ChefCAG

I think that spot may work if it's the right concept. The problem is only young party kids go to that end of westport at night and have about 30 bucks in their pockets. So weekend night food sales are going to be hard to come by. Lunch during the week is how most restaurants make money there. But doing a neighborhood burger joint it may work. The only thing I'm concerned about is making it too trendy. Westport is kinda divey and people like it that way. I feel bad for Tatsu too....He tried hard and I liked both places he tried to put in there. KC is just such a fickle town

I don’t like to talk bad about other places on forums but it frustrates me when someone has enough money to do what ever they want and put it in a location most of us would kill to have. Then drive it into the ground the way they did. Unbelievable. We had a beer there last year and the bathrooms looked as if they hadn’t been cleaned or repaired in months. Mr. Brett had very little to do with the place. I’m not going to say the name of the owners so I will not pop up in a google search but they are the most corrupt restaurant group in the city. He just opens places and lets it squeeze money out of plaza tourists. IMHO he is one of the problems with restaurants in KC. Serving low rent Italian, burgers and other crap and calling it fine dining and people love it.

Burrata is really hard to find from a wholesale vender and it does not last long. I have had it. It seems to be best during tomato season

I was wondering the same thing... it was left vaguely at "the holidays..." You know, holidays are year-round occurances... I'm looking at Christmas 2020, but I doubt that's what they have in mind. To answer your (and my) question, we shall have to summon Chef CAG from his slumber... ← Detroit.....No. Happy hour......I'm going to see what happens. I will run it through the winter. We needed to give a jolt to the lounge. If it continues to do well we will keep it for a while. I think we might start music on Thursdays in Dec. also. We are taking a hit on food but hopefully it will get some people in that wouldnt come otherwise. The dining room does great just trying to get some next door

Naw, It makes us look like real chefs The reason I ask is we have Sel Rose and I have enough for probably another year and then I need to find more. It's the curing salt in the Torchone and I don't want to use another brand if it changes the out come. ← There's no "e" on the end of torchon!!!! You know I'm just joking (actually, I'm not - there really is no "e" on the end of torchon)... and joiei - you know I love all of you, and all of your misspelled ways. ← Dam!!! Man I'm a bad at english

Naw, It makes us look like real chefs The reason I ask is we have Sel Rose and I have enough for probably another year and then I need to find more. It's the curing salt in the Torchone and I don't want to use another brand if it changes the out come.

justhoward, you mean "pink salts?" Anywhere else in KC that sells it? ←

More than a few that I am familiar with specifically wish to not have that information public, which I understand. One especially is passionate about that. Ramsay, Batali, Palmer, Burke, and I've been told Tournodel and Ripert, but I'm not sure. ← Ramsey wouldn't suprise me. Batali yes seen him plenty...I was a sous for Palmer for 2yrs in Vegas. Never saw him smoke. Don't know about Tournodel or Burke. I would be SHOCKED if Ripert did. He seems way too disciplined.

Really? Like who? I know alot of well Known chefs and none of them smoke.

I smoked for about 10 years and quit when I worked in a kitchen where I had no time to. I would have been made fun of. Smoking IMO is an out dated thing. About half of my staff smokes but all of them are under 30 and the cooks that smoke (2 of them) certainly do not have subtle palates. I bet smoking will be a thing of the past in the next 10 years

LOL! I hope Chef GAG was a typo

I agree with your statement about "typecasting," but it seems to me that barbecue is KC's entree to a higher level of dining -- like cheesesteaks here, it is an Everyman food tradition that has become the point of departure for bigger and better things, and without that base, those better things might not have caught on. Oh, I am not complaining!!! I'm actually very thankful. It's just a very important fact Man, I can't figure out the quotes!!!

I wanted to put me two cents in on this. Being a restaurateur, all I do all day long is try to figure out how to get more butts in seats and what’s wrong if I don’t. I have never been to Detroit so all I can tell you is about KC. KC has always been known for BBQ and Steaks. Because of that I think when people come to KC eating is one of the things they always want to do. The problem with that however is it “typecasts” us. I have often stated that this city isn’t diverse enough when it comes to food. Sure we have some great ethnic restaurants but not very many and I think that’s because other then Hispanic, we have very few concentrations of ethnic neighborhoods. Maybe this is same thing in other cities. When people go to Detroit is there one overwhelming food that everyone wants? Same with Cinci, or Indianapolis? I know Philly is about cheese steaks and St. Louis has the hill. It just seems there is some historic link to food that makes these cities “restaurant cities”. You all may think this sounds simple or trivial but think about it. As for high end fine dining, I think there are only so many diners to fill this segment. KC has plenty of wealthy people but everyone is constantly competing over the exact same people. I have been open for three and a half years. I can go 10 miles south of my restaurant and no one has ever heard of it. I can go to San Fran for example and meet 5 people that have. WTF?! I don’t know why this happens but it does.

Anyone seen a menu? Hours? Lunch? If no one knows maybe I'll call him and get the info and post.

Agreed. I think that a publication and the restaurant review should fit the marketplace that it is serving. A small town audience may want to know less about the execution of French techniques to prepare such and such a dish or some wistful anecdote that leads into a narrative about a dish, and more about the basic flavor, presentation, value, etc. in straightforward terms. That said, isn't omission of commentary or critique of lesser quality food, i.e. "the potatoes were cold and lumpy," providing a disservice to the reader? Certainly, others will order a dish with potatoes in it and might find the same experience. Isn't the observation of both what did and did not work in a restaurant––regarding menu, service, atmosphere, value––essential to mention in a review? Sorry if that strayed too much from the original thread. To bring discussion back to Lawrence, what establishments in Lawrence are worth reviewing or writing about besides Free State and Wheatfields? For Kansas Citians that want to dine in Lawrence while in town, where might they go if they knew more? ← HA HA! Welcome Pete! I wonderd if you would stumble across this forum

I tell people all the time that I am amazed that people eat THREE times a day and know nothing about food. But......I deal with three kinds of customers 1. The "Never dines out" or only "Special Occasions" which seems to be about 35% 2. The "rich and affluent" who either dines at my place becasue they somewhat know food or because they want to be seen....about 63% 3. And yes of course, you guys a.k.a. "the food nerds" who know more about food then anyone. about 2% So I have a broad range who I'm trying to target. The crazy thing is IML I am well aware of your point and I am not refuting. But….for people that think I can lose one single cent for a cause is crazy. Anytime you want to try to run a high cost low profit small business in the name of a cause be my guest! Besides after comments like this. It's a littel tough to take you seriously. And from your old website I noticed you are younger than I am ...

Well put Jaymes. Thanks for posting.

This is a very interesting subject. I most certainly understand IML stance on using all local ingredients but it is very difficult. Especially in late January and February when the only thing available in season are root vegetables. Despite what anyone might think it’s a little tough to crank out a 12 course meal with turnips and potatoes. And it has little to do with talent. There has to be diversity in menu. I agree that we live in amazing place where agriculture is as it is but we aren’t in California. I would love to experience the growing seasons and product availability that some on like Alice Waters or Michael Bras has. There are many chef’s out there and some in KC who’s main focus is only to serve organic, natural, local sustainable products. Great! That’s their focus. My focus is cuisine first. I will try feverishly to use only local and I think with Dave’s family farm we go far and above the call of duty on that. But at the end of the day we need more depth in our product repertoire to not only compete locally but nationally too, and very few farmers are catering to chef’s in this region. Some do. But if I want anything exotic I have to get it from Dave’s family or FedEx. The local farmers are not going to grow stuff for us that they can’t sell at the market and I don’t blame them. Farming is still to this day a tough freakn job and the need every cent they can get. As for fish there is no question…..Believe it or not my customers demand certain things and I have to keep up to stay in business…period. "Sous Vide Crappie, Missouri Pecans, Braised Turnips, Local Potato Puree"

I knew you would show up one of these days....

It seems to me (and I could be very wrong) some food writers in smaller markets get “handed” the lovely job of writing about restaurants whether the want the job or not. My guess is that most writers that never planed on being food writers would like to write about things as a journalist do…without an opinion. Isn’t that how there’re trained??? So I think they try REALLY hard not to hurt any feelings….. I think being a true food writer is a VERY challenging thing that should never be taken lightly. You have to completely prepare to be fair and really report what you see without worrying about the backlash. You have the power in a pen to affect someone’s livelihood and everyone that works for that person. You are basically giving someone a job performance report in front of the public. Anyone ever had a crummy job evaluation by a boss? You know how they take you into an office and close the door to tell you what you’re doing wrong? Now just imagine if he brought the whole staff in to listen in…no wait, the whole city including your mom, dad, neighbor, ex-girlfriend etc.....Yep it’s not fun …BUT if you decide to be a Chef or an actor or a book writer etc….You have to be prepared for it and EXCEPT IT when it happens. Wipe your face off and get back to work. Sorry about the rant but I just think the “food critic” conversations that go on are sometimes interesting coming from the public…..So carry on!

I left the invite at home so ethier I'm an idiot or it's a typo...... Man! U.E. busts balls on all the details

I got an invitation to M Petersons new place Trezo Mare in Briarcliff on Thursday the 17th but im not sure if we are going

I would also like to congratulate ChefGEB and the entire Peninsula Chicago crew for being named the best hotel in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler

I excited to see a defined rating system

I don't mind BYO at all In my place, but again I hope it's a bottle we cannot get. Missouri is a franchise state which means if a distributor doesn’t provide it we aren’t allowed to sell it. For instance Megan and I are on the list for Williams Salem (sp?) winery. We get about 2 cases a year at home. Not only can we not get it anywhere in town, if we sell it on our list I think they could fine us. So I think it is unfair that we can’t take it to another place and enjoy it with dinner. Also I have been known to let people BYO on occasion and I will absolutely wave corkage if you buy something off our list too.