Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! Whether or not you celebrate, who doesn’t deserve a date night (or a simple night out) every now and then? From cozy cafes to city buzz, I’ve compiled a list of my personal favorite places to take someone special – ranked by quality, price, accessibility, atmosphere and overall experience for a romantic evening out. Be sure to read until the very end for my #1 pick for this Valentine’s Day!

5. Parlor
Location: Kansas City (Downtown)

What do you get when you cross a food court and a bar? Well, you get Parlor; a vibrant and exciting host for Kansas City nightlife with doors open to guests of all ages. Parlor curates a regularly changing lineup of vendors that serve customers food-court-style, and, for guests over the age of 21, they have two bars between three levels. If you visit on a weekend, you might find yourself eating to the sound of live music, too! 

Price Range: $$
Vegan Friendly: Usually
Allergen Friendly: Usually
Menu: Parlor (current vendors)

4. Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
Locations: Kansas City (Westport), Overland Park

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery provides a unique dining experience centered around fresh ingredients, a cozy environment, and a vibrant atmosphere that simultaneously feels both retro and modern. The menu offers a variety of breakfast and brunch items ranging from pancakes to scrambles. The welcoming energy and wide variety of options make this the perfect place to start off your Valentine’s Day!

Price Range: $$
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Allergen Friendly: Yes
Menu: Snooze, an AM Eatery

3. Sweet Emotion
Location: Kansas City (The Northland)

What’s not to love about an ice cream shop offering a menu themed around early 2000s emo and alternative music? This charming stop combines sugar and nostalgia for a memorable and flavorful experience. It’s the perfect spot to hit for a tasty dessert, neighboring all kinds of fun date destinations in the Northland.

Note: This Valentine’s Day will fall on a Wednesday, which means RINO will be hosting stand-up-comics right on the other side of the curtain that separates the two spaces. Talk about a two-for-one deal!

Price Range: $
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Allergen Friendly: Yes
Menu: Sweet Emotion

2. Blue Sushi Sake Grill
Locations: Westwood, Kansas City (Power & Light District)

For sushi fanatics, there is no greater dining destination in the Greater Kansas City Area than Blue Sushi Sake Grill. The colorful and lively atmosphere creates an experience that visually combines traditional Japanese culture with American culture and the dynamic energy of urban nightlife. Between the extensive drink selection, delicious desserts and appetizers, and, of course, dozens of creative sushi rolls you won’t find anywhere else, Blue Sushi is top-tier!

Note: Be sure to book your reservation in advance! Due to popularity, a several-hour wait is not uncommon if you do not make a reservation on a high-traffic night like Valentine’s Day.

Price Range: $$$
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Allergen Friendly: Yes
Menu: Blue Sushi Sake Grill

Honorable Mentions…
Before I reveal my #1 pick for Valentine’s Day dining, here are a couple of restaurants I highly recommend planning a visit to, in addition to the other entries on my list:

Meshuggah Bagels
Locations: Kansas City (Power & Light District), Kansas City (Midtown), Overland Park

Description: Kansas City tribute to authentic New York and New Jersey bagels. A new location is coming to Liberty this February! 

Price Range: $
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Allergen Friendly: Yes
Menu: Meshuggah Bagels

Baba’s Pantry
Locations: Kansas City (Westport)

Description: Family-owned Palestinian restaurant with a menu consisting of recipes mailed to the owner, Baba, by his grandmother, Tayata, while seeking an education in the United States as a refugee.

Price Range: $
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Allergen Friendly: Yes
Menu: Baba’s Pantry

The Fix
Location: Kansas City (Downtown)

Description: Plant-based comfort food operating out of a renovated historic building near Martini Corner in Kansas City.

Price Range: $$
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Allergen Friendly: Yes
Menu: The Fix

Minsky’s Pizza
Locations: Liberty, Kansas City, Lawrence, Independence, Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit, and more

Description: Local pizza chain specializing in creative pizzas, pasta, sandwiches, salads, and more. Heart-shaped pizzas will be available at select locations this Valentine’s Day!

Price Range: $$
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Allergen Friendly: Yes
Menu: Minsky’s Pizza

Mud Pie Bakery & Coffee
Location: Overland Park

Description: Plant-based bakery with a variety of sweets and savory goods, including everything from pastries to sandwiches. Both Valentine’s Day and “anti-Valentine’s Day” Mostess will be available to those who order before they sell out! 

Price Range: $
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Allergen Friendly: Yes
Menu: Mud Pie Bakery & Coffee

1. The Tree Hugger Kitchen
Location: Riverside, MO

The Tree Hugger Kitchen takes the #1 spot on my list for its wide selection of food, dedicated staff and unique ability to make your dining experience feel like an indoor picnic. Complete with a shelf full of board games, rustic décor, comfortable seating and delicious food, I could not think of a better restaurant to spend quality time with my favorite person. Bring your stay-at-home date night to The Tree Hugger Kitchen this Valentine’s Day for a peaceful dining experience you’re sure to remember!

Price Range: $$
Vegan Friendly: Yes
Allergen Friendly: Yes
Menu: The Tree Hugger Kitchen

In addition to multiple varieties of bagels, their menu includes numerous savory and sweet schmears, seafood and sandwiches.

As someone who has eaten numerous bagels from Panera and Einstein Bros. Bagels, I can say Meshuggah definitely stands out, both in quality and cost. The price of a bagel and schmear is comparable to that of Einstein Bros. Bagels at just over $4. While Panera is cheaper, the quality and style of Meshuggah bagels makes it worth the extra dollar.

New York style bagels are characterized by their puffiness, crisp crust and soft inside. This style of bagel is made with salt, yeast, sugar and malt, and the mixture is boiled before baking. Meshuggah takes this to heart and makes true New York style bagels, unlike their competitors. In addition to plain bagels, Meshuggah has everything, sesame, poppy, onion, salt, garlic, rye, cinnamon raisin and whole wheat.

Meshuggah is notable because of their made-from-scratch artisan schmears. Savory schmear flavors include rosemary garlic, scallions, garlic and herb, veggie, toasted everything, jalapeño and dirty martini. Of the savory smears, I have tried the veggie and thought that this paired with an everything bagel made the perfect combo for lunch. But tread lightly: there is a lot of garlic.

I’m a schmuck for bagel and lox, which is available at Meshuggah, but sadly all that salmon can easily run your bill up. They have has the perfect solution: salmon schmear. This schmear has bits of cut up salmon in it and provides all the same flavors of a bagel and lox without the hefty bill.

Their sweet schmears include cinnamon sugar, oreo cheesecake, lemon poppy seed and german chocolate.

I absolutely love the lemon poppy seed schmear and have paired it with both a plain bagel and a poppy seed bagel. I personally preferred the poppy seed bagel, but this may be an excess amount of poppy flavor for some.

Their newest schmear is blueberry. I’ve tried this with a poppy seed bagel and enjoyed it, as the blueberry flavor was not overwhelming.

For those who cannot or do not eat dairy, they serve hummus, peanut butter and jelly.

The atmosphere of Meshuggah is warm and welcoming. Both the Liberty and original 39th street locations have a rustic theme with a few tables. While I would probably not settle down there to do homework, it is a great place to go with friends for a quick brunch or post-class ranting session.

Photo by Brianna Steiert.