Travel Around the Culinary Globe Without Leaving Missouri
Piropos Restaurant, Kansas City
Jefferson City, Mo.,-
Think it’s unlikely to find an authentic French quiche, mouthwatering moussaka or trendy Spanish tapas without purchasing an expensive plane ticket to a faraway land? Think again. Missouri is coming into its own as a place for delectable international cuisine, and new restaurants are opening all the time. Best of all, you don’t need your passport.
For a taste of authentic Argentina, head to Piropos, www.PiroposKC.com, in Kansas City. Argentinean dining is very cosmopolitan, with influences from Spain, Italy, France and other countries. Piropos’ menu features bite-sized crab cakes served with cilantro pesto aioli, chorizo Argentine skewers served with red pepper and chimmichurri sauce, and of course sangria, a sweetened red wine with fruit and a touch of brandy.
To feel as though you’re in the Basque region of Northern Spain, head to La Bodega, www.LaBodegaKC.com, on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, for a taste of Spanish tapas. Other offerings include rosemary marinated pork loin, grilled skewers of beef tenderloin served with ancho chili aioli, and a Spanish chicken sandwich served with roasted red peppers, Manchego cheese and chipotle cream spread.
If you’re in the mood to try Missouri’s only Albanian restaurant, head to Columbia, home of Felini. Brothers Bekim and Ilir Canhasi, refugees of the Kosovo War, came to the United States in 1999 and proudly serve cuisine from their native land. Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. and offering private dining for groups as large as 60, the downtown Columbia restaurant features seafood, pasta, steak, calzone, sarma, grape cabbage, kabobs, salads and soups.
Aixois Coffee House in Kansas City.
For a taste of France, try Aixois, www.KansasCityMenus.com/aixois/, in the Crestwood shops on East 55th Street in Kansas City. Run by Chef Emmanuel Langlade, a native of Aix-en-Provence, France, lunch items at Aixois include crepes, quiche and specialty salads, with perennial French favorites for dinner such as escargot, frog legs and grilled duck.
A few hours down I-70 near St. Louis, a cross-cultural menu influenced by the Mediterranean is served at Remy’s Kitchen & Wine Bar, www.RemysKitchen.net, in Clayton. For lunch, try the Grazing Menu with three quick and healthy options. Dinner features classics – stuffed grapevine leaves, hummus, and braised lamb shank on Gorgonzola whipped potatoes. Smoking is not allowed, and there’s free parking behind the building.
Araka, in Clayton, www.Araka.com, features Southern European flavors from France, Italy, Spain, and Greece; as the atmosphere is designed to provide a tasteful, elegant, and unique experience. With a dining room created by New York’s Schefer Design, Araka features the creations of Chef Mark Curran, formerly of the Larkspur Restaurant in Vail, Colo. His seasonal menu features items from regional farmers and locally raised chicken, pork and beef.
Called the Best Russian Restaurant in Middle America, Zhivago’s in Ballwin offers a warm, inviting atmosphere and a large variety of vodkas at the bar. Earthy mushroom soup is popular, as are the blinis and cabbage rolls.
If you’re adventurous, hungry and budget conscious, try Al-Tarboush Deli in University City. There are just a few tables, but the food is plentiful and authentic Middle Eastern, including tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves, kibbees and spinach and cheese pies.
St. Louis’ thriving Eastern European community now has a fine dining restaurant of its own in Grbic, www.GrbicRestaurant.com, which offers “the exotic tastes of Bosnia.” Their menu includes schnitzel and goulash, as well as fresh seafood.
Cafe Natasha’s Kabob International, www.CafeNatasha.com, in St. Louis specializes in Persian cuisine, serving marinated and grilled meats, savory stews and inventive vegetarian creations.
You can literally taste Missouri’s rich German heritage at dozens of German restaurants across the state. Among the most notable is Das Stein Haus, www.DasSteinHaus.com in Jefferson City. For more than 20 years, Das Stein Haus has served up German favorites such as wiener schnitzel, beef rouladen and sauerbraten, as well as the city’s finest prime rib. St. Robert’s Hub, near Ft. Leonard Wood, is also popular for its lively atmosphere and selection of German beer and wine.
International cuisine can also be found in unlikely places; Branson has Rocky’s Italian Restaurant, which serves authentic Italian specialties like homemade manicotti, beef marsala and pasta with broccoli. Branson also is home to the Bleu Olive Mediterranean Grille & Bar, www.BleuOlive.com, which serves Saganaki cheese flambe, Moroccan spiced chicken breast and moussaka, a casserole of ground beef, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes and bechamel sauce. Both restaurants are located at Branson Landing.
Hailed as “the birthplace of Cashew Chicken,” some claim that Springfield boasts more Chinese restaurants per capita than any city in America. But did you know Springfield also features two of the state’s top Japanese restaurants? Kai, www.KaiAfterDark.com, and Haruno Sushi Bar & Grill, www.HarunoSushi.com, both feature sushi,Japanese and fusion cuisine. After dark, Kai transforms into one of downtown Springfield’s coolest nightspots, featuring music and unique cocktails.
For more international cuisine ideas or to get a free copy of the 2010 Missouri Travel Guide, log on to www.VisitMo.com or call toll-free 800-519-4800.
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Contact:
Sarah Luebbert
Missouri Division of Toursim
Sarah.Luebbert@ded.mo.gov
573-522-5501
