Dining For a Cause: Kansas City's 10 day Restaurant Week is a tasty experience that also benefits the community

I've always loved trying new restaurants — the excitement of discovering unfamiliar dishes and seeing how each restaurant creates its own unique experience. For someone who has a passion for discovering new foods, Kansas City Restaurant Week makes it easy.

For 10 days each year, 100 restaurants in Kansas City offer exclusive multi-course menus at an affordable price, inviting people to experience the variety of KC restaurants. This year, KCRW is held Jan. 9-18.

Ten percent of each meal proceeds to go to local charities and nonprofit organizations, helping people in need while strengthening the community, according to kcrestaurantweek.com.

I decided to dive into the experience myself by visiting Red Door Grill — one of the various restaurants participating in KCRW. Good reviews online, recommendations from friends and family and, of course, the menu, all had me eager to see what this restaurant had to offer.

Walking into Red Door Grill for the first time, I was immediately struck by the cozy atmosphere. The warm lighting and soft music made it feel like the perfect place to sit down and enjoy a meal.

When the hostess handed me the Restaurant Week menu, it immediately stood out from a typical menu.

Instead of a long list of dishes, the menu was divided into three courses — appetizers, entrees and desserts, each offering a handful of choices.

At first glance, the layout was slightly confusing, but after the waiter explained how it worked, I was able to confidently pick my dishes and become excited for the meal ahead.

For the first course, I chose the pretzel bites as my appetizer. The dish was beautifully presented, with each pretzel roll neatly stacked on top of the others. The buttery glaze over each bite made the dish even more irresistible.

To elevate the dish even more, it was served with a side of green chili queso, adding the perfect flavor balance to the pretzel bites. The flavor of the two combined was satisfying, delicious and just the right amount of saltyness. I also enjoyed how there weren’t too many rolls — saving room for the entree.

For the second course, I chose the Shrimp Alambres Tacos. Each topping on the taco complemented the others extremely well, with the shrimp and southwest tartar sauce combination adding an exciting taste. I also thought the cilantro-lime rice and black beans side was a strong fit, neither too spicy nor too bland.

To end my meal off, for the third course I chose the chocolate mousse, which was rich, full of flavor and the perfect ending to a well-balanced meal. It was light, airy and melted in my mouth at each bite.

Leaving the restaurant, I felt extremely satisfied and impressed with my time at The Red Door Grill.

The price came to $40, and the three-course meal felt fair given the quality and variety of the food offered. That being said, I thought the restaurant could have provided more options for each course, as the menu felt somewhat limited.

I also appreciated how well-organized the entire KCRW experience was, from the clearly structured menus to the hundreds of restaurants available to choose from.

Overall, KCRW was a memorable and exciting dining experience that I would recommend to anyone looking to try something new while also making a positive impact — all at a great value.