To whet your appetite for The Pitch's annual Best of Kansas City issue, we're counting down our favorite Top 50 dishes each weekday until October 7
Pork tenderloin sandwiches aren't known for being delicate. But that's because most pork tenderloin sandwiches aren't like the triple stack from Kitty's Cafe. Sometimes it takes a little something fried to bring out your sensitive side.
Your first step should be to remove the toothpick in the center. Iit seems far away at the first bite, but you'll get to that point a lot sooner than you think.
The soft, cornmeal-dusted hamburger bun yields to the first of three crunchy, tempura-like, pancake-thin tenderloin patties right about the same time as the heat from the hot sauce (be sure to ask for it) kicks in. Just when you start to worry about your lips tingling, a cool bed of shredded lettuce and pickle slices mutes the heat so you can start the process all over again.
This is also a sandwich of anticipation. Kitty's is essentially a diner counter with only six stools and a small kitchen. The hungry midtown lunch crowd jealously watch people leave with their tenderloins, wishing they'd remembered to call ahead.
Kitty's has been making this sandwich since 1951. And for 59 years, customers have been trying to figure out how such a thick sandwich could be so light. We'll all just have to keep eating in order to discover Kitty's secret.
Our list so far:
No. 50: Chocolate Malt from Fox's Drug Store
No. 49: Il Parma from Bella Napoli
No. 48: Italian sausage and eggs from Cascone's Grill
No. 47: Orange Roll from Clock Tower Bakery
No. 46: Tacos de cochinita from Frida's Contemporary Mexican Cuisine
No. 45: Barbecued pork bun from 888 International Market
No. 44: Tableside fresh mozzarella from Jasper's
No. 43: Gyro Sandwich from Mr. Gyros Greek Food & Pastry
No. 42: Apple strudel from Grunauer
No. 41: Rice noodle bowl from dim sum at Bo Lings
No. 40: E-Crush from Hi-Hat Coffee
No. 39: Flight of Freshness from Fresher than Fresh Snow Cones
No. 38: Curried chicken salad from Cafe Provence
No. 37: Apple fritter from John's Space Age Donuts
No. 36: Pollo con limone e olive from Lidia's Kansas City
No. 35: Wedding-cake cookie from LattéLand
No. 34: Stroud's cinnamon rolls
No. 33: Smoked Polish from Werner's
No. 32: Burger and frites from Westport Cafe & Bar
No. 31: Paletas from Paleterias Tropicana
No. 30: Goat korma at New Cafe Tandoor
No. 29: Lemon cake from Cafe Europa
No. 28: Chocolate Mousse Torte from Napoleon Bakery
No. 27: Spring rolls from Vietnam Cafe
No. 26: French fries from LC's Bar-B-Q
No. 25: Classic Cookie's herbed-potato-and-sausage casserole
No 24: Farmer greens salad at The Farmhouse
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