comfort us: orange box

as thanksgiving day approaches, i can't stop thinking about how much i love the tradition.  a holiday centered around giving thanks and all the comfort food you can handle?  yes please and many thanks.

but when it's not thanksgiving - a girl needs a place to dine where the comfort food is never in short supply.  enter: orange box.  this unique spot on kansas city's westside takes an approach to homestyle cooking that i can totally get on smorgasbord with.

think gourmet food in an instant.

scott welsch is the owner and executive chef at orange box and we sat down with him to learn a little and eat a lot.

scott's concept is simple:  he wanted to create a place in kansas city where guests could appreciate a home-cooked meal when they have a limited amount of time.  after years in the catering business, he was missing out on the experience of actually seeing the look of delight on his customers' faces.  so he got to work creating a spot where patrons can feel at home and he can be the host.  

the homestyle potato salad was probably the best potato salad i've had anywhere.  i swear.  you could absolutely taste the time and effort that goes into this perfectly potatoey goodness.  

and this corn chowder and cheesy biscuit (that i devoured in 3 minutes flat) is the absolute best cure for a chilly day.

but the most popular thing on the menu is scott's tenderloin. 

don't be surprised to see him serving up the goods. he takes a very hand-on approach to running his restaurant, taking special care to greet guests and offer up samples of concoctions he can't wait for you to try.  over a busy lunch hour it was a nice site to see him interacting with and greeting guests by name. 

you'll no doubt be completely stuffed after indulging in the home cooked fare - but don't skip dessert.  

orange box is tucked away in a little blink-and-you'll-miss-it spot at 2700 jarboe in kansas city, mo.  so whether you're working downtown and need to pop in for a quick carry out order, or if you have a leisurely day ahead of you, you can enjoy a delicious meal without having to sacrifice on taste and quality.  scott's motto?  "life's too short for fast food"...we tend to agree.  

as november gets in full swing, we highly recommend stopping by orange box and celebrating this month of comfort food with a delicious array of homestyle favorites.  then, let us know what you thought about it.  we love hearing from you.  

check it out: 

Orange Box

2700 Jarboe St. 

Kansas City, MO 64108

816.756.5200 

Hours:  Monday - Friday 11a.m. - 2:30 p.m.