Kansas City: A Post in Pictures

I recently took a day trip to Kansas City with my parents. Dinosaurs and pizza were involved.

More Kansas eats: Eden Alley and Local Burger

Eden Alley is the first of Kansas City's vegetarian friendly restaurants that I ever tried, so it holds a special place in my heart. I love their desserts and the convenient location (right by the Country Club Plaza). On my last trip, my mom and I decided to hit up Eden Alley on Friday night to take advantage of their date night special: an appetizer, two entrees and a dessert, all for $30. We started off with the spinach dip, filled in the middle with Eggplant Parmesan and the Grilled Tofu Ruelke Sandwich and finished things off with a Mandarin Mexican Chocolate Cake. It was a lovely ending to a great night shopping on the Country Club Plaza. I would absolutely recommend hitting up the Friday date night special at Eden Alley- it's a cost efficient way to try out the different food at Eden Alley.                                                         

The next day, my mom and I took a detour to Lawrence, which is about half an hour away from Kansas City. Being a college town, it has several vegan friendly spots, but my favorite stop is Local Burger. Local Burger is based off serving local food (obviously) and though they do serve meat, they also serve a fantastic veggie burger made with quinoa. The food straddles the line of classic diner and healthy fare. They also have vegan milkshakes. Love this place. 

 

FÜD: The best nachos I've ever had

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my mom and I took a quick trip down to Kansas City and Lawrence. At the top of my list (and therefore our first stop) was FÜD, a new all-vegan restaurant where jackfruit is featured prominently on the menu.

  The meal started with a small order of fully loaded nachos. Yes, the nachos pictured would be the same small serving that I ate. It was amazing. Loaded with vegan cheese (I'm guessing a nutritional yeast sauce), sour cream, guacamole, salsa and jack phish, this behemoth was delicious and I would be completely satisfied ordering the large as a meal. This plate was definitely one of my top nacho plates of all time. 
My mom and I both ordered sandwiches with jackfruit- I got the jack reuben and she got the pulled jack reuben. Both sandwiches, despite being made with the same base ingredient, had distinct, delicious flavors and were most definitely filling. The pulled jack sandwich was a perfect example of classic barbecue made vegan, while the jack reuben was an excellent example of a twist on an old favorite. 
Even though we were both stuffed, my mom and I also split a chocolate shake for dessert. The ice cream was made with cashews and agave, and it was the perfect ending to a lovely meal.
I definitely recommend checking out FÜD if you are in the Kansas City area- not only was the food great but the service was attentive and pleasant without being overbearing, and the actual restaurant was adorable. I will definitely be stopping in for another serving of nachos. 

Waldo Pizza

As I've mentioned several times before, I adore pizza. One of my favorite pizzas can be found at Waldo Pizza in Kansas City. Though I've mentioned it before, I've given given this fabulous pizza joint the individual post it so richly deserves. Located in an unassuming building, the place is always busy and consistently delicious. They offer vegan cheese and a variety of impressive toppings, with my personal favorites being kalamata olives and sauerkraut. To be completely honest, you can't go wrong here. The website offers a vegan menu to guide you through your selections and their cupcakes are to die for. However, if you plan to stop in for a bite at night during the weekend, you will have a wait in front of you, but Waldo Pizza is definitely worth the it. Also, they have Trivial Pursuit cards on the table to keep you entertained. Be sure to get some leftovers!

Sandwiches are my life: Grilled Tofu Ruelke Sandwich

A recent trip to Kansas City found me, unsurprisingly, at Eden Alley. I make a point to hit up Eden Alley every time I go to Kansas City because the food is delicious and it is conveniently located right by the Country Club Plaza in the basement of a nearby church. They recently added the grilled tofu ruelke sandwich to their menu and I've had my eye on it for awhile. Alaina and I both opted to order it, and when it arrived, it became apparent that we could have easily split it.

Heaped with grilled tofu crusted in nutritional yeast, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and hummus, all on sourdough bread, this monstrosity was a beacon of tasty. Savory and filling, I think this will be my go to menu item on Eden Alley's daily menu. My one regret is that I spent $1.25 to add cashew cheese, and the cook was pretty stingy with it- not worth the cost. However, I would absolutely order the sandwich again. And again. And again.

Whoa Wren on the Road: Kansas City

As Kansas City is only a few short hours away, it is the perfect place to go for a weekend trip and this is a trip I take on a semi-regular basis. Due to this, I've mentioned my love of Kansas City before, so this will mostly be a repeat of places I've mentioned previously, but with new pictures.

The day following me and Alaina's exploration of Lawrence, we headed over to Kansas City, which is about a 45 minute drive. The first thing we did was get lost, which included me silently freaking out and Alaina calming me down and directing me via iPhone. Thankfully, we eventually arrived at our intended destination of Eden Alley, located next to the Country Club Plaza. I've had my issues with Eden Alley, mainly having to do with small portions, but it cannot be denied that I always look forward to stepping through their doors into their warm cocoon of reds, oranges and chocolate chip lavender cookies.

On this particular trip, Alaina and I were apparently both craving something 'cheesy' because Alaina got the Ultimate Garlic Grilled Cheese and I got the Smoky Tomato Bruschetta. These can both be made vegan through the removal of lactose cheese, and the addition of a delicious, creamy cashew cheese. They turned out to be essentially the same dish, with mine having smoky tomato aioli and Alaina's having chili cumin aioli. The good news is that both of these dishes were fantastic and filling. It's hard to go wrong with thick slices of bread smothered in warm cashew based cheese.

We followed the meal up with a dessert, and I have unfortunately forgotten the name of it. I do remember it contained fruits and was delightful. I can tell you with utmost confidence that it is nearly impossible to get a bad dessert at Eden Alley. Each and every confection I've eaten there has been mind-boggling in how good it is, with my favorite being their Pollock.

In an attempt to drum up some hunger before supper, Alaina and I took some time to wander around the Plaza and enjoy some shopping. Rechargeable penguin shaped flashlights were purchased, among other things, and Alaina and I eventually felt like we could once again imagine eating. To celebrate this, we made a beeline for Blue Nile Cafe. I love Blue Nile not only because of the succulent food, but also because they sell their spices in small to-go containers, even the ones needed to make their iced tea. I think this is absolutely wonderful. The one thing that stops me from buying spices and such at my local Ethiopian restaurant is that they all come in bags the size of my head. Blue Nile has solved this conundrum. Good for them. Now to the food.

Blue Nile Cafe has a clearly labeled vegan section but I would suggest splitting the veggie platter with a friend. A chance to try everything and a chance to split the bill, what could be better? The flavors are pungent, savory and each dish holds the ability to truly differentiate themselves- an impressive feat for stews poured next to each other on injera.

Reviewing both this blog post and my previous post on Kansas city has led me to realize that I truly need to expand my vegan exploration of this wonderful city. While I love my tried and true combo of Eden Alley, Blue Nile Cafe and Waldo Pizza, the city has much more to offer. For you, my dear Vegan Mofo readership, I shall venture down there with the intent of trying new places and reporting back to you. I look forward to both the journey, the challenge and the inevitable stomachache after I've eaten far too much delicious vegan food.

Whoa Wren on the Road: Lawrence, Kansas

One of the greatest parts of being vegan is that traveling suddenly has more purpose. Trips are taken not only to explore new parts of the world, but also to expand one's dining repertoire. For vegans, Chicago means the Chicago Diner, Los Angeles means Real Food Daily and New York City means Candle 79. While these trips are a culinary delight, it is even more rewarding when travels to cities that aren't known for their vegan options result in culinary delights- trips such as the one I recently took to Lawrence, KS and Kansas City (coming soon).

After loving the Omaha Nightmare of You and Plushgun show so much that I had to see it again, I convinced my wonderful, patient friend Alaina to drive down to Lawrence with me so I could do just that. Fortunately, we were also able to experience a treasure trove of vegan food. Our first stop was actually unplanned. Alaina wanted coffee and I wanted food, so we popped into La Prima Tazza. Not only was Alaina able to get coffee with soy milk, I was able to get the best vegan zucchini muffin I've ever had in my life. The crumbly, sugary topping was a treat in itself.
Unfortunately for you, I neglected to take a picture until it was mostly demolished.

The Casbah Market was the first place we hit up that was actually on our food itinerary. The Casbah is a vegetarian grocery store that not only sells local produce and tofu, but also houses Nice Cafe. The Casbah also sold cookies from a local vegan, gluten-free bakery called Ancient Grains. We bought the double chocolate chip cookie and the oatmeal raisin. While the oatmeal raisin was tasty, the double chocolate chip made me want to go back and get more. Very chocolatey, with a hint of coconut.

After we made our grocery selections, we wandered to the back of the store and treated ourselves to kombucha and jerk tofu patties. Nice Cafe's patties are closer to empanadas or hand pies than the patties you are most likely imagining. This means they are easy to eat and ready to be smothered in the sauces provided. Patrick of Fourth of July was kind enough to guide us through making sure the patties were vegan and provided us with excellent service and a lead on a great band to check out. Alaina and I had a long debate about whether or not it would be feasible to take some frozen patties home to share with others, but we eventually decided with heavy hearts that the patties would most likely not survive and that we would have to return with full wallets and empty stomachs.

One place that I normally stop at but chose not to (due to being full of patties) is Local Burger. Local Burger is dedicated to serving local foods and happens to be the home of my all time favorite veggie burger. It's delicately fried and made with quinoa-a combination that makes it both light and hearty. Another thing I like about Local Burger is that it can satisfy the omnis in my life, namely my wonderful father. He's come a long, long way since the days he subsisted almost entirely on meatloaf.

Another jaw-droppingly wonderful aspect of the vegan scene in Lawrence is the hot dog cart on Mass (Massachusetts Street, for Lawrence noobs). Yes, there are lips and tails hot dogs available here but there are also vegan hot dogs! I haven't had the chance or appropriate feeling of hunger to try this place yet, so I've you've been here, let me know how it is!

As far as drinks go, I must highly recommend the Replay Lounge on 1oth and Mass. Alaina and I found this spot by deciding to go in and out of bars until we found what would be "our" bar in Lawrence. Luckily, this was the first bar we stumbled into. Cheap drinks, bright colors, a black light and a tree made of fans and heaters to keep cool in the summer and warm in the winters. Also: PBR Mobile. Consider me sold. Go there.

All in all, I have never been disappointed in any of my trips to Lawrence, aside from disappointment in myself for not having gone to college there. Thankfully, I can console myself by gorging on delightful vegan foods, indulging in cheap drinks and taking in the ever lovely culture of Lawrence.

Coming next: The Kansas City portion post from this trip! Whee!

Kansas City Hijinks

This past weekend, to celebrate both Mother's Day and my graduation from college, my mom and I took a weekend trip to Kansas City. We shopped and ate, and I shall share what morsels I ingested in the next few paragraphs.

Our first stop was Eden Alley, which is conveniently located next to the Country Club Plaza. My mom and I ordered the dip duet with hummus and baba ghanouj. Since I was carb-starved and slightly hungover when the plate arrived I neglected to photograph it. I did, however, manage to get a picture of the second portion of my comfort carb meal: biscuits and gravy.

The gravy was mushroom based and honestly would have done fine by itself, while I am pretty sure the biscuits were made with coconut milk. It was just what I needed to steel myself for a day of consumer driven activities. We ordered dessert to go, a couple slices of Mexican Mandarin cake, but the to-go box was not kind to their appearance. Sorry.


Dinner that night was comprised of Waldo Pizza. I love Waldo because they are SUPER vegan friendly, have tons of topping options and my dad and I can eat there together and both be happy about it (that doesn't happen a lot). I usually get the salad bar (vegans, request the raspberry vinaigrette!) because it is amazing with spinach, blueberries and many other goods, but I skipped straight to the pizza. Traditional crust with vegan mozzarella (make sure to say vegan), kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and pineapple. No other words needed.



The next morning, my mom and I headed over to the City Market. I was most excited about the bubble tea, over at Lollicup. I opted for strawberry (pictured) while my mom went for green apple.


Once we were done wandering around, we headed over to Blue Nile Cafe for the best Ethiopian food I have ever had. It was one of those meals where I said 'Mmmmmmm' after every bite. Just amazing. We also had a really fantastic waitress- the meal was the culinary highlight of the trip. BTW, everything in the vegetarian section of the menu is vegan, and their spices are available for purchase in small quantities. Seriously, I got the veggie platter and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my short life. Go there, get it, eat it, love it. I have included pictures of both sides of the plate to make you want it even more.





The final meal of the trip was impromptu and took place at Stix, which is located at Legends mall. I got the vegetarian sushi. Not much else to say about it, but at least it looked pretty and tasted good. Veggie sushi + Diet Coke = my power combo.


Overall, it was a great trip. I may do an entry on my beautiful purchases (which included a Grease 2 DVD), but we'll see how ambitious I am.