I like to try as many different restaurants as I can when I’m traveling and try to stay away from nationwide chains, as I’d rather get a sampling of the local flavor.  In Kansas City, Missouri, I found three:  re:Verse, Winstead’s Diner and Fiorella’s Jack Stack.

re:Verse
Based on good reviews, I tried re:Verse (yes, that’s how the name is punctuated), a trendy Three Diamond rated bistro in Country Club Plaza. A red and gray color scheme dominates the modern décor, with red ceilings, tables draped in white cloth topped by shiny red glass, and booths covered with an atomic red, black and gray print straight out of the 1950s. A striking steel and glass fireplace in the middle of the restaurant reaches from floor to ceiling, the steel etched with modern renditions of cocktail glasses against a Mondrianesque pattern.

On my first visit, I sat in a corner booth in the back, and the windows that make up most of the side wall were open, creating a perfect set-up for people-watching. The restaurant serves full-size entrees but specializes in small plates. I munched on a very refreshing bistro salad with haricot vert, tomatoes, pancetta, pine nuts and hard-boiled egg drizzled with a green-olive vinaigrette. I also tried red pepper hummus with warm pita points – it was delicious. Resistance is usually futile for me when it comes to desserts, and the menu offered some irresistible confections, including a humongous red velvet cupcake. I ordered it to go so I could have it as a bedtime snack with a cup of tea in my hotel room. Sweet dreams are definitely made of this.

I liked re:Verse so much that I returned the following night. A $25 prix fixe menu was offered and I couldn’t pass it up. The meal comprised a pork tenderloin roulade with cranberries and figs, with herb risotto and asparagus on the side. My friend and I shared an appetizer (Moroccan chicken egg rolls stuffed with corn, black beans and cilantro) and since dessert was included, I had a chocolate torte with orange ganache and crème anglaise. Can you say sublime?

Other items on the menu sounded equally tempting, including small plates such as pancetta-wrapped shrimp and pot roast sliders, entrées including Brie-stuffed tenderloin and almond piccata tilapia, and a variety of pita pizzas such as the Sonoma, smothered with Brie, pears and chorizo. A creative cocktail menu includes drinks like The Bohemian, a fanciful mixture of lemon vodka, elderflower liqueur and sparkling wine. They also make a mean mojito, and their happy hour prices make customers very happy.

Winstead’s Diner
Something that makes me happy is a good old-fashioned diner, so I had to check out Winstead’s Diner, at the original location (there are 10) near Country Club Plaza. Open since 1940, the diner is lit by a neon sign; inside, 1980s décor belies its midcentury past, except for some cool ceiling lights that look like flying saucers. 

Calvin Trillin, a noted novelist and food writer who hails from Kansas City, was once quoted as saying that Winstead’s has the best hamburger in the world. My friend agreed, sinking her teeth into her paper-wrapped burger and slurping a thick strawberry shake. Her meal did look delicious, but unfortunately I had fallen ill the day before and only had enough appetite to eat an English muffin, washed down with apple juice.

Winstead’s Diner is the kind of place where plain-speaking but friendly waitresses quickly dash from table to table, calling you “hon” as you order comfort food from a menu that probably hasn’t changed since 1940 – except for the prices, but even those are pretty comfortable. For example, a single Winstead steakburger is $2.15 (the triple is $3.95) and if you add lettuce or tomato, they’re a whopping 15 cents each. Winstead’s also serves the usual breakfast fare: eggs, pancakes, hash browns and breakfast sandwiches. They also have a drive-through if you’re in a hurry.

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbeque
To many in Kansas City, local flavor means barbecue;  the city has a well-deserved reputation for serving up some of the finest in the U.S.  But with nearly 100 barbecue joints in town, choosing one can be a daunting task.  But after reading Kansas City Barbecue and History, I had to try Fiorella’s Jack Stack (Two Diamond rated).

The Country Club Plaza location (there are four) has a cozy atmosphere, with dim lighting, servers dressed in black, dark wood tables and brick walls. The extensive menu offers every possible combination of barbecued and hickory-smoked meats including beef brisket, smoked turkey and pork, chicken and polish sausage as well as a selection of spice-rubbed ribs.  The cheesy corn bake and coleslaw have earned rave reviews.

I decided on the KC Combo, choosing two types of meat from a list that includes ribs (beef, lamb or pork), burnt ends, chicken or sliced meat (beef, ham, pork, turkey or sausage). I was curious about the burnt ends, which the server described as chunks of seared but tender meat, but I chose the pork ribs and sliced beef; both were melt-in-your-mouth tender.  I couldn’t get enough of Jack Stack’s original sweet and tangy barbecue sauce; I even dipped my fries in it. I topped off the meal with vanilla rum bread pudding, but could only manage a few bites; the rest made a yummy midnight snack back at my hotel.

These three restaurants are just the start of the diversity of Kansas City dining. Does anyone out there have a favorite KC restaurant they can recommend?