KACE

I am taking a business trip to Kansas City in a couple of weeks. I will spend two nights at the Raphael in Country Club Plaza. Any suggestions for good restaurants within walking distance?

Also, how far is Independence and is it worth the trip?

Many thanks for any suggestions!

sktraveler

I would recommend the Plaza III steak house (it's expensive, but great food), Japengo's (kind of meditteranean food, outdoor patio is nice), and Grand Street Cafe (Again, relatively expensive, but good, interesting food). There are also some good chain restaurants in the Plaza area if you are looking for something a little less expensive or predictable--P.F. Chang's, Cheesecake Factory, Houston's, Houlihans.

I can't offer any help with the Independence question, but I hope you enjoy Kansas City!

Vern

KACE
Since you are on the Country Club Plaza you will have an abundance of good places to eat. The Plaza is full of good restuarants, some local, come chains. For good steaks (but bring LOTS of money) go to Plaza III. The Raphael has a well noted restuarant as well. The Fairmont hotel just across the street from you is also good. There is a good authentic Mexican place on Plaza called Mi Cocina. Good Irish pub is located there as well called O'Dowd's Little Dublin. Also consider 39th street which is restuarant row with many nice places. A favorite is Hannah's Bistro for good French (ala Normandy and Brittany) food - owned by a fellow from there. There are so many good places to eat. If you like BBQ KC is famous for that - on the Plaza is KC Masterpiece quite good.

Independence is about 20-30 minutes east of Plaza by car. Truman Library is there and if you have ties to the Mormons or RLDS there is much history there about those religions. There is also a wonderful German (the best in KC area) restuarant on the square in Independence - name slips my mind right now.

Other food ideas on the Plaza would include Japengo Grill, Starker's Reserve, Grand Falloon (all locally owned) and then the chains like Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris steaks, etc. Also check into the area called the Freight House district (10 minutes north) for Lidias (of the famous Lidias in New York city), JackStack BBQ, and a new oyster bar. Your hotel can tell you about those.
You will not go hungry in KC.

xx

If you like Italian, try Figlio's. Definitely the Cheesecake Factory - everyone in KC raves about it.

If you feel like driving, go to Overland Park, Kansas - just across the state line - to J. Gilbert's for wonderful steaks. I've heard mixed reviews about Plaza III. Ruth's Chris is on the Plaza also. I have heard that is good but very expensive. But I've heard J. Gilbert's called the BEST steak in the KC area.

Independence - depends on what you are going there for. If you care about seeing Harry Truman's house, library, etc. and are interested in history, then yes you should go. If you don't care for that, skip it. It is not a place I care to be except for its historic value. I'm sure it was much nicer in Harry Truman's day.

Jane

I have lived on the Plaza for many years and have eaten at all of the above at least a few times and some many dozen times. All hotels are no more than 4-6 blocks from your hotel.
Best steaks are Ruth's Chris. Plaza III lives on past reputation and has very outdated decor. J Gilbert's isn't in the same league and isn't close by at all.

Figlio's is a relative embarrassment in a town with a couple of really good Italian restaurants...the best being the original Garozzo's downtown (15 minutes away) and Lidia's. Atmosphere there is odd, but food is quite good. Nothing like the quality of the Italian food in St. Louis, but very good.

KC Masterpiece is OK, but certainly not great BBQ, in a town where BBQ is actually important. No consensus on the best, though. President Clinton always stopped at Gates & Sons (is that good or not?), but Arthur Bryant's, Hayward, Jack Stack etc all have their fans.

JJ's bordering the west side of the Plaza is very good and often overlooked...but very busy. Among the best wine lists in KC.

Japengo (also a chain...not local) has declined steadily since it opened. I find it a bit dirty and run down...unless you're eating out on the patio. Hard to get a table but very pleasant.

I think Lidia's is worth a trip. Very interesting decor (converted freight house next to Union Station) with some very nice dishes, certainly not run of the mill Italian. As noted above, run by Lidia who operates a couple great NYC places.

The Classic Cup is a local place with a nice outdoor (sidewalk, not back) option and some very good dishes, great wine list.

Skip the hotel restaurant at the Raphael.
The chains on the Plaza need no explanation...Houston's, Houlihan's, Chang's, Cheesecake Factory, Canyon Cafe,

Granfalloon is a bar serving bar food. Hardly worth a stop.

Grand Street is very good, very dependable, bordering the Plaza on the east.

Mi Cocina is a chain out of Texas. Still good, but not worth a special trip.

Capital Grill just opened and is still up for debate.

xx

Jane, apparently you haven't eaten at J. Gilbert's. I didn't say it was close - I said it was in Overland Park. That's about a 20 or 25 minute trip from the Plaza through Mission Hills.

I have to disagree about Garozzos. YUCK is all I can say about my experience there, what with a roach crawling up the wall next to me. Then they gave me a free dessert to compensate for my experience - like I was going to eat one more bite of anything they served me! Figlio's is definitely better - better atmosphere, better food.

KACE

Thanks for all the suggestions. Your help is greatly appreciated. I look forward to eating in KC!

Arnie

I agree that anyone that thinks Garozzo's is good does not give very good advice. Now, it you want a massive amount of medicore food, served in a dumpy atmosphere, go there, but be prepared for cheesy gunk smothered in some foul tasting tomato sauce...the only thing Italian about this place is the name. I also would debate the comments made about some of the other places. I think that what we have here are comments from a Plaza "snob" - you know some people like bar food and it is not up to you to bad mouth those choices. You probably are one of those that also refuses to go to Starbucks even though their coffee is much better than Classic Cup....get a life loser

Arnie

oh yes, a couple other things I forgot
by far the best corn dogs and cotton candy in KC are at the KMart by the interstate.
and they usually have good sales on men's fake diamond earrings too.
and dog, the tattoo parlors on Main is the baddest around, ya know?
I knowz what up and what ain't, got it ya'll?

dcd

The Canyon Cafe (not mentioned above) is also quite good. I agree with the posters above on Garozzo's being way-way over rated. It is not bad but it's nothing special (my humble opinion)either. Lidia's is much closer and a much better choice. I would highly encourage you to go to Arthur Bryant's or Gates barbeque if you have the time. Approximately, 10-20 minutes from plaza.

Laura

Metropolis in Westport is also very good. I also recommend JJ's.

teri

Dear KACE;
I can't add anything to the above suggestions for restaurants. The Plaza III is my personal favorite.
I don't think Independence is worth the trip. I found the Truman library a major yawn.
There is a recent thread about K.C. Try looking it up.

Jane

KC Masterpiece is a chain---if you want genuine BBQ, go to Hayward's, Gates, or Arthur Bryants. When I lived in KC I liked Fedora's on the plaza---don't know if it is still there since no one mentioned it. Not far from the plaza( but not walking distance)is southwest boulevard---authentic Mexican food at Ponath's and several other places.

xx

Well you guys, you keep mentioning Gates and I live in KC and I don't see why anyone goes there, frankly! It's okay, but it's more like a fast food barbecue place if you ask me. Hayward's is good, but it's in Overland Park. I've never been to Arthur Bryants. I know people used to talk about it, but I don't really think it's THE place anymore.

Even though KC Masterpiece is a chain, I think it's wonderful food!

David

I hate argue but Haywards and/or KC Masterpiece is to KC Barbeque what McDonald's is to Midwest beef. Bryants and Gates are in a league all their own. If it means anything at all, Jackie O (yes Onassis) said Bryants was the "Best barbeque in the world."

KK

Fedora is still there. Relatively nice atmosphere dragged down by really mediocre food. Unfortunately.

teri

The original question asked if there was a restaurant in walking distance from the Raphael. That leaves K.C. Masterpiece as the only decent Bar B Que. I feel that real K.C. Bar B Que must include Gates or Bryant's. K.C. Masterpiece is not in the same class, whether you prefer it or not. Nothing beats a frosty mug a Bryant's. Bryant's especially, is an institution in Kansas City that can't be replaced by fancy joints on the Plaza.

??

I won't go down to the neighborhood where Bryant's is, though. Also, I've heard that it's really not as great as it used to be. And some say it appealed to certain people, but not others.

Casey

Really?
A restaurant that appeals to some people and not others?
Just kidding there, Mr/Ms Riddler ("??").
No question that location is a problem with Bryant's. And of course some people like 'mainstream' tasting BBQ while some like it smokey or spicy or less 'processed'.
Thankfully there's a BBQ place for each of these tastes in town.
But, as Teri said, not near the Raphael.

joe

When I lived in KC there was a barbque place on Main that was real good -
Jakes? on the same street as a good italian place and Minskeys down from Visitation school. Is it still there. that is pretty much walking distance from the plaza and is kind of a neat neighborhood. Is Andres still there?ood Italian