sprkplug....I have tile in my kitchen but I see more and more high end homes here in Dallas going with hand scraped hardwoods in a kitchen. I would not mind wood in my kitchen. I suppose it has a bit to do with lifestyle. I am a bachelor who still has the owners manual in my dishwasher and oven and I've lived in the house almost 4 years. If you cook a lot or have young kids spilling stuff I would probably not go with wood. Also if you have a lot of "moving furniture" like dining chairs, bar stools, etc....wood may not be the best...even with the slide pads under the legs. I would say tile is the best choice (practical and cost-wise) for a kitchen in the majority of homes.
