moosnsqrl

Thanks - will definitely put this to use. No if I can just find six free hours - the drive and the relaxed pace make this a real 'destination' dinner.

Not to get too off topic, but mine have set fruit and are going freakin nuts right now. They love the squirelly weather. Chiles too. ← That's unnatural. Everything is stunted at our place. Guess we'll be eating from your garden this year. Do let me know when you'll be delivering to our neighborhood. Edited to fix the Chilihead's quotes

We were fortunate to take advantage of the fabulous deal on Jun 7 and I have been trying to post about it but every time I sit down at the computer, thunderstorms swoop in and force me to power down before I even get through the first course. Briefly, then, here is what we had and I would recommend any of these without hesitation: Arugula, radish, pecans, bleu cheese, olives and a killer dressing w/honey (I was concerned about it but ended up loving it) Grilled romain hearts w/really yummy house-made butter croutons Chicken pate - Nick loved this; I didn't taste it but I ate rather a lot of it with my eyes - it's visually stunning. Roasted, stuffed hen w/egg raviolo, macarpone and zucchini 'noodles'. You could give me just about anything with a runny egg raviolo on it and I wouldn't complain. The hen was perfectly cooked - I didn't get much of it, though. Berkshire Pork loin, cippolini, peas, gnocchi - I threatened to lick the plate but mustered some self control (when I remembered we had ordered dessert) A pair of souffles (45-minute lead time required) - I'm not a chocolate person and took only a small taste of it but the vanilla one was unreal - still fairly molten in the center and, with the creme fraiche provided melting over it, truly amazing. More recently I stopped in for a "time killer" and enjoyed some frites w/truffle oil and a cocktail. They were doing a photo shoot for the website and I volunteered to stay and eat the evidence but the photog's friend snarled and bared his teeth so I left with my tail between my legs.

It sounds like a fantastic deal. It beats risking Salmonella at the market! (Okay, maybe slightly off-coloured, but true!) ← sounds good - with this squirrelly weather, I hope they have ripe tomatoes by then

At least his friends are interesting.

If I may highjack this from the star-chef-spotting for a brief moment and return to the topic . . . I was at a neighborhood birthday party and there were several people there discussing the sausage listings and the glaring omission of Krizman's and Fritz's. And these aren't even food-obsessed people. It's pretty bad when even casual eaters are picking your writing apart, and not for style but for substance (or lack thereof).

Apparently, the Leawood location will open in July at 4579 W. 119th Street Leawood, KS 66209. (P: 913.232.5191 F: 913.232.5195) (across from the Crate & Barrel) ← The writer from 435-South (name escapes me) was talking about this on Walt Bodine last week. If you care to know more, I'm sure it's archived but I imagine she was quoting from the press release, not that I think of it. Someone made a joke about North being so far south and snapped me out of my trance and I realized I didn't know if she said she had eaten there, or???

I can think of only one exception . . . and he has so many personalities, perhaps . . .??

We may be sops but no one on this board has known hunger in a long time. It's just good knowing Chef Gold is going to stay in town - let alone having her back in the 'jewel box' that is The American. My reaction was the same as the Wench's - hohum to woohoo in 0.5 seconds.

Woohoo! I know it's not terribly articulate but it best sums up my emotions at this moment. I'd like to see a big musical production number ala "Hello Dolly at Harmony Gardens" for the comeback celebration.

Yes, love him or hate him, no one could deny he was a character and a force to be dealt with. Macaluso's and Allegro raised the bar on 39th Street and for that we owe him a debt of gratitude. I'm sure he's stirring things up somewhere. Cheers, big guy.

Thanks for the update. Hope to get there for dinner sooner than later but will be heavily disguised.

Joyce Smith sheds some light on Bella and some additional light on Twist in this morning's business section: http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/651806.html

I'll check with our American Royal team. Sounds like a road trip might be in order. And we're not just Q - we routinely feed 150 for various occasions. This is intriguing.

There are a few places on Strawberry Hill and in Sugar Creek. Most are a combination of traditional and 'Merican. There is a Serbian Dinner at Pflumm & College Blvd tonight - part of a festival.

Um, I believe it's going to be named "Bella," the name that justhoward and Aaron Deacon site above; the same name I saw stenciled on the window when I passed by recently. ← I meant names of human beings who might be associated with the project.

any names bandied about? I can't recall anyone doing 'central Italian' in KC.

Wow, I didn't know Walter was gone. Anyone know what happened there? We enjoyed a pretty wonderful dinner under his watch (in late February).

I was fortunate to attend a birthday party (yes, Z, old hippies in Lawrence) last weekend and a friend showed up with a grocery bag full of morels. If I were any more specific she would use vice grips and a blow torch on me, but they were from around Baldwin. She spent most of the evening flouring and frying and she never did get ahead of us. I guess we forgot to go outside and tell the others that there were morels to be had. Some of my other disgusting friends - who literally find them in their window boxes every spring - saute them very slightly in EVOO (no flour) and put them on homemade pizzas. Yum. I've been to the Lawrence market and the OP market so far this year. It took so long to warm up, the pickings were pretty slim at both. And I've been trying to get to the Bad Seed market on Fridays, but haven't made it yet. Brooke sends out an email each week to let us know what the farmers are bringing and it sounds fabulous - including some goat cheese in various forms (marinated, spreads with herbs, etc). Oh, and Pendleton's is open for asparagus picking and they have morels daily right now. There is a full list of what's currently available at their website. For those on the Kansas side, it doesn't take long to zip over on K-10.

This is a loss. Not only did he essentially father the modern California winemaking industry, other aspects of his legacy - including and especially Copia - are formidable. Today might be the day to dust off the bottle of Opus One I've had squirreled away.

I wouldn't have phrased it that way, but I second it. We did the 5-course there last week and, although I've had something to do every waking moment since then and haven't managed to write a psalm to it, it was all that and a bag of gaufrettes. And, ditto, Joe. I'm sure you'll do well!

That's terrible news, joiei. I received your email with his name in the subject line but couldn't open the link at the time so I'm just now reading this. I loved that man - although I met him as "The Tomato Man with Garlic Breath" when he spoke to a group of us at Seed Savers in Decorah, IA. I see in the article that he was 68 but would have guessed him much younger than that. I'm sure he will be greatly missed in Tulsa and I am saddened that I'll never enjoy his wit and passion for the soil again. Truly a loss. I am glad his daughter came back from the PNW to carry the torch.

Well, it's not at all an "event" for me to stumble in for a happy hour drink, but my schedule has prevented it for a month or so. Tonight, a last-minute work dinner on the part of my SO found me there and I happened into a gathering initiated by Aaron Deacon on another forum. We enjoyed some great conversation with one from the KC Rag Forum and some fabulous (and criminally inexpensive) apps: the charcuterie (it's actually called La Guernicia, IIRC), wagyu tartare, frites with a flight of sauces and the smoked salmon. All were primo and I honestly think we skated for less than had we gone to a dive and had well drinks and typical bar food. Run, don't walk, to happy hour at the 'stem. I will [almost] underwrite a money-back guarantee.

As it happened, The Lodge did a special four-course dinner on the Sunday of the Final Four weekend, so we were able to partake of their goodness. What a meal! From amuse (simple blackberry and raspberry, with a dab of TX goat cheese, fennel pollen and honey from Italy) to gazpacho w/crab and avocado, duck confit orrichieti, fabulous filet and a deconstructed blueberry cheesecake for dessert - all was incredible and ridiculously low-priced. As someone said upthread . . . how can they DO it? The setting is beautiful, too, and the service polished. It was truly an oasis is a sea of over-crowded insanity. Thanks for the suggestion and, if you haven't been, go!

Bumping this and setting tighter parameters . . . lunch on a Saturday, Sunday breakfast, lunch on a Monday, early dinner on a Monday. If the restos there don't typically close Sundays and Mondays someone can just tell me that and answer accordingly. I really wanted to try La Reve but we won't be there anytime they are service, apparently. Good food at any price point - we're neither snobby nor frugal - just want good food, whether it's upscale or funky. Thanks in advance.