Whole Harvest Kitchen is a culinary haven where vibrant flavors and nutrient-dense foods surprise and delight. Embracing the principles of plant-based eating, the restaurant focuses on real, unprocessed ingredients bursting with natural flavors, creating unforgettable dining experiences.
Bobby Morris is the executive chef operator at Whole Harvest Kitchen.
“My passion for food was born in my mom’s kitchen cooking side by side with her,” says Morris. “The lessons I learned from her combined with my love for northern Italian cuisine has guided my creative focus to create locally sourced food that evokes the comfort of mom’s cooking wherever I’ve been, from West Palm Beach, to Hartford, to Kansas City. I am delightfully invigorated and inspired professionally by this style of cuisine as it challenges the foundation of everything I know as a chef. I find the learning curve of creativity and innovation required to execute a plant-based dining experience endlessly rewarding and deeply satisfying. I am grateful for the experience of being the Executive Chef at Whole Harvest Kitchen as it affords me great joy on a daily basis. I know that we are providing a nurturing environment for the plant-based community of Kansas City to grow and flourish, as well as access and knowledge for those just beginning their plant-based journey.”
People adopt whole food plant-based diets for a variety of reasons. For some, it's a culinary adventure, exploring the full flavor potential of plant-based ingredients. Others are drawn to the environmental sustainability of reducing carbon emissions and minimizing transportation energy waste by sourcing fresh, local produce. Most significantly, the health benefits are compelling, with studies showing risk reduction and even reversal of diseases like cardiac issues, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Improved metabolism, blood sugar control, cholesterol levels, and weight loss are among the many advantages associated with this lifestyle.
“Fifteen years ago, our owner radically changed his eating habits after having a heart attack and discovered that not only can a plant-based diet free of conventional oils used in cooking help cardiac patients and many others with specific disorders, it rejuvenates our body and mind and reverses damage done by consuming heavily processed food that ravages every part of our being. Whole Harvest Kitchen is the manifestation of his vision and passion for plant-based living.”
Plant-based simply means every ingredient comes from a plant—there are no animal ingredients like meat, milk, eggs, or even honey. Whole food plant-based cuisine at its core emphasizes ingredients sourced solely from plants and prepared from scratch, avoiding heavy processing and artificial additives. This approach to cooking utilizes minimal sodium, no added sugars, and oil-free techniques, yielding numerous health benefits.
“Whole Harvest kitchen is a plant-based dining experience that seeks to heal, educate and satiate guests who are on their plant-based journey as well as those curious about how that path looks. Our menu is globally inspired, locally sourced, chef driven cuisine that adheres to the principles of whole food preparation without using any oil, save for some dishes finished with extra virgin olive oil, which can be omitted. We are proud to collaborate with and support members of the vibrant Kansas City plant-based community of growers and purveyors, including Myco Planet Mushrooms, Central Soy, Marion Milling, Fyler Farm, Yoli Tortilleria and Zero Zero pasta.”
Their menu consists of a wide variety of salads, pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, pastas, and desserts.
“One of our most popular items is our pizza, made with a sourdough Neapolitan style pizza crust. Additionally, the Thai Curry featuring sweet potato glass noodles and lemongrass coconut broth has also been a fan favorite. My personal favorite is called the three sisters prepared with Ayocote beans, watermelon radish, squash, and chermoula. The three sisters are corn, squash and beans, which provide a complete plant protein that contains the nine amino acids our bodies need to be healthy when consumed together—more than that, those three items are mutually beneficial when grown together in the garden.
“Our intent with Whole Harvest Kitchen is to organically develop and refine operations at our Leawood location to optimize guest experience and then, in time, expand our locations to include other parts of the Kansas City area and beyond.”
Whole Harvest Kitchen is located at 4853 W 117th St, Leawood.
