time I was there I ordered the Kansas City Combo which offers a choice of two meats plus fries and cole slaw. I chose the smoked turkey and the pork ribs. Their turkey is delicious and a light choice; but the ribs are tender perfection!

Two last comments: 1) this is a fantastic place to take kids as it is plenty loud and they are well-prepared for them; and 2) the smoky meat smell of the place is fabulous and hits you the minute you walk in the door! (It also lingers so keep this in mind if you have plans after dinner!) Great for carryout, too!!!

I love Red Snapper and wish I thought of it more often. Located on Ward Parkway near Target, it offers Asian dishes in a clean, contemporary and comfortable setting. I have met friends there for lunch on several occasions and I understand their happy hour is fantastic although I admit I have not tried it. I love going there for lunch because you get a lot for the money, including your choice of a wide variety of entres, soup, smoked salmon rangoon and choice of rice for less than $10. The last time I was there I ordered the shrimp pad thai with the hot and sour soup and it did not disappoint. The shrimp is large, plump and full of flavor. While pad thai at a lot of places does not include a lot of veggies, and perhaps that is more authentic, this veggie lover appreciated the asparagus and other veggies tossed in. The smoked salmon rangoon is an interesting and delicious take on the traditional crab rangoon and quite tasty. It is also a very family-friendly place and great for carryout, too. They have often provided me with free soda while I wait for pick-up. A great place!

Swagger surprises. You walk in to what looks like an ordinary blue-collar pub with mirrored backdrop to the bar, wooden booths and hard rock music blaring. The food is far more creative and tasty than the offerings in a typical bar! My husband, a self-fancied connoisieur of Buffalo wings, found these to be large, meaty and the perfect sticky consistency, although, as always, he had to ask for more blue cheese. I tried them and had to agree that they were fantastic. Turns out that, according to the Star, the proprieters have a lot of experience smoking meat and participating in barbecue competitions and it definitely shows in the menu. The first time I visited I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and substituted their wasabi coleslaw for the traditional fries. The pulled pork was perfectly juicy and tender and the sandwich was gigantic. The slaw had just a subtle heat and was garnished with black sesame seeds, a nice touch. I’ve also sampled the Srirachi Burger, which is a tempura-battered Angus burger topped with Srirachi hot sauce, Asian mustard, pepper jack cheese and the wasabi slaw. Our server assured us that the tempura batter did not make the dish additionally heavy, and I have to agree although no burger that big is really light. You can order the same toppings on a portobello burger as well. Both are tasty.

Other than wishing they’d turn the music down a bit, this is one place that is not to be missed. This is a pub where they take the quality and creativity of food very seriously.