>I'm planning a driving/eating trip where I'll be flying into >Chicago and eventually making it to Kansas City and hopefully >St. Louis. I'd like to get opinions on the can't miss >restaurants in either of the three cities. Here's a KC restaurant guide I've already had put together. Move over Chicago.... Print it out and take with you. ____________________ KC Restaurants In Kansas City, MO... The Plaza, West 39th and Southwest Blvd restaurant districts particularly standout. There are also a few good places in Downtown, Crown Center and City Market. And then there is the Southern Johnson County scene if you're in South KC. The Plaza (around West 47th) is a notable district for upscale restaurants. GRAND ST CAFE is very comfortable - one of the best American Bistros according to some bistro mag. HOUSTONS(steak), JULES (seafood), PLAZA III (steakhouse, semi-formal), HIBACHI (japanese), EDEN ALLEY (funky, vege friendly), STARKERS RESERVE (exceptional, formal, top notch wine list), CLASSIC CUP (mediterranean, nice sidewalk patio), Le RENDEVOUS (excellent sidewalk french bistro, just quiche and tarts), PARKWAY 600 (upscale, great patio), JAPENGO (new, pacific grill, great patio), FOUNTAIN CAFE (french quarter/cajun, rooftop patio), O'DOWDS (irish, rooftop patio), JJ's (upscale, one of six best wine/scotch selections in the world according to Wine Spectator), TOMFOOLERIES (bar&grill), GRANDFALOON (sports bar&grill), WINSTEADS (great 50's burger diner), ANDRE'S CONFISERIE (swiss tearoom) are all very good Plaza area restaurants. Upscale chain restaurants include Cheesecake Factory, Canyon Cafe (southwestern) and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. JARDINE'S is an excellent jazz club/restaurant just east of The Plaza. All of these places are within walking distance of each other. BBQ! Most suggest ARTHUR BRYANT'S but it's only for those who care for fatty meat. Many suggest KC MASTERPEICE (the plaza) for BBQ but the quality has been poor lately - however the baby back ribs are still excellent. GATES BBQ on Main in Midtown is good. WINSLOWS BBQ in City Market is very good. SMOKESTACK in Martin City and on Wornall is a personal favorite (most lean). JAKES BBQ off of the Plaza and Lil' JAKES Downtown (small dive) are good. ZARDA in Lenexa is consistently very good. Good BBQ seems to be individually subjective in KC - there are so many varieties of sauces and methods of smoking that you must try many to understand KC BBQ. Ones favorite is anothers disgust - there are over 100 BBQ restaurants and the "best" are out in the small towns. West 39th "Restaurant Row" (39th & State Line) has a variety of eclectic, funky and upscale restaurants. CAFE ALLEGRO (upscale to formal, considered one of KC's best), VECO (upscale bistro), d'BRONX (excellent deli, play checkers/chess, BYOB), GENGHIS KHAN (mongolian), BLUE NILE (ethiopian), Tribal Grill (hummus/mezze fix) Pyramid Cafe on Broadway (middle eastern), JAZZ (excellent cajun), Fric&Frac (massively trippey biker chick diner/bar), Macaluso's (pseudo-italian, very good), Otto's Malt Shop (very hip, used to be a service garage) are all great places on W.39th. There are wonderful bohemian coffee houses and funky stores too. Southwest Blvd (southwest of Downtown) has many good authentic Mexican, Spanish and Mediterranian restaurants. Check out Margaritas, Blvd Cafe, Cafe Barcelona, Shiraz and Manny's. Ponaks, Red Headed Mexican, Casa De Fajitas are also pretty good. California Taqueria is a bit too authentic - I sometimes wonder where the chicken came from. Downtown is going through major renovations (over $2B) in the next few years and is not much of a destination point yet at night. Midtown (30th to 50th) is where the night time action is. Nevertheless, Downtown/Crown Center/City Market have several places that stand out. Savoy Grill (formal lobster/steak), American Restaurant (4 star traditional), Winslows (BBQ), Club 427 (pastas, steaks, jazz), BlueBird (vegetarian), Garazzos (italian), Hereford House (very good steak), LaSalla's (italian deli dive), Le Fou Frog (excellent french), Peppercorn Duck Club (traditional) are all worth a visit. Johnson County (Kansas) standouts are Yia Yias (upscale eclectic), Bristol (upscale seafood), La Mediterranee (french), Tatsu's (french), India Palace (indian), Bo Ling's (hunan), Jun's (japanese) and too many others I've heard about but have yet to visit. The Plaza (around W.47th) is a good place for tourists to go for daytime activity but the WESTPORT district (just north of The Plaza) is at its best after 11PM and has many great bars, live music, coffeehouses, and a few good restaurants: Californo's, Metropolis (trendy nouveau), Jerusalem Cafe, Mesa Wraps, Mill Creek Brewery and one of the best kept secrets in KC that you didn't hear from me - STOLEN GRILL (new yorky - about 12 tables, very good, difficult to get in). In Westport, definitely check out Harry's Tables (upscale bar, tapa's, one of best real american bars - cigar aficionado) and Kelly's (downscale in your face bar). Also try KC's best ice cream at Murray's. Great underground/drag theatre at Wesport Coffeehouse and Unicorn Theater. Other great bars around Westport: Grand Emporium (blues/jazz/reggae, has a soul you can breathe in), Hurricane (modern rock), Harlings(blues/jazz), 39 on Main (jazz restaurant/bar), Velvet Dog (martini fix), Liquid Lounge (trippey). If you're into gambling, there are 5 large casinos along the river. Nelson Atkins Museum is a top 10 US art museum. Nearby Kemper Museum is a respected modern museum. A $250M science museum is under construction. A new major ($27M) jazz museum and Negro Leagues Baseball museum is at 18th & Vine just east of Downtown and the jazz scene is thriving with several dozen jazz venues. There are over 50 art galleries in Midtown/Downtown area, many in several restored warehouse districts. The arts scene is also thriving and considered one of best kept secrets on the planet by a major German artists magazine. The theatre scene is considered 3rd most active in Midwest (Minneapolis, Chicago). KC claims to have the most fountains in the world. Personal favorites: Steak - JJ's, Houstons, Plaza III, Hereford House BBQ - Smokestack, Jakes, Winslows Mexican - Margarita's, Manny's (monterey burrito) Mediterr/Mid-East - Blue Nile, Tribal Grill, Pyramid Cafe Chinese - Genghis Khan (39th), Bo'lings (OP), Red Dragon (OP) Sushi - Jun's, Kabuki Upscale - Stolen Grill, Grand St. Cafe, Cafe Allegro, Bristol Upperscale - Savoy Grill, Starkers, American Restaurant Cheap - d'Bronx, LaSalla's, Fric&Frac, Westport Flea Market, Mesa Wraps Breakfast - le Rendez-vous, Corner Restaurant Jazz - All 18th&Vine clubs, Phoenix, Club 427, Jardine's, Grand Emporium Bars - Harry's, Velvet Dog, Liquid Lounge (too many others) Coffeehouses - Cantata, Broadway Cafe, Westport Coffeehouse, Latteland For KC goings ons see: www.experiencekc.com www.kansascity.com kansascity.miningco.com www.kansascity.com/kcjazz www.worldmall.com/wmcc/kcblues www.experiencekc.com/atoz/hotels.html (hotels)
Kansas City, MO
Chicago, KC, St. Louis
NNTP-Proxy-Relay: library.airnews.net NNTP-Posting-Time: Thu Mar 26 14:42:01 1998 NNTP-Posting-Host: nat6.i2.com X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.2106.4 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.2106.4 Xref: pale-rider.INS.CWRU.Edu rec.food.restaurants:38443 bd wrote in message ... >>I'm planning a driving/eating trip where I'll be flying into >>Chicago and eventually making it to Kansas City and hopefully >>St. Louis. I'd like to get opinions on the can't miss >>restaurants in either of the three cities. > > >Here's a KC restaurant guide I've already had put together. Move over >Chicago.... > I didn't see a mention of one of my favorite KC restaurants -- a hibachi-style Japanese place called Gojo's. I go almost every time I make it up there. Good food very reasonably priced. Call ahead for a reservation, though.
You didn't say whether you wanted to spend a bunch of money for your "can't miss" experience, so I will assume you don't. Here are a few reasonably priced, often overlooked places in St. Louis for your pleasure 1. Woofies on Woodson Rd. by Page Ave. "Chicago style" hot dogs with just about anything you might think of on top. 2. Lee's Chinese Buffet in Bridgeton (about 2 mi. from the airport). One of the most awesome oriental buffet's I have ever been to. 3. O.T. Hodge's Chili Parlor (2 or 3 locations, I recommend the one in Union Station downtown) Try the "Slinger" 4. St. Raymond's Church, just south of downtown. "Home cookin" Lebanese style, Fridays at lunch only. 5. Pueblo Nuevo on Lindbergh just North of I-270 - good authentic Mexican Those ought to get your juices flowing. bd wrote: > >I'm planning a driving/eating trip where I'll be flying into > >Chicago and eventually making it to Kansas City and hopefully > >St. Louis. I'd like to get opinions on the can't miss > >restaurants in either of the three cities. > > Here's a KC restaurant guide I've already had put together. Move over > Chicago.... > > Print it out and take with you. > > ____________________ > KC Restaurants > > In Kansas City, MO... The Plaza, West 39th and Southwest Blvd restaurant > districts particularly standout. There are also a few good places in > Downtown, Crown Center and City Market. And then there is the Southern > Johnson County scene if you're in South KC. > > The Plaza (around West 47th) is a notable district for upscale restaurants. > GRAND ST CAFE is very comfortable - one of the best American Bistros > according to some bistro mag. HOUSTONS(steak), JULES (seafood), PLAZA III > (steakhouse, semi-formal), HIBACHI (japanese), EDEN ALLEY (funky, vege > friendly), STARKERS RESERVE (exceptional, formal, top notch wine list), > CLASSIC CUP (mediterranean, nice sidewalk patio), Le RENDEVOUS (excellent > sidewalk french bistro, just quiche and tarts), PARKWAY 600 (upscale, great > patio), JAPENGO (new, pacific grill, great patio), FOUNTAIN CAFE (french > quarter/cajun, rooftop patio), O'DOWDS (irish, rooftop patio), JJ's > (upscale, one of six best wine/scotch selections in the world according to > Wine Spectator), TOMFOOLERIES (bar&grill), GRANDFALOON (sports bar&grill), > WINSTEADS (great 50's burger diner), ANDRE'S CONFISERIE (swiss tearoom) are > all very good Plaza area restaurants. Upscale chain restaurants include > Cheesecake Factory, Canyon Cafe (southwestern) and Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. > JARDINE'S is an excellent jazz club/restaurant just east of The Plaza. All > of these places are within walking distance of each other. > > BBQ! Most suggest ARTHUR BRYANT'S but it's only for those who care for fatty > meat. Many suggest KC MASTERPEICE (the plaza) for BBQ but the quality has > been poor lately - however the baby back ribs are still excellent. GATES BBQ > on Main in Midtown is good. WINSLOWS BBQ in City Market is very good. > SMOKESTACK in Martin City and on Wornall is a personal favorite (most lean). > JAKES BBQ off of the Plaza and Lil' JAKES Downtown (small dive) are good. > ZARDA in Lenexa is consistently very good. Good BBQ seems to be individually > subjective in KC - there are so many varieties of sauces and methods of > smoking that you must try many to understand KC BBQ. Ones favorite is > anothers disgust - there are over 100 BBQ restaurants and the "best" are out > in the small towns. > > West 39th "Restaurant Row" (39th & State Line) has a variety of eclectic, > funky and upscale restaurants. CAFE ALLEGRO (upscale to formal, considered > one of KC's best), VECO (upscale bistro), d'BRONX (excellent deli, play > checkers/chess, BYOB), GENGHIS KHAN (mongolian), BLUE NILE (ethiopian), > Tribal Grill (hummus/mezze fix) Pyramid Cafe on Broadway (middle eastern), > JAZZ (excellent cajun), Fric&Frac (massively trippey biker chick diner/bar), > Macaluso's (pseudo-italian, very good), Otto's Malt Shop (very hip, used to > be a service garage) are all great places on W.39th. There are wonderful > bohemian coffee houses and funky stores too. > > Southwest Blvd (southwest of Downtown) has many good authentic Mexican, > Spanish and Mediterranian restaurants. Check out Margaritas, Blvd Cafe, Cafe > Barcelona, Shiraz and Manny's. Ponaks, Red Headed Mexican, Casa De Fajitas > are also pretty good. California Taqueria is a bit too authentic - I > sometimes wonder where the chicken came from. > > Downtown is going through major renovations (over $2B) in the next few years > and is not much of a destination point yet at night. Midtown (30th to 50th) > is where the night time action is. Nevertheless, Downtown/Crown Center/City > Market have several places that stand out. Savoy Grill (formal > lobster/steak), American Restaurant (4 star traditional), Winslows (BBQ), > Club 427 (pastas, steaks, jazz), BlueBird (vegetarian), Garazzos (italian), > Hereford House (very good steak), LaSalla's (italian deli dive), Le Fou Frog > (excellent french), Peppercorn Duck Club (traditional) are all worth a > visit. > > Johnson County (Kansas) standouts are Yia Yias (upscale eclectic), Bristol > (upscale seafood), La Mediterranee (french), Tatsu's (french), India Palace > (indian), Bo Ling's (hunan), Jun's (japanese) and too many others I've heard > about but have yet to visit. > > The Plaza (around W.47th) is a good place for tourists to go for daytime > activity but the WESTPORT district (just north of The Plaza) is at its best > after 11PM and has many great bars, live music, coffeehouses, and a few good > restaurants: Californo's, Metropolis (trendy nouveau), Jerusalem Cafe, Mesa > Wraps, Mill Creek Brewery and one of the best kept secrets in KC that you > didn't hear from me - STOLEN GRILL (new yorky - about 12 tables, very good, > difficult to get in). In Westport, definitely check out Harry's Tables > (upscale bar, tapa's, one of best real american bars - cigar aficionado) and > Kelly's (downscale in your face bar). Also try KC's best ice cream at > Murray's. Great underground/drag theatre at Wesport Coffeehouse and Unicorn > Theater. Other great bars around Westport: Grand Emporium > (blues/jazz/reggae, has a soul you can breathe in), Hurricane (modern rock), > Harlings(blues/jazz), 39 on Main (jazz restaurant/bar), Velvet Dog (martini > fix), Liquid Lounge (trippey). > > If you're into gambling, there are 5 large casinos along the river. Nelson > Atkins Museum is a top 10 US art museum. Nearby Kemper Museum is a respected > modern museum. A $250M science museum is under construction. A new major > ($27M) jazz museum and Negro Leagues Baseball museum is at 18th & Vine just > east of Downtown and the jazz scene is thriving with several dozen jazz > venues. There are over 50 art galleries in Midtown/Downtown area, many in > several restored warehouse districts. The arts scene is also thriving and > considered one of best kept secrets on the planet by a major German artists > magazine. The theatre scene is considered 3rd most active in Midwest > (Minneapolis, Chicago). KC claims to have the most fountains in the world. > > Personal favorites: > > Steak - JJ's, Houstons, Plaza III, Hereford House > > BBQ - Smokestack, Jakes, Winslows > > Mexican - Margarita's, Manny's (monterey burrito) > > Mediterr/Mid-East - Blue Nile, Tribal Grill, Pyramid Cafe > > Chinese - Genghis Khan (39th), Bo'lings (OP), Red Dragon (OP) > > Sushi - Jun's, Kabuki > > Upscale - Stolen Grill, Grand St. Cafe, Cafe Allegro, Bristol > > Upperscale - Savoy Grill, Starkers, American Restaurant > > Cheap - d'Bronx, LaSalla's, Fric&Frac, Westport Flea Market, Mesa Wraps > > Breakfast - le Rendez-vous, Corner Restaurant > > Jazz - All 18th&Vine clubs, Phoenix, Club 427, Jardine's, Grand Emporium > > Bars - Harry's, Velvet Dog, Liquid Lounge (too many others) > > Coffeehouses - Cantata, Broadway Cafe, Westport Coffeehouse, Latteland > > For KC goings ons see: > > www.experiencekc.com > > www.kansascity.com > > kansascity.miningco.com > > www.kansascity.com/kcjazz > > www.worldmall.com/wmcc/kcblues > > www.experiencekc.com/atoz/hotels.html (hotels)
Chicago is a great restaurant town... Steaks--Gibson's. Arrive early or be prepared to wait in the cramped bar. Huge drinks, great, fast service. Not fine dining...just prime steaks and a big selection of American Reds on the wine list. Mexican--Topolobambo. Acknowledged by many as the finest authentic (upscale) Mexican cuisine in the U.S. 'Nuff said... Contemporary--Harvest on Huron. Maybe the hottest newcomer in the past year. Gorgeous dining room. Incredible selection of spirits. Creative cuisine. THE BIG THREE--Charlie Trotters, Ambria and Everest. Very high-ticket, but the food is worth the tariff. There are many, many more--these are just some favorites that come to mind... Oh, if you like noodles, try Hi Ricky...I like the one on Southport best... Cheers, DA