Interstate 70 to State Number 8

I prefer to shop in musky, dank barns; I like the effort and reward of the hunt. A rack of all of the same thing is very unappealing to me. This is why I have thrift shopped since I was old enough to make my own money. Unfortunately the state of thrifting for apparel these days is sorry. Across the country consignment shops and eBay sellers have long claimed the majority of vintage wear as the passing of time renews stock with the characterless styles of the 80s and 90s. Luckily bric-a-brac turnover is far less sudden. There are still trinkets and thingamajigs worth the hunt, worth the walk to the back. While in Kansas, I caught the bug for antiquing, which works the same muscles as thrifting but is a little more “hit” than “miss” (though with a price) and a little more “adult”. But antiquing in Kansas is like thrifting in New York, price-wise. The I-70 offered a huge selection of antique shops, each with a personality all its own. With many limitations (discretionary spending, living space, checked bag limit for flight home, etc), I only picked up a few little things but plan to return to the hunt when one or more of these limitations alleviate.  

It was time to eat. We had made it through the length of Kansas to arrive in Kansas City, Missouri just in time for lunch. We dined at Füd, an intimate vegan restaurant on KC’s west side that sources organic and local foods to create pretty amazing dishes. Peruse their sample menu and you’ll get the idea loud and clear: clean, fresh and delicious. We had been chasing the clock to squeeze in for Saturday brunch before their 3:30 close time. Once Chef Heidi carefully and passionately described her dishes’ ingredients I knew… the way you know about a good melon… this was a special place to dine. And speaking of melon, fresh-cut complimentary organic watermelon refills? Pinch me.
Behold: the Jackphish Chalupa! Jack for the Jackfruit, a texturous fruit from SE Asia {included in my Thailand Foodie blog post from abroad} and phish for the ocean-y seasonings the chef-couple incorporated to deliver a sort of tuna-like feel and flavor to the fruit.  The ground jackfruit could have been the only contents of the delicately fried tortilla case but no! This wonderful handheld marvel had a tangy cashew cheddar– like nacho cheese, cashew sour cream, chopped tomato, guacamole and a spicy cocoa-infused mole to heat things up. It was spectacular. All house-made and mostly local and organic. Probably the best thus far.
Füd didn’t stop there. Vegan soft serve. I repeat: Vegan. Soft. Serve. These folks don’t dollop a scoop of some national brand non-dairy ice cream on a plate and charge $5 (or $7.50! I’m talking to you Vertical Diner)… they make there own creamy cashew-based agave-sweetened version from scratch and throw on raw cacao sauce, superfood caramel sauce, raw cacao nibs and pecans. I devoured my sundae quickly and partook in a mutual momentary lapse in conversation that ended with the clank of the spoon in the empty glass bowl. What were we saying?

And dinner. Eden Alley Vegetarian Cafe is housed in the basement of Unity Temple, a non-denominational church in the Plaza section of Kansas City. 
I chose the Tasting Triplet, a sampling of 3 dishes of my choice from their regular and specials menu. It was a little on the costly side but hey, this tour of vegan eateries is winding down and I will likely not be in Missouri any time soon. So yes, the grub: soft bread spread with an agave-sweetened Earth Balance, 1) the super-fresh and delicious Avocado Vera Cruz [avocado served on brown rice stuffed with mung bean and zucchini Pico de Gallo with mixed greens, cherry tomato, carrots, and cucumbers topped with chili cumin aioli and mustard seed dressing], 2) Heavenly BBQ Seitan [seitan drenched in their house-made barbecue sauce with tomatoes, beets, spices, onion and garlic topped with sautéed with onions and minced mushroom over creamy mashed potatoes and black turtle beans plus a pickle] and 3) the Grilled Tofu Ruelke sandwich [grilled garlic, local sour dough bread with hummus, pickles, tomatoes, greens, and grilled organic central soy tofu encrusted in spiced nutritional yeast]. How’s that for a mouthful?!  So like the descriptions hints, all dishes were bursting with flavor and freshness.  
And because they had vegan dessert available, I had to partake. After all, I’ll have time to work off this spare tire when the majority of my day is not spent in an automobile. I chose the chocolate cake with coconut vanilla icing. Darn track lighting doesn’t do it justice…
There is still some leads in KC to look into but for now… a SNL re-run on the hotel television.