Road Food Between KC and St. Louis - Les Bourgeois Blufftop Bistro
Where do you eat when driving between St. Louis and Kansas City? Personally, I hate to spend money at the fast-food chains that infest the exits, but I'll admit that the lure of convenience and the security of knowing what I'll be getting has guided me to a drive-through or two.
That's not to say that there aren't good options at the exits. Biffle's Smoke House in Concordia comes to mind.
If you're willing to go a mile or so off the highway, your choices improve. Far and away the most impressive of the choices is Les Bourgeois Blufftop Bistro, at the Rocheport exit. Go north about a mile, and it's on the left (west) side of the road. Take the meandering walk down from the parking lot, and you'll be greeted by a white building with a glass wall and a truly gourmet menu. My wife and I stopped there on the way to St. Charles on Saturday, and the food was as far from McDonald's as possible. Seated at a window table overlooking the Missouri River, she got the "Grilled rare yellow fin tuna on a toasted sourdough baguette with olive salad, sliced roma tomatoes, hard cooked egg, baby greens & red onion" and a cup of the "Bisque - creamy puree of cauliflower, lightly smoked sea scallops & aromatics, garnished with crawfish cognac butter." I had a "Fresh sourdough baguette with thinly sliced fresh herb roasted pork loin, apple smoked bacon, Fontina cheese, frisee lettuce & Martha’s mustard" served with a warm potato salad composed of french fingerling, purple, and baby red potatoes. Each choice was $8 - a bit more than a Big Mac and fries, but a ridiculous bargain by any other measure.
Though we were tempted to spend the afternoon on the scenic overlook of the river, we were back on the road in around 45 minutes - the service was prompt, but we lingered over the food and views.
I know there are other wonderful places to eat at or near the exits in I-70. G&D Steakhouse in Columbia serves up cheap, flavorful steaks and awesome baked potatoes.
Where do you stop for a bite between St. Louis and Kansas City, when you want to avoid the chains?
Labels: Missouri, restaurants
posted by Dan at 6/11/2007 06:05:00 AM
10 Comments:
Lots of beer in America!
Good choices of G&D, and the winery is as quality of a dining place as you'll find anywhere in KC.
Columbia obviously has tons of places, but otherwise, there isn't a lot to choose from along that drive, sadly.
Shakespeare's Pizza in downtown Columbia... a bit out of the way, but AMAZING pizza.
Let's here it for the new Park board, good stuff - this type of change is a long time overdue.
GO FUNK!!!!
Man! ::Andrew:: beat me to it! Shakespeare's Pizza hands down. Been going there for about 23 years now.
I love Les Bourgeois! They had a wonderful white chocolate mousse the first time I went there. It's a favorite stop whenever my boyfriend and I meet on the road!
I'm envisioning a weekend trip with the girlfriend to eat at Les Bourgeois, stay in a bed and breakfast, and a little biking on the Katy Trail to burn off the delicious calories.
I grew up eating Biffle's, and they are still a favorite.
Boonville has some great places if you take the time to drive into town. Places like Cafe Napoli, Stein House, or the Riverside Diner.
If you're willing to go all the way into Columbia, then you need to add Booche's to the list. Quite possibly the best burgers in the world.
Abigail's in probably the best restaurant between KC and St. Louis! (okay, in my humble opinion).
Next time you're near Rocheport, drive right on by Les Bourgeois (even though it is good, indeed!) and stop at Abigail's Restaurant on Main Street, Rocheport, Mo.
Columbia has tons of great non-chain restaurants (in addition to G&D's and Shakespeare's try Flatbranch Pub and Sophia's). My new favorite place is actually in Boonville -- WJ's.
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