New Kid on Campus

Critique No. 10

Restaurant

Next Door Pizza & Pub

3385 SW Fascination Dr.

Lee's Summit, MO 64081
816-763-1200
http://www.nextdoorpizza.com/
Hrs: Sun-Thur 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm

Cuisine: Italian/American, Buffet, Pizzeria

Maximum Occupancy: 95 plus the Patio

Bam! I'm back.  Sorry for the time in between posts- you know...life.  Well I am bringing back a story about my trip to a new face near the Metropolitan Community College-Longview Campus.  The place is Next Door Pizza & Pub. I was told by a dear friend that I must try the pizzeria, and I must try it NOW! 

This is what went down.  As you drive up to the New Longview community in Lee's Summit you first notice the colorful buildings and of course the college. Take a left at the stop light and you will drive right past Fascination Drive. On the corner you'll see NDP and ask yourself, where am I suppose to park? Keep driving, the majority of the parking is in back.  There was a nice patio area on the side for good weather days.  I walked in the back door and was greeted by a the owner Patrick Cuezze.  For lunch there are two choices- order off the menu or you can hit up the buffet.  I always try to get a variety of offerings from a new place, so I went with the menu (since it was a pizza only buffet). I didn't have a chance to try one of their 10 ON TAP or 30 BOTTLED BEERS, but- apparently they are just as much into their micro brews as they are their pizza! The waitress was nice and engaging,she took my drink order and I glanced over the menu and looked around the restaurant.  As I looked up I saw this beautiful sight hanging above the door.

If you can't read that (go see an eye Dr.)

It says "We Proudly Serve Mendolia's Italian Sausage, We only serve the Best!"

This made me exceedingly happy, because A: Mendolia's is the best sausage in the world (bias??) and B: Mendolia's is a Kansas City classic.  I love seeing local businesses support each other!!!  I have grown up eating mendolia's my whole life, and when I saw on the menu the sausage grinder- I knew that was it.  It was served with hand cut, double cooked fries.  The waitress told me to substitute for the Puerto Fries (same fries, just covered with bacon, queso and jalapenos) I went for it- I like to take the recommendations, I also got 2 squares of thier thin crust pepperoni pizza to try out their namesake.   So my order was in, I'm sitting there, trying to get a vibe on this place.  It's kinda quirky with the sports stuff, and all the doors hanging from the walls, ceilings and everywhere else you looked. Patrick later told me that the doors were all designed and painted by community members, organizations and groups.  

(You can design a door too! Just call and talk to Patrick about it.)

I didn't care for the music that was playing, just pop radio garbage (that's a big deal for me as a diner.  I like to feel relaxed when I eat, and the music was making me annoyed)  I put all that aside when I saw this set in front of me.

Lets start with the pizza.  This was a paper thin, cracker crust.  I mean just crispy and good, not dry. but crispy.  Great flavor from the sauce, nice melting cheese (they use only GRANDE mozzarella), and Rosa Grande Pepperoni- (which was very small in diameter- about the size of a nickel).  Now the pepperoni threw me off a little, because when they cook up, they tend to cup up so a little pool of grease forms inside.  Patrick says that's fine with him.  I prefer the pepperoni to be a little bigger around, but lets move on.  The Grinder:  Right off the bat, I noticed that it was not cut down the side like a hot dog bun.  This was a hollowed out piece of Italian bread with the sausage cut up and put inside with the sauce and cheese, then capped off with what I would call a "bread cork".  It was a sesame toasted flavor that hit me first, then more bread, and i realized my first bite was all bread and sauce.  So....eh, idk about that.  Next bite, tender, perfectly cooked Italian sausage, cheese, and sauce with the crusty bread and the Ah! and the Oo! it was good. I set that down for a second to dig into the puerto fries.  This was like HALT!! PEPPER ATTACK MEETS MUSHY POTATO!!  It was explained to me that the fries that day hadn't been double cooked. So they didn't develop a nice crunchy exterior, instead, they were mush with all that cheese just adding to the mush.  The jalapeno and Fresno Chiles that were on the dish- in my opinion- way too much heat for a side dish to have.  I stopped there with the fries.  Finishing the pizza and sandwich, I felt somewhat sad that I just paid $3.00 extra to "puerto" my fries.  There were a lot of things I liked but some pretty big misses as well for this trip to NDP.  I did enjoy talking with Patrick and his wife after my meal, just finding out about them and their place. Some bonuses I found were: They have gluten free options for those in need of them, and on Monday's Kids eat free (see website for details), and they give great discounts for students!  Patrick says they have the best pizza in town, But wouldn't you say that if you were the owner?  For them only being opened for 4 months, and never being in the restaurant biz before, I'd say they have a great future ahead of them.  Class dismissed.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Please visit this locally owned business and see if you agree!

Korean Tacos w/ Killer Asian Slaw

Recipe No. 4
Korean Tacos w/ Killer Asian Slaw

Serving Size for this Recipe: 10-12 people
Average Cost: $25 (you'll be buying some ingredients that will become essentials in your pantry- so part of the cost will pay out in the long term)


Okay- okay already, you want me to tell you a new amazing take on the taco? Well, its not so new- it's been done- but not like this.  This is my spin on Korean street food- the Korean Taco, or Korean BBQ Taco.  Street vendors in all major cities are picking up on the concept that people LOve LOVe LOVE spices and bold flavors!  This dish will deliver.  Put it on the menu for your next get-together!

Now like I said; there are going to be some ingredients to buy that you are going to use a little of, and may not have in your pantry already- but once you get them, you can start finding the dishes to make that USE them (so don't freak out)

You're going to need flour tortillas (usually the small variety are called "fajita size")
The players for the steak are-

2-3 lbs of Skirt Steak (or Flank Steak)
(1) 20 oz bottle of Dr. Pepper - YES THE SODA!
2 tbsp of Hoisin Sauce
2 tsp of Sesame Oil
3 tbsp of Soy Sauce
1 tbsp of Fresh Garlic
2 Green Onions or Scallions (chopped)
1 tbsp of red chili flakes
2 tsp of fresh cracked black pepper
1 lime (the juice)

The Slaw is super easy, but killer flavor and a nice crisp/bright counter point to the richness of the steak-

1 head of shredded iceberg lettuce
1 or 2(depending on size) heads of Napa Cabbage
2 Large Carrots
1 cup of fresh Cilantro
1 tbsp of Hoisin Sauce
1/2 a cup of Rice Vinegar
2 tsp of sugar
2 tsp of salt

Alright- mix all the ingredients for the steak marinade together and pour half in a heavy duty zip tight storage bag, and the other half into an air tight container. Chop the steak into thin strips about 2 inches long but thin as you can get them with a kitchen knife.  Marinate in the fridge for 3 hours at least- over night is better!

The day of your meal-

wrap your tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and place them in a baking dish w/ a lid into the microwave for 1 minute and let them sit till you're ready to eat.
Next-
Get all your veggies and shred them into a zip tight bag, add the other ingredients right into the bag and give it a good shake! make sure to taste it and add salt if needed.  Put the bag in the fridge until service happens!
Then-
take your steak out and get cooking! get a grill plate or skillet out and on medium high heat- remove the meat from the bag and begin to cook- this will go fast, since the meat is cut small and thin.  You're looking for a nice sear on the meat and good caramelization from all the sugar in the soda.  The marinade you reserved in the air tight container can go into a pot and brought up to a simmer (once the meat is cooked- put it in this delicious sauce to keep it warm while serving- just use a slotted spoon or tongs to serve with). You're ready to eat! Lets Rock!

I hope you'll take this recipe and rock it out- Enjoy!

Mama's Recipes at Maggie's!

Critique No. 9

Restaurant

Maggie's
100C Southeast 3rd Street
Lee's Summit, MO 64063
(816) 554-0722

Cuisine: Authentic Mexican
Max. Occupancy: 26
Price Point Average: $5+


If you are walking downtown in Lee's Summit, you can find small shops of all kinds. There isn't a lot downtown that I haven't been to yet, but Maggie's was a place I'd missed! This little restaurant with big heart opened in October '09.

The mission was clear for Maggie’s owner, Ryan Schnabel. He had started a catering company, about 2 years ago with homemade recipes at the heart of his business- but decided that downtown needed authentic Mexican food, and so he opened the restaurant. Named Maggie's after his mother, the restaurant and menu have hints of family throughout them- even the combos are named after his aunts. Okay now, lets talk food.

I have been looking for a place to try a culinary masterpiece called Pazole. It's a deeply flavored broth of tomato and herbs with pork and hominy (soft corn kernel without the hull or germ). I order a side of this delicious soup (which came with flour tortillas- homemade), Mexican rice, and the star of the meal- Pork Chili Burrito. The burrito is a part of the ever changing $5 lunch menu- CHECK IT OUT PEOPLE!!!

If you will, first notice the plate. It comes with the food only- not fancy non edible garnishes here...and you know why? Because this is REAL MEXICAN FOOD!!! Mexican food that is from Mexican recipes and a down home- real life- simple Mexican kitchen. The majority of what people consider Mexican food is just an Americanized version of it's true self. Next, notice the nice char on the edge of the tortilla. This is key in a good burrito- some nice smokiness, and the burrito was filled with the chili pork and rice. The pork, just tender and moist- there was such a nice earthiness to the meat, you could taste the spices and they were deeply cooked in. The Pazole was everything I thought it'd be. Very hearty and warming, a nice spice- not too much heat. The one falter of the meal for me was the rice. It wasn't bad- I ate all of it- it was a little on the bland side for my taste- and that is the only bad thing you'll hear me say. This was a great lunch- I enjoyed talking with Ryan, he was very nice to me in answering my questions about his business. You can tell he loves his restaurant. I will definitely go back to try more of the menu (that you can see below)

In conclusion- I like Maggie's and I'll be back there to try more of their food. I think it is a valuable addition to Lee's Summit- my words to Maggie's are "buenos suerte y gracias"

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Please visit this locally owned business and see if you agree!

Pasta with Broccoli

Recipe No. 3
Pasta with Broccoli

Serving size for this recipe: 6-8 people

Average cost: $11 (the cheese is the most expensive part of the dish- but worth every penny)



Here we are- almost half way through February, and it is still cold outside. The infamous groundhog tells us six more weeks of winter, so- here is a dish that will warm you up and keep you happy till that sun shines again. This recipe is one my mom has made my entire life (and probably before it as well) it just speaks to me now more than ever before. Just simply called pasta with broccoli, nothing fancy about it- just spectacular flavors :) I have tweaked it slightly to make it my own, but that is the beauty of cooking, a recipe is one ingredient away from being transformed. It is rustic and a little spicy, super tasty, but most importantly- its inexpensive and easy! It's a great vegetarian pasta dish too! This is what you'll need:

1 lb. of Bucatini (this is a long pasta that is hollow- from the Italian word for hole "buco" )
1 Large head of broccoli
5 slices of bread (crusty bread is best)
1.5 cups of grated pecorino Romano cheese (this is crucial, try not to substitute)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 of a small sweet onion (or 1 shallot)
1 tsp of peperoncino (red pepper flakes)
1 tsp of butter
1/2 a cup of white wine
extra virgin olive oil

Okay, lets begin. Start out with a little prep work. You should break down the broccoli into florets and just use a vegetable peeler to clean the stem- there is so much flavor in the stem, it's not just the handle :) Next put all of your broccoli pieces into a food processor and run it on pulse in 3 second increments (we are trying to chop up the broccoli, not puree it) when the pieces are about the size of peas, empty the broccoli into a bowl and set it in the refrigerator. Then, take your slices of bread and and put them in the food processor and pulse them down to fine bread crumbs. Heat a small pan to on medium high heat and add your butter, toast the bread crumbs in the pan stirring them often to avoid burning. Once they are toasted, remove from heat and set aside for later use.

At this point, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a couple teaspoons of salt to the water. Let the pasta cook for 8 minutes, checking it till it is al dente (with a little bite to it, not uncooked and not fully cooked) While the pasta is cooking you're going to dice your onion and mince the garlic. Get a large saute pan over medium heat and coat the bottom of the pan with the olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add in the onion, stir them well- we are trying to to cook them till they are translucent (cooking them without color, or browning). This keeps the onions sweet, and that's right where we want them. Next, add in the garlic, just cook everything together for about 2 minutes, stirring them to avoid burning the garlic.

The second half of this cooking moves fast- so ready, set, go!
clear your stove of all pots and pans except the pan with onions and garlic- turn this pan up to medium high and add the white wine, let this reduce for 1 minute. next add in the broccoli, stir it in and let it cook with the onions and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with salt. Add your peperoncino, and stir. add your pasta to the pan, with a pair of tongs, pick up the pasta and incorporate it into the other ingredients, stirring and lifting, don't break up the pasta too much! next add the bread crumbs, repeat the stirring and lifting, incorporating the bread crumbs, remove the pan from the heat and get your serving dish out. Transfer the pasta to the dish with the tongs and empty the pan of all remaining food (broccoli, onions, whatever was clinging on) finally add half the pecorino romano cheese and give it one final stir and lift. top with the remaining cheese and eat!

You did it! You can add this to your family cookbook if you want. I hope you try it, please leave me some comments if you'd like.

I hope you can make memories in your kitchen, enjoy!

Benvenuto!

Critique No. 8
Restaurant
Napoli's Italian Restaurant
1196 NE Douglas Rd
Lee’s Summit, MO 64082
(816) 554-4874

Cuisine: Italian
Max. Occupancy: 105
Price Point Average: Lunch- $5.99 & Dinner- $9.99

Well, it has been some time since my last post- I have been awaiting the opportunity to go taste some local delights! Several months back I noticed that a local Italian restaurant had closed and soon after another opened in the same location. I was weary of trying it because of the experience I'd had with the previous establishment. As fate would have it, I had to drop off my car for an oil change the other day and this restaurant happens to be in walking distance across the road, so I decided to go for it, put my preconceived notions aside and try Napoli's. This happens to be two spots down from Thai Spice (the amazing Thai restaurant I had previously reviewed). Like most places in strip malls, the sign does no justice to the business. Nothing spectacular or eye catching.

I walked in and the decorations were very familiar. It was however, laid out in a different way which really opened it up, less booths and more open tables. Very nice. You are given some very warm fresh made rolls, which were the texture of a cinnamon roll, but- they were savory and topped with parsley and parmesan cheese-I was very happy with this bread! It was served with olive oil and herbs (pretty typical of many Italian restaurants now) A small critique here on the oil, it wasn't flavorful like I'd expected it to be. It literally had no taste. I added some salt and pepper to it, which helped, but not by much.

I ordered off of the $5.99 Lunch Specials menu, this got me my entree and a good sized salad. You can choose from several dressing options. I opted for the house Italian dressing. The waitress informed me that it was an oil based dressing made with some of their marinara. It wasn't really appetizing to look at (kinda looked like ketchup). But it wasn't bad- it reminded me of a Catalina dressing, but slightly more acidic. It was very sweet though, not really to my taste. I would have preferred something more savory. The salad was nothing special, just bagged greens and some croutons.
Then my entree came out, all hot and bubbly! I got the Pasta Trio, which was one cheese ravioli, one stuffed shell, and a small portion of lasagna covered in sauce and mozzarella cheese, then popped in the oven to bake for a few minutes. The portions size was good for lunch. The flavors where there, it was a good sauce, and the meat inside the lasagna was so tender and flavorful. All of the pasta was also tender- the creaminess of the ricotta just enhanced the dish so nicely.
Finally, as I usually do when I try a new place- I looked over the dessert menu. The waitress recommended the Chocolate Mousse cake. The mousse was light and fluffy and the cake was soft. There was some chocolate shavings on top, but then they killed it for me by dousing the whole thing in raspberry and chocolate syrup. I could have done without the sauces. It just looked a little cluttered on the plate- sometimes less is more, and in this case that would have been true.
I enjoyed talking with Labi, the manager of Napoli's. He told me he hails from Venice and is still getting used to being in Missouri, but he likes it. He asked me how the food was and told me about their other locations. The Lee's Summit location is still waiting for their liquor license (I mean you gotta have a little vino with dinner), but he's hoping it will come in soon. I am happy that there is a new Italian business here in my town. There is always room for improvement, even in the best restaurants. Napoli's is still young, give 'em time and I think they'll be just fine.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Please visit this locally owned business and see if you agree!

You Wanna Single, a Double, or a Triple?

Critique No. 7
Restaurant

Burger Station
113 E 7th Ave
Winfield, KS 67156
(620) 221-9773

Cuisine: Burger Joint
Max. Occupancy: Standing room for 6 at the wall to wall counter for ordering.
Price Point Average: $3.50

About 25 miles north of the Oklahoma State Line you'll find Winfield, Kansas. A small town, with normal small town things in it. Antique stores, a shoe repair shop, and plenty of other locally owned businesses. Winfield is a place we go from time to time to see my wife's side of the family. The town is also known for having an Annual Bluegrass Festival that is pretty amazing. On my most recent visit, I ate at a local landmark and classic American institution for good old fashion hamburgers. My wife and her dad told me all about how I had to try Burger Station, it was so amazing, it has been in the same location since 1952 and so on. So the whole trip I was anticipating this meal, like no meal I can recall in recent memory. As we were driving to the place, we actually missed it and had to go through an alley to come back around. I swear if you blinked you would miss this place.

I walked in and there is just room to stand to order at the Chest-High counter. The menu is on the wall and it is straight forward and to the point! Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Chili Cheeseburger. Single, Double, or Triple. Add Bacon, or Jalapenos (or both). Burgers come plain, or with "everything" and that means Grilled Onions, Pickles, and Mustard. Ketchup is available, however lettuce and tomato are no where to be found in this place.
I had the notion to get the triple chili cheeseburger with everything and bacon/jalapenos- but I held back my desire to have a caloric overload and just went with the double cheeseburger with everything and bacon ;) It comes wrapped in the white wax paper and carried out in paper bag. YES- that is old school.

So I got in the car and parked on the other side of the station to feast. My wife said the look on my face was the same as the one when I am opening a Christmas present...I was excited.

So I devoured this burger and let me tell you about it. Re-live it with me! This was by no means a big burger- but it's flavor made it feel big. That nice texture from the flat top grilling of the burger and onions, the crunch of the bacon, the zip of the pickles and mustard and the ooooie goooie melted cheese. Yes. This was a straight up man burger. I could have eaten 3. But again...with the caloric overload desires being held back...I didn't- I just washed it down with a huge Dr. Pepper.

My criticism of this burger was really only in it's size- now for the price that I paid, I could have gotten 2 of them for the price of one McFastFoodChain burger. But why would I...the McFastFoodChain burger taste as good.
If you are in Winfield ever in your life, and I could see that happening if you intentionally go there.....for the bluegrass festival- please stop by the burger joint- I'm glad I did.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Please visit this locally owned business and see if you agree!

Farwell's and Shells

Critique No. 6

Restaurant

McCoy's Public House

4057 Pennsylvania

Kansas City, MO 64111

(816) 960-0866

Cuisine: Classic and Modern American

Max. Occupancy: 530

Price Point Average: Lunch- $8.99 & Dinner- $10.99

Last night I went to McCoy's Public House to a send off for some of my dear friends- Drew and Selena (they are amazing and they have done photos that you mayb have seen on My Wife's blog or on their blog for vanhornvisuals). They're moving out California way for the bright lights and glam of L.A., so we gladly and but sadly joined in for their going away party. It was the perfect place for a party! McCoy's is well known for their food and brew! They make hand crafted beer and Root Beer that makes my mouth sing. This was a family night out- so you're going to get the run down on several different items.

I had been to McCoy's only once before and had the Ginger Shandy beer, which is made with ginger and lemonade- its soo girly but sooo good! So I ordered up one- our waiter was very energetic and attentive with handling our party of over 15 people. I took the menu in hand and looked it over. My eyes landed on The Mac Daddy, and since I am a daddy; I thought to myself "this is the one for me". It was their house mac and cheese made with large shell pasta, four cheeses (including some amazing Wisconsin soft cheddar), toasted garlic breadcrumbs, sweet peas, and smoked bacon. Um...HELLO TASTE BUDS! WAKE UP ITS PARTY TIME! A generous portion for $10.99, and I got some of their fresh made- rough cut fries on the side. Leah got the KC BBQ Brisket Pizza for $10.99 as well. It was made on a super thin and crunchy crust, slow-roasted beef brisket, white and yellow cheddar, house-made beer barbecue sauce (come on now- that's awesome!) and shaved red onion. I wish I had pictures of the food- but we left the camera at home on accident. boo. We put in our orders and hung out with our friends. Again, as we talked, I was sad they were leaving but there was a good energy in the room because everyone knew that Drew and Selena were going to love L.A. and be very happy and successful there.

It was time to eat!! Out comes the army of waiters (not really, just like 3) with all our food. My first impression of the Mac Daddy was like !!!!!!!! you couldn't see my face because it was melted off! This looked like the meal I want before I die! Perfecto! A miniature crock pot of shells with a scoop of the Wisconsin soft Cheddar just melting into the pasta, bacon, peas and aawhehahahawaha. It was awesome. I ate it all, of course. Leah loved her pizza- I was lucky enough to get a slice to eat and it was sweet and crispy and a deep flavor from the beer in the sauce with the onions- it worked. Fries were really good too, and that is something that kinda goes unappreciated most of the time- these were nice thickness with the skin on and the nice flakes of kosher salt. Yum-Um. Even Landen's little cheese pizza looked good!

When it was all said and done and we took our farewell group pictures. I was sad because I was going to miss my friends, but glad that we had a good memory for the last time we hung out for a while. McCoys delivered a great spin on the classic standard- Mac and Cheese. For me, it was nothing but praises for my meal.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Please visit this locally owned business and see if you agree!