The Plaza: Groupon, Group-off

In the past few weeks, the Kansas City Explorer has looked into the Country Club Plaza; we've explored the architecture, causal dinning, shopping and night life.  However, the Plaza is also well know for being a great place to grab a fancy dinner for a special occasion.  What better place for the KC Explorer's third post about the Plaza than a exploration into Plaza III, one of the City's best know steakhouses.


 

When stepping into the Plaza III, we noticed that both the atmosphere and the menu were typical for a fine-dining steakhouse.  The lights were dimmed, the music soft but upbeat and the decor was classy but locally relevant.  Guests are shown a cart of the various entries, and waiters and waitresses are on hand to explain the differences in the various cuts of meat.  We were a little surprised to find that many guests were dressed quite casually--many in jeans and t-shirts--not what we expected for KC's finest steakhouse.  Not a bad thing, but in our experience with various steak houses, menu price is often directly correlated with a restaurant's dress code:  

Before diving into a good steak, selecting a nice wine is key.  We went with the Beaujolais on the menu.  A flavorful taste, but light and low in tannin--it paired well with our meal. 

The Kansas City Explorer was able to sample the prime rib and the salmon.  Both were excellent.  While the salmon came with sides of rice and veggies, any other sides are al la carte.  We decided on the garlic mashed potatoes to pair with the prime rib.  While there were various potatoes sides on the menu, we didn't see any way the others could be better than garlic mashed potatoes.  The overall service was efficient, but not rushed, and the meals were well prepared and delicious.  Also, we were able to save just enough left-overs to make the co-workers jealous during lunch the next day.

About to dig in!

The check--unsurprisingly--was not as pleasant as the meal.  Luckily, we came prepared.  Gaining in popularity throughout the "interwebs," Groupon is a great website for finding deals in local areas.  Through Groupon, the Kansas City Explorer was able to obtain a pretty good deal: spend $30 for a $60 gift certificate.  This pretty much amounts to a free steak; we still paid full price on the wine, salmon and sides, which easily surpassed our $60 gift certificate.  All-in-all, if you're looking for some really good food, there are a bunch of places on the Plaza and throughout Kansas City that won't put quite a hurt on your wallet.  But Plaza III is a great place for a special occasion: you get some really quality service and great food.  Just don't expect to get out of there on a budget. 

And the most important thing to have when out to a fancy dinner on the Plaza...

... a beautiful date!

Well, that's all for the KC Explorer's three part series on the Plaza.  We'll branch out to other parts of the City soon for more food, drinks, local neighborhoods, music and more!  Stay tuned in for next time, where we'll ask the question: If a city can be defined by its past, can it also be defined by its future?