A Peek Into Restaurant Week: Staffer seeks new flavor during Kansas City’s restaurant week

Ever since the phase of baby food and fruit cups ended, I’ve been a picky eater. My spice limit takes a hard stop at my order of very mild chicken curry at Wornall’s Taj Mahal restaurant and my Chipotle order hasn’t ventured from a bowl with chicken, rice and guacamole since I lost my first baby tooth. Following my New Year’s resolution of breaking out of my comfort zone, I decided to take on KC Restaurant Week and try four meals I wouldn’t order in a million years.

I’ve always loved the taste of Kansas City’s acclaimed American barbecue. Walking into BB’s Lawnside BBQ and Blues, the ramshackled exterior reminded me more of a crumbly gas station, but to my surprise the inside was filled with warm neon lights and plastic picnic tablecloths with a jazzy, inviting vibe. The charming design perfectly complemented the authentic KC barbecue menu. After skimming the menu, I ordered a pulled pork sandwich. There was just one problem with this meal — I hate barbecue sauce. I’ve always thought the most authentic barbecue doesn’t need to be soaked in sauce to make it delicious. The meat should speak for itself. After contemplating whether the chewy pulled pork was too soggy for my liking, I realized it’s top feature was the scarcity of sauce. By the end of my visit, I learned that even the most authentic barbecue in Kansas can’t change my mind about barbecue sauce.

Walking into this restaurant, my expectations hit the ground when I saw that we were the only ones eating — at 9:00 p.m. You would think that a restaurant owned by a blonde, spiky-haired food network star set right in the middle of downtown would be the top of everyone’s “places-to-go” list, but the restaurant stayed deserted for the duration of my entree. My order of Diablo Shrimp Tacos included a chewy, leathery shell that, combined with the chewiness of the shrimp, made for an unpleasant texture that tempted me to spit chewed up Diablo Taco into my napkin. Maybe, had I been sitting across from Guy Fieri himself, the novelty establishment would have been worth the money. But even his namesake didn’t draw in a crowd. Before this restaurant, Mexican food was my least favorite kind of food, and this stop did nothing to change my mind — in fact, it solidified my hatred for the food genre. At this point, I almost considered quitting my quest of trying new foods and sprinting back to Chipotle for my comfortable, wannabe-Mexican burrito bowl. 

A peanut butter and jelly burger is something you wouldn’t find at any typical burger joint. It combines two of my least favorite foods: peanut butter and burgers, so of course, with my New Year’s resolution and all, I ordered it. Surprisingly, I didn’t throw up afterward. You probably won’t ever catch me eating this sandwich again, but I will say that the sweet jelly balanced out the saltiness of the burger and wasn’t too overpowering or noticeable.

I sat down at this last restaurant, hesitant to be anywhere near the raw fish waiting for me in the kitchen. Though this restaurant was the biggest push from my cramped comfort zone, it proved to be my favorite. I fell in love with the Boru 2.0, a bowl complete with ramen noodles and pork shoulder. The combination of ramen, pork, soup and spices in this bowl created a rich taste, making it the perfect mix. Next time my family wants to eat out at an Asian restaurant, I’ll know where to go.

Living in Prairie Village, it’s easy to get away with eating Chipotle and Chick-Fil-A five out of seven days a week, making me forget that Kansas City has a lot more to offer in the restaurant scene. Although I’m not giving up my tuna and brownies any time soon, it’s nice to try something new once in a while. You never know, even if you’re someone like me who can’t even look at the jar of Jiff in the pantry, you might risk it all and try a PB&J burger — and actually like it.