When Chad and I made the move to Kansas City over eight years ago, we made it our personal mission to eat our way through this city. That first year was full of breweries and BBQ crawls, and everything in between. But that kind of livin takes its toll on your bank account, so we backed off of eating out every night and transitioned to weekly date nights. Enter a baby a few years later, and those weekly date nights are not as frequent. But our alone time, and our love for food, are still of high priority, so enter the Progressive Date Night.

We tried out this concept a couple of years ago with a date night on the Plaza, and it has now become our favorite way to try multiple spots in one day without spending too much extra time or money. The formula is simple:

Stop 1: Cocktails and Appetizer

Stop 2: Dinner

Stop 3: Dessert and/or Cocktails

Last night, we finally had our Valentine’s Date Night, and we decided to do it progressive style. So here’s a real example of how this plays out.

We selected the Plaza area for this round. We started our night at Black Dirt for cocktails and an appetizer.

We scored a seat at the bar, which is the way to go, because you don’t have to worry about a reservation or hogging a table on a busy Saturday night. Lucky us, we unknowingly sat next to one of the chefs who had just ended his shift, so he gave us all the recommendations. I started with the Rose on Blonde, and we ordered their hummus plate.

Both choices were delicious, but our new friend said that the Training Day cocktail was the best on the menu, so obviously I had to try it.

The atmosphere and service were exceptional, and we can’t wait to go back for dinner!

Next it was time for dinner at Parker at the Fontaine.

This has been on our list for a while, with its reputation for delicious eats and breathtaking views of the Plaza. It absolutely did not disappoint. We had arguably the best table in the entire restaurant, with a panoramic view of the city below. The place is beautiful and cozy, setting the stage for all the romance.

Not only is this place stunning, the food was delicious. We were greeted with their complementary cornbread, which is the perfect nod to our Oklahoma roots. Chad and I shared a Sprouted Grains Salad to start. For our entrees, he got the Bolognese, and I got the Louisiana Meat(less) Pie. And of course we had to get a side of their Brussels. Everything was wonderful, and it was torture to skip their mouthwatering dessert menu.

But it was off to our third and final stop: André’s. This was our choice for dessert and after dinner drinks.

Honestly, I could have spent my entire evening here and would have been a happy girl. We told the server that this was our first visit, and he told us about every single dessert in the case. It was such a tough decision for this sweets lover, but I got a Chocolate Budino, and Chad got a Chocolate Rum Ball. Y’all. I can’t even deal with how good these were. Like I’m trying to figure out how soon and often I can get back to try more things.

If you’re keeping track, you know we were full and exhausted, so it was time to head home.

But there you have it, three different restaurants in one night for the same timing and cost as if you would have done all of these courses in one place.

The Plaza is a perfect spot for a progressive date, because everything is walkable. But this is only one example! We have done this several times, in other parts of the city.

For example…The Streetcar Route.

Drinks and an app at Tom’s Town, rode the streetcar to Farmhouse for dinner, rode the streetcar back to Tannin for drinks and the best chocolate chip cookie dessert in the city.

Or Town Center Crossing in Leawood.

Drinks and tapas at La Bodega, Dinner at North, and gelato at Paciugo.

Or you can pick a theme! The year that Jack was born, we weren’t able to take our anniversary trip to NYC, so we planned a New York-themed progressive date.

Breakfast bagels at Meshuggah, a lunch slice at Johnny Jo’s, beers at John’s Big Deck, Manhattans at our boutique hotel’s bar, dinner at Cupini’s, and cannolis at Anthony’s.

Westport, Crossroads, Zona Rosa…so many options! And this also works great for a Girls Night!

Now that you have the formula, try it out for your next night out!

XOXO,

Molly B.

PS–Check out this Summer Date Night article that I did for Travel Host Kansas City!