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

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

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

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

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

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

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