THE LONG WEEKEND GUIDE TO KANSAS CITY, MO & KS
My friend Allison and I both have a shared goal of making it to all 50 states. We take a girl’s trip every year together and this year we thought we were genius when we picked Kansas City and could knock two states from our list for the price of one. Kansas City has a great happy hour scene, good food and some quirky activities to enjoy.
Don’t Miss
HOTEL INDIGO – Our hotel in the Power & Lights District was in the perfect location and was gorgeous. It had the perfect mid-century modern feel to it and had nice details and touches everywhere you looked. They offered complimentary coffee in the lobby by Messenger a local KC coffee shop.
MADE IN KC – Cafe and Shop – Cute store with several locations around Kansas City. They had their Made in KC Café location around the corner from our hotel. I got a great flat white and their pumpkin cinnamon roll was yummy too! They love to pair up with local artists, bakeries, and gifts and feature them in their store.
CONVIVIAL – Pottery Studio – I found them on Instagram prior to heading to Kansas City. They make the most beautiful modern pottery. As someone that took some pottery classes (and wasn’t that great at it), I am super impressed with people that can make such beautiful artistic pieces. They have tours of their facility, but unfortunately one wasn’t happening the weekend that we were there. They sell some of their pieces at MADE IN KC, so I was lucky to snag a piece to bring home with me.
BANKSIA – Australian Bakery and Cafe – Adorable atmosphere with big wooden shutters inside and a French country, cafe flair. It was casual, yet still polished. For breakfast, the corn zucchini cilantro fritters were fried to perfection topped with refried beans, a perfectly ripe avocado, and a fried egg that ran all of my plate. It was accompanied by a slice of bacon and roasted tomatoes that popped in my mouth. They made a delicious flat white as well.
IL LAZARRONE – Pizza Restaurant – They have a wood-fire oven that was shipped in from Naples, Italy to make these 11’’ personal size pizzas. Since the oven is 800 degrees, it only takes 60-90 seconds to cook. One of the best drinks that I had in KC was the Dracanea which was made of Old Overholt rye, Maurin Quina, pineapple and walnut bitters,and a spicy citrus simple syrup. It was the perfect balance of smoky, spicy, nutty, and fruity and all of their drinks during happy hour are 20% off, so you have your pick of whatever you want to drink. Their Happy Hour is Monday-Friday from 3-6pm. During Happy Hour they have 2 pizzas that are $6 each– the Margarita and the Marinara which only has San Marzano tomatoes,oregano, basil, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt but was really well seasoned. I can’t believe that I am going to say it, but I liked the Marinara pizza better than the Margarita and it doesn’t have any cheese on it! I know, I couldn’t believe it, either!
JULEP – Cocktail Bar – My favorite happy hour spot in KC. They have happy hour Monday – Friday from 3-6pm they have $6 Old Fashioneds, Sazaracs, Manhattans, and Whiskey Sours. I love a good library ladder especially when the climb up is to get some good bourbons and whiskeys and boy did they have a selection.
As for food, we got the BBQ potato chips which were smoky and almost tasted like they had a hint of curry powder on them which paired perfectly with our bourbon cocktails. The cheese board included pickled cherry tomatoes, onions, pickles, fresh bread, salami, pepperoni, & bologna. On the cheese front there was a super soft chèvre and a sharp yellow cheddar. Yum!
GRINDERS – Lunch – Eclectic dive bar feel with a delicious Philly cheesesteak with provolone sauteed onions and green peppers. They are even served on fresh Amoroso rolls. I mean… I know my cheese steaks (as a Philly girl). Crinkle fries cooked to perfection with Cajun spices and the tater tots had the perfect amount of crunch!
TROLLEY TOUR – This hour and a half long trolley tour starting from Union Station was a great way for us to get the lay of the land on our first day of the trip. Make sure you stop in to look around Union Station since it is stunning. We were able to get some great tips of other activities to do while we were in KC. We learned that the art museums were all free and that Hallmark was founded in KC. Can you believe it? All of my love for Hallmark movies and I didn’t realize their headquarters were right around the corner from me! **BONUS – We found out that the cable car is free all around the city (we took it and it’s super easy).
OUR DAILY NADA – Restaurant/Bar/Booktore – This place was adorable – part bookstore part bar/restaurant. They have 4 drinks on their happy hour section for $7. I got the Velvet Nights which was a well-balanced cocktail that had Ford’s Gin, Honey, and Ginger Beer. Allison got the Huckleberry, made with Reiger’s Whiskey, lemon, and fresh muddled blackberries. Allison is more of a lover of whiskey than fruit, it wasn’t her favorite, but I always love a good blackberry whiskey combo.
THE TOY & MINIATURE MUSEUM – Museum – This is the best $5 you will spend in KC. The entire first floor is filled with mini furniture, rooms, etc. Many of the miniatures were made in the past 20 years by artists recreating famous pieces of furniture and art in super miniature scales, it is very fascinating. The second floor holds all kids toys from the 1880’s on. It was fun to see all of the toys that my parents and I played with over the years.
THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART – Museum – Gorgeous (free!) museum with a good mix of impressionist pieces (my favorite) along with modern art. I love the juxtaposition of the shuttlecocks outside of the old museum set back along the great lawn.
If you are in the neighborhood…
GRAM & DUN – Restaurant – Breakfast at this place starts at 9:30 am and it’s no surprise that we were the first ones there. This is a cozy little spot that has table side cocktail service and yummy skillet breakfasts. I had the short rib and potato hash and Allison had the hash brown skillet. Next time I would like to hit up this place for happy hour, they had a beautiful outdoor seating area with a fire pit. There is a ton of great shopping around here, so make sure you save a little bit of time to window shop around this neighborhood.
THE FARMHOUSE – Restaurant – Cheese curds were a must, they were basically the most perfect mozzarella stick you could ever eat… perfectly gooey on the inside with the perfect amount of crisp and crunch on the outside. I ordered the happy hour drink wasn’t the most balanced, so I would skip the cocktails and grab a glass of wine or beer next time to drink with more cheese curds.
CHAR BAR – Bar – A casual bar that would be a great place to hang out with a big group of friends. They have a nice big outdoor section as well. I had the KC Bier Co. Hefeweizen which was enjoyable. Lots of beers on tap and an extensive bottle list as well, they have lots of snack options during their happy hour from 3-6pm on weekdays. We had the deviled eggs with charred lobster and pea shoots for $5 (4 eggs per order).
BEER KITCHEN – Bar– Good if you’re looking for duh, beer! I had the Rise & Pine Dark Ale from Uinta Brewing Co. based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. It was dark, piney and very seasonally appropriate. Allison got a Manhattan here that tasted more like pine, but they were super nice about switching it out for a glass of vino instead.
TAVERNONNA – Restaurant – Allison and I shared the Nonna’s meatballs that came with 2 brisket meatballs both the size of tennis balls in a rich, thick red pomodoro and a lemon ricotta. This was one of the highlights, along with our waiter, Dylan, who was hysterical. Inside the Hotel Phillips.
P.S. – Bar – Beautiful speakeasy underneath the Hotel Phillips. In order to get to the speakeasy, you need to go to the reception desk and they will lead you downstairs. The bar itself is everything that you want a speakeasy to be. Dimly list, dark wood paneling and dark green velvet booths. We sat at the bar and had our carefully curated drinks. I’m not sure if it’s because we were expecting live jazz music or if it was because it was our last stop of the night, but I was a little underwhelmed.
STROUDS – Lunch – This place is like stepping back in time with the wooden paneling on the walls and the red and white checked table cloths. Allison and I shared the fried chicken lunch along with bowls of mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, cinnamon buns and a salad covered in homemade ranch dressing (I was in heaven). This was one of our stops on our “Best Thing I Ever Ate tour”, I wouldn’t necessarily give it that title, but we were glad we tried it. Thank goodness we shared because it looked more like a Thanksgiving dinner spread than a lunch for one. We had the sweetest waitress named Elaine that really made us feel welcome.
JOE’S KANSAS CITY BAR-B-CUE – This is the famous BBQ spot that is in the gas station. We had to wait about 45 minutes to an hour to get our food, but it was ok because we still had bellies full of fried chicken. I was impressed at how friendly and efficient they were when you finally got to the front of the line to order your food. We shared the ribs, brisket, and the coleslaw. It was tasty, but I’m not sure if would have wanted to wait in line for an hour if I was super hungry.
EXTRA VIRGIN – Restaurant – We came here because it was on the “Best Thing I Ever Ate” for their Duck Tongue Tacos with slaw and queso fresco. It was good, but honestly, I was hoping that it would be more flavorful. I enjoyed the Persimmon and Garfunkel cocktail (great name) which was a persimmon, sage spritzer that was light, and bright, but is still seasonally appropriate for late fall. We also had the charred Brussels sprouts with feta, lemon, and bacon and a Greek salad dressed to perfection.
We ended our meal with the ahi tuna ceviche with rice cracker and Calabrian chili. It was good, but the chili on this really took over the dish.
SoT – Bar – Adorable cocktail bar with carefully curated drinks. Trendy decor and cozy seating areas make for a comfortable environment to sip away and catch up with old friends or a spot to make new ones.
THE BELFRY – Restaurant – Small cozy bar/dinner spot. We had the cauliflower with a miso-walnut sauce, hot nachos, and I guess it was finally time for some greens.
WORLD WAR I MUSEUM – There were so many interesting things about this museum, but there was a lot of ground to cover. The museum was big and where were so many little signs to read that I feel like I missed some of the bigger picture. I wished that there were a few more videos that would have given more of a refresher as to what WWI was all about.
Don’t bother…
GATES BBQ – We had heard a lot about Gates both from the “Best Thing I Ever Ate” fame and while around town. To be fair, we only had the item suggested on the BTIEA, the Burnt Ends on a Bun. But overall it wasn’t my kind of sandwich. It was very saucy and filled with little chunks of fat and gristle. Inside, the atmosphere was very dark and dated, many locals and tourists alike seem to really love this place, but it just wasn’t for me.
THE KANSAS CITY AIRPORT – Unfortunately, you have no choice but to hit this spot unless you are diving into Kansas City. However, this was a source of some travel frustration for us…. they didn’t have TSA pre-check and we didn’t realize that the only thing past security was our gate. Leaving us unable to get a coffee prior to boarding our 7am flight (watch out world). Even our Starbucks sandwich got a TSA patdown. If you’re thinking about coming to Kansas City consider yourself warned. : )