Kid-Friendly Foodie Tour of KC

We had an outdoor day planned last week when the big storm swept through much of Kansas City, so suddenly our plans were (literally) washed out. What to do?

My daughter is a foodie, so I quickly mapped out our personal food tour of KC. We didn’t get very far, geographically, but we did have tons of fun. When the kids got bored somewhere, it was easy to pick up and move to the next spot. Plus, it was a pretty inexpensive day out, since we mostly sampled items. Here’s a list of our tour, with some added ideas that we hope to enjoy in the near future.

Our Food Tour

• McLain’s Market, located in Overland Park, was our first stop for a delicious, pastry-filled breakfast treat. You can also find them in Waldo/KCMO and Lawrence, KS.
• A visit to Downtown Overland Park* for:
  • Samples of fresh fruits, veggies and more at the Overland Park Farmer’s Market, which happened to be open that day. Check our list of area farmer’s markets to find one in your area, plus hours and dates they are open.
  • The Culinary Center of Kansas City to test unusual cooking gadgets, play with spices in the touch and feel area, and check out their kids cooking classes.
  • Penzey’s Spices and the Tasteful Olive, for smelling, sampling and the planning of future baking projects.
• Then on to the Plaza area for:
  • Andre’s Confiserie Suisse for a fancy lunch with decadent dessert. I like it for its reasonably priced prix fixe menu, and the fast service, so no bored kiddos. The menu is limited, so check their online menu before you go, especially if you have a picky eater.
  • Samples at The Better Cheddar, where their experts are happy to teach anyone about different types of cheese.
  • A stroll around the Country Club Plaza to explore their 30+ eateries, including sweet treats at The Waffle Bar, Panache Chocolatier and Cupcake a la Mode. Unfortunately, we were too full to eat at any of those places, but it was fun to look at their incredible creations and flavor combinations.

Future Family-Friendly Food Tour Ideas

A person can only eat so much in one outing, so we didn’t make it to some other fabulous eateries in KC, including:

• The entire River Market/City Market dining and food shopping experience, featuring cuisine and groceries from around the world, not to mention The Candy Wizard, which features nostalgic and unique candy finds.
• El Pollo Rey, in KCK, for some of the best chicken in town.
• One of the many delicious ice cream and/or doughnut places in KC, including Fairway Creamery, which now offers both doughnuts and ice cream, all in one place.

With all that to look forward to, we’d still love to hear from our readers about other great family-friendly foodie ideas for all in KC to enjoy! Comment below, or on our Facebook page. I doubt I’ll ever take on KC BBQ as a food topic, since that’s in a category all its own, but you are welcome to share your faves on that too.

*We may have bought take-away slices of pie at the Upper Crust Pie Bakery, but don’t tell my husband, because they didn’t last long enough to share!