Love and Lattes: Mom and Hailey take on KC!

 

Last summer, Hailey and I began what I hope will become a tradition; restaurant hunting in the best city in the U.S.....Kansas City! If you are interested in last year's post click HERE and HERE to see our adventures last summer.

Hailey is so lucky to get to grow up as our city continues to grow and improve and I am so lucky to get to sit across from her and listen to her and her thoughts on life. It's pretty much the best thing a mom could ask for!

My hope is to inspire other moms to start traditions like this of their own. I realize that coffee shop hunting might not be for everyone, but I bet that every parent could find something special that they can share with their child; a walk, an activity you both share, movie nights...the list is endless!

This year's focus was on coffee and brunch.  Here goes our list with our reviews! You will see our ratings separately because we each have different life experiences that made our thoughts different. My job as a mom isn't to mold my child into a mini version of me, but to give her the confidence to be herself! I LOVE watching her become

GINGER SUES

Ginger Sue's, Liberty, MO. This is a THE place to go for breakfast on the historic downtown square. Great pancakes, bacon and lattes! There is always a line for their good home cooking.

Laura: 4 stars because it's fattening and hard to say no to pancakes! But it really is very good!

Hailey: 5 stars because not only do they have great food, they have great coffee and it's close to home. It's comfortable.

THOU MAYEST

 Thou Mayest: Coffee Shop in the Crossroads KC next to Grinders.

Laura 5 Stars: It will be tough to find a place that can top Thou Mayest. The atmosphere is amazing, cozy, lots of seating options including an outdoor patio. The coffee is a normal price with a top off station before you leave. They serve you with a little jug of milk instead of handing you the entire gallon or having milk sitting out for hours. 

Hailey: 4 stars just because it's second to Morning Day Cafe because Morning Day is closer to home and more comfortable for her.

Found these murals on our way home from Thou Mayest!

ODDLY CORRECT

Oddly Correct Coffee in Westport.... Their main business is supplying coffee to other cafes and restaurants.

Laura: 2 stars: Yes it's odd because when I ordered a $4 drip coffee they said that was fine but they don't have milk or sugar for it. And yet they make latte's?  It's a "hip" place but not really comfortable.

Jay: 4 stars

Hailey: 4 stars

DOUGHNUT LOUNGE

Doughnut Lounge in Westport.Weird doughnuts and coffee cups without a handle!

Laura 2 stars. I love doughnuts so it's hard to say no when you are there. The coffee cups are awful but it's still a somewhat fun place. They do serve alcohol too.

Jay: 4 stars. He said it was good but pricey

This was a savory treat from Doughnut Lounge. YUM!

MORNING DAY CAFE

It's not right without including Morning Day Cafe on the Liberty Square!

Laura 4.5 stars This place is quirky and the atmosphere is fantastic! They also have a cute outdoor patio!  It does sometimes take a long time to get your coffee and although the menu is very unique and healthy it's still can pretty high calorie. Try the Tres Tacos for lunch and their breakfast potatoes and eggs for breakfast!

Hailey: 5 stars

ROASTERIE CAFE

We ended up at the Roasterie Cafe in Brookside because Bella Napoli and One More Cup (in Waldo) were both closed on Memorial Day. Oops!

Laura 2 stars. Boring, yuppie, young people. Just not that interesting.

Hailey 3 stars. It was yummy but boring.

CORNER RESTAURANT

This morning my 19 year old son, Cameron, asked if he could go with us one of our adventures so I looked at my list and picked something it thought he would like. Corner Restaurant in Westport was a great pick! Both kids had eggs with mix-ins of cheeses/meats and their yummy has brown with a side of toast. I have the most magnificent BLT with egg ever! YUM! 

Laura: 5 stars

Hailey: 3 stars because they only had black coffee and no fru fru drinks. Food was good but not a huge variety.

Cameron: 4 stars

CHEZ ELLE

Chez Elle is near Blue Bird Bistro and Westside Local and occupies the old Summit Theatre Building.  We love the location and the concept but you do have to order at the front and take a number which created a long line. We LOVED the crepes and the coffee was great as well! They had a lot of employees serving food and cleaning up, arranging tables etc... I think that if they used them as servers things might run more smoothly. 

OPERA HOUSE FOOD & COFFEE EMPORIUM

There are several things I love about Opera House in the River Market. First, the location. It's sits on a corner where you can usually find good parking. It's near the streetcar which is just fun, the coffee is great and so is the food! The atmosphere is big and open yet cool and funky! You have to try this one!

QUAY COFFEE

I'm including Quay Coffee because we went there last summer and really liked it, but I went back this summer with my neice and although the atmosphere was like a library and the seating and lighting were nice, I was shocked at my $4.50 coffee. Sure it's all pretty when they make it their fancy way, but if I wanted fancy coffee I'd order a latte. That said, I did enjoy sitting outside and watching the streetcar!Laura: 3 stars because it was expensive and crowded with people  working on computers. But I liked the location and atmosphere.Hailey: 3 stars for the same reasons.