by Lit
(Kansas City, MO)
If you're ever in Kansas City, please stop at Eden Alley at the Country Club Plaza.
by Joe
(Saint Louis, MO)
Everest Cafe Organic Restaurant and Bar in Saint Louis, Missouri is a really rare find. It's focus is on locally-sourced, organic ingredients prepared expertly into a diverse menu of Indian, Nepalese, and Korean foods.
The owner, Dr. Devi States, isn't your typical restaurant executive chef. He's a doctor of public health, and, as his biography (printed on every placemat) states, decides he wanted to open a restaurant as a teenager working in Nepal. He opened Everest Cafe to offer heart-friendly, organic meals to an area that's been bit hard by the chain restaurant bug.
My personal favorites start with the steamed meat momos -- lean ground pork, vegetables, and spices rolled into a handmade dumpling, steamed and served with a homemade achar sauce. For an entree, it's hard to go wrong with the Indian chicken tikka masala; a mild and flavorful tomato-and-cream curry with a good helping of tandoor-rosated chicken breast pieces. Nor can you go wrong with the Korean chap chae noodles: cellophane noodles made from sweet potatoes, served with chunks of organic vegetables and pan-fried beef.
For dessert, there's really only one choice in my book: the fantastic Indian kheer, a creamy rice pudding with flavors of cardamom and coconut.
Service is always friendly and precise. During lunch hours, Everest offers a fantastic lunch buffet, featuring organic vegetables in a variety of curries and kormas, as well as locally sourced chicken in a variety of preparations. On Sundays, Dr. States offers free blood tests and health screenings to his customers, helping them stay in top form through both nutrition and knowledge.
I've been a satisfied customer of Everest Cafe organic restaurant since their opening week at their first location, and I've never had a bad meal there -- especially since changing my diet to include mainly organic foods has made it difficult to get a good meal out.
by Dave
(Kansas City, MO)
Eden Alley is Kansas City’s premier organic restaurant. It is also have vegan and vegetarian as well.
When you add to the fact that they have a friendly staff and support local organic farmers it is a win all the way around. My girlfriend and I went there on one of our first dates and it was wonderful.
She ordered a squash medley special that was perfect and I had a tempeh parmigiana that was out of this world. The marinara sauce was chunky and had the exact blend of spices for an authentic taste.
Her squash medley was chilled which made it almost like a vegetable version of chicken salad. It was also exciting to try the vegan chocolate tort with some delicious coffee. I had never had a vegan dessert before and this did not disappoint.
by Dave
(Kansas City, MO)
Eden Alley is an incredible organic restaurant in a not so incredible setting.
It is located in the basement of the Unity Temple on the Historic Country Club Plaza in the heart of Midtown Kansas City.
While it is a basement it is a high ceiling and open space and they have done their very best to make it a pleasant atmosphere. They also have a patio outside which is much better if the weather will permit dining outside.
The good thing about this place is the menu more than makes up for the lack of atmosphere. My favorite is the sweet potato burrito, which is simply great, and actually vegan.
The menu features and incredibly diverse range of choices with most having the option of being either vegan or vegetarian. When you combine this with the fact that they go out of their way to buy produce from local growers, it is a combination that is hard to beat.
The servers are knowledgeable and friendly, and always have good suggestions on the vegan dessert choices. The price is affordable with two people able to eat for $25 or even a little less.
Do yourself a favor and try this place the next time you are in Kansas City.