Suggestions For The Tourist...

[nightotter]

From one Midwesterner (Chicago) to another, hullo! You certainly have a very lively and informative forum going on here. Very impressive. 

At the end of July I intend to make a cross-country trip, with my car pointed decidedly southwest. This means I'll be stopping by your fair city, something I am very excited about because I have never been. So excited in fact that I intend to stay for three days and three nights, to take in the sights and what-not.

Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway) I was very happy to come upon this site. Fascinating stuff, as well as reviews of places I can stop by.

I am making this post as a companion to searching around here, in hopes that some of you might chime in with a few suggestions.

Typical of an outsider, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about KC is steaks and Jazz. Two things which are well represented in Chicago. So, what are the best of the best in these categories? What other attractions should an outsider take in to get the real KC. I'm thinking of even a Royals game, since they will be in town when I am coming through. Even a place with a marvelous view would be welcome.

thanks for any suggestions.

Otto in Chicago.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Forget the steaks and jazz. 

Its the BBQ that makes KC.  But if one must have steak then it would be the Hereford House (any location).  And I am sure that others will be mentioned but at least this one is local.

[nota]

I'd vote for Majestic for steak and Jazz.

But Mexican and BBQ are KC staples.

If you're from Chicago, you already know about steak.

Be sure to post in the Sports forum if you're interested in the Royals games. Lots of rabid Royals fans there.

Welcome and have a great time in KC.

[nota]

Just FWIW-can that word "outsider" - to me, that is just a nasty way to say someone doesn't "belong" here.

I've lived as an "outsider" in both STL and KC. It is just a hateful way to segregate folks.

Just my opinion.

[Sportster]

Some suggestions.
Mexican: Los Tules at 17th & Broadway. Warm chips, good salsa, fired pork tacos are freakin awesome!
BBQ: Rosedale or Oklahoma Joes.
Steak: Majestic Steak House
Blues: F.O.G. Cycles (Knuckleheads Saloon)
Museums: National WW I Museum at Liberty Memorial. Extremely moving and choc-full of WW I facts, history and hands-on exhibits. Check out the Negro Leagues Museum in the 18th & Vine District too.
If your in to "kitch", Lela's Hari Museum on 23rd in Independence is, well, about as kitchy as it gets. (hey, it made the map at the Denver Intnl. Airport! No kiddin!!) 
Beer: Boulevard. Schedule a tour for your visit. Take some along. Kansas City's home town brew.
Water: Berkeley Riverfront Park. It ain't Lake Michigan or the Chicago River, but its part of Kansas City's storied history.
Mafioso: Union Station, site of the Union Station Massacre, June 17th, 1933. Bullet holes still in marble walls of station. The Elms in Ex. Springs, a regular haunt of Al Capone. (rumored)

There's a start - plenty of folks on here that can offer sage advice on even more attractions in and aound the cowtown we call home.

Sportster
...and we are a cow town

[chrizow]

bbq - bryant's, 18th and brooklyn.

steak - plaza iii, country club plaza.

beer and pizza - grinders, 18th and locust.

tapas and sangria - la bodega, southwest blvd and avenida cesar chavez.

jazz - mutual musicians foundation, 19th and vine (arrive after midnight).

view - skies, a restaurant at the top of the hyatt regency in crown center.  get dinner elsewhere and go here for a nightcap.

brewery tour - boulevard brewery, 23rd and southwest blvd

wwi museum - liberty memorial, penn valley park

nelson-atkins museum of art - east of the plaza on emanuel cleaver ii blvd

if you are here on the first friday of august, you should check out the First Friday art crawl in the crossroads arts district. 

[AJoD]

Great list, chrizow.

nightotter, what kinds of things do you like to do in Chicago.

There are a few on here who have moved from Chicago to KC recently, and others who visit frequently.  There is actually quite a range of options over your three days, depending on your interests.

[ignatius]

You said you'd be here for a few days.  If here on a Saturday, try this itinerary on the MAX bus (www.kcmax.info) from Downtown, south to the Plaza.  I also recommend this to KC suburbanites for a great day trip in the City...

- Start morning in City Market and have breakfast at Succatash (hip; raw salmon breakfast wrap, yum - expect poor service), Cascones (old school) or City Diner (gritty) depending on your muse.  Check out the (usually high) energy in the market and hood afterwards.  There's also a pedestrian bridge to the MO River at 1st/Main for maybe a quickie train sighting.  There is also the Steamboat Arabia museum in the market; artifacts from a 19th century sunken boat dug out of the MO river - more fascinating than it sounds.

- Hop on S bound MAX at 3rd/Grand to 11th/Grand area and walk around downtown and the new Power&Light district S a couple blox.  If you didn't have bfast or still want lunch, try Chefburger in P&L or Thai Paradise just S of P&L on Grand.

- Or hop on MAX to 19th/Main and walk NW to Pizza Bella a couple blocks for woodfire Neopolitan pizza.

- Or continue MAX to Union Station (~24/25th st) and check out the 2nd largest train station in US and then Liberty Memorial/WWI museum across the way - if not up for the museum, just visit the top of the memorial for a cheap thrill view of the city.  Crown Center is next door but just a typical mini mall.  Might be worth a quick browse - there might be an event in the pavilion area.

(Note: All of the above can be done on foot instead of MAX if up for meandering around 25+ blocks. Just walk S along Main or Grand. It's an easy grid where street numbers get higher as you head south.  Don't expect the street energy of Chicago though as downtown is just now making a comeback.)

- Then MAX it to 39th/Main and maybe check out Mama Ray at Embassy (Sat 2-6pm methinks) for an afternoon open jam session.  Might just do a beer or two and move along...

- Or continue to the 45th/Main stop and walk E to the Nelson and Kemper art museums, both considered top notch.

- Hop back on MAX S bound (or walk) down to the Plaza (47th street area) and soak in the street vibe and shops.  Gestate at the large fountain in long/narrow Mill Creek Park (47th/Main) - great urban park energy when nice out.

Evening: Maybe check out Jardine's S of 45th/Main MAX stop for some jazz.  Or drive/cab it to Westport (just N of Plaza) for neighborhoody/party bar nitelife, W39th for ethnic restaurants and new agey stores or MAX it back to P&L downtown for corporate vegasy nitelife.  There's also 'martini corner' a few blocks E of the 31st/Main MAX stop with some cooler-than-average bars.

If up for an allnighter, might consider the Foundation (Saturdays, usually starts after 1am or so) for a jazz/blues jam session at 18th/vine area.  It can sometimes continue through dawn if the crowd/musicians keep each other interested.  Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young have jammed here, if not lived there.  BTW, if you sneak upstairs, there's an old piano (now painted purple if I recall) that Scott Joplin and Mary Lou Williams played on.

It will be an action-compressed Saturday fo sho (well, not like options in Chicago).  I've done this several times when hosting visitors and it always impresses even the most jaded.  It's actually kinda fun to rush through it on Saturday to get a broad comprehensive taste of the city and then maybe spend more time visiting any favorites on Sunday.  But I don't want to limit you to what is on the MAX line - there's lots more out there. 

And if here on the first friday of month, definitely check out the Xroads arts district (19th/main MAX stop).  Many I know from Chicago say there's nothing quite like that vibe there. Might want to arrange your travel plans for it.


See www.kcmax.info - might be best to get a hotel room along the MAX line.  Plaza - Raphael, Marriott Courtyard is a surprisingly nice boutique hotel - 1920's apt conversion.  Holiday Inn Plaza and Marriott also are near art museum 45th MAX stop.  Downtown - President or Hotel Phillips.  All are walkable from MAX stops.

Update:  And by the time you get here, a new nitelife trolley service called "KC Strip" will take you to nitelife spots for 10 bucks from downtown to Waldo.  Will run til 3AM.

[DaveKCMO]

- mutual musicians foundation (not on the MAX route!)
- WWI museum
- plaza
- waldo pizza (thin crust)

even though you don't see many people walking, we have a reasonably walkable city. buy a day pass on the bus for $3 and hit as much as you can. depending on how much time you have, there's more to see but the four items above are fairly unique.

[nota]

steak - plaza iii, country club plaza.

A chain over the locals????? Gasp!!!

[chrizow]

A chain over the locals????? Gasp!!!

LOL!  a kc original that has expanded its excellence to four locations outside KC!  for shame! 

[DaveKCMO]

most kansas citians traditionally didn't enjoy their steaks in places like plaza III. try the golden ox for a more KC experience.

[bbqboy]

most kansas citians traditionally didn't enjoy their steaks in places like plaza III. try the golden ox for a more KC experience.

Oh c'mon. Most KC'er's have a cow or two ready for slaughter in their own back yard, just waiting for the grill.

[PumpkinStalker]

I love seafood, but I had a KC strip at the Bristol on Sunday night, and it was the best steak I've had in KC, a title it snatched from Benton's.  For a seafood place, it was amazing.

[ignatius]

I can't see how anyone thinks a KC steak experience is different than anywhere else.  It's really just a myth.  You can get a steak produced from KS most anywhere in the US.  And most are now loaded with enzymes to give a butter cut, melt in mouth texture.

BBQ OTOH is a KC thing, especially since there in no one kind of BBQ in KC.  We Q anything and everything and don't have one specific type of sauce.  It's all over the map and you have to do many to understand.  Unfortunately most BBQ restaurants in KC technically aren't really BBQ as many (most?) take short cuts and don't Q for at least 3 hours (BBQ by definition) - many don't even have a smoker outside.  In most cases, you are served grilled meat at best, not slow smoked Q.  It's understandable as the economics to slow cook meat is tough to do in a restaurant.  That said, OK Joes, Brodies and LC's seem to fit the bill, though they may take short cuts on some things.  I don't understand the popularity of JackStack - it's tough, grilled meat, not Q for the most part - with extremely salty sauce.  It seems to be the local McD's of manufactured 'q'.

[Sportster]

Oh c'mon. Most KC'er's have a cow or two ready for slaughter in their own back yard, just waiting for the grill.

NOT TRUE!!!!
Here in Northeast, we've got chickens, pigs and roosters. (I'm not kidding here)

Sportster
...i've a billy goat in my back yard!! 

[nota]

most kansas citians traditionally didn't enjoy their steaks in places like plaza III. try the golden ox for a more KC experience.

I've never been back to Golden Ox since the Elton John/Billy Joel concert night when I was accosted by one of Rev. Phelps finest on the way to our reservation. And it wasn't Golden Ox's fault at all. Just turned my stomach.

[mean]

I'd vote for Majestic for steak and Jazz.

Seconded. If you're into steaks and jazz, you absolutely must hit the Majestic. Just north of 10th Street on Broadway. I lived across the street from this place for a while, and the live jazz every night is great (highly recommend the Bram Wijnands trio, Friday and Saturday 7-11). Plus, they usually have a couple decent beers on tap, and their dry aged prime KC strip steaks are, in my opinion, the best in town. It doesn't hurt that it's in a gorgeous, meticulously restored historic space.

Ignatius offers up a good itinerary which would give a fairly broad overview of the KC scene. He mentioned a few must-see things that, if you have a chance, definitely check them out (with links, ooooh!):

The Nelson
National World War I Museum
Union Station
Arabia Steamboat Museum
American Jazz Museum
Airline History Museum, if you're a wingnut

[NDTeve]

NOT TRUE!!!!
Here in Northeast, we've got chickens, pigs and roosters. (I'm not kidding here)

Sportster
...i've a billy goat in my back yard!! 

Is it a fainting goat? Those things are awesome

[mean]

And they taste pretty good, too, I hear.