Kansas.com: Dining

RESTAURANT-RELATED TURKEY TIPS

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

1. Let a restaurant smoke your bird: As always, many local barbecue restaurants will sell birds already smoked, available for pickup on Thanksgiving Day. Jet Bar-B-Q at 1100 E. Third St. (316-262-7299) will allow customers with reservations to pick up 12- to 14-pound birds hot from the smoke pit. (They run about $30.) Call your neighborhood restaurant now to check on availability and make a reservation.

2. Let a restaurant make your whole meal: Yia Yia's Eurobistro at 8115 E. 21st St. will sell customers a Thanksgiving dinner that includes three sides, turkey and gravy, rolls and pumpkin pie for $18 a person. Make reservations by Tuesday.

Thanksgiving Day buffets and more

DENISE NEIL — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:03 CST

As we compiled our list of restaurants in Wichita that will be open and serving on Thanksgiving Day, a few interesting trends appeared.
For one, the restaurants that will be open report more interest from potential diners this year. The Cinnabar Cafe inside the Marriott has been nearly sold out for a week, and that never happens so early, a manager said.
Another trend: For the past several years, restaurants have been steadily raising the price of their buffets. But this year, the prices remained unchanged from last year or went up by 20 cents or less.

Thanksgiving Day buffets and more

DENISE NEIL — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:50 CST

As we compiled our list of restaurants in Wichita that will be open and serving on Thanksgiving Day, a few interesting trends appeared.
For one, the restaurants that will be open report more interest from potential diners this year. The Cinnabar Cafe inside the Marriott has been nearly sold out for a week, and that never happens so early, a manager said.
Another trend: For the past several years, restaurants have been steadily raising the price of their buffets. But this year, the prices remained unchanged from last year or went up by 20 cents or less.

A peek at the Dolci & joes menu

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:38 CST

The sandwich shop recently opened at 3425 E. Douglas (316-613-3515) in the space formerly (and briefly) occupied by Breezy's. It's open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Featured on the menu:

1. Sandwiches: Diners can choose from 17 different sandwiches, all $6.99, made with turkey, chicken, pork, beef or veggies and a variety of toppings. One example is the Sophia's Sophisticated Chicken, made with pulled chicken, Applewood bacon, Wisconsin Muenster cheese, avocado, vine-ripened tomatoes, bibb lettuce, red onion and garlic aioli on cheesy rosemary bread.

CAFE OFFERS POETS, MUSICIANS A STAGE

Chandra Stauffer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:36 CST

Students and other night owls have a new east-side option for grabbing a hot meal, studying or just relaxing with friends.
The Poetic Justice Cafe & Lounge on north Webb Road is open until midnight six days a week.
Victoria Palacios, who owns the cafe with her family, is a Wichita State University student who noticed that many places that stay open late are in the downtown area. She wanted something available on the east side of town, too.

Use lean beef to cut the fat in spicy meatballs

JILL WENDHOLT SILVA — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:04 CST

Long before the meatball rolled off spaghetti, the plump little darling had become a globetrotter.
Various food encyclopedias list the Danish frikadeller, the German Klopse, the Greek keftedes and the Spanish albondiga as prime examples of meatball cuisine.
But regardless of the originating country, most recipes — typically a combination of ground meat, a filler (such as bread crumbs) and a binder (such as beaten egg or sour cream) —are loaded with fat, calories and cholesterol.

A few other very old Wichita restaurants

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

Livingston's: The Livingston family opened Livingston's Cafe in downtown Wichita in 1910. Descendants still run Livingston's Cafe at 924 S. Woodlawn, Livingston's at 832 N. Webb Road and Jeanne's Cafe at 4733 E. Douglas.
NuWay: The first NuWay, home of the crumbly but good burger, was opened in 1930 at 1416 W. Douglas,

Savute's turns a young 65

DENISE NEIL — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:07 CST

Pete Savute's childhood, he admits, was pretty romantic.
He grew up in his family's Italian restaurant, which in the early days was staffed exclusively with Italian relatives — uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents.
They had family holiday dinners and anniversary parties there, and the restaurant — and family — revolved around Savute's charismatic father, John, who died at age 71 in a 2001 plane crash.

Senor Tequila offers Tex-Mex fare in an Italian atmosphere

DENISE NEIL — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:32 CDT

The space at 8760 W. 21st St. has seen several restaurants come and go in the past decade — most of them Italian.
There was Semolina, an interesting pasta restaurant that opened in 2000, followed by Dino's, a short-lived Italian place. Italian Garden took the space over in 2003, then vacated it a few months ago.
Now, a new tenant has moved in. Senor Tequila, a small Mexican chain that operated for about a year on south Broadway, opened there several weeks ago.

Three restaurants celebrating Halloween with kids

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:09 CDT

1. Applebee's: Children ages 12 and under who wear their Halloween costumes to Applebee's today and Saturday can get a free kid's meal with the purchase of an adult entree. The deal is good for dine-in only.

2. Abuelo's, 1413 N. Waterfront Parkway: Costumed children age 12 and under can get a free kid's meal from 11 a.m. to close on Saturday. Families can get two kid's meals for every adult entree purchased.

SENOR TEQUILA OFFERS TEX-MEX FARE IN AN ITALIAN ATMOSPHERE

DENISE NEIL — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00 CDT

The space at 8760 W. 21st St. has seen several restaurants come and go in the past decade — most of them Italian.
There was Semolina, an interesting pasta restaurant that opened in 2000, followed by Dino's, a short-lived Italian place. Italian Garden took the space over in 2003, then vacated it a few months ago.
Now, a new tenant has moved in. Senor Tequila, a small Mexican chain that operated for about a year on south Broadway, opened there several weeks ago.

Favorites fuse in chicken and waffles

DENISE NEIL — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:09 CDT

To Southerners (and residents of Los Angeles), chicken and waffles are two great tastes that taste great together.
To Wichitans, though, chicken is for dinner and waffles are for breakfast.
A few local restaurants are attempting to change that Midwestern mind-set by introducing a regional Southern dish that's rare in Wichita — chicken and waffles.

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:09 CDT

Six rules for Tanya's portable kitchen
Chef Tanya Tandoc will set up a mobile restaurant during this weekend's Tallgrass Film Festival and will serve her famous tomato bisque and chicken curry as well as bread pudding from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Following are a few rules, in Tandoc's own words, that she recently posted on her Facebook page.

Fried favorites fuse in chicken and waffles

DENISE NEIL — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:34 CDT

To Southerners (and residents of Los Angeles), chicken and waffles are two great tastes that taste great together.
To Wichitans, though, chicken is for dinner and waffles are for breakfast.
A few local restaurants are attempting to change that Midwestern mind-set by introducing a regional Southern dish that's rare in Wichita — chicken and waffles.

Three bits of new restaurant news

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:05 CDT

Following are a few restaurants that have just opened or are about to open in Wichita.
1. Zaytun, 2020 N. Woodlawn, Suite 300, 316-613-2474: The word means "olive," and the restaurant that recently opened in the former Fusion Pizza space features cuisine with Persian, Turkish, Lebanese, Indian and Pakistani influences and offers a buffet every day but Saturday. Owned by former Latour man Syed Abbas, the restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.

NEARLY 400 BEERS ON TAP AT MIDWEST BEERFEST

DENISE NEIL — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:26 CDT

Serious beer fans will travel long distances to sample new and unusual microbrews.
Serious Kansas beer fans won’t have to travel far this weekend, though. Saturday’s annual Midwest Beerfest is featuring more microbrews than ever before.
Eight of the 11 registered microbreweries in Kansas — including Wichita’s River City and Cheney’s Hank Is Wiser — will be providing some of the nearly 400 beers on tap.

NEW THAI BISTRO OFFERS MANY TASTY DISHES

DENISE NEIL — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:56 CDT

The west side, historically known for its dining vanilla-ness, has over the past year added several new ethnic restaurants. The latest is Sit @ Thai Bistro, a hip eatery with a 2009 name and approach.
The restaurant is in the space formerly occupied by Wong's and is owned by Nikki and Boyd Phumsawarng, who recently moved to Wichita from Hollywood, Calif.
ON THE MENU: The restaurant sells standard Thai dishes, including spring rolls, dumplings, pad Thai, drunken noodles, fried rice and a variety of curry dishes.

A peek at the Pacific Coast Pizza menu

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:08 CDT

Pacific Coast Pizza, a restaurant that recently opened at 7718 E. 37th St. North (316-201-4743), is open from 11 a.m. to midnight daily. Among the many interesting pizzas on the menu (which also includes pastas, salads and wraps):
Sydney: Topped with pesto, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted chicken, artichoke hearts, provolone and goat cheese.
San Andreas: Featuring a rosemary wheat crust, Pacific Coast red sauce, low-fat mozzarella, roasted chicken, red onion, mushroom, roasted red pepper and pineapple.

NEW THAI BISTRO OFFERS MANY TASTY DISHES

DENISE NEIL — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:16 CDT

The west side, historically known for its dining vanilla-ness, has over the past year added several new ethnic restaurants. The latest is Sit @ Thai Bistro, a hip eatery with a 2009 name and approach.
The restaurant is in the space formerly occupied by Wong's and is owned by Nikki and Boyd Phumsawarng, who recently moved to Wichita from Hollywood, Calif.

Race for the food

DENISE NEIL — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:06 CDT

You Raced for the Cure last weekend, so you earned all the calories you'll ingest during October when you eat (and eat and eat) for the cure.
The seventh Komen Cuisine for the Cure runs through October and features a series of meals and special dishes at Wichita restaurants. It's designed to raise money for the Mid-Kansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization whose purpose is to fight breast cancer.
The event, which is the second largest annual Komen fundraiser in Wichita, trailing only the Race for the Cure in money raised, usually raises $15,000 to $20,000 each year.