133 replies to this topic

[Genkinaonna]

Loving the blog! The closest we've got to RedX would be Fred Meyer, which is clothing, hardware, sporting goods, garden, grocery, and lottery, plus wine (state liquor stores only in Oregon) plus the jewelry store that's in all the malls all over the country and electronics. But the wine tastings are pretty small. We've got so many wineries we just go right to the source.

I think you should do another week...just sayin'...

[Mysstwalker]

Awesome blog! I am especially interested because you are giving me some wonderful food ideas. I had a gastric bypass 3.5 years ago and it is so easy to get bored with a protein-focused way of eating. But the hamster is running full-speed on the wheel in my head and I forsee some good stuff in the kitchen. I have to admit, I have a bit of pouch envy that it seems you can manage bread items fairly well *sigh* Keep it coming!

[Zeemanb]

Wow, having actual work expected of you on a Friday just isn't Christian....

No breakfast photo, but I DID have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Farm to Market "Grains Galore" bread. That bread is practically a meat substitute it is so dense and good.

Genkinaonna- Oh, I might be ready for another week in a year or two, lol. Don't get me wrong, this has been a BLAST and there is more to come....I will depart on a high note. But I'm assuming I can get a big AMEN from anyone who has done one of these when I say...it's like an extra part time job. A fun job where you get to do cool things, but my OCD mind will not let me slide on ANYTHING...I'm a slave to delivering the goods!

Mysstwalker- It is always cool to talk to others who have had surgery but have a true love for food...which I guess you'd HAVE to love food a whole lot to need surgery, lol. I went through phases of eating the same thing until I'd get sick of it and move to something else. A cheese phase, a canned meat phase (seriously), etc. After a while I guess I started to think BIG but cook SMALL. Enjoying the research and planning, the shopping, prepping, serving...and put the old "must gorge, must gorge" energy into all of THAT stuff. It's still tough though, so easy to be lazy... Be sure to update eG as you go along...it's fun to look back at your culinary growth!

[Zeemanb]

You know, I’ve been pretty darn lucky when it comes to dining. Whenever I travel, I do the restaurant research in full prior to even looking at hotels or flights. And it is nice to know that I’m on a message board where that behavior is not only normal, it is expected. Ate at Gary Danko sitting eight feet from George Lucas, got trashed on St. Patrick’s Day in NYC sitting next to Liam Neeson and his friends, first date with my wife was at minibar, watched Mario Batali try to kick the bathroom door in on my mother...I’ve got some big city memories, man. And more than a few half-memories.

If you ever get the chance to hang out with Kim Shook, I highly recommend it. Get that on the calendar. It is beyond fun and engaging. She and I talk a lot about the “country mouse” aspect of dining in foreign towns. When you’re in New York or San Francisco there is this weird, almost apologetic, feeling you can get that stems from the perception that being smaller makes YOUR town and food in some way inferior. A New Yorker who has the ability to take a specific REGION of a country into consideration when choosing between thirty different options somehow makes them Obi Wan Kenobi. Complete envy of having such a dilemma on a Friday night aside, you live where you live, you work with what you have, and when you have the opportunity to eat at the Per Se’s and Manresa’s of the world it makes it THAT much more exciting for the country mouse. THEN, when you are back in flyover country eating your squirrel or possum off of a Civil War era pewter plate, or applying a poultice to a water moccasin bite, you can always look back and say “wow, that sure was some good duck”.

This is the spot where a Fodderwing joke would go, but I cannot think of one. But the obscure reference alone is going to be enough to slay at least one of you.

So as far as REGIONAL eating goes, the Missouri-Kansas corridor has its own particular spirit, and with the focus on seasonal, local, sustainable foods being what it is these days, we do have chefs who are very successful at leveraging what is available to them from our community of farmers and producers. One fantastic example is where we ate last night- The Rieger Hotel Grill and Exchange; a beautifully redone “business traveler” hotel from the early 20th century.







I love The Rieger. I want everyone I love to love The Rieger. If I don’t like you, I hope you never see The Rieger. It opened last November and it took my wife and I one meal to decide that it is one of our favorite spots ever. We found “our server” on the first visit. An exceptionally rare thing to have happen on a maiden voyage. If you know ME, the “MY whatever” is like a religion...I keep a very tight circle...MY butcher, MY mechanic, MY tree guy, etc...my network is formed by word of mouth. Like DeNiro’s “circle of trust” in Meet the Parents...The Rieger went right into the circle. And the thing about it is, chef and co-owner Howard Hanna hit the bullseye dead-on when he pulled the trigger on his vision. Beautiful space, exceptional service with that “pride of ownership” spirit that is at the HEART of what makes me love a restaurant, upscale but feels like home, and food that is executed with a dedication to what our local people can provide. You get food that is familiar to you, prepared well enough to nudge you out of your comfort zone so that you can try the unfamiliar. Howard provides that little bridge with his cooking...you learn to trust him pretty quickly, and you can trust your server to tell you what is good. I can take my wife there on Saturday date night, I can go there with my parents for a relaxing dinner, my dad can take all of his buddies from the gas company and chow down at lunch, no worries when my friend had to bring his 2 year old one day. If I wanted to deserve a big punch in the face I’d say something like “It’s hip AND it’s homey! I’m Sandra Lee’s nephew Brycer!”...but I don’t. So I’ll just say, way to hit the mark, folks. Dead solid.



I would be doing a great disservice if I did not also mention the other “half” of The Rieger. It is Manifesto, a speakeasy type bar located downstairs and run by another of our local geniuses- Ryan Maybee. It gets a ton of press, I hear nothing but good things about their prohibition-era inspired style of drinks, but alas, I’m a total square. Sucks to be you if you’re reading this and fine cocktails are your thing. Because man, they’ve got it going on. Now, I will say that their housemade cola is one of the greatest liquid inventions in history, and the new version of their housemade ginger beer that utilizes green tea is delicious. Back in the day I’d come across the table at you if I saw you mixing anything into a fine bourbon, and I think I feel the same way about the Rieger Kola...you do not mess with something that is already perfect.




Okay, on to the goods, I have punished you enough- We were extremely excited about dinner because this was our first trip through the new menu....


Bread!



House salad with mixed greens, sherry vinaigrette, chicharrones



Melon Salad with pistachio vinaigrette, Green Dirt Farm fresh sheep’s milk cheese, olives, red onion


The addition of olives sounded a little weird, but what's weirder is....totally works.


Chilled Watermelon and Strawberry Soup


The epitome of a dish to eat on a hot day. Accompanied by a battered and fried bay leaf you pull through your teeth like a stuffed artichoke.


Farm Salad with organic greens, local vegetables, buttermilk-herb dressing


What makes this particular salad so great is that it never has exactly the same produce twice.


Charcuterie Plate- foie gras au torchon, rabbit and pork rillette , sweetbread and bacon terrine


Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out I chose the charcuterie. The sweetbread and bacon terrine is crazy delicious. Punchline for the larger city dwellers....it's ten bucks!


Rabbit Tagliatelle with poached garlic , prune, parmesan, swiss chard


Sometimes when you don't "order right", Howard will correct you by spontaneously bringing over a dish you need to try immediately. I have an extreme allegiance to the bolognese dish from the LAST menu, so I wont' agree with my wife that this was the best pasta dish EVER, but man it was pretty damn good. The mellowness of the poached garlic and prune mixed in there made it work on a few levels.


Gnocchi à la Parisienne, zucchini cream, grana padano


These are made with flour instead of potato, so they have a totally different lightness and mouthfeel. Very addictive, the zucchini cream brings in a kind of pesto flavor and texture.


Seafood Risottoscallops, shrimp, heirloom cherry tomatoes, basil


A very light and summery version of risotto with a focus on the tomato flavor and making the whole thing a little "looser".



Tournedos Alexander- sauce Figaro, heirloom tomatoes, onion rings, basil-mashed potatoes

This is the dish you tell the "fearful of new things" meat and potato eater in the group to order.

Scallops and Sweetbreads with local polenta, oyster mushrooms, swiss chard


This was MY dish...and you know I'm serious about my offal if I'm chowing down on this level of richness when it's 100 degrees outside. This protein pairing worked surprisingly well because the deeper sear on the seafood combined with how (relatively speaking) light in body he keeps the sweetbreads helps them to match up. Throw in the grits, greens and heavily caramelized mushrooms and you have a big winner.


"Family Meal" Bread Pudding

Inspired by the need to use up the leftover bread...sorry about these horrible dessert photos, we began losing the natural light and I DON'T use a flash in restaurants because I don't want to have to answer to God for it later.


Chocolate Bombe


A single serving Baked Alaska with a brownie base and very, very potent mint ice cream (inspired by the need to use up all of the mint stems and scraps from Manifesto).


Polenta Cake with Blueberry Ice Cream (if my memory is any good at all)


Think of the corniest, densest and sweet-but-not-TOO-sweetest cornbread you've ever had....



So that's about it for last night. And whenever I do one of these restaurant blog entries I generally come down here at the end and talk about how I hate food reviews where they feel the need to wrap it up with some smarmy, quippy sentence that ties it all back to the theme at the beginning. Or even worse, tie it back in to the title. I just do one of these numbers....glad that it's Friday but the drive home is going to suck in this heat. Hope there's some good TV or Netflix tonight.

Edited by Zeemanb, 22 July 2011 - 11:20 AM.

[C. sapidus]

But I'm assuming I can get a big AMEN from anyone who has done one of these when I say...it's like an extra part time job. A fun job where you get to do cool things . . .

AMEN, brutha! You are doing a fantastic job, by the way, so thank you! I'll add my vote for another week, but right now I have an odd craving for pork . . .

[jayhay]

I just want to say I'm really enjoying reading this Jerry. Love your style!

[eldereno]

Thank you for the enjoyable blog!

[Kim Shook]

Jerry – Crazy week here – I’ve been reading along, but not commenting, so I’ll hurry and post now before the thread closes! Your writing didn’t disappoint at all – I was laughing and getting hungry and THINKING the whole time I read. I’ve loved every bit of this and am so glad that you blogged and folks got a chance to see what you can do (both the food and the writing).

Mr. Kim and Jessica are STILL talking about the coffee that you brought. He’s been lurking and reading and was really surprised that you use a popcorn popper to roast your coffee. I may be in trouble here.

I cannot wait until I can build up a little leave time at work (or maybe quit completely – hope, hope) and we can come out to KC. Will you please make us some sous vide fried chicken (with some grits and Meredith’s perfectly gorgeous Key lime pie) and take us to Jim’s??? That place is SO ‘us’!

"El Comedor" looks astounding – that pick your own pork is just genius!

More bacon jam. Good lord, I gotta make this stuff. I had to laugh at your refutation of the idea that bacon has jumped the shark. Vicious vegan-spread rumors.

Loved the pasta trio at Lidia’s! Why doesn’t Richmond have places like that? I need to move. Every time I follow an eG foodblog, I wonder that same thing.

Red-X is what I WISH Wal-mart was! What a fantastic place. I’d shop there all the time. And the dioramas?? I wanna see those on our trip, too.

Very honored by the mention of myself – and you describe the ‘country mouse’ syndrome very well! ‘Apologetic’ is the perfect word.

How lucky you are to have a place like the Rieger. The charcuterie plate just knocked me over. Since our NOLA trip, I’ve dreamed of pork rillettes! And Gnocchi à la Parisienne is one of my favorite dishes and dead easy to make. Definitely try at home! But the scallops and sweetbreads just had me banging my head on the table. With our two mini-tummies, we could have shared that and fought over the last of that gorgeous sauce with dueling hunks of bread!

I would vote for a second week of blogging, too, but I like you too much to kill you. But…Meredith would probably move home then, wouldn’t she? Hmmm……

[Zeemanb]

Thanks you all, and happy Friday night! Went to the old 'hood to pick up dinner earlier ths afternoon, and the plan tonight is to do nothing but sit in the basement with our gigantic Sonic drinks, catching up on what we have DVR'd. If our viewing habits were a shopping destination, it would make RedX look like Dean & Deluca. If we ever have a kid we'll have to name it Bravo!.

Soo.... between now and Sunday night when I can retreat back to my Applebee's riblets and whatever seafood and cheese sauce covered sausage dish Olive Garden has on special, I know for sure I've got-

Tonight's dinner, which I'll give the nostalgia treatment later.

Saturday morning is my religion- donuts, farmer's market, butcher shop

Viennese dinner with the parents and their friends for my dad's bday tomorrow night.

On Sunday, maybe some brunch or lunch, but for SURE I'll at least attempt a new recipe that will either be really successful or totally miserable. Either way- an entertaining way to end the week!

I guess it's hard to strike a good balance between a real-life week and showcasing your town. Normally we'd be eating at home a lot more, but the blog is a great excuse to eat too much....kind of like a vacation.

At least none of it is as complicated as figuring out which Real Housewives show is my favorite.

[Shelby]

Thanks you all, and happy Friday night! Went to the old 'hood to pick up dinner earlier ths afternoon, and the plan tonight is to do nothing but sit in the basement with our gigantic Sonic drinks, catching up on what we have DVR'd. If our viewing habits were a shopping destination, it would make RedX look like Dean & Deluca. If we ever have a kid we'll have to name it Bravo!.

Soo.... between now and Sunday night when I can retreat back to my Applebee's riblets and whatever seafood and cheese sauce covered sausage dish Olive Garden has on special, I know for sure I've got-

Tonight's dinner, which I'll give the nostalgia treatment later.

Saturday morning is my religion- donuts, farmer's market, butcher shop

Viennese dinner with the parents and their friends for my dad's bday tomorrow night.

On Sunday, maybe some brunch or lunch, but for SURE I'll at least attempt a new recipe that will either be really successful or totally miserable. Either way- an entertaining way to end the week!

I guess it's hard to strike a good balance between a real-life week and showcasing your town. Normally we'd be eating at home a lot more, but the blog is a great excuse to eat too much....kind of like a vacation.

At least none of it is as complicated as figuring out which Real Housewives show is my favorite.

I'm so glad to have you to follow over the weekend :)

That is, if my keyboard hasn't melted....and, for some reason out of the blue, my husband wants to watch "American Psycho" for the 158th time tonight.......

haha

OH and in case you want MY fave housewives..I'll put them in order:

Jersey
OC
NYC

The rest pale in comparison IMO.


If I had a choice to have dinner with any? JERSEY by far. They kick ass in the eating dept.

[Kim Shook]

When we come to KC, we don't have to watch television with y'all, right?

[Zeemanb]

We Were Hoodlums Once...and Young


Kansas City, Kansas is located in Wyandotte County...the ‘dotte as it is known can be an object of ridicule for those who grew up in the vast expanses of suburban strip malls. I was born and raised in the part that could lovingly be referred to as the ‘hood, and I love nothing more than meeting someone from the area and playing the game of “name that ‘dotte landmark” oneupsmanship. There’s a Cabela’s, a Nascar track and Schlitterbahn water park way out in the western part of the county now along with every chain restaurant you can name, but as everyone knows...if you grew up west of about 55th street or so you missed out on the real richness that ‘dotte culture had to offer. In my lifetime it has always been on the southern end of rustic, and none of that new tourist money manages to trickle its way down to my old neighborhood. To give you some perspective, on the roughness scale it is now in that evolutionary phase where credibility-seeking hipsters are moving in to the eastern edges. When the hipster/artist enclaves begin to evolve, you know that the high water mark of trouble and blight has been reached and they are able to claim some ground as the urban landscape is in the middle of one big exhale. I should mention as well that between the time I left for Minnesota in about 1992 and when I began to pay it more attention about seven or eight years ago, an amazing Hispanic community with gloriously wonderful food has grown and thrived all around downtown KCK. It was a real Sophie’s Choice moment when I had to decide how to represent the old ‘hood in this blog...but much respect to Bonito Michoacan, Laura’s, Ninfa’s...Fritz’s Hamburgers...Bichelmeyer’s Meats...Krizman’s Sausages...povitica...a week just doesn’t cut it. I had to travel down an old and time tested road in order to think of THE place to take you people...



FIRST, the greatest thing about being a teenager in Wyandotte County from about 1984 to 1987 was the fact that Homeland Security hadn’t been invented yet. Looking back, the culture was a lot like “the yard” in a prison movie. I attended an arts and science magnet school, and for MY school I was the worst of the worst type of punk. At a REAL ‘dotte high school...not so much. So I surrounded myself with a tightly knit crew...made up primarily of ex-pats from deep in the hills of Virginia, as well as various childhood friends who did not make the magnet school cut. The roughest possible trade. Nightmarishly stupid. And we had many adventures.



These were the days of heavy metal, where your credibility was measured by the tour t-shirt that you wore (and if you were not actually AT that concert, there was nothing to save you from a swift and brutal punishment). There were guys whose uniforms were simply NO shirt, jeans, and motorcycle boots. They were not to be trifled with. You wouldn’t even TRY calling “shotgun” before getting into a car with them. I was an Ozzy guy...Ronnie James Dio...Iron Maiden put on a good show...Metallica was still a rock band back then...and my preferred method of transportation was my best friend’s yellow 1970 Camaro with all of the hot rod stuff packed in it vs. my 1974 Ford LTD (with a stereo worth twice as much as the car). The introduction of a CAR into a young man’s life has great significance in relation to food. Up to that point, you were at the mercy of an adult when it came to dining out. My family ate out a lot, and for the tiny speck of the country we had at our disposal, we managed to try enough foods to set the stage for my lifelong search for great meals.



As for me and MY crew...fast food dollar menus had not been invented yet, so on a weekend you’d find us cruising Peter’s Drive-in, getting carryout from Taco Kid, eating horrible concession stand food at State Drive-in...we didn’t have part-time jobs like a lot of the SUCKERS we went to school with, but we were as industrious as the Vikings. And what plunder would we enjoy??? What food was so iconic that we’d even get a “oh man, that looks good” out of the shirtless guys, who would then respect our choice enough to NOT just knock us down and steal it from us? Though it predates the custom, it was the equivalent of a rap artist “makin’ it rain” when you popped the lid on that beautiful red and white box from......GO CHICKEN GO!





GO CHICKEN! GO CHICKEN! GO CHICKEN! GO CHICKEN! GO CHICKEN!





Before I left work today I was trying to decide which of the four (?) locations would be the most convenient. Instead of looking at it THAT way I figured, what the heck...go to original location back in the 'dotte. No sense in being inauthentic this late in the week. If I recall my website research correctly, Go Chicken Go originally opened in 1969 and moved to the 7th Street location in KCK in 1973. When all of us young toughs were eating there, it was still in an old gas station. They've upgraded it quite a bit, but at least they didn't go and put in a drive-thru like all of the other locations. It forces you to get out of the car in a bad neighborhood! Not really too bad. These days the army convoys run interference for the hipsters crossing the river to bring in all of their remodeling gear.






I’ve only eaten the chicken a few times in my life and it’s okay, the livers are excellent, but I cannot count the number of people throughout my life who first said “Oh, GROSS!”, and then after one bite said something like “I am literally going to name my first child Gizzard”. They really are the best in the world. THE WORLD! And their G-Sauce...oh my dear lord it is the perfect addition to those crispy and tender (gizzardly-speaking) morsels. I don't know how they make them so tender, and if you ever ask you are either talking to someone who gives you the finger for being dumb enough to ask or they just go "whuh?".





Now, I know that a primer on midwestern liver and gizzard etiquette will never be as interesting or involved as the Babylonian Talmud OR discussions about "chopstick or finger usage" in relation to sushi eating....BUT after a lifetime of doing this I can tell you there is a certain protocol. The following is for a liver/gizzard combo...the rules can vary slightly if it's a single-source order.

First, when you pop open the box, if the little packet of salt hasn't soaked through with fryer grease yet, get all of that sprinkled on there. You'll be tempted to just start chowing down, but you have to do a couple of things first.

Grab a liver first, and a roll. Make a little sandwich. Burn that sucker down.





That initial hit to the system will relieve the anticipation, then you pick out a gizzard and dip it in the G-Sauce.





Speaking of the G-Sauce, I always try to have a bottle in the house. Unlke most BBQ sauces, it has a ton of applications. The flavor and texture is kind of like a medium-hot salsa combined with cocktail sauce and several tears harvested from grown men who are paid to sit in the back of a Go Chicken Go and watch "Brian's Song".





I don't even remember the last time I was down at the original spot, it was nice to get back down there. If it weren't 100 degrees, I would have done some impromptu stops at a few places....there's a great restaurant supply store just a couple of blocks from where I was, and 7th Street intersects two of the best avenues for Mexican food in the 'dotte.

Oh man, it is getting late. I always do this too. Up late, then up early. Nothing too groundbreaking tomorrow, but it's my biggest and most favorite ritual of the entire week.

If you guessed that I just sit here all day watching a constant loop of "Extreme Chefs" on Food Network, you really have gotten to know me this week.

Edited by Zeemanb, 22 July 2011 - 09:52 PM.

[Pierogi]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh, you have GOT to love "Go Chicken Go" ! Especially the logo...the chicken with the Road Runner-esque dust clouds spewing up from his feets. THAT is classic !

And, *my* first car was a '73 Plymouth Duster.... *It* didn't have a stereo....you must've been uptown !

[moosnsqrl]

I've always questioned your taste in entertainment but puhleez tell me you don't really watch Extreme Chefs!?! Jim's, RedX, the 'dotte and all of the other under-belly glimpses into our fair city I could handle but that is just embarrassing!

[Zeemanb]

Shelby- My favortes would be Jersey, OC and then Atlanta. The Jersey folks know how to eat. I've been pretty good about keeping this train on the tracks, and I DO have an actual food-related thought about the housewives/reality phenomenon. It kind of de-mythologizes what I think of as "rich" people when folks who are so status and high end brand name obsessed go out to eat. Mystified by things like simple salmon tartare, or turning up their noses at something new to them in lieu of spinach artichoke dip at their local chain. I just sit there thinking, man, if I had THAT kind of money I'd have Thomas Keller and David Chang on my speed dial, lol!

Kim- It hurts my feelings that you wouldn't rather watch a Millionare Matchmaker marathon with us instead of going to eat at El Comedor.

Pierogi- Sixteen year old criminals get to take their pick of the finer things, lol. The Go Chicken Go logo is so ingrained that it's funny to get a reaction from someone seeing it for the first time. It is iconic, almost tattoo-worthy.

Judy- I absolutely don't watch Extreme Chefs, bad mistake to even joke about such a thing. This is a Chopped household, we'll go that far with Food Network. The latest Rocco trainwreck can be entertaining...you can watch him try to fine tune his persona from episode to episode in an attempt to be watchable.

I'm back from my Saturday rituals, more on that in a little while. Hiding out to avoid the heat....

Edited by Zeemanb, 23 July 2011 - 08:46 AM.

[Zeemanb]

Saturday morning is a big deal for me. Getting up at dawn on a morning I don't really have to is kind of an inside joke. The ritual is followed to the letter, and going to sleep on Friday night knowing it's coming is a great feeling. About once every six weeks or so when the weather is nice I'll switch it up and play golf, but Sunday is golf day for the most part. As much as I love playing, I don't like to interfere with the plan very often. With the bounty of corn and tomatoes right now, market season is reaching its zenith.

I'm very loyal to my local farmer's market here in Parkville. It's small but it has everything I need, you get to know the farmers pretty quickly, and it's about three minutes from my house. Right now it's about ninety seconds from my house due to all of the flooding in downtown Parkville. They had to relocate to a parking lot by the City Hall, but at least they have a good spot to use until the flood waters subside.

7am is the "official" time the market opens on Saturday, but only the real amateurs wait until then to get down there. The best stuff sells out fast and by 7:30 it's way too busy to hang out and chat with the farmers. This year is the first that we've ever belonged to a CSA. Crum's Heirlooms is very, very popular among locals and they supply a large number of our best restaurants. I'm thrilled they've chose Parkville to set up shop on a Saturday morning, so knowing I have a big bag full of great stuff waiting for me when I arrive is over the top.

Just a few photos....this was the first Saturday that the Crum's tomato supply was BOOMIN', so this was the day I've been thinking about since last October.











At the height of summer, the market is always Stop #1 to make sure I at least get a shot at everything before it sells out. When it's not going to be super crowded in early spring or as you get into fall, it can be Stop #2. A trip to Judi's Bakery is as big a part of my Saturday morning as the market......





The Parkville location is pretty new, but I grew up eating Judi's donuts over in the old neighborhood and went to high school with her daughter. I'm not saying they have the very best donuts in Kansas City, but they might have the best danish in the midwest. Their glazed croissant "French donuts" are pretty killer too. Every single Saturday I'm in town and not out on the links, I pick up six rings and a dozen large, then I go and share them with some friends of mine...hanging out, chatting, chowing down on pastry and drinking coffee. It all sounds pretty basic, and it is. But basic is good. Market, donuts, go hang out, and then go see what the rest of the weekend has to offer.





Here's what I picked up at the market this week...our CSA plus a few extra things like Crum's pickled beets and salsa.





Almost forgot, I was back over by Red-X and I took a picture of one of those weird front window displays. This kind of thing stretches all the way down the front of the building facing the street.






Once the mandatory Saturday fun is done, and I don't need to stop by the barber, one of my favorite things to do is visit my butcher. We are really trying to stay away from the megamart factory farmed stuff and use Paradise Locker Meats as our sole supplier, so I try to head up there about twice per month. It is up in Trimble, north of Smithville, and you would never guess that this unassuming little building is where much of the meat we eat in restaurants like The Rieger, Lidia's or Port Fonda originates. The Fantasma's are doing great things up in Trimble. As you may recall they were my dinner guests last Saturday night in the Airstream. Great folks. When you go into Paradise Locker, you are experiencing what a true butchershop should be....incredible selection and a knowledgeable, friendly staff. If you have any question about any of the meat....origins, recipe ideas, how they process everything there onsite...buckle up for one fun and informative conversation.

Trimble is about twenty five minutes from my house......Paradise locker is in the COUNTRY!








Here's the fresh case....much of their selection is processed and then immediately frozen.





Lots of different animals and products....but stuff does not hang around long. The selection constantly changes.











One of my favorite things happens to match up very well with the the abundance of tomatoes, their pork shoulder bacon makes the ultimate BLT.




If you want fancy, you got it.....when they have Wagyu flatiron available I usually pick up some of that, same with their Akaushi hamburger. I don't think I've ever bought a Wagyu or Akaushi ribeye or strip for myself, usually only as gifts. Cost aside, David Chang's ghetto sous vide technique (and now my SVS) guarantees that you can transform a less glamorous cut of beef. I'll pull the trigger one of these days though.....gotta happen.





Now, I don't ever walk out empty handed....what I've started doing is just saying "Hey Nick, one steak, what's the best right now?". His answer this time- a massively thick vintage breed frenched rib chop....






We've got dinner in the Crossroads District again tonight. For his birthday, my dad picked Grunauer. German or Austrian food would not normally be my first pick, but I was very surprised how good the food and service was when I finally got around to visiting. There are six of us going, so it's a major opportunity for photos. Would I have chosen to highlight Grunauer this week if it were up to me? Probably not. Am I as thankful as any human can possibly be that my dad doesn't want a birthday dinner at Outback or Olive Garden??? Big win.


Hanging out right now watching Chopped and roasting coffee.....

Edited by Zeemanb, 23 July 2011 - 12:18 PM.

[Zeemanb]

Oh man, here is an impromptu little surprise....here's a place that was on my to-do list but I didn't think there would be time to get to it. Plus it's just scandalously unhealthy. And when I asked my wife to stop by there on her way home from the mechanic's, I didn't think she'd take me seriously.


To further reinforce the fact that we are a pretty fat city, I give you.......


IN-A-TUB Tacos!







In-A-Tub has been around for a long time, but I think there are only 2 locations now. They have loose meat style sandwiches, but the majority of their menu is a selection of deep fried wonderment. Including...their tacos.


Just magical stuff, but it's the kind of food you cannot let yourself have more than once or twice per year. The guilt and damage to your body would be overwhelming. The thinnest possible tortilla filled with taco meat (you can add cheese and /or beans, but plain is best), folded shut and deep fried until crispy, then pulled out of the fryer and topped with a few shreds of lettuce, BUT the key ingredient that holds the whole thing together is the neon orange powdered cheese they sprinkle on the top. It soaks up some of the grease and forms a kind of edible glue that keeps the taco from getting too fragile as you eat. You cannot let them sit around or cool off too much because they'll just fall apart, and as they cool, the reality of just how much grease you're eating becomes more obvious and ruins the fun. And they are really small, so you're tempted to just keep eating them.


A nice, healthy snack to tide us over before we go have German food! Oh, and Port Fonda just posted on Twitter that they've got those tongue and hominy tacos on the menu tonight...they sit right across the street from where we're having dinner.....this day is apocalyptic healthwise.

[moosnsqrl]

A nice, healthy snack to tide us over before we go have German food! Oh, and Port Fonda just posted on Twitter that they've got those tongue and hominy tacos on the menu tonight...they sit right across the street from where we're having dinner.....this day is apocalyptic healthwise.

You're going to make a Viennese sandwich between two slices of (from-the-ridiculous-to-the-sublime) tacos?

[onrushpam]

Jerry, your blog has sent DH and me down KC memory lane...
Just now, he's watching Best Little Whorehouse on TV and we've been remembering the night we saw it at the Music Hall. One of my other favorite KC memories is of seeing the full-length production of Nicholas Nickleby at UMKC. I was a little concerned about spending 8 full hours in a theatre seat. But, it was magical! I don't remember where we ate on either of those trips. I'm thinking the Savoy Grill was probably involved in one of them... You were still in high school at that point and the Savoy was actually good. I'm thinking these days, probably not so much.

[Zeemanb]

A nice, healthy snack to tide us over before we go have German food! Oh, and Port Fonda just posted on Twitter that they've got those tongue and hominy tacos on the menu tonight...they sit right across the street from where we're having dinner.....this day is apocalyptic healthwise.

You're going to make a Viennese sandwich between two slices of (from-the-ridiculous-to-the-sublime) tacos?

You know, when you put it THAT way, you make it sound so.....so.......FANTASTIC!

It will be a while before I top my Happy Hour at Les Halles, Early Dinner at WD-50, Late Dinner at Esca Escapade in NYC....but for what we've got here in KC, tonight is getting damn close

[Zeemanb]

Jerry, your blog has sent DH and me down KC memory lane...
Just now, he's watching Best Little Whorehouse on TV and we've been remembering the night we saw it at the Music Hall. One of my other favorite KC memories is of seeing the full-length production of Nicholas Nickleby at UMKC. I was a little concerned about spending 8 full hours in a theatre seat. But, it was magical! I don't remember where we ate on either of those trips. I'm thinking the Savoy Grill was probably involved in one of them... You were still in high school at that point and the Savoy was actually good. I'm thinking these days, probably not so much.

Funny you mention it, I've had several conversations about the Savoy lately. I haven't been there in about ten years,and at that point it was pretty hit or miss, BUT I did have the best steak of my life there one night. From what people say these days, stick to the basics and you'll be okay. What a beautiful place too, it needs to stay around for another hundred years!

[moosnsqrl]

Funny you mention it, I've had several conversations about the Savoy lately. I haven't been there in about ten years,and at that point it was pretty hit or miss, BUT I did have the best steak of my life there one night. From what people say these days, stick to the basics and you'll be okay. What a beautiful place too, it needs to stay around for another hundred years!

Yeah, it's been a while for us but I think, if you go 'old school' (which in our case means a caesar and steak au poivre) you can still enjoy the glory days. And I also had a good bowl of chowder there at lunch more recently. Based on my personal experience - avoid lobster like the plague!

[Zeemanb]

Tonight we went to dinner at Grunauer, Chef Peter Grunauer's namesake restaurant in the freight house building in between Lidia's and Jack Stack BBQ, down in the Crossroads District. I don't know a whole lot about German, Austrian, or more specifically, Viennese food...or if lumping them together like that could potentially offend a large number of people. I don't have a huge emotional connection to the food, but it is a gorgeous restaurant, the service is extremely professional, and anything I've ever eaten there has been delicious. I have zero complaints, and I don't want anyone to think that because I don't have the same enthusiasm for Grunauer as I do for a little cardboard box full of fried gizzards that you shouldn't go and give the place a try.





It was dad's birthday, and since we all just ate at The Rieger two nights ago I didn't want to push my luck throwing out other options. I'm lucky not to have anyone in my family who presses for Applebee's or Olive Garden for birthday outings, but if that were the case, Grunauer would be a very good compromise because the quality is more than high enough to satisfy a real food lover, but it's also meat-and-potato based enough for anyone to find something they'd like. Monster portions too...if that is a selling point.
I took a few photos, but some things just didn't translate well enough to include and some of us ordered the same dishes.



Nudelsalat mit steak- Steak and noodle salad in a spicy paprika dressing


This was my first time trying this dish, and I got it in an attempt to "eat a little lighter" so that I could hit the Port Fonda trailer later. Well, not a light salad. Delicious. Just damn hearty. Oh, way spicier dressing than I was expecting, which is a good thing.


Classic Wiener Schnitzel


My wife's meal- pretty perfectly done and everyone went crazy for the warm potato salad.


Marillen Palatschinkenthin crepes with warm apricot filling


We tried this and the cheese strudel, both very good, not overly sweet and again, enough for two people.


Meinl Double Espresso


I probably talk about the espresso at Grunauer more than anything else. It's the best I've ever had, hands down. The bitterness is something that hits the spot with me. Makes me contemplate buying an espresso machine, but one more kitchen toy may take my kitchen well past the point of saturation.



Honestly, I think the main problem tonight wasn't that I'm not excited about the food at Grunauer, it was the fact that I knew lengua tacos would be served two blocks away beginning at 7:30. We had some time to kill between Grunauer and tacos, so went over to sit at the bar at The Rieger. No such thing as too much Rieger Kola.

I didn't get pics of these tacos when we had dinner in the trailer last Saturday night, so here you go....



Lengua, beer braised Rancho Gordo hominy, fresh corn kernels and chile verde....I have tried every version of this dish I've been able to find in KC and so far these are way, way, way better than anything I've eaten thus far.



Tomorrow we'll either do breakfast/brunch someplace or just hide out eating BLT's, and then I'll attempt one final recipe for the week.....

[rarerollingobject]

Oooh, apologies, Zeemanb! I'd forgotten about that whole hemisphere thing and started my foodblog too early..sorry! Very poor form on my part.

Lengua is tongue, right? I LOVE beef tongue..can only find ox tongue in Australia, and only ever in Korean bbq restaurants, so those tacos really speak to me! (Bad tongue pun.)

[Zeemanb]

Oooh, apologies, Zeemanb! I'd forgotten about that whole hemisphere thing and started my foodblog too early..sorry! Very poor form on my part.

Lengua is tongue, right? I LOVE beef tongue..can only find ox tongue in Australia, and only ever in Korean bbq restaurants, so those tacos really speak to me! (Bad tongue pun.)

As they say, it's Sunday SOMEWHERE, so I say go for it! It will help to take any pressure off of me as I try to eek a couple final posts out of my brain, lol. Looking forward to your blog!

Yeah, wonderful tongue tacos.......slow braising makes everything perfect....

[Genkinaonna]

OMG those tacos look incredible! Thanks for all your hard work and amazing writing this week. I really enjoyed it! And after reading about your meals today I don't feel so bad for having food carts for dinner and Voodoo Donut (of maple bacon bar fame) for dessert!

[weinoo]

I probably talk about the espresso at Grunauer more than anything else. It's the best I've ever had, hands down. The bitterness is something that hits the spot with me. Makes me contemplate buying an espresso machine, but one more kitchen toy may take my kitchen well past the point of saturation.

Oh, go ahead, buy one. It'll look really nice next to your Sous Vide Supreme, and you're already roasting your own beans. Think of it as a gift to yourself for the great job you did on the blog this past week.

[Shelby]

I've really enjoyed this, too!


I suddenly want to drive for 5 hours to Go Chicken Go!

[gfweb]

Oooh, apologies, Zeemanb! I'd forgotten about that whole hemisphere thing and started my foodblog too early..sorry! Very poor form on my part.

Lengua is tongue, right? I LOVE beef tongue..can only find ox tongue in Australia, and only ever in Korean bbq restaurants, so those tacos really speak to me! (Bad tongue pun.)

I'm confused...doesn't ox = beef? Isn't an ox a working cow?

[nikkib]

Thanks for a great week ZeemanB - being in a place where posessing pork is enough to get you arrested i have SERIOUS food envy of those tacos big time and the sweetbread dish you had at the Reiger is something i will be trying at home for sure