Kansas City cravings: 11 dishes to try this summer

What does summer in Kansas City taste like?

Smoky shreds of charcoal-roasted pork sandwiched between fresh slabs of Farm to Market bread. Cold margaritas and spicy black bean quesadillas. A s’mores-inspired ice cream sundae topped with graham crackers and torched marshmallows.

In other words: Crazy delicious.

Want to take your taste buds on a trip? Peruse this list of crave-worthy summer dishes, which also includes tacos stuffed with beer-battered fish, Thai-inspired pizza and coconut crème brûlée from a food truck.

S’mores sundae at Betty Rae’s

When you’re nowhere near a campfire, the next best thing to roasted s’mores is the s’mores sundae at Betty Rae’s, 7140 Wornall Road in Waldo. The sundae ($5.50) is made by topping two scoops of house-made ice cream (in any flavor) with crumbled graham crackers, hot fudge and marshmallows. The server uses a hand torch to scorch the marshmallows, which gives them that roasty, toasty campfire flavor. Not sure which ice cream flavor(s) to pick? Go for one scoop of peanut butter and one scoop of cinnamon. You won’t be disappointed.

Saratoga club sandwich at Genessee Royale Bistro

Club sandwiches can be a little, well … basic. But the one served by Genessee Royale Bistro, 1531 Genessee St. in the West Bottoms, is anything but. The Saratoga Club ($12) layers toast with creamy house-made chicken salad, lettuce, tomato, thick and smoky bacon, zesty mayonnaise and crumbled potato chips, which add a nice crunch. The impressive sandwich is served in a stack next to a small salad. Order a side of super-crispy fries ($5) for the table if you know what’s good for you.

The Whole Porkin’ Thing at Red Wattle

Earlier this month, while in Kansas City for his “Eat Your Science” tour, Food Network star Alton Brown stopped by the new Red Wattle food truck at 3014 Southwest Blvd. The retro aluminum RV anchors the new Little Piggy food truck hub and serves charcoal pit-roasted meats. Brown ordered everything on the menu, including the Whole Porkin’ Thing ($8.50), a whopper of a sandwich that stuffs thick slabs of Farm to Market ciabatta bread with crispy shredded local pork, fried shallots, house-made chimichurri and buttermilk aioli. After taking a bite of the sandwich — which demands two hands and a fistful of napkins — the generally loquacious Brown had only two words to say: “Oh my.”

Mini tacos at Zócalo

Searching for a summery happy hour spot on the Plaza? Zócalo, a modern Mexican restaurant at 620 W. 48th St., offers midday deals from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. The happy hour menu features $4.50 margaritas, $3 16-ounce Bud Light cans and $2 chips and salsa. Hungry for more? Try the mini tacos, which come in five fillings. The Pescado San Diego mini tacos ($6 for three) are an ideal summer snack made by layering soft corn tortillas with Pacifico beer-battered white fish, spicy habanero slaw and cool avocado. If only there were a beach nearby.

Q’Banh Mi at Plantain District

In Kansas City, Cuban fusion food is something you can find only at Plantain District, a food truck that serves Cuban sandwiches alongside Hawaiian-style barbecue sliders and a Vietnamese-style banh mi sandwich called the Q’Banh Mi. The colorful $8 sandwich features a whole-wheat hoagie layered with ground beef, a touch of Vietnamese caramel (sounds weird, tastes great), serrano-Sriracha mayo, carrots, cucumbers and pickled veggies. Fresh Thai basil and cilantro add fresh-picked flavor. Order one with a side of plantain chips ($2) and you’ve got yourself a meal on the go. For location updates, follow Plantain District on Facebook.

Brussels sprouts salad at RND Corner Grille

It’s not easy to make raw Brussels sprouts lust-worthy, but RND Corner Grille manages to do just that with its Brussels sprouts salad ($9).

The new restaurant at 801 Massachusetts St. in downtown Lawrence makes the springy salad by mixing shredded sprouts with spicy arugula, crunchy pecans, tart dried cherries and creamy gobs of goat cheese. A drizzle of rich, nutty brown butter ties it all together.

The salad is large enough to split, and even more filling when you add a fillet of seared salmon for $7.

Coconut crème brûlée at Torched Goodness

It’s hard to top crème brûlée — rich custard with a shell of hard, sweet caramel. Thanks to Torched Goodness, a local food truck, you don’t have to go to a fine-dining restaurant to indulge in the decadent dessert. Torched Goodness serves several torched-to-order flavors, from traditional vanilla ($4) to coconut ($5), sea salt-caramel custard topped with toasted coconut flakes and drizzled with caramel. For location updates, follow Torched Goodness on Facebook.

Arepas at El Porton Cafe

Jose Garcia grew up in Venezuela eating arepas, flat corn cakes split in half and stuffed with savory ingredients such as roasted pork, shredded beef, sweet plantains and queso fresco. He serves the South American specialty with pride at El Porton Cafe, which has locations at 4671 Indian Creek Parkway in Overland Park and 240 E. Linwood Blvd. in Kansas City. Standouts include De Pabellon ($6), overflowing with spicy shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantains and salty cotija cheese, and the Reina Pepiada ($6), stuffed with creamy chicken salad and avocado. Vegetarians might prefer De Guasacaca ($6), loaded with guacamole, pico de gallo and sliced queso fresco.

Thai chicken pizza at Classic Cup Cafe

One of the best patios in Kansas City is outside Classic Cup Cafe, 301 W. 47th St. There, you can sip sweet and fruity sangria while drinking in the beautiful Plaza views. Hungry for an app? Get the Thai chicken pizza ($12 at dinner), a baked-to-order pie that’s perfect for sharing. The warm disk of fresh bread is dressed lightly with peanut sauce, shredded carrots, chicken, scallions and melted mozzarella. It’s substantial, yet light — so you’ll still have room for a second glass of sangria.

Pig wings at the Standard Pour

The pig wings at the Standard Pour will make you believe that pigs can, in fact, fly. The gastropub at 1511 Westport Road serves the trio of pork shanks lollipop-style. The pig wings ($14) are coated in a sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce and sprinkled with fresh cilantro leaves. Pat Mullin of Overland Park raves about them: “Those wings,” he says. “Oh man, those wings.”

Crab and black bean quesadilla at Cocobolos

The open-air bar at Cocobolos, 5621 W. 135th St. in Overland Park, is a great place to sip on a cocktail that ends with the letter “a” — as in, margarita, sangria and paloma. The perfect spicy accompaniment to those drinks is a crab and black bean quesadilla ($12, or $6 during happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m. daily), a flour tortilla folded over crab meat, black bean salsa and Monterey Jack cheese. The quesadilla is grilled until it’s crispy on the outside and served with jalapeno-ranch dip. Adios, hunger.

This story was originally published May 30, 2016 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Kansas City cravings: 11 dishes to try this summer."