monkfish_103
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Posts posted by monkfish_103
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Not to pull the plug on the whole Topeka love-fest here, but a quick question about Piropos: does anyone know if their menu/style will change? I'll be curious to hear how the atmosphere, service, food and menu improves/suffers. I'll also be curious if they can manage to raise their prices any more.
u.e.
Why you gotta be a killjoy? This post made me go call my cousin in Topeka (it's true Egullet does bring out the love in people!) He couldn't talk long playing golf. I would imagine Pirops is taking the same path. Carrol Shelby once said "If it ain't broke don't fix it!" Now I want to go buy a new Shellby 500 makes me miss my 1967 Gt/KR 500 I had in high school.
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Yes, please talk about all of these places. I've just booked my trip to KC for mid-October. I'll be looking for new places to try*!!
*Including Lawrence and Topeka--my sister lives in Topeka and I'm sure we'll be back and forth.
I should probably start a whole topic on this, but I'm not sure it deserves one!
Maison Rustique, I was born and raised in Topeka, and as I'm sure you know, it is chain city! However, one thing that Topeka does well that Kansas City does not is home-owned fast food. If you are looking for a good cheeseburger and the best onion rings I've ever had, not to mention really great apple pie, head to BoBo's Drive-In... it's been around a long time, so you've probably heard about it, or maybe even have been there- sorry if I'm repeating what you already know! One fairly new place that I went to last Saturday is Freda and Maude's, 3129 SW Huntoon St., Topeka, KS 66604. It's a new coffee shop in the Westboro area, and my lunch was very good! We had a creamy tomato soup and a chicken salad with dried cranberries and granny smiths in pita... this was the only lunch offering that day, I'm not sure if they offer more during the week or not. Anyway, I LOVED the chicken salad, really good! They also have a huge selection of desserts. It's not a fancy place, just a good, casual lunch place. Others rave about New City Cafe but the last time I was there for lunch I was not impressed, though it has been good in the past. I find the lunches on display in the glass case to be very unappealing to look at! Chez Yasu is a good French place and still seems fairly new to me although it has been around for a little while. It's at 2701 SW 17th, Topeka, KS 66604. They're pretty much the only non-chain place in town that's doing more upscale well. And last but certainly not least, G's for frozen custard... try the Brown Bread custard or the Turtle Sundae... you won't be disappointed! Hope that helps some! Sorry if I've repeated a bunch of stuff you already know! There's plenty of good eats in Lawrence, so no problems there!Haven't been to Topeka in a long time my mother is from there I still have cousins there, last time I went it was a mad dash for my birth certificate. I love the way the road feels driving into downtown!
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Jackets required at Piropos? Both times I've been, they said nothing to the (un-jacketed) gents in my party. Although, they weren't exactly sportin' leather.
In regards to "dress code" at Piropo's, when I've made reservations in the past they've made it a point to say no jeans, but then when we went this last time, they sat a couple in jeans, so I can't believe that they would turn someone away for not wearing a jacket!
I never questioned it, if anyone understands restaurants have rules it would be me, so I made a note to go back and never made it. The owners and the owners of cafe Italia are related if I remember right or sam is, something like that, and they used to come into the octopus all the time. Heck her husband did a feature in his company's restaurant mag when I first opened. I enjoy reading it also. Very nice people. My partner did go there for dinner a few months back if I remember right it was about 120 bucks for a salad, two steaks and two glasses of vino that included tip(he's a bad tipper!..lol) if I remember right I cooked something else for him to eat that night. He's almost 7 feet tall and a bottomless pit!
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Jackets required at Piropos? Both times I've been, they said nothing to the (un-jacketed) gents in my party. Although, they weren't exactly sportin' leather.
Doolittle's place would be where? And what's it going to be about (but I suppose we should start a separate thread on that - and for the weight-gaining danishes by the Pastry Goddess - which can be enjoyed where?)?
u.e.
All three will in the same area, I usually enjoy the danish in my auto on the way back home, they are quite messy(they flake alot! made with pure butter just like her puff.) Her white cake is awesome it has white chocolate in it, so it's supper moist and dense. The year I did catering I made 85 wedding cakes I was always out in her shop hanging around. When we worked together at the American she would throw me all her scraps, it made working for free fun! The new place will be her second location she out grew her very first one a few years back in Blue Springs and opened the new one a couple years back on the outskirts of Independence. I don't know if she still does, but she used to make all the pastries for Dean & Dulca out in the sticks
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The new Piropos opens Sat night 09.22.06........I didn't make it to the last one, they refused me
it said jackets required they wouldn't count my leather bikers jacket. Pretty much the only places I'm interested in at the new local will be Dolittle's place, and Kathy's place the Pastry Goddess. She one of the few pastry chef's in town that are in the know. I'll gain 30 lbs this winter eating her danish since she is just right around the corner from me 
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Since learning you were a flexatian until about a month ago(couldn't tell by some of your post detailing meat dishes you enjoyed at other places) this fake beef dish I was rattling off about isn't on my menu. should be up your alley! Cause it's fake. As in fake vegan I knew there was a reason I never put any merit into any of your weekly post.
At least its Waygu...You know, not that cheap select stuff from CostCo
Costco up date: I checked out their beef it is choice Colby and btw they had Waygu in the freezer section and a heads up on your winter menu if interested they had a 4 pac of already braised lamb shanks woohoooo.....my head is swimming now on my new menus, can't wait for the first snow for the shank
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@monkfish: I don't understand the sense and/or the relevance of your message.
@Ronnie:
Same goes for me. And that's where we come full circle: I might eat such meat in a friends house and I might like it - but at the same time I know it would be better if there was some sort of "ban" or stricter "regulations" for conventional meat production, since I know that the circumstances under wich the animal was brought up, have been pretty cruel
Same goes for foie gras: I eat it and I love it, but I can't honestly mind if there are people who think it should be banned or that there should be stricter regulations.
As I said, it is kind of a paradox.
Ronnie pretty much summed it up I've seen how animals were raised in Germany and it sounds like they just singled out foie gras.
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First, let me say again, that I adore foie gras.making the ban arbitrary and inconsitent.
Thats for sure. On the other hand you can start *somewhere*. But I don't really know anything about the Illinois (or US) food-politics. In germany the production of foie gras is illegal. But not the import/possession/selling/preparing...
Of course, commercial pork and poultry producers have deep pockets and are not the ripe political targets that foie gras producers are.Sad but true...
'you either eat animals or you don't.'With all due respect, but that is just a silly statement about a complex subject...
On top of that, most of us believe that foie gras production is no more cruel than conventional pork or poultry productionWell, as I implied in my above post (actually, that was the point of my above post), I don't eat pork or poultry from "convential production" either. Do you?!?
greetings
kai
The only pork I seen raised in germany was pinned never seeing the light of day in a barn in the center of town. The ducks we are were pinned in the yard and every sunday once they became eatable they re killed by axing their neck and then my daughter would play with the feathers. Same thing with the cows for milk pinned and milked twice aday with the milk being dumpped into meatal contains waiting for the milk truck to pick them up. Pretty much Germany raises everything the same as us just on a smaller scale.
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I would try a variety of star rated restaurants (by Lauren Chapin).
Try either Le Fou Frog or SO Redux for the 4 star experience.
Then try bluestem or Starker's Reserve for 3.5 stars and then see Brio Tuscan Grille for a 3 star status in dining.
I think you'll see why so many concerns.
Explain please let's hear your first hand knowledge. I've been to all the above mentioned.
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Continuing bravely on . . . I think I will call the Reader's Rep and ask if we might set up a conference call with Lauren. Would any or all of you participate if I could arrange it? I really think it might be beneficial or at least educational. I really don't imagine for a minute that she is intentionally misleading people so I have to think that she might appreciate (if not enjoy) hearing some of our perceptions about her descriptions not matching up with the star ratings, etc.
Since some of you [apparently wisely] treasure your anonymity, I thought a conference call would be the way to go.
Thoughts? I have no idea if she will agree to this but, after this discussion, it seems to me a reasonable next step.
Better yet, why don't a few of you just go see if you can tag along for a dinner at a restaurant. Then you can answer your own questions eating out with her. Then you can call charlie and ask him the same. Do a study in food with both of them.
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I seriously do not understand what anyone is talking about here anymore. I know I had a hand in leading things off topic and for that I apologize, but could we please return to the issue at hand.
Dave
(BTW the issue is Lauren Chapin, lest we've forgotten)
Sorry Dave my bad, you are right. I guess that's why I like curry you just can't get spice from plain old salt.
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Since learning you were a flexatian until about a month ago(couldn't tell by some of your post detailing meat dishes you enjoyed at other places) this fake beef dish I was rattling off about isn't on my menu. should be up your alley! Cause it's fake. As in fake vegan I knew there was a reason I never put any merit into any of your weekly post.
At least its Waygu...You know, not that cheap select stuff from CostCo
I wonder if I just started to send pics of my food to costco nonstop they would put me in their newsletter, I know this works for fish companies
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Since learning you were a flexatian until about a month ago(couldn't tell by some of your post detailing meat dishes you enjoyed at other places) this fake beef dish I was rattling off about isn't on my menu. should be up your alley! Cause it's fake. As in fake vegan I knew there was a reason I never put any merit into any of your weekly post.
At least its Waygu...You know, not that cheap select stuff from CostCo
If costco sold it I'd be using it! Wait I should call my grass fed beef from New Zealand Waygu. The grass fed is cheaper than costco beef. So I'll just get my cheese from Costco. I'm trying to hook up my fish guy in Hawaii with costco so I can get it cheaper also.
My costco card is black and my Sam's wholesale card is blue 
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Since learning you were a flexatian until about a month ago(couldn't tell by some of your post detailing meat dishes you enjoyed at other places) this fake beef dish I was rattling off about isn't on my menu. should be up your alley! Cause it's fake. As in fake vegan I knew there was a reason I never put any merit into any of your weekly post.
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The main reason it is on my site is because when I working for two chicago chefs they made the statement in the kitchen to cooks and to other people that wanted to open up restaurants that chefs from Kansas City couldn't cook and not to waste your time with them. The last two places to recive a four star rating from the star were both mine. Only two restaurants in town have a current four star rating mine and Le fou frog. So it's my way of saying stick it up your sardine. I was with Le Fou Frog both times when Mano was awarded four stars.
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I don't have any respect for anyone that makes a name or a living off of other peoples passions, Blogger, local or national.
Don't chefs make their living off of the passions of others? If "passion" was really the only driving factor, why would they open a restaurant at all?
Everyone that pays attention to any food write up is a sap, they are unable of thinking and making jugdement calls for themselves.So what are the alternatives for finding out about different restaurants, styles of cuisine, etc., if it were not for someone ELSE writing about it? Word of mouth only? Leave it to deep pocketed advertisers to let you know whose food is the best?
Is anyone who dines at your restaurant because of Chapin's or Ferruza's reviews a sap?
Gee gosh Jerry I don't know why
Why did I work for free for a year in restaurants? I opened my restaurant for me not for every sap out there looking for a new place to open up and run just to be seen. That's why I don't give any choices on the menu, that's why I tell veggie heads to go away. That's why I advertise in a gay publication because I want open minded customers, that's why I don't take walkins. That's why I don't offer a food menu in my wine lounge because I don't need miss fathead hanging around just waiting to be seen.Anyone that stickly goes by what the write ups say is a sap and I don't want them here. So If that's the only reason they came then they are saps, and I could care less.
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Yes, welcome, Aaron. Sorry I wasn't there to greet you when you arrived
Back on topic (since Ronnie seems determined to try and herd cats
). . .We all seem to share disappointment, dismay and dissatisfaction with the quality and consistency of the reviewing. May I suggest contacting the Readers' Representative with specific, concrete examples and concerns? I have corresponded a bit with the editor of Preview but I think it might be more effective to step outside of that editorial 'vertical' and draw-in a more neutral third party. I would particularly encourage those who are recently relocated to KC - it's been a decade since I lived outside The Star's territory and, although I read other critics online, it's not quite the same as having reliable, trustworthy reviews where you live. It seems Aaron, in particular, who just arrived and may want some guidance to KC restaurants, has a legitimate concern to take to them.
I would hate to be a food critic and thank god I'm not! My hate mail would be tripple as what it is now already. A critic is just an opion it's not a grade that remains on your tombstone it's not life or death.
The critic at the pitch is a joke, I've known him 12 years or so, Judy loves him cause he tosses her name around on the hotdog and chili show on 89.3 that show is a total waste of radio waves. The KC mag food critic is a really jacked she came into my restaurant and professed she was a vegan and turns around and proclaims Ruth Chris has the best steak in the city(on that same hot dog show) she so bad the editor of KC mag won't let her do the hot dog show any more, she does it now. I think maybe Katie is so stuck on herself and wants to be someone that why she does the show also. Chris at Ingrams is a very sweet lady but I wouldn't let her decide where I should dine at. The KCstar has issues also, I know if some one served me a piece of shoe leather I wouldn't give them 3.5 stars, but she takes alot into thought when she reviews.
Some of the best critics are bloggers, but most of them don't know sweet breads from pastries.
But hey look at us on this site do we have such a lowly life that this is our hobby? Or we have to swoop down on a restaurant and "take one for the gang" hmmmm....I think we should keep all the critics we deserve them!
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How is it produced? A practice called "gavage" accelerates the gorging and fattening waterfowl naturally do before migrating. For two to three weeks before slaughter, farm workers hand feed each bird large amounts of food, typically twice a day, by inserting a tube through its mouth. The process takes between 2 and 60 seconds. Since birds store excess fat in their livers (unlike humans, who store it throughout their bodies), the extra feeding causes the liver to swell.
Hmmm...wow this is just like the movie supper size me when the Dr. warned him to change his diet because he was turnning his liver into fat.....hmmm...does that make Mc Donald dinners dumb as ducks and geese? Has anyone seen any of the city council at the local micky d's? hmmm I wonder if Tom Cruise will be dinning on micky d foie gras in a few years.lol
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Bo Bo's is moving into the city market, eight blocks from me. The restaurant was about 30 clicks west of Prague in West Germany you were just a kinder then so it's long gone.
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Inspired by my recent trip to China, I'm starting this thread to keep the food comin'. Now, I know I won't find anything like I had in China here in the Midwest, but I'll bet I can come pretty close. Would love to hear from all you adventurous eaters out there!
I'll get the party started with China Tom's. The following is cut-and-pasted from my latest blog entry.
The Tengs, friends of mine, own a small private farm in Richmond, Missouri. Tom's entire 25 acres is dedicated to Asian pears. He has about four or five different varieties. Tonight, we went to his restaurant, China Tom's, and got to try some of them. His wife brought out a platter with two different kinds - an Asian pear (a.k.a "Korean pears" or "Yali pears") which grows all throughout Eastern Asia and an American varietal, with a darker and thicker skin.
The Asian varietal is crisper and more juicy. The skin color ranges from a pale yellow to a butter yellow. The flavor starts off with a little tartness but is quickly chased away by intense sweetness. The American variatal, not surprisingly is pure sweetness from start to finish - geared toward our saccharine-cravin' palates. The American varietal is more dense, less crisp, and a tougher chew - in part because of the slightly thicker and more brownish skin.
Of course, though tempted, man does not live on pears alone. We ordered food - a very simple meal, but satisfying nonetheless. A successful farmer, Mr. Teng is also a worthy chef. Tonight he prepared one of my favorite dishes at his restaurant - huang gua tsao la pi (or huang gua tsao liang fun) - cucumber with mung bean noodle salad. The dressing is very spicy and garlicky - basically a mix of vinegar, garlick, a bit of salt and sugar, a few drops of rice wine, red chile flakes and chopped cilantro. Wow, is it good. The mung bean noodles (liang fun, or la pi - which literally translates to "pulled skin) are transluscent, broad and thin sheets of pasta - somewhat like spring roll wrappers or a large sheet of thick gelatin. Mr. Teng prefers using Korean mung bean broad noodles because they are sturdier and have a nice chew.
To make this dish, Mr. Teng first immerses the noodle sheets in boiling water. As soon as they are softened, he immediately cuts them into pieces. If you wait until the noodles go cold, they'll curl up and become difficut to cut. Working quickly, he tosses in sliced cucumbers (English or Asian) and mixes it with the dressing. What results is a garlicky and spicy noodle salad. Yum.
We also had a plate of stir-fried flounder slices ($10.95). The silver dollar-sized pieces of fish had been cooked with fermented soybeans (do ce), snow peas, cucumbers, and carrots. I dare any American chef to produce a plate of sliced fish as exquisitely tender and soft as Mr. Teng's.
A plate of chopped and stir-fried you tsai (a Chinese mustard green) ($7.50) and a big bowl of rice vermicelli (mi fun) and pickled greens (shien tsai) soup rounded out the meal.
If you're ever in the area, check out China Tom's. Order from the "Special Authentic Chinese Menu" for some more traditional food. Of course, if you want my favorite dish, huang gua tsao la pi, you might want to call ahead to make sure they can prepare it for you. To see all of the dishes from my meal, visit my flickr account.
China Tom's
Chef-Owner Tom Teng
2816 West 47th Avenue
Kansas City, Kansas 66103
913.432.1597
If you're interested in what other Chinese restaurants I'd recommend, check out this posting on my blog.
Cheers.
u.e.
Looks good! I'll have to give it a try. Are they open on Sundays? I haven't had good Chinese since I left Europe almost 20 years ago. I hate the Bo Bo place in Kansas City, now they got one movin to my neck of the woods down here.
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I hope this doesn't mean that our dinner date at T-Rex is off for tonight?
I gather there is no identifying clue as to which food order goes to which table? None whatsoever? La Parilla (in Lawrence) similarly has you order at a counter, gives you your drinks and chips & salsa at that time, but they also give you a small plastic table-tent with a number that corresponds with a number on the food ticket that goes to the line. Even at that it can be tricky when they're slammed and there are multiple tables awaiting food. I can't imagine why anyone with a strong customer service focus (Gold/Smith are partners in Spin, right?) would leave their servers twisting in the wind like that. It just doesn't make sense.
I would belive it's hard to tie food to customers when you haven't a clue where they are going to sit. D' Bronx has been doing it for years. Gosh it's a pizza joint not a service driven restaurant. I bet the prices refect that.
I thought I read some where G&S had very small % of ownership. They just sold their name that's about I would guess.
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What cause would that be, monkfish?...what my restaurant in Kansas City is going to do for the month of September... Since Peta says the birds should be set free I'm going to set them free! Free to any customer that somes in and asks for Freedom Gras. and any Foie Gras I sell as a supplement I'm going to donate all the money from the sell to the cause!u.e.
Chicago Chefs for Choice
Do you have any information on this organization?
here's a small link about them.
Thank you. They are brave given past PETA tactics.
Peta can suck my Foie Gras!
Bluestem, KC
in The Heartland: Dining
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