Kate’s Kitchen
The next time you start your day by sacrificing any pretense of healthy living by having fried chicken for breakfast, go to Kate’s Kitchen in Gladstone (8002 N. Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, Mo. 816-436-7200, kateskitchenkc.com). This shop’s chicken strips are beloved in the Northland, and they start serving them when the doors open at 6:30 am. It’s an item the shop takes seriously, says general manager Bryan Cox.
“Many places par-cook their chicken strips, so they’re already partially cooked to lower ticket times,” Cox says. “We don’t do that here.” At Kate’s, every strip is dredged in breadcrumbs, put directly into the fryer and plated immediately when it emerges from the oil. There aren’t any heat lamps, Cox says, and we can’t argue with the results.