Looking for some fun things to do in Kansas City tomorrow evening (Wednesday Nov 25th).

November 24, 2009 2:02 PM

I'm from out of town (Chicago), but I met a girl here in KC the other day and we've decided to go out tomorrow evening. We're both artsy types with a fondness for adventure and off-the-beaten-path entertainment. I know I could easily defer to her for suggestions, but I'd like to have a few ideas to throw out. I'm up for anything really. It doesn't have to be a proper event or anything- someplace cool to wander around or explore is fine too. Just toss it all out there!! Food suggestions are good too (she's vegetarian). Thanks!!
posted by ISeemToBeAVerb to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total)

A few months ago, I stayed in the KC metro for a few days. Don't know how close you'll be straying to the Kansas side of the metro, but I can certainly recommend Local Burger in Lawrence. I poked fun at the staff for having a menu that proclaimed they had the "world's best veggie burger," but I immediately took it all back when I tried it—it really is the best I've ever had, as far as I can remember, and I've had plenty. Lawrence in general is an oasis of coastal-style hippie college town culture, but I don't know a lot about what it has to offer in terms of specific events and sights, just a general pointer.
posted by abcde at 4:06 PM on November 24, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestion, I do love Lawrence! However, I think Lawrence is too far for us to travel tomorrow. We're gonna be more in the Metro area around the Plaza, Westport, Downtown, etc... Thanks though, I need to try Local Burger next time I hit Lawrence.
posted by ISeemToBeAVerb at 5:11 PM on November 24, 2009

This vegan place, Cafe Seed, has limited hours but really impressed me when I was there. I got the vegan tacos and they were damn good. The atmosphere feels nice, but I'm not sure if it is in a wandering aroundish area. For wandering, I like the Plaza area because you can people watch, dip into the Better Cheddar to covertly sample an array of cheese, share a drink or appetizer anywhere, or eat a meal at vegetarian Eden Alley (which isn't my favorite, because I think they under spice, but I've really only tried two things on the menu). This isn't really off-the-beaten-path, but, uh, it's Kansas City (Westport/39th St area are "cooler" but get kind of old after the third or fourth wandering, IMHO).

Also, check Pitch Weekly to see if anything actually cool is going on that you might like.
posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel at 6:22 PM on November 24, 2009

If I was in KC tonight, I would go to the Nelson Art Gallery and then out for dinner at Lidia's. It might not be "off the beaten path", but it's a sure winner in my book. The prix fixe at Lidia's is always good for vegetarians (so long as she's not vegan).
posted by B-squared at 6:32 PM on November 24, 2009

Bummer! If you were here next week, you could come to our meetup! But perhaps a group of MeFites is too intense for a first date...

Anyway, the default dining locales for vegetarians in KC are:
- Eden Alley - Plaza
- Blue Bird Bistro (more localvore than vegetarian; they do serve meat) - Crossroads/Downtown
- Cafe Seed - West Bottoms? (They close at 7, by the way)

I've been to the first two, they're really great, but if she's from KC, she's probably already been to one of these.

So, if you really want to be adventurous, there are some fantastic ethnic restaurants in town that have a wide variety of really great vegetarian cuisine.

Vietnam Cafe - West 39th/West of Westport (I love this place!)
Blue Koi - Westport
Blue Nile Cafe (Ethopian) - City Market/Downtown
Thai Garden - Westport (I love this place too!)

There's nothing too terribly exciting going on Wednesday night (unless you like orchestras & Led Zeppelin), but I think Westport is the best place for (mis)adventures. There's always some crazy shit going down.
posted by chara at 11:25 PM on November 24, 2009