Dish & Drink KC: Fresh, community-driven bites at The Spot and Blue Nile Café

Valentines Day Themed Cookies At The Spot // Photo By Lauren Textor

The Spot at The Prospect KC

Do good by eating well at The Spot, a cafė that operates under The Prospect KC non-profit. Not only does it supply fresh, nutritional food to the community, but it also creates opportunities in the form of a 16-week culinary training program. 

The former public works building still features graffitied limestone. Its interior has been elevated by plush furniture, floor cushions, and locally-made art, but there’s no attempt to gloss over the building’s history or the fact that it was once abandoned. It’s a beautiful space filled with natural light and greenery. The building was brought back to life by The Spot’s renovation, and now it’s once again serving the community. 

Breakfast is available from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., with a small menu of coffee, burritos, and pastries with made-in-house jams and syrups. 

Breakfast Biscuit And The Mlk Way Coffee At The Spot // Photo By Lauren Textor

The breakfast biscuit sandwiches apple chicken sausage, pesto, and a fried or scrambled egg ($12). It’s not overstuffed, but still, the biscuit is likely to crumble in your hands if you’re not careful. It’s that delicate, slightly dry texture that’s so mouthwatering. 

Wash it down with a coffee like the MLK Way, a caramel vanilla mocha that’s $6 for a 12-ounce or $7 for a 16-ounce. It’s a house favorite, smooth and sweet. 

Too rich? Balance it out with veggies from BoysGrow, a KC program that teaches agricultural entrepreneurship skills to urban youth. Patrons can use SNAP benefits to take home fresh produce. 

The Spot shares the building with Vine Street Brewing Co., Kansas City’s first Black-owned brewery, as well as the Warren Harvey Art Gallery and business workspaces on the level below. 

The Spot is located within The Prospect KC at 2010 Vine St., Kansas City, MO 64108. 

Duba Shorba At Blue Nile Cafe // Photo By Lauren Textor

Blue Nile Café

Blue Nile has been serving Ethiopian cuisine since 1995. This Black-owned business has a prime spot at City Market, a jewel in the crown of Midwestern farmers markets. 

Here’s a February outing for you: visit City Market on a mild weekend morning. Take a lap around the loop of vendors or pay a visit to River Market Antiques. Then, once you’ve worked up an appetite, tuck into a platter at Blue Nile. 

Shai Bewetet At Blue Nile Cafe // Photo By Lauren Textor

Blue Nile has indoor and outdoor seating, which is great because it’s often busy. The small space is filled with conversation, laughter, and the clatter of dishes. 

Almost all of this cozy restaurant’s drinks are non-alcoholic, which adds to the family-friendly environment. The small selection of teas, juices, sodas, and coffees is wholesome. 

The Shai Bewetet is an Ethiopian-style chai ($4.95) topped with foam. A good cup of chai is grounding and warming, and Blue Nile’s fits the bill. 

Winter is soup season. A cup of Duba Shorba ($6.95), a chunky butternut squash and red lentil soup, just feels like a small commitment to bodily good. It’s simple, sweet, and hearty enough. 

Blue Nile Café is located at 20 E. 5th St., Kansas City, MO 64106.