I am the kind of parent that childless people hate. I take my kids to hip restaurants and am not deterred by the complete lack of booster seats, high chairs, or chicken fingers on the menu. I am simply not content to while away my weekends at home or limit our outings to places that have designated stroller parking. I wheel our mammoth double wide into petite boutiques and carry my cooing baby into austere galleries. We boldly go where no family unit has gone before.

Theme by nostrich.

10th June 2011

Post with 3 notes

Cowtown Jewel in the Crown. Genessee Royale Bistro.

During their heyday, the Kansas City Stockyards processed over 2 million cattle every year.  Driving through the area today, it’s hard to imagine the sights, sounds and stenches that must have permeated the hectic stockyards and busy slaughterhouses. A devastating flood in 1951 butchered the stockyards’ business, and this infamous section of KC never recovered.

The Genessee Royale Bistro is definitely wise to the backstory. Their business card features a Hereford cow wearing a crown.

While there are some signature beef items on the menu, such as “The Butcher’s Grind Hamburger” (served on a Wolfermann’s english muffin - can be ordered with bacon marmalade!), I am happy to report an abundance of veggie offerings as well.

The GRB serves breakfast and lunch.  The breakfast menu includes tempting items like “Cornmeal Waffles” served with sour cream and seasonal fruit, and Roasted Asparagus paired with eggs. 



The pleasantly petite dining room is decorated with unpretentious antiques, much like its sibling restaurant Happy Gillis Cafe. Cushioned armchairs and carafes of iced tea encourage lingering conversations.

We stopped in for lunch - with the kids (read: no lingering conversations for us).

The GRB staff was very welcoming, but let us know that they don’t have any highchairs in the restaurant.  Not a problem. We took turns walking the baby around until the food arrived, and then strapped her into the stroller with a fistful of french fries. 

The fries were excellent - thick AND crispy (which is hard to pull off!) - and served with magnificent mustard.  The four of us nearly came to fisticuffs over those fries.

I had the refreshing ”Market Green Salad” with asparagus, pea sprouts, shaved fennel & goat cheese (I substituted feta). The lettuce was unbelievably cool and crisp, but after a few bites I was puzzled to find that two of the main ingredients (asparagus and sprouts) were missing. 

The waitress was quick to remedy the situation and brought me a generous helping of asparagus and sprouts on a lovely little plate. I just dumped them on top of the salad and dug in.

My husband was in the mood for greasier fare and ordered the “Farmhouse Style Grilled Cheese Sandwich.”  He said it was a good sandwich, but not life changing.  He was more impressed with the shaved apple salad that came as a side.

The Genessee deserves to flourish and I, for one, will be bringing them my repeat business.

Tagged: localtravelMidwestKansas CityrestaurantsGennessee RoyaleWest Bottomsmommy blogkidsfamilyKC

()

  1. thefamilyunit posted this