Ready to get your gourmet feasting on in all the major cities.. sans animal flesh and emissions ? Eat Pure…A Monthly Taste hooks you up with Sarah-Mai Miller’s adventures. Sarah is the foodie behind Eat Pure, a veg food + travel blog. She shares her culinary adventures with us monthly, and this Month is Kansas City, Missouri.
Over the past six months, I had the pleasure of visiting Kansas City, Missouri twice. I stumbled upon an amazing lavender flavored snowcone, a three course vegan brunch, and the best vegan pizza I’ve ever encountered.
My first stop was Cafe Europa. While shopping at George, one of my favorite boutiques in Kansas City, I noticed a cute cafe next door. Cafe Europa has the most beautiful bakery case…none of it vegan…but beautiful nonetheless!
They do have a vegan Tomato Basil Soup that was so flavorful and perfectly spiced. A lovely afternoon pick-me-up. They have Wood Fired Pizzas that can be ordered without cheese and a Roasted Vegetable Panini. Even just an iced tea would be enjoyable at this spot. It’s so quaint and charming…and did I mention George is right next door?
Photo courtesy of Heath Miller (my husband)
The Filling Station is an irresistible coffee garage that used to be an old gas station.
They serve breakfast and lunch, along with fresh juices and coffee.
I had the Hawaiian Trio juice made from pineapple, orange and apple juices and the Strawberry Pecan Salad. All very fresh and light, a great lunch while sight seeing around the city.
For Sunday brunch, we ate a neighborhood spot called Room 39. It’s cozy and quaint and they customized their prix fixe menu to be completely vegan for me.
First, a field green salad with strawberries and a very light olive oil dressing.
Followed by a tofu scramble with potatoes and swiss chard on the side.
And to top it off, fresh berries, simple and perfect for brunch.
d’Bronx Authentic Deli and Pizzeria is a well known eatery in KC that just happens to have several veg options.
Their entire restaurant is a canvas for their customers’ heart felt sentiments.
d’Bronx was a last minute stop on our way back home, so we took our sandwiches to go. When traveling, I always bring a healthy option with me, just in case!
Their Healthy Veggie sandwich has hummus, leaf lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and sprouts on a wheat roll. I ordered mine with balsamic vinaigrette, simply because it makes everything taste better.
Next time, I’d love to try their pizza sans cheese. I love a good New York style pizza.
While researching places to eat, I stumbled upon Fresher than Fresh Snowcones. The minute I saw a picture of their food trailer, I had to seek them out. When the weather permits (May – Sept), they show up in various outdoor locations around the city (check their website for schedules).
Their snowcones are made from all natural, real ingredients. And if you’re not into snowcones, I dare you not to love Fresher than Fresh. With flavors like Lime Mint, Pineapple Serrano and Blood Orange, you will completely change the way you feel about snowcones.
I chose Blackberry Lavender…very complex, not overly sweet, and so lovely on a hot day.
Waldo Pizza is by far my favorite vegan pizza yet. They have a separate vegan section on their menu, including vegan cupcakes.
I ordered a pineapple pizza with Follow Your Heart mozzarella. When it arrived, I had to remind the waitress that I ordered vegan cheese. She said, yep it’s vegan cheese. I was in complete disbelief. When you see most vegan cheeses, you know it’s vegan. It looks…different than regular cheese. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all vegan cheeses. However, some of them have a certain unmistakable flavor. This pizza had none of that flavor. I was amazed! The taste was incredible. The trick is to bake the vegan pizzas for 2-3 times longer than traditional pizzas. They come out looking exactly like the original.
Nara is a great choice for dinner downtown. The Vegetarian Roll is filled with Avocado, Cucumbers, Carrots and Seaweed Salad.
They have lots of great tofu dishes, including Grilled Smoked Central Soy Tofu (locally made tofu) with Kirin Onion Marmalade, Shitake Mushrooms and a Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Crispy Vegetables. This dish was really unique and flavorful with lots of great textures.
If you have some time before or after dinner, stop by nearby Hammerpress, a letterpress studio with awesome stationery and a really cool hair salon. A strange combination worth seeing for yourself.
Kansas City was much cooler than I imagined. Great boutiques, stellar restaurants and that lovely Midwest charm. There’s a great guide to the city by eat.shop, which is where I started my research. They have guides all over the country and they’re a great way to learn a new city. Happy exploring…And stay tuned for next month when I hit Seattle!