A school-cafeteria pairing that became a Kansas City classic: a yeast-leavened cinnamon roll served as the side dish to a bowl of chili, often at lunch counters and meat-and-three rooms.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
The cinnamon-roll-with-chili pairing came out of Kansas City school cafeterias in the 1960s, where chefs scaled bakery-counter rolls for school lunch programmes and paired them with chili as the protein. Stroud's, which had been serving cinnamon rolls with fried chicken since 1933, helped cement the format. The combination spread to truck stops and lunch counters across western Missouri and eastern Kansas.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg
Tip from the editors. The combination is regional and divides eaters; the trick is to alternate bites of chili and roll rather than mixing them. The chili should be on the sweeter, beanier side of the spectrum, not a Texas-style bowl.
Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor in Kansas City sits inside a restored 1840s log-cabin homestead, the second Stroud's location since 1983; the original 85th.
Signature: Pan-fried chicken, Cinnamon rolls, Country gravy
Order: Pan-fried chicken with mashed potatoes, country gravy and the cinnamon rolls.
Tip: Mon to Sat dinner, Sun lunch. The line wraps the porch on Friday nights; call ahead.
McLain's Bakery in Kansas City's Waldo has run since October 1945, making it the city's longest-running independent bakery. At 201 E Gregory Blvd.
Tip: Cake doughnuts and birthday cakes are the must-orders; the kitchen closes at 14:00 daily.
Worth the queue: Cake doughnuts
Heirloom Bakery and Hearth on 63rd in Kansas City's Brookside is Scott and Kate Meinke's destination breakfast. Open tue to sun 7:00-14:00 or 15:00.
Order: Cheddar-herb biscuit sandwich with bacon and the Pop-Tart for the table.
Tip: Arrive before 09:00 to skip the wait; the breakfast burrito and Pop-Tart combo is the move.
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