Birthday dinner for 5 in KC, MO

[reubensandperrier]

My birthday is coming up and my family and I are going out to dinner. I want to go somewhere completely new, I have never even heard of, and what better place to ask than my fellow chowhounds!?

I don't want to break the bank, so probably about $30 a head or less (less than $150 total) and I like any cuisine except Greek food, so throw em at me and let's see if I can find a new place to try!

[emassow]

La Pizza in the crossroads might be a good place price wise, food wise, and for atmosphere. Blue Koy could be fun too. Good luck!

[foodiecutie00]

I had my last birthday at the drop and it was wonderful. I called ahead and had the back room reserved. The food is great for sharing and snacking and they have some fun drinks. It is a casual bar atmosphere too so people can move around and it's not too stuffy.

[clclark2000]

Can't go wrong with Carmen's in Brookside.

[Katie Nell]

Not sure what kind of atmosphere you're looking for, with the parents and all, my parents would be all about this place... but what about The Drop? It's more of a bar, but a nice bar. We went there for an "event" a while back and sampled a good portion of the menu and it was fantastic! I would think it would make for a really fun birthday dinner... warm chocolate chip cookies and milk for dessert... what more could you ask for?! ;-) I'm trying to pick out some things from the menu that I really loved, but I can't single anything out- I really and truly loved it all!

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Drop
409 E 31st St, Kansas City, MO 64108

[Katie Nell]

Or what about La Bodega? I guess I'm just thinking of the way my family and I eat... pass the plates around and everyone sample!

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La Bodega
703 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108

[chileheadmike]

I had a really nice meal at Chosun, a new Korean place at 127th and Metcalf. They have grills at some of the tables and you can cook yourself or sit at a "normal" table and order already cooked food. Prices range from $13 up, most entrees are in the 20 - 25 dollar range. Not exactly cheap but it should fit your price range. I had a stir fried pork that came with 7 or 8 side items including kim chee, bean sprouts, an omlette thing, and the only one I didn't like was a pickled jalapeno side (imagine that I didn't like the jalapenos). Service was very nice, I let them know that I knew very little about Korean food,and my waitress stepped me through everything.

Nice place, I'll definately be back.

[vsoy]

I like Chosun a lot too, I wrote about it in this thread: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/397745
The only problem as a birthday dinner is that they're all about meat and so there are limited appetizer and booze choices and I don't remember desserts on the menu. Then again, you could always go somewhere for ice cream afterwards! And I suppose meat is always a fun way to celebrate. If you do go, try to get a grill. It's not noisy or smelly at all and kind of fun.

[amyzan]

I like Chosun, too, but I don't think they're new exactly. It's also not a friendly to vegetarians choice. I don't know that the atmosphere is quite enough for a birthday, either, but anyone who hasn't been, should definitely give them a try. The food is really good.

The side dishes will come with any entree. They're called panchan or banchan and a re a traditional part of Korean meals. A great tradition, if you ask me!

[amyzan]

RandP, what are you expecting for that $30? Wine, appetizers, dessert?

I've heard about a newish place called Thomas restaurant, but not been. I think it was on 39th St.? Maybe some of the other hounds will chime in on whether it's appropriate for a birthday.

My choice would likely be Bluestem, but that first question will apply here.

[reubensandperrier]

Thomas is one of my fav restaurants in KC actually, I highly recommend it!

I'd love to go to Bluestem, but it's just too expensive. I need somewhere my family and I can get dinner and probably a bottle of wine for under $150 (there's 5 of us including myself).

[Mushroom]

While I like Malay Cafe...I wouldn't recommend it for a birthday dinner. More of a "I'm up North and it's lunch time and if I see one more chain restaurant I'll scream" kind of place. I've had a couple of above average meals there and a couple of so-so meals. The ambiance is severly lacking but the service is very good. (My kids go gonzo for the coconut shrimp.)

I'm in a bit of a rut myself r&p. I'll be interested to see some of the responses.

bluestem is next on my list for fancy. But I'm also looking for something new & exciting in that mid-price range. My parents are coming for an extended visit in a couple of weeks and I'm trying to figure out where to bring them that they haven't been before - with out going much further south than the Plaza or Brookside.

[jm054]

You might try Malay Cafe on Barry Road. The food is very good.