Movin' on Up

Critique No. 13

Restaurant

Fiesta Azteca

705 E. Melody Ln (Near 291 N and 50 HWY)Lees Summit, MO 64063

Hours:

7 Days a week 11AM-10PM

Cuisine: Authentic Mexican

Website: http://fiestaaztecakc.com/
Phone: 816-524-1290

Max. Occupancy: 150

Average Price: $9

As you may know, Lee's Summit has it's share of Mexican restaurants and restaurants that sell "Mexican food".  Well, on December 11, 2010- Fiesta Azteca opened it’s doors.  Bringing with it, Owner Andres Orozco's family recipes and a following.  You see, they had already been WOWING the city of Raytown for 7 years with their traditional offerings and one of a kind specialties.  The new space is bigger, and believe me- from the crowd that was in there when I visited- They Needed the room!

I went in for lunch one afternoon with my sister.  Like usual I didn't draw any attention to the fact that I was going to be critiquing the place-  nonetheless, the hostess was very warm and inviting. 

We were seated and my taste buds began to dance!  I could smell the aroma of grilled meats and veggies from some Fajitas.  I knew then what I would try. I looked over the menu that was PACKED FULL of Combination plates (39 to be exact). BTW, they have a huge burrito that goes by the name of El Azteca- this thing is over six pounds of delicious Mexican flavor. If you can eat it all, your real name might be Adam Richman (MAN VS. FOOD).  I couldn't resist the fajitas though.  I chose the Fajita salad.   We were served chips and salsa, as well as some of the queso blanco that my sister ordered.  It was all Very good, and very fresh.  The chips were crisp- not greasy and flimsy as you might find if they didn't fry the tortilla long enough or at the right temperature.

I was reading on their menu that they are well known for their margaritas. They are about as big as a fish bowl, and they only use premium ingredients.  Maybe when it's not 12:15pm, I'll go back and order one....to share with a small village.

AH HA!! The feast arrives.

Yum!

I liked this plate on many levels.  I liked the colors, the smells, the presentation.  It was inviting me to eat, so I did! I could taste the grilled char of the chicken.  The crispness of the onions and peppers was a nice contrast against the creamy guacamole and sour cream.  The salsa had a great smooth consistency, and a nice citrus note from the cilantro was the cherry on top (so to speak).

When I spoke with Andres after we ate, I could feel his energy and passion for the place.  You could tell that he really loves his work.  I would love to tell you there was some hidden flaw in this place- but if there was one, I haven't tasted it yet.  I've been back a few more times and everything I've eaten has been delicious. 

Remember that when you drive up to a place and it LOOKS like the other restaurants you've seen- Go ahead and try it, you might find something very special inside.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

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

Caprese Puff Pastry Pizza

Recipe No. 6
Caprese Puff Pastry Pizza

Serving Size for this Recipe: 6-8 people
Average Cost: $9 to $11


This is a fun little dish to throw in the mix for your weekly menu!  Taking the classic caprese salad recipe and using a soft buttery puff pastry to tie it all together.  This is So super simple but so super good.  You're gonna need a few things:

1 pkg of puff pastry
2-3 Roma tomatoes
1 lb. of fresh mozzarella cheese- BelGioioso is a good one that you can find at most grocers.
1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp of good extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Lay out the puff pastry on a sheet pan, dock the pastry with a fork and cook as instructed on package.  Making these small holes will keep that pastry from puffing up (like a pizza crust!)
In a small bowl- whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. 
Once it's cooked- let it cool for 10 minutes, then add the sliced tomato, torn basil leaves, thin slices of the mozzarella, and (whisk it together one more time) and drizzle over the balsamic dressing.  Add some kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper and eat it!

Remember to K.I.S. in the kitchen!
Keep It Simple.

I hope you have a great day, foodies!

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!

Eat.Drink.Live.

Welcome to Cibo. This is a blog devoted to Food in all its forms; from fast food to sit down dinners, raw to pan seared, you'll find it here. Be sure to follow this blog for great Recipes, Restaurant Critiques, dining out suggestions and more. There will also be a monthly Top 5 list that will explore the many different cuisines out there. This is my project that I can't wait to dive into- I hope you enjoy this.

-Luke