This past weekend my taste buds went on a food excursion for the Taste of Park Place in Leawood, KS. A benefit for the New House, a Women’s Shelter, serving abused women and their children in Kansas City. My girlfriend and I checked into the welcome table, while being greeted from the friendly staff at New House. We were given land yarns with maps of Park Place to chart our course. The weather proved to be beautiful despite the reports.
Our first stop on the culinary course Pig & Finch – A restaurant where chefs put a European twist on American dishes to create new and modern specialties. My friend and I dined on Bacon Marmalade with Blue Cheese Crumbles and Espresso-Rubbed Pork Shoulder with a Maple Glaze. The sweetness of the marmalade cut through the tartness of the blue cheese crumbles perfectly. The posh pork shoulder was the belle of the ball, as it danced the waltz on my tongue.
801 Chop House is a steak house which boasts about serving the finest USDA Grade A Beef and the freshest seafood. The steak kabobs were grilled to perfection and the veggies complimented them, while the Port Wine veal Au jus kept the steak moist.
Ra Sushi is a sushi house which creates traditional and innovative dishes which are sure to please the masses. Tootsy Maki Roll which is known as Maki sushi the traditional roll for sushi lovers alike, the Sashimi Style Garlic Citrus Yellow Tail was made out of raw fish for the adventurous sushi lovers. I am slowly becoming a courageously sushi warrior. But for now I will stick with what I know.
Gordon Biersch is a brewery which serves sophisticated gourmet foods, I found them to be sophisticated indeed. They rolled out the red carpet for ticket buyers with a full buffet. We dined on specialty wings, their famous garlic fries which famous for a reason after one bite you’ll tell everyone, crab and artichoke dip which puts your standard artichoke dip to shame, and artisan meat and cheese tray are a must try.
BurgerFi is a personal favorite of mine! I was invited to their grand opening last year. I admit I was initially not expecting to enjoy their burgers as much as I loved my beloved Westport flea market. It was only until that first bite that I knew it was time to crown a new king. BurgerFi served VeggieFi Balls with Special BurgerFi sauce; I was pleasantly surprised the taste and texture would convert a meat lover. Of course their cheeseburgers are my favorite! Why you might ask? Their meat is all natural which means they are free of hormones and served fresh to order. Not to mention each burger gets a cute BurgerFi brand before serving. The Urban Fries are made with fresh potatoes, parmesan, and herb garlic aioli. One bite of these fries will have you putting down the boycotting ketchup lovers. Lastly, the custard is creamy, cold, and delicious. BurgerFi can do no wrong in my book!
Parisi Cafe served a trio of bite sized Croissants made In-House which includes chocolate croissants, almond croissants, and plain croissants. My favorite out of the three were the chocolate croissants which had bite size chunks of chocolatey joy.
801 Fish is the sister restaurant to 801 Chop House – The restaurant serves the freshest seafood in the city. The fish and seafood is served no more than 36 hours from catch to your plate. Wow! Now that’s fresh! I tried the Hawaiian Tombo Tuna with Yuzu Vinaigrette, although I am leery of eating raw fish. I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh the fish tasted. It was so good I went back for seconds (remember this is a judgement free zone). Lastly, the Leawood Lemonade was the best drink I’ve ever had! Rarely will you ever see me drinking alcohol. However, this lemonade would easily convert the non-drinker to a lush in no time. I asked the mixologist for the recipe. So, you may see this in rotation on the blog this summer.
I hope you enjoyed traveling through my culinary journey. You can go on a culinary journey as well, by Park Place in Leawood, Kansas. This outdoor mall has enough to keep you occupied from the shopping, drinks, food, and fun!
Wow! This looks so yummy! I wish I could have attended. Are you going to taste of KC?
Hi Christy,
I am not sure if I am going this year. There was not a lot of food last year.