thai paradise

★★★ ★ (4 stars)

recently a couple of the thai place restaurant locations have closed (bummer economy!).  in fact, the two closest to me - the north and downtown location were victims.  i wasn't aware of this, and had happily made the trip to downtown kc for some serious thai indulgence.  after realizing it had closed had closed, we headed over to thai paradise on grand boulevard.  we had eaten there once before, and i'm happy to report, it's as delicious as i remember.

we started with the crispy fried tofu.  although the tofu chunks were a little too big, they were still nicely crunchy.  we ordered the spice tray to kick our sauce up a bit. although the tray isn't as robust as the thai place spice tray, they do have jalapenos marinated in soy - seriously awesome.  for our entree, we both ended up getting the tofu cashew, but there are plenty of other options.  and, they don't use fish sauce, so veg folks can order safely.  the helping was very large, definitely enough for leftovers (and chock full of cashews).

the staff was super friendly and definitely were knowledgeable on the vegan/fish sauce issue.  it's not a glamorous place, but the tables all ornamental hand carved wood - gorgeous.  the tables are all small, so it can be a nice little date restaurant.  i would definitely put this as my second favourite thai place in kansas city, and who knows - now that it is the closest one to me, maybe it will become number one.

website:
thai paradise



location:
1513 grand boulevard
kansas city, mo
816.221.5727

waldo pizza

★★★★★ (5 stars)

valentine's this year consisted of a two day affair, culminating with a trip downtown to waldo pizza.  we've been here before, but the last time was to meet up with eric prescott and his crew from i'm vegan.  (i'm not in the documentary, but he contacted me while he was in kc just to have a casual dinner).  anyways, that didn't seem like the most appropriate time to bring my camera, and i haven't been back since.  i don't know why - we love pizza it's good enough to eat every night - but we live up north and only occasionally head in to the city for dinner.  most likely because i'm usually cooking at home.

anyways, as i said, this place rocks for vegans.  they have both soy cheese and vegan cheese (so be sure and specify) - the vegan is follow your heart mozzarella.  they run it through the oven twice to make it melty, which just shows how awesome they are to vegans.  you can also get the bread sticks, sandwiches, etc. with the fyh mozzarella.  on this visit we got the veggie pizza, and since neither one of us likes onions, we substituted half zucchini and half roasted corn.  we were a little nervous about the corn, but let me tell you - it rocks!  i wish we'd gotten the whole thing with roasted corn - it was a delicious surprise, for sure.  apparently, they also have some kick ass vegan cupcakes.  i don't really like dessert or sweets all that much (despite my love of baking them), so i've never actually had one. 

it's about as expensive as any non-chain pizza restaurant, but they have great specials on certain days (check their website).  they also have a gluten-free menu, and the staff really seems to know what they are talking about.  and if you get bored while you wait for your dinner, they have trivial pursuit questions that you can test your date with.  of all restaurants in kc, i would recommend this in my top 5 for vegans.

(this review was written about he original located in kansas city - i just found out they have one in lee's summit too!)

website:
waldo pizza




location(s):

7433 broadway
kc, mo
816.363.5242


rollins meadows @ douglas square
lee's summit, mo
816.875.2121

record bar

★★★★ (4 stars)

the record bar offers up some vegan friendly dishes, salads and some custom items that can be veganized. there are no real vegan-dedicated bars in kansas city. heck, there is really only one or two places where you can find all vegan food. so for a bar in the midwest, the record bar's vegan selection isn't bad. not to mention, you can hear some really great music while you're chowing down.


the moby is their vegan sandwich, a delicious marinated portabello (be sure and request is without the mayosturdaionase). they also have a vegan-friendly pizza, the ian mackay. although i really wanted to get a pic of the pizza, i had pizza for lunch that day, so i went with the moby. i wanted to get it in a wrap, so the bartender checked and as i recall, only one of them is vegan. i can't remember which (blame the beer) - maybe the tomato basil? be sure and check if you order a wrap. yummy and filling - what any good bar food should taste like. the husband got the straight up moby - i tried to convince him to get the pizza for picture diversity, but no dice - so two moby's are what you get. oh, they also have my favourite vegan-friendly beer on tap, kansas city's own boulevard unfiltered wheat.


the service is better than your average music-focused bar. prices are little higher than what i think bar food should be, but i guess it's worth it when you are getting good quality vegan food. this place definitely ranks up there with mccoy's, my other favourite vegan-friendly bar.


website:
record bar

location:
1020 westport road
kc, mo 64111
816.753.5207

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

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

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

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