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Food recs: Kansas City's best comfort food

Jim's Alley Bar in the Crossroads neighborhood serves comfort food in old-school digs.
Jim's Alley Bar
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Jim's Alley Bar, in the Crossroads neighborhood, serves comfort food in old-school digs.

We all need a little comfort to get through Kansas City’s frigid winters and polar vortexes. Here’s where to cozy up with a savory rice porridge, flaky pot pies, and a giant, Renaissance Fair-style turkey leg that you’ll actually love.

During these dark winter days, we have friends, family and comfort food to help get us through — but what counts as comfort food depends entirely on who you ask.

Xiao daCunha, a writer who contributes to KCUR’s Adventure! newsletter, heads to ABC Cafe, in Overland Park, for dishes that are homey and homemade. While the compact restaurant is known for its dim sum, daCunha suggests giving the rice congee, or savory porridge, a try.

“It is a lot stickier than what you usually would get for rice congee, so it really brings out that stickiness, that blanket, encompassing feeling,” says daCunha. “It was also something I grew up with back in China in, like, elementary school.”

A Kansas City favorite for comfort fare is PotPie, which — you guessed it! — serves pot pies. But it’s not just the flaky, baked dish that put this Westport establishment at the top of food writer Liz Cook’s list.

“PotPie feels like a true neighborhood restaurant,” says Cook. “It's got an open kitchen, it's got kind of warm lighting, it's got warm wood. The whole experience feels very cozy.”

And who said comfort food has to be savory? For a healthy dose of chocolatey goodness, Adventure! newsletter writer Shannon Carpenter suggests the Hot Cocoa Bomb at Bizz & Weezy Confections in downtown Kansas City.

“It's this spherical chocolate about the size of a tennis ball, a little bit smaller, that you just dunk into hot milk or hot water, and it explodes into this hot cup of cocoa,” Carpenter told KCUR’s Up To Date.

Cook, daCunha and Carpenter offer below their picks for the best comfort food in Kansas City.

Liz Cook:

  • PotPie has the comforting, cozy vibes of the best neighborhood restaurants. And few dishes hit the spot after a frigid stint shoveling snow like a peppery stew of beef and mushrooms, capped with thin but flaky pastry. 
  • Phở Lan is currently my favorite pho in the metro. So rich! So fragrant! So sweet! On a drizzly, dreary day, there’s nothing more comforting than the savory, garlicky mì hoành thánh and xá xíu, which has a chicken broth base and egg noodles for extra heft. 
  • Hi-Dive Lounge’s beloved meatloaf sandwich, once an off-menu open secret, has finally made it onto the official menu. It comes between thick slices of grilled sourdough and is topped with tart pickled onions and Swiss cheese.
  • Tailleur serves black pepper butter beans, previously called cacio e pepe beans, that offer salty cheese and rich comfort on a base of heirloom beans that gives you plausible deniability on the health front. Expect tender gigante beans in a creamy, savory, peppery sauce of mushrooms, Parmesan and onion butter. 
  • Yoli Lonchería, the new cozy and casual lunch spot by Yoli Tortilleria, has a supreme version of Pozole Rojo on the menu right now with chewy, super flavorful hominy — no surprise from the city leader in corn. The broth is equal parts bold, bright and rich. 
  • Dixon’s Famous Chili isn’t meant to be eaten plain. The mildly-seasoned beef and bean chili served at this 100-year-old Independence parlor is a neutral base for customization: “Soupy” or “Juicy”? Add onions, cheese or jalapeño relish? A shake of chili powder and pepper vinegar?  It’s one of the metro’s most satisfying lunches. 
  • KC Turkeylegg Man serves a giant, Renaissance Fair-style turkey leg that’s wood-smoked until meltingly tender, slashed open, and then stuffed with gooey mac and cheese. Call first to verify they’re open, then go pick up the “legg” of your dreams. 
  • Golden Ox has a soup for anyone missing the famous KC steak soup from the former Plaza III restaurant. Make no mistake: This is vegetable beef soup with a top hat. The Ox’s version boasts substantial morsels of tender steak, plenty of potatoes and a sherry-forward broth. 

Xiao daCunha:

  • Ma & Pa's Kettle has a clean and cozy interior, and a classic family vibe. The hand-breaded pork tenderloin is a delight, as is the country fried steak. Also: breakfast all day. Keep in mind this old-school restaurant still has a smoking section.
  • ABC Cafe has the very best dim sum in the metro. It’s authentic, in my opinion, and at a fair price. They also have delicious soup and savory rice congee, or porridge. Check out where to get more incredible dim sum in Kansas City here.
  • Mochinut serves mochi donuts, which are a lighter, chewier version than an American donut because they are made with rice flour. They’re also less sweet, which is perfect for people who can’t handle all the sugar. Mochi donuts with a boba tea is the ultimate Asian comfort food.
  • Fric & Frac serves awesome daily specials varying from Tuesday Steak Dinner to half-priced gyros, and their curly fries are some of the best in town. As someone who’s not the biggest fan of burgers, Fric & Frac’s has won me over: hearty, good portions, not overly greasy and very flavorful.
  • PeachTree Cafeteria is super convenient for those living around Independence and driving into the city. Lots of their sauces and dressings are homemade (including real cranberry sauce — none of that jelly stuff). The fried chicken is super juicy, and the smothered pork chops are the perfect hearty meal if you’ve had a hard day.

Shannon Carpenter:

  • Bizz & Weezy Confections is a chocolate shop downtown named after the owners’ World of Warcraft handles. The Hot Cocoa Bomb is dropped into hot milk or water, and, as the chocolate sphere melts, it releases the cocoa. It’s perfect for a cold day when you need a warm hug.

  • Bliss Chocolatier, in Blue Springs, creates all kinds of holiday creations in chocolate. Their Caramel Apple Bonbon is delicious, and the S’mores bonbon, made with vanilla bean marshmallow, chocolate ganache, and a graham cracker crust, is perfection.

  • Johnny’s Donuts is owned by Johnny Pryor, also known as Grandpa. He’s been making donuts for 43 years, and it’s safe to say that he has mastered the recipe. Unbelievably light, each bite is like a taste of flavored air. You can find more delicious donut spots in town here.

  • Woodyard Bar-B-Que is right off Merriam Lane and down from the Boulevard Drive-in. I go here for the burnt end chili. When it gets cold, this savory bowl of deep and smokey flavor soothes me like nothing else can.

  • Third Street Social has a spicy Nashville-style fried chicken sandwich that is the perfect combination of downhome cooking and a touch of heat. Served with jalapeño slaw, it will make you sweat a little bit on a cold day.

  • Lula Southern Cookhouse, off Main Street in the Crossroads, serves a gumbo that is homemade, warm and the perfect comfort food on a colder day. The restaurant is named after the owner's grandmother, whose portrait hangs above the cash register.

  • Niecie's Restaurant, on Troost Avenue, has been open since 1985 and has taken Southern comfort food to a whole new level. These are family dishes and recipes that the owner grew up on. Their grits are amazing.

  • Stroud’s fried chicken is iconic in Kansas City. What they don’t get enough credit for is their chicken noodle soup. Made with their in-house chicken, the broth is more flavorful than just about anything I’ve ever tasted.

Listener recommendations:

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As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.
As a producer for KCUR’s Up To Date, I want listeners to leave the show feeling informed and empowered to make decisions in their daily lives. Whether we’re spotlighting the voice of a creative, business owner or lawmaker, I present stories that matter deeply to Kansas City’s diverse communities. Reach me at claudiab@kcur.org.
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