I was a Blue Bird for an abbreviated period of time. I wore a second-hand red top/blue skirt uniform with a white blouse and a small bluebird pin — being prudent, I wore shorts under my skirt. During the summer, I would spend a week at summer camp eating in the dining hall, making the occasional smore, singing quietly around a camp fire, and spending a lot of energy wishing I could just go home. (Cue Somewhere Over the Rainbow…)
Blue Bird Bistro Signage
Back in Kansas City, I met a friend I’ve known forever, but hadn’t seen in a decade, for lunch. She suggested the Blue Bird Bistro which caters to the organic/local movement in a funky little neighborhood just southwest of downtown. Over two hours we caught up and gossiped, drank several cups of coffee and (no I shouldn’t, but let’s go ahead) ate dessert.
My friend ordered the pizza special, while I looked at the menu. While contemplating my order, I quickly asked the flavor of their house made preserves. The server had said they were out because of Mother’s Day the previous Sunday…and you know how mother’s love jam. Disappointed, I said that was too bad because I had been considering the PB&J (pecan butter with preserves on a wheat English muffin). She looked at me conspiratorially and said that was one of her favorites and there may be a bit set aside. I enjoyed the open-faced sandwich, but would have preferred the muffin toasted. In addition, I found the apple-rhubarb jam non-descript and a different flavor would have been a better accompaniment. The salad was fresh and the dressing was clean and added a nice finish without overpowering. For desert my friend had the lemon bread pudding and I had the vegan orange cake. While gorgeous to look at and imparting big orange flavor, overall the cake was dry and required a cup of coffee to consume. The lemon bread pudding was moist and a reasonable sized portion. However, overall, I found $8.00 per dessert expensive for what was received.
Pizza Special – Red Peppers, Mushrooms, Goat Cheese on Whole Wheat Crust
Pecan Butter and Apple-Rhubarb Jam on Toasted English Muffin with Mixed Greens in a Blueberry Vinaigrette
Lemon Bread Pudding
Vegan Orange Cake
I went back the next day with Mister to try their breakfast. In an attempt to try a little bit of everything, I ordered a half order of their biscuits and gravy with an egg (over easy) and a half order of the French Toast. Mister ordered an Omelet with Bison Sausage, Mushrooms, Onions and Cheese.
The timing of our breakfast was disrupted because the first omelet was incorrect. Our server, who kept my coffee cup filled, had mis-punched the order and selected spinach instead of sausage. Mister likes raw spinach in salads, but doesn’t actively pursue spinach as a part of cooked fare. Therefore the omelet was returned for a do-over. We started with the biscuits and gravy. The biscuit was a bit dry, but was a good accompaniment to the sausage gravy which was quite good. For me, the French Toast was the winner of the meal and should be the top choice of any visitor’s breakfast or brunch list. The half order consisted of two generous slices of ciabatta bread with a good custard consistency and topped with a bit of pecan butter. If I hadn’t been full, I would have ordered more. Mister’s second omelet was as ordered with potatoes and a biscuit. We requested some of their home-made jam for the biscuit and I found the apple-rhubarb combination better when it was not competing against the pecan nut butter.
Omelet #1 – With Spinach Instead of Sausage
Biscuits and Gravy
French Toast and Egg
Omelet #2 – With Sausage
Blue Bird Bistro
1700 Summit
Kansas City, MO 64108
816.221.7559
www.bluebirdbistro.com
May 14, 2009
1 Pizza $11.95
1 PBJ $ 8.95
1 Bread Pudding $ 8.00
1 Vegan Orange Cake $ 8.00
2 Coffees $ 4.60
Total $41.50
May 15, 2009
½ order Biscuits & Gravy $ 5.70
½ order French Toast $ 6.60
1 Egg $ 1.25
1 Omelet $10.15
1 Coffee $ 2.30
1 Iced Tea $ 2.25
Total $28.25
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