Brunch Bonanza

Story and Photos by Caroline Hinkebein | Features Editor

My first stop was Dagwood’s Cafe, a popular breakfast and lunch spot on Southwest Boulevard whose website advertises itself as a “Kansas City, Kansas landmark diner since 1938.” Upon entering the diner, it’s clear that this statement rings true. With sections of black and white checkered floors and walls, a colorful Marilyn Monroe art piece on the wall and more than a few old-timey posters and Kansas City-themed art pieces, this diner is straight out of the movies. Staff that make you feel at home give this restaurant the perfect hometown vibe. An employee was wearing a Mike Moustakas Royals jersey and our waiter was happy to answer all of my grandparents’ questions about the history of the restaurant for 10-plus minutes. Despite being a seemingly busy eatery on a Saturday morning at 9 a.m., they sat us almost immediately.

Per the waiter’s suggestion, I ordered Dagwood Cafe’s most popular dish: The Dagwood, a breakfast sandwich with crispy bacon, a sunny side-up egg, cheddar cheese and finally hash browns — the key factor that makes this their most popular dish — all on perfectly toasted texas toast. I dipped the sandwich in a side of the famous turkey gravy, which further heightened my experience. My bottomless coffee was never less than half full, with highly attentive waiters constantly asking if I wanted more. The serving sizes are perfect and for the quality you get, the price point is superb — nothing on the menu is over $15. I would absolutely recommend any breakfast connoisseur who is looking for a new spot to head to Dagwood’s Cafe immediately.

OurHouseKC is that friend’s house you never want to leave” is this 39th Street restaurant’s message which appears on their website. Our House is a KC-centered foodie haven with a classic feel: brick walls and wooden furniture. But they have a unique attribute that makes this restaurant a must-try: their dome. In the colder months they insulate their rooftop in a clear plastic dome with heaters and themed decorations for each season. This season’s specialty: the love nest. Beautifully decorated with all things pink, red, hearts, birds, flamingos and Valentine’s Day, this is the perfect place to take your bae or the gals this love season. After ordering at the register, I headed up to the love nest and sat on a couch in the corner; the atmosphere was lovely. Our House often has live music but this morning there was a speaker providing the tunes. The wait staff was

mmediately when entering Homegrown in Brookside, you can feel the name. A large quote spans the wall encouraging patrons to “cultivate kindness,” honeycomb light fixtures hang from the ceiling and there are cute little plants at every table, creating an earthy and fresh feeling. I went on a Sunday, their busiest day, but as long as you join the waitlist on Yelp with ample time beforehand, getting seated is a not an issue.

The atmosphere was fairly noisy but not enough to prevent conversation. Also, almost every table was a booth, which I loved. Throughout the brunch, the wait staff was very kind and attentive, and chill background music added to the cozy vibe. I appreciated the creative menu, with items like “friends with benedicts,” “it takes the cake,” “gimme the meats!” and “the ironman.”

I started with a vanilla latte and a Homegrown favorite, the coffee cake. It was delectable. A smooth buttery cake with cinnamon crunchiness on top, you drizzle it with caramel sauce yourself and it is perfect. Hands down it was the best coffee cake I’ve ever had. For my main dish I chose the biscuits and gravy, which came with a side of two eggs your way (I got over easy) and breakfast potatoes. The eggs were cooked to perfection and the breakfast potatoes were some of the best I’ve ever had. They were seasoned just right, shaped into perfect little cubes; dipping them in ketchup was the cherry on top. The gravy was really

They weren’t bad necessarily, just a personal hasn’t yet tried it. But despite the incredible breakfast potatoes and inviting atmosphere,

This story contains information from the following websites: Our Lady of Mercy Lay Carmelites; the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; the Aleteia; the Speakroom; and the autobiography of St. Teresa, entitled “The Book of Her Life.”.