Wednesday, December 16, 2009

swagat fine indian cuisine

★★★★★(5 stars)

i've been trying different indian restaurants in kansas city for the past couple of years, and i would say the swagat has been one of my favourite experiences yet. swagat is located up north of kansas city, in a shopping area called zona rosa. although the busy shopping area didn't appeal to me, i've heard good things about the restaurant and ventured up there.

the place was busy! by far the busiest indian restaurant i've been to - perhaps because of the prime location? it was nice and clean, and definitely had a "fine dining feel". we were seated and served with some (free) delicious crackers. we then ordered the vegan-friendly palak pakoras appetizer, which was a little scary looking, but so so good. it's basically deep-fried spinach, served with some dipping condiments (that i did not care for).



for dinner, i confirmed with my server what could be made vegan. the chana masala, dal makhni, bhindi masala, aloo gobhi, and aloo palak mutter are all cheese-free, but are usually made with cream. if specified, they will make it without, and so i ordered the aloo gobhi (cauliflower & potatoes). the husband ordered something with paneer, but i can't remember what and i can't tell from the photo! either way, we both loved our meals, and their naan was crispy and wonderful.



the portions were huge - i think i got three meals out of mine (although i did have an appetizer that night). the server was pretty knowledgeable about the vegan options - although he did have to check with the kitchen on one or two things. i certainly appreciate their willingness to customize so many different options. prices are pretty on par with other indian restaurants... or at least the ones i'm familiar with. i will definitely go back and would recommend it, for sure!

website:
swagat

location:

7407 nw 87th street
kansas city, mo 64153

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

nick and jake's

★★ (2 stars)

let me start by saying that my expectations weren't that high when i planned to meet some friends for dinner. i knew it was a shot in the dark, but kansas city is packed with bar and grill joints and many of them have decent vegan or vegetarian options. nick and jakes - not so much.


for vegetarians, there are quite a few options that involve cheese and eggs... many appetizers and pasta are vegetarian friendly. for the vegan, humus or salad are almost your only options (or sides). their noodles contain egg, according to our server, so pasta is out. at the time i took these pics, they had a portobello burger with sauteed onions (non-vegan bun), but it has since been removed from the menu. their salad dressings are also non-vegan, so you have to go with the olive oil and vinegar. and the prices aren't that great, really - especially when all you can eat is salad with vinegar or a combination of side dishes. my vegetarian husband got a peanut pasta (also removed from the menu), and said it wasn't all that great. mine wasn't all that great either.


the plus side is that the atmosphere is nice. service is just okay. unfortunately, the dishes a vegetarian can eat are just mediocre, and a vegan will struggle. there are plenty of other options in kansas city with more variety and taste - i suggest you go there.


website:
nick and jake's

locations:
overland park
6830 w 135th street
overland park, ks
913.681.8535

parkville
6325 lewis street, suite 110
parkville, mo
816.584.8535

Sunday, November 15, 2009

bo lings

★★★★★(5 stars)

a couple weeks ago, the husband and i decided to go to bo lings chinese restaurant for dinner. there are several locations in the area, and i've been to four of them. i admit that they are all very good, but i absolutely loved the server during this particular visit. he was quick, funny ("go team!") and all together on top of things. of course, i forgot my camera, so you'll have to make do with camera phone quality.


we started with a yummy appetizer of crispy eggplant, which is egg wash free. it's served with a divine soy and ginger dressing which i could have slurped down. there was a lot - too much for two people, but we managed to put it away anyways. :)


for my entree, i decided to try something new and went for the tofu family style. note: both the tofu family style and tofu w/ black bean sauce are made with chicken broth, but if you request, the will substitute water. you really can't taste a difference. as usual, generous portions and spot-on flavour. the husband got vegetable lo mein, and said it was delish as well. its made with egg noodles, so it's only for vegetarians who eat eggs. my all-time favourite dish is the sichuan green beans, which i've tried to recreate at home.


overall, bo lings serves some of the best chinese food in the city. my only complaint is that the tofu could cut cut a bit smaller so it's not as tofu-y in the center. i'd guess that i cut each piece of tofu into about 3 separate bites. and the best part is they've got a great selection of vegetarian and vegan options. you can see all the options on their website. oh, and don't eat your whole meal because their take home bags are pretty awesome.

website:
bo lings

locations:
*see website for addresses
plaza
overland park (x2)
lenexa
zona rosa
city market

Thursday, October 29, 2009

blue nile ethopian cafe

★★★★ (4 stars)

blue nile is located down in the kansas city river market area, right near the huge farmer's market that is hot spot on weekend mornings. the market area is definitely something that most food-lovin' kansas citians enjoy. besides all the great produce, there are a number great places to eat down there, including blue nile.


i never had ethopian food before this visit, but i had wanted to try this cafe for a while. it's a quaint and unassuming little restaurant, and known for being vegan-friendly. i had been under the impression that ethopian is similar to indian food, but i'm not sure i'm totally convinced of that now. this spices were different, and a lot of the entrees weren't always in the form of a sauce base like you would find with a dahl or curry. our server was very polite in teaching us that you typically order a entree, and then scoop up the food with a spongy injera bread. we ordered the vegetarian combo, so we got to try a little sample of each eight veggie entrees (all are vegan).


to start with, i really loved almost all of the veggie options. each one had a distinctive taste - some were more vinegary, and others were more savory. none of them were extremely spicy, and admittedly, i would have like to have one or two with a little more kick. but in general, each one was unique with out being to extreme. now, for the bad news. i didn't like the injera bread. at first, i was kind of giddy about trying the spongy bread - i tend to get excited when i try something for the first time. but after about one roll of the bread, the texture started getting to me. i found myself using tiny scraps of bread and huge helpings of the dishes. i know this isn't blue nile's fault - i'm sure everything was as it should be. however, since this is a personal review, i feel i have to add that in there for anyone trying ethopian for the first time. honestly, if i were eating it with naan or pita bread, i think i would have loved every last bite.


i almost forgot - we ordered the veggie sambusa appetizers, and they rocked! unfortunately, there were only two to an order... but so worth it. the flavor was right on.

also, be sure and go when you have some time, because it isn't exactly the speediest place to catch a bite. i'm giving blue nile 4 stars because the service was good, the dishes were good in general, and they definitely have a nice selection of vegan options. the combo platter is especially nice for a group of 2 or 3.

website:
blue nile cafe

location:
20 e 5th street
kansas city, mo

816.283.0990

Saturday, October 10, 2009

czar bar

★★½ (2½ stars - see last paragraph)

kansas city has a handful of hip music venues with veggie fare on their menu. i had never been to the czar bar, but i was excited to try their menu - especially when i saw their veggie burger was "served on a vegan friendly bun." there are a couple of other veggie friendly options, including hummus, crispy eggplant strips and the unexciting house salad.

i met my friend kim for dinner one night and as usual, double checked with the server about the vegan veggie burger. to my surprise, the veggie patty contains egg and isn't vegan. i'm not sure i get it - to me, promoting the vegan friendly bun sort of implies that the patty itself is vegan. what am i going to do, just order a bun? strike one. slightly dissuaded, i thought i'd go with the crispy eggplant strips instead. nope - they use an egg wash to bread them. i asked if they could not use the egg wash for mine, but no dice - they are pre-breaded. strike two. it was a really cold and rainy day, and salad just didn't sound comforting, so i went with hummus.


the hummus itself was okay, but nothing to write home about. i'm glad i got it at the happy hour price or i would have been really disappointed. i usually don't have high expectations for bar food, but kansas city has quite a few vegan friendly places with great food. (mccoy's, record bar, etc. - i'll be sure to get reviews up soon.) basically, czar bar isn't very vegan friendly, but an ovo-lacto vegetarian has a couple options. the food and prices are just mediocre, so i can't really think of anything veg-food-wise that would put czar bar at three stars. therefore, i'm giving it two stars, with an extra half star for the staff member that kept going back to the kitchen to check on ingredients for me. thanks guy.


website:
czar bar

location:
1531 grand boulevard
kansas city, mo

816.221.2244

Monday, September 21, 2009

nara

★★★★(4 stars)

i'd say nara gets a healthy four stars, partially just because they offer so many veggie options. i'm judging based on their happy hour menu, and there are least 5 different vegan options. for happy hour in kansas city that doesn't consist of french fries or chips and salsa, that's saying something.


i'm happy to say that nara, which features neo-japanese food, offers a first class veggie roll. i can't say how refreshing it is to find a kansas city sushi joint that offers something more than the avocado roll. there are a few, but i could count them on one hand. they also have hummus, edamame, spring rolls, seaweed salad and a veggie robata (which is glorified miniature veggie-skewers). and that's just their happy hour - which mind you, is at super-cheap prices. the rest of the menu has a smattering of vegetarian options, but i haven't investigated what all is vegan - i'm sticking to happy hour for now.

unfortunately, the atmosphere is a little trendier-than-thou, but if you get there early and leave early, you can avoid that crowd *if* you want to. or sometimes it's fun to go during the peak hours and people watch the ryan-adams-wannabes. i'm certainly guilty of it. :) the service is really decent, and like i said, happy hour prices are worth it alone. it is super-clean, and perfect for a quick drink or bite after work.


website:
nara

locations:
1617 main street
kansas city, mo

Friday, September 4, 2009

genghis kahn mongolian barbeque

★★★★★(5 stars)

i've been here several times, but always forget to bring my camera! i finally remembered and now get to review the best little mongolian barbeque restaurant i've ever eaten at. i guess i'm spoiled, because this was my first restaurant of this type, and having been to several since, i've learned that really none compare. it's clean, it's quaint, it's super veggie friendly.

first, there are two different bowl colours - the blue for veggies only and white for the omnivores. although there is small sign noting the distinction, some people don't know and mix it up. but the grillers are apparently trained to note the difference, and they can always tell when it's a veggie only dish. this is important because they use separate sticks to grill the vegetarian/vegan dishes so you don't have bits of meat mixed in. so awesome!

the buffet is huge. for an all-you-can-eat vegetarian dinner, it is only $11 (lunch is $8.50). there are tons of great vegetables to choose from, including fried tofu. i always overfill my bowl because i just want to have it all. not to mention they throw in peanuts, all kinds of sauce choices and rice noodles if you want. i have never been to another mongolian buffet with so many vegetarian choices. and of course, they have a full menu too. a long time ago i had a mushroom pot off the menu, and i remember it being good. i can't say much else about the menu, except that it has a lot of veggie choices.

it's casual enough for a quick bite, but trendy enough for a date night. and it's a great place for the picky eaters, because you control the flavor. the prices are right, and of course, great for the vegetarian/vegan crowd. i also just discovered they have a second location in the northland. as i said, i've been wanting to review this place for a while because everyone in kansas city should try it at least once.

website:
genghis khan

locations:
midtown
3906 bell

kansas city, mo 64111


northland
8634 north boardwalk
kansas city, mo 64151

Monday, June 22, 2009

the pita pit

★★★★★(5 stars)

almost every time we go to lawrence, we eat at the pita pit. the first pic is a little older, but i was vegan at the time (just not running this blog yet). to start with, the pita pit is open late. like after-bar-show-ends-late, which is quite awesome because that is usually why i'm in lawrence in the first place.


they have a smattering of vegan and vegetarian friendly options - including fresh cooked falafel... all in convenient to-go wraps. the first time i went, they were really awesome in helping me make my falafel wrap vegan, steering me to which sauces would be acceptable. for the vegan, they have garden, hummus, baba ganoush and falafel pitas. i've tried them all and each was as tasty as the last. they also have feta and other cheese varieties for the vegetarian crowd.


for a quick-bite type of place, they are really clean and whip up those wraps in no time. they never skimp - my eats are always wonderfully overstuffed with yummy veggies. and you can pick between white or wheat pitas!

miss v's tip: try their hot sauce and hummus on a falafel pita... mercy!


website:
the pita pit

locations (2 local):
44 ne sycamore street
lee's summit, mo 64086
phone: 816.554.7482

1011 mass street
lawrence, ks 66044
phone: 785.856.2500

Friday, April 24, 2009

matsu japanese restaurant and steakhouse

(3 stars)

my mother and i grabbed a couple rolls of sushi here before we went the museum. it was quite tasty. as with most sushi restaurants in kansas city, there are only 2 or 3 veggie-friendly rolls. i've also had the seaweed salad from here, and recall that it was quite tasty.

we went during off hours (like 2pm) so we didn't have a problem with service, but i have heard negative things. however, our server was quite friendly, and even offered to photograph my food for me (he mentioned something about being a photographer).


you can't really mess up an avocado roll, so i can't judge on that. and the veggie roll that i had was pretty tasty... i think there was one other option for veggies, but i don't remember what it was (nothing impressive). i like when i find sushi restaurants that have creative veggie rolls, instead of just your standard 'vegetable mix' and 'avocado.'

pricing was a little over average, but nothing outrageous. the side of the restaurant we sat on was nice, although the other side looked a bit shady. the bathrooms were so-so, and certainly weren't as clean or nice as you would think from the restaurant atmosphere.

overall, nothing to write home about, but i didn't leave disappointed. i certainly wouldn't drive out of my way to go there, but if i was in the neighborhood, i'd probably eat there again.


website:
no website

location:
427 westport road
kansas city, mo 64111
816.531.2602

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

garozzo's ristorante

★★★★(4 stars)

let me start by saying that this is a 5-star restaurant food-wise. it has been my favourite italian restaurant since i moved to kansas city. as an ovo-lacto vegetarian, i always found plenty to eat... and it is sooo good. authentic taste, great atmosphere, phenomenal food. but because i have to factor in the vegan-friendliness, i had to demote to four stars.

however, i will say that as a vegan, there isn't much choice. in fact, your only option is their salad. there a stuffed artichoke on the appetizer menu, which you could probably have them modify and just serve with olive oil, but i haven't attempted this yet. namely, because their house salad is ReAlLy good. pimentos, artichoke hearts, fresh romaine. and their dressing is just as tasty (be sure and ask for no parmesan in the dressing). and it's big. and it's $7, which is pretty decent for such a nice restaurant.

they have some great vegetarian options. i used to love the broccoli and mushrooms in a creamy red sauce. the husband always orders their white wine sauce and claims it is the best sauce ever. i try not get offended since i am italian and make some great sauce myself (so i think), but apparently mr. garozzo has one up on me. :)

anyways, it's a great date restaurant. the one in downtown kc is in the little italy district, which is in a pretty isolated part of town. the pictures here (sorry - camera phone) are from that visit. i've eaten at the one in overland park,which is just as tasty. we usually visit salvatore's in independence and sal is almost always there, greeting us and making sure our visit is spectacular. (*note - sal is the nephew of mike garozzo, but it is pretty much the same menu and just as yummy). so if you are vegan and go with the understanding you are having a salad, then this place will not disappoint.


ps- sorry for the sucky pics. it was really dark and all i had was a camera phone.

website:
garozzo's ristorante
salvatore's

locations:
kansas city, mo
lee's summit, mo
independence, mo (*called salvatore's)
olathe, ks
overland park, ks

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

el mezcal (lawrence, ks)

(1 star)

i think the only thing saving this place from zero-stars is the unlimited chips and salsa (which wasn't bad), and the fun tattoo vending machine in the lobby area....

as i mentioned in my last post, the husband and i went to lawrence for a mini-vaca over valentine's day. as with most mexi joints, we tend to love the fajitas (and it tends to be one of the few things i can eat). so we were super excited with all the fun stuff listed... peppers, mushrooms, zucchinis, broccoli, etc.


to our surprise, when our sizzling plates arrived, they were overflowing with... pineapple. and i'm not a fruit-in-my-salsa kind of girl. don't get me wrong - some people would have probably enjoyed it. but i don't, and i think i should have been warned. not only was pineapple omitted from the menu, it was the MOST prominent ingredient. look at the picture below - that was just one plate's pineapple pile.


also, my tortillas weren't cooked or steamed... or something. they were all stuck together, so i basically couldn't even peel them apart. i ended up just eating my fajitas with a fork, which wasn't bad, if i didn't have to pick out all the pineapple. the service sucked. i think he came by our table twice, and we had to flag someone down to ask for everything else.... like drinks, napkins, boxes, the check, etc.... it just kept on. all the time i was thinking 'one-star, one star...' the margaritas also sucked some ass... and i wasn't expecting much since i'm not a margarita connoisseur. but i do know if one tastes like shite, and this one did.

so we gave up, and bought a fake tattoo in the lobby to cheer us up.

website:
el mezcal

locations:

1819 w 23rd
lawrence, ks 66046
785.832.8775

Monday, March 9, 2009

india palace (lawrence, ks)

★★★★(4 stars)

the husband and i went to see a few bands in lawrence (about 1 hour from kansas city) for valentine's day. it was awesome, and so was all the food we had. we went to india palace the first night, and still had leftovers two days later when we got home.

most indian menus have a decent veg section, so i had a hard time picking out what i wanted. as a vegan in the midwest, it's really exciting to have more than one or two things to choose from when i go out to eat (one of the reasons i started this blog). to start with, they give you a basket of papadum (lentil crackers) that were so freakin' yum! i was thinking about the chickpeas and tomatoes (chana masala), but opted out because i eat a ton of chickpeas. i think i'll try that if i go back. however, i got a super yum dish of lentils (dal). i can't recall what the husband got, but he was just as pleased with his.

service was... just service. it wasn't over the top, but it wasn't bad either. and after several bad diy attempts, the server did finally take our picture for us. :)




*just an update based on a comment - i was assured my dhal was vegan and did not contain ghee. however, you can never assume this and should always ask.

website:
no website, but this site has their menu

location:

129 e 10th street
lawrence, ks 66044
785.331.4300

Sunday, February 22, 2009

mccoy's public house

★★★★(5 stars)

i have been going to mccoy's public house in westport since i was old enough to drive. and when i was old enough to drink beer, i started going a little more often. the folks who spend time there a weird combination of mellow hipster and casual professional types that create a perfect atmosphere where you never feel out of place. plus they have a kick-ass patio that everyone loves on kansas city summer nights.

their menu is really extensive, with a smattering of every type of cuisine. and it is all really good - i don't think i've ever had a mediocre meal here. this visit was with my entire family for a celebration, and i had the sonoma vegan wrap. so good. and my vegetarian husband (and my omni-vore mom) had my big fat greek pasta, and both were full of raves.

in the past, i've had the stir fry and black bean burger (not vegan), which were both really good, as well as the hummus. and i haven't even gotten to their beer.... i'm a fan of the unfiltered wheat - it rivals my all-time favourite (boulevard unfiltered wheat). you can even get their beer in kegs at decent prices, as my friend kim did for her graduation party.

service is friendly, and they are usually pretty quick and attentive. friday and saturday nights can get pretty busy - but you can make reservations. happy hour is also busy, although they don't have super deal prices for hh as i can recall. but no matter, it's worth it.


website:
mccoy's public house

location:

4057 pennsylvania
kansas city, mo 64111
816.960.0866

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

on the border (national chain)

★★★★(4 stars)

although i normally prefer the local mexican establishments in kansas city, if i had to pick a nation chain, on the border would be my favourite.

their salsa is really scrumptious, and they have the best guacamole that they make at your table. in general, i tend to stay away from re-fried beans unless i know they are vegan - on the border is no exception. but their black beans (ordered without cheese) are vegan. i also order corn tortillas, if i plan on eating them, because they are usually vegan. this particular time, i got the portabello fajitas, no cheese or sour cream, and it was super awesome. the husband got the avocado grilled enchiladas.


they also have a 'build-your-own-burrito' option, that is good for anyone on a restrictive diet, since you can pick and choose what to put in. their fajita salad that is vegan if you order it with portabello, and their smoked jalapeno vinaigrette is vegan. their corn tortilla strips are not, so make sure to omit those if you order a salad.

all in all for a mexican place, it's pretty easy to find something to eat. and their service has never really let me down.


website:
www.ontheborder.com


locations:

see their website

Saturday, January 31, 2009

tasty thai

★★(2 stars) or ★★(4 stars) **(see note below)

this is absolutely one of the worst reviews/experiences i have had to date. the husband and i decided to get some our favourite thai food, only to find out (after a 20 minute drive) that it was closed for remodeling. not ones to give up easily, we decided to explore another thai restaurant that was a couple exits away.

tasty thai's service flat-out sucked. we stood at the door for at least 5 minutes before a host even arrived to seat us. after about 5 minutes of waiting for our server, he arrived and took our drink orders. he came back about 10 minutes later to take our dinner order, and hadn't even brought our drinks! what!? when i mentioned that we'd like our drinks first, he left, took a phone order and did other various things several minutes before he came back with our drinks. to make it worse, he didn't seem apologetic or even aware that he wasn't doing his job.


the food was mediocre. we did like the appetizer we ordered, which was a bunch of fried tofu pieces with two different peanut sauces. the entrees, though, were just mediocre. mediocre at best. normally i can't wait to take home leftovers to extend my thai food experience, but i was just blah about taking home my leftovers. the husband was equally underwhelmed with his meal...

and our bill was pretty pricey for not-so-good food and terrible service. needless to say, we won't be going back.

9/24/10 update:  they opened a tasty thai in liberty, which is the closest town to where we live.  we have avoided it for at least 7 or 8 months, but finally gave in to giving it try one night after friday happy hour.  to our surprise, the staff was super friendly and totally aware of our vegan situation (i.e. fish sauce).  they basically stated they could make almost 90% of their food vegan for us (except for the curries), and was super attentive to our needs.  and we had this crazy good appetizer of fried taro.  anyways, this place was definitely four stars in terms of food options and service.  my two stars still stands for the one up on prairie view.

website:
tasty thai

locations:
7104 NW Prairie View Rd
Kansas City, MO 64151
816.584.8801


1912 star dr.
liberty, mo 64068 
816.781.7800 


1912 Star Dr.

1912 Star Dr.

Friday, January 23, 2009

minsky's pizza

★★★★(4 stars)

minsky's pizza is a local chain of pizza/bar restaurants. based upon our pie the night i took this picture, i'd probably giving this place 3 stars. but i've been there before, and i worked there for 5 years, and i know just how good they can be. in fact, many people in kansas city consider it one of their favourite pizza joints.

they are a little pricey, but i've found that most non-chain pizza places are. they have a wonderful selection for veg*ns, including artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, almonds, and the other regular veggie toppings. their famous veggie specialty pie is called a nature's choice, and it is super-delish. just be sure to get it on original crust, as it typically comes with honey wheat (non-vegan). we had the nature's choice (on original crust), half without cheese.


each location has variations in the menus. there are sandwiches, calzones, and salads that are vegetarian (and can be made vegan by omitting cheese). at the main street location (and possibly some others), they have a cheeseless grilled veggie pizza on their menu. they even have pasta with veggie-balls (although i don't know if these are vegan - be sure to ask).


website:
www.minskys.com

locations:

in kansas - leawood, lenexa, olathe, prairie village, shawnee
in missouri - barry road x2, blue springs, city market,
independence, lee's summit, main street