Dish & Drink: Sandos and jus at Restaurant at 1900, healthy eats at Gigi’s Vegan Café

The french dip at Restaurant at 1900. // Photo by Tyler Shane

Restaurant at 1900’s French Dip

The fine dining restaurant located in Mission Woods off Shawnee Mission Parkway has been making waves in the KC food scene as it was just nominated as a James Beard award semi-finalist for Outstanding Hospitality. When you walk into the restaurant, the staff are attentive and go out of their way to ensure you have a stellar dining experience.

Luckily, their food is also worth talking about. The lunch menu is filled with elevated eats from veal scaloppine to seared scallops and a braised short rib grilled cheese. The familiar french dip sandwich manages to charm with its seriously good flavor. It’s an open-face sandwich piled with shredded beef, caramelized onions, peppers, and oyster mushrooms. The crispy bits of sage add a fantastic textural element, and the candy cap mushroom jus makes this already savory sandwich that much richer. The accompaniment of fries is perfectly seasoned with just a hint of curry to make them stand out from the crowd. 

Restaurant at 1900 is located at 1900 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., Mission Woods, KS 66205

Gigi’s power protein smoothie. // Photo by Tyler Shane

Gigi’s Vegan + Wellness Café

Tucked away in Westport stands a humble café run by Gigi “The Vegan” Jones, a nutritionist, herbalist, and raw food cook author. Her café is dedicated to vegan eats and drinks that are made by the woman herself, such as kale chips and vegan seasonings. Although you won’t find coffee at this café, a little market holds cold-pressed juices, fresh produce, and detox teas to jumpstart your wellness journey. Gigi’s is built on community.  

Whether you’re a curious patron or looking to continue your New Year’s resolutions on your health, grab-and-go options are a great way to see what Gigi has to offer. Freshly squeezed juices and lemon cayenne wellness shots are available, but the power protein smoothie is hard not to love. It’s a blend of house-made plant milk, bananas, dates, and almond butter, and topped with bits of cocoa. The result is a subtly sweet and filling concoction.  All of Gigi’s ingredients are organic and non-GMO. Don’t forget to pick up her plant-based cookbook, The V Code, A Goddess Guide to Vibrant Health. 

Gigi’s Vegan + Wellness Café is located at 1103 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO 64111.