KC Trip by Maggie

Hey all,
I'm back! I had an amazing trip to Kansas City. My parents and I had some great meals... we ate out and had a party! The party post is coming soon... I'm waiting for the parents to send me some pictures of the awesome food we made!

Last Friday night, we went to Spin Pizza for dinner (www.spinpizza.com). We had a Sonoma Salad which had grapes, apples, raisins, pecans, goat cheese, and a blood orange vinagarette. We got two pizzas: one with chicken sausage and carmelized onions and another with roasted chicken and goat cheese. Both were great, but the chicken and goat cheese was our winner. We had a great time and a nice bottle of wine. It was a great welcome.

KC is famous for their barbecue. The James family favorite is Oklahoma Joe's (www..oklahomajoesbbq.com). My mom and I had lunch there last Tuesday. We had the special: a pulled pork sandwich and a side. I had the beans, which are unreal- like regular baked beans with black beans in a zesty sauce. Heaven. J-Squared got the fries, which were outstanding. They also have spicy coleslaw, which will blow your mind! The best part about Oklahoma Joe's is that it's located in a gas station. That's right... you can fuel up, buy a sno-ball, and get some of the best barbecue you've ever had.

My mom and I went to visit my grandmother, known as the Beej. Beej lives in Lindsborg, KS, which is known as Little Sweden, USA. Swedish cuisine is not exactly internationally known for deliciousness, but there used to be a little place in Lindsborg that made fabulous Swedish pancakes. In a strange twist, the Bakery is now a Mexican restaurant... bizarre for a Swedish town, but the food at Jalisco was great! I had a veggie quesedilla and it was authentic and tasty! We also stopped for Sno-Cones after dinner, which my brother and I used to do when we visited my grandparents as kids. Ah, nostalgia!

On Thursday night before I left, we had dinner at Blanc Burgers and Bottles (www.blancburgers.com). Blanc has ten different burgers including bison, classic beef, turkey, and mahi mahi. Regulator had the bison burger and J-Squared and I both got the spiced lentil burgers- a great vegetarian option. Blanc serves sides and fries in miniature shopping carts! We had sweet potato fries and onion rings... both were delish! Blanc also has a massive selection of wines and beers. My dad had a chocolate stout, which was better than expected. I had Mothership Wit from New Belgium Brewing (same brewery as Fat Tire) and my mom had a malbec. It was a great send off dinner.

My KC trip was great, but I am glad to be back home and here to help Meghan cook! :)