circqe d'alex

★★★★(4 stars)

three words: vegan hot dog.  life changing, my friends.  so, i'm over-hyping.  in fact, i never have really enjoyed a hot dog, vegan or not.  but as soon as i saw this place, i was on a quest to go and enjoy a hot dog.  mostly because i wanted to support a place in kansas city that would have a vegan hot dog.

so the place isn't really my style.  it's very 'carnivalesque' and definitely geared for kids (i am without child).  it was a visual onslaught of bright colors, clown pictures on the ceiling, and weird plastic chairs. yet, i know some people (and their kids), would feel right at home.  despite the awkwardness, the husband and i forged ahead and ordered two vegan dogs.   it was pretty awesome - you could order it in a number of different styles - chicago, coney island, etc., or you could customize your toppings.  we went ahead and got chicago style, which has onions, tomatoes, sport peppers, relish, etc., and then retired to our weird plastic chairs to wait for impending deliciousness.  they steam the dogs to order, so it ended up taking 15 minutes or so before our order was brought to our table.  the wait was worth it, as we finally  presented with two 'designer' dogs...  they looked just like the picture!   and man, these rocked.  about halfway through, we decided we needed two more....

i'm completely recommending this place, for those with kids or without.  i'll probably get mine to go in the future to avoid the kiddos whining about ice cream, but that's just me.  overall, this is kind of a unique place in a kansas city, and a huge step for the vegans.  (i did call twice to confirm the dogs were 'vegan' - they are).  unfortunately, i can't review the veggie chili since they were out when we went.    but, i just visited their website and they now have a 'muffuletta' dog, which you know i have to try!

website:
cirque d'alex


location(s):
7308 tiffany springs parkway
kansas city, mo
816.891.0608

7107 nw barry road
kansas city, mo
816.587.4555

the klub (mound city, mo)

★★★★ (4 stars) 

the husband and i took an early anniversary trip up to big lake state park in northwestern missouri.  when we travel to rural parts of the country, i always try to scout things out ahead of time, food-wise.  luckily, i saw a restaurant at the location we were staying with great veggie options.   however, when we got there, we learned about a recent flood that had done some damage to some of local places - including the restaurant.

the nearest 'town' was about 15 minutes away, with a population of just over 1,000.  there was a pizza shop attached to a gas station, and a steakhouse.  oh yea, and a mcdonalds. things were looking pretty bleak.  i pulled out the droid and found the only other restaurant in the area.  granted, it looked as scary as the pizza/gas station joint, but maybe better than our other options.  it was call 'the klub' and ended up being quite a rural foodie dream. although when we pulled up, it was a corrugated steel building and scared us shitless, we forged ahead (and there was a full bar luring us in).
 
after we sat down, the server started to run down the specials, which (as most vegans know) are typically meat based, but she piqued our interest when she mentioned the wild mushroom marscapone cheese ravioli with a creamy port sauce.  uh, what?!  as it turns out, the owner is actually a chef, and makes almost everything homemade.  he uses local foods whenever possible.  i asked if he could make a vegan meal off the menu, and they were happy to!

we ordered the bruschetta (no parm) to start. as the husband and i were enjoying an anniversary cocktail, i glanced out the window and saw a women come shuffling out of the restaurant/shed kitchen area.  she ran over to the fence line, looked among the many plants and picked a sprig off a purple one, smelled it, and ran back towards the kitchen.  i told the husband that i thought it was odd, only to be delighted when our bruschetta was served about two minutes later with a fresh sprig of purple basil.  i almost died.  an herb garden in the back of restaurant...  in mound city, mo?  and it was to die for.  after the first bite, i realized i needed to be documenting this place for all the vegetarians and vegans in rural northwest missouri.  (so half the bruschetta is gone).

the salads came next and were okay (not glamorous), but i could tell they were fresh.  and my balsamic vinagrette was definintely homemade.  even if it was just a plain jane salad, they make a point of using local produce, so that's some deliciousness on a whole other level.

 our meals?  the husband ordered the mushroom marscapone ravioli (he's a vegetarian), and they made a fresh veggie pasta with homemade marinara for me.  perfect veggie fare for our anniversary.  the honey's pasta and sauces were homemade, and it's wild mushroom season in missouri, so i'm sure it was local.  although they told me my noodles were't homemade, the chunky marinara was and had some great seasonal veggies.  additionally, when they served the bread with our meals, they made a point to tell me they used olive oil instead of butter on the bread.

although the klub isn't a dedicated vegetarian or vegan restaurant, they sure did step up to the plate.  the food was good and the attention of the kitchen to our special diet was great.  it was like finding a diamond in the rough rural terrain of rural missouri.  one anniversary dinner disaster averted! 


website:
the klub


location(s):
1710 nebraska street
mound city, mo  64470
660.442.4043

the brick

★★★(3 stars)

i've been wanting to write a review of the brick for a while now, but have never found the right time to go and scour what is truly vegan.  we finally found the opportunity when a local band was playing, and headed down early so we could grab some grub.  they have a separate section of vegetarian options on their menu - probably more options than any other bar in kansas city.  unfortunately, their 'hipper-than-thou' staff seriously detracts from the underwhelming food.

granted, it's not the first time i've had server/bartender issues there before, but you always go hoping for the best.  we were the only people there at the time, and i politely inquired about the bun the portabello burger is served on.  the bartender checked, then came back and told me 'no', it's not vegan, and then walked away.   i had to flag her down and ask about some other options, and she seemed frustrated that i was bothering her.  as i said, we were the ONLY people there.  finally, she found a lady in the kitchen who came out an offered two bread options - the pita bread or a wheatberry wrap.  i was happy and decided on the wrap.  unfortunately, the end result wasn't all that great.  it was flimsy, and not very veggie stuffed.  it certainly seems a little overpriced.  not to mention, this all came after they told us the kitchen was closing late, and then rushed us to make an order at like 8pm.  whatever.

so truthfully, they only have two vegan options because the veggie burger has eggs. and they weren't all that impressive (seriously, check out the record bar's wrap in comparison).  and, of course, it isn't served up by super friendly staff or anything, so that also kinda detracts.  i give them props for having a robust vegetarian section on their menus, but the final product is sort disappointing (especially for vegans).  i went there thinking i would surely give them four stars, and i'm only giving them three because of all the vegetarian options.  otherwise, this is a two star vegan joint (with good music).  bummer.


website:
the brick


location:
1727 mcgee
kc, mo  
816.421.1634

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