KC Restaurant Week with Ariel Eve
Tomorrow marks the start of the 5th annual Kansas City Restaurant Week. This year, the event is bigger than ever and features dozens of locals on the list! Participants will be offering up $15 lunches and/or $33 multi-course dinners. Not only that, but 10% of all sales will be donated to charity!
I teamed up with the lovely Ariel Eve to check out a few of this year's choices. Here's the rundown...
Blue Bird Bistro
Blue Bird is located in the heart of KC's Westside, at the corner of 17th and Summit. They opened their doors 13 years ago and quickly established themselves as a pretty unique destination. While many establishments are working to make their entrees more healthy and incorporate "superfoods" into their menus, Blue Bird has been following this philosophy since day one.
All ingredients are made from scratch and obtained directly from the farm. Depending on seasonal availability, menu items will vary. In addition to Blue Bird was one of the first restaurants in Kansas City to have viable choices for both vegetarian and vegan guests.
Their Restaurant Week menu includes lunch and dinner. Both menus includes a starter, entree, and dessert. Lunch choices include the house cured salmon crostini, hummus and pita, Two Sisters farm salad, Thane Palmberg Farm squash soup, meatballs, Bahn mi on a baguette, smoked tofu barbecue on a vegan bun, and a sweet potato pancake or vegan orange cake for dessert. Dinner offers up similar starters and adds pastrami made from oat-fed brisket, tagliatelle pasta, shrimp and grits, sweet potato bread pudding, and pear cake. By the way, there's a story behind that oat-fed brisket...
Dallas, the resident farmer at the Oatie Ranch had received strict orders from his doctor to cut down his intake of beef to avoid adverse health effects. The doctor suggested enriching his diet with foods like oats. Dallas had the thought that perhaps if he fed his cattle oats and, in turn, ate the beef from his cattle, he may kill two birds with one stone: continue eating what he loves and also improve his health. The family contacted researchers at Kansas State University to put his idea to the test. It turns out that the oat-fed beef indeed had lower cholesterol and an impressive 3.17 to 1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 balance!
If you can't make it for restaurant week, I'd suggest trying one of their Wednesday Night communal dinners or the monthly Farmer's Table, a five-course meal featuring locally raised food! Regardless of your Restaurant Week plans, Blue Bird Bistro is a must try!
Nara is a pretty sentimental place for me with a lot of memories tied to it; many fond, some slightly embarrassing, but they were all in good fun. On more than one occasion, I had made the drive from North Kansas City to downtown while on my lunch break to get their delicious Vegetable and Tofu Tempura. It was usually enough for two meals.
As you may have guessed, most of my experiences occurred at the bar. Nara is one of the few places I can always count on to have a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label on the shelf. If you aren't in the mood for scotch, they have a wide range of unique cocktails, including a pomegranate cosmo, the wasabi-infused "Blood Nara," and sake bombs! Also, if you are a college girl or just not ashamed to admit that you like Rumchata, definitely order "The Yakuza" while you're there.
Nara has lunch and dinner options for restaurant week. Their lunch menu includes a choose of the Crab Crunch Salad or Temari Sushi to start things off, and finishes things with an entree choice of either Mongolian Beef or Crispy Cashew Chicken. For dinner, you get an appetizer of chicken and veggie Potstickers, Crab Crunch Salad, or Albacore Tuna Salad. The second course is either a Sushi Bento Box, the Trio Green Tea Soba Noodles, or Orange Flavored Beef. For dessert, they are offering Chocolate Creme Brûlée, Chocolate "Lava" Cake, or Pumpkin Cheese Cake.
I may be a bit biased here, but I can't think of another place I'd rather get sushi at in KC. Located just south of Power & Light, it is right in the middle of all the action. They also have an event space, so keep them in mind for your next get together or celebration!
Cafe Trio has been stacking accolades since 2006, among them being named as one of KC's "Top Ten" Businesses. They offer live music five nights a week, mostly jazz acts consisting of a pianist sometimes accompanied by a standup bass player. The low key music is a perfect companion to the ritzy and modern decor. They have a rotating art program that boats some of Kansas City's best local paintings. For a more laid-back feel, the heated back patio allows guests to admire some of the best views of the Country Club Plaza.
As for the food, it is largely New and Traditional American Cuisine, but their diverse range of chefs has helped introduce Italian, French, and Asian cuisines as a complement. They have an interesting selection of signature cocktails, which are all named after celebrities and prepared to match. For example, the Ricky Martin is made with Malibu Mango Rum, Strawberry-Mango Puree, muddled mint, and a splash of soda.
Cafe Trio has been involved in Restaurant Week since it started; this marks the fifth year of restaurant week and the fifth year they have participated. This year, the lunch is a two course meal with such choices as Crispy Calamari, Apple Nut Salad, Mac Daddy (voted best Mac & Cheese in KC, and I can vouch for that!), Catfish Po' Boy, Back Bean Veggie Burger, and Warm Chocolate Truffle or Lemon Icebox cakes for dessert! Their dinner adds a course and offers more choices, including the Brussels Sprouts with pan-roastsd bacon, braised Vintage Beef Short Rib, or the rolled and loaded Stuffed Catfish.
If you are looking for a classy dining experience with a good amount of variety, you will be in good hands at Cafe Trio. In addition to their Restaurant Week selections, they have a full lunch and dinner menu, wine list, seasonal cocktails, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options. Needless to say, there is something for everyone.
Love wine? Love food? You're in luck! Just a block east of Nara, Tannin stands at the corner of 16th and Walnut in the Crossroads Arts District. They serve up a sessional menu of contemporary American food with a fierce wine menu to boot! If you were raised in the Napa valley, you will have no trouble finding something to suit your taste. Conversely, if you're like me and have an experience limited to finding the best-looking bottle of red wine for $4, you will be pleasantly surprised.
If you are unsure what type of grapes you are looking for, they offer two ounce glasses for sampling. Once you've decided on something good, the five ounce glass should suit you well. Either that, or get a whole bottle. In fact, I recommend it! BOGO bottles are available all day Sunday and Monday, and if you are not opposed to day-drinking, wine by the glass is 50% off during the week between 11:30 and 4. Nice!
Next Wednesday, Tannin will be featuring Jann Forth of Forth Vineyards to pair her wines with their Restaurant Week offerings. Connoisseurs, take note and plan accordingly. Their dinner is a three course meal. Start off with a Beet & Pear Salad, Jumbo Lump Crab Dip, or the Braised Burgers' Bacon with creamy polenta. The main course is a choice of Roasted Scottish Salmon, Crispy Confit Chicken, or Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs. Hopefully you've made room for dessert, which comes in the form of an Espresso Molten Chocolate Cake, a freshly baked Fudge Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookie, or a Hazelnut Custard Napoleon puff pastry. Vegetarian options are also available!
Tannin also has their own selection of wine clubs that gives customers access to special discounts and events at great values. Whether you are the budding enthusiastic or a heavyweight Dean Martin, there is a program to suit your needs! They also have options for private dining, ranging from rooms with seating for around 20 all the way up to large scale parties that can reserve the whole restaurant! Or you can just swing by to enjoy a Chardonnay and decide the rest later.
For more information on Kansas City Restaurant Week, check out the official site here:
http://www.visitkc.com/kc-restaurant-week-14/index.aspx
Be sure to check out more of Ariel on her website and follow her on Facebook:
http://www.arieleve.com
http://www.facebook.com/arielevee
Sincerely,
Joey