When it comes to the best restaurants in Kansas City, bluestem in the Westport district consistently sits at the top of my list. Bluestem is the labor of love of husband and wife team Colby and Megan Garrelts who opened bluestem in March of 2004. They define their creations as "progressive American cuisine and stylish elegance". After the first bite of the amuse bouche course, I call it "freaking amazing". it really is one of those restaurants where every bite both surprises and delights the senses. Whenever I'm in Kansas City, I try to make it a required stop.
In a world where it seems every high-end restaurant is offering a tasting menu, very few live up to the expectations that are set on paper before your meal. Bluestem not only meet these expectations but has exceeded them every time I've visited.
My latest meal at bluestem in Kansas City began with a poached pear salad with candied pecans, blue cheese and a champagne vinaigrette that I was sure to eat every drop of even after the salad was completed.
It was followed by a torchon of foie gras with bourbon cream, candied cranberries and pecans that I spread on brioche toast. Traditionally I prefer my foie gras seared. This however, has me rethinking my preference on the fois. It was truly amazing an extremely disappointing when I looked down and saw my plate was empty.
The fois was followed by the beef tartare. This is another dish that I was very eager to try. Mainly because beef tartare seems to be one of those dishes that most restaurants, even very high-end restaurants tend to not get right in my opinion. Often times I find restaurants serve very high quality beef, however it lacks in flavor and creativity. I've had great luck in the past few years when dining at bluestem trying their incarnations of dishes I would otherwise not order, only to be blown away by them. The beef tartare was one of them. Not only was the beef packed with flavor, undertones of truffle, mustard and spice flowed along perfectly in this dish. Not one ingredient out powered the other. All of them work simultaneously to create a dish I know I could never re-create in my own kitchen. Topping it off were fresh pork rinds. These added texture to the experience that was pleasantly unexpected.
Seared diver scallops followed, and a rich cream broth with fresh clams and prosciutto. The clams worked wonderfully with the scallops. Sweet, rich and flavorful. I was very surprised at the clams themselves. Being in the middle of the country they tasted as if the boat had just pulled up and we were at a New England eatery on the shore. Top-quality ingredients made for this top-quality dish. They could have just left it a scallop dish and not bothered with the extra step of acquiring such top quality clams. But they went the extra mile and made this truly a standout dish.
My following course was the hen. Paired with another cream sauce on a bed of gnocchi that I would almost described as the land of version of the scallop dish from the previous course. A delicate balance of flavors that made you want more and more.
Dinner was concluded with a buttered Apple dish. Featuring pecans, rum soaked raisinscream and toasted cinnamon. The flavors took me back to childhood and picking apples at a local orchard in Wisconsin and then watching mother create "baked apples" in her antique ramekins for a special dessert using the same ingredients. It was a delicious dish.
Bluestem now has a cookbook that features both some of these recipes answer their biggest hits from years past. Including one of my favorite the buttered popcorn ice cream. The book is loaded with great recipes as well as references as to where to find some of the more unique ingredients. since receiving this book 2 nights ago, I found myself pre-planning dinner parties I have not even invited guests to yet in sheer anticipation of using some of these recipes. You can purchase the bluestem cookbook here.
Bluestem is a gem you would not expect to find in the heart of Kansas City barbecue land. In my opinion one of the top restaurants in the country. It's a restaurant without television hype or celebrity chef status. Speaking as someone who is eaten at many of these establishments with much anticipation only to be let down. Bluestem delivers a better experience in one of the most non-pretentious atmospheres I've ever seen at a restaurant of its caliber. A must visit for a foodie who finds themselves in the Kansas City area.
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