Midwest Foodie Tour 2016 - In my quest to visit all 50 states and eat everything in sight I decided to take a few days in July to knock Nebraska and Iowa off my list (bookended with Kansas City). I wanted to spend my birthday in Kansas City, visit my favorite stores and try some new places as well. The focus for Lincoln and Des Moines were food, art and coffee. My husband hikes and caves to discover new landscapes. I love to discover the personality of cities, eat regional favorites, hear local accents, visit art museums and savor coffee roasteries. On this trip I was happy to discover that all the art museums I visited had no admission charge. Nebraska and Iowa were great states to visit. The Midwest is a wonderful place to explore. Read below for more details and pictures:
Kansas City
For my birthday I drove straight to the Kansas City Plaza Cheesecake Factory for the Asian lettuce wraps and stuffed tater tots for lunch. Afterwards I immediately drove to 5B&Co for candles and Lori Mitchell figurines. The store was taking down 4th of July décor and getting ready for Halloween. Next door I had Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard. I ordered the triple threat cement and it's the most heavenly dessert in KC. Next I walked to The Market grocery store at Brookside for new flavors of Roasterie coffee and other snacks for the hotel room. Then it was on to my current favorite kitchen store in the world: Pryde's. I bought my first escargot dish. I don't plan to use it much but I do plan to take it to the classroom and show my students how it's used. After I checked in to the hotel beside the Plaza I hit Sur la Table (they had grilling accessories 75% off so I bought another meat thermometer and a chicken roaster), The Better Cheddar, Anthropologie, L'Occitane and The Paper Source. For dinner I wanted Chuy's. I ordered the appetizer plate and a frozen house margarita. I finished the day recovering from the heat watching reality TV and eating cupcakes from Cupcake a la Mode. I had the gold digger cupcake and the cherry lime cupcake. It was a very happy birthday!
Kansas City
For my birthday I drove straight to the Kansas City Plaza Cheesecake Factory for the Asian lettuce wraps and stuffed tater tots for lunch. Afterwards I immediately drove to 5B&Co for candles and Lori Mitchell figurines. The store was taking down 4th of July décor and getting ready for Halloween. Next door I had Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard. I ordered the triple threat cement and it's the most heavenly dessert in KC. Next I walked to The Market grocery store at Brookside for new flavors of Roasterie coffee and other snacks for the hotel room. Then it was on to my current favorite kitchen store in the world: Pryde's. I bought my first escargot dish. I don't plan to use it much but I do plan to take it to the classroom and show my students how it's used. After I checked in to the hotel beside the Plaza I hit Sur la Table (they had grilling accessories 75% off so I bought another meat thermometer and a chicken roaster), The Better Cheddar, Anthropologie, L'Occitane and The Paper Source. For dinner I wanted Chuy's. I ordered the appetizer plate and a frozen house margarita. I finished the day recovering from the heat watching reality TV and eating cupcakes from Cupcake a la Mode. I had the gold digger cupcake and the cherry lime cupcake. It was a very happy birthday!
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The next day I drove to Lincoln, Nebraska. I had literally never stepped foot into the Cornhusker State and I thought it was a pretty state as I drove through lush green corn fields. I had lunch at The Green Gateau which means "green cake" Monet's favorite cake made from green tea. Here's a write-up on the restaurant. I had the lobster bisque, the lunch special: grilled citrus chicken breasts over risotto with asparagus, and blackberry iced tea to drink. This tea was so good that I took some in a to-go cup and thought about returning later in the day to ask for more. Then I drove to The Sheldon Art Museum. The ceiling in this museum makes me smile. It looks like large gold buttons are inlaid in a perfect grid. I enjoyed driving around the beautiful University of Nebraska campus where the art museum is housed. I wish I had visited the Tractor Museum as well. Next I discovered the Haymarket District where I stopped in the From Nebraska Gift Shop and bought postcards and magnets. Next door was the Licorice International store where I could have bought licorice from everywhere! I chose pineapple licorice because it looked the most unusual and it's delicious. Next stop was Burlington Antique Store where I found a 1940's Easter bunny (I collect these now). Usually they come in pink or yellow but this one is blue and brown. I had a tasty café au lait in The Mill which has been in Lincoln for decades. I stopped in Bluestem Books where I found Joyce's Ulysees and a couple of French cookbooks. This is a very well-edited bookstore. I wanted everything and it was all affordable used books. And then I had the best meal of the whole trip in Leadbelly where I went for the signature Full Leaded Jacket burger: a thick burger on a cinnamon roll bun smothered in nachos, pepper jack nacho cheese and chili. These flavors all came together perfectly. The cheese, the cinnamon, the crunchy chips. Heavenly. I'm taking Paul in there if we're ever in Lincoln together. After wandering in a few more stores in the Haymarket District I headed back to my nice hotel and kept the curtains open to watch the sun set on Lincoln until I fell asleep.
The next day I drove to Lincoln, Nebraska. I had literally never stepped foot into the Cornhusker State and I thought it was a pretty state as I drove through lush green corn fields. I had lunch at The Green Gateau which means "green cake" Monet's favorite cake made from green tea. Here's a write-up on the restaurant. I had the lobster bisque, the lunch special: grilled citrus chicken breasts over risotto with asparagus, and blackberry iced tea to drink. This tea was so good that I took some in a to-go cup and thought about returning later in the day to ask for more. Then I drove to The Sheldon Art Museum. The ceiling in this museum makes me smile. It looks like large gold buttons are inlaid in a perfect grid. I enjoyed driving around the beautiful University of Nebraska campus where the art museum is housed. I wish I had visited the Tractor Museum as well. Next I discovered the Haymarket District where I stopped in the From Nebraska Gift Shop and bought postcards and magnets. Next door was the Licorice International store where I could have bought licorice from everywhere! I chose pineapple licorice because it looked the most unusual and it's delicious. Next stop was Burlington Antique Store where I found a 1940's Easter bunny (I collect these now). Usually they come in pink or yellow but this one is blue and brown. I had a tasty café au lait in The Mill which has been in Lincoln for decades. I stopped in Bluestem Books where I found Joyce's Ulysees and a couple of French cookbooks. This is a very well-edited bookstore. I wanted everything and it was all affordable used books. And then I had the best meal of the whole trip in Leadbelly where I went for the signature Full Leaded Jacket burger: a thick burger on a cinnamon roll bun smothered in nachos, pepper jack nacho cheese and chili. These flavors all came together perfectly. The cheese, the cinnamon, the crunchy chips. Heavenly. I'm taking Paul in there if we're ever in Lincoln together. After wandering in a few more stores in the Haymarket District I headed back to my nice hotel and kept the curtains open to watch the sun set on Lincoln until I fell asleep.
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
The next day was Des Moines, Iowa. I had only driven through Iowa with Paul years ago so I wanted to visit Des Moines to count it as one of the fifty states I've collected. I added Des Moines to my Midwest foodie tour because everyone I asked about Des Moines said it was a great city. When I drove in from Lincoln at 11:05 I parked beside Hessen Haus because it was at the top of my restaurant list. To make a long, frustrating story short, it never opened even though there were waiters inside, it was 11:15, I knocked. I drove to the next restaurant on my list (The Flying Mango) and it was permanently closed. I drove to the next one (Fong's Pizza) and there was no parking anywhere to be found. At this point I needed a grownup to take over because I was hungry, mad and shouting inside my car, "I hate this sh@@hole city!!"
I finally found parking and walked to Fong's Pizza downtown. It was a welcoming environment and the Asian fusion pizza and sesame ginger chicken salad were delicious. The waitress was friendly and she was the one who suggested the Big Delicious: bacon, chicken, Italian peppers, onion, Alfredo sauce. After I ate I felt less mad at the city so I drove to Locust Street where I discovered how cute the shops, restaurants, and cafes are. I had the store Kitchen Collage at the top of my shopping list and it was great! It's a narrow, deep store stocked heavily in every nook and cranny. It was surrounded by pet stores, paper stores, spice stores, coffee shops and many restaurants I wish I'd noticed on Google maps and Pinterest while planning the trip. I had a cappuccino and a cup of blueberry cheesecake in Scenic Route Bakery. I stopped in Allspice, a spice store unique to Des Moines with good prices. The Des Moines Art Center was very nice. I took a picture of Roger Brown's The Lighthouse Pub, 1985 because it was foodie-related. The sculpture garden a few miles away was beautiful too. Des Moines is an art-centric city.
I drove back to Locust Street and found the store Porch Light. It was photogenic and stocked with beautiful gifts. For dinner I ate at Tacopocolypse and the tacos were "devastatingly good" as the menu states in this punk rock inspired counter-service restaurant. I enjoyed the atmosphere as much as the Asian tacos. There was a large punk rock family seated in front of me. All five children had neon hair that matched their parents. To my right sat a pretty couple who looked like they were going swing dancing in their 40's attire after their meal. I drove around downtown as the sun was starting to set and found the Iowa Cubs stadium and about 20 more restaurants I'd like to try someday. I finally realized that Des Moines is a great city if you're not hungry and confused at rush hour looking for parking. I wish I'd had more time to visit the gorgeous state capitol building. Maybe I'll go back to Hessen Haus someday and actually get to eat there.
The next day was Des Moines, Iowa. I had only driven through Iowa with Paul years ago so I wanted to visit Des Moines to count it as one of the fifty states I've collected. I added Des Moines to my Midwest foodie tour because everyone I asked about Des Moines said it was a great city. When I drove in from Lincoln at 11:05 I parked beside Hessen Haus because it was at the top of my restaurant list. To make a long, frustrating story short, it never opened even though there were waiters inside, it was 11:15, I knocked. I drove to the next restaurant on my list (The Flying Mango) and it was permanently closed. I drove to the next one (Fong's Pizza) and there was no parking anywhere to be found. At this point I needed a grownup to take over because I was hungry, mad and shouting inside my car, "I hate this sh@@hole city!!"
I finally found parking and walked to Fong's Pizza downtown. It was a welcoming environment and the Asian fusion pizza and sesame ginger chicken salad were delicious. The waitress was friendly and she was the one who suggested the Big Delicious: bacon, chicken, Italian peppers, onion, Alfredo sauce. After I ate I felt less mad at the city so I drove to Locust Street where I discovered how cute the shops, restaurants, and cafes are. I had the store Kitchen Collage at the top of my shopping list and it was great! It's a narrow, deep store stocked heavily in every nook and cranny. It was surrounded by pet stores, paper stores, spice stores, coffee shops and many restaurants I wish I'd noticed on Google maps and Pinterest while planning the trip. I had a cappuccino and a cup of blueberry cheesecake in Scenic Route Bakery. I stopped in Allspice, a spice store unique to Des Moines with good prices. The Des Moines Art Center was very nice. I took a picture of Roger Brown's The Lighthouse Pub, 1985 because it was foodie-related. The sculpture garden a few miles away was beautiful too. Des Moines is an art-centric city.
I drove back to Locust Street and found the store Porch Light. It was photogenic and stocked with beautiful gifts. For dinner I ate at Tacopocolypse and the tacos were "devastatingly good" as the menu states in this punk rock inspired counter-service restaurant. I enjoyed the atmosphere as much as the Asian tacos. There was a large punk rock family seated in front of me. All five children had neon hair that matched their parents. To my right sat a pretty couple who looked like they were going swing dancing in their 40's attire after their meal. I drove around downtown as the sun was starting to set and found the Iowa Cubs stadium and about 20 more restaurants I'd like to try someday. I finally realized that Des Moines is a great city if you're not hungry and confused at rush hour looking for parking. I wish I'd had more time to visit the gorgeous state capitol building. Maybe I'll go back to Hessen Haus someday and actually get to eat there.
Kansas City Part Two
Kansas City I drove back to Kansas City to have an additional day to try some new foods and visit a new neighborhood: Overland Park. But first I went right back to Pryde's to buy some Christmas and birthday presents for everyone. (I like to do my Christmas shopping in the summer so that I don't have to worry about it once the school year begins.) I ate at The Cheesecake Factory again because it's always a special treat. Afterwards I stopped in the Russell Stover candy outlet where I bought a ton of chocolate at very low prices and ate a few while in the store. I then drove to Leawood, Kansas to go to the Trader Joe's and had to stop in the Roasterie café for a nitro and cappuccino. I drank both as I drove around. (You have to stay fueled when you're driving and walking all over the place.) I also stopped in Crate and Barrel and found yet another very cute apron but my favorite discovery of the whole trip was Overland Park!
I only drove there to shop at Penzey's but I discovered so many cute shops, restaurants, and bakeries all around it on Santa Fe Drive. As I wandered through all the stores and bakeries I noticed a sign for the Farmer's Market that was happening the next day so I made a mental note to get up early and return to the area. This Penzey's was great. It is larger than the late Memphis one. The staff was unbelievably friendly and generous at checkout. It is a beautiful store and I was able to stock up on necessities like Mexican vanilla and Cajun seasoning. After all this fun I went to dinner at Minsky's in Brookside which is my second favorite pizza in the world (after Giordano's in Chicago). I ate half a double pepperoni and black olive pizza and then stopped in Andre's Confiserie Suisse across the street. This place is pretty and the candies and pastries are heavenly! The dark chocolate is delicious and there were unique sweets I'd never seen before. Next I went to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art which is small but very inviting. The art was beautiful and I even found a food-related piece of art work that fit perfectly into the whole trip: a giant candy box. After this museum I drove to Betty Rae's Ice Cream which I'd read about in the July issue of Feast, the free Midwestern foodie newspaper. The flavors weren't unusual but they weren't standard fare either. I had a scoop of cinnamon in a pancake cone but I wish I'd tried the pineapple upside-down cake ice cream as well. This place was great! After a very long day of shopping and eating I went back to the hotel to pack up and read the New Yorker until I fell asleep.
My last morning of the trip I woke up very early and drove to the Farmer's Market in Overland Park. It was so much fun to talk to local farmers and smell fresh vegetables. I truly miss the farmer's markets in Memphis and hadn't realized this. I bought a small rosemary plant, some radishes and some heirloom tomatoes. It was so nice to be out so early in the morning shopping for produce. After the farmer's market I drove to Whole Foods for frozen bagels and other necessities to take home to Dodge City. I stopped in Sur la Table and H&M one last time. I walked to Barnes and Noble to get the new Radiohead album and Beyoncé's Lemonade for the drive home. I finished the Minsky's pizza I'd put in the hotel refrigerator, stopped by Starbuck's on Main Street one last time (for a tall iced coffee with half a pump of hazelnut) and drove home to my sweet husband and little dog. It was an amazingly fun tour of the Midwest!
I only drove there to shop at Penzey's but I discovered so many cute shops, restaurants, and bakeries all around it on Santa Fe Drive. As I wandered through all the stores and bakeries I noticed a sign for the Farmer's Market that was happening the next day so I made a mental note to get up early and return to the area. This Penzey's was great. It is larger than the late Memphis one. The staff was unbelievably friendly and generous at checkout. It is a beautiful store and I was able to stock up on necessities like Mexican vanilla and Cajun seasoning. After all this fun I went to dinner at Minsky's in Brookside which is my second favorite pizza in the world (after Giordano's in Chicago). I ate half a double pepperoni and black olive pizza and then stopped in Andre's Confiserie Suisse across the street. This place is pretty and the candies and pastries are heavenly! The dark chocolate is delicious and there were unique sweets I'd never seen before. Next I went to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art which is small but very inviting. The art was beautiful and I even found a food-related piece of art work that fit perfectly into the whole trip: a giant candy box. After this museum I drove to Betty Rae's Ice Cream which I'd read about in the July issue of Feast, the free Midwestern foodie newspaper. The flavors weren't unusual but they weren't standard fare either. I had a scoop of cinnamon in a pancake cone but I wish I'd tried the pineapple upside-down cake ice cream as well. This place was great! After a very long day of shopping and eating I went back to the hotel to pack up and read the New Yorker until I fell asleep.
My last morning of the trip I woke up very early and drove to the Farmer's Market in Overland Park. It was so much fun to talk to local farmers and smell fresh vegetables. I truly miss the farmer's markets in Memphis and hadn't realized this. I bought a small rosemary plant, some radishes and some heirloom tomatoes. It was so nice to be out so early in the morning shopping for produce. After the farmer's market I drove to Whole Foods for frozen bagels and other necessities to take home to Dodge City. I stopped in Sur la Table and H&M one last time. I walked to Barnes and Noble to get the new Radiohead album and Beyoncé's Lemonade for the drive home. I finished the Minsky's pizza I'd put in the hotel refrigerator, stopped by Starbuck's on Main Street one last time (for a tall iced coffee with half a pump of hazelnut) and drove home to my sweet husband and little dog. It was an amazingly fun tour of the Midwest!
Here are some souvenirs I bought.
Here is a hilarious magnet of the Midwest by RAYGUN I bought.