Five Faves for KC Comfort Food

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Mac ‘n Cheese

Martin City Brewing Co. 500 E. 135th St., Kansas City, MO, 816.268.2222

This locally-owned pub is housed in a vintage building with a fun atmosphere. In addition to classic pub fare of burgers and fries, they serve a mean mac ‘n cheese.  Offered in a variety of combinations, including a classic four-cheese mac that can be topped with bacon, steak or shrimp, their Cowboy Mac with a kick of jalapenos and barbecue sauce and Cajun shrimp mac ‘n cheese, this dish is the perfect winter comfort food.

Made-from-Scratch Soups Crafted with All-Natural Ingredients

Happy Gillis 549 Gillis St., Kansas City, MO, 816.471.3663

Happy Gillis, in Old Columbus Park, was founded by Todd Schulte, who began his culinary career in the soup business. His expertise at creating delicious recipes with healthy all-natural ingredients makes Happy Gillis and his next-door business Uncommon Stock (a soup-to-go company) absolute musts on a KC soup tour. White bean soup and tomato soup are both super popular among reviewers, but at Happy Gillis—where the soup changes seasonally—you truly can’t go wrong!

Fresh Baked Breads and Hearty Sandwiches

McLain’s Market 10695 Roe Ave., Overland Park, KS, 913. 242.8222

McLain’s Market is a sister store to the Kansas City classic McLain’s Bakery, bringing the tradition of the local bakery to Johnson County. The restaurant is chic and modern with a cozy atmosphere. Their breakfast menu offers an array of breakfast sandwiches, burritos and bowls. The lunch sandwiches, from the salmon burger to the chicken salad, are all served on the bakery’s signature bread with house-made fries or chips.

Homemade Potpie

PotPie 904 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO, 816.561.2702

On a cold winter’s day, nothing is quite as satisfying as a delicious homemade potpie. Living up to the name, PotPie in Westport was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and sells the tastiest potpie in town. Choose beef, chicken or mushroom varieties. For dessert, treat yourself to some of their chocolate chip bread pudding or berry cobbler.

Pasta, Pasta, Pasta!

Cinzetti’s 7201 W. 91st St., Overland Park, KS, 913.642.0101

Cinzetti’s is an experience. With more than a dozen exhibition cooking stations where chefs prepare Italian dishes, this restaurant lets you watch as food is prepared. The all-you-can-eat Italian feast is known for a wide variety of pasta, pizza and salad dishes. Wonderful baked goods tempt for dessert, including crepes and cannoli.