The Making of a Foodie

Forget-Me-Nots

I received a few other invitations to dine this month that came from places not always top of mind for me. They are places that I seem to forget about, not on purpose, but perhaps because they have existed a while on the scene, or they are hidden away in a place not always remembered first for their food. They can be places I keep meaning to get into but never seem to make it happen or they can even be old friends that I have much love for, but somehow end up neglecting with all the new places to go and see.

Each of these places,The Drop, Cafe Sebastienne and Chaz at The Raphael, falls into one of these categories above. It is not a testament of their skills, but more a testament to my schedule and ability to remember them. They are all places that should be considered Forget-Me-Nots in your Spring dining bouquets.

The Drop - Eddie Crane and Chef Kelli Daniels at The Drop had been asking me to come in and taste some of Chef Kelli's food for at least a couple of months. I knew I would get myself in to meet my old friends for dinner eventually, but something always came up, and I never seemed to get it on my calendar.

Besides, I felt like I already knew the food at The Drop. The near cult-like love, and most copied dish in all of KC - The Drop's bruschetta, or how about the Arugula salad or delicious soups. It was the food I remember eating when Chef Josh Eans was with Eddie and Ernesto cooking at The Drop. I loved it then, and I love it now. So, when Eddie and Chef Kelli kept calling me to come eat, I couldn't imagine why or what had changed. Now, I know what has changed, and who has changed it. Chef Kelli Daniels. Period.

The funny part is, I actually introduced Eddie to Kelli after I had met her briefly at the Christmas party. My impression of her was that she was someone who was very poised and mature, someone who knew who she was and was open to what would be coming next in her culinary future. She had just left a Chef's position at Skies Restaurant at the Hyatt downtown and she described to me her culinary style as Low Country Delta cooking meets Mediterranean food, which I thought was an interesting combo. But, what struck me the most was listening to her talk about all of the various skills and jobs she had held on her way to becoming a Chef and how her father, who is a well known Chef, was also a major influence in her life and her "waste not, want not" approach to cuisine. At different points in her career, she had worked for a fish monger and a butcher. She had held high end cuisine jobs and casual cookin' gigs. She had worked the gamut and was still in the game. She was also the perfect person to step into The Drop and help Eddie figure out how to get the most from every dollar of food cost. She breaks down her own proteins, makes delicious sauces from what's already in inventory like Apple Cider Vinegar and yet she doesn't cut corners where it counts by using local Campo Lindo Chicken and Elysian Field’s Farm lamb or more widely known among foodies as "Chef Thomas Keller's lamb."

When I did make it in to eat dinner with Eddie, Chef Kelli sent out the dishes she wanted me to see and eat and I was struck by the fact that these where not nibbles or small plates, these were full on entrees. The Drop was officially serving dinner in lovely little, picture perfect portion sizes. Eddie ordered the crab cakes to start and they were very good, with little flecks of fresh herbs mixed in with the crab, but it was the Greek Antipasti platter that made me forget all about The Drop's bruschetta. Literally, as good as their bruschetta is, it is old news, compared to this plate of slices of delicious pork sausage, grilled Halloumi cheese, fresh feta cheese and house made Naan bread toasty warm served with a side of cucumber kalamata olive topping. (If you follow me on Twitter, you know what a freak I am for cucumber.)

After that was a series of her "serious" entrees:

House made gnocchi with roasted chicken, shitake mushrooms, toasted walnuts, arugula in a whiskey butter sauce for $12.

Half a rack of lamb with truffle mint potatoes, wilted spinach and apple cider reduction sauce. $22

Pork Tenderloin encrusted in cumin & cinnamon, grilled polenta, apple slaw and a romensco sauce. $13

I asked Eddie why he had never served food like this before at The Drop. He said, from the day they opened, they had really been severely limited by the kitchen, or lack of kitchen, that they had.

Then Chef Kelli came out to the table and we began talking about her amazing food, and that's when Eddie said "What Kelli has been able to do with a hot plate, a toaster oven and a small convection oven is impressive."

"Wait, a minute", I said, "are you telling me that there is no stove or commercial gas range in the back?"

They both looked at me and shook their head, no. How can this be? The food I just had could not have come from a kitchen without a stove, impossible. Without another word, I picked up my camera and said, "show me, right now."

Behind the black curtain, is a very small T-shaped kitchen. With a medium sized walk-in, a dish pit on one side and a prep station and convection oven on the other side. By the back door, which is kept propped open when it is nice out to help ventilate a room with no hood, is the safe with a little stainless table on top and two hot plates next to the slicer. This is what serves as the range top at The Drop.

I turn to Chef Kelli and shook her hand. I said, "you are one creative, talented lady to be cooking with this set-up."

She showed me her prep list which she has to carefully organize her time around with only two hot plates in the back. She starts most things off on the hot plate and then finishes them off in the convection oven.

She talked about the fact that because they have a smaller oven, it means that only certain sized pots and pan can even fit in there.

It totally makes sense now why my friend Chef Josh Eans went bruschetta as their hero small plate . . .look at what he was working with back there. It is with new eyes, that I now have to reconsider what I thought the food at The Drop was all about. Let's just say, I now have a new appreciation for the labor it takes to turn out a beautiful plate of food like the ones I enjoyed above. Go eat at The Drop and see for yourself why Chef Kelli and Eddie deserve to be remembered.

Cafe Sebastienne  - Chef Jennifer Maloney was the first Chef in Kansas City who upon meeting me, said "Yes, I read your blog. I like it very much." You could have knocked me over with a feather. I have seen Chef Jennifer at many, many culinary events over the last year or so and she is always so very nice to me, and remembers me, which I also find so flattering and kind. But, that is just the way Jennifer is, she is friendly, she is outgoing, she is nice. She also happens to be very well liked and respected by other Chefs in this town. That's because she is extremely talented and because she is passionate about using and finding seasonal food.

We became Facebook friends several months ago, and one night she popped up to chat and said: "So when are you coming to eat at my place?" See, I had confessed to Jennifer that although I had eaten her food at culinary events, I had not made it into the Kemper Museum to eat at her restaurant. Several mutual friends, who love Chef Jennifer and Cafe Sebastienne had also told me what I had been missing and encouraged me to get into her restaurant to eat. I just couldn't place the idea of this earthy Chef, with an interest in ethnic cuisines and flavors, being inside of this art gallery.

When I responded back to her Facebook chat about coming in to eat, she said, "Everyone forgets me here inside the museum." Something about that totally honest statement rang true to me and it pulled at my heart-strings. It is easy to forget those really good restaurants that are tucked away inside of a place you go to for a different reason, other than to just eat.    

Eatie and I made a date and went in for dinner right around my Birthday, in fact I called this my birthday dinner when I was chatting with a friend on the phone a couple of days later. It was a Friday night, and we were seated inside the art-filled main dining room. I wondered if all of the color and movement of the artwork would be distracting or somehow too busy to enjoy our meal. But, in reality, quite the opposite was true. It was the calmest, most still room that I have ever dined in. It wasn't dead air, it was like eating inside of a library or a museum. I found it most soothing after a hugely busy, hectic week to escape into this soundless booth or cocoon. I could talk to Eatie in peace with no competing background noise and no rowdy table mates . . .I swear we could have solved world peace that night with all of the quality communicating that got done.

The people who were dining around us, and we did have many tables, consisted of a very educated, art-loving crowd. Lots of designer glasses, lots of black, lots of good wine being enjoyed while deep and meaningful conversations were going down at the table. I leaned over to Eatie and said: "I feel smarter and more educated just eating the food in this restaurant." It was like they were rubbing off on me, in a good way.

In terms of the food, we had the Soup du Jour, which was a Moroccan Vegetable Stew that was hearty and spicy and full of smoky aromas when it arrived at the table with a plate of rolls and butter.

The server we had that night, played our table just right. Just funny enough to be amusing, and yet, when we needed a serious wine recommendation he had knowledge to spare and really took care of us.

Chef Jennifer also took care of us, sending out extra entrees of short ribs with a beet horseradish cream that was bright pink and perfectly complimented the rich beef flavors.

Eatie ordered the grilled duck with poblano mole and sweet corn polenta for $24. The mole was dark and velvety with a kick of pepper. I ordered the Panko-crusted flake with roasted tomato-fennel relish and French green lentils. For dessert, Chef sent out the Pineapple Cobbler and their flourless chocolate cake. Both desserts, were outstanding and hit the spot after so many delicious entrees.

Chef Jennifer is doing amazing things, with various ethnic flavors and cuisines, inside of the Kemper Museum of Art, I say it's time to support the culinary arts and eat at Cafe Sebastienne.

Chaz inside The Raphael Hotel - I had come to the grand opening of the newly remodeled Chaz Restaurant, which is somewhat unfortunately named after a family member that owns The Raphael Hotel. I only say that because, you have to admit, it is a somewhat dated name. Images of Regal Beagle the bar on Three's Company, always seems to jump in my head when I hear that name. That and the character Larry, from the show, with his tight polyester shirts and his chains and chest hair hanging out (shudder).  But as the PR/Marketing rep for The Raphael, Rick Hughey, explained to me when I put him on the spot and asked him about the name, was that the focus groups they did, actually preferred that name to others because it was international sounding and could be from any culture or country on the planet. That, I could actually see, and understand. 

It also adds up when you see the creative and colorful facelift that the old restaurant has received. With bold punches of red and gold, it's kinda Asian/Moroccan, kinda glamorous Shabby Chic, kinda your Grandma's formal living room all rolled into one. The total impact to the restaurant is visually stunning.

After the grand opening event, I was more than a little surprised when, Rick Hughey, emailed and wanted to know if I would be interested in coming to eat at Chaz. The timing was great, because I was interested in understanding Chef Peter Hahn's food. As a 17 year veteran Executive Chef of the hotel, he has always been held in high esteem in Kansas City. I had also just introduced myself to him at the grand opening event, so I thought this would be a nice way to close the loop with him.

Rick Hughey, graciously offered to join me for dinner, and I gladly took him up on it as a chance to learn more about him and the hotel where Eatie and I had celebrated our honeymoon and our 10 year anniversary a couple of years ago. When I told Rick this story, he laughed and said that I would be shocked to know how many people in Kansas City shared that same story. He said many, many people in Kansas City have honeymooned at one of the most romantic hotels in Kansas City. I laughed and thought there is a story or a marketing stunt in that idea there some where. Perhaps The Raphael should stage a "love in" and invite all the couples that have honeymooned with them in the past back for a night's stay or a special cocktail hour. Something to remind them of that romantic and special night. Heck, I'd go. Why not?

So, we were seated at my favorite booth in the whole restaurant. The one with the round floral ball chandelier seen above. I really thought this table was the cat's meow, until I realized how close it was to the live music playing in the lounge. At times the music was nice ambient noise, but when Rick and I really started talking it suddenly seemed very loud.

After listening to the specials for the night, I was intrigued by an ingredient on a fish dish that he referred to as "celeriac". I thought to myself, perhaps the server mispronounced it. Then I thought I might have mis-heard it. Finally, I just had to ask the manager who had stopped by the table to chat what "celeriac" was. He confessed he was not sure either and gladly went back to Chef Peter to ask exactly what it was. He returned to our table with this piece of produce. Celery Root. Celeriac is another name for Celery Root. I had no idea.

In the other hand, the GM carried a bowl of freshly sauteed celery root for us to try it, along with a bowl of raw celeriac for comparison. How lovely? What a great foodie touch, I thought, crunching on the tasteless raw celery root, and then marveling at how the sauteed root really had the flavor and texture of hash brown potatoes. This apparently comes from the natural sugars in Celeriac, that come to the surface and caramelize. WOW! I had no idea you could saute celery root.

I ordered the fish special and enjoyed it and a piece of duck breast and oat cakes from Rick's plate. We were sharing the food and stories about our past lives. He was a most enjoyable dinner companion.

Chef Peter did come out to our table and we briefly chatted about our meal and his tenure at The Raphael. I asked him if he had everything exactly where he wanted it in the kitchen by now, and he said for the most part, but he would still like more room. Every Chef would enjoy a little more room in their kitchen and a window or two to look out of .  .  .people don't usually realize the hovel holes that most professional kitchens tend to be. There is no office with a view when you cook for a living. You sit in front of a tiny slit of an expo window and have a small view of the restaurant that you give your blood sweat and tears to every day.

I like Chef Peter and I like Rick Hughey very much. I wish them luck with this historic hotel restaurant and will think about my night there as being one to remember.

The All American Meal

The last month has been a whirlwind of good food and interesting invitations to dine at various restaurants around town. It is a rare and wonderful thing when a Chef thinks enough of you and what you are doing to invite you come in and dine. I always feel so honored and flattered, but mostly I am excited, because I know that the Chef is going to take good care of me. They are going to put out the food they are most proud of, or something they believe deserves to be highlighted in some way.

Sometimes, I get invited in the hopes of a mention on the blog or in Tastebud Magazine, sometimes it is because they want my opinion on a dish or a new menu, and sometimes it is to prove me wrong on something I have assumed about their food or their restaurant. Don't get me wrong, if I am invited to dine to "right a wrong", it is done light-heartedly, in a sort of  "check yo' self, before you wreck yo' self" sort of way. Trust me, I appreciate it. If I need to be schooled, then school me.

Sometimes I pay for my meal, sometimes they pay for my meal, or at least some part of it. I never assume that anything will be comped when I agree to accept an invitation to dine, but of course it is lovely when it happens.

Are they buying a mention in my blog, by picking up part of the tab? I don't view it that way. If I go and there is nothing about the meal worth mentioning, then I do not mention it or them. I write this blog to please myself, to put thoughts I have in printed word so that I can ponder them, learn from them and hopefully spread what I have learned to you. 

I usually never turn down an invitation from a Chef, because there may be a story that needs to be told. Whether I have dined there before. . .if you keep asking questions, you will learn something you didn't know before. Either about the restaurant business or about cooking in general. It's my homework and my boot camp, to go and dine out as often as I do. Some weeks, I am really full. Some weeks, I wish I was full. It's feast or famine. Welcome to the world of restaurants.

The most intriguing and surprising invitation came from The American restaurant after reading my post called The American Anew. Napkins across laps? Good, then let's dig in to my most recent meal there.

The American Restaurant - Um, yea, so when Chef Debbie Gold, Executive Chef at The American, calls you on your cell phone and says she read your blog post about The American, and would like to invite you to come and dine at the restaurant so you can taste her food . . .you tend to take that call. I know I sure did. 

The truth is, I have met Chef Debbie Gold before, but not in a way she would remember me. I had also met General Manager and Wine Director for The American, Jamie Jamison, at a couple of different functions I attended last year at The American. I always found him to be gracious and entertaining as well.

So, of course, I accepted the invitation to dine on the rainy Thursday night at The American. I arrived and met my husband, Eatie, at the bar located on the top level tier of the restaurant just as he was ordering a cocktail from the near famous veteran bartender Willie Grandison, who was absolutely proper . . .almost regal in his presentation of Eatie's drink. That man is history. He could sit you down over a stiff drink and tell you some stories, now. I guarantee it. He has seen some stuff, and heard some stuff at this bar over the years. 

The meal that followed was 5 courses of Chef's choice at my request, with a couple of excellent wine suggestions from Jamie. The food that came out of Chef Debbie Gold's kitchen was much different than the food I had enjoyed a year ago for my birthday, when I had celebrated with Chef Celina Tio at The American. This is not to pit one Chef against the other, but to say the differences in their cooking and plating styles and their culinary points of view were much clearer to me now seeing each of them at the helm of this culinary icon in our city. 

Chef Debbie Gold is writing the next chapter of her culinary story in Kansas City right now at The American. Her food is the same, yet completely different from her 40 Sardine days. She has a refined, yet unfussy, way of putting together her dishes. They are serious plates with a mature and educated view of timely, seasonal ingredients that blended together in a sophisticated, yet uncomplicated way. Artful plates, beautiful to look at, with simple ingredients that were meant to be together, yet they were not the usual suspects. Eating her food, to me, was a surprise with each bite. That is what I found most amazing. That, as a fan of her work, she was still able to surprise me with how interesting, or delicious or creative or humble the flavors of the dishes were. This, from one of the best Chefs in KC. I wondered, "who am I to be surprised?"  As a fan of Chef Debbie's, I was pleasantly surprised.

Clearly, she is changing the stuffy image at The American, not to a more casual one, but to a more up-to-date culinary one. I thought, eating her food and seeing her dishes, that she was really producing dishes that were "of the moment" in what's happening in food today. Seasonal, local ingredients, edible art, making things in house - goat butter for the table, then using the whey left over in a sauce on the fish. Wha . . .? Really. Oh, yes and they are now making their own sausage and dry curing it in the basement of The American. (But more on that in a minute . . .)

Finally, pastry Chef Nick Wesemann, who we missed that night, but enjoy his work, gave us a dessert worth talking about in "Beer n' Pretzels" - Oatmeal stout sabayon, spiced porter cake, Guinness profiterole and pretzel ice cream. All I can say is "bottoms up" . . .when it came to the table it was lovely, and carefully crafted. Once we dug into it, the flavors began exploding in our mouths . . .the Guinness profiterole was like biting into a sweetened, beer soaked, cream puff. The flavor of beer shooting into our mouths was inventive, fun and playful. The pretzel ice cream was salty and creamy and delicious. It's nice to see artful desserts with a sense of humor in this town. Bravo! No cheesecake, no key lime pie, no molten chocolate brownie exploding tower of power . . .beer and pretzels.

Let's face it, being the Executive Chef at The American . . .well, being a chef working for The American period, is an honor. It means you are working in the most lauded and highest ranked restaurant in the city. A restaurant that has won more awards over the years than any other restaurant in town to it's credit. The Halls have given every Chef that comes through their doors to cook at The American the opportunity of a lifetime. As another Chef said to me, "the folks at The American work in the greatest culinary playground in this city." 

The American may be the Hall's Family gift to Kansas City, but it is expecting a return on its investment in that they want to have the best, most interesting, most heralded food in the city. The Chefs at The American are expected to have the best equipment and be allowed to experiment with the latest techniques. I want them to have this freedom because if The American restaurant is going to be the iconic symbol of high culinary cuisine in KC to the rest of the country, they need to be serving and creating some of the best food in this city. I think they are.

You can enjoy 3 courses for $65 at The American on up to 9 Courses for $111 per person. Go back to The American to see what you think of Chef Debbie and her band of creative young Chefs . . .see if their food doesn't change your mind, like it changed mine, about the kind of food coming out of that kitchen.

Of course, I might be a little bias. Chef Alex Pope, my first Chef at Test Kitchen, who works at The American under Chef Debbie, came to my table to say "Hi" and dropped off this house-made dry cured sausage that he is making in "the basement" of The American for me to try. It is not often that Foodie is given a Chefs sausage to taste, especially in front of her husband (sorry bad joke), but it was the perfect goodbye gift and a symbol of the culinary playground and the exploration in food that is happening at The American.

Get Dirty

After a night of "end-of-the-world" blizzard warnings and reports of potentially 6" of snow, it was curious to wake on Saturday to really . . . nothing. No snow, rain or sleet. Seemed like a cruel joke Mother Nature was playing on Kansas City. As my family and I got ready to start our day . . . Eatie, Tastie and I decided to brave the non-weather event to attend the KCFoodCircle.org's 11th Annual, 2009 Eat Local Expo at the Shawnee Civic Center. And just as we pulled into the packed parking lot of the Shawnee Civic Center, it started to rain, sleet and mean business.

The auditorium was packed with local farmers and interested attendee's walking around moving from booth to booth to learn more about the local farmers and what was available in our area. Clearly some farmer's had been unable to make the trip due to weather concerns, so there were a few empty tables, but the event really was impressive and the vibe in the room was healthy and groovy.

My husband, Eatie, and I had to stop and remember our trip to this same show last year. We were newbies to CSA's, otherwise known as Community Supported Agriculture, as we were unsure how the process worked. We didn't know what to expect or how to really shop for a CSA. We knew some of the right questions to ask. We had read the Omnivores Dilemma. But it was still a bit intimidating and, honestly, a pretty foreign concept to a couple who had grown up thinking food came only from the grocery store. My goal this year, after my first year of using both a veggie CSA (Moon on the Meadow in Lawrence, KS) and a meat/eggs CSA (Parker Farms) was to find someone there that was new to the process, and help them in the best way I knew how.

Our first stop was to talk to our friends, The Parker's, at their Parker Farms booth. They supply us with our grass fed beef, lamb and pork as well as whole chickens and eggs, we went ahead and re-upped for next year with a deposit check of $100. An easy choice. We also spoke to them about the opportunity to get custom cuts of meats, another side benefit of using a CSA by the way. Get a leg of lamb when you want one, or t-bone steaks for a party when you need them. It's a great side perk of knowing your farmer.

Then there is the convenience of picking up veggies once a week during the growing season and meat/eggs every other week year round cannot be over-emphasized.  Really, it beats the 14 aisles at the grocery store, any day of the week. Not to mention we don't really have to think about what's in season . . .it's what they are bringing us to eat every week. The only thing we got from the grocery store during the growing season was fruit, dairy and paper goods. Oh, alright and my gourmet food magazines and my Cosmo also make it into the basket . . .but we did not see the inside of a grocery store for most the summer and we loved it. When we had to head back into our local Hen House during the winters months, we shop their local growers . . .but like a spouse that strayed and found greener pastures, we yearn for the fresh produce our farmers provided to us over the summer before we were forced indoors to shop.

As we strolled through the rest of the booths we found many familiar friends. We stopped and talked at length with Tony Glamcevski from Green Dirt Farms about their lamb and their fantastic fresh sheep's milk cheeses. I became aware of Green Dirt Farms a couple of years ago when many of the Chef in town began using their local sheep's milk cheeses on their menus. Every single Chef I spoke to had nothing but words of high praise for the quality and flavor of the cheese that Green Dirt Farms produces. Tony was explaining how their cheeses tend to take on slightly different flavors and dimensions based on the time of year and what the sheep are eating. Fascinating. I had an opportunity to taste the Woolly Rind Green Dirt Farm cheese at the private dinner in Lone Jack, MO that Chef Jonathan Justus put on last Fall, but had not taken the time to go up and visit the farm to buy some more. Chef Jonathan had raved about the cheese and how mild & milky it was. Tony told me that Green Dirt Farms plans to start farm tours, cheese making classes, farm table dinners (which we talked about the possibility of doing for Test Kitchen members this year) and cheese appreciation events this year. You can check their website for more details.Tony is also rumored to be opening a restaurant in Kansas City in the next year. I have heard he is looking at a space in the Crossroads. Tony tells me they are still working on feasibility studies, so stayed tuned for more interesting information on that front.

When Tony said they were selling cheese at the event, Eatie and I bought one of each . . .the Woolly Rind which has the flavors of fresh milk, grass, mushroom and lanolin and the Dirt Lover cheese which has a beautiful line of vegetable ash surrounding the edges. I found it to be much saltier and more flavorful than the Woolly Rind. I immediately pronounced it my favorite. They do a few other cheeses and they do a handful of fresh cheeses that have different flavors like Nettle, Lovage which tastes of herbs, Firecracker which is spicy hot and Confetti which has a little of everything in it.

We also bought Sandhill Farm jar of honey and homemade mustard from this Rutledge, MO commune. At another booth we purchased a loaf of Flax Seed bread from Bread of Life located in Stewartsville, MO. There were bags of lettuces and greens, BBQ sauce, handmade soaps, starter tomato plants and much more. The farmers manned their tables and were really interested in talking and answering all of our questions.

Of course, the farmers were friendly, and maybe a little shy. You could tell they were really wanting to learn how to sell not only their products, but themselves. A strange new business model for most of these farmers. That's when I realized, that our level of anxious understanding at last year's Eat Local Expo, was only matched by these quiet farmers having to learn how to be comfortable putting themselves out there to be questioned. We were both grappling with this strange new world of culinary commerce.

The KCFoodCircle.org is going to have a second Eat Local Expo event on April 4, 2009 up in Independence, MO. So you still have time to come check out what eating local is all about. We ended up in Independence last year and discovered Mug's-Up Root Beer Drive-In along the way for lunch.

It's time to get a little dirt on your hands, and get to know those with a little dirt on theirs. Eat well.

Thing Inside another Thing

Being a Foodie, it is my job to notice and seek out new things happening in the world of food. (Chocolate dipped, dill pickles seen at the Tulsa Fair last summer? (Ahhh, no thanks. Yeah . . no, really, I'm good.)

In the online world, it is easy to follow food. I have it pushed to me via my in-box. I subscribe to hundreds of online newsletters in every city in the U.S., restaurant trades, gourmet magazines, recipe sites, food blogs the list goes on and on.

I am also lucky of enough to have many good Foodie friends in the business who email, text or call to let me know what they are into and up to around food. PR reps, restaurateurs, Chefs, wine reps, retailers . . .even fellow Foodies call to talk to me about what their passion is at the moment, what is getting their juices flowing, and dish (literally) about what's next for their business or them personally.

Since Kansas City is where I am living my off-line life at the moment, I also move through this city with one ear to the ground, one eye on the press stands and my palate in and out of our local restaurants, pastry shops, grocery stores, ethnic markets, wine shops and even peoples homes looking for and trying new Foodie things. I do the same thing when I travel to other cities . . .it s what I do, because it is what I am interested in.

But it's those moments where I am not in a Foodie frame of mind, few and far between as they are, when I stumble across something randomly Foodie that surprises and, honestly, delights me the most.

Like going to my local bowling alley, Park Lanes, for an evening of family fun, and being charmed by the bowling pin shaped beer bottle that I am served, along with some excellent cheese fries. Smile for the camera, please. Snap! Snap!

Or the luck of  having the Ambrosi Bros. Cutlery Co. van that travels around to all the restaurants picking up, or dropping off, sharpened Chef's knives pull out into traffic in front of me. (Click on the photo to make it bigger and check out the yellow safety sign on the back. It's a little dude looking like he is walking with a knife in his hand, blade down and away from his body. Ha! Safety first, right?) Look at the birdie, please. Snap! Snap! I capture the van's image, while I fight off the urge to follow it to it's next destination. (Note to self: Knife delivery could be an excellent line of work for a Foodie with a "Chefetish".)

It is during these moments, when the thrill of the hunt and the discovery of unexpected food experiences that I just adore being who and what I am.

It has only been in the last few weeks that I have taken note of an interesting trend in Kansas City's food scene. One that found me when and where I least expected it, but I am glad that it did.

The emerging trend is a local independent restaurant setting up shop inside of another business. A thing inside another thing. This is not too unusual, think about airport restaurants or even food courts inside of malls . . . but these places I found food, these did take me by surprise, and I thought they might surprise you as well.

The Mixx inside Woodside Health & Tennis Center - What can I possibly say about Woodside that hasn't already been said . . .it is a wonderful gym that has recently undergone a multi-million dollar make-over. It has a low key approach to fitness, which is great when you just want to get in, get your business done - sweat, steam and shower - and get out. It is centrally located in the city. And like most gyms, it is filled with some of the most interesting people you could ever lay eyes on. (Really, though, what gym isn't a freak show? Tell me, I would love to see it with my own eyes.) Clientele includes this Foodie and a few local Chefs among many others dedicated to treating their body like a temple. Part of the new construction has included a juice bar, that up until a few weeks ago sold the usual stuff - Clif Bars, Smoothies, Coffee, fresh fruits and pastries.

So, I go strolling in for my morning workout and this is what I find parked outside the door. A sign that reads The Mixx at Woodside. Coconut Curry & Chickpea and Southwest Tortilla. Menu items are curiously non-descriptive. It is soup? A salad? An entree?

Once I scan my card inside the door, I flip my sunglasses back on the top of my head and as the gal at the front desk: "So what can you tell me about The Mixx serving food at Woodside." I hear nothing but crickets, and the sound of the space between her ears.

I try again, "I saw your sign outside and would love to have more information about your new menu." Finally, a manager comes over and explains that The Mixx is delivering fresh food each day from their restaurant on Main Street to the club for lunch. Ah-ha!

Whatever they choose to bring over is what will be on the menu. It will be the only food served at Woodside.

How interesting and smart, I thought. For years Woodside had tried to fill the dining room and kept a full cooking staff on hand. But the food was just okay, and the hard core clients that came to eat did it because they could charge it to their account. You can eliminate that overhead by partnering with a local restaurant and having them cater their food into your place. Your club gains instant food street cred. by having a well known and well liked restaurant provide the food. The restaurant wins through it's additional food sales that they did not have to pay the overhead on. It's like having the business of a second location without the overhead of actually paying rent/staff for the space. Brilliant! I asked about prices, knowing that The Mixx is not cheap, but since this was their first week, they did not have many details about what we would be charged. Check it out! I know I am going to the next time I find myself in there around the noon hour.

Kaiyo Sushi Restaurant inside of Cosentino's Market Downtown - I ended up attending the press event for the opening of Cosentino's Market downtown, an invitation I received through my friends at Tastebud Magazine.

Let me just tell you, the market is gorgeous. The decor and the selection of prepared food and wines - way, way exceeded my dreams and aspirations for it. I waved to our Mayor Funky, talked wine with Crosby Kemper and saw an odd smattering of KC media elite all mixing it up with Foodies like me.

I was really in the dark when I attended the press event, as I had not read the press release about the market that was forwarded to me. So, I was thrilled when I realized my good friends Chef David Loo and his wife, Karen, who own the best sushi restaurant in town, Kaiyo's, in Leawood had opened a second sushi counter inside of Cosentino's Market. Sitting in the prepared foods area, is a lovely round sushi bar where Chef David will be rolling sushi like a madman under a ring of lights suspended from the ceiling with the name of his restaurant Kaiyo. 

The night of the grand opening I congratulated Chef on his second location and he told me that he would be at the counter at Cosentino's for lunch and back at his restaurant for dinner. His wife Karen, and two lovely children were also at the grand opening - the kids doing their homework at the end of the bar just like they do in their Leawood restaurant.

This is a nice big next step for Chef David and his whole family, and I couldn't be happier for them. The best sushi in town can now be had downtown inside the new Cosentino's Market. (I have a feeling I'll be in there so much, I'll be helping David pay his rent on the place.)

Mildred's Coffeehouse inside the lobby of the Ten Main Center/AMC Building Downtown -My first Mildred's Coffeehouse experience was about a year ago in the Crossroads when I was doing that silly Chevy Cobalt shoot at Pizza Bella. It was a gorgeous summer morning, and the photographer they had flown in from Detroit to shoot the story had me up at the butt crack of dawn as we had to pick up the Chevy Cobalt for the shoot in Lee Summit, then drive to Pizza Bella in the Crossroads, then back out to Smithville to see Chef Jonthan Justus at Justus Drugstore, then back down to Martini Corner to shoot at Eddie Crane's place, The Drop. It was the only schedule that made sense for the restaurants given their peak hours of operation.

The photographer, Joe Vaughn, really needed coffee before we started setting up the shoot at Pizza Bella, so we walked around the block to Mildred's Coffeehouse. The second we pushed the front door open the intensely heady and smoky smell of freshly cooked bacon hit us square in the face. It smelled like FOOD in this coffee shop! Immediately impressed, I walked up to the counter and ordered our large coffee's while Joe stood quizzing the cute gal behind the counter about being a Kansas City Roller Warrior. Our barista turns out is a famous roller derby queen. As she was talking to Joe about the roller derby scene in KC, I was watching her peel hundreds of strips of bacon off parchment paper that she had baked to a crisp in the oven. Finally, when the Derby talk ended I had a chance to say . . "Why so much bacon, girlfriend? What goes on at Mildred's Coffeehouse that you need 400 pounds of crispy cooked bacon?"

The answer was they make a killer BLT sandwich that sells like hot cakes and certain salads they make also use bacon. Basically, she was prepping for her day. Lucky, us. I looked at the menu and was surprised it was as large as it was considering I thought this place was just a java joint. The menu features a nice selection of breakfast and lunch items. Salads, sandwiches, soups, pastries and, of course, coffee.

Debbie Luce Ashby, the owner of Mildred's Coffeehouse, has had a couple of locations in Kansas City, including one in downtown Overland Park that eventually became Farm to Market Cafe. There are also rumors that she plans to open in the Mission Farms complex sometime in the near future.

But besides her Crossroads location, her other more hidden location is inside of the Ten Main Center/AMC Theater Corporate offices at 9th and Main Street downtown. I was there for a meeting and when I came downstairs to leave I noticed this cute little place opening for the lunch rush. It is called Mildred's on Main.

It smelled like fresh coffee and bacon in there, and I was envious of all the corporate workers in that building who used Mildred's on Main as their corporate cafeteria. I had a crappy cafeteria in my corporate building downtown. I would have given my right arm for some Mildred's back then. 

Souperman Soups now being served inside of Yummo - Okay, so I will go on record now as saying . . .I have yet to get myself into Yummo. Which means this photo I am posting of the interior was borrowed from fellow KC blogger AngelaMuir, many thanks to her for allowing me to use her photo.

When I heard about Chef Rob Dalzell's plans to open up a yogurt shop in the P&L District next to his burger joint chefBurger, I thought the location made sense, the same people that would go to chefBurger would go to Yummo and visa versa.

But, honestly I cannot get myself excited to eat frozen yogurt in the winter. They opened Yummo's doors around Octoberish as I remember, and all my Foodie friends were asking me about it. I stayed silent, promising myself the first really warm day I would get down there. Looks like Chef Rob has decided to go ahead and take away that excuse, as he is now planning to offer a limited selection of his Souperman soups at Yummo in addition to the addictive yogurt.

They will be serving soups like Chorizo Chili, Lemon Artichoke, Smoked Tomato Cheddar and Pumpkin Bisque everyday until 8 pm. Soup costs $3.75 for a 10 oz. portion and is served with Herb Foccacia Bread.

I guess I also didn't get Yummo because I was thinking simply, "froyo" or another frozen yogurt place. I did not understand that the flavor of Yummo's frozen yogurt is supposed to be similar to Pinkberry, which has swept the weight-obsessed West Coast (it has fewer calories than other frozen treats) and made a very nice Korean woman in LA, a whole heck of a lot of money. Every starlet on the cover of People magazine right now is snapped with a Pinkberry frozen yogurt cup in her hand. Check it out, it's a hot trend just now hitting the Midwest.

Aside from from reasonable calorie count, Pinkberry is famous for their creative flavors each highlighting the unique sweet and tangy Pinkberry trademarked whang. It is a patented formula, but it is not rocket-science. You could get close to replicating the flavor without the need to hire a Super Taster to get the job done. Sounds like Chef Rob has done just that with Yummo. People are enjoying the 16 different flavors and the ability to serve yourself and then top them with any number of toppings. 

So, in the case of Chef Rob Dalzell, he has put his own thing inside of one of his other things. Okay, that didn't come out sounding quite right, but you get the idea. It's a brilliant way to bring Souperman soup to the traffic at the P&L without having to open another location there.

Dolce Baking Company biscotti offered inside of a specific Lenexa Scooter's Coffeehouse

Dolce Baking Company is my favorite bakery in the city at the moment. Everything I have tasted from there - from bread to scones to cupcakes to whole cakes have been expertly made using only the finest ingredients. The quality of ingredients mixed with Owner/Chef Erin Reynolds creative and whimsical take on sweets puts her little place at the top of my list.

My problem is I live in Lenexa and she has her shop in the Mission Shops in Prairie Village, which means I don't always get over to see her as often as I like.

The good news for me, is Erin's Mom has just opened her own franchised Scooter's Coffeehouse near me in Lenexa at K-10 and Woodland. It is right on the pad of the brand new Price Chopper they just opened up and it is a very pretty little spot to land for a cup of coffee or a spot of tea.

Her Mom has a large glass jar filled with Erin's biscotti's made fresh at Dolce Baking Company. Erin tells me as soon as her Mom's Scooter passed the corporate sniff test, then there is the opportunity for Erin to cater all of her Mom's baked goods. Which means I can get my Dolce Baking fix without having to drive all the way to Prairie Village. I love the idea of Erin's bakery helping her Mom's coffee sales and her Mom's coffee/pastry sales helping to extend her daughters brand and business.

I love this new thing inside another thing trend. Especially, when it tastes great and makes good business sense. 

Enjoy!

Views of Food: Before and After the Holidays

BEFORE: This is my younger brother, Chris, who lives in Oklahoma.

(Isn't he cute, ya'll? Uh, where the hell did that come from? So sorry . . .I seemed to have been channeling my inner Paula Dean there for a minute. Darn Oklahoma accent, creeps in at the most inconvenient moments.)

Chris is the most physically fit person I know on the planet earth. He has a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology, and used to train firemen . . .now he is a fireman for the Tulsa Fire Department.

And he, like the rest of my family, LOVES homemade hot buttered rolls during the holidays. In fact, I would guess that between my brothers and me we pack away more hot rolls during the two months of holiday eating than we do the rest of the year combined. All of us are trying to stay away from evil white flour carbs for most of the year, but when the holidays hit we want our rolls. I told my personal trainer in the middle of a hard workout right before I left for Thanksgiving that I was training myself hard now because I was going to have a stuffing sandwich made with a hot roll. Oh yes, I did, and it was delicious. Worth all the blood, sweat and tears.

My Mom snapped this photo of my brother, and I don't really think he even knew Mom had the camera, because this is absolutely something he would do completely unprompted. Just look at the sheer joy and anticipation on his face as he sniffs the entire pan of hot buttered rolls fresh from the oven. I love it, and can relate to it.

This is my favorite Foodie photo, taken right BEFORE the two months of holiday feasting began.

AFTER: This is my son, Dominic (Tastie), in Denver with his Daddy (Eatie), at a famous hamburger place called Crown Burger.

He and my husband ate everything that was on this tray and wrapped in these papers, including their specialty burger called The Royal. Yeah, um, it is a burger with Pastrami on it. Good God! They were clearly down for some heart seizing cuisine.

But the look on my son's face is one I know I felt once all of the holidays were over. Full, stuffed, couldn't move. To make my problem worse, I had to get on a plane, right after Christmas to go to San Francisco on my annual eating tour of duty. I fasted for the week before I stepped on the plane to go, but honestly there was a moment during all of the food porn I happily ordered, snapped and ate/drank during my trip (A16, Zuni Cafe, La Mar Cebicheria Peruana, Yank Sing, Taylor's Automatic Refresher, Ad Hoc) that I realized I was really done eating for awhile. Not literally of course, but in the big rich, over indulgent way that we all do during the holidays.

January is a month of fresh starts and one of moderation. As a Foodie 12 months of the year, my desire, interest and passion for food does not diminish - but my appetite does.

It happens to the best of us . . .no worries, a minor set back . . .it will give me time to catch up on my laundry and my reading.

This is my favorite Foodie photo, taken right AFTER the two months of holiday feasting ended . . .officially.

Happy New Year to Everyone!

Watching the Markets

From almost the moment I arrived in Kansas City, 15 years ago, I have dreamed of having a loft downtown. It would be a wide open space, very little furniture in it other than a fireplace, bed, writing desk and a nice kitchen.  It would be modern, but warm and sexy-cool. I would wander around in it wearing nothing but a silk slip, a cashmere robe and woolen leg warmers pulled up over my knees and a hot mug of coffee in my hands . . .don't ask, I chill easily, besides whose fantasy is this anyways?  Seriously, how sick am I to have the outfit picked out for the loft that has never come to fruition?

I honestly could just never afford to make the leap in my twenties. I settled instead for living in the Baker's Apartments on 39th Street. Not too shabby a zip code for a future Foodie, as 39th Street is now known as Restaurant Row. I had heard a rumor from the Landlord back then that the famous local food writer/restaurateur/critic in Kansas City, Lou Jane Temple, lived in the top floor of my apartment building. I always wondered about that, as I have never met her in person so I could ask her about it. Looking back now, it seems like karma I ended up living there. Those were the final days of Cafe Lulu (which was Lou Jane's baby) and the rise of Cafe Allegro, who produced many a talented KC Chef that were scattered across our city when they finally closed. I enjoyed eating pizza from d'Bronx, oyster po'boys from Jazz and the best tuna fish sandwiches from The Nutty Girl. It's funny I just recently discovered a clothing store I love down there called Revue. When I asked the gal working in there how long the owner had been on 39th Street, she replied casually, "oh, about 20 years." In other words, she was there when I lived directly across the street. I never knew that. (I received an email from the owner of Revue today, she is closing for good on December 15, and liquidating the store this week. How sad for her and for me. I wait so long to find you, only to lose you.)

However, many of my friends lived downtown in those early years. Usually with the financial help of a roommate or a serious boyfriend or girlfriend. Back then, I was unwilling to share my new found freedom with a roommate, even in exchange for my beloved loft. When I would wistfully ask my friends what it was like living in an urban loft downtown the refrain was the same . . ."Oh, you know parking on the street sucks and there is no grocery store anywhere close to me. I have to pay a fortune just to buy toilet paper and coffee from the gas station down the street."

There were always rumors of this grocery chain or another getting ready to go in downtown. I can remember when the rumor was that Dean and Deluca was going in downtown.  Of course, they never did. Back then, there was really no reason to . . .it was a time before all of the high rise, empty nest condos were being built, so there was not enough of a tax break or population influx to need to figure out how to put a decent grocery store downtown. So my friends living downtown would flock to the SunFresh in Westport. They had no other choice. They had to, *gasp,* drive to get groceries. This was a big deal for anyone who had visions of not needing a car, if you lived downtown. It should all be right there within walking distance, or else, why do it. But the fantasy of being able to walk to and from the grocery store is the ultimate psychological symbol that one is truly living the urban dream. (That is until they realize that they can only carry two bags of food home at a time. A Foodie nightmare, no doubt.)

That's why I personally threw my hat in the air, Mary Tyler Moore style, in celebration at the news that downtown would finally have a proper grocery store. Those brave souls taking the tax break and the gamble are our local Cosentino's Market going in across from the Midland Theater. (FOODIE NOTE: This store will be opening to the public on January 6, 2009, I am going to be there with bells on to check it out.)  I was at a restaurant grand opening event a few weeks ago down in the Power & Light District and parked my car in the garage right next to this new store. When I walked by the windows and realized what I was looking at, I began snapping these photos. Let me tell you, it is going to be a behemoth space. My mind raced and my mouth salivated at the idea how much wonderful food and wine would be crammed into every square inch of this new store. Trust me, the discriminating folks living downtown are going to want for nothing as soon as the doors of this place blow open. Let's all say it in unison: "It's about time!"

The people who live and work downtown are really counting on the Cosentino's to "bring it" with this new store that so many have been waiting so patiently to arrive. It will really be so nice to have this option, perhaps not for me as I do not live or work downtown, but for all of you living my loft dream.

If you know anything about the current Cosentino's Market in Brookside, then you know it is truly considered a foodie mecca by those in the neighborhood who shop there. Especially, if you are into local and organic food. I've also heard good things about their little wine department. (O.M.G. I miss living on the Missouri side of the state line. Yes, I would like a little cheese with my whine, thank you.) Unlike the other 22 SunFresh, Price Chopper and Apple Markets owned by The Consentino's, The Market is the gourmet older brother to all of their other stores. They use this store to try, test and perfect ideas . . .and their patrons are most thankful they do.

I don't think Cosentino's has anything to worry about in terms of whether the business will be there to sustain them. This is how I think the math will work. I think the population living downtown that might shop their store matters, but is not the most important thing. 1) They have the convenience factor on their side, even if the prices are a little higher, people will still pay something for convenience. If you build it, they will come. 2) More than likely their customers will be working, educated folks . . with educated tastes. I don't know about you, but if I had to visit a gourmet grocery store every couple of days to pick up some staples to be able to walk home easily with them, I would go broke giving them all of my money. Foodies love to shop for, what else, food. Especially, if I can find all my favorite gourmet brands. 3) Consider all of the people who work in the urban core, who could walk down from the office and pick up a handful of things to take home and make supper with. 4) Finally, I suspect there will be plenty of other reasons it will succeed, including the opportunity to purchase your weekly wine allotment as you make your grocery purchases.

That alone will make Cosentino's Market a long-awaited smashing success.

So, I applaud you Cosentino, as will all of the fine people who live downtown the minute you open your doors. Heck, I am so happy to see you open, I might drive in from Lenexa to start shopping at your store just to show my appreciation for filling a long time Foodie need in Kansas City.

A little further south on 39th Street, my good friend Vivanne Berghmann and her husband Steven Pauwels have finally opened their convenience meal take-out/restaurant business called The Duchess of Flanders in the old Mulberry and Motts location. I met Viv and her husband at the Missouri Bank Small Business class, and when I heard Viv's story I was intrigued. Vivanne is originally from Belgium with a lovely accent to match. For the past six years, she's been making staff lunch for the workers of our own Boulevard Brewery, where her husband is the brewmaster. After doing this heavy lifting catering for quite some time, Viv got the itch to own a little place of her own. A place that would serve the working men and women of the community put a good meal on the table for their families after a hard days work. This is a tradition from Belgium, where butchers who used to sell just cuts of meat to be made into a meal, just went ahead and began preparing meals you could stop by on your way home from work and purchase to feed your family. The prepared dishes would be charged by the pound, just like the meat was in the butcher shop.

I emailed Viv when I had heard she opened and she sent me a lovely email telling me that she had a few tables in her shop where people could purchase her food and sit and eat it if they chose to, but that the bulk of her business was convenience meal take-out. She sent me her current menu for December which has different selections each day for lunch and dinner. Lunches are full of sandwiches and flavorful soups, and dinners appear to be hearty fare, but not too fancy that your family would not recognize them, things like: Provençal Roasted Pork Loin and roasted potatoes, Meatloaf with Tomato Jam and Macaroni and Cheese, Flemish Beef Stew and Chili Con Carne. All entrees are between $8-$12 a pound. Viv also makes side dishes, vegetables and desserts all for take-out as well.

I need to get in there and try her wonderful, hearty dishes for myself even though I no longer live close to 39th street, I want to support Viv and her Foodie dream. If you go see her, please tell her I said "Hello," and tell her I will be coming in soon to check out her food and her place. After all, she told me in class, "You know, Dean and Deluca? I am going to be like a mini Dean and Deluca serving the neighborhoods around 39th Street." Aim high, Viv, aim high!

Speaking of Dean and Deluca, I have become a stalker of the new One Nineteen shopping center out at 119th street and Roe. I keep watching and waiting as they are building out the brand new Dean and Deluca location on the pad out front. (FOODIE NOTE: So, no sooner do I publish this, than I get a source tipping me off that Dean and Deluca WILL NOT be moving across the street into this new location. It is just a rumor, but I have it now from two sources that One Nineteen is shopping for a new tenant for this space. Now, if you will excuse me, I think I need to be alone now.)  It is going to be a whopping 15,000-square-foot site, many more square feet than their old location on the corner of Town Center. It is scheduled to officially open in the spring of 2009, but they plan to make the move from the old space sometime in February. (Hurry up, I can't wait much longer sez Foodie.) Now, I am left to figure out what exactly are they doing to do with all of that extra space? Do you think they will expand their coffee bar? A larger dessert area? Perhaps they will add back in their wine selections, that they opened the store with across the street, but then quickly took out as it apparently wasn't selling and taking up too much floor space. Will they be able to add more space for cooking gadgets and cookbooks. (Psst, I am looking at canelé molds at the moment, perhaps you could consider adding that to the inventory.) Or perhaps more racks of specialty ingredients and interesting canned goods from other countries.

This New York retailer really does a nice job bringing all of the things Foodie together under one roof. Gadgets, tools, specialty ingredients, prepared entrees, sides and desserts for convenience meals, a lunch counter that makes fresh soups, salads and sandwiches fresh to order, a coffee bar with terrific desserts, and a butcher, a fish monger, a bakery and a cheese shop all rolled into one. I try really hard not to drool when I go in there. Oh, you will pay a pretty penny . . .which is why I have to limit my exposure to them or I would be in the poor house. This store always reminds my of my first trip to London many years ago when I discovered the Food Hall inside of Harrod's department store. I had never seen so much perfect and delicious looking food in my life as I did in that gorgeous tiled food hall. I remember snapping away photos of the food, and being immediately asked by a security guard to put my camera away. (Yes, security guards in most places (stores, art gallerys, airports etc.) love me. They are drawn to my inherent sense of lawlessness and joie de vivre and immediately feel like that need to put me in check. I must look like the enemy to them.)

Another piece of good news as shown by this photo I took above, is that this new Dean and Deluca will also have drive-up service to make your life just a little easier. I quiver to imagine having the bank to afford to be able to purchase so many things that I would actually need to use the drive-up service to have help loading it into my car. But in case you do, they are ready for you, just as we are ready for them.

So, in the continuing theme of authority figures who love me, when I snapped these photos today at One Nineteen a security guard in a RED development truck stopped long enough to give me the hairy eyeball before slowly rolling by me as he was doing his rounds, literally, around the entire parking lot. But in his defense, I was wearing my talk o' the town rabbit fur Elmer Fudd hat and sunglasses today. How could he resist my charms in this get up I wore to ensure all of my body parts survived the cold today. Artic blast = fur hat. If he would have interrogated me, I would have told him, No worries, my friend, I was just watching the markets today. Aint nothing but a Foodie thing.

FOODIE NOTE: I realized that I have one more market to add to this list and that is the new Restaurant Depot that is now open in the West Bottoms. I was lucky enough to be given the Foodie tour by a friend who has a Costco-style membership card, which you need to get in and take advantage of the large quanities at terrific prices. (There is no membership fee, all you need to get your own card, is a federal tax ID number.) The week this place opened, Foodies all over KC were calling anyone and everyone they knew to get inside and take a peek at what a warehouse full of restaurant produce, meat, cheese, canned goods, paper goods, party trays, to-go boxes, straws, eating and drinking utencils, uniforms, all the way up to restaurant equipment. They run the complete gamut. There are no minimums to buy. If you just need one or two of something, they will sell it to you. You need more, they will sell it to you. They staff their stores with people who have worked in restaurants or the food service industry, so they will be able to help you find what you are looking for in their four walls. They have locations in 23 states in this country and are expanding quickly into many more.

So, the day my Foodie friend snuck me in to take a peek . . .I saw no less than three local Chefs in there checking the place out and looking at prices. It did occur to me that Restaurant Depot would be perfect for the following types of people:

• Local restaurants/bars who can't meet the minimums or don't have a dock for supply trucks.
• Local Catering companies
• Local Churches, Schools or Daycares that offer meals.
• Local BBQ boys on or off the circuit
• Local food festival folks who host annual events

When I took my tour, I was most interested seeing in the food . . .although, I will confess, I ran my fingers over the Chef's jackets fantasizing about getting one for my own personal use. But then I felt conflicted. Wouldn't that be like wearing a doctor's white coat if you weren't really a Doctor. I am not sure where the line is there, but out of respect for the profession and all Chefs everywhere . . .I decided not to get one. If any Chef out there would like to send me one of theirs to wear, Foodie would happily wear your colors. 

One final question I was pondering once I had toured the lovely produce and large meat department (with pigs and lamb hanging on the hoof, no less) was this, which I'll now pose to you: "If we as Foodies think that shopping at Costco is a slap in the face to supporting local and sustainable farming and food, then why would we be excited that our favorite local restaurants would be buying their foods from Restaurant Depot that does not buy or provide local foods to our restaurants?"

Chew on that. 

Eating the Big Apple

Jeff and Nicole Conrick have quickly become very important Foodie friends to me and my family. I met Nicole years ago when I was the Marketing Manager for E-Commerce at Payless ShoeSource, and she was my Interactive Media Director at VML in Kansas City.

 Jeff, her husband, and I did not really get a chance to know each other until my Christmas party last year - where he brought me the only terrific bottle of French Beaujolais Nouveau (Louis Tete, 2007) I have ever had. Typically, Beaujolais Nouveau's are considered the Grandparent's Day greeting card of the wine world. Not really recognized as a real event, but marketed to us as one. Available the third Thursday of November, this light, fruity red wine is meant to be enjoyed soon after. Full of tradition and authenticity, this Beaujolais Nouveau gifted to me comes from the finest terroirs of the region. It was full of strawberry and cherry flavors. Decent grape juice for a marketing ploy.

I also learned at that Christmas party that Jeff brews his own beer at home. In fact he is so serious (and I can tell you first hand really good at brewing his own beer) that they just moved into a home where Jeff could have his own beer kitchen to craft his ale from scratch. He keeps his fermenting beer in large red lacquered, Asian-inspired cabinet. I think that is so cool.

They also take trips to certain places every year just to eat and drink. Nicole travels quite a bit for work and they are able to use her points to take several of these eating excursions each year. They always go back to New York. They try new places, go back and visit old favorites and I learn more about where I want to go and recommend to others from their trips to the Big Apple.

They are in New York this weekend. We talked about my jealousy at their fabulous eating trips, and every year we talk about tagging along with them when they go. Then with that, they step on the airplane and are off to explore the city together.

Imagine my surprise when I blow open my email last night to find two nightly email updates from Jeff regaling me with stories of where they ate and what they had the last two nights in New York. Why it's the next best thing to being there!  I have devoured his emails over the last few nights, cursing myself for not giving Jeff my camera to take photos.

I've decided to make my friend, Jeff Conrick, my guest blogger tonight. I think you will enjoy his stories as much as I have.

The title of the email that Jeff sent to me both nights was:
"Check out this place we went last night . . ."

Friday 11.14.08

Jenny,

You would absolutely have loved this place….it was one of the most inventive places I have been, it’s an offshoot of a local favorite called Public.  It was way sexier than I expected, and was basically a door out of the other restaurant Public into a little room that was called the Monday Room.  It totally different, and almost all the tables were low and you sat on leather couches.  It was lots of fun, but the food, wow – it was out of this world and quite inventive, here's the menu.

(JV- So, let me get this straight. Jeff says I would have loved Monday Room because it is inventive, sexier than expected, totally different and lots of fun. Why, thank you, Jeff! What a wonderful compliment.)

I picked a place close to where we’re staying that had good reviews, but I expected something laid back and not nearly as impressive as we got.  Think a 4-Star restaurant in what was essentially a trendy nightspot kind of place.

We each had a flight of wine (Nicole tried European whites, and I had a flight of hard to get Beaujolais (not your mother’s Beaujolais), which was just amazing (JV-Wait, I see a pattern here!), and then we did the tasting menu, and these small plates were what we had:

●Glazed eel with pickled beansprouts and soft boiled quail egg

●Raw Tasmanian sea trout with piccalilli, shichimi, and a three slice pile up

●Grilled Maine scallop, crispy pork belly and Thai glaze with a shallot, mint and ginger salad

●Corned Kobe beef tongue with roast marcona almond purée, black mission figs, chorizo oil and chocolate wafer

●Braised lamb shoulder with green olives and rosemary crust with roasted parsnips and carrots

●Chocolate tart with chocolate raspberry crémeux and salted caramel ice cream

We may stop back in another night and try these:

●Chicken liver crème caramel with Cabernet roasted grapes and crispy parma ham (people next to us were raving about this)

●Pan-seared foie gras on spiced french toast with pineapple chutney, maple glaze and crispy bacon

Just a great (and unexpected) food experience and I thought I’d pass it along as one to put on the list for the next time your in NYC. (JV - It's on the list, now, Brother.)

As the week goes on I’ll continue to share, because I don’t know if I’ll remember all these places by the time we get back….but that’s part of the fun. (JV - Thank goodness for cabs in NYC.)

Jeff

Saturday 11.15.08

Alright, if you enjoy it, (JV - Trust me, I begged for more.) here we go again…..Who knew I’d be blogging  to the blogger.  ;-) (JV - I have my big foam Foodie finger on and in the air for you, Dude. Rock on.)

Ok, so last night we went to one of my favorite chef’s place’s here in NYC.  It’s Chef Johnathan Waxman, he started out in San Francisco working at several different places, most notably at Chez Panisse under the immortal Alice Waters.  Sometime in the 80’s he brought his show to NYC and opened many of his own restaurants, during this time he even mentored one of the best chefs of our time, Bobby Flay, who calls Waxman “my number 1 mentor”.
Anyway Waxman’s current place in the West Village, Barbuto, is a place that we discovered probably 5 years ago, and I never miss a chance to have at least one meal there when I’m in town.  Also, he came out with a cookbook last year that Nicole picked up for my birthday and I really love it, you’ll see it, it’s all over the website.

It’s a rustic Italian place that changes the menu nightly, and does whatever is fresh and in season, and never tries to get too cute with complex dishes.  He’s one of those chefs that can take 5 ingredients and turn it into something simply amazing.  It’s a small little place with a laid back atmosphere, an open kitchen and where the with windows are made of garage doors (much like the windows at The Coffee Girls Filling Station on Gillham in Kansas City).  He’s almost always in the kitchen (or at least somewhere in the restaurant) every dinner or lunch I’ve ever been there, which I really like, but often he’s just mingling with the guests because he trusts his sous chefs.

Anyway since they don’t seem to update their online menu’s daily, I’ll have to recall from memory what we had, but you can get an idea of the type of things he cooks by looking at the menu.

We each started with a pasta. Nicole had gnocchi with roasted butternut squash, and I had to try the butternut squash ravioli with crumbled Italian almond cookies on top (would have never guess this could be as good as it was).

Nicole then moved on to a roasted cod filet with crispy skin on a bed of sautéed leeks, onions and celery root.  The flavors on this dish were outstanding and the cod was perfect – crispy skin on the outside and probably the most buttery texture on the inside I’ve ever experienced.
I had the Seared Scallops with an herb crust on one side sitting around a mound of roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon. Simple and delicious.

Finally, Nicole finished with a Scoop of Dark Chocolate and a scoop of Pear sorbet, while I finished with an Italian Chocolate pudding (budino) and one of the richest I’ve ever had.

It was a great night with a packed house and we both came out so happy we skipped the taxi or subway and made the two mile walk back to our apartment so we could enjoy the night air.  Beautiful 60 degree night in NYC. (JV- Que? 60 degrees, that's warmer than in KC, my friend, enjoy.)

Perfect end to a wonderful meal.

Hope all is well.  We come to NYC at least once a year, so when we come sometime, you guys should come along. (JV- If you're buying, I am flying, Dear.)

Jeff

I'll post any further updates here . . .I love my Foodie friends. Enjoy. 

The Guy Fieri Effect

The likeable Food Network personality, Guy Fieri, is changing the lives of small Mom and Pop independent restaurants across this country with his show Diners, Drive-in's and Dives. Just in the Kansas City area alone (which does seem to be a favorite place for Guy to come and visit) many of our own local restaurants have been featured on his show, such as:

Bell Street Mama's
3906 Waddell Ave
Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 531-6422‎

Picking up the torch at the iconic Nichol’s lunch location is “Mama” Jan Imber and Ira Auerbach, the owners of the 10-year-old Bell Street Mama’s diner on 39th Street, who have moved their business to this new location. With a fantastically large menu with everything from breakfast dishes to burgers, New York style deli sandwiches to traditional Italian dishes you are guaranteed to find something you’ll love in the home cooking here. Mama has 66 different types of omelets served with hash browns or grits and toast or a biscuit for around $8.

   YJ's Snack Bar
128 W 18th Street
Kansas City, MO 64121
(816) 472-5533

YJ's is an interesting study in local artists supporting local artists. Located across the street from The Arts Incubator and neighbors with some of the coolest local clothing boutiques in the Crossroads - YJ's owner and Chef David Ford, who is an artist himself, started this little outpost as a tribute to his 3rd World travels around the globe. The food trots all over the globe with the Chef. Frequented by a passionate neighborhood crowd of artists and outcasts, get the special of the day, whatever it is, because it is there you will see the most global influence in his cuisine. Reasonably priced food with a lively outdoor seating area, this is the closest you can get to a new world order in KC.

Grinders Restaurant
417 E 18th St
Kansas City, MO 64108
Phone: (816) 472-5454

The thing that is coolest about Grinder's, is it's owner Stretch, who also happens to be a world famous artist producing large metal sculptures. The other cool thing about Grinder's is the Crossroads at Grinder's, the newest music venue in KC to see live bands located right behind the restaurant. Come here to drink, eat some New York style pizza or one of their signature sandwiches - or better yet go to Grinder's on Mondays and enjoy Chef George Detsios, authentic Hungarian cooking - Paprika Chicken so good it will make you cry.

The BBQ Shack
705 N. Pearl Street
Paola, KS  66071
(913)294-5908

Located south of Kansas City in the little town of Paola, KS is The Shack BBQ. There are two things that are featured on Guy's show that makes foodies all over the city want to travel to The Shack: 1)  They will cook a whole pig if you call ahead and special order it. 2) The jalapeno poppers that are filled with cream cheese and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon. Owned by Rick Schoenberger, this place is getting ready to move from their original location, a cinder block building seen above, to a strip center closer to the highway. They have not moved yet, so head south to check them out.

But do you ever wonder what the impact to the business of these typically small operations is when someone from Food Network features them on their show? What exactly is the Guy Fieri Effect worth to a local restaurant?

One can guess as soon as that episode is out of production and hits the air, that restaurant is guaranteed to see many more new faces coming through their doors and making their cash register ring, thus blowing their business up.

Based on a recent trip to visit Rick at The BBQ Shack, I can tell you first hand from Rick's mouth, the impact is immediate and measurable. Rick told me, standing in the very place he filmed his segment, in front of his "pit", the impact that Guy has had on his sales year over year is about 3-5 times higher than it was before being featured on the show. Which means a $7,000 month could now look like a $35,000 month. Imagine the operational growing pains this level of increase means to their food prep, staff and ability to turn tables fast enough to keep up with demand. HUGE! People were waiting in line outside when we went to The Shack. 

In an article found in KC Community Papers it says when "The Food Network came to Paola to film Rick at The BBQ Shack they told him that restaurants featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” always see an increase in business." I'll bet.

I wonder if the food is always worthy of the hype and the business that results from being featured on the show.  We can only hope these Mom's and Pop's stay true to what made them a local favorite to begin with, and then reach out for professional help when the Guy Fieri effect happens because it has the power to change the face of their business and their lives overnight.

Let's review the potential changes our own local KC restaurants have gone through or are about to go through since airing on the show. The BBQ Shack in Paola is moving to a new location closer to the highway. (Some are not happy with this decision as he will be moving to a bigger place in a strip center, but sacrificing much of the charm of the old place.) Bell Street Momma also upgraded to a bigger space after being featured on the show and Grinders opened the Crossroads music venue and is in process of opening a more upscale Grinders 2.0 next door.

I am not saying this is a direct correlation, but it was probably a factor in their decision to expand to say the least.  Curiously, YJ's might be the only local place that Guy has featured that has not seen the lift. At least not a noticeable one from what I can tell.  I heard on the streets that owner David Ford is a little miffed about his lack of sales momentum after being featured on the show. (Honestly, I went to David's only after seeing that segment, as I had always thought YJ's was just a coffee shop.)

But Guy Fieri's show is a national show on Food Network, seen across the country. So, it is not just the local folks that begin to flock in, in a world where families travel with GPS systems and Mapquest maps of restaurants they want to visit while they are traveling, Guy's family friend show featuring family friendly restaurants are an activity the whole family can enjoy while on vacation.

I speak with authority when I say this . . .in March of this year we made our first family pilgrimage to Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. We brought our Garmin GPS with us, and after visiting family in the Fort Myers, FL we made our way up the Gulf towards Orlando for a week of mouse-ears and macaroni and cheese.

We happened to stop for dinner in Tampa/Clearwater area, and that's when my son from the backseat says we need to visit that one fish place Guy stopped at on his show. I shot my husband a look that says, "What is Junior talking about?", when my son finishes: "You know the smoked fish place, Ted's?" Oh yeah, just a week ago before leaving for the trip we had been watching Diners, Drive-in's and Dives and Guy featured place called Ted's Peters Smoked Fish. I grabbed the GPS, typed in the address found on my cell phone's internet connection and in a flash we were pointing our rental car towards Ted Peter's Smoked Fish.

It was that easy. A family from Kansas City, who would have never known that Ted Peter's Smoked Fish existed, could now make a point to stop and visit it, and sit with all the local fishermen who were drinking beer and waiting for their catch of the day to smoke at Ted's. Amazing, isn't it? By the way, do make a point to stop at Ted's Smoked Fish, it was inexpensive, yet wonderful meal of fresh smoked fish. I highly recommend it, located right across the street from the water.

There, of course, can also be other more personal benefits from being featured on Guy Fieri's show as well. I also had heard through the grapevine that our local artist, Stretch, who owns Grinders, made friends with Guy when they were taping his segment for Diners, Drive-in's and Dives. The story I heard was if Guy is traveling anywhere close to KC, he calls Stretch to come meet him and hang out. These two amigos have been spotted all over KC in different places having fun, goofing off and drinking beer. Roll tape on the "man friends" montage, please. Stretch told my husband that he has officially signed on the dotted line with Guy's film production company, Page Productions, to do his own pilot plus 5 shows they plan to pitch to Food Network and Travel Channel. Stretch describes his show as him traveling around to different places across the country and eating. Hmmm, kinda like Diners, Drive-in's and Dives? Right?

Is it just me, or are these two guys almost identical in personality and looks? 

Meanwhile, while Guy and Stretch were cementing their friendship,  I was busy across town gathering foodie friends together to make a road trip to The BBQ Shack in Paola. The lure and idea of eating a whole roast pig was too delicious to pass up. This group of foodie friends and I were trying to come up with a name for our impromptu  dining club and we ended up referring to it as Progressive Palates. We are not organized. There are no regular meetings or dues to pay. We just decided whenever the mood hit, we would all swarm into a local restaurant to have an exciting restaurant experience together.

The Progressive Palates consisted of a couple of hard-core foodie friends willing to travel for good food, a publisher of a local Foodie magazine, and two Chefs who happen to be married to each other. We let Chef Josh Eans, now of Blanc Burgers + Bottles, call and do the talking with the owners about roasting a whole pig for us. The deal was cut, the date was set, and foodies from Liberty, Shawnee, Lenexa, Midtown and Overland Park all met at this little, well shack, on a Saturday afternoon in Paola, KS. We brought our son, Dominic, to play with the kids of another foodie couple.

He was more excited about playing with the other kids than he was about eating the whole the pig. I worried for just a moment about how the kids would feel about watching all of us adults hacking into the pig's carcass to enjoy the feast that we had paid handsomely to enjoy. A fleeting thought that would come back to haunt us days later, when the youngest one with the barrettes in the front of this photo, named Sully, drew this picture as her memory of that meal. Notice the "X's" over the eyes of the pig. Yep, it's dead. She is marked for life and now living a comfortable vegetarian lifestyle. Poor dear.

When we arrived, we saw the smoker was parked right next to the shack of a restaurant. It is very humble - a simple white tent used more the keep the sun off the man having to attend to the grill outside. The smell coming from this rig was intoxicating. We could not wait to get inside and let the feasting begin.

The inside of the restaurant was very small. People were crammed in every corner of the place when we arrived at the lunch hour. Anyone who came in to the full house restaurant was asked to wait outside until their table was ready by the Manager who was clearly large and in charge. When our pig arrived at the table we were suddenly surrounded by several groups who had been eating in the restaurant. What we found out talking to them was that most of them were from somewhere else - Nebraska, Lee Summit, Gladstone, Iowa and Arkansas. I was shocked, what I assumed was a restaurant full of locals, turned out to be full of tourists coming to town specifically for this dining experience. Oh yeah, Guy Fieri is in full effect.

When we arrived and introduced ourselves we were escorted outside to see our pig being finished off. Our pig was tiny compared to the other pigs they were used to roasting at The BBQ Shack, which prompted several who worked there to tell us that our pig reminded them of roasting a small dog. Oh, yum.

This is a photo of Rick the Pitmaster explaining to Chef Josh how to carve the pig. We all look on in excitement that you could actually feel in the air.

At this point, Chef Josh dons rubber gloves and sets to work carving our pig. As we wait side orders of baked beans, coleslaw and poppers begin to arrive at the table.

Once we get down to the meat, the kids begin coming over for some of the delicious BBQ pig that Master Rick has prepared for us.

As long as it looks like meat on the plate. none of the kids ask too many questions that they do not want to know the answer to.

Once the kids were situated, the adults at the table dove head first into the carcass of the roast pig fighting to eat the most challenging parts first, almost as if we had to prove that nothing would go to waste on the pig at our table.

There were people who ate the crispy skin, and bone marrow, but there was so much good old fashioned roasted meat to go around that most of us just enjoyed the opportunity to eat the flavorful pork.

The sides were also very good. My favorite were the spicy cowboy beans and the poppers, which were unusually hot for some reason. Ice cold beer gave the illusion of cooling us down from the spicy hot peppers.

At this point, we began slowing down from our pig feast, we enjoyed chatting with each other and the tables around us about our experience eating a whole roast pig at The BBQ Shack.

The Manager broke out some to-go boxes and what little bit was left was split between all of us. We had in the middle of eating our pig ordered some of their other BBQ items, and although they were pretty good, we all agreed the pig was what had been worth the drive to Paola. There is just too much great BBQ to be had in KC to make this place a stand out . . .other than the pig, of course.

As we stood to leave, we realized that by the time we made it back out to Paola and The BBQ Shack, Rick would probably be relocated into the nice new location in the big strip mall out by the highway and not in his little shack. It made us all a little sad to realize we would never be able to repeat this meal in this exact way in this exact place ever again.

So, what will happen to The BBQ Shack or any of the locations featured on Diner's, Drive-in's and Dives once the Guy Fieri effect wears off, and the crowds thin and the novelty fades. Will these Mom and Pop's be able to rise to the occasion and keep their ship a float? Knowing their small, homey location is part of what allowed their place to be featured on TV in the first place, will people still come to visit them if they move to a newer, bigger location? Will their food quality be able to keep up with the demand and the crowds? Will they ever wish they would have kept it small and lean and mean? Only time will tell.

Fast Eddie Crane

The Drop Bar on Martini Corner was the first place I ever went to that I really felt like a somebody. When I walked through their doors, I was a celebrity. What I didn't realize at the time was that this is the perfected art of Eddie Crane, the owner of The Drop. He makes everyone that comes through his doors feel like a somebody. That is a tremendous skill when you own a bar and restaurant as he does.  When I met Eddie, I had just come off a 4 year stint working for a casual dining restaurant chain, and I had operational knowledge, marketing knowledge and a love of good food and wine. I could spot the real deal at 20 paces and Eddie is the real deal. His bartending skills at a busy joint like Capital Grille all of those years really paid off for him when he and his partners gave birth to both The Drop and later Blanc Burgers & Bottles in Westport.

Eddie was given the nickname Fast Eddie Crane by Hearne Christopher Jr. the gossip reporter for the Kansas City Star this year during an interview about Eddie's latest creation call "Drops", which are lovely little edible cocktails. (Photo credit for the cool shot of the actual Drops above goes to Waldo Oiseau AKA Cathy Bennett.) Eddie developed these edible cocktails in several different flavors, and they are gorgeous to look at.  I did sneak in to see Eddie for a sample and was happily stunned. I was expecting a Jell-o shot experience, where the flavor of the booze is camouflaged by a fruity, sugar bomb gelatin. Instead, these Drops are made only with liquor or alcohol so you will definitely taste the booze in these little babies. A must do, must eat? drink?

Fast Eddie Crane is certainly a title that has stuck, and when I asked Eddie if he minded it he said: "Hearne can call me anything he wants in print, as long as he puts it in print." Perhaps, you can see the single-minded focus that has won Eddie this nickname. I like it. It suits him and his ambition.

I am a fan of the three amigos that started The Drop: Eddie, Ernesto and Josh. Because more than most restaurateurs that I have met in Kansas City, these guys are all young, talented, hungry and smart. Each of them has their own separate and individual talents they brought to the partnership, and together they were a force of nature. (I am using the past tense because I understand they have recently decided to split up ownership to make sure that equal focus is being placed on both The Drop and Blanc Burgers + Bottles. I am confident that this move will be better for all of them and their concepts moving forward.)

In the Spring of this year, I had an opportunity to partner with an agency representing Chevy Cobalt to do some promotional work for them. Eddie came through for me (along with Chef Rob and Margarita Dalzell with Pizza Bella and Chef Jonathan Justus from Justus Drugstore) as he let me shoot my Chevy Cobalt promotion in his restaurant. (To my knowledge, they never did publish the story or any of the shots we took that day in their magazine.) See Eddie here looking at the shots we took of his place that day with the photographer they flew in from Detroit. Eddie is the one with hair.

After the Chevy Cobalt photo shoot, Eddie offered to take me on his "Dive Bar Tour of KC." I couldn't make it work that night, but we set a date to meet each other and see what we could see. He could not believe I had not seen this side of KC before. I tried to explain to him that I was a transplant to KC, that I didn't live here until after college, but it all fell on deaf ears. Eddie is the owner of a really wonderful bar in Kansas City, and in his free time he likes exploring dive bars.  Here is a man who clearly loves his work.

He told me to meet he and his wife Molly and another drinking buddy of theirs at Bobby Baker's at 75th and Wornall where we would begin our tour of duty. It was a rough assignment, trust me, but someone had to do it. Eddie explained to me that there were so many different dive bar routes in KC that we could not possibly fit them all in during one night, but he said he would take me to about 10 of them before we ran out of time. Ran out of time? What? I suddenly realized he meant that I would be out on the town in KC until 3 am. I clearly had not properly trained myself for this night. I should have taken a nap and packed a snack.

Eddie explained to me he had made some observations about what makes a dive bar, well, a dive bar, so without further delay, here's the list:

1) Must be small in size.
2) Must serve beer first, everything else second.
3) Must have mismatched glassware.
4) Must have strange signs tacked to the walls with saying that only are funny when drunk.
5) Must have jukebox.
6) Must have distractions - pool, darts, trivia, lottery, video games, air hockey.
7) Must have old rec room type seating.
8) Must be able to play drinking games and no one cares.
9) Must have locals or regulars at the bar that everyone knows by name.
10) Could have male or female bartenders - but females are usually the norm.
11) Must have two days a year they are swamped - Halloween and St. Patty's.
12) The bartender must be secondary to the bar itself.
13) A real dive bar is not afraid to be called a Dive bar.
14) A really cool dive bar lets you purchase beer to-go, even when they aren't supposed to.         
15) A dive bar must have crappy bathrooms with graffiti.

Bobby Baker's Lounge is one of those places that stopped evolving in the 1970's. With rec room furniture that looked like it had been stolen from the TWA airport lounge and a long, skinny bar . . .the bartender could quickly tend to anyone in the place and never get out from behind the bar to do it.

By the time we arrived it was past the dinner hour, but the guys at the bar had clearly been there all day. They showed no signs of slowing anytime soon. However, that being said when we walked into the place they all got up and offered us seats at the bar even though the entire place was empty. I thought that was very impressive and immediately made me feel right at home in the clubby Bobby Baker's Lounge.

Walsh's Corner Cocktails is down the street on Wornall from Bobby Baker's and it is a real joint with an Irish twist. The main focal point of the place is a bar in the middle of the room that has padded bumpers on it. Perfect for catching you if you lean too far forward after having one too many. May I recommend a PBR beer to drink here?

The bartender was a young, cocky kid who also seemed to be the only jock in the joint. He would fill a round of drinks then run back to the kitchen to cook. He did it all. Lots of people eating at Walsh's was my Foodie note.

Eddie found a friend at the end of the bar who ended up paying for our cans of beer. Obviously, this was someone that Eddie had taken care of before when he was behind a bar somewhere in this city. Ah, yes, I love the bartender's code: "Always take care of those that take care of you."  Look at the perks you get from hanging with Fast Eddie.

We stopped at Tommy Farha's Cafe Bar only because no one in the car had ever stopped their before and it was on our way back downtown on Wornall. We had just enough to drink to think this was a good idea. This was the place when I asked about a martini, (I, for one, can only drink so much beer.) I got a strange look and the female bartender who said "Yeah, we had some martini glasses and then they all broke and we looked at each other and said why do we need them, ain't never been asked to make one." Awesome.

We sat at the bar and all discussed the Kansas City BBQ circuit and what it takes to be a judge and compete. I learned about the Herb Company in the West Bottoms who has a guy there that is a whiz at developing or replicating BBQ rub mixes. He apparently helps many of the BBQ teams come up with their winning rubs. American Idol was on all the TV's and everyone sat glued to it watching David Cook attempt to take it all. This was a true neighborhood haunt. Didn't see evidence of the "Cafe" part of the operation.

Then it was time for us to take the show on the road and head for Johnson Drive. Eddie dropped me off at my car, and explained how to get to our next pit stop - JJ's Other Place. I was excited about this stop because that used to be my old stomping grounds and I had always wondered what that place was about. A guy I work with swears they have the best pizza in Kansas City.

Not sure about that because we did not eat here, but our group played trivia and conducted drinking games at this place for over an hour. I think we could have stayed here all night, but the task as hand awaits so we packed it up. This was one of my favorite stops all night.

Then we headed up the road on Johnson Drive to Ruthie's Keyhole Tavern. The entire bar was about the size of a keyhole, so the name suits it. The crowd was fairly young, but very laid back, which gave this place a friendly college bar feel. Lots of young couples sitting around and talking about life while they sipped a brew.

The bartender here was a gorgeous blonde who came out from behind the bar to take our drink orders which I thought was charming. That's when I realized she was the first bartender to step out from behind her bar to greet us all night long. Color me impressed. It turned out that was not the only thing to be impressed with at The Keyhole.

The drinks were another, they were perfect. I was happy to be finally sipping on a ice cold gin and tonic. It went down nice and easy while we talked about my crush on Chef Tim Love from Ft. Worth, TX.

When it was time to go, I went to the bathroom. This was the photo I snapped in the bathroom. I am not exactly sure what this thing is, or what it means, but it appears to be a tribute to the size of the gnats in the place. Either that or it is a tribute to the size of the peckers in the place. Either way, I took care of my business and scurried out to catch up with the rest of my party.

Next on the list, Westport, and the infamous News Room Bar to be exact. I had heard tale of the News Room from my husband and others who had gone drinkin' there back in the day. I think my impression was you either belonged with the crowd that hung out there, or you didn't. And, by the way, you would not make that decision, they would make it perfectly clear if you belonged or not.

The crowd that was there the night we all stumbled in was an art student crowd who rode in on their skateboards, and a few Average Joe's sitting at the bar having a drink.

No one seemed to mind or care who we were or what we were doing, so we all just ordered a drink and gelled a bit. There was a jukebox as I remember and at one point a song came on that we all seemed to know the words to, it was an instant bonding moment.

We had a few more places to check off the list, so we needed to get moving, but not before Eddie gives me a tour of the room in the News Room that was once the kitchen. Apparently, they used to serve some bar food. Eddie said it was limited, but pretty good back then. This kitchen was now very sad, clearly no food has come out of it in a long time. A few rather large containers of seasoning salt and a couple of pots and pans were the only evidence that this was a kitchen. Then in a wink, Fast Eddie grabbed my camera from off the bar and ducked into the Men's bathroom with it. Thankfully he spared me the biology lesson, but came back with this one of the men's urinal with a handful of pennies that someone had thrown in the bowl, which of course no one is about to remove. A wishing well to the toilet gods that be no doubt. I was wishing I missed seeing this photo, don't you?

Next stop is Fitz's Blarney Stone across the street from the News Room. Eddie was explaining that this was not one of his favorite places because it had recently changed hands and  the original magic and energy were gone now. But the good news for us, the jell-o shots still remain. Yes, that's right, this old Irish-themed bar is famous for their jell-o shots. Who knew?

When we arrived that night we were already "full" from the 6 bars before.  That's when Eddie turns to me and smiles like the devil himself and says: "But Jenny, there's always room for Jell-o".  Stirring up memories of the old Jell-o commercial, while tempting me to add a little more liquor to my already confused stomach. "What the hell", I think.  When was the last time I did a Jell-o shot? College. My mind mentally scans the Rolodex and comes up with the answer. Bottom line, it's been too long, and I agree to the Jello shot.

Eddie slides up to the bar and orders 6 Jello shots - 2 for each of us left standing. We suck down the first one, and I am thinking how very little I taste the booze in them. Then we eat the second one, and I am secretly wondering at what point I am going to hit the floor with all this booze in me. But honestly, all I am really tasting is the cherry flavored Jell-o. Eddie is chewing on his thoughtfully, when he whispers to me that he thinks the new owner is being a little stingy with the booze in the Jell-o shots. I agree, and he is back at the bar ordering another round of them, this time "bring us the ones with the booze in them." This time about 10 Jell-o shots appear in front of us as Eddie orders a slew of them to see if any of them have more booze in them than the others. At this point, I throw in the towel on the Jell-o shot investigation, and on drinking for the rest of the night. Eddie finally gives up the fight saddened that his beloved Jell-o shots have been needlessly stripped of their punch, and we walk next door to my favorite find of the night.

Chez Charlie's is the kind of place that thrives on the different and bizarre, something like the town of Twin Peaks, the famous TV show by David Lynch. I was reminded of that strange TV show when we stood outside of the place and I realized that there is no real sign marking the fact that you have arrived at Chez Charlie. Other than a standard issue cocktail sign above the door, if you blinked you would miss it.

Eddie explained that this is part of the allure of Chez Charlie, and inside the place was stuck firmly in a late 1950's early 1960's time warp . . .with a bar that has been updated in the 70's. It was 1:30 am when we walked into Chez Charlie's and no sooner did we crack the door to open it when we heard the gruff snarl from inside - "Get out. We're closed."

That did not scare our group, as Eddie, our fearless leader, moved through the door first explaining that he was just wanting to show me, a new customer, the bar and how we would be happy to pay money for the privilege of looking around while he closed up.

Now, I had consumed a few to drink at this point in the night, so perhaps it would have seemed different had I been clean and sober, but I swear the guy behind the bar looked exactly like a gruff old pirate. He could have had a peg leg and an eye-patch. He grumbled about just wanting to close, but when he saw we were well manned and meant no harm, he charged us a couple of bucks and pitched us each a can of cold beer from behind the bar. He was rough, but the bartender was not a mean man.

There was a record player in the middle of a table that was playing music, tended to by two kids dressed like Rock-a -Billy musicians who were also playing darts. She looked like a pin-up doll and he was dressed like a greaser.

I checked my cell phone, no Halloween was still several months away. But the truth was, Chez Charlie was a really, really cool bar. When it was open you could tell it would be filled with really, really cool people. Musicians, Art Students, Bikers, Hipsters, College Joe's all would fit in at Chez Charlie. Even, Foodies are welcome.

We ended the night at our favorite place, Harry's Bar and Tables in Westport, and soon enough that bar closed and we were back out on the streets of KC with no place but home to head off towards.

I can't thank Eddie enough for showing me a side of Kansas City I would not have seen otherwise. I got home, showered, and then went to work that morning.  My head never hit a pillow. Hey man, that's just life in the fast lane.

Bad Luck and Blind Faith

There must be a special place in heaven at Julia Child's table for people who work their entire lives in the restaurant business. Those who get bit by the bug early on, working the front or back of the house, who just know they just can't imagine doing anything else with their lives.  God Bless You. And to those about the cook . . .I salute you.

There is no doubt these are hard times for the restaurant scene in Kansas City, let me count the ways.

The crappy economy, the Power & Light District, the cost of food and labor, the location that never paid off, not enough money in the bank, the smoking ban . . .all of these are valid reasons why we have seen many restaurants close in the Kansas City area this year.

Don't get me wrong, it is tough for the entire restaurant industry. The pain is being felt by restaurateurs everywhere.

From casual chains on up to the highest of high-end fine dining. Families are turning to McDonald's golden arches if they are dining out at all these days.

I remember speaking to Jamie Jamison, the General Manager/Wine Director at The American, in February of this year about what he would be doing different at The American in 2008: "Nothing", he said simply. "This is the year to hunker down, lay low and wait for the storm to blow over."  I thought it a strange, ominous answer at the time coming from a man who operates an institution in Kansas City with Hall's family money behind him, but sitting here at the end of the summer his words could not ring more true.

Every restaurant in Kansas City is feeling the impact of, to put it simply . . . not enough butts in seats.

Although there have been many chain restaurants impacted by this shift in the economy who have also made "adjustments" in their closing, remodeling and opening schedules, those are not the ones I worry about. In a corporate chain, you feel the burn all right, but it usually means you shuffle money from one bucket into another to hold on until the storm blows over.

When you are an independent restaurant, you only typically have one shot to get it right. This means if you get a couple of whammies in the same month, and it could mean the end. Closed for business. What is the famous statistic you always hear? "1 in 4 restaurants will close or change ownership before the end of their first year in business." Believe it.

But, we keep opening restaurants . . don't we? It does not stop us, it makes us smarter, helps us to refocus and retool. So for every restaurant that has the bad luck of closing this year, just know there are many others who plan to open new restaurants this year. It takes guts and blind faith to open a restaurant in this economy.

So, in the spirit of remembering 2008 and what we have lost and what we are about to gain, let's review the big ones:

CLOSED = Bad Luck

Mango Room - Mango Room's former owner and Diva deluxe Thelma Oliver and her Chef and partner, Ian Hockenberg sadly were the first to close in the downtown area. Power & Light construction got to them before the new district even got the chance. This Kansas City Original is not giving up hope, she and Ian are still eye-balling a few other locations for their next episode of adventures in dining. In the meantime, Thelma is working as a Manager at the Blue Grotto, Brookside's newest pizza place. She is quoted by Charles Ferruzza in the Pitch as saying: "It's a hard time to be opening restaurants." Amen.

Noodle Shop on 59th - Denis Kaniger's Noodle Shop was absolutely the best kept secret in Kansas City.  Located just east of Brookside in the middle of a neighborhood, he made wonderful Asian noodle bowls as good as any I have had in Chinatown in San Francisco. But perhaps, he was too much of a secret. Dennis asked anyone who came through his doors during those first few weeks after opening to keep quiet about his place to give him a chance to get his feet under him. Perhaps it was this pact of silence, that never got broken, that did him in. I personally am sad that this place overnight has become a Mortgage Company.

Swizzle - There is nothing one can say about the closing of this place in light of the news of the unexpected death of their Chef Ryan Torpey in a hiking accident in the mountains of Colorado. I express my deepest sympathy to the friends and family of this young Chef. The owners of Swizzle, who also own The Gaf in the same strip center, are planning to re-open this restaurant as something else soon. They said at the time of the closing the economy was just not right for the kind of upscale experience they were wanting to deliver at Swizzle.

40 Sardines - This was probably the biggest closing to scoop Kansas City all year. Rumors swirled around Chef Debbie Gold as she closed the last tangible asset leftover from her divorce from Chef Michael Smith. Like most sticky divorces some people in the restaurant business picked sides, others (like myself) confessed love for both and just wished Micheal success in his restaurants and Debbie success in her new gig as the Executive Chef back at The American, replacing the departing Chef Celina Tio. We are very lucky and grateful to have Chef Debbie back in the kitchen at The American.

Scotty's on 39th (Now/Was Bella's) -  I had Scotty's on my list to try the week I found out it was closing. Scott Warren had slaved as the Executive Chef for Macaluso's, owned by the personality who recently passed away this year, Tommy Macaluso. When Tommy sold Scott the shop, it was finally his turn to do things his way when he opened in the same location as Scotty's. I am just sorry, I didn't make it in there sooner to see the vision.

On another note, Bella's is also closed.  Owners, Leah Clayman and Brenda Carlson who came in and snatched up this space from Scott after he closed Scotty's, open Bella's. Bella's was supposed to be a neighborhood joint that had dishes served from all local ingredients from local farmers. After two months they decided the throw in the towel on Bella's, citing trouble getting a liquor license. Apparently, the message on the answering machine says they will be moving to another location very soon and the rumor is they plan to open up a sports bar. Wow! That is a helluva gear shift. They originally were supposed to open Bella's next to Eljay's River Market Coffee House, I wonder if they plan to go back down there to that space?

Melbee's - After hanging in there as long as he could in his location on Johnson Drive, Melbee's owner, Lloyd Boothe said he could no longer compete with the Applebee's down the street. In his classic quick wit style Boothe told Charles Ferruzza of The Pitch:  “I was told many, many times that Melbee’s was the right concept in the wrong location,” says Boothe, who announced that he was closing his six-year-old restaurant at the end of July. “Even one of our Mission city councilmen said that Mission’s residents were newlyweds and newly dead. They don’t want upscale cuisine. I had Stroud’s at one end and Applebee’s at the other.”

Sarah's Eat Drink Art - Opened by Chef Sarah Walker, who was formerly the chef at Joe D's and Cafe Allegro, this place opened almost the same day as the Power & Light did. Sitting on the far end of Grand Street, the inside decor was bright and spacious, but the food, somehow didn't seem to jive with the vibe of the place. I remember when I ate there several months before it closed, I asked the waitress what their "can't miss" signature dish was and she told me it was their Chicken Salad Sandwich, but I could not order it that day because they were out of it. I see. After a few months, Chef Sarah and her partner Lana Todd decided to part ways. They closed Sarah's, and re-opened as Twist Urban Eatery. So, Sarah's might be gone, but Twist survives with Chef Jonah Thompson in the kitchen who was Sarah's chef de cuisine. I have heard and read only good things about this place, so before you drive down to the Power & Light stop in and eat at Twist. Your money may just save the life of a another local restaurant.

CLOSING = More Bad Luck

Bar Natasha - Here at press time, it would seem that Kansas City is losing another live music venue as Missy Koonce and J.D. Mann prepare to sing their swan song on September 20 as Bar Natasha closes it's doors. The partners plan to pursue other interests. Missy was quoted in the KC Star as saying: “I’m proud of what we’ve done here,” Koonce said. “We had an eclectic crowd. No one feels unwelcome, no matter where they are from, what their background is, their sexuality or what age they are. I’ve always been able to cross over those lines.” But she does have a final message for Kansas City consumers: “Just keep supporting local businesses. They need you.”

OPENING = Blind Faith

Michael Smith's Extra Virgin- Extra Virgin is FINALLY scheduled to open it's doors the second week of September with a block party to celebrate it's Grand Opening on October 5th. The opening party will feature three different bands, street performers, street games, a pig roast, fresh Italian ice drinks. It's an all you can eat event. You must be 21 to enter, and have a valid ID. The $40 entry fee will go to charity (Turning Point). Reservations to book in Extra Virgin's private party rooms will begin October 1.

Webster House - Kansas City's beloved lunch location is going to be open for dinner, Wednesdays through Saturdays beginning September 10. Dinner service will be from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The Webster House allowed me to sample their dinner menu at a private tasting a few weeks ago and Executive Chef Charles D’Ablaing food was really spectacular. They are working on developing a nice wine list by the bottle which is something they have not had to worry with in the past. I was charmed at how the Webster House changes it's mood at night. It's a must do, must eat. Get the Veal Cheek or Scallops as your entree, they do not disappoint. The antique shop will also stay open a bit later with dinner service for those needing to pick up a little something on your way in to dine.

Zest - Joe DiGiovanni the ex-owner of Joe D’s  wine bar sent out an email to family and friends a few weeks ago that said: “As you are likely aware, after 19 years, I sold Joe d's winebar-café & patio almost three years ago.  Although I thought it was my retirement from the restaurant business, it didn't take long to realize that owning a restaurant is my passion.  After considering many options, I've teamed up with a long time friend, Mike Schreiber, who's been in the marketing business for over 30 years.  After spending 15 years with Bernstein Rein Advertising and serving as VP Marketing for a number of global brands, he and I started considering the idea of opening a new place about a year ago.  Well, long story short, we are about to open an exciting new concept, Zest, coming this November. (What's with the trend of citrus inspired names for new restaurants in KC? I can't wait to dine at Pith or Pulp coming soon to an imaginary location near you.)

 Zest will be upscale casual dining in a great neighborhood location at 106th & Mission Rd. In the new Mission Farms development.  (Room 39 has some company!)

About the food: one of the biggest trends throughout the country is comfort food and we love the idea but we will add an upscale twist.  Our new chef (it's a secret, he's still working at one of the highest profile restaurants in KC( JV: ?????? ) will be creating some of the most 'above & beyond' 'comfortable' food you'll ever enjoy. We will have a wide range of delectable choices, from traditional spaghetti an' meatballs (our family recipe!) to a four mushroom veal and lamb meat loaf to Kobe beef burgers with Foie Gras to roasted chicken with caramelized onion and goat cheese mashed potatoes to watermelon & champagne soup, and on and on…About the wine: over 250 selections, from value oriented bargains to the 'crème de la crème', with over 50 wines by the glass… (This doesn't surprise you, does it?!)”

No, Joe not with your background and experience . . .I just want to know who you are stealing to come work for you. Which Chef in town would be well suited for the kind of food you describe?

(My original thought was Chef David Crum who was with Bluestem now with Starker's Reserve. However, I heard through the grapevine that David will be leaving Starker's to work on his family farm business in Bonner Springs, KS selling heirloom tomatoes. You may have seen them listed on menu's around town called Crum's tomatoes. Good luck to David, we will miss you on our day to day culinary scene in Kansas City, but will look for your good work on our menu's. Hey, man get ready to see this trend happening more and more . . .the media is saying the next wave in the celebrity Chef trend will be the celebrity farmers who are growing the best ingredients that the Chefs then use to make the best dishes.)

REWORKING THE MENU = More Blind Faith

1924 Main - Chef Rob Dalzell is firmly back in the kitchen at 1924 Main after spending the first part of 2008 getting chefBurger up and running. Chef Rob was seen biking between his concepts throughout the day down the back alleys of the city making for some very long hours for this new father leaving him with little time at the end of the night to dig in deep at 1924 Main. However, in his mind 1924 Main was in need of a little evolution given the current economic climate, so the Chef has decided to make some changes. An email from Chef Rob talks about planning to retool the concept at 1924 Main to make it more of a family dining experience. Gone are the three courses for $35 dinners and in their place is a much more accessible yet interesting menu with lower price points and a bit of southern twist. It might be my imagination, but corn seems to be used in every dish on the new menu. After reviewing the menu, I look forward to taking my family in for a visit (a thought that honestly would have never have crossed my mind in the past) to try the Deviled Farm Eggs, Steak Tartar, Sweet Corn Chowder, Halibut BLT and Roasted Chicken with fried green tomatoes. Not sure how my 6 year old would react to steak tartar, but his Momma is all about it.

MOVING = Even More Blind Faith

Cafe Trio - Chris Youngers and Tai Nguyen the owners of Cafe Trio on Broadway are celebrating their 4th anniversary in business by moving down to the Plaza. Cafe Trio plans to open in October in the old Jimmy Frantze’s Frondizi’s location at the end of the strip center on Main Street. Jimmy Frantze had to reluctantly give up that space when he could not come to an agreement with the landlords in his lease negotiations. The move will allow the two partners to expand their business with a bigger kitchen and deck and patio area, but we are told the baby grand piano will remain a fixture.

Such wonderful and warm people are found in the restaurant business. The good part about this industry is how you never really lose anyone for good when a restaurant closes it's doors. You know you will see that person again. Working in some other place, but still working in the restaurant business in Kansas City. It's is our little way to recycle the talent, because like the saying goes "when one restaurant door closes, another one opens." Enjoy!